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Transforming Minds in a transitioning Community

Explore how graduate STEM fellows in K-12 education enrich teaching and learning, preparing future scientists for 21st-century challenges. Discover the impact on school communities and how diverse disciplines converge in critical research. Website links available for further information.

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Transforming Minds in a transitioning Community

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  1. Transforming Minds in a transitioning Community

  2. NSF Division of Graduate Education Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education NSF Division of Graduate Education Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education Preparing Tomorrow’s Scientists and Engineers for the Challenges of the 21st Century GK-12 Preparing Tomorrow’s Scientists and Engineers for the Challenges of the 21st Century GK-12

  3. NSF -Program Goals Graduate StudentsCommunication, Leadership, Team Building K-12 EducationEnhanced Teaching and Learning Higher EducationTransform Graduate Programs Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12)

  4. NSF's Division of Graduate Education (DGE) • Provides funding to graduate students (STEM) disciplines to acquire additional skills that will broadly prepare them for professional and scientific careers in the 21st century. • NSF developed the GK-12 program in 1999 recognizing that, in addition to being competent researchers, STEM graduate students must be able to communicate science and research to a variety of audiences. • Graduate students bring their cutting-edge research and practice into the K-12 classroom, they gain these skills which enable them to explain science to people of all ages, ranging from students to teachers.

  5. How do Schools & Teachers Benefit? • The graduate students inspire transformation in the K-12 formal and informal learning environments and stimulate interest in science and engineering among students and teachers. • Institutions of higher education have an opportunity to make a significant change in STEM graduate and K-12 education programs by creating strong and enduring partnerships.

  6. Our Award – Transforming Minds in a Transitioning County • Focus on historical and changing land use patterns and their socioeconomic, biological and health-related effects in High Point area • Focus on neighborhood and regional environmental and health issues Graduate research is translated into students and teachers addressing neighborhood and regional environmental problems through critical thinking skills

  7. But how do we (you) do this? • Given at least three different disciplines – biology, geography, chemistry & biochemistry • Given different and complex dissertation research topics that are challenging to explain to even another graduate student • Given three different schools and several grade levels • Given constraints of NC school curriculum

  8. Some ideas … • Common themes among research projects • Common physical/social links among the schools The Greenway • Common goals • Using resources for effective communication • Your partner teacher • Your fellow graduate student peers

  9. Common themes among research projects? • Questions about the nature of natural world • Including humans and their effects • The scientific method/ critical inquiry • Causal question – hypothesis – prediction- test-results-conclusion- • Transformations • Energy, land, biological, social, structural

  10. Some ideas … • Common themes among research projects • Common physical/social links among the schools The Greenway • Common goals • Using resources for effective communication • Your partner teacher • Your fellow graduate student peers

  11. Common local physical link among the schools? The Greenway

  12. And regional linkages downstream …

  13. Common Resident Scientists’ Goals • To complete your research & degree • To relate your research (or research area) in a meaningful way to teachers and students • To broaden your views and communication skills as a scientist

  14. Using resources for effective communication • Two most important resources …. 1. Your partner teachers • Training & experience 2. Your resident scientist peers • What works and what doesn’t • GK 12 veterans (Stephanie, Chris)

  15. An exercise – explain your research in 2-3 sentences • To your 8 yr. old niece (or nephew) who wonders just why you are going to college and what you do there

  16. Transforming minds in a transitioning county - website http://www.uncg.edu/bio/gk12/ NSF GK 12 http://www.gk12.org/

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