National Workshop on Stimulating STEM Education - Part 2

by Kim Collazo
Michael Lach, Head of Math and Science, Chicago School District

  • 430, 000 students, 27, 000 teachers in Chicago City Schools

  • Lot of emphasis on local control; believe in the support of communities

  • Ranks 49th among the 50 states in the share of education funding

  • Still making good gains in both science and math

  • CO's + NSF = Math and Science Initiative

  • Tools and support, increased content knowledge, extended learning opportunities all used to enhance the learning of science and math

  • Use Math Thematics and Connected Mathematics as the main programs 6-8; Elementary Math Trailblazers and Everyday Mathematics

  • Standard Scope and Sequence in Science

  • Can correlate test score improvement with those educators who attend professional development on an ongoing basis

  • They pay for teachers to take grad classes at several universities to add endorsements to their licensure

  • School leadership is KEY!

  • What we need more of:  formative feedback, leadership, equality in opportunity

  • "Computers are not magic, teachers are magic" Craig Barrett, Intel


Sharon Schulze/Colleen Karl - NC Science House

  • Science House emphasis on hands-on inquiry, research based programs, teacher training

  • 14 full time staff/lots of part-time; 16 years of experience

  • Partnerships with many business/industry

  • Year round ed programs for students; summer camps

  • K-12 Teacher support - manuals, content courses, workshops, extended programs

  • Bennett's Millpond Environment Learning Project

    • student learning

    • teacher involvement

    • community engagement

    • new partnerships

    • environmental citizenship

    • experimental design and research

    • Junior/Senior year

    • Model of Place Based Learning

    • increased professional networking

    • SCOS connected to outside learning

    • teachers/students feel a part of the scientific community

    • real life practice collecting and analyzing data

    • encourage the kids to design their own equipment

    • making kids aware of new career possibilities in the sciences




Bette Manchester, Director Maine Learning Technologies Initiative

Mainelearns.org 

  • 1:1 initiative began 6 years ago

  • promoted by Seymour Papert to Governor Angus King

  • time and money spent working with teachers PRIOR to giving the kids the laptops

  • program aimed at creating equity of resources for students and staff

  • from the beginning it was not about the test scores, it was about learning!

  • another goal was to increase collaboration between students and their teachers through the technology

  • focus on PBL!

  • commitment to change needs to be systemic, there need to be purpose, move to learner centered, PLC's, culture of risk taking

  • must build communication networks, virtual networks, training leadership teams, student teams (annual conference with all involved)

  • assessment for learning practices - training/resources (templates, etc.) provided to the teachers

  • involved teacher leaders (classroom teacher at building level), media specialist are both part of the teacher support component

  • Maine Virtual Library

  •  Math teachers had the hardest time using the laptops - received a grant to help support this need

  • NSF grant - Ecoscience (using simulations for math/science); currently in pilot programs across the state

  • Creativity/Innovation, Critical Friends Groups, Inquiry based learning

  • Project's foundation begins with quality classroom teachers, not technologists.

  • Leadership is EVERYTHING!

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