Different Strokes for Different Folks: Supporting New Teachers Using Multiple

Approaches

Allan Feldman, Morton M. Sternheim, Marlina Duncan, Sharon Palmer,

Janice WingUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst

STEMTEC II

CETP 1997-2002 More, better prepared,

more diverse K12 math and science teachers

8 (21) colleges, 7+ school districts

195 college faculty attended institutes

350 scholarships for prospective teachers

Original STEMTEC Program

2002-2005 Summative Evaluation New Teacher Support

Science and Engineering Saturday Seminars

New Teacher Dinner Club Online course Research experiences for teachers –

“appropriate master’s degree”

STEMTEC II: Follow-on Grant

Science and Engineering Saturday Seminars

Funded in part by Raytheon, Engineering School Low cost program, easily replicated anywhere Build ties between schools, UMass faculty 6 Saturdays, 8:30-1 Grad credit option (free PDP’s)

Lesson plan / class project; book review Reduced tuition

25-35 teachers/session, some new, some experienced

Very popular; people drive 1-2 hours

Fall 2003 Program

Teaching basic physics concepts

Geology field trip Civil Engineering field

trip (all day) Environmental evolution Food safety /

microbiology Recall for those

receiving grad credit

Sample Projects

Science Overnight, Westfield Middle, 300 students

Engineering Expo, Forest Park Middle, Springfield, 40 students

Manufacturing lesson, Milford High

Science in Industry, Great Falls Middle, 70 students

Lip Balm engineering project, Agawam Junior High, 617 students

The New Teachers Dinner Club: What is it?

The New Teachers Dinner Club is a support group for new math and science teachers.

The sessions are facilitated by Janice Wing, a middle school science teacher, and myself, a former science teacher now working on my Ed.D. at UMass.

Meeting Format

All meetings provide time for members to discuss classroom or educational topics of personal concern such as:

Classroom management issues Relating lessons to the frameworks Assessment techniques Planning tips MCAS discussion Resources (including best web sites, etc)

Vision of the Group

Create a Peer Mentoring Environment which fosters: Support Sharing of Ideas Sounding Board Gain Resources (classroom, personal,

professional)

Being a New Teacher

University course to support new teachers

Hybrid on-line/face-to-face Five regular class meetings Use of web-based environment (WebCT)

for discussions, assignments, feedback

Being a New Teacher

Topics: Classroom management Assessment Inclusive pedagogy Special education Web-based instruction Teacher research

Being a New Teacher

Sample assignments: Written reflections on readings Classroom Management Plan Case study Construct a website Final Presentation/Showcase of

teaching

Professional Licensure

MA requires new teachers to obtain the “Professional License” by the end of the 5th year of teaching.

The Professional License requires substantial work in the subject area.

Professional Licensure

Problems: Advanced subject matter courses are not

usually offered when teachers can take them (after school or summers)

Advanced subject matter courses usually are not designed to meet the subject matter needs of practicing teachers. [Academic discipline ≠ School subject]

Professional Licensure

Solution: Research Experience for Teachers Model includes spring semester before and

fall semester after summer RET. Teachers get graduate credit in the

discipline for their participation in the RET. Teachers learn engage in authentic science

practices on NSF-funded research projects.

Acid Mine DrainageResearch Experience for

Teachers (RET)

University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Klaus Nusslein, MicrobiologyRichard Yuretich, GeoSciences

Sarina Ergas, Civil and Environmental EngineeringDavid Ahfeld, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Allan Feldman, Education

NSF funded interdisciplinary project

Teacher Participation

Spring – Journal Club (1 credit) Summer – 160+ hours of field work/lab

research in microbiology and civil and environmental engineering ($2500 stipend and 9 credits)

Fall – Journal Club (1 credit) Curriculum Development (3 credits)

Spring – Implementation of developed curriculum (3 credits)

Davis mine

Drainage below tailings pile

Tailings pile

AMD Project Goals

• Research aims to understand the natural biogeochemical processes involved in the remediation of acid mine drainage.

• Outreach focuses on involving teachers in real research experiences to aid in classroom instruction.

Stream confluence up close

Measuring well water depth

Preparing enrichment media under anoxic conditions.

Opening sediment jars and inoculating sediment into media bottles under anoxic conditions

Incubation and observation

Enrichment bottles with Postgate’s medium at

pH 3.0 4.0 5.0 7.0

Microscopy using a live/dead bio-stain with this fluorescent microscope. Pictures were taken.

Postgate pH 7.0 sediment from Well 4

Thread-like filament

Classroom Curriculum Topics

Metals / nonmetals and chemical cycles Mineral formation Topography Microbiology: micro-organisms in stream water Enrichment media technique Water quality tests: pH, ions (Fe, SO4

2-, Ca), hardness test, dissolved O, N, C, P.

Soil test – capillary action

Importance to Education

Practiced full scope of developing and implementing a research project.

Different perspective on science and what it means to really do research.

More of a supporter for science than before.

New respect for what it takes to earn a Ph.D (motivation, patience and resilience).