Weaving The ColumnsA Research and Scholarship Agenda to Support Intentional and Sustainable

Empowerment-Oriented STEM Teaching and Learning

A Presentation By Dr. Jeremy Price

At Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, PA

November 12, 2015

An Interconnected Agenda of Research & Scholarship

• Academic• Political• Social

Empowering Learners and

Teachers Recognizing and Respecting

Difference

Understanding Structural

Inequalities

Facilitating Equal

Opportunities and Access

(Dimick, 2012; McQuillan, 2005)

An Interconnected Agenda of Research & Scholarship

Reflection to Bring Theory into Practice

Cultivating Communities of

Practice for Sustainability

Hearing Students as

Empowerment

Assumptions for STEM Education and Empowerment of Learners and Teachers

A core aim for an education towards a“scientifically literate public” is to afford

learners and teachers the opportunity to view themselves as“competent outsiders”

(Feinstein, 2011; Mooney & Kirshenbaum, 2009)

Negotiating the meaning of science allowslearners and teachers to see themselves as a part of the

endeavor even if they are not or do not become scientiststhemselves.

(Wenger, 1998)

Hearing Students in STEM

As Empowerment

Research Question

What are the meanings that students construct around

doing science?Focus is on practicing science rather thanscience as an identity (e.g., “draw a scientist,”Archer et al., 2010)

Context: Cotstead High School

• Inner Suburb (pop. 57,000) of a large New England city

• Host to technology and biotechnology companies along the highway, high blue collar and immigrant population in-town

• School of approximately 1400 students

• Ms. Stoneham’s C-Block Biology Class (“These kids probably should go to college, but probably won’t.”)

African-American

Hispanic

Asian

White

What Does It Look Like To Do Science?

Science as “Gaining Knowledge” Science as Collections

Science as Nature Science as Activity

Political Empowerment: Rosa and Juana

Academic and Social Empowerment: Debra

Facilitating ReflectionTo Empower Future Teachers to

Bring Theory into Practice

Why Reflect on Teaching?

“…[T]he ability to reflect on teaching is the mark of a true professional…. By trying to understand the consequences of their actions and by contemplating alternative approaches, teachers expand their repertoire of practice.”

(Danielson, 2007, p. 92)

Multidimensional Framework for Reflection

Reframing

Framing

Schön, 1999 Mitchell, 2013 Moon, 1999

Framing

RememberNoticing

Recognizing important and significant events in the processIdentify

Put It Together

Making SenseComparing the current experience with prior experiences

Reframing

Pick It ApartMaking Meaning

Recognizing new ideas learned as a result of the experience

Plan to Use

Working with Meaning

Linking the ideas and processes with new contexts

TransformativeLearning

Identifying how one’s approach to the world has changed

(Bateson, 1987; Schön, 1999)

Progression of Scaffolding

When first starting this assignment, {I was worried it would be hard because of the new technology}.

Surprisingly {it wasn’t too bad, only very time consuming}.

{I used the reciprocal teaching strategies}.

{I liked using these}

because {it not only made my reader think more into the story},

{but it made me be more specific as a writer}.

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[W]hen starting this project, {it was very intimidating. I honestly had to read a lot about generative topics}

because {it was difficult for me to come up with a topic that didn’t have one correct answer. I’m the type of person who needs black or white},

but in this project {we were given the opportunity to see in color}.

During this project, {I learned that I like color}

because {it gives you the opportunity to explore and make mistakes while learning}.

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Cultivating TeacherCommunities of Practice

To Support the Sustainability of Empowering Practices

https://flic.kr/p/vKvjws

Guiding Question

How do we support and sustain rich, inquiry-driven, problem-centered STEM learning and teaching practices throughout the pre-service, student teaching, and in-service teaching experiences?

Defining Communities of Practice

“Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic, and who deepen their knowledge and expertise in this area by interacting on an ongoing basis…. These people don’t necessarily work together every day, but they meet because they find value in their interactions. As they spend time together, they typically share information, insight, and advice.”

(Wenger, McDermott, & Snyder, 2002, p. 4)

http://home.adelphi.edu/~ca17518/Images/team.gif

Cultivating a Community of PracticeOrientations Activities

Meetings Professional Development Sessions Culmination Sessions Reflection Sessions

Open-Ended Conversations

Professional Development Sessions Online Forum

ProjectsEnacting Curriculum

Feedback on Curriculum

(Guided) Reflection Posts

Online Forum

Content Curriculum and Support Materials

Professional Development SessionsFeedback on

Curriculum Materials

Access to Expertise FSU, TEKids, NETL Teacher Colleagues Online Forum Reflection Posts

Relationships Professional Development Sessions

Curriculum Observations

Online Forum/ Reflection Posts

Reflection Session

Individual Participation

VoiceThread on Teaching Science Individual Reflection Posts

Community Cultivation

Facilitation by FSU/TEKids Identify and Support “Core Group”

Serving a Context Curriculum Observations

Curriculum Design Participation Enacting Curriculum

(Wenger, White, and Smith, 2009)

Empowerment

Approaching STEM Learning and Teaching at Elizabethtown College

Professionalism Social Justice Undergraduate Research

Theory Into Practice

Reflection to Bring Theory into Practice

Cultivating Communities of

Practice for Sustainability

Hearing Students

https://flic.kr/p/7b118o

Jeremy Forest Price, PhDjeremy.price@fairmontstate.eduhttp://bit.ly/stem-social-justice