Recruiting the Next Generation of STEM Teachers Through YouthTEACH2Learn
2015 California STEM Symposium
October 29, 2015 Anaheim, CA
Welcome & Introductions Session Description YouthTEACH2Learn is a high school class teaching students how to develop and teach mathematics and science lessons to elementary students. Presenters share the experiences of students, past and present, and review seven years of research on this program’s impact on student interest and motivation to pursue STEM teaching careers.
Gregory Nicholson, Ph.D., Director of Advancement, Project Tomorrow
Introductions • Name and school/education setting, your role • Why are you here for this session?
Inspiration
Take two minutes to turn and talk with a partner in response to these questions:
• Why did you/did you not become a teacher?
• What about teaching appeals to you
today?
About Project Tomorrow
The vision of Project Tomorrow is to ensure that today’s students are well prepared to be tomorrow’s innovators, leaders and engaged citizens of the world.
Innovation in Education • Innovation Awards
• Emerging Student Innovator ($1,500) • High Impact Teacher ($1,000) • Innovative Schoolwide Program ($1,000)
• Youth Leadership Summit • 225 students • 21 career professionals from 16 STEM fields
Speak Up • 12 years • 4 million participants • 35,000 schools • 50 states
“Via Speak Up, I finally have data that is useful and meaningful; it is an amazing service that is provided to schools. I can't wait to compare data from last year to this year to see how we've changed.”
- St. Ignatius High School (OH)
Speak Up 2014 Participation 521,846 TOTAL SURVEYS
K-12 Students 431,231
Teachers & Librarians 44,289
Parents (in English & Spanish) 35,337
School/District Administrators/Tech Leaders 4,324
Community Members 6,656 About the participating schools & districts
o 8,216 schools and 2,676 districts o 30% urban / 40% rural / 30% suburban o All 50 states + DC + Guam + DODEA schools
Teacher Shortage • 1/3 of CA teachers are
over 50 • Enrollment in teacher
preparation in CA is down 55%
• CA needs 33,000 new math and science teachers – Nationwide, 4,424
students taking ACT plan to teach math
Good Intentions, but Little Time
Despite educators’ beliefs that science education should begin early, more than half of teachers surveyed spend less than one hour per week on science in kindergarten and the first grade.
Time Spent on Science Instruction in Elementary School
High Hopes-Few Opportunities The Status of Elementary Science Education in California 2011 Report by The Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning at WestEd (Used with Permission)
…and Less Prepared for Activities Central to High Quality Instruction
Elementary School Teachers’ Self-Reported Preparedness in Specific Science Instruction Activities
High Hopes-Few Opportunities The Status of Elementary Science Education in California 2011 Report by The Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning at WestEd (Used with Permission)
Tomorrow’s Teachers Initiative YouthTEACH2Learn
• 17 schools, 150 high school students
• 2015-16 participating high schools: • Canyon High School, Orange Unified
• El Modena High School, Orange Unified
• Jefferson High School, LAUSD
• San Juan Hills High School, Capistrano Unified
• Trabuco Hills High School, Saddleback Unified
• Tiger Woods Learning Center, Anaheim, Washington, D.C.
Educators Rising California • 17 chapters, 350 students
Goals of Program/Curricula • Provide opportunities to explore the teaching career
o Understand the elements of teaching and learning o Explore perspectives on teaching and schools o Develop a teaching skill set
• Increase interest in math and science o At the high school level through content based
lessons, lesson development, and teaching o At the elementary level through increased exposure to
hands-on science and math lessons • Develop college and career ready skills
Components of the YT2L Program
• Curriculum o Full year or half-year o In-school and OST curricula
• Teaching Experiences o Teach lessons to elementary students 6-12 times
during the year • Community Service
o Teacher identified community service projects
EDUCATION EXPLORATION: CAREER TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS
Module 1: Orientation & California Future Educators Association* Module 2: The Structure & Economics of American Education Module 3: The Effective Teacher* Module 4: Human Growth & Development * Module 5: Teaching Students with Special Needs Module 6: Classroom Management & Community* Module 7: Observation Cycles (Inquiry, Differentiation*, Technology*) Module 8: Safety & Emergency Planning Module 9: Government Regulations: IEPs, 504, & Mandated Reporter Module 10: Standards-Based Instruction & Lesson Planning Module 11: Instructional Strategies*
MATH
Module 12: Perspectives on Math “How Many People?”
Math-o-Graphy Algebra Readiness
Module 13: Math Standards “Sleepy Time”
Understanding Common Core An Introduction to Backwards Planning
Module 14: Manipulative Use “Fraction Strips”
Module 15: Problem Solving “Seats on the Bus”
Solving Word Problems Module 16: Math Vocabulary
“Get it Together” Math & English Language Learners Module 17: Assessment Strategies
“Probability” Formative & Summative Assessment
Student Interviews Module 18: Lesson Development
Module 19: Health, Sanitation, & Nutrition Module 20: What’s Next? Career Planning
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Module 12: Perspectives on Science and Environmental Literacy
Ecosystem Services are Essential to Human Life Focus on Water Filtration Teaching Water Filtration
Module 13: Ecological Footprint People Influence Natural Systems
Ecological Footprint Worksheet Elements of Lesson Design Think-Pair-Share Strategy
Module 14: Tragedy of the Commons People Influence Natural Systems
“Tragedy of the Commons” Claim-Evidence-Reasoning
Module 15: The Nitrogen Cycle Dead Fish Case Study Nitrogen Cycle Game
Module 16: Particulate Air Pollution “Monitoring Particulate Pollution”
Protocols for Conducting an Effective Lab Module 17: Making Environmental Decisions
Environmental Issue Analysis Effective Presentation Skills
Module 18: What’s Next? Career Planning
SCIENCE Module 12: Perspectives on Science
“Egg in the Bottle” Sci-O-Graphy
Why Learn Science? Module 13: Science Standards
“Balloon Powered Car” Understanding Next Generation Science Standards
An Introduction to Backwards Planning Module 14: Hands-On Learning
“Index Card Towers” Problem Solving & Inquiry
Module 15: Problem Solving & Inquiry “Why Do Boats Float?”
Module 16: Science Vocabulary “Have Your DNA and Eat it Too”
Science & English Language Learners Module 17: Assessment Strategies
“Understanding Osmosis” Formative & Summative Assessment
Student Interviews Module 18: Lesson Development
Module 19: Heath, Sanitation, & Nutrition Module 20: What’s Next? Career Planning
Anatomy of a Lesson
Each lesson includes: • Standards addressed • Lesson overview • Lesson objectives • Lesson activities • Lesson materials • Estimated time • Sources
Teaching students to develop their own lessons (lesson development cycle)
• Group lesson development • Standards review • Lesson plan template • Project Tomorrow elementary science and math content resources • Pre-teaching practice • Peer review • Observation • Elementary teacher observation • Pre and post reflection
Clinical Experience • High school students design, deliver, and
debrief lessons 6-12 times in full year course • Students teach in groups of 3-4 • Lesson planning templates included in
curriculum • Students visit and observe elementary
teachers prior to teaching • Students practice in class prior to teaching • Students teach the same lesson twice to
different groups
Teacher responsibilities, PT supports
Teacher • Identify and recruit student participants • Teach YT2L curriculum • Facilitate classroom instruction • Arrange guest speakers • Identify community service projects • Establish relationships with partner site
personnel • Participate in PD-including online community • Provide PT access to materials for evaluation • Ensure student participation in evaluation • Present at conferences, as appropriate
Project Tomorrow • Provide teachers with resources including
curricula and lesson planning resources • Serve as a resource for day-to-day
operations • Promote community service opportunities • Provide ongoing programmatic support • Coordinate operations and logistics for
conferences offered to student participants
• Provide ongoing training to YT2L teachers
Impact “I can remember learning from high school students in the YouthTEACH2Learn program when I was little, and after being in the program, I truly understand how great the class is. This program was the key factor in my choosing teaching as my career path. I am beginning school at Cal State Fullerton as a Math major, in hopes of becoming a high school math teacher.”
Goals and Outcomes Goals: • To make steady gains toward fulfilling California’s future workforce
needs with students that are prepared, through their content knowledge and skills, for the higher-skilled jobs in science, math, and technology, especially in teaching STEM subjects.
• To encourage high school students to go to college and pursue science and/or math teaching careers
Outcomes: • Increased student interest in careers in teaching • Increased student content knowledge in math, science, and/or
teaching • Increased student proficiencies in key workplace skills such as
problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork, and public speaking • Increased student interest and plans for attending college • For elementary students, increased interest and engagement in
science or math
Impact • Increased student interest in teaching
– 43% of YT2L students indicated that they had always wanted to be a teacher
– 51% took the course because they are thinking about becoming a teacher
– 63% indicated that they were now interested in teaching after taking the course.
Impact
Impact
Impact • Increased student knowledge/skills in
teaching – 93% of participants were comfortable
managing a classroom, – 83% were comfortable developing or creating
a lesson plan, and – 83% were comfortable finding and sharing
different ways to make science interesting.
Impact • Increased student knowledge/skills in
teaching – 100% of the high school students effectively
communicated with the elementary students – 96% were successful in classroom management – 91% demonstrated an understanding of science
standards – 100% demonstrated an understanding of science
concepts – 100% implemented different techniques to make
science interesting
Impact
Impact
Impact • Increased student proficiencies in key
workplace skills – YT2L students reported feeling very
comfortable with the following: • 85% Meeting a deadline • 91% Being a leader • 89% Managing multiple tasks • 87% Giving a presentation • 87% Managing my time
Impact
Impact • Increased student interest and plans for
attending college – 2014-15: 90% of the participants indicated that they
intended to go to college • More students intended to pursue at least a 4-year
degree required for teaching: 94% versus 87% on the pre-survey.
– 2013-14: 92% were interested in pursuing a 2 or 4 year degree after high-school after participating in YT2L, an increase of 3% from the pre-survey.
Impact
Impact • For elementary students, increased
interest and engagement in science or math – In 2014-2015, 514 fourth and fifth grade
students reported: • Paying attention: 85% • Made learning science interesting: 76%
Impact • For elementary students, increased
interest and engagement in science or math – In 2014-2015, 476 second and third grade
students reported: • Paying attention: 84% • Science is their favorite subject: 49%
Impact • For elementary students, increased
interest and engagement in science or math – In 2014-2015, elementary teachers agree:
• 84% reported that their elementary students were more excited about learning science.
• 67% liked the hands-on activities
What’s Next? • Program
Expansion • After-School
Option • Recruitment
Research
Questions?
Discussion • Does your community face a STEM
teacher shortage?
• What efforts are underway to address it?
• What more can be done?
Resources
Thank You!
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