Innovation through Institutional Integration (I3): The Modeling Institute

亚利桑那州立大学(ASU)通过院校集成进行创新(I-3)：建模研究所整合了其在STEM教师教育等领域最成功的由NSF赞助的项目的努力：建模物理(多个NSF项目)、项目路径(MSP)、专业学习社区资源(TPC)、通过工程设计进行项目学习并启动管道项目(ITEST)、问生物学家(NSDL)、SMALLab(CESE&AMP；IGERT)、亚利桑那-凤凰城中心长期生态研究(CAP LTER)和MARS(NASA)。I-3模范学院的重点是中学年级关键教育关头的综合主题。这一I-3努力的结果是，通过一个将建模作为核心结构的学习方案，培养200名STEM认可的中等年级教师；开发十个STEM可持续发展主题硕士课程；通过建立科学村(专业学习社区)，使这些STEM教师继续成为专业人员；STEM-Net(凤凰城地区STEM教师专业发展网络)和Ask-A-Science资源(基于网络的按需学习门户网站)；I-3建模研究所借鉴了亚利桑那州立大学在建模方面的开创性工作，并将其作为综合结构，通过有意义的活动将数学和科学内容联系起来。I-3建模研究所的行动理论源于研究，这些研究表明，创建科学现象模型和测试这些模型的能力取决于对现象的数学思维方式的发展，包括理解数据模式的能力。此外，对学生学习的研究表明，情境对于理解数学概念和技能至关重要。该项目融合了以可持续发展环境下的建模教学为中心的尖端研究型教学和评估方法。I-3建模学院的创新方面包括：招聘和准备大量在职小学教师成为中等STEM教师；将建模结构注入硕士水平的STEM教育计划；将可持续发展科学作为解决问题的背景整合到科学和数学课程中；以及跨STEM部门进行协调，使研究科学家作为STEM教育学习社区的一部分建立强大的联系。I-3建模研究所支持小学教师走向学科专业化的职业轨迹，使他们能够丰富中学生的教育经验。I-3模特儿学院致力于提高中年级学生的学习能力。研究表明，随着考试成绩和STEM职业抱负的降低，人们对数学和科学的兴趣开始减弱。I-3建模学院的毕业生配备了一个知识和技能工具箱，让学生参与动态的数学和科学学习。I-3建模学院是与亚利桑那州增长最快的两个学区合作开发的，它利用每个项目最成功的方面进行整合，以产生一个持久的STEM认证和专业发展计划，供小学教师成为凤凰城和马里科帕县农村学校的中学科学和数学教师。归根结底，该计划所依赖的合作伙伴关系是充满活力的STEM教育社区的核心，支持大学研究人员和中等STEM教育工作者之间的持续专业发展和合作。

Arizona State University's (ASU) Innovation through Institutional Integration (I-3): The Modeling Institute integrates the efforts of its most successful NSF-sponsored initiatives in STEM teacher education and more: Modeling Physics (numerous NSF programs); Project Pathways (MSP); Professional Learning Community Resources (TPC); Project Learning through Engineering Design and Prime the Pipeline Project (ITEST); Ask-a-Biologist (NSDL); SMALLab (CISE & IGERT); Central Arizona-Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research (CAP LTER); and MARS (NASA). The I-3 Modeling Institute focuses on the integrative theme of critical educational junctures at the middle grades level. The result of this I-3 effort is intended to be the production of 200 middle grades teachers with STEM endorsements through a program of study that integrates modeling as the core construct; development of ten STEM sustainability-themed master's level courses; persistence of these STEM teachers as professionals through the establishment of Scientific Villages (professional learning communities); STEM-net (a Phoenix area STEM teacher professional development network) and Ask-A-Scientist resources (a web-based portal for on-demand learning); and College For Kids (a summer camp for middle school students and practicum for nascent STEM middle grades teachers).The I-3 Modeling Institute draws upon ASU's seminal work in modeling and employs it as the integrative construct, connecting mathematics and scientific content through meaningful activity. The I-3 Modeling Institute's theory of action emanates from research studies that show the capacity to create models of scientific phenomena and to test those models is dependent on the development of mathematical ways of thinking about the phenomena, including the ability to make sense of patterns in data. Moreover, studies of student learning demonstrate that context is critical for coming to understand mathematical concepts and skills. This project incorporates cutting-edge research-based instructional and assessment methods, centered on Modeling Instruction in a sustainability context.Innovative aspects of the I-3 Modeling Institute include: recruiting and preparing a large number of in-service elementary teachers to become middle grades STEM teachers; infusing the modeling construct into a master's level STEM education program; integrating sustainability science as a problem-solving context in the science and mathematics courses; and coordinating across STEM departments, resulting in powerful linkages to research scientists as part of the STEM education learning community. The I-3 Modeling Institute supports the career trajectory of elementary school teachers towards a disciplinary specialization that enables them to enrich the educational experiences of middle school students. The I-3 Modeling Institute focuses on improving the learning of middle grades students, themselves. Research indicates that middle school is where interest in mathematics and science begins to wane, along with test scores and STEM career aspirations. I-3 Modeling Institute graduates are equipped with a toolbox of knowledge and skills to engage students in dynamic mathematics and science learning.The I-3 Modeling Institute, developed in partnership with two of the fastest growing school districts in Arizona, leverages the most successful aspects of each of the programs to be integrated in order to generate an enduring STEM certification and professional development program for elementary school teachers to become middle school science and mathematics teachers in urban Phoenix and rural Maricopa county schools. Ultimately, the partnership upon which this program rests is the nucleus for a vibrant STEM education community supporting ongoing professional development and collaborations among university researchers and secondary STEM educators.