Bridging Engineering, Science, and Technology (BEST) for Elementary Educators

桥梁工程，科学和技术（最好的）为小学教育工作者的目的是为科学和教育教师谁准备未来的小学教育工作者提供专业发展，以加强教师和职前教师对工程内容，基于探究的教学技术和职业道路的理解技术领域。该项目建立在成功的NSF资助的ATLAS项目（DUE 07-02853）的基础上，旨在丰富教师教育课程的工程和技术。BEST项目将这种创新方法扩展到包括社区大学科学课程，这些课程经过修改以纳入开放式工程设计活动。该项目的目标如下：为教师教育课程提供材料，采用技术和工程的实践方法，同时将科学和数学结合起来;加强教授技术、工程和科学的知识和能力;在社区学院和四年制院校之间发展与初等教育有关的衔接途径;创建一个教师骨干，在州，地区和国家层面传播他们的知识;提高对技术和工程基础教育计划的认识。 该项目的合作伙伴包括格林菲尔德社区学院、文学硕士学院、马萨索伊特社区学院、布里奇沃特州立学院、米德尔塞克斯社区学院、菲奇堡州立学院、北岸社区学院和塞勒姆州立学院。 马萨诸塞州高等教育委员会、马萨诸塞州生物技术教育基金会、工程中心和波士顿土木工程师协会是主要的教育和行业合作伙伴。最好的目标是生命科学教师在第一年和物理科学教师在第二年。 在第一年，由来自八所学院的两名科学和两名教育教师组成的教师领导团队参加了科学博物馆为期四天的领导学院。领导力研究所强调团队建设，学科知识，建模有效的知识，职业选择的探索，审查研究和资源，课程模型的检查和项目计划的开发，将技术和工程引入STEM课程。接下来，科学和教育教师试点课程组成部分，并修改或创建新的课程与技术和工程集成。第二年的重点是新课程的实施和研讨会的教师主持职前教育工作者在他们的教学实习。最后，在第三年，重点是制度化，专业发展，并通过会议，出版物和网站传播模型，材料和研究结果。还计划举办一个全州范围的衔接和转移讲习班。BEST旨在覆盖62所社区大学和25所四年制大学。此外，大约800名职前教育工作者和7 000名小学生受到影响。项目评估计划将比较ATLAS和BEST项目中包含的技术和工程集成模型，以确定哪些是最有效、可持续和可扩展的。评估还审查了地区、州和国家的传播、转移途径的发展以及课程变化。通过制定课程大纲、序列和课程计划，BEST记录了如何将技术和工程融入职前教师的科学和教育课程。随着越来越多的州将技术和工程纳入其标准，该项目产生的案例研究、资源和模型可以为指导全国范围内的社区学院和职前工作提供强有力的基础。BEST利用社区学院和四年制学院的机会，为未来的教师做好准备，以提高技术素养。

Bridging Engineering, Science and Technology (BEST) for Elementary Educators is designed to provide professional development for science and education faculty who prepare future elementary educators to strengthen faculty and pre-service teachers' understandings of engineering content, inquiry-based pedagogical techniques, and career pathways in technical fields. This project builds on the successful NSF-funded ATLAS project (DUE 07-02853), designed to enrich teacher education courses with engineering and technology. The BEST project expands this innovative approach to include community college science courses, which are modified to incorporate open-ended engineering design activities. The project goals are as follows: provide materials for teacher education courses using hands-on approaches to technology and engineering while integrating science and mathematics; strengthen knowledge and ability to teach technology, engineering and science; develop articulation pathways related to elementary education between community colleges and four-year institutions; create a cadre of faculty to disseminate their knowledge at state, regional, and national levels; and increase awareness of technology and engineering elementary education programs. The project partners include Greenfield Community College, MA College of Liberal Arts, Massasoit Community College, Bridgewater State College, Middlesex Community College, Fitchburg State College, North Shore Community College, and Salem State College. The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education, Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation, The Engineering Center, and the Boston Society of Civil Engineers are key educational and industry partners. BEST targets Life Science faculty in Year 1 and Physical Science faculty in Year 2. During the first year, Faculty Leadership Teams comprised of two science and two education faculty from each of the eight colleges participate in a four-day Leadership Institute at the Museum of Science. The Leadership Institute emphasizes team building, disciplinary knowledge, modeling effective pedagogies, exploration of career options, reviewing the research and resources, examination of course models and the development of a project plan for introducing technology and engineering into STEM courses. Next, science and education faculty pilot course components and modify or create new courses with technology and engineering integration. Year 2 focuses on new course implementation and workshops for the teachers that host pre-service educators during their teaching practicum. Finally, in Year 3, the emphasis is on institutionalization, professional development, and dissemination of models, materials, and findings via conferences, publications, and websites. A statewide articulation and transfer workshop is also planned. BEST is designed to reach 62 community college and 25 four-year college faculty. Additionally, approximately 800 pre-service educators and 7,000 elementary students are impacted. The project evaluation plan compares the technology and engineering integration models included in the ATLAS and BEST projects to determine which are most effective, sustainable and scalable. The evaluation also examines regional, state and national dissemination, development of transfer pathways, and curricular changes.By developing course syllabi, sequences, and lesson plans, BEST documents how technology and engineering can be integrated into science and education courses for pre-service teachers. As more states include technology and engineering in their standards, the case studies, resources, and models resulting from this project can provide a powerful foundation to guide community college and pre-service efforts nationwide. BEST leverages opportunities at community colleges and four-year colleges that prepare tomorrow's teachers to enhance technological literacy.