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

面向初等教育人员的桥梁工程、科学和技术(BEST)旨在为科学和教育教师提供专业发展，使他们为未来的基础教育工作者做好准备，以加强教师和职前教师对工程内容、探究式教学技术和技术领域职业道路的理解。这个项目建立在成功的美国国家科学基金会资助的ATLAS项目(截止日期07-02853)的基础上，该项目旨在用工程和技术丰富教师教育课程。最佳项目将这一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，纳入了开放式工程设计活动。该项目的目标如下：在整合科学和数学的同时，利用技术和工程的实践方法，为教师教育课程提供材料；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建立与基础教育有关的衔接途径；培养一支在州、地区和国家各级传播知识的教员队伍；以及提高对技术和工程基础教育计划的认识。项目合作伙伴包括格林菲尔德社区学院、文科硕士学院、马萨索特社区学院、布里奇沃特州立学院、米德尔塞克斯社区学院、费奇堡州立学院、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学会是重要的教育和行业合作伙伴。最佳的目标是第一年的生命科学学院和第二年的物理科学学院。在第一年，由八所学院中每所学院的两名科学和两名教育教师组成的学院领导团队参加在科学博物馆举行的为期四天的领导力学院。领导力学院强调团队建设、学科知识、建立有效的教学模式、探索职业选择、审查研究和资源、审查课程模型以及制定将技术和工程引入STEM课程的项目计划。接下来，科学和教育教师将试点课程组成部分，并修改或创建技术与工程相结合的新课程。第二年的重点是新课程的实施和教师在教学实践中接待职前教育工作者的讲习班。最后，在第三年，重点是制度化、专业发展，以及通过会议、出版物和网站传播模型、材料和研究结果。还计划在全州范围内举办一次衔接和转移研讨会。BEST计划面向62所社区学院和25名四年制大学教职员工。此外，约有800名职前教育工作者和7000名小学生受到影响。项目评估计划将ATLAS和最佳项目中包含的技术和工程集成模式进行比较，以确定哪些是最有效、最可持续和可扩展的。评估还考察了地区、州和国家的传播，转移途径的发展，以及课程的变化。通过制定课程大纲、序列和教案，最佳记录如何将技术和工程整合到职前教师的科学和教育课程中。随着越来越多的州将技术和工程纳入他们的标准，这个项目产生的案例研究、资源和模型可以为指导全国社区大学和服务前的努力提供强大的基础。最佳利用社区大学和四年制大学的机会，为未来的教师提高技术素养做准备。

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.