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

桥接工程，科学和技术（BEST）为基础教育工作者设计，为科学和教育教师提供专业发展，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。该项目建立在成功的美国国家科学基金会资助的ATLAS项目（DUE 07-02853）的基础上，旨在用工程和技术丰富教师教育课程。BEST项目将这一创新方法扩展到社区大学的科学课程中，这些课程经过修改，纳入了开放式的工程设计活动。该项目的目标是：为教师教育课程提供材料，在整合科学和数学的同时，采用实践方法将技术和工程结合起来；加强技术、工程和科学教学的知识和能力；在社区学院和四年制大学之间发展与基础教育相关的衔接途径；建立一支师资队伍，在州、地区和国家层面传播他们的知识；并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、MA文理学院、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。BEST针对一年级的生命科学学院和二年级的物理科学学院。在第一年，由八所学院各两名理学院和两名教育学院组成的教师领导团队将在科学博物馆参加为期四天的领导学院。领导力学院强调团队建设、学科知识、有效教学法的建模、职业选择的探索、研究和资源的回顾、课程模式的审查以及将技术和工程引入STEM课程的项目计划的制定。接下来，科学和教育学院试点课程的组成部分，修改或创建新的课程与技术和工程的整合。第二年的重点是新课程的实施和教师在教学实习期间接待职前教育工作者的研讨会。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。还计划在全州范围内举办衔接和转移讲习班。BEST旨在覆盖62所社区学院和25所四年制学院教师。此外，大约800名职前教育工作者和7000名小学生受到影响。项目评估计划比较ATLAS和BEST项目中包含的技术和工程集成模型，以确定哪种模型最有效、可持续和可扩展。评估还审查了地区、州和国家的传播、转学途径的发展和课程的变化。通过制定课程大纲、顺序和课程计划，BEST记录了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社区学院和职前工作提供强大的基础。BEST利用社区大学和四年制大学的机会，培养未来的教师提高技术素养。

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.