A Model Program to Engage Students in Authentic, Technology-Infused Coastal Research and Monitoring: Building Student Data Literacy and Career Competency through Partnership

该项目将介绍和调查一种创新模式，利用真实的社区相关研究来加深学生的STEM知识和技能，同时在缅因州沿海学区及其社区之间建立强大的社区联系。该项目将涉及教师和管理人员，STEM和STEM教育教师，以及商业领袖和其他社区成员的研究实践伙伴关系。该合作伙伴关系将支持初中和高中学生获得真实的科学研究经验，包括沿海监测和海洋水特性当地变化的调查。这些研究的数据将为社区决策和战略规划提供信息。通过拟议的工作，教师和他们的学生将扩大他们对当地就业机会的认识和理解，其中需要STEM知识和经验，包括计算，计算思维和技术。一个多元化的商业和非营利合作伙伴群体将以有意义的方式参与STEM课程和职业能力发展，例如指导，工作阴影和实习，为学生使用技术，计算，协作和沟通为STEM职业做好准备。该项目将吸引来自多个学区的20名教师参与，他们将成为未来教师的同伴指导，利用这一模式在社区和学校之间建立更强的联系。该项目将影响至少2500名来自经济困难的缅因州农村社区的学生，其中许多人将是他们家庭中第一个上大学的人。合作伙伴将通过合作举办暑期研究所和学年工作会议，开发和传播使用海洋科学实例和数据的模块，供包括但不限于科学、社会研究、数学和统计在内的课程使用。该模式和经验教训将可转移到其他伙伴关系，旨在扩大农村社区对STEM的参与，并通过利用技术和计算进行与社区相关的研究，更深入地吸引学生。项目研究将产生一个以证据为基础的专业学习和课程支持模型，为教师指导技术注入，多学科的学生研究。将从参与教师的学生那里收集调查前和调查后的数据，以了解社区相关性，海洋科学重点和研究参与如何影响学生的学习，参与以及对STEM和STEM职业的态度。学生数据将按性别分类，并在可能的情况下按种族和民族群体分类，以更好地了解如何使STEM教育对所有人都具有包容性，令人兴奋和价值。从该项目的研究和评估中获得的模型和知识将传播给STEM和STEM教育研究界，以及地方和国家的从业人员和其他利益攸关方。该项目由学生和教师创新技术体验（ITEST）计划资助，该计划支持建立对实践，计划元素，背景和过程的理解的项目，有助于增加学生对科学，技术，工程，信息和通信技术（ICT）该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The project will introduce and investigate an innovative model for using authentic community-relevant research to deepen students' STEM knowledge and skills, while building strong community connections between Maine's coastal school districts and their communities. The project will involve teachers and administrators, STEM and STEM education faculty, and business leaders and other community members in a research practice partnership. The partnership will support middle school and high school students in authentic science research experiences, including coastal monitoring and investigations of local changes in ocean water properties. Data from these studies will inform community policy decisions and strategic planning. Through the proposed work, teachers and their students will expand their awareness and understanding of local career opportunities where STEM knowledge and experience, including computing, computational thinking, and technology, are required. A diverse group of business and non-profit partners will be involved in STEM classes and career competency development in meaningful ways, such as mentoring, job shadowing, and internships, preparing students for STEM careers using technology, computing, collaboration, and communication. The project will engage 20 teachers from multiple school districts, who will become peer guides for future teachers to build stronger connections between communities and their schools using this model. The project will impact at least 2500 students from economically-challenged, rural Maine communities, many of whom will be the first in their family to attend college. Through collaborative summer institutes and school-year work sessions, partners will develop and disseminate modules that use marine sciences examples and data for use in courses including, but not limited to, science, social studies, mathematics, and statistics. The model and lessons learned will be transferable to other partnerships that aim to broaden participation in STEM in rural communities and more deeply engage students through community-relevant research using technology and computing. Project research will generate an evidence-based model of professional learning and curricular supports for teachers to guide technology-infused, multi-disciplinary student research. Pre- and post-survey data will be collected from the students of participating teachers to see how the community relevance, marine sciences emphasis, and research involvement impact students' learning, engagement, and attitudes toward STEM and STEM careers. Student data will be disaggregated by gender and, where possible, by racial and ethnic groups to better understand how to make STEM education inclusive, exciting, and valuable for all. The model and knowledge gained from the project’s research and evaluation will be disseminated to the STEM and STEM education research communities, and to practitioners and other stakeholders, both locally and nationally. This project is funded by the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program, which supports projects that build understandings of practices, program elements, contexts and processes contributing to increasing students' knowledge and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and information and communication technology (ICT) careers.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.