Communities of Practice: Teacher Preparation and Beyond

斯通希尔学院将为大约18名致力于在高需求学区(包括马萨诸塞州雅芳、布罗克顿、霍尔布鲁克、伦道夫和斯托顿)任教的初中或高级数学专业的学生提供36个奖学金。该项目解决了留住准教师的问题，方法是建立一个实践社区模式，在教师入学、教师准备及以后的过程中为他们提供准备和支持。该项目提供专业发展机会，包括为校内Noyce演讲者系列引进大师教师、校本充实计划(学者与K-12学生互动以发展对数学的深刻概念理解)、在当地学区的带薪数学实习、特殊兴趣住房，以及与数学或教育系进行为期一学期或长达一暑期的本科研究。该项目还解决了吸引和留住难以招聘的数学领域的高素质教师到高需求学校的挑战，同时努力吸引和留住更多样化的教师群体。这些学者的招募涉及以主题为基础的活动，同时培养现有的和潜在的数学专业学生或声称对教育感兴趣的学生，以考虑加入由该计划活动促进的实践社区。该项目将研究与教育经验相结合的有意设计，使新的数学教师能够在自己的课堂上采用类似的模式，将发现的兴奋注入教育，激发学生对数学的兴趣。

Stonehill College is providing 36 scholarships to about 18 junior or senior mathematics majors who commit to teaching at high needs school districts (including districts in Avon, Brockton, Holbrook, Randolph and Stoughton, MA). The project addresses the problems of retaining would-be teachers by developing a community of practice model to prepare and sustain teachers as they matriculate through their teacher preparation and beyond. The project provides professional development opportunities including bringing in master teachers for an on-campus Noyce Speaker Series, school-based enrichment programs where the scholars interact with K-12 students to develop deep conceptual understanding of mathematics, paid mathematics internships within local school districts, special interest housing, and semester-long or summer-long undergraduate research with mathematics or education faculty. The project also addresses the challenge of attracting and retaining highly qualified teachers in the difficult-to-recruit field of mathematics to high need schools while making an effort to attract and retain a more diverse teacher population. The recruitment of these scholars involves theme-based events while cultivating current and potential mathematics majors or students with a declared interest in education to consider joining a community of practice facilitated by the program's activities. The program's intentional design of integrating research with educational experiences enables new mathematics teachers to adopt similar models in their own classrooms, infusing education with the excitement of discovery and sparking their students' interest in mathematics.