Wyoming Interns to Teacher Scholars (WITS) Program

怀俄明州大学(UW)和怀俄明州中央学院(CWC)的罗伯特·诺伊斯教师奖学金项目旨在增加怀俄明州农村地区高需求公立小学(K-6年级)有才华的STEM教师的数量。在资助期间，30名学生将在他们的初中、高中和五年级获得奖学金，以完成双学位STEM和幼儿/基础教育专业。该项目的主要目标是培养一批具有强大STEM背景的多样化学生，以提高该地区数学和科学教师的质量和数量。该项目的目标是建立(A)招聘活动，包括区域高中的家长和学生，(B)培训和暑期研究实习，以培养新生二年级对STEM教学的兴趣，(C)数学辅导和辅导活动，包括与STEM专业人员、长辈和社区领袖举行研讨会和务虚会，以及(D)通过专业学习社区和在线焦点小组为职前教师提供支持机制。为了扩大来自STEM代表性不足群体的学者的参与，招聘工作将针对美洲原住民和西班牙裔学生，支助结构将侧重于减轻系统性劣势和提高自我效能，特别是在STEM教育方面。该项目将与科学和数学教学中心以及匡弗斯县、克鲁克县、弗里蒙特县、纳特罗纳县和乌因塔县的学区合作进行。众所周知，自我效能感是个人可能采取的行动、他们将付出的努力、他们在挑战时会坚持多久、他们将经历多大的压力以及他们将达到的成功水平的强烈激励因素。诺伊斯学者将发展丰富的科学和数学内容知识，并通过以场所为基础的教育和与文化相关的教育法，加强他们在农村学校支持STEM教学和学习的能力，从而为他们作为教师的效率奠定基础。即将升入大学二年级的学生将通过K-12暑期项目参加科学和数学实习，该项目由4-H、怀俄明州太空营和提顿科学学校等机构赞助。威斯康星大学的学生将有多种选择，包括化学、计算机科学、工程学、地质学、生物学或数学等多种STEM和教育双轨课程。在CWC，将为生物和数学专业的学生开设双专业。将为参与者提供三个级别的指导，近同行(研究生和年轻专业人员将在实习期间与学生互动)、教师(教授将在三年级、四年级和五年级期间举行一对一、每两周一次的会议)和教师(退休教师将帮助学生反思他们的学生教学经验)。通过评估和评估产生的数据应该支持这样的理论基础，即通过培养学生作为STEM教育工作者的自我效能，他们将在学习过程中坚持下去，成为更好、更敬业的教师。形成性和总结性评价将侧重于项目目标是否已经实现以及项目活动的有效性。对学生进步和表现的评估将包括通过年度参与者调查和人工制品审查、教师自我效能调查、社会认同测试和课堂观察收集的定性和定量数据。该项目成果的传播将为利用这一自我效能框架作为培训未来STEM教师的工具提供一个模式。该项目团队计划通过美国教育研究协会、教师教育工作者协会和全国科学教学研究协会的年度会议，以及通过在《教师教育杂志》、《教师教育行动》和《文化多样性杂志》等期刊上发表研究和评估结果来介绍他们的工作。项目交付成果将包括总结性评估的结果和课程材料。

This Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship project at the University of Wyoming (UW) and Central Wyoming College (CWC) seeks to increase the number of talented STEM teachers in high-needs public, elementary schools (grades K-6) in rural Wyoming. During the funding period, 30 students will receive scholarships in their junior, senior, and fifth years to complete dual STEM and early childhood/elementary education majors. The primary goal of the project is to train a diverse group of students with strong STEM backgrounds to increase the quality and number of math and science teachers in the region. The project objectives are to establish (a) recruitment activities that include parents and students at regional high schools, (b) training and summer research internships to cultivate an interest in STEM teaching among rising sophomores, (c) mathematics tutoring and mentoring activities that include seminars and retreats with STEM professionals, elders, and community leaders, and (d) support mechanisms for pre-service teachers through professional learning communities and online focus groups. In order to broaden participation of scholars from groups which are under-represented in STEM, recruitment efforts will target Native American and Hispanic students and support structures will focus on mitigating systematic disadvantages and boosting self-efficacy, particularly in STEM education. The project will be conducted in collaboration with the Science and Mathematics Teaching Center and Converse County, Crook County, Fremont County, Natrona County, and Uinta County school districts.Self-efficacy is known to be a strong motivating factor for the course of action individuals may take, the amount of effort they will expend, how long they will persevere when challenged, how much stress they will experience, and the level of success they will reach. The Noyce Scholars will develop strong science and mathematics content knowledge and reinforce their capacity to sustain STEM teaching and learning in rural schools through place-based education and culturally relevant pedagogy, thereby laying the foundation for their efficacy as teachers. Rising sophomores will participate in science and math internships through K-12 summer programs sponsored by 4-H, Wyoming Astrocamp, and the Teton Science schools among others. Students at UW will have options to take a variety of dual STEM and education tracks in chemistry, computer science, engineering, geology, biology, or math. At CWC, dual majors will be created for biology and math students. Three levels of mentorship will be offered to the participants, near-peer (graduate students and young professionals will interact with students during internships), faculty (professors will have one-on-one, bi-weekly meetings during the academic junior, senior, and fifth years), and teacher (retired teachers will help students reflect on their student teaching experiences) mentoring. Data generated through assessment and evaluation should support the rationale that by cultivating students' self-efficacy as STEM educators, they will persist in the course of study and become better, more dedicated teachers. Formative and summative evaluation will focus on whether or not the project objectives have been met and the effectiveness of project activities. Assessment of students' progress and performance will include both qualitative and quantitative data collected through annual participant surveys and artifact reviews, teacher self-efficacy surveys, social identity tests, and classroom observation. Dissemination of the project results will provide a model for using this self-efficacy framework as a tool for training future STEM teachers. The project team plans to present their work through annual meetings of the American Educational Research Association, Association of Teacher Educators, and National Association of Research in Science Teaching and through publication of research and evaluation findings in journals such as the Journal of Teacher Education, Action in Teacher Education, and Journal of Cultural Diversity. Project deliverables will include results of summative evaluation and course materials.