SBIR Phase I: Transforming middle school mathematics into a pathway to entrepreneurship

SBIR一期项目旨在解决当前对美国经济日益重要的一个问题；今天我们国家创业精神的减少。据《洛杉矶时报》（2014年7月9日）报道，“事实证明，美国充满创业热情的形象更多是虚构的，而不是现实。事实上，30多年来，新公司成立的速度一直在稳步下降。”导致美国创业活动减少的因素有很多，但越来越多的证据表明，我们的教育系统可能会解决一个问题，即重新关注“软技能”，即在21世纪技能的支持下经常发现的认知技能。根据赫克曼的说法，“软技能预示着生活中的成功”，它们偶然地产生了成功，“软技能”在有效的公共政策组合中占有重要地位。本项目旨在为中学教师提供一个深入了解这些创业技能的环境，并为这些教师将这些技能融入他们的数学课堂做好准备。因此，另一个广泛的潜在影响是使用该模型使教师/学校能够在STEM学科的背景下解决21世纪技能（创业的先驱）问题。这个小企业创新研究第一阶段项目将为一种创新的、负担得起的、“下一代”个性化的教师专业学习模式提供概念验证，这种模式利用当今的技术来改变向教师提供专业发展的方式。它提供了多个切入点和途径，个性化教师的学习，增加了教师课堂适用性的潜力。这种更实惠、可操作的模式专业学习环境可以扩展到其他21世纪技能和其他STEM学科。该项目将根据教师的使用情况、满意度和观察到的影响数据，对这种新模式进行试点和完善。这些技术目标将分三个阶段完成。第一阶段是开发多媒体学习资源库，其中包括高质量、实用、有用的辅助材料，包括创新的实践示范单元，展示教师如何在解决创业的基本技能的同时丰富传统的学习单元。这些示范单元将嵌入到一个成功的、负担得起的在线学习环境中，以实现个性化的教师专业学习。第二个将试点和研究这种“下一代”专业学习环境。将收集和分析与使用、参与程度和用户满意度有关的数据。最后，将根据在试点和研究阶段收集的证据，完善这一新环境和相关资源。

This SBIR Phase I project is designed to address a concern that is current and increasingly significant for the U.S. economy; the decrease in entrepreneurship in our nation today. According to the Los Angeles Times (9/7/2014), "The image of the U.S. as bursting with entrepreneurial zeal, it turns out, is more myth than reality. In truth, the rate at which new companies are being formed has fallen steadily for more than three decades." There are many factors that contribute to diminished U.S. entrepreneurial activity, but there is increasing evidence that one issue that might be addressed through our education system is a new focus on "soft skills," cognitive skills that are often found under the aegis of 21st Century Skills. According to Heckman "soft skills predict success in life" they causally produce that success, and "soft skills" have an important place in an effective portfolio of public policies. This project intends to provide an environment for middle school teachers to deeply understand these entrepreneurial skills and prepare those teachers to integrate the skills into their math classrooms. Thus, another broad potential impact is the use of the model to enable teachers/schools to address 21st Century skills (precursors to entrepreneurship) within the context of the STEM disciplines.This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will provide a proof-of-concept for an innovative, affordable, "next generation" personalized model for teacher professional learning that leverages today's technologies to change the way professional development is provided to teachers. It offers multiple entry points and pathways, personalizes teachers' learning, increasing the potential for applicability back to that teachers' classroom. This more affordable, actionable model professional learning environment could be expanded to include other 21st Century skills and other STEM disciplines. This project will pilot and refine this new model based on teachers' usage, satisfaction, and observed impact data. These technical objectives will be accomplished in three phases. The first is a development phase to develop multimedia learning resource library that includes high-quality, practical, useful supportive materials including innovative demonstration units of practice that demonstrate how teachers can enrich a traditional unit of study while addressing the precursor skills of entrepreneurship. These demonstration units will be embedded in a successful, affordable online learning environment for personalized teacher professional learning. The second will pilot and conduct research on this "next generation" professional learning environment. Data related to use, levels of participation and user satisfaction will be collected and analyzed. Finally, this new environment and associated resources will be refined based on the evidence collected in the pilot and research phases.