Developing STEM Master Teachers to Lead Digital Conversion in K-12 Schools

Noyce Track 3硕士教学奖学金项目旨在满足国家对数学和科学教师日益增长的需求，这些教师具备在数字丰富的课堂上授课的能力。它建立在罗切斯特大学以前培养教师领袖的工作基础上。它还利用了罗切斯特大学(University Of Rochester)和纽约州北部几个学区新成立的联盟，这些学区正在共同努力，实现学区范围的数字化转换。该项目将发展一组教师领导，称为大师教学研究员，以指导高需求学区的全区数字转换工作。数字化转换是一个全面的过程，它为每个学生提供一台平板电脑或笔记本电脑，并使用这些电脑来加强学生的学习。每个研究员将参与一个为期五年的项目，包括41个学分的研究生课程，并伴随着相关的指导经验。完成这项计划将导致在K-12学校的数字丰富教学高级证书，这是由纽约州教育部批准的。此外，硕士教学研究员将获得年薪补贴，因为他们继续担任证明有效利用数字资源的课堂教师。通过项目评估，该项目将产生关于如何培养能够支持他人实施高质量、技术丰富的STEM教学的教师领导者的知识。将从六个高需求的小学区(包括三个主要是农村学区)招聘20名经验丰富的具有硕士学位的数学和科学教师，这些学区是西纽约数字转换联盟的成员。该项目将利用罗切斯特大学(通过其华纳教育学院和STEM部门)、日内瓦城市学区、纽瓦克中央学区和非营利性罗切斯特博物馆与科学中心之间建立的长期合作伙伴关系。它还将增加新的合作伙伴：当地数字转换的先驱East Irondequit中央学区，以及来自该联盟的另外三个高需求农村区(丹斯维尔、宾夕法尼亚和奥本)。面对更严格的学习标准和将新技术与教学相结合的挑战，研究人员和实践者必须合作，深入了解需要什么才能充分发挥丰富的数字教学的潜力，以提高学生的成绩，特别是在STEM。该项目将为STEM教育界提供证据，帮助STEM教师领袖做好准备，将数字资源整合到教学中，领导他们所在地区的数字转换工作，并利用技术来改进STEM教学和增加学生的参与度。该计划旨在培养“数字丰富的STEM硕士教师”，有可能成为其他大学未来可复制的模式。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Noyce Track 3 Master Teaching Fellowship project seeks to address the growing national need for mathematics and science teachers who are equipped to provide instruction in digitally-rich classrooms. It builds upon previous work at the University of Rochester to develop teacher leaders. It also takes advantage of a newly formed Consortium of the University of Rochester and several school districts in upstate New York, that are working together toward district-wide digital conversion. The project will develop a group of teacher leaders, known as Master Teaching Fellows, to guide district-wide digital conversion efforts in high-need school districts. Digital conversion is a comprehensive process that that provides each student with a tablet or laptop computer and uses these computers to enhance student learning. Each Fellow will engage in a five-year program involving 41 credit hours of graduate coursework accompanied by related mentored experiences. Completion of this program will lead to an Advanced Certificate in Digitally-Rich Teaching in K-12 Schools, which is approved by the New York State Education Department. In addition, the Master Teaching Fellows will receive annual salary supplements, as they persist as classroom teachers who demonstrate effective use of digital resources. Through its project evaluation, the project will generate knowledge about how to prepare teacher leaders who can support implementation of high-quality, technology-enriched STEM instruction by others.Twenty experienced and exemplary mathematics and science teachers with master's degrees will be recruited from six high-need, small school districts (including three primarily rural districts) that are members of the Western New York Digital Conversion Consortium. This project will capitalize on the long-standing partnership established in previous Master Teaching Fellow projects between the University of Rochester (through its Warner School of Education and STEM departments), the Geneva City School District, the Newark Central School District, and the non-profit Rochester Museum & Science Center. It will also add new partners: East Irondequoit Central School District, a local pioneer in digital conversion, and three additional high-need rural districts from the Consortium (Dansville, Penn Yan, and Auburn). With more rigorous learning standards and the challenge of integrating new technology with instruction, it is imperative that researchers and practitioners collaborate to develop deep understanding of what is needed to achieve the full potential of digitally-rich teaching to improve student achievement, especially in STEM. This project will contribute evidence to the STEM education community about preparation of STEM teacher leaders to integrate digital resources into instruction, to lead their districts in digital conversion efforts, and to use technology to improve STEM instruction and increase student engagement. This program for the preparation of "digitally-rich STEM master teachers" has the potential to serve as a replicable model by other universities in the future.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.