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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF NSF GRADUATE STEM FELLOWS IN K12 (GK12) Larry Johnson, PI of the PEER Program Texas A&M University, College Station, TX Team workEthics Slide 2 OUTLINE: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF NSF GRADUATE STEM FELLOWS IN K12 (GK12) NSF GK-12 directives Specific professional development skills named in directives Additional specific professional development skills Examples of how current GK-12 programs offer graduate fellows professional development NSF impact evaluation form indicating professional development expected Conclusions Slide 3 Slide 4 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF NSF GRADUATE STEM FELLOWS IN K12 (GK12) NSF GH-12 website for grant application directives Slide 5 Communication skills, pedagogy, cyber-enabled tools Communication and teaching Team building, leadership skills, and collaboration Organization and task management For both technical and non-technical audiences Transferrable Professional Development Skills Desired of NSF GK-12 Fellows PEER NSF GK-12 Program in Action Slide 6 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF STEM GRADUATE FELLOWS Communication skills: Exchange of information, message, act of communicating, rapport, and access Pedagogy: The science or profession of teaching Slide 7 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF STEM GRADUATE FELLOWS Teaching skills: Profession or practice of being a teacher, something that is taught Team building: Activities intended to encourage teamwork, activities designed to encourage people to work cooperatively Slide 8 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF STEM GRADUATE FELLOWS Leadership skills Ability to guide, direct, or influence people, guidance or direction, the office or position of the head of body of people Collaboration Working together with one or more people in order to achieve something Slide 9 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF STEM GRADUATE FELLOWS Organizational skills: To form or establish something such as a club, by coming together or bringing people together into a structured group, oversee the coordination of the various aspects of something, and arrange the components of something in a way that creates a particular structure Task management: A piece of work or an assignment, especially one that is important or difficult, a piece of work that somebody is given to do, usually short in duration or with a deadline Slide 10 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF STEM GRADUATE FELLOWS Cyber-enabled tools: Computers and information system, virtual reality, and the Internet For technical audiences: Related to industry or applied science, mechanical, belonging to or involving a specialized area, strict interpretation, skilled in practical or scientific subjects, and exhibiting technique Non-technical audiences Slide 11 ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF STEM GRADUATE FELLOWS Technical writing: Scrip, text, or journalism Global STEM awareness: Worldwide, overall, spherical, or relating to whole system Scientific ethics: Principles, morale, beliefs, moral values, and moral code Slide 12 ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF FELLOWS CONT Entrepreneurship: Manufacturer, businessperson, factory owner, and capitalist Interface with industry: Business, production, engineering, or commerce Patent development: Copyright, exclusive rights, official document, and rights Slide 13 EXAMPLES OF GRADUATE STUDENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Summer Institutes Training of Fellows in pedagogy, specific content area instructional strategies, inquiry-based learning strategies, curriculum development and curriculum standards. Collaboration of Fellows with teachers in curriculum development, classroom management, and classroom communication. Fellows become aware of the culture of the community, schools, and classrooms in which they will work. Fellows coordinate with teachers to develop methods and materials for research that occurs during the school year. Team building. Slide 14 EXAMPLES OF GRADUATE STUDENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Graduate Level Courses Focus on: Communication skills. Methods to translate or incorporate research into the classroom. Teaching methods such as inquiry-based learning. Technology applications. Science for the public. Slide 15 EXAMPLES OF GRADUATE STUDENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Workshop Series Focus on: Communication skills. Classroom techniques. Educational reform. Grant writing skills. Research strategies. Slide 16 UNIQUE METHODS Slide 17 UNIQUE METHODS- UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN Fellows design their own professional development by having choices of existing professional development opportunities offered at the university. These opportunities include choices of community engagement, entrepreneurship, K-12 teaching methods, and building learning communities. Topics are offered at multiple times and locations to accommodate research schedules. Slide 18 ADDITIONAL UNIQUE METHODS Fellows take part in distance learning development and activities. Mentor triads consisting of Fellow, advisor, and faculty mentor. Mentoring by retired scientists or faculty. Training Fellows to be Engineering Ambassadors that will represent their college at various venues. Lunch seminars in which Fellows interact with a broad university education community. Community engagement projects. Slide 19 Teacher Requested Resources APPROVAL When teacher has approved final version of material, response is posted live to online, public, searchable database of Teacher- Requested Resources on the PEER website FACULTY REVIEW Graduate fellow submits response to TAMU faculty for review, changes FACULTY REVIEW Graduate fellow submits response to TAMU faculty for review, changes RESPONSE Fellows work jointly to produce materials to satisfy teachers request RESPONSE Fellows work jointly to produce materials to satisfy teachers request RECEIPT Undergraduate fellow claims response, enlists graduate fellow RECEIPT Undergraduate fellow claims response, enlists graduate fellow REQUEST Texas middle-school teacher submits request via Web interface Slide 20 Teacher Requested Resources Sample DLC Request NSF GK-12 Project Graduate students in STEM provide resources for teachers by producing hands-on activities and find websites that meet their students educational needs Slide 21 DISTANCE LEARNING COMMUNITY Slide 22 BEAK BUSINESS ACTIVITY Slide 23 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF STEM GRADUATE FELLOWS IN THE PEER PROGRAM Slide 24 NSF GK-12 PROJECT EVALUATION FORM Fellows took coursework/training (e.g., new courses, seminars) that included regular critique of and feedback on communication skills. Fellows received training in collaboration and team building. Fellows received training to develop their leadership skills. Fellows received training in pedagogy (definition: science of teaching, education, and instructional methods). Part 3: Report Program Impact: Graduate Fellows' Development Activities Slide 25 NSF PROJECT EVALUATION FORM Fellows participated with teachers in content and pedagogy sessions related to developing GK-12 activities. Fellows received training on effective time and task management. Fellows developed multimedia materials, websites, or other cyber- enabled tools to communicate their research activities to external audiences. Fellows had other preparation in professional skills development Part 3: Report Program Impact: Graduate Fellows' Development Activities Slide 26 CONCLUSIONS: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Training in communication skills and pedagogyand the cyber- enabled tools to aid this communicationhelps fellows communicate their research to both technical and non-technical audiences Repeated experience presenting lessons cements these concepts. Slide 27 CONCLUSIONS: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT These communication and teaching skills may help fellows become better university professorsshould that be their ultimate career pathbut will also lead to improved quality of their journal articles, grant proposals, and conference presentations Fellows will also be better prepared to explain their research to the lay public, which will aid in the public understanding of science Slide 28 CONCLUSIONS: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Team building, leadership skills, and collaboration with other professionals (such as middle school teachers) are also important aspects of the fellows training. Such skills, which may also include organization and task management, will aid in nearly any career, but may be especially useful for research scientists fosters a cooperative atmosphere in their own lab and forging collaborative relationships with other scientists These skills are vital for productive research careers. Slide 29 CONCLUSIONS: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Finally, it is hoped that engagement with middle school students in rural schools will inspire a lifelong commitment to community engagement This may lead to future volunteer K12 activities and community service when the fellows themselves become industry leaders, college professors, or deans. Slide 30 Conclusions: Professional Development of NSF Graduate STEM Fellows in K12 (GK-12) The professional development of its graduate fellows is a vital element of the NSF GK-12 program. The training fellows receive to improve their classroom performance includes skills transferable to their future professional pursuits. Larry Johnson Texas A&M University, College Station, TX Slide 31