stem teaching pathways: building and sustaining a … · the community college model...

STEMTEACHINGPATHWAYS:BUILDINGANDSUSTAININGA

LEARNINGASSISTANTPROGRAM

ProgramLeaders:CarolynSchick,DebraPoese

League For Innovation March 13, 2017 San Francisco, CA

LA– “LearningAssistant”

AnLAisanundergraduatestudentwhoispaidtoworkwithafacultymentorassistinginaSTEMclassroomwiththegoalofencouragingtheLAtoconsideracareerinSTEMteaching(especiallyK-12).

AnLAhasadifferentfocusthanatraditionalTA

¨ LAshavetheopportunitytoreflectonteachingasacareer¨ LAsdeveloparelationshipwithfacultymentor¨ LAsdonotgradeorsupervisealoneinthelaboratory

UC,BoulderandtheLAAlliance

PedagogycourseofferedforLAsVeryfewCCshaveLAprogram

LAWorkshopsandResources

LAInternationalWorkshopinFallUniversityofColorado,Boulder

LARegionalWorkshopsinSpring

LAProgramGoals

¨ TeacherRecruitment&Preparation: torecruitandpreparetalentedmathandsciencemajorsforcareersinteaching.

¨ Curriculum&CourseTransformation: toimprovethequalityofmathandscienceeducationforallundergraduates.

¨ InstitutionalChange: toengagemathandsciencefacultyintherecruitmentandpreparationoffutureteachersandtoengageeducationfacultyinthetransformationofundergraduatecourses.

¨ Discipline-BasedEducationResearch: totransformthecultureinuniversitymathandsciencedepartmentstovalueresearch-basedteachingasalegitimateendeavorforourselvesandforourstudents.

TheCommunityCollegeModel

¨ Opportunities¤ Morepre-collegeandlower-levelcoursesforLAstogainexperience

¤ Focusonteachingprovideshighqualitymentorship¤ CollaborationwithotherLAprogramsatfour-yearschoolsgivesapathway

¤ UniqueroleinSTEMLearningCommunitycourses

¨ Challenges¤ TypicalpedagogycourseforLAsnotoptimal¤ Smallerrecruitmentpoolforupperlevelcourses¤ Obtaininggrantfundingand/orinternalsupport

FundingRequirements

¨ Fundingneeds:¤ LApay($700/semester/LA),coordinatorcompensation,activitiesandeventfunding,conferences

¨ MontgomeryCollegesources:¤ NSFNoyce grants(STEMteachereducation)¤ NSFGT-STEPgrant(STEMgraduate/transfer)¤ AAC&UTIDESgrant(STEMdiversity)¤ Internalcollegesupport

TypicalLAAssignmentsandDuties

Typically6hours/weekofLAduties

¨ Assistinthelab¨ Givein-classminipresentations¨ Providein-classguidance(flippedclassrooms)¨ Leadreviewsessions¨ Assistincomputer/mathlab¨ Holdofficehours¨ AssistwithSTEMcampsforK-12programs¨ Performin-classorin-labdemos

LAsinAction VideoavailableforviewingonYouTubehttps://youtu.be/4KJ90XSDLCY

NutsandBoltsofLAprogram

1. RequestsfromFaculty2. AdvertiseLApositions3. Studentsapply4. Selection/interviews5. Hiring/Orientation

LAprogramatMontgomeryCollege

ForLAs

¤ 30-35LAshiredeachsemester,eachLAappointedforonlyonesemester¤ AllSTEMdepartmentsrepresented:biology,chemistry,computerscience,engineering,math,physics(preparatorytoupperlevelcourses)

¤ All3campusesrepresented¤ LArecruitmentandinterviewsdoneduringregistrationperiod¤ LAOrientationandtrainingatbeginningofsemester¤ WeeklymeetingbetweenLAandfacultymentor¤ Mid-semesterLAdinnergatheringandonlinemid-semesterreflections¤ One-on-onemeetingwithLAprogramleadersduringthesemester¤ LAt-shirtsandcertificates

LAprogramatMontgomeryCollege

ForFacultyMentors

¤ InterestedfacultysubmitanLArequestforaparticularcourseeachsemester

¤ EachfacultymentorgetsoneLAanddecideshowtousetheirLA¤ Facultymentormeetingduringprofessionalweek¤ WeeklymeetingbetweenLAandfacultymentor¤ FacultymentorsprovidewrittenfeedbacktoLAduringsemester¤ Pedagogyembeddedinmentorship,groupevents,andadvising

LessonsLearned

¤ Buildingthistypeofprogramonestepatatimehasitsadvantages– flexibility,growingintotheidentifiedneedsatyourinstitution

¤ Recruitmenttimingforfallcoursesistricky¤ Fundingissues(NSFrequiresU.S.citizenship)¤ Facultycommunicationiskey

n LAsdonotgraden LAsarenotalwaysfavorite“A”student

LearningAssistantPerspectives

Onethingyou’velearnedsofarwhilebeinganLA:

I saw myself through students when they struggle understanding the material. It feels so good to help them understand the material.

Onethingyou’velearnedsofarwhilebeinganLA:

I’ve learned that helping students individually or in small groups can be much easier to keep the students involved vs. large groups.

LearningAssistantPerspectives

Onethingyou’velearnedsofarwhilebeinganLA:

I’ve learned to show problems being done in the most simple way and building upon that. I’ve become more organized when showing students how to do problems than when I was a student in the class.

LearningAssistantPerspectives

Collaborationswith4-yearschools

¨ LAsatcommunitycollegescanattendLApedagogycourseata4-yearschool

¨ AnLAatacommunitycollegetransfersandbecomesanLAata4-yearschool

TwoofourLAswereawarded fullNoyce Scholarshipsasthey

transferredtoUniversityofMaryland.

LAProgramSuccess

Fall2015Pre-survey

Fall2015Post-survey

Howinterestedareyouinacareerthatinvolvessomelevelofteaching(i.e.highschoolteacher,collegeprofessor,leader/trainer/educator)

inyourSTEMfield?

ContactUs

¨ www.montgomerycollege.edu/LAProgram

¨ CarolynSchick:LAProgramDirectorCarolyn.Schick@montgomerycollege.edu

¨ DebPoese :Director,SchoolofEducationDebra.Poese@montgomerycollege.edu

Acknowledgments

ThisprogramhasbeensupportedbytwograntsfromtheNationalScienceFoundationundertheRobertNoyceTeacherScholarshipProgram:AwardNo.1239965(2012-2015,capacitybuilding)andAwardNo.1555634(2016-2021,Phase1Scholarships/Stipends).AdditionalsupportisprovidedbyaSTEMgrantfromtheNationalScienceFoundation– GraduateandTransferScience,Technology,EngineeringandMathTalentExpansionProgram(GTSTEP),AwardNo.1161231(2012-2017andbyagrantfromtheAmericanAcademyofCollegesandUniversities(AAC&U)– TIDES(TeachingtoIncreaseDiversityandEquityinSTEM(2014-2017).

SpecialthankstoDeanDarrinCampen,DeanJohnHamman,andDeanJimSniezekfortheirongoingsupport.ThankstoalltheMCfacultymentorsandtheLAsformakingthisprogramsosuccessful!