stem teaching pathways: building and sustaining a … · the community college model...
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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:[email protected]
¨ DebPoese :Director,[email protected]
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!