Middle School

Improving the Implementation of Rigorous Instructional Materials in Middle-Grades Mathematics: Developing a System of Practical Measures and Routines (Collaborative Research: Jackson, Ing)

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This project developed a system of practical measures, and associated routines and data visualizations, to support the implementation of instructional improvement strategies (e.g., coaching) in middle-grades mathematics teaching. Classroom and professional learning measures assess students’ and teachers’ perspectives of key aspects of the learning environment, respectively. We will highlight the contributions they have made to our partner districts’ improvement efforts; and our attention to validity in the design and use of practical measures.

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Improving Grades 6-8 Students' Mathematics Achievement in Modeling and Problem Solving Through Effective Sequencing of Instructional Practices

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The Researching Order of Teaching project provides structured scaffolds for teachers to implement two sets of research-based teaching strategies hypothesized to positively impact mathematics achievement in mathematical modeling and problem solving. The poster summarizes the teaching strategies and associated research.

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GeoHazard: Modeling Natural Hazards and Assessing Risks

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The rock cycle is rarely taught in conjunction with plate tectonics. The method of studying images of rock outcrops is not enough to explain how rocks are formed and transformed over time. This project has developed a simulation for students to investigate the formation and evolution of rock sequences created under specific tectonic conditions. By bridging the tectonic system and the rock genesis system, students engage in scientific practices that are authentic to how geoscientists’ work.

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Facilitating Teacher Learning with Video Clips of Instruction in Science

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The project aims to build foundational knowledge about teacher learning to notice teaching and student thinking in new ways by using video clips of science instruction within a professional development context. Professional development is centered around the analysis of video clips depicting the implementation of three-dimensional performance assessments in science classrooms, and draws on cognitive science to enhance teacher learning from video (these include contrasting cases and self-explanation principles).

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Exploring Changes in Teachers' Engineering Design Self-efficacy and Practice Through Collaborative and Culturally Relevant Professional Development

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Project ExCEED is a three-year project to help upper elementary and middle school teachers create and implement engineering design tasks in their classrooms that are relevant to the cultures and communities of their Native American and rural student populations. The interdisciplinary research team is studying the effectiveness of the professional development program at increasing teachers’ confidence and ability to incorporate culturally relevant engineering design into their classrooms.

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Enhancing the Teacher-Curriculum Relationship in Problem-based Mathematics Classrooms by Connecting Teacher and Student Digital Collaborative Environments

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The project is extending a digital collaborative platform for networks of teachers to create, use, and share resources for planning, teaching, and reflecting. The resources online include problem-based curriculum, classroom artifacts from students, and resources created by teachers. We report on how teachers use the resources, collaborate with each other, and make instructional decisions. With more classroom resources being created online, the project will help understand how mathematics teaching can be best supported.

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Empowering Students with Choice Through Equitable and Interactive Mathematical Modeling (EIM2)

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In this session, we share our conceptualization of an Equitable and Interactive Mathematical Modeling (EIM2) program that positions students as decision-makers in their own learning. Students engage in equitable mathematical modeling, a process of using mathematics to analyze and quantify scenarios through a lens of equity. The program involves collaborations with middle school students, a professional learning community series with their mathematics teachers, and the creation of a free online platform that hosts EIM2 modules.

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Empowering Educators to Create Customized, Culturally Responsive Instructional Materials from Scratch Encore Harmonized with the Interest of Students (Collaborative Research: Weintrop)

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This poster will present the NSF funded project entitled CAREER: Situating Computational Learning Opportunities in the Digital Lives of High School Students. This project explores ways to use the data that high school students create and consume daily to situate foundational data science ideas.

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Dimensions of Success: Transforming Quality Assessment in Middle School Science and Engineering

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“Dimensions of Success: Transforming Quality Assessment in Middle School Science and Engineering” aims to update and expand the Dimensions of Success (DoS) quality observation tool (created for informal science learning settings under NSF Award #1008591) to middle school science and engineering classrooms. This project will create a sustainable and scalable system of support for teachers as they 1) implement current science and engineering standards, and 2) create classroom cultures that are equitable and inclusive.

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Developing the Science Comprehensive Online Learning Platform for Rural School Science Teacher Development

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The goal of this project is to develop and test an online professional development (PD) platform, Science Comprehensive Online Learning Platform (SCOLP), against traditional face-to-face (F2F) PD to build the capacity of rural teachers to collaborate and support the successful implementation of Toward High School Biology (THSB) in their own settings through online job-embedded professional learning.

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