5666 Views (as of 05/2023)
  1. Andrea Burrows
  2. http://www.uwyo.edu/ste/faculty-staff/andrea-burrows.html
  3. Associate Professor
  4. Presenter’s NSFRESOURCECENTERS
  5. University of Wyoming
  1. Mike Borowczak
  2. http://www.uwyo.edu/cosc/cosc-directory/borowczak/
  3. Director, CEDAR
  4. Presenter’s NSFRESOURCECENTERS
  5. University of Wyoming

Robotics, Applied Mathematics, Physics, and Engineering Design (RAMPED)

1601506MSPA2

2018 (see original presentation & discussion)

Grades K-6, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Adult learners

The Robotics, Applied Mathematics, Physics, and Engineering Design (RAMPED) project is an NSF Wyoming Department of Education MSP grant currently set to begin its second year in summer 2018. It began in Summer 2016, and during that first year, 30 K-12 STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) teachers engaged in six sessions. There was a focus on computer science in each of the six sessions.

The teacher opportunities were explored over 16 days (10 during the summer and six during the academic year) through six sessions including Space Jupyter notebooks, NetLogo, Virtual reality, Arduinos, Raspberry Pis, and Baxter robot (ROS). The primary investigator, Dr. Burrows, discusses an overview of RAMPED and provides insight into the school district partnership as well as offers "in classroom use" examples for others to consider or test. Dr. Borowczak offers some specific computer science components. The audience can view the teachers themselves as some Wyoming teachers explain classroom projects inspired by RAMPED. They expand on both successes and failures of classroom use.

RAMPED is an evolving professional development model with teacher and school district input. During Summer 2018 lead teachers from Summer 2016 are involved in engaging the new STEM teachers as they experience different computer science experiences with Microbits. Summer of 2018 features cybersecurity and the internet of things as possible teacher topics and resources for computer science in the K-12 STEM classroom.

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Discussion from the 2018 STEM for All Video Showcase (13 posts)
  • Icon for: Katie Rich

    Katie Rich

    Facilitator
    Graduate Student
    May 14, 2018 | 09:42 a.m.

    Hi Andrea and Mike,

    Could you tell me more about how you're thinking about integration of computational thinking into other content? How are you helping teachers to see and bring our CT in their existing practice?

  • Icon for: Andrea Burrows

    Andrea Burrows

    Lead Presenter
    Associate Professor
    May 14, 2018 | 05:07 p.m.

    Hello,

    Our faculty team asks teachers to bring the main topics (e.g., units) that they teach during the year to the PD. Then we ask them to identify areas of strength and weakness. We showcase computer science (CS) and computational thinking (CT) in activities (such as using and coding for/in NetLogo, VR, Jupyter Notebooks, etc...). Then as a team, we brainstorm real-world CS and CT applications embedded in the "weakness topics/areas" identified by the teachers. Using created groups, with faculty and lead teacher support, the teachers create lessons utilizing the suggested real-world applications, CS, CT, and something other pieces. You can view some of our teachers (all grade levels and mostly STEM teachers) talking about their specific projects from RAMPED here: Flipgrid.com/3b7ec2. 

    We define CS as more than coding and including a means to develop solutions that are optimal in storage and performance, given some constraints and parameters.

    We define CT as utilizing forms of pattern matching, abstraction, algorithmic thinking, and/or organizing and analyzing data. These are often branched into other terms.

    Overall, we assist while teachers integrate CS and CT into topics that they already teach.

     
    1
    Discussion is closed. Upvoting is no longer available

    Katie Rich
  • Icon for: Katie Rich

    Katie Rich

    Facilitator
    Graduate Student
    May 17, 2018 | 01:03 p.m.

    Interesting! I like how you focus idea development in teachers' self-identified areas of weakness. That's a really nice way to position CT/CS to help teachers solve problems of practice!

  • Icon for: Andrea Burrows

    Andrea Burrows

    Lead Presenter
    Associate Professor
    May 17, 2018 | 03:34 p.m.

    Thank you.

    If you try it, please let us know how it works for you and if you try anything that could make the approach even better.

  • Icon for: Irene Lee

    Irene Lee

    Facilitator
    Research Scientist
    May 14, 2018 | 10:12 a.m.

    Thank you for sharing your work.  I'd like to know more about the PD you offer.  How long is the PD?  How many of the environments (Jupyter notebooks, Netlogo, VR, etc.) do teachers learn over the course of the PD?  How much time do teachers spend at PD designing their integrations?

  • Icon for: Andrea Burrows

    Andrea Burrows

    Lead Presenter
    Associate Professor
    May 14, 2018 | 05:11 p.m.

    Hello,

    Our RAMPED PD is 120 hours (2 summer weeks and six follow up days = 16 total days). The teachers can experience all of the sessions (e.g., NetlLgo) in lesser or greater amounts depending on their preferences. The teachers are encouraged to design lessons in a collaborative manner every other day (for a total of about 10 hours of collaborative lesson creation during the summer). Let us know if you have other questions!

  • Icon for: Alex Lishinski

    Alex Lishinski

    Facilitator
    May 15, 2018 | 09:41 a.m.

    Just to follow up on this, I'm just wondering if there is a research/data collection aspect of this PD where you're trying to measure the impact that you're having on teachers who go through the program. 120 hours is a good amount of time, so I would wonder if there is a way to measure or even less formally assess changes to teacher practice, knowledge or beliefs before and after they take part in your program. I'm also curious about how you select the teachers that will participate, and the amount of interest you have gotten from teachers.

  • Icon for: Andrea Burrows

    Andrea Burrows

    Lead Presenter
    Associate Professor
    May 16, 2018 | 01:31 p.m.

    Hello,

    Yes, we collect data on teacher perceptions (before and after the program) and then the K-12 teacher use of the PD presented/created materials. The teachers sign up for the PDs and we take them on a first-come-first-served basis (unless there is a district partner with partnerships/agreements with us and then we take teachers from those districts first).

    There are several articles about what we have tried so far. I've included a few links here.

    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303720...

    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312213...

    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309399...

    Thank you. 

    Let us know if you have any more questions about our program.

  • Icon for: Cassandra Scharber

    Cassandra Scharber

    Researcher
    May 16, 2018 | 08:09 p.m.

     hi Andrea and Mike! so happy to learn more about your work here. We met at AERA SIG CIAE business meeting this past April :). Cheering you on!

  • Icon for: Andrea Burrows

    Andrea Burrows

    Lead Presenter
    Associate Professor
    May 17, 2018 | 03:33 p.m.

    Hello! So nice to hear from you. We are cheering you on as well!

  • Icon for: Debora Liberi

    Debora Liberi

    Higher Ed Administrator
    May 18, 2018 | 12:29 p.m.

    Hi Andrea,

    This is Debbie Liberi, I work with Dr. Kukreti on RET and CEEMS grants at UC. We have submitted a video about the CEEMS grant - it is #1159. I hope you will check out. Your name comes up often and you were obviously well respected.  Nice to hear about all the interesting work you are doing at the University of Wyoming. I was curious about cybersecurity as one of your topics this summer. In our RET this summer, we have a pair of teachers working with Dr. Franco on cyberspace security and he presents a lot of number theory as the background content. I was wondering what your curriculum is like.

    - Debbie

  • Icon for: Andrea Burrows

    Andrea Burrows

    Lead Presenter
    Associate Professor
    May 21, 2018 | 12:35 p.m.

    Thank you, Debbie! Your video is wonderful to watch (and see familiar places and faces). I am interested in discussing the challenge based learning with you sometime. We would be glad to share our cybersecurity activities/curriculum with you. Let's chat. Take care!

  • Icon for: Debora Liberi

    Debora Liberi

    Higher Ed Administrator
    May 21, 2018 | 05:11 p.m.

    Hi Andrea,

    I look forward to talking with you sometime in the near future.

    - Debbie

  • Further posting is closed as the event has ended.