On the Inq-ITS project, these two teachers are "champion" and "research" teachers. They are champions in that they attend science teacher conferences and present with us to increase awareness about Inq-ITS. They are also research teachers who participate in various studies to determine the efficacy of the educational tools we develop. 

They receive PD from us on how to best integrate Inq-ITS into their classroom, get 1-on-1 support from us, and have a strong voice on what kinds of new tools/enhancements we develop based on their feedback. Together, we shape the educational technology and push the envelope on how to teach and formatively assess NGSS practices.

The question on what keeps members participating has been a founding feature of the project.  The decision to be a Community of Practice broadens the requirement of schools or districts in need of improvement (sini/dini) to form internal learning communities.  We used the model of the long successful program at Gettysburg College, Advancing Science to share tools and allow teachers to decide their pace. 

Courtney,

These are excellent questions and the root of what we study, where we are challenged...and therefore how we  innovate with this project.

Rural schools have a variety of access challenges that are not just about bandwidth, number of computers or types of digital tools.  They are literally distanced from the exposures to the STEM subtleties that unite multiple professions and industries that define urban and perhaps even stronger in suburban locations.   The design of collaboration and flexible individual levels of participation has been essential. Our logic model pointed to the lack of research engagement as a vulnerable area for future sustainability of the CoP.   

 Few numbers limit research engagement and without researched processes we cannot adopt new approaches.  Both of these factors lean on each other and also affect evaluation.  We planned to reinvent the system by STEM integration with the awareness that “best practices” in multiple levels did not hold try in rural locations. All involved had to have a goal to research at a level that fit our interests.  These are measurable through the digital tools and data from them.

Thank you for addressing my question about the rural context, and for sharing the unique challenges rural sites encounter with respect to advancing STEM teaching and learning. I hope you are able to share with the field some of your insights on how to effectively support STEM learning in rural areas as part of this project and your dissemination efforts down the road.

Courtney,

The parts of the rural NH areas have had a long history of using distance learning yet others do not and are reluctant to step without community support. Recent state laws have increased the focus on other traditional pathways to enable the content to be accessed through internships, shadowing and extended learning opportunities (ELO’s).  These options are also stressed by concerns on federal and state law changes on funding. Our interest is to ensure we continue on what our experience shows works and to engage participants in positive options that bridge these concerns.

The STEM challenge is that kids and their administrators like all of us “don’t know what they don’t know” as far as STEM careers and technology as a learning system.  Often too they  are sold items that cannot work with where they  are in the process of improving in other STEM domains .

What is needed is better scaffolding between what where people are and where they are interested in safely exploring. One approach is the physical as  we can view in the rural Maine video as a “Guide” but also with the technology support as they build their comfort zones with online, human “smart filters” that augment AI.   This first step of thinking about interests that include digital takes the most patience which is especially why the Inq-IT’s use of an online character eases that step so successfully when it comes to dealing with fears of wrong answers.

Also matching the balancing of teacher trust is the concern of the term “data” with negative impacts on privacy.  The ending of our video shows one collaborative venture to tie the actual exterior experience with the digital to support their experience..but also to evaluate and engage students on the bottom line of school costs through energy.  Our further stage of this venture is to return to the narrative support.

While you don’t see the ELA element in this video we also studied the Venn Diagram that overlays science, math and ELA during the project and continue to build with the interest in personal interest media reading and communications.  We will share more on  that soon.

Courtney, 

 Tina Bishop and the College of Exploration was selected to evaluate the project due to their long history with online development and programs that we integrated into our professional development. 

As she reports, we closely followed the project physically, modeling visual documentation as I  that is my expertise and was instructing.   We captured narratives, requiring that email and also using multiple Moodle platforms to expand topics and offer access to augment and extend the partner's offerings with technology.  We discovered the Certification that USGreen Building was offering and was able to offer the teachers the chance to try out online certification.   Many did and as Green Classroom teachers they noticed the value of the classroom as their model n light/heat transfer (heating) and accoustics.  These were categories that award LEED in building architechture and correspond to the digital tools that we continue to use and expand.     

The projects have scores of data all aligned by districts, dates and topic areas.  We are using the phenonmenon of the national media event, last year's solar eclipse to ensure that we structure the data in the most useful ..and with respect to site privacy option.   

The College of Exploration guided us to apply Developmental Evaluation and we continue to research the data ...and always could use more help in building the system that is most useful as the data to visual option is successful within schools (watched the sun fall on the solar panels and back to the Plainfield School's kiosk yesterday!)  Classes visit and learn at their own grade level while having the same full body/senses experience.   And yes, I took a dated/time stamp picture with school permission.  

We are very careful, however to build the full system of digital integration for the best and most positive use. 

Kelly,

The kids are the key evaluation piece, so thank you for noting that part of the video as they are taking on roles of documenting the project.  As Tina describes, she had to rely on a variety of evaluation skills which she makes sound easy, however it was a huge task.    The “STEM Literacy” aspect of the project is also  grateful for the current work of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).  Their Standards for Educators stakes out the concepts the project build into our definition for STEM Literacy and also aids the process of formalizing the evaluation through digital tool integration. Their guide structures the role I have as a “Learning Catalyst” (13) as a Collaborator/Designer (Coordinator) and also giving the students critical elements of the Ground Truthing as we build teamwork as photographer, operator and map/records roles.

ISTE aligned with the US Dept of Ed’s National Education Technology Plan (see p 23 of their Guide).  The Community of Practice is an extension to use a term familiar in the business world to enable the broader expanse of technology to be a shared interest of educators.   Our CoP stated and practice that structure by

Asking the teachers to join by creating a personal concept map on their own interests then to evaluate digital tools  that also indicated considered the term “interest” from their district’s point of view. These maps were personal and could be revised as they progressed.   

This type of flexibility builds a professional aspect while the design is especially critical to technology as it advances in amazing rates and designs.  As a member of a Community of Practice one can be both engaged with a broader learning community yet serve cohorts and districts at their own level of interest and on their own timing.  This structure bridges education to the techniques, certifications and expectations of  businesses without losing the focus on kids as the ultimate documentation of teacher growth.

Kelly,

The next steps for this project is expanding from the classroom to the full system of how we

observe phenomenon and consider its relevance to different sites. Our first exploration with light and temperature naturally fits with the wind discovery of the students at the end of the video and also in the factors of ground cover. The next stage is watching the power of water in a full system. We expect to unite the physical sciences with the ELA narratives, adding in more communication exchanges.  Over the summer, the project will continue the capture of accessible phenomenon.  Although nothing will compare with the Total Eclipse project of last summer, we will continue to explore tidal power expanding from last year.  This project will also develop actual smaller site based   energy data with the help of emerging platforms, moving from websites to classroom smartboards and computers to the public kiosk.   This full system of digital tool integration to include types of renewable energy is relevant locally as the challenge to change public views on their value requires a trust in data use and application.

Digital integration is constantly adapting in a STEM Literate society.

Kelly,

Privacy issues are increasing involved with data in all levels of use. During the early years NH was in process of constructing their data system to meet federal requirements.  In part, the proposal to develop the MSP as a CoP foresaw the current period of data privacy concerts for all. 

 The one important objective of the project as a Community of Practice is to obtain student evidence without intrusion in the teachers’ schedule and to ensure student privacy.  During the MSP the progression to ESSA occurred.  Our current system is based on site data with a continuing process to use library type public privacy laws rather than personal tags.  The benefit of the effort of creating a learning progression based on digital  tool integration is the ability to ensure student privacy remains within the district’s system and success with the project of use not their project is what we measure.

The ELA element of the STEM Literacy has lead that design and been innovative however was the base of the initial MSP, using Engineering is Elementary materials and at middle school level JASON Learning.  Both programs have supporting narratives and our long association with JASON (I was an online moderator) gave us a special appreciation of the importance of this element and access to their early design to protect participants while collecting accurate records on the use of their products.  Another partner in our efforts has been Annenberg Learner and early use of the observation and reporting of phenomenon with Journey North.  We continue to revise our processes as we learn and they adapt to district needs and internal technology. 

The middle part of the video shows the data collection with Picture Post, a national project engaging the public with collecting of site visual data. The picture of the window in Key West is of the EcoDiscovery Center in Key West, collecting at a LEED site for over 15 years.  Over the last two years the process of developing public site interaction has transferred from building supporting contrast into data on site phenomenon.  The site was our northernmost partial collection site for last year’s national event, the Solar Eclipse. Data logging extended with multiple tools across the total path and north and south on the partial range.  

 We gain insights on data into media as STEM reports as well as in forming the progression with the ongoing discussions with and use of these national programs and also through the integration of the NASA/AREN AeroPod seen at the end of video.

The question always arises about which tools to integrate to serve the purpose of a project. This is somewhat backwards thinking and I caution others involved with integrating sensors to focus on grade level, district technology plans and other community activities to ensure they respond to multiple factors for sustainable futures.

Spatial tools are critical for the user to find their level and individual tool that draws their digital data into meaning.  The evolution of children’s reading has increasingly leveraged from using the visual to support complex concepts.  The tools and form of the visuals are continually adjusting to take advantage of digital progress.  The process of spatial development, however is developmental and also varies with gender. 

This video shows one piece of the process with one type of logger however we use a variety of products and continually test out new ones, keeping the basis of our integration of balance between student human development and also technology advancement. We base that on the research from these sources:

• Learning to Think Spatially, National Research Council
• Making Space, The Development of Spatial Representation and Reasoning, Newcome and Huttenlocher
• Writing Science through Critical Thinking, Marilyn F. Moriarty

Hi, Phoebe,

Thanks for posting. USGBC was key to our MSP teachers  during the project.  Their engagement with the  early online certification assisted their view of  STEM as a broader than the classroom.      The current interest both with the public on data integration within education and as a visual icon on a dashboard for personal use is current.  Data support is a transition that we again value for leadership from  USGBC,  giving us the content with extended technology that has public ties beyond the classroom. We look forward to exploring the Arc and encourage readers to follow your links to consider how the tools connect their communities.    Congrats to all that you accomplish