2751 Views (as of 05/2023)
  1. Nicholas Kim
  2. Project Coordinator
  3. Presenter’s NSFRESOURCECENTERS
  4. University of Tennessee Knoxville
  1. Lynn Hodge
  2. https://tpte.utk.edu/people/lynn-hodge-phd/
  3. Professor and Director
  4. Presenter’s NSFRESOURCECENTERS
  5. University of Tennessee Knoxville, Center for Enhancing Education in Math and Science, UTK..., East Tennessee STEM Hub

VolsTeach for Appalachia (VFA)

NSF Awards: 1758325

2021 (see original presentation & discussion)

Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Undergraduate

Our video presentation is the VolsTeach for Appalachia project - addressing the shortage of math and science teachers in East Tennessee. The overarching goal of this NSF-funded project is to support community college students, through unique experiences, in becoming exceptional STEM teachers in rural East Tennessee schools. We share the key features of the project and our progress through year 3. These key features of the project include recruitment through internships and courses that introduce STEM teaching early on and teacher preparation that focuses on K-12 students (who they are and who they would like to be), math and science content, and the characteristics and interests of our East Tennessee communities. In addition, our first cohort has completed their VFA internship. Thank you for checking out our presentation. 

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Discussion from the 2021 STEM For All Video Showcase (14 posts)
  • Icon for: Nicholas Kim

    Nicholas Kim

    Lead Presenter
    Project Coordinator
    May 10, 2021 | 03:07 p.m.

    Hello! My name is Nick Kim, I am the project coordinator for VolsTeach for Appalachia. Our project is focused on recruiting potential STEM teachers from community colleges and providing them with the opportunity to gain teacher licensure when they transfer to the University of Tennessee- Knoxville. 

    We are in our 3rd year of our project. We have had 2 recruiting STEM teacher internships and 1 Noyce Scholar internship with our Cohort 1. Cohort 2 will begin their internship in June. We strive to provide our participants with a professional learning community that is open and caring while also creating opportunities for Scholars work within the local community. The project is also focusing on enacting culturally responsive pedagogy strategies to make a greater personal impact of future students. I will be happy to answer any questions about the project. Thank you for viewing our video!

     
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    Catherine Horn
    Lynn Hodge
  • Icon for: Lynn Hodge

    Lynn Hodge

    Co-Presenter
    Professor and Director
    May 10, 2021 | 07:42 p.m.

    Hi all, I am Lynn Hodge, and I work with Nick Kim as part of VFA. Thanks for learning about our project!

     
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    Catherine Horn
  • Icon for: Paige Evans

    Paige Evans

    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 11, 2021 | 10:46 a.m.

    I really enjoyed this video!  Thank you for sharing this.  How many are typically in a cohort?  Do they take all of their courses together during the two years of the program?

     
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    Nick Kim
    Catherine Horn
  • Icon for: Nicholas Kim

    Nicholas Kim

    Lead Presenter
    Project Coordinator
    May 11, 2021 | 12:57 p.m.

    The cohorts range from about 5-7 scholars. The scholars do not take all their courses together as some come into the program with more or less college credits. Cohort 1 had two Scholars graduate this Spring!

     
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    Discussion is closed. Upvoting is no longer available

    Catherine Horn
  • Icon for: Christine Royce

    Christine Royce

    Facilitator
    Professor
    May 12, 2021 | 09:19 a.m.

    Your initial point about using culturally responsive teaching to help make an impact with both the future teachers and the students they have in the STEM fields is wonderful to hear.  Have all of the community college and UT-Knoxville students studying to become a teacher come from the Appalachia regions they will work in during and after the program or elsewhere across the state?  If not from the local area, have you seen any challenges that the teachers experience in knowing what is culturally responsive in that local area?  Thanks for sharing your program and ideas!

     
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    Janelle Johnson
    Nick Kim
    Catherine Horn
  • Icon for: Nicholas Kim

    Nicholas Kim

    Lead Presenter
    Project Coordinator
    May 12, 2021 | 11:19 a.m.

    The scholars have come from all over the state and not necessarily from the Appalachian regions. We just had two scholars graduate this semester- both of which have decided to work closer to Knoxville. I anticipate that any teacher not from the local area in which they teach will have some challenges connecting to all their students. We hope to teach them strategies in which they can get to know their students personally in order to be able to connect to their cultural and social funds of knowledge.

     
    1
    Discussion is closed. Upvoting is no longer available

    Catherine Horn
  • Icon for: Jill Berg

    Jill Berg

    Facilitator
    Leadership Coach, School Improvement Consultant & Author
    May 12, 2021 | 02:10 p.m.

    The opportunity to have tuition covered is a great incentive. I wonder what kinds of partnerships might help you to grow your own local teachers, who will be more likely to be retained in the area 

     
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    Discussion is closed. Upvoting is no longer available

    Nick Kim
    Catherine Horn
  • Icon for: Lynn Hodge

    Lynn Hodge

    Co-Presenter
    Professor and Director
    May 12, 2021 | 09:39 p.m.

    Hi Jill, that's a great point. We have begun to explore that with the Rotary club and Chamber of Commerce. One partner raised the possibility of providing housing and transportation funds. Definitely worth exploring further. 

     
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    Jill Berg
  • Icon for: Catherine Horn

    Catherine Horn

    Facilitator
    Moores Professor and Chair
    May 12, 2021 | 02:39 p.m.

    Nick - thanks for the nice introduction to the program and work happening at UT-Knoxville. I especially appreciated getting to hear the voices of scholars themselves describing the program! 

    I have two wondering in watching the video. One of your scholars talked about appreciating "being thrown in (to teaching) immediately. I'd love to know more about the program design and how you scaffold early teaching opportunities with pedagogy and content learning opportunities in the last two year. Related, I'd love to hear more detail about the PLC, what it looks like in practice, and how you've seen that make a difference in preparing preservice teachers.

    My second wondering is around your work with community colleges. I'd be interested in knowing more about what those relationships look like (are they formal, for example) and how they tie into recruiting for your 2-year scholarship program.

    Appreciate the work that is being done!

    Cathy

     
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    Nick Kim
  • Icon for: Nicholas Kim

    Nicholas Kim

    Lead Presenter
    Project Coordinator
    May 14, 2021 | 01:11 p.m.

    Hello Catherine- The PLC's have been incredibly difficult to maintain during virtual learning and virtual meetings. We hope as our university shifts back to more face-to-face classes we can have more meetings and gatherings where the cohort can get to know each other even more. As Allie mentioned in the video,  our cohorts allows for a safe community of preservice teachers and instructors to interact comfortably. This allows for better communication from instructions to students. In addition, peers within the cohorts have a strong comfort level to ask questions and work collaboratively. 

  • Icon for: Lynn Hodge

    Lynn Hodge

    Co-Presenter
    Professor and Director
    May 12, 2021 | 09:46 p.m.

    Hi Catherine, thanks for these questions. I will share some thoughts, and I would be interested in hearing Nick's thoughts too. We offer an intro to STEM teaching and learning course that typically includes some kind of field placement. This course is offered by our community college partner. We offer times for the scholars to gather, although this past year, we did not offer as many opportunities as we would have liked. We also offer opportunities to engage with the community through outreach events. 

    Our partnership with Pellissippi State Community College has really made this project possible. We talk informally with each other, and we meet more formally for Steering committee meetings and interview panels. PSCC helps in terms of recruitment. We also reach out to other community colleges to publicize. 

  • Icon for: Catherine Horn

    Catherine Horn

    Facilitator
    Moores Professor and Chair
    May 13, 2021 | 09:36 a.m.

    Lynn - Many thanks for this sharing!

     

    cathy

  • Icon for: Ramona Mateer

    Ramona Mateer

    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 14, 2021 | 10:02 a.m.

    Thank you for sharing your video.  Love the cohort model and the focus on CRP in your program.

     
    1
    Discussion is closed. Upvoting is no longer available

    Nick Kim
  • Icon for: Megan Davis

    Megan Davis

    Higher Ed Administrator
    May 18, 2021 | 03:47 p.m.

    Go Big Orange! Making a difference.

  • Further posting is closed as the event has ended.