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Icon for: Jeff Weld

JEFF WELD

Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council, University of Northern Iowa

Math, science, technology teacher externships

NSF Awards: 1031784

2016 (see original presentation & discussion)

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

Full immersions in the world of work, applying their content and process skills to improving the bottom line in a business or agency results in updated content and applied lessons for teachers, and improved operations and cost savings for host agencies and business. Student effect is greater interest in STEM classes and careers, with significant improvement seen among girls.

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Discussion from the NSF 2016 STEM For All Video Showcase (8 posts)
  • Icon for: Jorge Solis

    Jorge Solis

    Facilitator
    Assistant professor
    May 16, 2016 | 06:01 p.m.

    Interesting project and collaborations! Win-Win. Could you also share some ways you’re capturing student impact? Would it be comparing students taking courses from teachers who participate in the externships compared to those who don’t participate?

  • Icon for: Jeff Weld

    Jeff Weld

    Lead Presenter
    Executive Director
    May 16, 2016 | 07:20 p.m.

    Thanks Jorge for the observation. Students are measured in two ways: 1. The statewide testing service, Iowa Testing, separates the math and science scores of students who have teachers who’d done externships from the larger pool of student who had not, and provides us a comparison. And 2. Iowa Testing also collects attitudinal responses statewide on questions having to do with whether students like math or science, or want careers in the STEM fields, and we’re provided that data as well.

  • Icon for: Michel DeGraff

    Michel DeGraff

    Facilitator
    Professor
    May 17, 2016 | 12:22 a.m.

    Very interesting project. What’s the incentive for teachers to participate in these externships? Is it only the incentive to increase their knowledge and expertise? Or are there material incentives, awards, etc., from the schools or from the industry?

  • Icon for: Jeff Weld

    Jeff Weld

    Lead Presenter
    Executive Director
    May 17, 2016 | 10:13 p.m.

    Thanks for your observation, Michel. Teachers earn a daily stipend as well as grad credit, plus a mini-grant back at school, for implementing an extension of their summer experience.

  • Icon for: Marcelo Worsley

    Marcelo Worsley

    Facilitator
    Assistant Professor
    May 17, 2016 | 12:24 a.m.

    This seems like a very strong project for bringing together teachers and professionals. In particular it helps keep teachers up to speed on tools and techniques used in industry. Can you talk more about how these partnerships were established, and any recommendations that you might have for corporations that wish to approach teachers, or vice-versa?

  • Icon for: Jeff Weld

    Jeff Weld

    Lead Presenter
    Executive Director
    May 17, 2016 | 10:20 p.m.

    Appreciate your observation, Marcelo. Each year of the grant we’ve expanded our roster of business partners, enjoying the support of the state’s economic development agency and similar organizations all of whom see the merit of the project and eagerly help recruit partners. Nevertheless, we spend considerable time each winter cultivating additional workplace hosts through “cold calls” and introductions by established friends. Each year the “sell” gets easier, partly because it appears to us that businesses across our state are beginning to catch the STEM bug and want to be involved. And partly, the sell is easier because of the undeniable data we’ve been able to accumulate regarding the ROI to our business partners by taking in a teacher, the ongoing relationships that result, and of course the demonstrable benefits to teachers and their students. The piece-de-resistance will be talent showing up at these company’s doorsteps ready to work, in a few years, that will cement this program in to the DNA of employers across Iowa.

  • Icon for: Jorge Solis

    Jorge Solis

    Facilitator
    Assistant professor
    May 18, 2016 | 09:51 a.m.

    Thanks again Jeff for sharing this work. Its a critical pipeline for cutting-edge science in schools. My work examines novice secondary science teacher preparation working with ELs in mainstream classrooms. Have issues of access to science content related to English Learners come up so far from your observations of teachers and students?

  • Icon for: Jeff Weld

    Jeff Weld

    Lead Presenter
    Executive Director
    May 22, 2016 | 03:00 p.m.

    Although ELL access to quality science is an over-current to all of our work, Jorge, specific to teachers-in-industry more universal tactics/strategies have been the focus —i.e., inquiry, problem solving, cooperative groups, applied learning, etc. What is interesting though, is, the research literature around multi-cultural science education promotes and advocates for active, investigative, rigorous, personalized and community relevant brand of teaching and learning to ‘level the playing field’ for all of our young learners. So, we are confident that this work supports the promotion of diversity in STEM education. Thanks!

  • Further posting is closed as the event has ended.