STEM Teaching and Professional Development

As more educators recognize the importance of science, technology, engineering, and math education, many opportunities for professional development have sprung up around the country. Universities, schools and districts, and corporations have all begun to recognize the critical role that educators play in providing high-quality STEM education both in- and out-of-school time. Likewise, many emerging or mid-career educators are looking to increase their knowledge of effective teaching techniques for communicating STEM subjects as well as background in the subjects themselves. 

Below are some opportunities for further learning from across the country that I found in a couple of quick web searches. This collection of fellowships and certifications are not necessarily degrees in STEM teaching. If you know of any more programs, please share them in the comments!

Siemens STEM Academy

Who: Classroom teachers; no out-of-school time focus specified. STEM content webinars would be helpful for out-of-school time providers as well. 

What: online resource with webinars, blog, and other resources for educators who want to bring STEM into their programs. Also hosts two in-person summer institutes focusing on 1) increasing knowledge of STEM content and teaching techniques and 2) participating in STEM education research at Discovery's world headquarters in Washington, D.C. 

Where: Online with summer institutes in Washington, D.C. 

Math for America Teaching Fellowship

Who: Early Career Fellows, college graduates who have completed coursework in mathematics and who are new to teaching; and Master Teachers, who have at least four years of math teaching experience and who spend at least 75% of their teaching time focused on math

What: Multi-year fellowship that focuses on improving content and quality of 
mathematics instruction at US secondary schools. 

Where: Berkeley, CA; Boston, MA, Los Angeles, CA; San Diego, CA; Washington, D.C.; New York City; Utah

Mickelson Exxonmobil Teachers Academy

Who: Third- through fifth-grade teachers 

What: Intensive week-long training on how to create and effectively teach math and science curricula.

Where: Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, New Jersey (also a member of the Coalition!).

Knowles Science Teaching Foundation (KSTF) Teaching Fellowships

Who: Teaching Fellowships are awarded to science and/or math educators, focusing on emerging professionals

What: Five-year program that provides ongoing training and mentorship in teaching techniques and trends; provides financial support of up to $150,000 over five-year length of fellowship

Where: Nationwide

Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE) Fellows Program

Who: Informal science educators from underrepresented groups and regions across the US

What: Ongoing mentoring and professional development; participation in CAISE Inquiry Groups; travel stipends to attend Informal Science Education summit 

Where: Fellows work across the informal science education spectrum across the country. View a list of current fellows and read about their work here. 

NASA Endeavor Science Teaching Certificate Project

Who: Current or prospective educators

What: Graduate-level online courses teaching research-based pedagogical strategies and cutting-edge STEM content; leads to a certificate as well as credit to affiliated graduate institutions

Where: Nationwide--courses are all online

St. Catherine University STEM Graduate Certificates

Who: Elementary-school educators

What: Teacher training that focuses on technology and engineering content and teaching 
strategies; university offers training and materials to start graduate certificate programs at schools and districts across the country
Where: St. Catherine University in St. Paul/Minneapolis, Minnesota

In addition, check out the many professional development opportunities available through the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). 

Science Books for Kids

While it's true that doing hands-on science activities is a great way to learn, every child needs a little down time to relax and let their busy minds process their experiences. Science books can be a great way for younger children to learn before bed, after working and playing hard at school, or on a rainy weekend. Plus, reading lets kids build their science, reading, and critical thinking skills all at the same time. Booklist just released their Top 10 Science and Technology books for 2010. The books cover a wide variety of science subjects--from archaeology, biology, engineering, ecology, and much more.

If you're an educator looking for books to use in your program, the National Science Teachers Association has a huge, annually-released compilation of the best science trade books for K-12 students stretching back to 1996. Again, the books cover a wide range of science subjects and are organized by subject or purpose (such as "Science as Inquiry" and "Unifying Concepts and Processes in Science"). 

Do you use science books in your afterschool program? What are some of your favorites?

NSTA Journal Article on After-school Science

The March 2009 issue of the NSTA elementary school journal, Science & Children, contains an interesting article about an after-school science lesson.  Sami Kahn notes some of the issues that make after-school science different from the school day: She is working with multiple grade levels (1-4); the group has 90 minutes for an activity, compared to 40 minutes during the school day; and, since students often miss the after-school class due to other commitments, activities need to stand somewhat alone.  This is a well written article, especially for conveying the value of an after-school setting to an audience of science teachers. 

Read the article for free at the NSTA website

Parent Involvement in Science Learning

The National Science Teachers Association has released a new position statement on Parent Involvement in Science Learning. This should be a valuable tool for everyone seeking to improve science learning. We know that schools cannot do this work alone, and family involvement is critical.