The ADAPTATIONS blog advances research toward and replication of what works
in the education of STEM teachers for high-need school districts through sharing of evidence-based innovations
to encourage adaption and move forward collective evolution of effective preparation.
Please see the criteria for submitting an ARISE blog.
Is This “TRE” for Me? A Review of the Literature on Teacher Research Experiences and Impact on K-12 STEM Classrooms
As today’s world continues to be shaped by science and technology, there is a pressing need to improve public understanding of what constitutes “science” (National Research Council [NRC], 2012). Despite decades of recommendations to involve learners in scientific activities that model authentic science, K–12 teachers still struggle to integrate scientific practices across their curricula (Capps... Read More
What Do Preservice Science Teachers Understand about Principles of Effective Teaching for Diverse Learners?
A Collaborative Study of Teacher Preparation The Science and Mathematics Teacher Research Initiative (SMTRI, referred to as “symmetry”) is rather unique in that it is a multi-university collaboration to collectively study science and mathematics teacher education. Studies of teacher education are often small in scale and consist of case studies of individual courses (Sleeter, 2014).... Read More
Four Things You Need to Know about STEM and Education for 2020
This story also ran on Forbes.com. If 2018 was the year that teachers walked out, scientists and teachers ran for office in unprecedented numbers, and the news was filled with a steady stream of reports on the value of a STEM degree, and 2019 was the year that the public’s respect for teachers grew, walkouts... Read More
How Can Pre-service STEM Teachers Enact Project-Based Learning for Authentic Community Engagement?
Preparing Community Teachers A “Community Teacher” is a conceptual framework for preparing exemplary urban teachers (Murrell, 2000) and highlights the “multicultural competence” teachers need to have. A significant part of this work entails teachers’ reflections on their own identities with the aim of centering the students’ culture and practices in teaching and learning. We began... Read More
STEM Professional Development That Works
Our question: How can policymakers support standards-based reform? Standards-based reforms in science and mathematics often require significant teacher learning, particularly of subject matter content and new instructional practices. Thus, since the first calls for standards-based reforms, circa 1990, reformers have explored several avenues for supporting teachers’ growth. New curriculum materials, such as those produced to... Read More
How Can Elementary Teachers Improve Their Ability to Run Productive Science Discussions?
The Challenge of Teaching Science Teaching science is challenging, not in the least because many of the ideas that we ask our students to believe are not obvious. After all, why should we believe the ground on which we stand is spherical rather than flat? Why should we believe that day and night are caused... Read MoreAdditional Posts
Opportunity to Learn Mathematics: Time, Task, & Talk | October 9, 2019
Preparing Our Next Generation of Science Teachers: What Should a Science Teacher Know and Be Able to Do? | September 25, 2019
Preparing New Teachers: How Collaboration Across Professional Associations Can Advance Technology Infusion | August 7, 2019
Bulldozing the STEM Silos in Omaha While Engaging P-12 Teachers and Building Campus STEM Excellence | March 25, 2019
Return on Investment:
How do we know if we are preparing teachers who are ready for today’s classrooms?
| January 25, 2019
Reflecting On Our Roots – Part Seventeen: Teachers for the 21st Century | September 13, 2018
