Frameworks for Integrated Project-Based Instruction in STEM Disciplines (2024)

Frameworks for Integrated Project-Based Instruction in STEM Disciplines presents an original approach to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) centric project based instruction. We approach project based instruction from an engineering design philosophy and the accountability highlighted in a standards-based environment. We emphasize a backward design that is initiated by well-defined outcomes tied to local, state, or national standards that provide teachers with a framework guiding students' design, solving, or completion of ill-defined tasks. In project-based STEM classrooms students investigate, utilize technological tools, construct artifacts, participate in debates, collaborate, and make products to demonstrate what they have learned.

Features include deep coverage of four topics in PBI: scaffolding, student-driven inquiry, driving questions, and development of lessons based on national and state standards. This focus will ensure a deep understanding by the reader of project-based instruction, which will allow the reader to create strong and meaningful lesson experiences for their students. An emphasis on student-driven inquiry will be discussed, including the importance of giving students the cognitive tools, such as statistical analysis tools, they need to research and inquire about the lesson topic. A breakdown of what a successful driving question includes will be explained, and examples given. The book will include strategies for starting the lesson process with ending goals in mind by creating driving questions and breaking down state and national standards. This book is strongly rooted in research in the learning sciences about project-based instruction, but will also be designed to be practically useful to teachers and teacher educators and researchers by bridging research and practice.

CONTENTS
Preface. Acknowledgements. CHAPTER 1: What is PBI. CHAPTER 2: Linking the History of the “Project Method” to Current PBI Movements. CHAPTER 3: Six Major Elements of PBI. CHAPTER 4: Putting Your Project Together. CHAPTER 5: PBI Across Engineering, Computer Science, and Mathematics. CHAPTER 6: Practical Implementation of PBI at Scale: Administration and Assessment. CHAPTER 7: The Future of PBI Curricula: Issues of Technology and Community. About the Authors.

Ordering Information: https://www.infoagepub.com/products/Frameworks-for-Integrated-Project-Based-Instruction-in-STEM-Disciplines

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Frameworks-Project-Based-Instruction-Disciplines-Educational/dp/B0CH89KTRW

The Fires: Hoboken 1978–1982 in Partnership with the Hoboken Historical Museum, Diaspora Solidarities Lab, and New Jersey Council for the Humanities from February 1–April 15, 2024

CENTRO, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College, has announced the opening of the exhibition, The Fires: Hoboken 1978–1982 in partnership with the Hoboken Historical Museum, Diaspora Solidarities Lab, and New Jersey Council for the Humanities from February 1–April 15, 2024. CENTRO is the largest university-based research institute, library, and archive dedicated to the Puerto Rican experience in the United States.

Centro's Directora is Dr. Yomaira C. Figueroa-Vásquez, an Afro-Puerto Rican writer, teacher, and scholar who was born and raised in Hoboken. In addition to serving as CENTRO's Directora, she is a Professor of Africana, Puerto Rican & Latino Studies at CUNY Hunter.

The exhibition, first installed at the Hoboken Historical Museum, features the work of Christopher López, a Puerto Rican Lens-Based Artist, Educator, and Public Historian.

Dr. Figueroa-Vásquez expounds, "The Fires: Hoboken 1978-1982 is a multidisciplinary show that surfaces the living histories of the fires and arsons that transformed the city of Hoboken from the 1970's-1980's. Through a violent cocktail of intimidation, greed, corruption, and indifference, over 50 Hoboken residents, mostly children, lost their lives in fires that ravaged the city during the era of post-industrial urban renewal. Arriving four decades after the apex of the fires, photographer Chris López, a Bronx native of Puerto Rican parentage, critically engages the afterlives of arson, displacement, and dispossession. Unlike the historic and well documented history of fires in the Bronx, very few photographers captured images of the arsons in Hoboken and even fewer scholars have studied the phenomenon. The existing archive is deeply indebted to the work of journalists, the painstaking work of community organizers, and a few documentary filmmakers who captured the terror, uncertainty, and destruction of that time period. In this context, The Fires represents the first exhibit of its kind to visit this history alongside those who were most deeply impacted."

We encourage everyone to visit this powerful exhibit, which will be displayed at the Silberman School of Social Work in El Barrio, located at 2180 3rd Ave. Visiting hours are Mondays-Fridays 10am-5pm.

Petrosino Invited by the National Academies of Science to Serve as a Member of the Board on Science Education committee on PreK-12 STEM Education Innovations

 Associate Dean at the Simmons School of Education and Human Development invited to serve on Board on Science Education committee for PreK-12 STEM Education Innovations

Associate Dean for Research and Outreach at Simmons School of Education and Human Development, Anthony Petrosino, has recently been invited and has accepted the invitation to serve as a member of the Board on Science Education committee on PreK-12 STEM Education Innovations. This board is a part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and seeks to identify and understand any “research gaps or factors that impede or facilitate widespread implementation of new initiatives at local, regional, and national levels.” 

Dr. Petrosino’s board appointment will last until April 2025.

Description

An ad hoc committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will conduct a consensus study to: Review the research literature and identify research gaps regarding the interconnected factors that foster and hinder successful implementation of promising, evidence-based PreK-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education innovations at the local, regional, and national level;

Present a compendium of promising, evidence-based PreK-12 STEM education practices, models, programs, and technologies;

Identify barriers to widespread and sustained implementation of such innovations; and

Make recommendations to the National Science Foundation, the Department of Education, the National Science and Technology Council’s Committee on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education, state and local educational agencies, and other relevant stakeholders on measures to address such barriers.

Sherard and Petrosino (2021): Language, modeling, and power: A methodology for analyzing discourse in interaction

The 2021 Annual Meeting of the International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS) is the first of its kind, the first of a new series of annual events that will bring together the international community of the Learning Sciences as a whole. This is a milestone in the evolution of our community and a good reason to reflect on and celebrate our achievements in the past, and to embrace and envision a bright future.

The International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS) is a professional and widely interdisciplinary society dedicated to the empirical investigation of learning as it exists in real-world settings and to how learning may be facilitated both with and without technology

The following is a paper that I will be presenting with doctoral student Max Sherard and centers on language, modeling, and power in an online modeling environment. 

Abstract: We present a new methodology for demonstrating the connection between reasoning in interaction and larger sociopolitical discourses. We demonstrate this methodology in the context of modeling activities with preservice teachers. First, we explain critical discourse analysis, a methodology which illuminates how talk or text in social events is related to larger social practices or structures. Second, we describe how using critical discourse analysis with interaction data allows researchers to understand how language choices reflect larger discourses that circulate society. Finally, we demonstrate this methodology on a transcript of preservice elementary teachers reasoning about residential segregation using agent-based models.

Sherard, M. K. and Petrosino, A. J. (2021, June 7-11). Language, modeling, and power: A methodology for analyzing discourse in interaction [Conference presentation]. ISLS 2021 Convention, Bochum, Germany. 

ISLS MS & AP 2020 0314 Edit Unblinded[2] by Tony Petrosino on Scribd

Petrosino, A. J., Sherard, M. K., Tharayil, S. A. (2020). The education philosophy, theories, and models that enable STEM policy integration

Petrosino, A. J., Sherard, M. K., Tharayil, S. A. (2020). The education philosophy, theories, and models that enable STEM policy integration. In C. Zintgraff, S. C. Suh, B. Kellison, & P. Resta (1st), STEM in the  Technopolis: The power of STEM education in regional technology policy. New York City, NY: Springer.

Abstract As federal and state policies continue to emphasize the need for STEM Education reform, it is important to understand how a collaboration between industry, academia, governments, nonprofits, and K-12 schools, can bolster this effort. However, any worthwhile attempts at this must arguably first be steeped in an understanding of the STEM Education movement as well as the deep lineage of learning theories which underscore what has now come to be understood as evidence-based best practices in bolstering STEM teaching and learning. As such, the ensuing chapter recounts a brief history of the STEM Education movement, discussing the impact of pivotal documents, such as A Nation at Risk, which fanned the flames of education reform. It then presents the various perspectives as to what “STEM Education” means, focusing on the separated perspective versus the inte- grated perspective. This is followed by a synopsis of major learning theories and paradigms, such as behaviorism, constructivism, social constructivism, and constructionism, which have informed and continue to underscore education research. Finally, the chapter concludes with a thick description of authentic, situated inquiry- based pedagogies like Problem- and Project-Based Learning, as well as their potential to foster connections and partnerships between industry clusters and K-12 schools. 

  Zintgraff Suh Kellison Resta 2020-STEM in the Technopolis by Tony Petrosino on Scribd

Harron, Petrosino and Jenevein (2019) Using Virtual Reality to Augment Museum-Based Field Trips in a Preservice Elementary Science Methods Course

The following paper represents about 2 years of work with pre-service elementary science teachers and the use of virtual reality in developing museum based activities. Great work by doctoral students Jason Harron and Sarah Jenevein on this research.

Harron, J. R., Petrosino, A. J., & Jenevein, S. (2019). Using virtual reality to augment museum-based field trips in a preservice elementary science methods course. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 9(4). Retrieved from https://www.citejournal.org/volume-19/issue-4-19/science/using-virtual-reality-to-augment-museum-based-field-trips-in-a-preservice- elementary-science-methods-course

Abstract: Positioned in the context of experiential learning, this paper reports findings of a virtual reality field trip (VRFT) in conjunction with an in- person field trip involving preservice teachers in an elementary science methods course to a local natural history museum. Findings included that virtual reality (VR) is best used after a field trip to encourage student recall of the experience, but only when done for a limited time to avoid VR fatigue. The types of experiences that preservice teachers thought VR would be good for in their science classrooms included the ability to visit either inaccessible or unsafe locations, to explore scales of size that are either too big or too small, and to witness different eras or events at varying temporal scales. Furthermore, this study uncovered potential equity issues related to VRFTs being seen as a viable alternative if students could not afford to go on field trips. Further research needs to be conducted to better understand the impact of VRFTs on student learning outcomes and take advantage of recent improvements in VR technology

  Harron, Petrosino, Jenevein - 2019 - CITE - Using Virtual Reality to Augment Museum-based Field Trips in a... by Tony Petrosino on Scribd

UTeach Engineering - Final Evaluation Report

  UTeachEngineering Summative Evaluation Report by Tony Petrosino on Scribd

Where Does a Tree Get Its Mass? - Petrosino, Mann, and Jenevein (2018)

Work on alternative conceptions of tree growth has extensively documented how students of nearly all developmental and educational levels share the “persistent intuitive conception ... that plants get their food from their environment, specifically from the soil; and that roots are the organs of feeding” (Driver et al. 2005, p. 30; Parker and Carr 1989). Soil acts as an anchor for the plant’s roots and provides the plant with water and small amounts of nutrients, but the soil itself is not the source of the carbon that adds mass to the organism. The mass of a tree, for example, is primarily carbon, which comes from carbon dioxide used during photosynthesis.

Petrosino, A. J., Mann, M. J. and Jenevein, S. (2018) Where does a tree get its mass?. The Science Scope. 41(9) 41-47. [acceptance rate32%]

Petrosino, Mann, and Jenevein (2018) by Anthony Petrosino on Scribd

Fall 2017 Project Based Instruction Diary

This post contains two useful pieces of information about the Teach Project Based Instruction course. First, there is the enacted curriculum of the UTeach Project Based Instruction course taught by Dr. Anthony Petrosino and Max Shepard as the course teaching assistant. This is essentially a daily diary of what we actually did in class each day. The second part of this post is the course syllabus. Obviously, there is some discrepancy between the formal and enacted curriculum for any course. But we believe this information can be helpful to other UTeach Institute instructors attempting to enact PBI in their classrooms. -Dr. Petrosino

  Project Based Instruction- Daily Log Fall 2017 by Anthony Petrosino on Scribd

  Syllabus Edc 365e_pbi_fall 2017(Tth) - Aug31 by Anthony Petrosino on Scribd

What Universities Must Do to Prepare Computer Science Teachers: Networked Improvement in Action

I recently attended a workshop/conference in Boulder, Colorado for bridging computer science and engineering in teacher education.

It is clearer now than ever before. What universities must do to address the challenge of preparing significant numbers of qualified computer science teachers for the U.S. is to work together.

Last week, 60 representatives from 22 universities convened — along with key stakeholders from the broader computer science education and engineering education communities — at the University of Colorado Boulder. The challenge was to attract more STEM teachers from engineering majors and to significantly strengthen the preparation of computer science teachers. The meeting was planned by representatives from UTeach programs at Boise State University, CU Boulder, and Drexel, with support from the UTeach Institute at The University of Texas at Austin. In total, about half of the national network of universities implementing the UTeach secondary STEM teacher preparation model were represented. A couple of other universities learned of our meeting and we were thrilled to have them join.

This meeting built on the CSforAll movement, which after decades of reports recommending high school CS education for all US students, is finally making headway. Federal agencies and STEM and CS education organizations (UTeach included) have been broadening participation in CS by integrating industry expertise into classrooms, training in-service teachers, integrating CS into existing STEM courses, and implementing introductory CS courses like AP CS Principles and Exploring Computer Science.

In-service teacher professional development has been key to the explosive growth of K–12 CS education offerings, but the role of universities in the preparation of computer science teachers is absolutely critical if we are going to address the current shortage of CS teachers at scale and with any kind of lasting impact. Yet there are precious few exemplars on which to model new programs. Partly this has been a chicken and egg problem. For example, the UTeach program at UT Austin has had an undergraduate pathway to CS certification for more than ten years. But with so little demand for CS teachers at secondary schools throughout the state, very few students were recruited and prepared. Now that the demand for CS teachers is increasing, UTeach Austin and other UTeach partner universities are ramping up and expanding their efforts.

There was widespread consensus among our group at CU Boulder last week that a variety of pathways were needed in order to recruit and prepare excellent CS teachers. All the universities in attendance described either new pathways that had been implemented within the last two years, or pathways currently under development. These included:

• Undergraduate, four-year degree plans that add teaching to a CS major. (YES, CS majors CAN be recruited into teaching.)
• Undergraduate, four-year degree plans that add a CS concentration to a math major with teaching.
• Undergraduate CS certificate programs that any teaching major could add (not clear if this can all be done in four years, however).
• Post-baccalaureate pathways designed for career-changers or new graduates with no teaching background. These pathways included streamlined preparation lasting between 1 and 1.5 years, designed to lead to a full CS teaching certification/credential.
• Post-baccalaureate pathways designed for in-service, fully credentialed teachers. These pathways could lead just to additional CS credentials or also to a Master’s degree. These pathways might comprise a series of micro-credentials intended for in-service teachers to add over time and leading to various levels of expertise, and ultimately to full CS teaching certification in states that offer it.

There was also widespread agreement that, in addition to the development of various pathways leading to both adequate CS content and pedagogical preparation, the following considerations are critical to successful implementation:

• Attention to the integration of computational thinking into the preparation of ALL future STEM teachers.
• Attention to proven strategies for recruitment of students/professionals into pathways, especially developing partnerships between colleges of education/teacher preparation units and CS departments and advisors.
• Attention to informing CS research faculty about high school teaching, so that CS majors are exposed to this career possibility.
• Attention to providing adequate support, including financial, to students pursuing these pathways.
• Attention to further development of the CS education research community.
• Attention to issues of equity and diversity both from a pedagogical perspective and also as a teacher workforce concern. Broadening participation in CS should include explicit strategies to attract and prepare a diverse CS teaching corps.
• Attention to the unique needs and issues of capacity of rural schools and districts.
• Creative solutions to the need for adequate CS education field placements.

UTeach programs at universities across the nation are well-positioned to develop and implement these CS teaching pathways. The UTeach STEM Educators Association, made up of 45 UTeach programs and affiliated organizations, is a robust networked improvement community that promotes and supports university-based, secondary teacher preparation in STEM. TheUTeach program model has been proven effective and has already been customized to meet the unique needs of undergraduate STEM majors and future STEM teachers. Further customization to bolster recruitment and preparation of CS teachers is not such a huge lift. Additional funding, however, will be necessary to design and successfully launch new pathways, particularly with regard to hiring clinical and research faculty with CS expertise, developing coursework, and recruiting and supporting students.

In the months following this meeting, a UTeach CS Education Working Group will be developing a white paper to be published this summer. A follow-up meeting is also planned for May 24, in conjunction with the annual UTeach Conference in Austin, Texas. If you are interested in joining us to continue these discussions about how colleges and universities can work together to design and develop excellent CS teaching preparation pathways, contact Kimberly Hughes.

Petrosino Discusses Computer Science and Colleges of Education at NSF Workshop in NYC

Screen shot of NetLogo Interface

I recently received an NSF award for work with cloud computing with colleagues Walter Stroup (UMass- Dartmouth), Uri Wilensky (Northwestern) and Cory Brady (Vanderbilt). The project will help pre-service teachers develop more fully participatory and socially-supported approaches to classroom learning, using authentic STEM practices in group-centered learning environments. The work is of particular importance to those who prepare pre-service teachers for the classroom, because most programs don’t use this type of approach in teacher preparation. As part of the project I was invited recently to NYC for an NSF workshop on computer science and Colleges of Education. Here is a little write up on that meeting. -Dr. Petrosino

   Petrosino Computer Science by Anthony Petrosino on Scribd

Happy UTeach Day in Austin, Texas!

Dr. Michael Marder- Executive Director

Happy UTeach Day in Austin, Texas!

The City of Austin Council Meeting on May 18th, 2017 will declare May 18th UTeach Day. Yep, that's our day!
The proclamation portion of the evening starts at 5:30pm. Dr. Michael Marder and Dr. Larry Abraham will receive the proclamation and I am hoping we can pack the chamber with all those who have supported us along the way!

The City Council meeting is in the Council Chamber at City Hall, which is at 301 West 2nd Street, between Lavaca and Guadalupe.

You may park in the public area of our underground parking garage; the entrance is on the west (Guadalupe) side of the building; you may park on the P1 or P2 level. When you enter the building, security staff will be at a table in front of the Council Chamber, and will validate your parking ticket, so parking won’t cost you anything.

The Proclamations section of the Council meeting will be announced by the Mayor, beginning no earlier than 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 18th.