Modeling and Visualization in Teacher Education Workshop Format and Discussion Topics
Pre-Workshop Activities: Identify participants and invite them to the workshop. Of the participants, identify panels of experts to present white papers and demonstrations at the workshop. Panel members will discuss the issues relevant to their session, research those issues, and develop white papers. Distribute white papers to all participants at least one month in advance of the workshop. Establish collaborative workspaces to facilitate discussion of the white papers before the workshop
Workshop Format: At the two-day workshop, leaders will present their papers and participants will discuss the issues presented. Demonstrations will be organized to illustrate successful integration of applied modeling and visualization in the classroom. A set of panelists for each session will moderate the proceedings and present a synthesis of the issues raised. Sessions will be held to discuss the development of collaborations and follow-up activities.
Tentative list of topics.
How Scientists and Educators Use Modeling and Visualization to Facilitate Constructivist Inquiry-based Learning
- Demos by Alliance and NPACI Applications Technology and Enabling Technology teams
- Demos of LIS and EOT-PACI tools
- Demos by successful K-12 science educators
Successful teacher education programs (inservice and preservice) using modeling and visualization in science education (White Papers)
- How computational modeling helps students meet national learning goals
- Identify promising tools and practices in computational science by grade level (scope and sequence)
- What prerequisite skills are needed at each grade level?
- How do these tools and practices help teachers and students achieve national math and science standards and benchmarks at each grade level?
Teacher education programs in math and science (White Papers)
- Summary of what has already been learned
- What further needs to be learned?
- Constituents and those who have influence
- What are barriers and points of resistance?
- Competencies for teachers in using technology in math and science
- What is the "ramp" to prepare teachers to move toward the use of modeling and visualization?
Designing learning environments that incorporate modeling and visualization tools
- Demos of successful learning communities and environments using modeling and visualization
- Principles and theories of learning environment design - with a focus on the role of modeling and visualization (White Papers)
Strategies to Increase Women and Minority Representation in Science and Engineering (White Papers)
- The importance of modeling and visualization in science education to prepare all students, but especially women and underrepresented minorities
- System-wide techniques to motivate and counsel young women and minority students
- Mechanisms to reach preservice and inservice teachers likely to teach minority student populations
The role of EOT-PACI in teacher education (White Papers)
- Technology transfer of learning tools, scientific tools, and communication and collaboration tools
- An infrastructure of math, science, and technology teleapprenticeships to support teacher educators
- A bridge between scientists and teacher educators
- How do we scale up from successful models (how do we build a scientific and technical "grid" to support teacher education)?
Next steps
- Formulate how to "package" computer-based modeling and scientific visualization, so that they fit into the teacher education programs
- Create accompanying training materials that support teacher educators and practicing teachers, and put these materials online
- Forge collaborations to research, develop, and test alternative methods of integration
