Engaging the Next Generation STEM Naval Workforce: Using Communities of Practice to Build Capacity
Abstract
A key component of attracting students into STEM disciplines, and ultimatelySTEM careers, is establishing a cadre of teachers who can actively engagestudents in curriculum which is relevant, promotes application, andencourages critical thinking. The State University of New York at Cortlandproposes a three-year project aimed at developing the deep knowledge andtechnical skills teachers need to design and implement this type ofcurriculum. Our approach is unique in that we intend to create a communityof practice, a social learning structure, that will include Naval STEMresearchers, both government and industry, currently practicing teachers(in-service teachers), teachers in training (preservice teachers), andfaculty in the sciences. Through utilization of Naval expertise andresources, we plan to develop content rich, contextually based professionallearning, concomitant with teacher led development of hands-on,standards-linked curriculum for use in grades 9-12 STEM classrooms.In-service teachers will work with content experts and, ultimately,preservice teachers in meeting the project objectives to: (1) improvecontent and technical skills of STEM pre- and in-service teachers forimplementing active learning approaches that utilize authentic, hands-onscience and engineering practices based on Naval STEM research; (2) engagestudents in exciting and meaningful learning experiences that lead toincreased learning and self-efficacy in pursuit of STEM disciplines andcareers with the U.S. Navy; and (3) to improve the collective capacity tocreate instructional improvements capable of fostering the innovativecharacter required by the next generation STEM Naval workforce.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Sep 04, 2018
- Source ID
- N000141812735
Entities
People
- Angela Pagano
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- Research Foundation for the State University of New York
- United States Navy