Network Science and Education
Abstract
This project created and delivered the NiCE (Networks in Classroom Education) Teacher Workshop, a four-day workshop for K-12 teachers to learn about network science and develop ideas and lesson plans about how to utilize network science in their teaching, mentoring and administration. The workshop sprang from the realization that there is an incongruity between the essence of the world in which we live and the way we develop and implement primary and secondary curricula that are supposed to prepare students for that world. Today, life is complex, interconnected and non-linear; however, curriculum meant to educate our children is traditionally offered in a linear Òthis before that before the nextÓ manner. We conceived NiCE in part to address this shortfall. Networks and network science are tools that enable us to Òembrace the complexityÓ of contemporary life. We live in a world characterized by connections; network science is an appropriate discipline to model those connections and fundamentally alter the way in which we conceive, develop, and implement curriculum at all levels, starting with primary and secondary education. To identify participants for the workshop, each of the organizers reached out to school districts in their region with an information about the workshop. This would allow for regional educator support after the workshop. All teachers interested in attending the workshop were asked to explore the NiCE website and watch three videos which addressed the background and ubiquity of networks in our society and highlighting many different applications of networks. After watching the videos they were asked to complete an online application to answer questions about grade level and subject matter interests and expertise. Based on the NiCE workshop goals and expectations, they were also asked to provide ideas on how they would include network science in the classroom. A review of the applications found a geographically diverse, interdisciplinary group of teachers that fit into 5 grade bands; kindergarten through second grade, third through fifth grade, sixth through eighth grades, high school, and teaching coach/administrator. The purpose for the last band was to have a group who could look at professional development and content that spans grade bands. The workshop itself was held on July 10-13, 2017, at the United States Military Academy. K-12 teachers and administrators from southern and central California, upstate New York, West Point, New York City, North Carolina, and Boston descended upon West Point. During NiCE, we exposed to network science concepts two dozen primary and secondary educators across disciplines, ranging from STEM fields to the humanities and including specialty fields such as music and English as a Second Language. In small groups, these educators used the network science concepts they learned to develop network-inspired modules and lesson plans they will bring back to their schools, public and private, traditional and charter, to enhance interdisciplinary learning that builds upon connectionsÑrather than ignoring themÑbetter aligning education with the world it serves. The teams developed lessons in a variety of topics, which are available from the following website: http://tinyurl.com/niceteacher This website also has all the information that the teachers were exposed to, as well as organizational information for the workshop. This way, further effort on this topic can build on what we have started. Furthermore, we have presented a talk about the NiCE Teacher Workshop at the 2017 Conference on Complex Systems (CCS 2017) in September 2017. All the funding was spent on the travel expenses and stipends for the workshop participants.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 04, 2019
- Source ID
- W911NF1710002
Entities
People
- Hiroki Sayama
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Research Foundation for the State University of New York
- United States Army