ICLCS Institute for Chemistry Literacy through Computational Simulation Thom H. Dunning, Jr., Edee Norman Wiziecki, National Center for Supercomputing Applications University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Rebecca Canty, A-C Central C.U.S.D #262 Brett Block, Paris Cooperative High School STEM Smart Workshop: Lessons Learned From Successful Schools April 10, Chicago, Illinois This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Award No. NSF EHR

Computational Simulation … profoundly changing the conduct of scientific research STEM Smart Workshop 10 April 2012 Chicago, Illinois

Computational Simulation Helps Us Understand STEM Smart Workshop 10 April 2012 Chicago, Illinois The Universe The Nanoscale World The World We Live In

Computational Science and Engineering Molecular ScienceWeather & Climate Forecasting Earth ScienceAstronomy Health Computing has enabled advances in a broad range of science and engineering disciplines: STEM Smart Workshop 10 April 2012 Chicago, Illinois

ICLCS Project … enhancing chemistry education through computational simulation STEM Smart Workshop 10 April 2012 Chicago, Illinois

ICLCS Project Institute for Chemistry Literacy Through Computational Simulation Funding National Science Foundation, Education & Human Resources A 5-year NSF Mathematics & Science Partnership project MSP Program Goal: to improve the content knowledge of teachers and the performance of students in the areas of mathematics and science Supports projects to improve math and science education through partnerships, which include, at a minimum, a high-need LEA and the mathematics, science, or engineering department of an IHE STEM Smart Workshop 10 April 2012 Chicago, Illinois

Strengthen rural high school teachers’ and students’ understanding of chemistry, including applications of chemistry to understanding the world around us Instill in teachers a sense of confidence and competence about their ability to teach chemistry by enabling them to use computational tools, modeling and visualization Build a strong learning community among high school teachers, as well as with ICLCS faculty and staff, to enable year-round professional development Create a cadre of leaders who will become advocates for excellence in mathematics and science STEM Smart Workshop 10 April 2012 Chicago, Illinois ICLCS Project Goals of the ICLCS Project

ICLCS Project Who Are the Teachers? Rural high school chemistry teachers in ICLCS: Number of teachers: 124 Cadre I: 51 Cadre II: 55 Cadre III: 18 Cadres enabled impact of treatment to be quantified Number of districts: % teach in rural Illinois districts with a low income-rate of greater than 25% Only 30% have major or minor in chemistry The average school population of ICLCS high schools is % of Fellows being one of either one or two science teachers in their building Geographically and professionally isolated STEM Smart Workshop 10 April 2012 Chicago, Illinois

ICLCS Project Critical Elements of the ICLCS Project Summer Institutes Two weeks of intensive study each summer for three years Focused on teaching about computational tools and their use in the classroom (the latter as teams) Virtual Professional Learning Environment (PLE) Support Infrastructure Community of Practice, with all communication through hub—no ! Provides data on PLE usage. Used by ICLCS staff, faculty, and participants to work collaboratively. Curriculum Integration Implementation and evaluation of use of instructional materials in the high school classroom. Refinement (based on classroom data) and deployment of vetted materials into high school courses. Academic Year Course Evaluation of use of course material in classroom Refinement of course material based on classroom results STEM Smart Workshop 10 April 2012 Chicago, Illinois

ICLCS Project Emergence of Virtual PLE Community Year 1 ➠ Year 2 STEM Smart Workshop 10 April 2012 Chicago, Illinois Teacher network grew in both complexity and density Hierarchical nature of virtual learning community emerged

ICLCS Project Key Success Factors Use of Meaningful Computational Tools Computational tools focused on teachers’knowledge difficulties and deficiencies (to extent possible) Freely available tools and curricular materials STEM Smart Workshop 10 April 2012 Chicago, Illinois ChemSketch : Interactive building and visualization of molecular structures WebMO : Computation of molecular structures, electron densities, vibrational frequencies, etc.

ICLCS Project Key Success Factors (con’t) Support from the Virtual PLE Goes beyond the summer institutes Provides just-in-time support (e.g., tech problems) or content (why doesn’t this “work”) Provides professional, rapid (24 hours or less) response to most questions (monitoring is critical) Allows sharing of knowledge among teachers—what works, what doesn’t work in their classroom Repository of Vetted Materials Access not only to computational tools, but to lessons, modules, videos, tutorials, etc. Continued Professional Growth Academic year courses – reading and reflection on pedagogy; use of computational tools for practice; access to scientists/faculty/students for increased content development Leadership opportunities at partner schools or organizations. STEM Smart Workshop 10 April 2012 Chicago, Illinois

ICLCS Project Key Outcomes Teachers Increased confidence in teaching with computational tools Increased understanding of basic concepts of chemistry Increased use of inquiry in the classroom. Increased use of instructional technology in general Students Increased knowledge of chemistry concepts (assessed by performance on standard ACS tests) Increased enthusiasm for chemistry Increased advanced course availability Schools and school districts Effective chemistry teachers who are competent and confident in using 21 st Century computing tools and resources to teach science Increased opportunities for rural students (courses, HPC, University) Leaders and advocates for STEM education (technology, labs) Cost effective access to high quality resources and computing infrastructure STEM Smart Workshop 10 April 2012 Chicago, Illinois

Expanding the ICLCS Project STEM Smart Workshop 10 April 2012 Chicago, Illinois Cloud Computing For Education Computing infrastructure to allow students to: Interactively explore and learn science concepts Participate in authentic research experiences Computational Tools for Education Comprehensive computational tools and knowledge: Identify or develop interactive computational tools for teaching basic science concepts in other disciplines. Train teachers in use of the tools in the classroom PLE Infrastructure Virtual professional learning community support infrastructure to: Enable teachers to work together and with Illinois/NCSA to pioneer the proposed changes in the science curriculum Assessment and Dissemination Assessment and dissemination of material: Assessment in the classroom Dissemination to other schools

Questions? STEM Smart Workshop 10 April 2012 Chicago, Illinois

ICLCS Project Lessons Learned STEM Smart Workshop 10 April 2012 Chicago, Illinois Goals for the future of US STEM Education (NRC 2011). The report states 3 broad goals and match the goals of the ICLCS. Goal 1: Increase the number of students who pursue advanced degrees and careers in STEM fields and broaden the participation of women and minorities. Goal 2: Expand the STEM-capable workforce and broaden the participation of women and minorities. Goal 3: Increase STEM literacy for all students, including those who do not pursue STEM-related careers of additional study in the STEM disciplines. How do we accomplish this? Lessons learned from the ICLCS: Partnerships between higher education and K12 schools and districts have the potential to transform STEM education and improve student learning and interest in STEM. Professional Development can no longer be a 2-3 day workshop or even 2 week summer program without continued support if we expect teachers to teach with technology—it takes time to affect change. Focus on Content is largely lacking in professional development programs, but there is a critical need for programs that support teachers who are teaching in or out of their content area to keep up with current research and methods. What are the implications for your school/district in addressing these goals?