KERA JOHNSON Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow National Science Foundation Computer & Information Science & Engineering Division Of Computer & Network Systems CPATH Research Experiences for Teachers R ESEARCH E XPERIENCES FOR T EACHERS

CPATH Research Experiences for Teachers Purpose  Bridge the divide between K-12 and institutions of higher learning Vision  Teachers become a part of research teams giving the higher ed CS community ability to connect with K-12 environments through a variety of disciplines.  Teachers do research on the connections between the CPATH projects and their curricula and implement CT units in their classes. R ESEARCH E XPERIENCES FOR T EACHERS

RET Activities Summer Research (6 weeks) Professional Development School Year Implementation CPATH RET Meeting National Meeting/Conference Contribute to RET Teacher Portal R ESEARCH E XPERIENCES FOR T EACHERS

RET Teachers 9 CPATH Projects 20 RET Teachers Variety of K-12 Subjects  Mathematics (all levels)  Science (physics, chemistry, biology, etc.)  Technology Education  Computer Science  Special Education  Music  Instructional Technology R ESEARCH E XPERIENCES FOR T EACHERS

Middle Tennessee State A Real-World, Project-Based Computer Science Curriculum University of Massachusetts Lowell Performamatics Sample RET Projects Research:  Computer-aided materials connecting math to CT  CS students implement design Activities: 1. Math Text  Focuses on understanding & using algebraic vocabulary  Units of study: Linear Equations & Their Graphs, Quadratic Equations and Functions 2. Bug Zapper  Promotes CT by creating situations where students must establish an order of hierarchy, recognize unnecessary information, and create a best solution Research:  Constructionist theories of learning  Role of music in society and culture  Impact of technology on experiencing & creating music Activities: 1. Scratch  After school Video Game Design and Programming Club 2. Audacity  Implementation of a sound system in performance music rooms  Development of podcasts R ESEARCH E XPERIENCES FOR T EACHERS

2010 RET MEETING MARCH 4 TH – 5 TH Arlington, VA 1 st ANNUAL MEETING R ESEARCH E XPERIENCES FOR T EACHERS

RET Meeting DAY 1 Jeannette Wing on CT in K-12 Collaborative Portal EF Program Challenges/Successes Focus Groups R ESEARCH E XPERIENCES FOR T EACHERS

RET Meeting DAY 2 CS Ed Week National Lab Day/AP Testing K-12 Teacher Opportunities Poster Session Social Networking & K-12 R ESEARCH E XPERIENCES FOR T EACHERS

RET Meeting Outcomes Teachers have better understanding of CT Teachers provided feedback on RET Teacher Portal Generated ideas for CT integration in K-12 Established network of educators Ongoing teacher collaborations Feedback for NSF and PIs Pictures to promote RET program R ESEARCH E XPERIENCES FOR T EACHERS

Recommendations for PIs Provide teacher with information regarding:  NSF CPATH program and goals  Your CPATH project  Computational Thinking Clearly define and communicate:  Proposed RET project’s purpose/goals  Required teacher activities  Expectations for teacher to implement CT activities during school year R ESEARCH E XPERIENCES FOR T EACHERS

PI  Teacher Connections PI should try to determine specific limitations of teachers’ K-12 environment and district guidelines More collaboration between PI and RET teacher to plan CT activities to be integrated Work with RET teacher to better understand students’ needs and which CT activities best meet these needs PIs encouraged to visit teachers’ classrooms (spring semester) Work with teachers on conference attendance and presentation/poster ideas R ESEARCH E XPERIENCES FOR T EACHERS

Additional Feedback RET teachers want an early, in-depth introduction to Computational Thinking (i.e. the Big Picture) FAQ document for RET teachers Sample RET projects (posted on RET teacher portal) Successful use of graduate students to bridge gap between K-12 and institution Most positive feedback from teachers who  Worked closely with PI and/or institution throughout RET experience  Were made to feel apart of the CPATH project team  Made meaningful contributions to CPATH project  Participated in planning/developing CT activities, as well as implementation R ESEARCH E XPERIENCES FOR T EACHERS

RET Program NSF planning already underway Plans to have teachers Communicating with teachers beginning in early summer Planning for next year’s RET Meeting to take place in Fall Supported by incoming Einstein Fellow Soliciting your feedback on how to improve the RET program R ESEARCH E XPERIENCES FOR T EACHERS