Strategic Technology Alliance for Researchers and Students

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StrategicTechnologyAlliance for Researchers
andStudents

• A
• Partnership Proposal between
• GSP KCS, Microsoft, ORNL, PSTCC, UT, and
  Wolfram Research

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• Albert Einstein said
• We cannot hope to solve todays problems by
  thinking the same way as when they were created.
• We believe it is imperative that we develop a
  pipeline of high school graduates and teachers
  who have the capacity to meet the challenge of
  the nation in the STEM areas.
• Problem Statement

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Rigor

• Records hold for decades (like Hank Aarons
  homerun record) then once the record is broken
  it is bombarded.
• It takes one person or model to prove it can be
  done. Then, many others achieve at higher levels
  than previously thought possible.

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Relevance

• Most instruction in todays math and science
  curricula is decontextualized, partially due to
  classroom isolation.
• When teachers dont know they dont know,
  they continue to do what they have always done
  getting the same results.

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Examples

• Recall vs. problem-based learning
• Minimal interdisciplinary planning
• Awareness deficit of math and science relevancy
  and careers
• Teachers ill-prepared for facilitating learning
  at elevated levels eliminating remediation at
  college and workplace entry

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Relationships

• Current teaching is an isolated career
• Disconnect with STEM education for students,
  particularly minority, gender, and economically
  disadvantaged clusters
• Relationships and
• research are
• sporadic between
• P-12
• Higher Ed
• Workforce

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Research

• Traditional curriculum limits creative
  problem-solving and inquiry based experiential
  learning.
• Limited professional incentive for teacher
  research (P-12).
• Minimal opportunities for meaningful student
  research limited by traditional practice.

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Project Design

• To use HPC as a means in developing creative,
  critical thinking problem solvers
• Removing the ceiling of imaginations and
  creativity (students, educators, scientists, and
  industry professionals).
• Replacing esoteric programs once usable only by
  scientists and the intellectually elite with a
  common platform (HPC) that closes the vertical
  preparation gap.

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Objectives

• To elevate our school system to meet the
  challenges of the global workforce
• Raise the bar for teaching and learning
• Align industry, academia, and government
• Promote STEM for ALL students and teacher
  leadership
• Develop a prototype that can be replicated in
  other contexts

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Methods Year 1

• Mentor Cohort 1 Two week summer session for
  potential mentoring HS teachers (1 math, 1
  science, 1 technology per school) and system
  supervisors
• Student Cohort 1 Two week summer session for
  selected rising juniors and seniors (awareness,
  identifying areas of interest, working with
  mentoring scientists)
• Awareness sessions for all MS and HS principals
  and counselors
• Career awareness sessions (video of ORNL
  opportunities with a scientist moderator)

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Methods Year 1

• Curriculum Development
• Vertical curriculum planning (elementarygt MS gt HS
  gt college gt STEM community)
• Junior level coursework projects leading to more
  expansive senior projects
• Senior level projects (problems course),
  exhibitions, and competitions
• Develop classroom-based projects for MS students
  to create awareness

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Methods Year 1

• Curriculum Development
• Develop competition structures (local, national)
  to highlight rigorous student learning and
  recognize accomplishments
• Develop student portfolio structures
• Develop an online repository for project designs,
  artifacts, presentations (linked to careers) to
  disseminate developing curriculum
• Begin development of tele-classes that could
  expand delivery of instruction and increase the
  numbers of students and teachers impacted

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Methods Year 1

• Recruitment of Teachers and Students
• Identify STARS teachers (interest in and capacity
  to expand knowledge and skills)
• Identify students in every school to participate
  in STARS
• Actively recruit females and minority students
  (beginning in MS)
• STEM career awareness for MS/HS students (video,
  visits to ORNL, researchers in schools or
  classrooms)

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Methods Years 2-5

• New Teacher and Student Cohorts
• Expanding supercomputing to other industries and
  institutions (e.g., higher ed)
• Teleclasses and Video conferencing
• Dissemination
• Assisting other partnerships in replicating our
  model

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Evaluation

• External evaluation selected by partners
  eliminating conflict of interest and providing
  valid, reliable, and robust data.
• Formative evaluation, internal,
  to gather feedback from participants to
  modify the process as needed.

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Evaluation

• Outcome Measures
• Tracking
• Numbers of students and teachers electing to
  participate in more rigorous teaching and
  learning
• Increases in student achievement in math and
  science
• Graduates academic and career paths
• Student performance at local and national
  competitions
• Changes in teacher use of problem-based learning

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Outputs

• Students electing to participate
• Students pursuing majors in math/science/technolog
  y in higher education
• KCS, UT, and PSTCC faculty mentors and schools
• Hosting scientists/facilities

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Outcomes

• Increased numbers of students pursuing careers in
  math and science
• Increased numbers of students taking AP math and
  science courses or senior problems courses
  (especially females and minorities)
• Increased student achievement in math and science
• Increased teacher knowledge and skills in
  teaching math and science through inquiry and
  problem-based learning

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Student Development

• WHO -
• Advanced students looking for challenges
• CTE students focusing on marketable skills
• WHAT -
• School site data tests
• Virtual lectures via telecommuting
  infrastructures in schools
• Lab site opportunities as seniors
• Capstone projects
• Competitions science fairs, invention fairs

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Teacher Development K-12

• Learning significance and applications of
  supercomputing to support learning
• Learning new ways to make science project based
• Learning how to coach student learning in a
  variety of subject or discipline areas
• Partnering with other stakeholders in supporting
  student learning
• Establishing mentor programs for additional
  staging phases

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Collegiate development

• Liberal arts faculty will be offered a pipeline
  of highly capable students
• Education faculty will be involved with the
  researchers/teachers in learning how to improve
  teacher preparation
• Researching the impact of the innovation on P-16
  learning and ORNL

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Industry development

• ORNL
• Scientists on specific projects working with
  teachers and students interested in their
  research project
• Researching the impact of the innovation
• Microsoft and Wolfram
• R D
• Demystifying supercomputing

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Sustainability

• Continuing partner relationships in STEM
• Impacting as a systemwide initiative
• Building on data assessments and supports already
  in place
• Expanding and institutionalizing existing
  project-based initiatives underscores
  sustainability commitment

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• We believe, like Thomas Webb, that
• one needs to dream big dreams because small
  dreams do not have the power to stir the blood.