GK-12 Formal Proposal

University Of Maryland, College Park, College Park MD

Investigators

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to place undergraduate and graduate students from science and engineering at UMCP as teaching Fellows in area middle and high schools to enhance and extend the science and mathematics curriculum. The conceptual and pedagogical focus of this project is to develop a program in which Fellows and teachers work together to integrate learning practices into classroom based activities. The Fellows will be drawn from the departments of chemistry, physics, materials science and engineering. They will enhance the curriculum in collaboration with K-12 teachers to develop classroom hands-on, inquiry-based activities that will supplement the curriculum content, by integrating programs that connect classroom learning to science and technology beyond the classroom. The Fellows will also act as liaisons between teachers and university based resources. Through training and direct involvement in K-12 schools, Fellows will become knowledgeable in education outreach, and will in turn become a resource to the University. It is expected that the GK- 12 Fellows will develop a broader sense of their professional options, a stronger grounding in science and engineering education, and a sense of the educational relationships between the university and the community. This award is co-supported by the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences.