Educating the Educators III

Dr. Kara Jackson

Challenges and possibilities for the improvement of mathematics teaching at scale

Biography

Kara Jackson is an associate professor of mathematics education at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA. Her research focuses on specifying forms of practice that support a broad range of learners to participate substantially in rigorous mathematical activity and to develop productive mathematical identities, and how to support teachers to develop such forms of practice at scale (e.g., the development of systems of professional learning across role groups and contexts, the role of system leadership). She currently leads a research project aimed at developing tools, routines, and data representations that practitioners can use to engage in frequent, disciplined inquiry regarding the implementation of instructional improvement strategies in middle-grades mathematics. The project consists of research-practice partnerships with multiple school districts in the U.S. pursuing ambitious reform. She taught secondary mathematics in Vanuatu, South Pacific as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer and was a mathematics specialist, supporting both youth and their families, for the Say Yes to Education Foundation in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

Dr. Susanne Prediger

Towards a research-base for supporting and educating the educators

Biography

Susanne Prediger is full professor for mathematics education research at the Institute for Development and Research in Mathematics Education at TU Dortmund University. She is an expert in secondary mathematics education research and has specialized on dealing with heterogeneity and language diversity. Her PD research activities are embedded in the DZLM, the German Center for research in Mathematics Education and comprises two international and four national, externally funded projects. Currently, she is president of the European Society for research in Mathematics Education.

Dr. Jim Ryder

Policy to support teacher engagement with education research knowledge: Implications for scaling up professional development

Biography

Jim Ryder is Professor of Science Education in the School of Education, University of Leeds, UK. His research explores the role of the teacher in improving educational outcomes for all students. He has studied teachers’ experiences of education policy reforms and their engagement with education research. He has a specific interest in the context of science teaching but his work also explores the role of the teacher in other subject areas. Most of his work has been in the context of secondary schools in England although he has also researched primary school and higher education contexts, with some international comparative studies. His work is informed by sociocultural perspectives on teachers’ working lives. He is Director of the Centre for Curriculum, Pedagogy and Policy at the University of Leeds. Further details at: http://www.education.leeds.ac.uk/people/academic/ryder/

Curiosity and Wonder: Essential Ingredients in teaching STEM

A brief talk by Andrea Brunello

Andrea Brunello on stage.   Photo credit: Monica Condini – MoniQue foto

Playwrights, novelists and storytellers know that generating curiosity and wonder in their audience is a sure way to keep them engaged. We argue that the same techniques that are used in creating a successful theatrical play can be used in teaching STEM. After all, emotion is a gateway to knowledge. But what are these techniques? And how do we apply them in a classroom setting? In this brief talk I will introduce some ideas and personal experiences with scientific playwriting (Jet Propoulsion Theatre) applied to science communication.

Andrea Brunello, PhD in Physics, actor and playwright, is the director of Jet Propulsion Theatre, a laboratory for the theatrical creation connected to science, the people of science and the scientific tale, in full coordination with the Laboratory for the Communication of the Physical Sciences at the University of Trento (Italy). Andrea has written and performed plays all over Europe as well as Africa and the United States. His work is centred on the idea that science shapes the way we look at the world and it can therefore become prime material for engaging storytelling and gripping dramaturgy.

Science Show: Experiments with Fire

by Joachim Lerch

Joachim Lerch during a fire show. Photo credit: Europa-Park

Through impressive experiments in Science shows, students can be inspired and motivated for the natural sciences. This motivation often positively affects the school lessons afterwards. If the experiments are still explained and some students are involved, Science shows can be an enrichment to STEM education.

Joachim started as an aircraft mechanic and studied math, physics and technology to become a teacher. As a teacher trainer he worked for the ministry of education. In 1998 he founded „Science & Technologie e.V.“, a non-profit organization, to promote science and technology and is still its president. In 2000 he started the first German Science Festival in Freiburg. Ever since, this festival takes place twice every year.

2001 Joachim founded EUSEA  (European Science Engagement Association) – the international network of science festivals and was its president until 2004. He has published more than 30 books and articles, under it also three children’s books on science.

Teacher day in Europapark

organized by Ann-Marie Pendrill

Ann-Marie Pendrill explores sciences in amusement parks. Photo credit: Maja Kristin Nylander

After the conference Educating the Educators III you are invited to a teacher day in Europapark on 9 October, 10-16, where Professor Ann-Marie Pendrill will share experiences of using amusement parks for STEM teaching and teacher professional development. We will have the opportunity to study STEM in some of the rides and discuss different formats for school visits to amusement parks and how universities and companies may be involved. The Europapark generously provides a conference room for up to 60 participants and free entrance to the park. Participants only need to pay for lunch and snacks. Read more at http://tivoli.fysik.org/english/europapark/.

Ann-Marie Pendrill is Director of the Swedish National Resource Centre for Physics Education. She has used amusement parks in physics teaching since 1995. Her articles about the work can be found at http://tivoli.fysik.org/english/articles/. Contact Ann-Marie at resurscentrum@fysik.lu.se if you are interested in participating.

Conference Chairs

Katja Maaß, Director of ICSE, University of Education, Freiburg, Germany

Michiel Doorman, ICSE Consortium & Utrecht University, Netherlands

Elena Schäfer, ICSE, University of Education, Freiburg, Germany

Programme Committee

The programme committee will support the conference chairs with scientific and conceptual advice when selecting proposals to assure a high relevance and scientific quality of the conference and possible subsequent public ation(s).

Members of the programme committee are: Digna Cousa, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Paul Drijvers, Michiel Doorman, Vincent Jonker & Monica Wijers (Utrecht University, Netherlands), Josette Farrugia, University of Malta, Konrad Krainer (Alpen-Adria University Klagenfurth, Austria), Antonio Quesada & Marta Romero Ariza (University of Jaén, Spain) and Ragnhild Lyngved Staberg (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway).

Organisational Committee

Christiane Fischer, ICSE, University of Education, Freiburg, Germany

Sabine Mickler, ICSE, University of Education, Freiburg, Germany

Barbara Becker, ICSE, University of Education, Freiburg, Germany

MaSDiV (2017-2020)

MaSDiV is a EU funded project that aims to support maths and science teachers in accommodating cultural, socioeconomic and performance related diversity in their classrooms. Central to this project is the inclusion of a social and intercultural dimension in maths and science classes. Teachers shall be equipped to foster students’ understanding of fundamental values of our society through their maths and science lessons. Innovative teaching approaches, such as inquiry based learning and intercultural learning, create inclusive class environments that help to enhance the achievement levels of all students. By applyingthese approaches, teachers can actively support their students in the process of becoming well-informed and critically-reflected citizens.The concrete measures of MaSDiV are the development, the evaluation and the dissemination of an innovative professional development course for teachers, who are teaching secondary school. Research facilities and ministries from six different European countries are working closely together in this project. The evaluation process will be conducted by the renowned IPN at the Universität Kiel in Germany.

ICSE – International Centre for STEM Education

The International Centre for STEM Education (ICSE) is located at the University of Education in Freiburg, Germany and focuses on practice-related research and its transfer into practice. ICSE sustainably links stakeholders from research, practice, policy and industry, nationally as well as internationally through the ICSE consortium. The ultimate aim of ICSE is to help improve STEM education across Europe. That is, to give students insights into authentic features of STEM subjects and their connection to real-life contexts, to raise achievement levels in STEMsubjectsand to make science literacy accessibleto all students, regardless of gender and cultural or socioeconomic backgrounds. Thereby, ICSE intends to promote the interest of young people in STEM careers.

The ICSE Consortium

The ICSE Consortium was founded in 2017 and endeavours to lead the field of transfer-oriented research and development in STEM education. It wants to set standards for ahigh-impact international collaboration of higher education and research institutes. The consortium is comprised of the following 14 research institutes:

• Austria, University of Innsbruck
• Bulgaria, Institute of Mathematics and Informatics at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
• Cyprus, University of Nicosia
• Czech Republic, Charles University
• Germany, International STEM Centre, University of Education Freiburg
• Greece, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
• Lithuania, Vilnius University
• Malta, University of Malta
• Netherlands, Utrecht University
• Norway, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
• Slovak Republic, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra
• Spain, University of Jaén
• Sweden, Jönköping University
• Turkey, Hacettepe University

DZLM – German Centre for Mathematics and Teacher Education

The German Centre for Mathematics Teacher Education (DZLM) is Germany’s first nationwide centre providing teacher training in mathematics and is funded by Deutsche Telekom Stiftung. The DZLM focuses on developing long-lasting, continuing professional development programmes for multipliers that are research-based and practically relevant. These multipliers are teachers themselves (from pre-, primary and secondary schools) who in turn offer PD courses, advice and support to other teachers, e.g. by supervising professional learning communities. The DZLM also provides professional development courses and materials that target specific types of teachers and their educators, e.g. educators who teach mathematics out-of -field, i.e. outside their specialty area, as well as pre-school teachers. All courses are continuously improved based on empirical evidence and disseminated at a large scale. Eight universities are involved in the consortium: The Humboldt-University Berlin, Free University Berlin, University of Bochum, TU Dortmund University, the University of Duisburg-Essen, the University of Potsdam, Paderborn University and the University of Education Freiburg. In addition, the DZLM cooperates with further partners in the fields of mathematics, mathematics education and educational research, as well as the educational institutes of the different federal states.

The first two ‘Educating the Educators’ conferences took place in 2014 in Essen, Germany and in 2016 in Freiburg, Germany. Like the upcoming conference, the previous events offered participants from all over the world a platform to explore, discuss and exchange approaches to scaling up professional development (PD) in math and science education. If you want to find out more about the past conferences, please take a look at our conference proceedings from ETE I or the ETE II conference book.

Conference Proceedings ETE I                Conference Book ETE II