Changing STEM teaching in K-12 schools has proven to be very challenging, even when it involves practices or curricula proven more conducive to student learning.  How can we leverage the potential of K12-university partnerships, especially when combined with the power of disruptive technologies, to foster more transformative and lasting instructional innovations? 

This question motivated our Developing STEM Master Teachers to Lead Digital Conversion in K-12 Schoolsproject, designed to prepare a cadre of “digitally-rich master teachers” to be catalysts for STEM instructional innovations as part of NSF’s Noyce program.  To maximize their future impact on systemic reform, participants are teachers from six high-need districts within the K-12 Digital Consortium - a partnership between the Center for Learning in the Digital Age at the University of Rochester, local BOCES, and school districts committed to improving student learning by leveraging technology. 

We chose to focus our video on highlighting the synergy between the Consortium and our Noyce project.  As shared by various project participants, the Consortium has been instrumental to recruit excellent candidates for the role of “digitally-rich master teacher,” and will provide unique opportunities for dissemination as well as institutional support as these master-teachers-in-training begin to implement what they are learning.  Lessons learned from the Noyce MTF project, in turn, will benefit all districts in the Consortium.  We hope our experience will spark additional sharing and discussion about what it takes to foster effective K12-university partnerships that can support transformational innovations in STEM education.

Click here for full project description.

NSF Award(s): 1758243