Metro North STEM Network

Metro North STEM Network AGENDA September 23, 2014

3:00 Introductions and Announcements

3:10 Statewide STEM Updates - Keith Connors, Program Manager of the STEM Pipeline Fund, MA Department of Higher Education

3:15 Setting the Agenda for FY ‘15

 Context – Work to Date  Proposed Goals and Objectives

3:25 ID Activities – Rotating Tables

4:30 Report Out

4:55 Next Steps

Metro North STEM Network Meeting Discussion Topics 9.23.14 I) Curriculum Alignment/Development: Align curriculum to business needs and student needs (student engagement). a. Collaborate on curriculum with the Network b. Methods to align curriculum to needed skills for jobs c. Increase students’ comfort level in math and science

d. Integrate hands-on activities into curriculum

II) LMI and Career Pathways: Development and dissemination of information about careers.

a. What specific jobs are out there and what do you need to train people for those jobs

b. LMI targeted toward students, tailored LMI for school districts

c. Increase awareness of what STEM jobs are out there and what they do

III) Applied Learning/Work-Based Learning Opportunities: Match STEM programs and resources to schools.

a. What are other STEM summer programs

b. How to connect mentors to K-12 mentees

c. Internship programs – how do we get involved to advise curriculum planning

d. List of volunteers/visitors/speakers from industry to visit/participate in schools

e. Access information on available internship opportunities for H.S./college students

f. Identify how STEM programs can support MassCore and MCAS standards

IV) Math

a. Increase students’ comfort level in math

b. Prepare students early to be ready for college

c. Align math education across grade levels

d. Provide STEM resources/programs to engage students in math

2 V) Address systemic barriers and create change

a. How do teachers get release time to participate in meetings/events/professional development

b. How to integrate into curriculum time to provide hands-on activities for youth

c. Keeping technology up to date and methods to keep computers and software up to date at the schools

d. How to align curriculum across grade levels

Themes that will cut across these five focus areas for the Network: hearing voices of youth, business engagement, supporting underserved-communities, and professional development.

What can we do to support and align efforts K-5, 6-8 grade, 9-12 grade, through post-secondary?

Notes from Rotating Tables Activity on 9.23.1

I) Round One  Host a program for students- an Expo day, STEM Day, bring Clubs – etc.

 Innovation Day with presentations to hear from Industry

 Workshop – Industry context for algebra (math)

 Program to bring into middle school using industry

 Professional Development for teachers in algebra and geometry - @Scale Program

II) Round Two  Math Fair Competition with 3 divisions w/coach  Resources for k-5 teachers  Reach out to Industry Program event at Raytheon

 Math Expo – fun event for students and parents

III) Round Three  Math competition with regional basis and with problem solving  More career awareness information and connections  Math support system, presentations, learn from current research  Math mentors, math tutoring with young mentors, peer mentoring  Pro-active with Dr. Kit, etc.  Finding a resource for developing excitement about basic math fundamentals

3  Make math cool – real world application and industry related

IV) Round Four  SCRATCH – resource for teachers, professional development workshop  STEM Network Challenge for region. Create a Challenge and be a green challenge  Electric Car Race Challenge  Problem-solving activities, interdisciplinary project learning, professional development  Make sure all STEM (wow) coordinators are invited to Network Events

V) Round Five  Relate math curriculum to industry  Information on standards for mathematical practice

Curriculum Alignment/Development

I) Round One  Methods to break down silos between STEM and other subjects  STEM Academies Development (sequential targeted communities)  Shared resources for teachers  Professional development

II) Round Two  Use architecture for examples of math formulas  Hands-on learning in mathematics  More examples of women and diverse science and engineering  Curricula for “habits of mind” for math and science  Soft skills development with STEM content delivery

III) Round Three  Apply hands-on math activities, find samples of these to share  Math-standards of mathematical practice – skillset/ thinking practice that crosses disciplines  Align curriculum framework to workplace needs  lesson plans aligned to field  Facilitate business connection/schools via network  Math activities that incorporate puzzles and other “fun” activities for students  Logic skills of math crosses curriculum  Network hosts meetings to allow instructors to collaborate on curriculum

IV) Round Four  Identify professional development opportunities by discipline on website  Network serves as resources for guest speakers  database for Network  Curriculum development with teacher and professionals  host an event to discuss  Need resources for STEM teachers to get PD in the Metro North region  Need engineering professional development for teachers  Advisory group presentations to administrators  Teaching to test impact STEM teaching and practices

4 V) Round Five  Where are the jobs in MA  What do kids need  certificates, 2 year college, 4 year college  Creation of database of resources is important  Professional Development opportunities  Develop an industrial advisory board to interface with teachers

Address Systemic Barriers/Change

I) Round One  Curriculum Director as to help advocate for release time o Also need to get administration on board  Hold events at schools to more students/teachers can attend  Cross training across disciplines  Have elective classes that address STEM (limited engagement)  Send info directly to teachers o Facebook, twitter, MABT, Contact district  Coordinate with company to take a day or morning to do hands-on activities to help w/ unit goals while teacher gets PD etc.

II) Round Two  Have in-school or district dept. head champion for STEM  Community college faculty mini-grants to integrate STEM hands-on components  Community FDN/PTO raise PD funds for teachers (very small $1 - $500)  Stand and Deliver – companies pay for bus to bring students on-site for mentors and tutors

III) Round Three  CORI checks for adult volunteers, school-day is problem  Sharing and coordinating activities o Create surveys to get info. from other districts  Fit hands-on activities into existing curricula  PD for project based planning and implementation  Release time getting teachers to meetings o Can generate resources  Create a professional development fund  K-12 funding via NSF corporate into take summer course externship

IV) Round Four  Financial Resources o Materials, staff

5  Plan B: after hours professional development o Provide stipends of other incentives  Representation from each district  Improve connection between teachers and STEM community  Teacher release time, PD, change meeting time 8-10 or 1-3  Girls interested in STEM o ID STEM areas as goals for work or college, open opportunities

LMI and Career Pathways

I) Round One  Include suggested degrees for careers  Audience – start in middle school  Different versions: less detail for younger youth  Technology – web design  Relating skills, courses to careers

II) Round Two  Your plan for your future: MEFA, DESE, Higher Ed  Helpful to administration – electives, match careers  Focus on sectors  Professional development for teachers/ guidance  Include industry  Achieve 3000 o Career component o Starts @ 2nd grade

III) Round Three  Include education level needed  Diversity of examples  Posters: handouts to advisory  Youtube videos – use in class  Success stories  Role models, mentors

IV) Round Four  Unconventional distribution channels  Relationship between standardized test scores and success in STEM

V) Round Five  Transferrable skills  Include adult- career changers  Human appeal

6  Include salary, multilingual

Applied Learning/Work-Based Learning

I) Round One  Career Centers involved with mentor recruitment  Setup professional day: Days for educators during the summer o STEM industry presents a project to be used in class. o Teach the teachers o Lesson plan reviews  Lab Central Incubator o Space: make a contact there for community/ civic tech

II) Round Two  SWE Contact for educator to bounce ideas off of  Society for (women, African American, etc.) engineers: involvement with projects/work Leading a project o 1x a month for a whole year o Database of volunteers in different STEM occupations: assembling, curation, feedback  Database of willing individuals and which field they’re in: e.g. find a civil engineer to ask about a project on bridges, or find a CS engineer to do a talk  Database of available internship opportunities o Housed at the REB o HS students in particular are difficult  Productizing the database of resources to help convince administrators  Short list of speakers at different companies that would be willing and available to talk/present/demo: Industry, location, profession, rating/reputation  Make sure the Network has members that are access points into different industry/companies: not SME, but has access, can facilitate (score?)

III) Round Three  Lesson plan/curriculum reviews by STEM professionals  NSF externship  Industry Advisory Board: professional dev., events for teachers, facilitating more presentations of successful projects  Arrange presentations of top/successful STEM curricula: “for teachers by teachers”, use Network as professional development events  Have a Network meeting for administrators so we can help sell STEM initiatives: what $ is available, what resources are available?

IV) Round Four

7  Facilitate 1:1 conversations between educators and industry professionals o Signal to noise is high o Cost is high  Make a contact with reseed @ Northeastern as a “super connector”  Arrange Company Tours with Representative companies o Mass Bio Ed job shadow days o Vacation week  Facilitate conversations between educators & industry professionals o MSG board o Distance Learning tech o Signal to noise may be low o Cost is low  Facilitate for students to work on science fair projects o Life sciences/bio/chemlab  How to obtain funding for non-college/work readiness programs: e.g. basic telephony  How to support curriculum planning