MMSTLC Presentation on Developing Teacher Leaders in Science, and on Creating Partnerships and Networks to Support Teacher Leaders

1. Developing a Network of
Teacher Leaders in Science
Presented at:
NSTA Phoenix Regional Conference
December 2009
Presented by:
Walt Rathkamp, Saginaw Valley State University
Steve Best, University of Michigan

2. Overview of the Session
• Provide a background on and examples
from the development of the Michigan
Mathematics and Science Teacher
Leadership Collaborative
• Provide considerations for the development
and implementation of a teacher leader
program
• Examine considerations for developing a
professional learning network for science
educators

3. Background of the Project
• Statewide need for a new
generation of instructional leaders
• Statewide infrastructure to support
the project
• Statewide MSP Grant
• Experiences and resources of
partners

4. Goals of the MMSTLC
• Develop a cadre of teacher leaders with the
knowledge and skills to improve teaching and
learning in targeted high-needs schools
• Establish collaborative working relationships
among teacher leaders and other local and
statewide partners
• Improve mathematics and science learning of
students in schools
• Increase capacities of the Math/Science Centers
and Higher Education to sustain support for
teacher leadership around research and standards

5. Participants
• High needs schools
• Teacher Leaders
• Administrators
• Other teachers (later in the process)
• Math/Science Centers
• STEM faculty from Higher
Education Institutions

6. Levels of Action
• Local Team Development and
Partnerships
• Statewide Professional Development
• Networking Among Participants and
Other Stakeholders
• Resource Development for Local PD
• Dissemination of Resources and Ideas

7. Local Coordination and
Leadership Development
• Michigan’s Mathematics and
Science Center (MSC) Network
• MSC Centers Role in Fostering
Local Teacher Leadership
• Resources and Activities of Local
Teams (from the MSC)

8. Local Partnerships
• STEM Faculty
• Support Content Knowledge of Teacher Leader
• Collaborate with Teacher Leaders and MSCs to
Develop Content Specific Resources
• Liaison’s with Higher Education Institutions
• Local School Administrators
• Math / Science Centers
• Teacher Leaders

9. Local Leadership
Development
• Recruitment and Needs
Assessment
• Professional Development Plan for
Teacher Leaders
• Release Time for Teacher Leaders
• Semester Sabbatical
• Other Release Time Models

10. Examples of Leadership
Development Efforts
• Saginaw
(individual teacher sabbatical)
• Port Huron
(team of teachers with partial
sabbatical)
• Detroit
(afterschool PLC and summer
program)

11. Statewide PD for Leaders
• Leadership Skill Development and
Awareness of Leadership Issues
• Strategic Planning for Local Teams
• Role-specific Sessions Addressing
Policy Issues and Networking
• Content and Pedagogy Issues for
Science Instruction

12. Leadership Topics
Team/General Issue Science Specific Support
Curriculum standards, design, Inquiry unit design/adaptation,
and policy issues review of curriculum resources
Assessment policy, types of Formative Assessment,
student data Student Science Test Data
Professional development Content and scientific process
facilitation and planning specific PD considerations
Leadership styles, team Content-based PD approaches,
classroom observation strategies,
dynamics, change and conflict
mentoring approaches, research
management findings on student learning and
instruction

13. Science Instruction Focus
• Inquiry Learning Process
• (Project Based Science Model - Krajcik, et al)
• Curriculum Resources from LeTUS and IQWST
• Student Designed Investigations
• Using Scientific Models
• Data Collection and Analysis
• Formative Assessment
• Writing and communication strategies in science
• Links to research on student learning and
instruction

14. Sample Activities for
Science Teacher Leaders
• Sample teaching activity to illustrate
common instructional issues and
observation strategies
• Collaborative investigations of science
phenomena with multiple variables
• Practice PD Design and Facilitation
• Book Study Groups
• Jigsaw analyses of curriculum
resources or readings on science ed.

15. Sample Teaching Activity
• On a blank sheet, write out the names of 15 types of
candy.
• Create a classification system that first organizes these
into at least two sets, and then organizes those into
smaller sets using specific rules.
• Create any additional unique rules that organize each
candy into its own category.
• Relate to how this is similar to the classification system
developed by biologists.
• EACH SMALL GROUP SHOULD HAVE A FACILITATOR
(“TEACHER”) TO GUIDE DISCUSSION AND TASK
PROGRESS FOR THE “STUDENTS”

16. Sample Teaching Activity
Results
• This activity followed a brief presentation of a review of
research on issues around higher-order thinking skills
and teacher expectations of students in science?
• Results were the same across the board, and provided
an opportunity for reflection on practice.
• Combined with Math group session on similar research
and instructional issues, along with TIMSS Video Study
findings on teacher engagement.
• Provided a “contextualizing event” for teachers to revisit
and reflect on when addressing other issues in science
education.

17. Collaborative Investigations
• Provide an opportunity to explore content in
greater depth while addressing a collaborative
approach to inquiry
• Sample activities included:
• Musical instrument design and testing
• Simulation of an outbreak of a communicable disease
• Testing of surfaces for ramp/cart activities
• Modeling of water movement in a watershed analysis
• Provided classroom examples that could be
used by teachers, along with an opportunity to
see how multiple variables are addressed by
small groups in a large group setting

18. Practice PD Sessions
• Cross-state teams plan and implement an
hour PD session on a critical topic
• Teachers need to incorporate:
• A hands-on activity that other teachers can do
• Samples of classroom artifacts (including anonymous
student work)
• Research summary on the issue
• Groups selected feedback criteria and led
“debriefing” sessions
• Each groups’ resources were revised and
shared with the cohort

19. Book Study Group
• Modeled after standard book study groups
• Teachers selected books up front, and then
had a deadline for posting a review,
discussion questions, and commenting on
questions from others
• Resources are posted within an online PD
site for the participants, and will become a
subject for ongoing podcasts and blog posts
• Designed to be a good first step effort to
leading colleagues’ professional learning

20. Jigsaw Analysis
• Participants reviewed various artifacts of
instruction
• Lesson plans
• Samples of student work
• Videos of classroom instruction
• Feedback focused on various themes (i.e.
assessment, classroom organization and
planning, differentiation, etc.)
• Provided opportunities for informal
networking and collaboration, as well as
pilot testing of teacher created resources

21. Developing a Network
• All of the prior activities involve some level
of collaboration
• Among different schools/teams
• Among different roles
• Recognize the greatest need of PD:
networking and discussion with other teachers
• Encourage collaborations on other, non-
project related efforts
• Each task included the creation of some
artifacts that required discussion to focus
“on topic” and not stray

22. Design for Dissemination
• Teacher leaders and local teams need to
actually engage other teachers during the
project
• Statewide PD and local efforts focused on
creation of useful products and resources
that could be used with others
• Incorporated online discussion and other
communication tools for sharing ideas and
ongoing local support of teachers

23. For More Information
• See the links on your handout
• Check out other sessions here:
• Web 2.0 in the Classroom: Collaborative Learning Tools
for Science (Friday at 8am in 228A)
• Say What You Mean! Strategies to Help Students Better
Communicate Science (Friday at 12:30pm in 221B)
• The Problems with Models and How to Fix Them
(Friday at 3:30pm in 225A)
• Visit the MMSTLC Website:
http://mmstlc.net