Applications for this program are now closed. We encourage you to register for our Seeing Science Everywhere: Best Practices in Elementary STEM program in July. Contact [email protected] to learn more!
About the Program
Join the Elementary STEMLab program, a professional development platform designed to engage teachers across the New York City area in the pursuit of excellent science teaching and learning. Through a series of hands-on workshops and mentoring opportunities, participants will learn how to create and implement lessons that motivate students to explain natural phenomena and solve engineering problems. Drawing from what elementary teachers already know about teaching reading and writing, the program helps educators engage specific facilitation strategies that improve a student’s ability to communicate their thinking, cite evidence, and build ideas through discussions.
STEMteachersNYC is now seeking 14 additional teachers to join our third Cohort! We are particularly interested in teams of teachers from schools in District 5, or the Harlem area who work with students in grades K-3.
Program Details
The Elementary STEMLab program kicks off with an orientation workshop on April 28, 2019 at Teachers College, Columbia University and continues with a commitment to a full time, 10 day summer institute in New York City from July 22 – August 2, 2019. The summer institute includes professional learning time as well as a Lab School component where you can practice what you are learning with students for a few hours each day of week 2. During the 2019-20 school year, the project team will continue to support you in implementing what you learned through virtual and in person workshops.
Teachers will be paid a $1500 stipend (in multiple installments) for their full participation. Full participation includes attendance at the summer institute and follow up workshops in the 2019-20 school year, completion of surveys, a commitment to implement what you’ve learned as evidenced by videotaping or observations in your own classroom, and a willingness to reflect on your learning. New York State cohort members will also receive CTLE credits.
Individual teachers will be considered; however, preference will be given to members of a school-based team of two or more K-3 teachers willing to collaborate. Ideal KT3 Cohort 2019 participants are teachers from public district, public charter, parochial, or independent schools in the New York Metropolitan Area who have the following characteristics:
- Currently employed teaching in any grade K-3, with the expectation of similar employment in the 2019-20 school year.
- Grade level generalists (e.g. 1st grade, all subjects) and science/STEM specialists are equally encouraged to apply.
- Commitment to a teaching approach that fosters students’ capacity to think for themselves and to work collaboratively.
- Interest in teaching science as a process of observing, experimenting, analyzing, interpreting, modeling, communicating, and evaluating (No particular level of expertise or experience in science teaching is required.)
- Willingness to do hands-on investigations with everyday materials, including getting one’s hands dirty, and comfort with encouraging children to do the same.
- Desire to implement science pedagogy with interdisciplinary coherence (i.e. compliments humanities & math).
- Willingness to participate in and contribute to action research that includes completing quantitative surveys, qualitative interviews, and observations of science instruction in your classroom with your students.
For further information regarding this opportunity, please reach out to Chris Kennedy, Program Director at STEMteachersNYC at [email protected] and visit https://stemteachersnyc.org/kt3/