2012 Noyce Conference Program - The Robert Noyce Scholarship ...

WORKSHOP ABSTRACTSColleges for Teacher Education [AACTE] and PearsonEducation), the TPA is a subject area‐specific, performancebasedassessment for pre‐service teacher candidates, centeredon student learning. The TPA Consortium hopes to demonstrate,via research data presently being collected in a three‐year nation‐wide pilot and field test of the tool, that the developmentof a nationally accessible teaching performanceassessment will allow states, school districts and teacherpreparation programs (such as UMass Dartmouth) to share acommon framework for defining and measuring a set of coreteaching skills that form a valid and robust vision of teachercompetence.4.3 Science and Math Career Switchers Tell Their Stories:What Motivated the Decision to Switch Careers, and WhatType of Support was Needed During the Transition?Length of Session: 60 minutesMichael E. Beeth, University of Wisconsin OshkoshTammy Ladwig, tammy.ladwig@uwc.edu, University of WisconsinFox ValleyBrandon Nelsen, bjn723@gmail.com, Alternative Careers inTeaching Program (act!), Noyce ScholarPamela Josifek, eplvt@yahoo.com, Alternative Careers in TeachingProgram (act!), Noyce ScholarTarget Audience: Undergraduate and/or Graduate Noyce Scholars,Project PIs, Co‐PIs, Other Faculty/Staff, School and DistrictAdministrators, Higher Education Institution AdministratorsTopic: Recruitment and Marketing StrategiesThis session highlights the personal stories, motivations, andsupport systems for career switchers who have been admittedto the Alternative Careers in Teaching program (act!), for thosewho are considering entering the program, and for those whodecided not to enroll in the act! program. Act! is an alternativelicensure program for individuals who must have at least 5 yearsof work experience as a scientist or mathematician to enter theprogram. They can receive credit for some prior learning if it isrelated to teaching and learning. More than 450 individualswishing to switch careers have inquired about act! since 2006,and 120 individuals have enrolled in this licensure only program.Participants will hear from two current Noyce Scholars aboutwhy they chose to leave their careers as scientists and mathematiciansto become professional educators, and from other act!students who have completed the program.Additional Noyce Scholars will participate in this session viaInternet conferencing or through written testimonials abouttheir decisions to enter teaching. The range of personal, academicand financial supports needed to make this career changepossible for act! students will be highlighted. A conceptualmodel will be presented for what non‐traditional students needin order to obtain their goals of becoming licensed teachers. Theact! program offers a flexible path for practicing scientists ormathematicians to become licensed secondary (grades 6‐12)teachers in Wisconsin.4.4 Master Teaching Fellows as Agents of Change: Reportingfrom the TrenchesLength of Session: 75 minutesSuzie Fore, Math for America San DiegoTrang Vu, Math for America San Diego, tvu@sandi.net, MasterTeaching FellowTarget Audience: Noyce Teaching Fellows, Noyce Master Teachers,Project PIs, Co‐PIs, Other Faculty/Staff, School and DistrictAdministrators, Evaluators/Education ResearchersTopic: Teacher LeadershipWhat does it mean to be an agent of change? What are thechallenges and the joys of being part of the transformation ofmathematics teaching and learning? In this session, two Mathfor America San Diego Noyce Master Teaching Fellows (MTFs)will report on their early experiences attempting to implementthe values of the program’s professional development in theirinstruction and their efforts to become agents of change in theirdepartments, school districts, and beyond. MTFs Suzie Fore andTrang Vu are participating in a professional development programguided by the DNR theoretical perspective, a researchbasedconceptual framework. According to this perspective, themathematical integrity of the content and the intellectual needof the student must be at the center of the instructional andcurricular effort. Suzie and Trang will address the specific influencestheir participation in the professional development hashad on their views of mathematics and instruction, their owninstruction, and the response of their students. They will alsodiscuss how they intend to use their next four years in this leadershipdevelopment program as they grow into their role aschange agents.4.5 Culture of Care for Noyce ScholarsLength of Session: 60 minutesTom Siller, Colorado State UniversityRachelle Gard, Colorado State University,rmgard@rams.colostate.edu, Noyce ScholarTarget Audience: Project PIs, Co‐PIs, Other Faculty/StaffTopic: Innovative Noyce Program Practices and Teacher PreparationModelsThis session will present an innovative project aimed at enhanc‐2012 NSF Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program Conference33