Partipant(s)

Margaret Hobson

Project Description

I plan to provide professional development through the GK-12 Fellows for the Texas Rural Systemic Initiative (DUE 9979504; $679,485; 1999-2002). This is a partnership between Texas A&M University Corpus Christi (TAMUCC) and West Texas A&M University and two of the Texas Rural Systemic Initiative (TRSI) districts, Beeville Independent School District (ISD) and Hereford ISD. Because of distance, I will be working with the South Texas portion of thepartnership. This partnership is composed of two advanced TAMUCC undergraduates (one in math and one in science), two TAMUCC graduatestudents (one in math and one in science) and two TRSI Teacher Partners from Beeville ISD (one IPC and one Algebra I). The Teacher Partners have special needs in that they have received significant professional development in some areas, but have targeted needs in others. Through the Texas Rural Systemic Initiative, the teachers have received extensive professional development on inquiry-based science learning. They are at various stages of implementing inquiry in their classrooms. Last summer, they attended an in-depth workshop on GIS and GPS. They spent last year working with the GK-12 Fellows, the TRSI regional specialists, and professors at TAMUCC in developing their GIS and GPS skills. They have been given "units" to use in their classrooms that involve GIS and/or GPS. The need they have now is to see how these units relate to their total curriculum and how to integrate Information Technology into their total curriculum as opposed to having stand-alone units. Conversations with Nancy Jones, mathematics and science curriculum director for Beeville ISD, has led to the planning of a study group form of professional development. The study group will be composed of the GK-12 Fellows, the Teacher Partners, and any other interested teachers of IPC or Algebra I in Beeville ISD. Successful study groups need facilitators (my role) and have the following underlying assumptions, key elements, and implementation requirements: Underlying Assumptions Teachers have the knowledge, skills and desire to make decisions regarding their own professional growth; Teachers are professionals and can plan and direct their own learning (learner-centered) Teachers' work context provides worthwhile content for collaborations with each other; Choosing their own issues to address meets the needs of their classrooms and context (community-centered) The school community values collegiality, cooperation, and communication among teachers; The school community supports professional growth of teachers by providing necessary time and resources (knowledge-centered) Key Elements Varied topics and issues: Groups are organized around specific topic and issues of current interest and need Varied structures: Leadership is distributed rather than top-down Implementation Requirements Time: Requires time commitment over an extended period Support from administrators: Administrators must send a message that the effort is valued Substantive topics: Topic must be complex and substantive enough to hold the group together over time Study group activities: The group must decide for themselves the process they will use to study the topic Self-direction and self-governance: Members must have ownership and a sense of control over the activities of the group I will meet with the teachers and Fellows at the end of July or the beginning of August to work out details. The idea is that the teachers meet weekly, the Fellows meet with them at least once a month, that we communicate regularly, and that I go to Beeville 2 or 3 times a semester, as needed.