Vermont teachers and their students are benefiting from a close partnership with a team of University of Vermont faculty through the Vermont STEM Leadership Institute, also known as VSTEM Leads. Funded by the federal Math Science Partnership Program, VSTEM Leads is a successful collaboration between the College of Education and Social Services, the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, the College of Engineering and Mathematics and the College of Arts and Sciences.
Regina Toolin, associate professor in the Department of Education, is the principal investigator and director of the three-year VSTEM Leads grant. Toolin said the program is "fully aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and provides ongoing professional learning experiences for teachers through immersion in authentic science and engineering research and practices, project based learning, and implementation of professional learning communities for colleagues in their respective school districts."
Currently there are five school districts participating in VSTEM Leads including Addison Northwest Supervisory Union, Essex Town School District, Franklin Central Supervisory Union, Grand Isle Supervisory Union and South Burlington School District. Heather Dunn, who teaches science at Essex Middle School, shared her thoughts on the value of the initiative. "I have been inspired by the other teachers in the VSTEM Leads program. Each time I had the opportunity to visit one of their classrooms, I came back to my own classroom with new ideas and a renewed excitement for teaching. I was able to bring those lessons and activities back to my colleagues, who also appreciated having new material to add to our units."
Toolin's research focuses on constructivist models of teaching and learning in STEM education. She is particularly interested in promoting and researching STEM classrooms that are grounded in principles of inquiry-based and project-based teaching and learning. Simon Jorgenson, assistant professor in the Department of Education, and Donna Rizzo, professor in the School of Engineering, are co-principal investigators on the VSTEM Leads grant, and have been instrumental in program design and implementation. Jason Stockwell, associate professor and director of the Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Lab, and Char Mehrtens, professor in the Department of Geology are key faculty members who have conducted field trips regarding their research about Lake Champlain ecology and Vermont geology for the participating teachers.
In addition to a weeklong summer institute, the cadre of participating VSTEM Leads teachers gather on a monthly basis for follow-up investigative workshops on the ¶¶Òõ̽̽ campus, and for lesson studies conducted at each of the partner schools. During and after these sessions, teachers have an opportunity for meaningful reflection, discussion and assessment as it pertains to developing NGSS aligned curriculum and instruction, and improving their overall teaching practice.
Participating teachers note the impact on students and teachers. Mark Powers, a science teacher at Vergennes Union High School, has witnessed a transformation in his students. According to Powers, "students have been enthusiastic about performing scientific investigations that are authentic and allow them to take ownership of the parameters of their study. A perhaps subtle but important outcome of my VSTEM project is that students have to adjust from the completely structured linear lab day with expected outcomes, to a temporally extended, multi-faceted exploration where the results may be unexpected." Carly Epstein, a district science teacher leader in the Essex Town School District, said "students have been more aware of our impact and the responsibility we, as humans, have to interact positively with the world. Within my school, I have been able to share resources and support my grade level teaching colleagues in developing new units of study based on NGSS."
Beyond VSTEM Leads, also provides leadership on several other STEM-related initiatives designed to provide experiential learning and support for K-12 educators throughout Vermont. These include the NSF , the Champlain Research Experience for Secondary Teachers, and the that consists of a group of stakeholders who are interested in advancing STEM education opportunities for Vermont's students and educators.