AMTA partnership with AAPT, STEMteachersNYC and Bootstrap to Integrate Computational Modeling and Algebra-Based Physics
The STEM+Computing Partnerships (STEM+C) program seeks to integrate computing in STEM teaching and learning within physics to build an evidence base for teaching and learning of computer science in K-12, including within diverse populations. This project is developing and testing an innovative professional development system where teachers learn physics, computing and computational thinking (CT), and pedagogical content knowledge that enables them to effectively incorporate computational modeling in broad enrollment population algebra-based Physics First courses. The project combines two complementary model-based pedagogies and tools – Modeling Instruction and Bootstrap – as the basis of an explicit instructional approach to teaching computing and CT with curricular materials suitable for diverse early secondary learners of physics. The work seeks to address teachers and students needs regarding relevant disciplinary content, practices, and computation as specified in the Next Generation Science Standards, the Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice, the Computer Science Teacher Association Computer Science Standards, and recent consensus frameworks for computational thinking in STEM. The project team includes physicists, education developers, and education researchers affiliated with AMTA, AAPT and computer scientists from Brown University and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Sixty teachers and their estimated 6000 students from high schools in New York and nationwide are participating in the project. The project will further contribute professional development supporting teachers’ learning and integration of CT in physics, and possibly, other science domains. The project will create professional development workshops and associated materials, including grade-level computational physics modules for a variety of core physics topics. The developed products and the research findings will be shared with more than 8,000 high school, community college, and 4-year college members of the Modeling and Bootstrap practitioner communities. This team’s efforts have been recognized by the Whitehouse in the following press-release:
Photo credit to Fernand Brunschwig and STEMTeachersNYC
