Description:
The “STEM Workforce Ready 2030” (WFR) Project will create a network of teacher leaders across Maine who are committed to integrating computer science learning in rural PreK-8 classrooms. This 3-year grant will allow MMSA to partner with rural educators in creating engaging and effective lessons to inspire Maine’s STEM workforce of 2030: today’s rural elementary and middle school students.
Building on the findings of the integrate – 2 – innovate project (i2i), WFR will reestablish and grow a research-to-practice partnership focused on increasing equitable access to computer science education for all Maine’s students. At the culmination of three years, WFR participants will have:
- co-developed and shared sustainable systems for integrating computer science practices and concepts into PreK 8 curriculum
- co-designed a library of curriculum development tools and materials to support CS integration across content areas.
- co-created a community of regional CS Teacher Leaders who support dozens of rural classroom teachers each year as they implement CT/CS integrated activities.
With additional funding from Google, we are able to expand our initial goals of the WFR project and include a sub-working group of Middle-Level Special Education Teacher Leaders, Paraprofessionals, and Math Instructional Coaches from each district. This sub-group will investigate computational thinking as a mechanism to further increase neurodiverse math learners’ engagement and result in the following deliverables at the end of year one:
- the creation of sample CT integrated math lessons, and
- the identification of professional learning supports necessary for rural districts to utilize in the integration of computational thinking in the special education curriculum.