Awards Granted
2016 Innovation in K-8 Mathematics and/or K-12 Computer Science/Coding Professional Learning Grant Award Winners (Round 2)
Mathematics
Baldwin County Schools
K-2 Mathematicians and Writers focuses on developing conceptual understanding, mathematical reasoning and language, and math literacy through a professional learning community (PLC) of teacher leaders. This innovative professional learning program is supported by a partnership between Baldwin County School District and Georgia College and will focus on creating a PLC with 24 lead teachers in grades K-2, from the district’s four elementary schools, two GC faculty members from the Department of Mathematics, and a faculty member from the Department of Professional Learning and Innovation. Our K-2 PLC will provide content and pedagogical professional development and resources in math with literacy integration through quality children’s literature and key components of literacy.
Clarke County School District
This innovative professional learning program will target 5th and 6th grades mathematics teachers in order to support the successful transition of students from elementary to middle school mathematics curricula. Teachers involved in this program will participate in a professional learning community that is supported by ongoing coaching and follow-up targeted professional learning focusing on three key areas: teachers’ knowledge of content, pedagogy and assessment. Teacher participants will produce model lessons and serve as future coaches and support resources for other math teachers in the district.
Clayton County Public Schools
The focus of this project is to provide professional learning with job-embedded follow-up support for 3rd through 5th grade mathematics teachers through a partnership with ArtsNow. Content experts and arts-integration coaches will work with 18 Math teachers to learn innovative strategies, collaboratively develop arts-based Math lessons, and vertically align their math lessons to scaffold student learning.
Metropolitan RESA
This innovative program will provide effective professional learning in mathematics that equips teachers with high quality instructional practices resulting in increased student achievement. Improvement in teachers’ mathematics content knowledge, skills, and efficacy will lead to more effective teaching practices. Metro Regional Educational Service Agency (MRESA) will provide research-based professional learning opportunities to improve the work of mathematics teachers through two initiatives: 1) K-5 Mathematics Endorsement, and 2) the Mathematics Instructional Academy at each participating school.
Rockdale County Public Schools
Rockdale County Public Schools’ IMPACT Project will provide mathematics teachers in grades 5-9 with professional learning and ongoing coaching that supports the use real-world performance tasks in their classrooms. The IMPACT Project provides a repeatable, sustainable cycle for acting on student work, informing instructional practices, and measuring growth. Silicon Valley Mathematics Initiative (SVMI) will provide both teachers and administrators with ongoing professional learning on scaffolding instruction to ensure student success on performance tasks and providing teachers with a common understanding about how to implement tasks that promote reasoning and problem solving. The project utilizes the three stages of the Concerns-Based Adoption Model to monitor teachers’ attitudes toward an initiative, evaluate teachers’ levels of use of new strategies, and use a rubric to guide implementation.
Integrated Mathematics and Computer Science/Coding
Thomas County Schools
Thomas County Schools will create an innovative and sustainable professional learning initiative supported by improved technology and increased opportunities for peer learning. This will ensure that teachers are better prepared to use innovative teaching methods and students have more hands-on opportunities in STEM, Computer Science and math. We will partner with Project Lead The Way to develop a professional learning system to provide fifty K-12 teachers math, science and computer science learning opportunities and will develop a system to monitor teacher effectiveness in implementing math, science and computer science in authentic learning tasks.
Computer Science/Coding
Georgia Tech Research Institute
The mission of Teaching Educators Computing and Coding Concepts (TEC3) is to provide 26 middle school teachers from Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools and Atlanta Public Schools an immersive professional learning environment including 60 hours of face-to-face and 24 hours of distance learning to support and facilitate student success in middle and high school Computer Science courses and learning opportunities. Teachers will be engaged in Computer Science, coding, mathematics, and computational thinking curriculum classes and experiences working with higher education to apply Computer Science and math skills and knowledge to local issues. Georgia Tech Research Institute will partner with Savannah State University and Armstrong State University to provide this professional learning experience for teachers.