Using Science and Social Justice to Raise Teaching Practice
Our project will serve teachers of students in a historically Black, disadvantaged, and low-income community facing severe environmental and social issues.
The Power of Play
Play theorist Brian Sutton-Smith concluded, ‘The opposite of play is not work–the opposite of play is depression.’ While research supports this, traditional schools continue to treat play as frivolous and double down on the pressure to raise students’ standardized test scores.
Raising a Community of Writers
We aim to cultivate passionate, independent student writers, as well as to grow as teachers and leaders. We all teach Writing Workshop (WW). Our goal is to give students meaningful writing experiences that reflect their identities, as well as encourage collaboration, perseverance, and a love for writing.
Project Based Geometry and The Trades
The project will help train teachers in how to implement a more rigorous math curriculum that will better prepare students for an advanced level of math. In addition, our team will find innovative ways to develop projects that make Geometry more relatable to the real world focusing on vocational careers.
PBL for Newcomers: Language Development, Engagement and Empowerment
We are a team of interdisciplinary teachers committed to the equitable and engaging education of newcomer English learners. We seek to leverage our expertise as we create and implement Project Based Learning (PBL) units specifically designed for our students.
Our Changing Planet – Community of Practice
We want to deepen our understanding of environmental justice, indigenous wisdom and creative practice, to better understand our world, and as educators advocate for just climate solutions. Working with local experts/organizations in our community, we will deepen our knowledge and our facilitation practices to make more meaningful connections with each other, build knowledge across disciplines, and apply new learning in our classrooms.