Developing Connections Between Learning and Practice Through a Weeklong STEM Camp for Educators

• In Event: Moscone Center West Roundtable Session 7
  In Roundtable Session: Improving Teacher Education for Linguistically Diverse Students

Abstract

How do teacher preparation programs prepare mainstream teachers for linguistically diverse classrooms? "Typically, the nature of instructional preparation for teaching diverse learners is primarily focused on a teachers’ beliefs about ELLs and less on providing them with tools for learning in and from practice" (Villegas et al., 2018, p. 151). A week-long STEM Camp develops connections between beliefs and classroom practice through one instructional approach that prepares mainstream teachers for diverse learners.
This study investigates the question: How and to what extent do teachers describe the influence of a week-long STEM camp on their instructional practice? Researchers developed a partnership with teachers that focused on their beliefs about language and building a toolkit for linguistically diverse classrooms.

Authors

• Silvia Araceli Aparicio, Arizona State University

• Malissa Thibault, Arizona State University

• Stephanie Lund, Arizona State University

• Melanie Baca, Arizona State University