Robotics Curriculum -- The purpose of this project was to improve science teacher quality through the development of a robotics-based middle school physics curriculum. The curriculum focused on introductory energy topics, including light and heat energy. This project unfolded in three-phases. In the first phase, a working group consisting of four middle school science teachers from the Springfield and Holyoke school districts, and faculty at UMass, Amherst developed a robotics-based, physics curriculum. This curriculum was piloted in two of the participating teachers’ respective classrooms in the fall and revisions to the curriculum were made. The second phase of the project consisted of teacher professional development in the use of the curriculum conducted by the working group for teachers from throughout the pioneer valley. Nineteen teachers participated in the workshop. These day-long workshops were held on three consecutive Saturdays in January, 2008. The third phase of the project consisted of classroom implementation of the robotics curriculum by the workshop participants. Ten of the nineteen workshop participants implemented part or all of the curriculum in their classrooms.

Contact:
Florence Sullivan, University of Massachusetts, http://www.umass.edu/education/academics/tecs/sullivan.shtml

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