Advancing STEM Researching Teaching (ASRT)
Advancing STEM Research Teaching (ASRT) Program
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is a multiple-day, in-person, professional development workshop focused on curriculum, activities, and guides to support high school teachers involved in providing science/STEM research opportunities for their students.
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is free, thanks to funding from Regeneron and Carl Zeiss Microscopy.
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takes place at a location that you choose, which is typically in/near your school/office or where your science fair is hosted.
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is typically 4 - 4.5 days of in-person professional development during the summer months, with follow-up support, as needed, via Zoom during the school year.
If it is held during the school year then it is typically a 3 or 4 day in-person workshop followed up by online sessions during the remainder of the school year and summer.
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is customized to help teachers reach their goals and overcome obstacles specific to their school/region. This includes small or medium or large schools and rural, suburban, and urban areas.
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has helped teachers/Fair Directors from a wide variety of states including; Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
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provides a curriculum filled with hundreds of activities and guides that can be customized by teachers who provide research opportunities within a traditional STEM classroom setting, or those with a small, growing research program/club, or even those with more established Science Research Programs/Clubs. These activities include not just what to do, but how and why.
This includes activities, guides, templates, and rubrics that will help with:-
guiding students how to decide on a research area that fits within their available time, resources, and area of interest.
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customizing a calendar to help keep all students on task and moving forward with their STEM research projects.
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building time management skills with students.
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increasing students basic (foundational) and advanced knowledge, understanding and critical thinking especially focused on their chosen area of research.
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strengthening students networking and communication skills.
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guiding students how to prepare to reach out to local, regional, or national STEM professionals in their chosen area of research, to ask them to help as a “mentor”.
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instructing students on how to design and write a research proposal/plan in accordance with science fair guidelines.
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building students design and presentation skills with research papers, PowerPoints/Google Slides, and posters.
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reviewing, critiquing, grading student presentations in all formats.
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providing information and insight regarding all stages of the student research process and the opportunities and regulations for students to present in public, including in science fairs and other competitive/non-competitive venues.
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provides the hundreds of activities, tips, guides, and rubrics on a USB “thumb” drive for all participants. These are also accessible via a Google Drive folder. All activities are free to copy, edit, customize to suit the individual needs and goals of the teachers participating in the ASRT workshop.
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offers free, follow-up support, throughout the following year, via phone call, email, or online meetings.
The ASRT Application:
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launches in October and closes in mid/late November
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is open to all high school teachers who support students involved in science/STEM research projects from small, medium or large schools and from rural, suburban or urban areas.
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Teachers can apply individually or as a group
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is open to all Science Fair Directors, from small, medium or large, science fairs, that would like to bring together a group of high school, and potentially middle school, teachers for a week of free, customizable, professional development
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will be available by link on this website and in an email sent to all ISEF-affiliated fair directors so that they can apply directly or pass it all of the high school teachers in their region
The ASRT Selection Process:
Applicants will be evaluated by a committee from Regeneron and/or ZEISS, on the basis of a number of different criteria including, but not limited to:
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an interest in increasing students' understanding & critical thinking, technology-based skills, networking/communication skills and presentation skills.
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an interest in increasing the number of high school students who carry out projects and/or the quality/level of those projects.
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an interest in increasing the types/categories of the projects that their students are able to be involved in.
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an interest in increasing participation in regional, state, national and international science fairs with students of all background/cultures/academic levels
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the level of support from the school community and their administration for creating science research/STEM opportunities for high school students.
The high school teacher(s) or science fair director(s) who are selected as "Finalists" will receive multiple days of in-person consulting sessions (typically 4.5 days), at or near their school(s) as well as the opportunity to have follow-up sessions online (Zoom/Google Meet) throughout the year.
Teachers and/or Science Fair Directors who have applied will receive an email regarding whether or not they were selected by early/mid December.
The application will remain open until November 6, 2024.
** Link to apply for High School Teachers: https://forms.gle/vh1Sp38xiTbtJ4Cd9
** Link to apply for Science Fair Directors: https://forms.gle/ye3cPNNC9HKkTvNT6