Teaching Strategies

How can students learn to integrate their content knowledge with effective communication skills to solve meaningful and complex problems in a collaborative setting? In this workshop, teachers will learn strategies and principles for establishing a classroom culture of effective and meaningful student collaboration through the clear and intentional setting of actionable norms—working persistently, communicating productively, and taking risks. Leave this workshop with strategies that leverage the use of the actionable norms to encourage more students to effectively participate in groupwork activities.

Project-based learning (PBL) can be utilized to engage students, but most importantly should be a powerful lever to provide rigorous mathematical and scientific experiences for students. Come learn with us about the Project Planning Pyramid Framework, a tool developed to strengthen the disciplinary content and practices present in projects, in order to help support all students in accessing rigorous math and science through your PBL courses. Walk away with key takeaways for your next project.

Moving students beyond rote memorization and fostering genuine inquiry and sense-making can be challenging. Our course supports educators in this journey, guiding them to become facilitators of student-driven exploration. Throughout the course, participants engage in hands-on explorations of phenomena, learning how to guide students in constructing, evaluating, and refining ideas. Participants learn to critically assess and redesign curricular materials to maximize student proficiency in science and math practices. Participants emerge with a newfound perspective on science and math education, equipped with tools and strategies to redefine their classrooms as vibrant hubs of exploration. They leave with a deepened appreciation for the transformative power of student-led inquiry and a renewed commitment to cultivating critical thinkers and lifelong learners.

Facilitating successful collaborative groupwork in science and math education can be challenging due to difficulties in crafting collaboration-dependent tasks, ensuring focused productivity, and addressing workload and participation imbalances among students. Our course, designed for educators dedicated to enhancing math and science engagement, introduces Complex Instruction (CI) as a research-backed instructional strategy. Participants will delve into strategies to improve collaboration through groupwork, learning how to address common pitfalls while engaging students with challenging content. By the end of the course, teachers will possess a toolkit of strategies to improve group dynamics, foster participation, and deepen student engagement in collaborative settings. Armed with these skills, participants will be equipped to create collaborative learning environments where every student can thrive, ultimately shaping the next generation of scientists and mathematicians who value and excel in teamwork.

Are you excited to help students explore real-world connections between math, science, and engineering, but worried that you already have too much content to cover? Engineering doesn’t need to be an “extra” in STEM -- instead it can be embedded into your current content teaching to promote relevance, engagement, and 21st century skills. Learn how to plan and facilitate engineering design challenges that inspire your students to learn and apply math and science concepts as they solve real-world problems. Participants will engage as learners in engineering design challenges that span STEM subject areas, and will develop skills for teaching engineering in your classroom. Using tools for developing your own design challenges, participants will build an NGSS-aligned framework for using the engineering design process in your classroom.

Designing and modifying engaging learning experiences for students that are accessible, rigorous, and effective in strengthening students’ conceptual understanding can be challenging. Our course is designed for educators and equips participants with the skills and knowledge necessary to modify and implement learning experiences that cater to all students’ needs while promoting a deeper conceptual understanding of the content. Participants will learn strategies to orchestrate productive classroom discussions, ensuring that all students actively participate in authentic mathematics and science practices. By the end of the course, participants will apply a framework that will support them in creating engaging learning environments where every student sees themselves as capable “doers” of math and science.

Wednesdays, September 24 – October 29, 2025

Math and science education play a crucial role in empowering individuals to make informed decisions for personal well-being and active civic engagement. However, there are challenges in effectively implementing project-based learning (PBL) to enhance student learning and engagement in these subjects. Learn how project based learning (PBL) can support student engagement in learning complex content and practice standards in Math u0026 Science. Participants will build their capacity for planning and implementing projects that situate learning within real-world contexts. Participants will be equipped with a project planning framework and tools to create engaging, real-world projects that support student learning and engagement in complex content and practice standards. By the end of the course, teachers will be better prepared to provide all students with access to rigorous math and science instruction through PBL, ultimately empowering their students to make informed decisions in their personal and civic lives.

Wednesdays, November 5 – December 17, 2025 (Excluding 11/26/2025)

Investigating community issues in math and science classes can promote equitable teaching practices and culturally relevant learning. But do students walk away feeling overwhelmed by realities? Or empowered to work for solutions? Learn how the engineering design process can support students to deepen their understanding of challenges in their communities AND feel empowered to design and advocate for just solutions to those challenges. Participants will engage in rich engineering projects, unpack associated community issues and their implications, and explore how practices of science, math, and engineering can help learners develop and optimize solutions to these issues. The course highlights community empowerment through lines of the engineering design process: uncovering values, students as agents of change, and stakeholders and encouraging voices. Led by instructors who are experienced in integrating engineering into math and science classes, this course will support participants in identifying entry points in their own curriculum for integrating engineering and community issues.

Tuesdays, February 24 – March 31, 2026 

Discover how AI can enhance your teaching practice.  In this workshop, you’ll explore practical applications of AI tools that can support both classroom instruction and behind-the-scenes tasks like lesson planning. We'll provide hands-on opportunities to engage with AI and consider how it can be adapted to your specific teaching context. Whether you're just starting out or looking to deepen your AI literacy, you'll leave equipped with tools and strategies to confidently incorporate AI into your teaching. 

Wednesdays, April 15 – May 20, 2026