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Overview of Fellowship

The GK-12 Program at ISU is recruiting 5-12th grade teachers in the sciences, mathematics and engineering who would like to enhance their science, math and engineering classes by partnering with an ISU graduate (or undergraduate for LEGO League) student for 1 year.

Applicants should have an interest in mentoring an ISU scientist or engineer as they work to improve their communication skills. These ISU scientists are training to become scientists and engineers. They are NOT student teachers.

The fellowship requires the ISU graduate fellow to spend 10 hours/week in the classroom interacting with students, with another 5 hours/week on prep time during the K-12 academic year (August through late May). Fellow and teacher partners meet weekly to plan and participate in monthly meetings at ISU with program staff and faculty.

By the end of the program, GK-12 fellows have a greatly improved understanding of the K-12 school system and its constraints and opportunities. Fellows also significantly improve their written and oral communication skills. K-12 teachers find their teaching reinvigorated and they have often developed many new and improved labs and activities that improve the ability of their students to learn difficult scientific concepts. K-12 teachers gain access to ISU resources, which they are able to continue to access after their fellow leaves, both in terms of equipment and personnel (faculty and staff who can assist them in carrying out complex labs).

Teachers engaged in LEGO League gain a 2nd hand to help them mentor their LEGO teams, training on using the LEGO kits, as well as ongoing support as they coach their team throughout the fall. The program also provides financial support to participating teachers by purchasing their LEGO kits and running the LEGO tournament.

FAQs

Think of a fellow as a scientist or enginner-in-residence. They are in the classroom to help you guide your students through inquiry based science experiments. They should be helping you design and lead activities. They should not be left alone with the students and should not be asked to grade assignments (they are not student teachers and have no training in teaching). They will need guidance from you in managing a class and presenting scientific material at a grade appropriate level. They should be working in the classroom for 10 hours/ week (5-6 hours/week for undergraduates) and should be spending an additional 5 hours/week preparing, outside of class.

This will be something that you and your fellow will work out together. However, it will be constrained by the fellow's class schedule. In the past, many partnerships have found success in having the fellow come into school 2-3 days/week. Undergraduate fellows, in particular, have very tight personal class schedules, limiting the specific hours when they can be in a K-12 grade classroom. Most undergraduates can arrange their class schedules to allow them to be in the K-12 grade classroom 1-2 days/week.

You must be teaching in a 5th grade - 12th grade classroom. Lego League is for 5th - 8th grade classrooms.

You will need to describe the project in your application and give us an idea of the scientific skills and knowledge that you are hoping your fellow will bring to the project (i.e. GIS, microbiology, air quality, physics). That will help us better match your needs with a fellow with the appropriate expertise.

As we read your application we note what skills and knowledge would best help you and your students complete your chosen project. We then match you with a fellow whose skills, knowledge, and interests are similar.

Yes. However, you will share both the teacher stipend, and the time of 1 fellow (e.g. for 2 teachers the graduate fellow would spend about 5 hours in each classroom). Each teacher will still receive the same continuing education credits.

Yes. You will receive 2 continuing education credits for your participation in the summer workshop, and 1 continuing education credit/semester for your participation in ongoing meetings, evaluation, and work with your fellow. Each teacher-fellow partnership will also receive up to $350 to purchase classroom supplies needed to carry out their designated projects.