Emporia State University's information, technology, and scientific literacy certificate program is partially funded by a generious grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

1. An In-progress Co-teaching Project: Developing
Information, Technology, and Scientific Literacy
Dr. Kenneth Thompson, Department of Physical Sciences
Dr. Mirah Dow, School of Library and Information Management
Emporia State University
October 27, 2016 Emporia, Kansas
National Conference on Co-teaching
Bloomington, Minnesota

2. University Level Co-Teaching Across Multiple
Content Areas
In this presentation:
Introduction to STEM-ALL Program
First Year Progress Report
Guided Inquiry & STEM Foundation
New Models
Examples of Student Work
Why consider co-teaching across
multiple content areas?

3. specialize with Emporia State University’s
Information, Technology and Scientific Literacy Certificate
This project is made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
http://tinyurl.com/publhlc

4. CHANGE: Allow P-12 students to ask their own questions
that can be answered using scientific methods
PHOTO BY EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY
In four ESU courses, practicing teachers and
school librarians learn from each other as they
share their own areas of expertise.

5. What is distinctive about this certificate program?
• Two university professors with different areas of expertise model
co-teaching; both focus research on co-teaching
• New university enrollment strategy: Differently licensed teachers
learn together in the same university classroom (virtual and face-
to-face)
• New certificate will distinguish teacher’s specialized knowledge
and skills
N 0 W

6. Distinctive Certificate (continued)
• New interdisciplinary curriculum based on multiple sets of
academic and professional standards
• New way of thinking about teaching P-12 students
N 0 W

7. First Year Progress Report
• Buy-in across campus
• Funding a co-teaching project
• Comprehensive review of standards
• Development of syllabi and approval of new courses
• Creation of website and recruitment of students
• Enrollment of 50 students (2 cohorts); blended delivery model
• Teach new courses; model co-teaching practices

8. New Course Titles
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Classrooms and
Competitions: Asking Questions and Defining Problems
Key Literacy Connections in STEM Subjects: Conducting Investigations,
Analyzing, and Interpreting Data
Advancing and Defending New Ideas: Engaging an Argument from Evidence
STEM Skills for a Deep Technical Workforce: Obtaining, Evaluating, and
Communicating Information

9. Guided Inquiry Rationale
If learners (P-12) are to develop information and
guided inquiry skills, they must engage in
assignments and projects that:
• are authentic tasks (meaningful to students on a personal or
academic level).
• involve realistic environments.
• are highest quality asking students to conduct critical
evaluation of sources to construct a position.
• are inherently social.
• involve instruction that offer timely teacher interventions
to move learners on at various points in their work.

10. Curriculum is based on professional
standards and NSTA definition of STEM.
“STEM literacy refers to an individual’s
• knowledge, attitudes, and skills to identify questions and problems in
life situations, to explain the natural and designed world, and to draw
evidence-based conclusions about STEM related-issues.
• understanding of the characteristic features of STEM disciplines as
forms of human knowledge, inquiry, and design.
• awareness of how STEM academic disciplines shape our material,
intellectual, and cultural environments.
• willingness to engage in STEM-related issues and with the ideas of
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics as a constructive,
concerned, and reflective citizen.”
STEM Literacy (Bybee, 2013, p. 65)

11. So, here are some models and strategies we
developed together. . . .
Today, we are sharing
six models and
educational strategies we
recommend for teaching
elementary – high school
students to ask their own
questions and define
problems that can be solved
with scientific methods.
PHOTO BY EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY

12. Our co-teaching includes MULTIPLE content
areas of expertise. What do we each bring?
Science & Math Education
Science, mathematics, and
engineering practices
Disciplinary core ideas
Cross-cutting concepts
Strategies for Inquiry
Methods of science
________
http://www.nextgenscience.org/next-generation-science-
standards
Information Science Education
Information authority
Information format
Information value
Information research as inquiry
Information as communication
Information as explanation
________
http://www.ksde.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=NltS6oH9g
_o%3d&tabid=476&portalid=0&mid=3268
M O D E L

14. Co-teacher Roles with Students
Science Teacher
Partner with Math Teacher
Partner with Librarian
Provide the subject area
context
Teach the two phase research
process model
Design and implement
assignments that provide
opportunities for application
Teach students to analyze
findings and draw conclusions
Mathematics Teacher
Partner with Science Teacher
Partner with Librarian
Provide the subject area
context including nominal,
ordinal, interval, ratio levels
of data; design of data
collection; development of
charts, graphs, figures
depicting accurate findings
Teach the two phase research
process model
Design and implement
assignments that provide
opportunities for application
Teach students to analyze
findings and draw conclusions
Librarian
Partner with Science and Math
Teachers
Teach the two phase research
process model
Teach: information authority;
information format;
information value;
information research as
inquiry; information as
scholarly conversation; and
Information exploration
Guide students in key word
searches, evaluation, and
selection of sources
Facilitate report writing,
presentations, and publishing
Student
Make connections from real-
world observations and
experiences to research
questions that matter in
today’s world
Know and use the two phase
research process model
Gain specialized knowledge of
subject areas
Use STEM content,
information, and technology
on the basis of accuracy,
validity, importance, and
context
M O D E L

15. Two Phase Research Process Model for Content
and Librarian Experts (Dow & Thompson, 2012)
PHASE ONE: Preparation PHASE TWO: Experimental
Literature Context Data Context
Topic selection and problem statement
access, retrieval, evaluation, and use
of existing research publications
Design study
Observation of relevant environment(s) Conduct experiment
Question(s) Analysis of data
Formulate claim or hypothesis Communicate findings in new publications
M O D E L

16. PHASE ONE: Preparation, Literature Context
M O D E L

17. Topic Selection and Problem Statement Model
OBSERVE ~ KNOW ~ QUESTION ~ CLAIM
With the guidance from content teacher(s) and school librarian, write a
brief scenario with a 4-part structure that captures the problem (topic):
1. OBSERVE What have I observed? - Begin with an observation:
I noticed that. . .
2. KNOW What do I know? - Mention information already known:
I learned from my 4-H leader that . . . .
3. QUESTION What is my question? State one or more central questions:
I would like to know if. . .
4. CLAIM What is my claim, or assertion based on substantive reading?
End scenario with a claim, or hypothesis statement. If grass
has sunlight, then grass will . .
M O D E L

18. Examples of Student Work
Improving Learning for Early Career Scientists and Engineers
Inquiry Guide with Examples (Dow & Thompson, 2016)
ASKING QUESTIONS AND DEFINING PROBLEMS
OBSERVE ~ KNOW ~ QUESTION ~ CLAIM
http://tinyurl.com/publhlc

19. Why consider co-teaching strategies?
PHOTO BY EMPORIA STATE UNIVERISITY
OUR SUGGESTIONS
Students need expert
knowledge and skills to
access, retrieve, evaluate,
and use existing research
publications.
Students need to make
connections across
disciplines.
Co-teaching is an alternative
to the one classroom, one
teacher, one content area,
and one textbook approach
to teaching and learning.

20. Students will see themselves as doing
things that scientists do.
PHOTO BY BECKY DODGE, WASHBURN UNIVERSITY,
DIRECTOR OF RADIATION THERAPY PROGRAM

21. Partnership - Time is Critical.
Co-teaching is defined as two teachers working together with groups
of students. Two teachers share the
❶ planning,
❷ organization,
❸ delivery and assessment of instruction, and
❹ physical space.
The main focus of co-teaching is to keep both teachers actively
engaged with students and their learning.
Academy for Co-Teaching and Collaboration at St. Cloud State University. Copyright 2012
Original Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Partnership

22. What we’ve learned. . . intensity of effort theory of co-teaching
Both professors
1) lift substantive aspects of the weight of the curriculum and
instruction.
2) contribute multiple repetitions explaining what students
should do.
3) exert significant efforts during the planning, organization,
implementation, and evaluation of ongoing instruction.
4) utilize their expertise in a shared physical space to give
students new opportunities to reach out for meaning.

23. Our Co-teaching Research
Hypothesis: If teacher effectiveness as measured by student
achievement of course learning outcomes is related to intensity of effort
by co-teaching partners in content and library and information science,
then greater intensity of effort will produce more students achieving more
outcomes at higher levels.
Study Subjects: two co-teaching professors

24. Our Co-teaching Research (continued)
Research Question: How does the intensity of effort by co-
teaching partners in content and library and information science
affect instruction?
Independent Variable Dependent Variables
Different intensity of effort components
(planning time; number of times each
course outcome appears in assignments;
length/details in assignment explanations;
co-teacher time in shared physical space;
co-teacher time for evaluation and
feedback to students)
Number/percent of students achieving 5
outcomes in 791
Number/percent of students achieving 5
outcomes in 792
Number/percent of students achieving 6
outcomes in 793
Number/percent of students achieving 6
outcomes in 794

25. Questions?

26. References
Academy for Co-Teaching and Collaboration at St. Cloud State University. Copyright 2012 Original Research Funded
by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Partnership.
Bybee, R. W. (2013). The case for STEM education: Challenges and opportunities. Arlington,VA: NSTA Press.
Cheuk, T. (2013). Relationships and convergences among the mathematics, science, and ELA practices
Dow, M. J. (2014). Creating a STEM-literate society. Knowledge Quest, 42(5), 14-18.
Dow, M. J., & Thompson, K. W. (2015). Institute of Museums and Library Services, Laura Bush 21st Century
Librarian Program, School librarians and science teachers advancing science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics: Information, technology, and scientific literacy for all learners (STEM-ALL), submitted September
13, 2014. $496,277. Funded.
Dow, M. J. & Thompson, K. W. (2013). Audrey S. Major Research Fund Award, 2012/13, Integrating the Content of
Physical Sciences and Information and Technology Literacy Instruction, with Dr. Kenneth Thompson, Professor, ESU
Physical Sciences.
Kansas State Department of Education (2016). Library/Information and Technology Standards (in-review).
http://www.ksde.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=NltS6oH9g_o%3d&tabid=476&portalid=0&mid=3268
Maniotes, L. K., Harrington, L., & Lambusta, P. (2016). Guided inquiry design in action. Santa Barbara,
CA: Libraries Unlimited

27. An In-progress Co-teaching Project: Developing
Information, Technology, and Scientific Literacy
Course Titles, Descriptions, and Learning Outcomes available at
http://tinyurl.com/zj22twl
Questions? Please contact:
Mirah Dow mdow@emporia.edu
Ken Thompson kthompso@emporia.edu
EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY