The Wipro Urban STEM Fellowship Program at Michigan State University

Michigan State University, in partnership with global tech giant Wipro Ltd., is launching an innovative fellowship program designed to empower math and science teachers in urban K-12 schools to create transformative, innovative, and multimodal instructional experiences for students. 125 full tuition scholarships, plus fellowships of $5000 will be reserved for highly motivated teachers in Chicago Public Schools who demonstrate a passion for teaching STEM subjects and the potential to become catalysts of change in the city’s schools. Through integrated face-to-face and online learning experiences, this twelve-month program, will prepare a cohort of teacher-leaders to set new directions for STEM learning in Chicago Public Schools.

What is the purpose of this initiative?

  • To develop the capacity of classroom teachers to design transformative and innovative, multimodal instructional experiences and active learning communities of practice – all as means of enhancing the quality of instruction in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) disciplines.
  • To provide teachers the necessary support to have significant roles of leadership in facilitating innovative STEM instruction both within classrooms as well as school wide.

Program Highlights

  • Wipro STEM Fellows will earn MSU’s Graduate Certificate in STEM Learning and Leadership.
  • All tuition, travel and expenses paid by the fellowship.
  • Each Wipro STEM Fellow receives a tablet computer.
  • Fellows commit to two years of post-graduation service as a STEM teacher in urban schools.

Our pedagogical approach

The award winning MAET program has a unique and rigorous approach towards instruction and professional development. Our goal is to support and develop thoughtful, innovative practitioners who integrate content, technology and pedagogy in creative ways. The courses are designed by some of the top faculty in the nation and are taught by instructors who themselves are recognized leaders in the field and are often teachers themselves. Some of the key tenets of our approach are:

  • Learning by Design. Our instructional approach involves real world, hands-on engagement with tools, pedagogies and their relationship to core constructs in the STEM disciplines. In this we are driven by our cutting-edge research on the internationally recognized TPACK (Technology Pedagogical Content Knowledge) framework.
  • Deeply connected to classroom practice and standards. Our approach is driven by the needs of real teachers as they wrestle with problems of practice. In this we focus both on powerful big ideas even while keep state and national standards (such as Common Core standards) in focus.
  • Multiple levels of conceptual integration across modes of delivery. We have extensive experience in designing both face-to-face, hybrid and online courses. We seek to find the appropriate balance between these different modes of interaction for maximal support for the broader pedagogical goals of teacher professional development.
  • Innovative use of technology. Our program is not about the latest and greatest tools but rather aims to help teachers thoughtfully repurpose existing tools at their disposal to meet student-learning goals. We seek technology integration in STEM pedagogy as being a developmental trajectory that goes from Replacement to Amplication to Transformation.
  • Development of learning communities. Our teacher learning professional communities extend well beyond the time spent in specific programs or courses. These affinity groups span across the world and all participants in our programs automatically become part of this larger community and can avail of the collective expertise of the group.

Courses

The MSU-Wipro STEM & Leadership Teaching Fellowship Program integrates three courses (9 credits):

CEP 805: Learning Mathematics with Technology – 3 credits

  • This course introduces psychological and disciplinary perspectives on teaching and learning mathematics, with a focus on teacher education and professional development. Teaching and learning mathematics for understanding – with a special focus on urban contexts – will be explored, as well as the role of technology in allowing for multiple representations of mathematical ideas, modeling, and authentic learning environments.

CEP 806: Learning Science with Technology – 3 credits

  • This course introduces contemporary conceptual perspectives from educational psychology and teacher education on important issues of learning science. It explores possibilities, ideas, and issues associated with teaching science within the urban context, as well as how K-12 teachers use Internet resources (e.g. simulations, databases, communities) to facilitate science learning.

CEP 815: Technology and Leadership – 3 credits

  • This course introduces professional development strategies for teaching STEM in urban contexts. Project management, planning and evaluation are explored, as well as relationship building and developing leadership in urban schools and school districts.