GK-12, Innovating
Graduate and K-12 Education in Biological Sciences
Sponsored by the National Science Foundation
NSF Grant DGE-0638751
Program Announcement
Applications
will be reviewed starting on April 20, 2012
Program Directors
Dr. Luis M. Mota-Bravo, Director of Outreach,
Research Training and Minority Science Programs (MSP),
School of Biological Sciences
Dr. R. Michael Mulligan, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Professor of
Developmental and Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences
Dr. Marlene de la Cruz, Associate Director of Outreach, Research Training and
Minority Science Programs (MSP),
School of Biological Sciences
Current
Activities and Teaching Materials
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The
GK-12 Program at the UCI School of Biological Sciences is designed to bring
innovation to graduate and K-12 education by integrating investigation and
experimentation conducted by UCI faculty and graduate students with teaching of
Biology/Life Sciences in grades 7-12 at partner schools in Santa Ana and Westside of
Newport-Mesa Unified School Districts. GK-12 graduate students will
improve communication, teaching and team-building skills as they act as partners
and mentors and incorporate their own research to support and serve as resources
for teachers to enrich learning for K-12 students in minority-serving schools,
in accordance with the California Science Content Standards for Grade Seven Life Science,
Grades Nine through
Twelve Biology/Life Sciences and
Grades Nine through
Twelve Investigation and Experimentation.
The
project's components include orientation sessions for graduate students and teachers to
learn about the project, training on methods of teaching science in
secondary schools, seminars for graduate students to review and discuss new developments
and experiences, workshops and summer institutes where faculty, graduate students and
teachers prepare inquiry-based lessons and laboratories to be presented to
7th-12th grade students, practical experience (10 hrs/wk) for graduate students in teaching
these lessons and laboratory activities, presentations by graduate students about their
research, the development of a GK-12 manual on teaching practices, a handbook on
mentoring and a web-based repository to disseminate practices, lessons and
laboratories developed by graduate students and teachers. In addition, there
is an annual symposium where graduate students present their experiences and developed materials.
GK-12 Graduate Students.
Support for GK-12 graduate students includes stipend, fees and health insurance. GK-12
graduate students are required to participate in the program from July 1, 2012 to June 30,
2013. Total time commitment to the program for GK-12 graduate students is 60
hours per month (or 15 hours/week, including 10 hours/week at the GK-12 partner
school during the academic year). GK-12 graduate students are required to prepare lessons and participate in
the following activities:
Summer
- Summer Institute
I, July 16-20, 2012 (40 hours)
- Summer Institute
II, August 20-24, 2012 (40 hours)
Academic year
- Spend 10 hours per week in the K-12 classrooms presenting lessons (GK-12
graduate students need to provide their own transportation from UCI to the partner
schools)
- Participate in seminar/progress report sessions at UCI every Tuesday,
5:00-6:00
PM from September 24, 2012 to Jun 7, 2013 (Scientific
Communication for GK12 graduate students)
- Participate in two Saturday workshops at UCI, on October
13 and December 8, 2012
- Present developed materials at the UCI GK-12 Symposium on Tuesday,
May 28, 2013,
5:00-6:00 PM
- Prepare reports of activities and participate in ongoing evaluations
- Present papers at selected national conferences
Continued funding is based on
satisfactory performance and participation in program activities. GK-12 graduate
students
will be evaluated quarterly. GK-12 graduate students are expected to maintain an active
research program and make good progress toward the doctoral degree during the
period that they are on fellowship. The GK-12 graduate students will be required to submit
a quarterly research plan and research summary as a part of the program. A GK-12
graduate student will not be eligible to receive other employment or fellowship support
during the period that they are a GK-12 graduate fellow. Thus, they will not be able to
serve as a TA, GSR, be appointed on a training grant, or accept employment
outside the University during this period.
Biology/Life Sciences Teachers. Support
for Biology/Life Sciences teachers from the three partner districts include
stipends of $4,000 per year for teachers that host a GK-12 graduate student (10 hrs/week
during the school year) in their Biology/Life Sciences
classes, participate
in two full-time GK-12 summer institutes (July 16-20 and August 20-24, 2012),
two Saturday workshops (October 13 and December 8, 2012) and UCI GK-12 Symposium on Tuesday May
28, 2013,
5:00-6:00 PM. The teachers will be required to participate
in ongoing project evaluations and submit brief monthly journal reports. Funding is available for teachers to present
papers at selected national conferences.
ELIGIBILITY
Eligible GK-12
graduate students are: 1) US citizens or permanent residents, 2) enrolled full time in
the second to fifth year in a
PhD program in the UCI School of Biological Sciences, and 3) progressing
satisfactorily in the doctoral program.
Eligible teachers are: 1) US citizens or permanent residents, 2) teaching
Biology/Life Sciences in grades 7-12 at one of the partner
districts (Santa Ana, and Westside of Newport-Mesa Unified School
Districts), and 3) certified teachers possessing a valid California Teaching
Credential.
APPLICATION
Applications will be reviewed starting on April 20, 2012, until all fellowships are
awarded.
To apply for
GK-12 graduate fellowships please download, complete and
sign the GK-12 Fellowship Application
and ask your thesis advisor to complete and sign the
Recommendation and
Support Statement form. With your application, please include 1) a current
CV, 2) Teaching Statement and 3) the Recommendation and Support Statement
form signed by your thesis advisor.
For Teachers, please download, complete and sign the
Teacher Application and the
Principal's Support form. With your application, please
include a statement of support from the Principal of the school where you teach
(see application package).
Prospective GK-12 graduate students and Teachers, please contact
Dr. Marlene de la Cruz
Associate Director/Academic Coordinator
Outreach, Research Training and Minority Science Programs
School of Biological Sciences-Office of the Dean
University of California, Irvine
1134 Biological Sciences III
Irvine, CA 92697-2527
Ph: (949) 824-2589
Fax: (949) 824-6599
e-mail:
marlene@uci.edu
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