Groundwork Education in Mathematics and Science
(Funded by the National Science Foundation GK-12 Program)
The Groundwork Education in Mathematics and Science (GEMS) project is a collaborative effort between the University of Louisville (UofL) and the Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) that partners mathematics and science faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students from the College of Arts and Sciences, mathematics and science educators from the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), mathematics and science specialists from JCPS, and teachers from six Title I elementary schools. In each school there will be a six-member GEMS team composed of two science teachers, two mathematics teachers, a science Fellow, and a mathematics Fellow. As the teams implement inquiry-based instruction each will be supported by two UofL content faculty members and two pedagogy mentors from CEHD and/or JCPS specialists.
The primary goals of GEMS are:
- To increase the content knowledge and best-teaching practices of elementary teachers by providing professional development tailored to support inquiry-based curricula chosen by JCPS and the school.
- To improve the communication and teaching skills of the Fellows (graduate and undergraduate students) by having them assume an active role as content resources for the teachers in the classroom.
From these GEMS experiences, Fellows will emerge as knowledgeable ambassadors in their professions for community support of K-12 science and mathematics education.
- To create excitement, improve reasoning and understanding, and deepen concept retention in elementary mathematics and science classrooms. An anticipated outcome is increased testing scores.
GEMS in the Multimedia News
