Benefits for and Expectations of GEMS Fellows
Benefits for GEMS Fellows:
- Increased communication skills for effectively conveying content to and communicating with middle grades students and their teachers.
- Improved knowledge of inquiry-based learning and other current educational issues in mathematics and science education.
- Significant support ($30,000 stipend plus $10,500 cost of education allowance) for active participation in GEMS.
- Unique opportunity to become a more knowledgeable advocate for community support of K-12 education.
- Opportunity for funded travel to regional professional meetings related to GEMS or the Fellow's research.
Major Expectations and Responsibilities of Fellows:
- Actively participate in a two-week summer workshop providing an introduction to current educational issues, approaches to learning in mathematics and science, specific inquiry-based mathematics and/or science curriculum materials, and team building with mathematics and science faculty and education specialists.
- Spend 15 hours per week during the school year on the project, including at least 9 hours directly assisting team teachers and their students in the classroom as a content resource.
- Participate in 15 seminars (about every other Monday night) during the school year discussing lessons and/or difficulties, and performing occasional evaluations.
- Maintain a journal of activities on the project, emphasizing interactions with teachers and students in the assigned classrooms. The journal will be used for seminar discussions and project reporting, and is to be submitted electronically each week.
