Promoting Effective Teaching in Science Learning through Engineering Design [SLED]

The Science Learning through Engineering Design (SLED) Partnership is a targeted project aimed at improving student learning of science and math at the elementary/intermediate school level through the integration of engineering design-based activities. The SLED project seeks to develop a framework for effective STEM teaching through engineering design to support educational change and innovation among 200 inservice and 100 preservice teachers and 5,000 students over five years. Key project activities include: (a) creation of high quality standards- and design-based curricular materials; (b) delivery of content-rich and design-focused professional development experiences and resources for in-service teachers; © development of an engineering-design focused science methods course for pre-service teachers; (d) development and maintenance of an electronic communications hub and repository of best practices, curricular resources, and assessments; and (e) research concerning the partnership, teacher implementation methods, and student learning. Progress to date has focused on creating the SLED community through shared information on instructional and curricular issues, development and implementation of content-rich design tasks, creation and implementation of a summer institute for inservice teacher professional development, creation of a design-based methods course for preservice teachers, and preliminary interactions within/across the community.