Dr. Lauren B. Birney, School of Education
Dr. Jonathan H. Hill, Seidenberg School of Computer
Science
and Information Systems
PACE UNIVERSITY
May 16, 2013
STEM Forum St. Louis, Missouri
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Education: Doctor of Education, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA; MS,
Counseling, Point Loma Nazarene University San Diego, CA; BA Biology and Chemistry, University
of San Diego, San Diego, CA
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Research: STEM dynamics for Secondary and Elementary Teachers, Instructional Education
Technology, e-learning, integrated digital learning, instructional design, Inquiry-based Learning,
Web development, mobile app development, mobile learning, applied technology, e-marketing &
branding, social media, entrepreneurship, technology entrepreneurship, team dynamics, online
learning and STEM teaching.
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Teaching: Education, Classroom Management and Organization, Science Methods for Elementary
and Secondary Teaching, Teacher as Researcher Collaborative Inquiry for STEM Practitioners,
Pace University School of Education
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Associate Professor Pace University School of Education
Director, Pace University of STEM Collaboratory
Educational STEM Consulting
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Education: Doctor of Professional Studies, Computer Science, Pace University, New York, NY, MBA, Management,
Baruch College, City University of New York, New York, NY BA, International Relations, University of the Pacific,
Stockton, CA Research:
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Research: Education Technology, e-learning, integrated digital learning, instructional design, inquiry-based
Learning, Web development, mobile app development, mobile learning, user interaction and usability, applied
technology, augmented Reality, business re- engineering, e-commerce, e-marketing & branding, social media,
database marketing, data visualization, software development and design, software on demand, abstraction,
entrepreneurship, technology entrepreneurship, team dynamics, online learning
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Teaching: Education Technology, Teaching and Learning in Virtual Worlds, Honors computing seminar, Web design
and development, marketing, Higher Education Management, technology & entrepreneurship, case study seminars,
computing literacy, object- oriented programming.
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PACE UNIVERSITY, New York, NY
Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems Associate Dean
Assistant Dean
Director Pace University STEM Collaboratory
Director, Special Programs and Projects
Program Chair, Computing Information Systems Programs
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I.
Introductions
II.
Pair Share – Thoughts on STEM
III.
Summary of the Verizon Pace University STEM
Collaboratory
IV. Resources and Ideas for Individualized Projects
V.
Groups/Discussion Question and Answer
VI. Individual Meetings
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“Do not train a child to learn by force or
harshness; but direct them to it by what
amuses their minds, so that you may be
better able to discover with accuracy the
peculiar bent of the genius of each.”
― Plato
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As a dynamic and innovative university that is responsive to the intellectual and professional
challenges facing our City, region, and country, Pace University intends to address the dramatic
needs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math education by establishing the Pace
University STEM Collaboratory. The “Collaboratory” will facilitate interdisciplinary research and
the exchange of ideas among students, faculty, and staff in STEM disciplines from across the
University. It will also support STEM teaching and learning at the middle and high-school
levels through continued and expanded relationships with public schools in the region. The
Collaboratory’s goals include:
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Identifying and developing a pipeline of STEM students and teachers in the greater New
York area in grades 6 – 12;
Integrating STEM best practices in the preparation of workforce-ready students at the
college level;
Increasing the proficiency of specially selected grade 6 – 12 teachers and administrators in
STEM teaching;
Developing ways to motivate learners to persevere in the study of science, technology,
engineering, and math; and
Launching an interdisciplinary STEM research group based at Pace University that will be a
clearing-house for successful initiatives in STEM education.
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STEM Fellows
 Six Pace faculty members will be selected as STEM Fellows, and will participate in professional
development activities with teachers, making site visits and acting as ongoing resources to
teachers. Innovative teaching, expertise in the content areas, dedication to the STEM fields, and
excellent student evaluations are characteristic of the Faculty Team members.
 STEM Fellows will:
 Provide STEM Content Sessions for participating teachers offered on a monthly basis during the
school year providing an integrated (face to face, and digital) professional learning experience for
the participants;
 Develop classroom activities (lab exercises, investigations, etc. depending on the domain) in
partnership with participating teachers as a result of these content sessions that will be used to
enhance STEM curricula;
 Develop additional classroom activities/assessments in partnership with participating teachers that
will provide a source of material for the Summer Enrichment Program;
 Participate in classroom collaboration by team teaching and mentoring students;
 Support a minimum of two on-site community activities at partner schools, professional
development day and STEM-focused events including talks, demonstrations, and curriculum
review sessions by Pace students and faculty;
 Participate in a minimum of two industry site immersions for teachers and visits for students;
 Serve as a guest speaker at least two times a semester for classroom teachers; and
 Function as an ongoing resource for teachers at partner schools.
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STEM Teachers
 Participate in year-round professional learning with Pace University’s
STEM fellows in a minimum of two regularly scheduled seminars;
 Participate in monthly classroom collaborations with STEM Fellows;
 Disseminate STEM Model information, including but not limited to,
class activities, lesson plans, and other curricula content among
teaching peers in the STEM Collaboratory as well as at professional
development sessions and conferences; and
 Lead at least two site-based STEM events, one at Pace University
and one at the teachers’ home schools for district and regional
teachers and administrators.
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President Obama knows that we simply cannot, as a Nation, expect to maintain our run of ingenuity
and innovation—we cannot maintain that stream of new and different ideas—if we do not broaden
participation in STEM to all Americans, including women and girls and minorities. To that end, the
Administration has taken steps to bolster the participation of these groups through in the following
ways:
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Focusing on underrepresented groups: Engaging and broadening participation of
underrepresented groups lies at the heart of many of the aforementioned initiatives, such as
Change the Equation, whose third pillar focuses on increasing opportunities for women, girls, and
minorities.
Exposing girls and young women to STEM fields: Through innovative arrangements such as the
NASA/Girl Scouts of the USA partnership, theDepartment of Energy’s Women in STEM mentoring
program, and numerous other commitments, agencies across the Administration and the private
sector are creating opportunities for students to gain hands on experience and guidance as they
navigate STEM subjects.
Setting the standard with exceptional role models: Recognizing the need for more women
champions and role models in STEM fields, the President has appointed a number of talented
women to lead science and technology efforts for the administration, including Department of
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, DARPA Director Arati Prabhakar, and National Science Foundation
Acting Director Cora Marrett. Many of these women have also committed to reaching out to
students through the OSTP/Council on Women & Girls Women in STEM Speakers Bureau.
Promoting tech inclusion: In January 2013, the White House issued a call to tech innovators to
work together to ensure that all youth—particularly those from underserved and historically
underrepresented communities, including women and girls—have the opportunity to study STEM
subjects and participate in the technology sector.
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Time-Warner Cable, Discovery Communications, Sesame Street, and other partners will get the message to kids and students about the
wonder of invention and discovery.
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National STEM design competitions will develop game options to engage kids in scientific inquiry and challenging designs
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The President has often said that winners of science and engineering fairs should be celebrated like NCAA champions. Through the White
House Science Fairs, the President has welcomed middle and high school students to celebrate their accomplishments and display their
most cutting-edge science, technology and engineering projects.
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The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) will announce a new dedicated cohort of national service participants, called
STEM AmeriCorps, who will be places in nonprofits that mobilize STEM professionals to inspire young people to excel in STEM education.
As a key first step, CNCS will place 50 AmeriCorps VISTA members across the country to build the capacity of FIRST, a nonprofit
organization that sponsors robotics competitions and other tech challenges.
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In response to the President’s call to action, ten leading education non-profits and U.S. technology companies, including Fortune 500 firms
SanDisk, Cognizant, and Cisco are launchingUS2020, an all-hands-on-deck effort to have many more STEM professionals mentor children
from kindergarten through college.
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In Summer 2013, Maker Education Initiative will launch the first-ever MakerCorps of volunteers who will give more young people the
opportunity to design and build something that is personally meaningfully to them. In its first year, over 100 MakerCorps members – in 19
states and Washington D.C. —will work work with 34 different partner organizations such as schools, libraries, and science centers.
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As part of the First Lady’s Joining Forces effort, the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI), in partnership with Military Child
Education Coalition (MCEC) and Military Impacted Schools Association (MISA), is leading a campaign to give many more students at
public high schools serving a high percentage of military families access to rigorous Advanced Placement (AP) coursework in math and
science.
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50 Essential Twitter Feeds for STEM Educators
http://www.bestcollegesonline.com/blog/2011/12/14/50-essential-twitter-feeds-for-stem-educators/
STEM Master Teacher Corps
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/07/17/president-obama-announces-plans-new-national-corpsrecognize-and-reward-
STEM Education Opportunity Act (Hanna)
http://www.wbng.com/news/local/Hanna-Introduces-STEM-Education-Opportunity-Act-168813566.html
Change the Equation
http://changetheequation.org
Business Roundtable/TAP Coalition
http://businessroundtable.org/committees/education-innovation-and-workforce/world-classeducation/stem/
US News STEM Solutions Conference June 17-19, Austin, Texas 2013
http://usnewsstemsolutions.com/about/where-stem-means-value
Innovate and Educate
http://www.innovate-educate.org/home
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