Science continues to advance as the global economy rapidly changes, and P-12 students must acquire the knowledge and skills needed for the careers of tomorrow. It’s up to educators to make sure they are sharing the most up-to-date information with these students in an engaging way. As a premier research institution, Indiana University offers high-quality professional development opportunities to teachers across the state to help them prepare students for the future.
The P-12 School Engagement team consists of faculty from the Office of Community Engagement in the School of Education at IU Bloomington. The team works with partners across IU to offer professional development training in global competency, medicine and environmental science, giving teachers the resources they need to prepare students for success.
Imparting global employability skills
Indiana’s economy is becoming more globally connected, with over 1,050 companies with origins in 40 countries operating in the state. In 2023, Indiana exports were valued at $56.1 billion, making it the 9th largest state exporter in the country. As a result, there is a growing demand for a Hoosier workforce that can work effectively across cultures and international markets.
Vesna Dimitrieska, director of Global Education Initiatives, partnered with the Center for the Study of Global Change to meet the needs of educators.
“Many people think you have to leave the country to have an international perspective, but you can be globally competent without having to travel,” Dimitrieska said.
“Our priorities include internationalization at home. There are students in rural and urban classrooms who don’t have the opportunity to go overseas. However, they can still be ready to participate in a global economy because teachers can bring the world to them.”
The Global Literacy Invitation Project introduces a teaching strategy of open-ended investigation that extends cross-cultural book themes into other areas and subjects, including technology, science, math, music and art. In June, elementary-level educators spent a week in Bloomington learning the approach and formulating lesson plans. In November, they will convene virtually to discuss implementation and feedback.
“Trainings like the Global Literacy Invitation Project are so important to me as they support my desire to teach global issues within the classroom,” said Angela Antrim, a third-grade teacher at University Elementary in Bloomington.
“One of my goals is to infuse values of empathy, open-mindedness and kindness in my students, and learning about other cultures around the world does just that!”
Once finalized, the teacher-constructed lesson plans are available online to share with peers.
View global literacy lesson plans
As students go on to high school, careers and technical education, teachers prepare them for high-skill, high-wage careers in specialized industries such as aviation, health sciences, construction, information technology and more. Many of those industries are intricately connected to the global economy.
“Career readiness begins with robust educational preparation,” Konwest said. “Infusing global perspectives into all levels of learning is vital to ensuring the competitiveness of the Hoosier workforce.”
“We may be landlocked, but we are connected to the world through exports and foreign investment. Whatever the student’s goal may be, at some point in their career they will engage with the global economy, especially if they remain in the state.”
The June workshop was held on Ivy Tech’s campus in Valparaiso. Heather Singmaster, director of Career and Technical Education at Digital Promise, and Audra Peterson, director of Porter County Career and Technical Education led 41 vocational teachers in the process of internationalizing curriculum.
Integrating medical research into biology lessons
One of Indiana’s most prominent industries is life sciences and health care, but there is a growing shortage of medical research professionals.
“We focus on professional and project development, by imparting problem-based learning techniques and co-designing hands-on medical research lessons,” Buck said.
The two-year program held its first summer institute in June, connecting fifth- through ninth-grade science teachers with cancer researchers. Educators toured labs at the IU Simon Cancer Center.
Throughout the academic school year, IU researchers and faculty connect with participants to incorporate student feedback, ensuring that the lessons meet classroom needs.
“When we talk about cancer research, it can be a very difficult topic, partially due to the nature of the science but also on the social-emotional level,” said J. Adam Scribner, director of STEM Initiatives at the IU Bloomington School of Education. “However, a lot of the P-12 teachers are sharing their expertise with our researchers, and the researchers are also learning from the teachers about how to communicate their science to a broader audience.”
Expanding environmental science awareness
Climate-related weather events impact all aspects of life, which is why Indiana created its first climate action plan earlier this year. Implementing solutions is a shared responsibility across public and private sectors, so it’s important for students to have a foundational understanding of environmental science. However, finding the right mix of climate information and activities that fit into Indiana’s education standards can be challenging for teachers.
Scribner knew IU had a wealth of expertise in this area due to its many science departments, such as the Environmental Resilience Institute, the Center for Rural Engagement and the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. He partnered with Michael Hamburger, professor of geophysics in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, and they worked with IU experts to launch Educating for Environmental Change, a professional development program that provides resources to teach climate science and policy.
“Learning this for myself gives me a lot of background knowledge and ideas on how I can help my students understand that we do have a big problem, but if we all work together we can make a difference,” said Lisa Kroll, a fifth-grade teacher at University Elementary.
“I love that we have this resource so close to home. I can come and connect with other teachers from around the state but also IU scientists. I’m able to tell my students that real research is being done, and I know people who are doing it.”
Read more: Summer Science Institute
Since 2017, around 570 educators have participated in Educating for Environmental Change programming, attracting classroom teachers and educators in non-classroom settings like the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis and the Wonderlab Science Museum. Their work has caught the attention of state officials, as Scribner and others were invited to be a part of committees that reviewed and revised new state standards for science education.
“I’m really proud of the new state science standards,” Scribner said. “In my 25 years as an educator, it is the most important work that I’ve done.”
“That is the big picture of what we’re doing. We want to encourage students to enter STEM careers, but even if they’re not going to go into STEM we provide them with skills, practices and knowledge that are adaptable and transferable.”
