A Connective MOOC for K-12 Science and Mathematics Teacher Professional Development in Native American Pueblo Schools

Abstract

This paper describes considerations for the participatory design and development of an online collaborative learning and support tool intended to increase STEM proficiency among elementary and high school teachers in Native American Pueblo schools in New Mexico. This project builds upon prior work that trained K-12 teachers to use investigative teaching, which in turn had significant positive impact on the math and science proficiency of Native American and Hispanic students. The current project seeks to use Connective Massive Open Course (cMOOC) technology to build online peer learning communities for the purpose of professional development amongst rural teachers with the expectation of building shared epistemologies that would guide integration of Native American learning processes in pedagogy and practice. The overall objective is to enable Pueblo teachers to more effectively teach STEM subject matter, as measured by an increase in both teacher and student content knowledge base. If successful, the use of these technologies should facilitate rapid expansion of the program across Native American Pueblos and reservations in United States, Canada, Mexico, and elsewhere.