Outreach

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Outreach

Some of the major outreach/research programs in the Department of Curriculum and Teaching are the East Alabama Regional Inservice Center, Persistent Issues in History, the Sunbelt Writing Project, and TEAM-Math (Transforming East Alabama Mathematics).

The East Alabama Regional Inservice Center (EARIC), operated through the Department of Curriculum and Teaching at Auburn University under the direction of a 16-member governing board, serves schools in fifteen school districts in the east central portion of the state. EARIC provides a wide range of professional development offerings, including resources, training, and services for area teachers and administrators. EARIC also assists staff development coordinators in the local schools in planning and conducting system and building-based inservice training. In addition, EARIC works closely with the Alabama State Department of Education as a vehicle for providing professional development related to statewide initiatives such as the Alabama Reading Initiative, the Alabama Reading First Initiative, and Technology in Motion. http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/earic/

The Persistent Issues in History Network project is a civic and history education project developed by the Social Science Education program in Auburn University 's Department of Curriculum and Teaching and the Instructional Systems Technology program at Indiana University . The PIH Network uses the power of interactive technology to support student thinking about the past and the enduring civic issues with which democratic societies wrestle. The project provides both on-site and on-line professional development to PIH teacher partners across the state and nation. Each summer groups of teachers participate in intensive summer seminars at Auburn University . Our Internet-based PIH curriculum features a multimedia database of historical documents and web-based teaching and learning tools that facilitate problem-based historical inquiry. Content on new historical topics is added to the database through curriculum development partnerships with PIH teachers. The PIH Network is supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, Auburn University Outreach, Auburn University College of Education and Department of Curriculum and Teaching, Indiana University School of Education, the Russell Corporation, and Apple Computer. Project Directors are: John Saye, Auburn University and Tom Brush, Indiana University . http://www.auburn.edu/~sayejoh/PIHNet.htm

The mission of the Sun Belt Writing Project is to improve writing and learning in our region's schools. Through its professional development model, Sun Belt, the National Writing Project site at Auburn University , recognizes the primary importance of teacher knowledge, expertise, and leadership.

Every student deserves a highly skilled teacher of writing. To that end, the Sun Belt Writing Project conducts an annual invitational summer institute, attended by experienced and widely respected teachers of writing recruited from elementary, secondary, and college campuses in our area. Together, these teachers prepare for leadership roles by demonstrating their most effective practices, studying research, and improving their knowledge of writing by writing themselves.

The Sun Belt Writing Project, established in 1981 by Professor Emeritus of English Language Arts Education Richard L. Graves, was the first National Writing Project site in Alabama . Today there are 7 Alabama National Writing Project sites and 185 National Writing Project sites across the 50 states, Puerto Rico , Washington , D. C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Sun Belt Writing Project network for improving the teaching of writing in our region includes more than 250 Teacher Consultants who have attended the invitational summer institute. These Teacher Consultants make themselves available to provide inservice programs in their areas of specialty to districts participating in this program and conduct long-term professional development in their schools, demonstrating the successful multiplying effect of the National Writing Project's teachers-teaching-teachers model. http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/curr/sunbelt/

TEAM-Math (Transforming East Alabama Mathematics) represents a unique effort to improve mathematics education in East Alabama through a partnership of teachers and university faculty working together in a collaborative spirit to solve the problems they face. The partnership includes Auburn University's College of Education and College of Sciences and Mathematics, Tuskegee University, and twelve school districts in East Alabama. TEAM-Math is responding to a critical need in East Alabama. Mathematics achievement in this area is lagging, and all students in East Alabama need and deserve a quality mathematics education to succeed in life. The goal of the partnership is to systemically improve mathematics education in this region across the educational system, K-20, seeking to bring it into alignment with state and national standards and the best available research on mathematics teaching, learning, and program improvement.

With $9 million in funding from the National Science Foundation, TEAM-Math will provide intensive professional development to all teachers in East Alabama who teach mathematics over the next five years. Teachers from schools enter the program as a group during a two-week summer institute. Each cohort of teachers will continue receiving professional development for at least two years, with a one-week follow-up institute the following summer and follow-up meetings and support on a continuing basis. TEAM-Math also provides administrator training, teacher leader training, and curriculum alignment across the districts. The universities are additionally working to improve their teacher preparation programs and increase the number of new mathematics teachers. TEAM-Math is a comprehensive "team effort"! http://team-math.net/