Laffey 95-54313 Project MOST (Missouri Supporting Teachers) represents a consortium that has embraced a vision and plan of work to improve science and math teaching and learning. We propose to build, implement, and sustain an Internet-based support system for teachers and students as they undertake project-based learning and computational science. Along with reform efforts already underway in Missouri, the following objectives of Project MOST enable new ways of working and learning in schools: (1) a network infrastructure that creates a community of educators and leverages knowledge and experience across the community, (2) an electronic teacher support system designed around the practices and challenges of teaching and learning with project-based and computational science approaches, (3) a consortium of change agents with a cohesive vision and a common set of tools for supporting teacher professionalization and school restructuring, and (4) new knowledge both to understand the nature of the learning, teaching and community enabled by new tools and approaches, and to improve, as well as judge the worth, of the tools and approaches. A support system using available technologies and based on the innovative work of two teachers in Lee's Summit will assist teachers as they facilitate and monitor student projects, use new tools and methods, solve problems, assess student outcomes, and develop professionally. The support system will assist students as they undertake meaningful projects by helping: locate resources and mentors, collaborate with others, use new tools and methods, solve problems, and build and share a portfolio of their project. The support system also facilitates the roles of preservice teachers gaining field experience, mentors from in and out of school who support student work, those who assess student processes and achievements, and researchers. Over time the support system will grow in richness of resources and have improved functioning for teaching and learning throu gh better designed processes and more tightly integrated and powerful technologies. In the second year of the grant four new schools will join Project MOST and a model of regional consortia will be implemented and tested. Project MOST and the research that comes out of this undertaking has the potential to lead to fundamental advances in the area of educational reform, professional development of teachers, and school change. As the project develops, contributions will be made to understanding how to utilize existing technology to break down teacher and school isolation and provide immediate ongoing professional support for the practitioner in the classroom. This provides a foundation for growing this model from a focus on computational science and project-based learning at the secondary level to other appropriate educational reform programs at all levels. The potential is there to impact students and teachers who are currently isolated in classrooms, and transform them into active members of a growing intellectual community.
