Cohort One began their first online course, “Science Curriculum and Instruction in Education” taught by Rebecca Ortiz, PhD, and Shirley Matteson, PhD for the fall 2009 semester.

In the spring 2010 semester, students enrolled in the online course “The Nature of Science for Teachers in Interdisciplinary Studies” will be taught by Jeff Lee, PhD.

The first summer session (June 7-25, 2010) at Texas Tech’s Lubbock campus will cover “Advanced Math and Statistics for Teachers I” taught by Jerry Dwyer, PhD, and “Conceptual Physics for Teachers in Physics” taught by David Lamp, PhD.

The application process for the second and third cohorts of 25 math and science middle school teachers per cohort will be open for admission to the degree scholarship program.

Texas Middle School Math and Science Teachers

The goal of the (MS)² Understanding by Design program is to prepare and increase the number of highly qualified in-service middle school mathematics and science teachers to become well developed in content knowledge. Through participation in this program, teachers will thrive in an interdisciplinary environment through their experiences in novel learning communities encompassing a team of mathematics and science teachers as well as university STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and education faculty. During this six year endeavor, (MS)² participants will engage in:

1. Tailored professional development experiences as well as STEM and education courses.
2. Community building between Texas Tech University STEM and education faculty, and in-service mathematics and science teachers.
3. Collaborative design and implementation of integrated STEM modules.
4. Grant proposal writing and manuscript productions suitable for publication in STEM-based education journals (e.g., National Science Teachers Association and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics).
5. Development of cyber-enabled support network and dissemination platforms for statewide outreach.