ExIST
Exploring the Integration of Systems Thinking: Participatory Professional Development (ExIST)
Lead Staff:
Michael CassidyGillian Puttick
Debra Bernstein
Project Staff:
Santiago GascaProject SummaryThe ExIST Project is a teacher professional development model that supports middle school biology teachers to adapt curriculum by integrating game design to enhance biological systems learning and skills in systems thinking from constructionist and participatory perspectives.
The ExIST Project PD model aims to broaden opportunities for teachers to learn with students by integrating systems with participatory practices in two ways:
- by including co-design with students during PD, and
- approaching instruction in a way that distributes expertise.
The project team believes that using systems as a crosscutting concept will enable teachers to support systems thinking in biology while empowering students to become knowledge producers through game design.
Resource MaterialsExIST offers professional development for teachers to integrate systems thinking and game design into their existing units. These resource materials are adaptable and further explain systems, games, ways to create games and Scratch, and how to engage your students in presenting their games. Please click to access.
The ExIST Project is a teacher professional development model that supports middle school biology teachers to adapt curriculum by integrating game design to enhance biological systems learning and skills in systems thinking from constructionist and participatory perspectives.
The ExIST Project PD model aims to broaden opportunities for teachers to learn with students by integrating systems with participatory practices in two ways:
- by including co-design with students during PD, and
- approaching instruction in a way that distributes expertise.
The project team believes that using systems as a crosscutting concept will enable teachers to support systems thinking in biology while empowering students to become knowledge producers through game design.
ExIST offers professional development for teachers to integrate systems thinking and game design into their existing units. These resource materials are adaptable and further explain systems, games, ways to create games and Scratch, and how to engage your students in presenting their games. Please click to access.
Professional Development
ScienceFunder:
National Science Foundation
Award Number:
2200815
