Pandemic PD: Sustaining Inquiry and Community Amid K-12 Uncertainty

Abstract

We describe a long-standing weeklong K-12 STEM teacher workshop that shifted to a virtual platform in 2020. We re-engaged former participants during this STEM Institute with goals of 1) modeling ways to connect best practices for STEM education gained in previous workshops to a virtual environment, 2) providing space for teacher reflection on their virtual learning implementation during Spring 2020 without sufficient planning time, 3) offering collaborative planning time as they prepared for the Fall 2020 semester, and 4) supporting Southwest Florida STEM teachers through community building during the institute. We continued to focus our delivery (previously in person now virtually) on the 5E model (BSCS, 1987). Drawing upon past participant surveys and anecdotal data from previous years, facilitators addressed teachers’ need for tools and lessons they could implement in their own virtual classes in the fall with plenty of time to listen and learn from each other. Here we discuss our virtual STEM Institute structure in contrast to previous years, virtual tools demonstrated by facilitators and teacher participants, and facilitator experiences and outcomes during the virtual workshop. We provide both qualitative and quantitative summary data from participant surveys on satisfaction with STEM Institute components related to the goals described.