TERC is a nonprofit R&D organization committed to improving math and science learning and teaching and the application of technology to K-12 education. Founded in 1965 and located in Cambridge, MA, TERC is internationally recognized for creating innovative curricula, fostering teacher professional development, pioneering classroom uses of technology in education, supporting schools and school districts in the integration of technology into classroom practice, and developing equitable opportunities for underserved learners.
TERC has extensive experience in three areas of special relevance to the proposed TLC work: professional development of educational leaders and teachers in the areas of technology integration into classroom practice, standards-based school reform, and leadership; educational research and evaluation; and development of learning materials, known for their quality, innovative uses of technology, and careful development through field testing.
Professional Development. Project MEET. TERC is a partner to the Massachusetts Department of Education in this Technology Innovation Challenge Grant, and is responsible for professional development for school-based technology integration specialists. This professional development is a full year program that includes a week-long summer institute, weekly seminars throughout the school year, and site visits to schools. Project MEET works closely with districts throughout the state who serve disadvantaged students.
TMD Institutes. TERC has organized a series of eight very successful 2-day institutes that have helped district leaders and school leaders (including principals, technology integration specialists, and library media specialists) to develop a clearer understanding of the role of technology in supporting exemplary practices for classroom teaching and learning.
Eisenhower Regional Alliance for Mathematics and Science. Through the Regional Alliance, TERC has led the professional development for principals, curriculum leaders, and teachers in over 70 "Alliance Schools" throughout the Northeast and the Islands. The Regional Alliance is a national leader in the use of assessment data to drive school reform, and has published Using Data—Getting Results (Love, 2000).
Massachusetts Science and Technology Framework. TERC helped to lead the effort to write the state’s first Science and Technology Framework, working closely with educators across the state and with the state Department of Education. The document captures exemplary teaching and learning practices for science and technology.
Cheche Konnen Center. TERC is spearheading a five-year national reform initiative to improve elementary and middle school science for language minority students. At the heart of the work is a research-based approach to teacher professional development that integrates inquiry and reflection on multiple levels.
Development of Learning Materials. Investigations Math Curriculum (Dale Seymour, publisher). Written by TERC for teachers and students in grades K to 5, these materials are in wide use as leading districts revise their math programs to be consistent with the NCTM standards.
Probeware. TERC has developed commercial curriculum and software using Probeware (Nature of Science, IBM, 1993).
Telecollaboration. TERC has pioneered the application of telecollaborative technologies for cross-classroom science curricula (National Geographic Kids Network, whose units first appeared in 1990). Global Lab is commercially available starting in fall of 2000.
Hands-On Universe. As a collaborator in this work, TERC has developed curriculum units that support an interdisciplinary approach to student investigations in astronomy. Telecommunications link high school classrooms to remote telescopes and an image database. By using an image-processing program, students can modify and analyze the images they access. TERC is developing other curriculum materials around the themes of earth and space science.
Zoombinis and Yoiks! TERC has developed the award-winning educational game, Logical Journey of the Zoombinis (Broderbund, 1996), which is widely acknowledged as redefining the value of educational games. More recently, TERC has released Yoiks! (TERCworks, 1999).
Educational Research and Evaluation. Project MEET. TERC is responsible for the evaluation of this Technology Innovation Challenge Grant, and conducts quantitative and qualitative research with school leaders and teachers.
Research on Impact of Technology on Classroom Practice. The telecollaborative curricula described above have been the subject of research by TERC staff and funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), including Network Science, A Decade Later: The Internet and Classroom Learning (Feldman, Konold, and Coulter, 2000).
The Inquiry-based Classroom in Context. TERC is investigating how middle school science teachers in several districts involved in the Massachusetts State Systemic Initiative have come to interpret inquiry. Through district-wide surveys and case studies of schools, the project engages teachers in exploring how their decision-making about inquiry practice is shaped by teachers’ backgrounds, perceptions of their classrooms, school cultures, district and state influences, and other factors. This research informs effective curriculum development, teacher enhancement, and educational policy.
Role of TERC in TLC. Alan Feldman, principal scientist at TERC, will serve on the strategic planning committee. As a member of the this leadership team, he will be involved in all aspects of project design, implementation, and research.
TERC has two groups of staff involved in the work of TLC. The first group will lead professional development in the four TLC components. The Research group at TERC is responsible for the evaluation of the project.
Contact information:
Alan Feldman
TERC
2067 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02140
phone: 617-873-9633
fax: 617-349-3535
email: alan_feldman@terc.edu
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