Complex Adaptive Systems and Quantitative Reasoning in an Interdisciplinary STEM Mathematics Classroom (presentation)

In this presentation we will share outcomes from the Real STEM project, which provides professional development for rural teachers in the Georgia Coastal Plains supporting implementation of interdisciplinary STEM courses as well as STEM modules in mathematics and science courses. Real STEM includes a number of innovative student-active strategies for teaching including: Understanding by Design (UbD) approaches to teaching for understanding, problem-based learning (PBL), place-based education (PBE), complex adaptive systems (CAS) thinking, and quantitative reasoning (QR). QR is the mathematical underpinning of the projects. The projects are ongoing so we will report our results on impact on teacher practice and student learning to this point. We will conclude with a discussion of how the projects may address issues of engagement for rural, low socio-economic status student populations in STEM in Central America and the Caribbean.