I will complete my third year of teaching in June. May I still apply?
YES! As long as you will complete your third year of teaching by the end of this year, you may apply.
I have never taken a leadership class or Professional Development. May I still apply?
Please do! It is not necessary to have any previous leadership training.
Does the Fellowship qualify for graduate credit?
You will be enrolled in three graduate courses during the 2-year program and receive course credit for them. The first course will be in Fall 2019, the second in Spring 2020. The third course will cover the second year of the program (Fall 2020, Spring and Summer 2021).
The Fellowship will pay the tuition for the three courses.
Is there a packet with additional information that I can print out?
Feel free to print these web pages.
I understand that this is a two-year Fellowship. Will this take up my summer?
The Fellowship term for the Cohort will be September through August. During the first year, you will begin to formulate your individual professional development growth plan and the timeline associated with that work. This means that you may want to carry out part of your plan during the summer, but you will not have to. You will have a portfolio due in August.
I am curious about the monthly Wipro SEF Cohort meetings. Will I need to arrange for a substitute to attend?
No, the monthly meetings are in the evenings, and on an occasional Saturday, from September-June each year. The priority is, first and foremost, your teaching. There may be a conference in June which may require Friday attendance. Wipro SEF will reimburse your district for the cost of the substitute.
Will there be other meetings?
Yes, due to the nature of the CCLS, groups will be expected to meet at times convenient and negotiated by the group itself. These meetings will occur between the monthly meetings.
What is a CCLS?
The Collaborative Coaching and Learning of Science (CCLS) groups have grown out of the work of the Boston Science Partnership (www.bostonscience.org). The groups are small professional learning communities that determine their own schedules, courses of study, and the lessons that will be taped and observed. Within the first year of the Fellowship, CCLS groups will meet 4-6 times as a group and engage in deep, meaningful professional development in the areas instruction, reflective practice, adult learning and leadership. The meetings are used to develop skills that will benefit all Fellows.
Will I need to videotape myself teaching my students?
Yes. A key component of the Wipro SEF program is the use of classroom videotaping as a way to reflect on teacher practice. The expectation is that the Fellows will videotape their own classroom while teaching, following district policies as they pertain to video release forms, and parental consent. Videotapes are being viewed by peer teachers in their CCLS group as a vehicle for discussion around science teaching and learning and are not being used to evaluate individual students or teachers. Videos will not be published or shared anywhere without the express permission of the teacher, students and district. Video tapes will be stored on Panopto at UNT Dallas. All applicants will be provided an IPad and tripod and will be trained how to upload videos to Panopto.
Who or What is Wipro?
Headquartered in Bangalore, India, Wipro provides comprehensive IT solutions and services to corporations globally. It is a company recognized globally for its comprehensive portfolio of services, practitioner's approach to delivering innovation, and an organization with a wide commitment to sustainability and business ethics. Currently, Wipro has more than 131,687 employees and clients across 53 countries. For more information, please visit their website at www.wipro.com.
Will my District Science Coordinator be my assigned adviser?
No. You will be able to list mentor preferences, but we believe that there is a conflict of interest in assigning mentor pairs between same district Fellows and coordinators.
Who will be my adviser?
You will be assigned an Informal Science Educator as well as work with your District Science Coordinator and Dr. Narayan.
If I have further questions, who should I contact?
Please contact Dr. Ratna Narayan, narayan.wipro@untdallas.edu Phone: 972 338 1340