The Wipro Science Education Fellowship is a two-year program for science teachers who are dedicated to learning and growing as a teacher and as a leader. The Fellowship has a core set of work that all fellows must participate in during each year.

Collaborative Work

• Develop relationships with teachers across content areas and levels
• Videotape his/her own classroom instruction
• Participate in the SEF adapted CCLS model
• Observe other teachers’ lessons and give feedback; receive peer feedback on lessons
• Anchor feedback and reflections in research
• Look at teaching and learning across content areas and levels

During Year 1, fellows will meet monthly as a group and engage in deep, meaningful professional development in the areas of instruction, reflective practice, adult learning, and leadership. These meetings are used to develop skills that will benefit all fellows. The other major part of collaborative work is done in Collaborative Coaching and Learning of Science (CCLS) groups, which has grown out of the work of the Boston Science Partnership. These small professional learning communities determine their own schedules, courses of study, and the lessons they will all be taping and observing. These video observations, research, and student work will anchor the teams’ conversations in teaching and learning across science content areas and levels.

At the end of Year 1, fellows will design an individualized growth plan. This plan should consist of a clear vision that will help lead them to where they would like to be at the end of Year 2, and it needs to consist of work that they feel like he or she would not have an opportunity to do otherwise. The plan should focus on ways to improve their own instruction and leadership skills both in the formal school environment as well as at an informal science site in Metro Dallas.  Accordingly, this work should tie into the type of professional development the fellow would like to either develop or lead for other science teachers. Fellows will work with an adviser who will help them to develop their own professional growth plan and will meet with their headmaster/principal to determine how to be a leader while still being in the classroom. Each fellow will have a small fund to purchase support materials or attend professional development. Fellows will also meet in district groups with their science coordinator to talk about how their work will go on to support district initiatives.

It is important to reiterate that the application, videos, portfolio, forms, feedback and content in regards to the Wipro Science Education Fellowship are not part of any Educator Evaluation. All materials are housed securely in the School of Education at the University of North Texas at Dallas in the PI's office, and not at the ISD offices.