Math & Mimbres with Blais Cross, where the intersection of mathematics and Mimbres pottery is explored through educational programs and exhibitions. This unique showcase highlights how ancient artifacts embody geometric precision and mathematical concepts like the Fibonacci sequence and the Golden Ratio. Interactive displays engage visitors in the practical applications of mathematics, enriching our understanding of how ancient cultures integrated complex knowledge into their artistic expressions.

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Bisbee High School teacher, Blais Cross, was awarded the Cochise County Special Projects Teacher of the Year for her project, “Teaching Math for Social Justice.”

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Cross said the project involved helping the school’s students use mathematics to help their classmates. “They decided they wanted to approach administration and advocate to have their breakfast schedule changed so that more students would have access to eat breakfast in the morning,” she explained. “…And so a lot of students didn’t have equal opportunity to eat breakfast. So we surveyed the whole school and collected data and the students analyzed the data and were able to bring the report back to the school board.”

Cross said the project resulted in breakfast schedules being moved back to 10:00 a.m. from the recent 8:00 a.m., effective at the start of next school year. (Story by Mark Hays, featured in the Sierra Vista Herald, April 24, 2024)

Using Real World Data Driven Instruction and Technology to Increase Student Engagement
Charles Collingwood

Culturally Responsive Mathematics Pedagogy is a method of teaching that cultivates academic talent across a range of student populations despite the prevalence of educational disparities. In this presentation, we argue that every student needs to understand, interpret, and critically analyze real-life mathematical relationships and applications. This will allow students to elevate their understanding of the significant role that mathematics can play in their lives. Data science and statistics can be used as weapons against the data illiterate. It is imperative that we use this knowledge and skill as a vehicle to improve the lives and opportunities of all students, especially those from underserved communities. In this workshop, we will illustrate and discuss how we can engage students as the creators and collectors of information; empowering them to make meaningful connections using data. We will also explore ways to tackle sensitive social issues dealing with the environment and systemic racism by embedding methods and action items that align with the CRMP Framework. We believe that the knowledge and understanding of Data Science will help solve the big problems of tomorrow. Let us prepare our students today.

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Projects from the Teaching Math for Justice and Equity Institute 
Blais Cross, Charles Collingwood

In Fall 2023, Noyce scholars and fellows participated in a Teaching Math for Justice and Equity Institute in conjunction with attending the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics annual conference in Washington D.C. Teams of teachers designed small projects to integrate what they were learning into their teaching practice. In this session, we will share how those projects are going, what we have learned and what we want to try next!

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2023 Math Symposium Project Design in Action: Teacher Leaders Share Their Stories
Blais Cross, Eric Meyer

During this session we will hear from educators that participated in the 2023 International Data Analysis Symposium held in July at the Bisbee Science Lab in Bisbee, Arizona.

The 2023 Summer Symposium was an opportunity for borderland students to build scientist skills and practice math fluency in a science lab setting. During this week-long event, investigating important questions through conducting experiments and collecting data was emphasized. Participants applied algebraic logic and other math skills to practice critical thinking strategies and gain confidence. Project design activities required students manage numbers and analyze data while completing tasks in order to answer questions related to current authentic science.

Teachers will share program highlights from the event and answer questions about their research project design activities.

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Using an Informal Science Learning Experience as a Way to Empower Classroom Teachers
Leslie Ferre

Inquiry-based methods provide a more authentic science learning experience. However, empowering teachers to feel confident moving towards inquiry-based learning in their science classrooms continues to be a challenge. This is not how teachers learned science, how our administrators learned science, or how the caregivers of our students learned science, which creates an institutional inertia that often feels impossible to overcome. It is hard to trust that something will work if you and the people around you do not have experience with it. Could informal learning experiences outside of the classroom provide the impulse to help change direction? In this presentation, we will explore and examine a model being tested in Southern Arizona that combines an informal science learning experience for students with pre-visit professional development, pre- and post-visit curriculum, and on-going mentoring support for teachers. The Sky Island STEAM Express Mobile Hydrology Lab visits K-12 schools in the borderlands region of Southern Arizona, a high needs rural setting. Teachers at schools that host the mobile lab have the opportunity to participate in a 2-hour pre-visit professional development with the goal of building their confidence with inquiry-based science teaching while also providing the teacher participants with curricula to do just that.

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Creating a Student-led Learning Environment
Nathan Sendgikoski

Progressive education certainly consists of many buzzwords. Building community, modeling, project-based learning, and equitable grading, are among the many current buzzwords. What do these practices all have in common? If you guessed “fostering a student-led learning environment” after reading the title of this session, then you know what this session is all about. We will be hearing student testimonials of what student-led learning is and see examples of student-led learning in practice. You will also experience student-led learning first hand as a learner in this session. You will get ideas on how to adopt research-based strategies and teacher-vetted techniques to develop an implementation plan customized to your own classroom and your students' needs. We look forward to seeing you “lead” as learners in this session!

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Arizona Educational Foundation Names 2023 Arizona Teacher of the Year®, Ty White. Read the full article.

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Culturally Responsive Mathematics Pedagogy is a method of teaching that cultivates academic talent across a range of student populations despite the prevalence of educational disparities. The need for every student to understand, interpret, and critically analyze real-life mathematical relationships and applications is urgent. Data and statistics can be used as weapons against the data illiterate. In this workshop, we will illustrate and discuss how we can engage students as the creators and collectors of information; empowering them to make meaningful connections. We will also explore ways to tackle sensitive social issues by embedding methods and action items that align with the CRMP Framework. Data will help solve the big problems of tomorrow. Prepare your students today.

The opportunity to present some of our work at the Noyce Summit was extremely rewarding, our presentation was well attended and there was lots of interaction with the audience. What impacted me the most was the follow-up discussions from members of the audience as they described the importance of teaching Data Science in high school. I think Blais’s perspective as a teacher that worked so close to the southern border was highly valued. I got the feeling that few schools are teaching Data Science from a Culturally Relevant Perspective and I am looking forward to continuing this work in our monthly Mathematics Teacher Circle.

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This teacher-leading-teacher professional learning community event at Biosphere 2 brought together local STEM educators to examine how Agrivoltaics can provide engaged learning STEM opportunities for students in Southeastern Arizona. This visionary collaboration initiated an ongoing curriculum development that will bring awareness and education that supports sustainable solutions for global challenges involving food, energy, and water. 

The event was coordinated and facilitated by Noyce Borderland Master Teacher Fellows: Benjamin Davis, Jose Hinojos, Mark Ortega, Josiah Sovern, Blais Cross, Charles Collingwood, and Ty White. Thank you to Arizona Public Service for supporting this meaningful event.

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In March 2022, three U of A College of Education Noyce Borderlands Master Teacher Fellows attended the Western Regional Noyce Conference in San Diego: Melany Coates, Elizabeth Doran, and Rachel Carpenter.

This Conference allowed these fellows to further understand their work in a larger context.  Fellows investigated strands such as best practices in mathematics and science education, teaching in high-needs schools, and best practices in social justice and equity for STEM education.

Melany Coates presented her work, 'Student Voice, Identity and Social Context'.  This powerful work highlights her students' voice regarding dominant culture, how dominant culture contributes to students' identity, and how learning from a teacher of a different ethnicity/culture impacts students.  Elizabeth Doran's presentation, 'A Story of People, a story we need to hear' emphasized stories from the field that help preservice and novice teachers understand teaching as a humanizing experience.

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My experience at the conference gave me a wider lens to see how my own practices are changing and concurrently are alongside what would be deemed as educational best practices for teachers.  Whether it be supporting my students and their identities in math and science as well as within a broader social context, I have been validated in my push to bring higher valued learning into my classroom.  Providing my students opportunities to flourish in the classroom using various forms of expression like modeling, art, and experiential learning is at the forefront of my practice, to bring equity and build learner identities in students' educational experiences.  I now have more knowledge and tools to bring with me.  -Melany Coates, Noyce Borderlands Master Teacher Fellow

For me, the conference highlighted the urgent need to address the inequities in STEM education. I walked away with a renewed commitment and some specific areas to focus on as I make science more accessible, including academic language development, engaging content, co-created norms, and regular reflection. -Rachel Carpenter, Noyce Borderlands Master Teacher Fellow.