I am currently looking for collaborative partners for the following projects. If you are potentially interested in one of these projects, please contact me at mforsythe@txstate.edu

Topic: The Development of Students’ Content Knowledge and Skills During Ecological Fieldwork

• “EcoDataModeling”
  • New study focused on the co-development of students’ ecological and mathematical content knowledge and skills.
  • Looking to partner with middle school (5-8) teachers or grade-level teams within 120 miles of San Marcos, TX interested in integrating students’ field-based studies of ecological systems with their understanding of measurement, data, and statistics.
  • Need access to a potential aquatic or terrestrial field site.
•  “Local Questions, Global Journeys”
  • Place-based or citizen science investigations that expand the repertoire of ways to engage K-12 students in designing local ecological explorations that inform their understanding of broader ecological principles.
  • Looking to establish partnerships with teachers/grade-level teams/schools at any grade level or non-profits in both formal and informal learning settings within 120 miles of San Marcos, TX.
  • Learning context could be in a classroom during the school year, in after school settings, during the summer, or during community events.
  • Need access to a potential aquatic or terrestrial field site. (Could be as simple as a “wild backyard” area on school grounds.)

Topic: Using Video to Support Preservice and Early Career Elementary Teachers

• “Distance-based Science Coaching for Elementary Teachers”
  • New study focused on how to use reflective video analysis to transform the science instruction of preservice and early career elementary teachers by remotely connecting them with content experts.
  • Looking to partner at this stage with teachers/schools/districts that currently accept TXST student teachers with potential expansion to other teachers/schools/districts in the future.

Interested in collaborating around a different STEM topic? Contact me at mforsythe@txstate.edu with your idea.

Areas I’ve worked with in the past:

• Aquatic microcosms in the classroom
• School-based “Wild Backyards”
• Engineering design challenges with middle school students
• Video clubs for teacher professional development