Teach for America and Noyce at WPI
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Dec 2nd Informational Session
On Dec 2nd, 2009 at 4PM Neil Heffernan, Associate Professor at WPI, and Rob Traver, Principal of the Mass Academy, will be hosting an info session on teaching opportunities available to WPI students after WPI. Topics covered will be Teach For America and WPI's Teacher Preparation Program with former Teach for America teachers and Dr. John Goulet, head of the WPI Teacher Preparation Program. Scholarship opportunities through Noyce will also be discussed. If you are interested in teaching or think you might be, attend this event to find out more.
The event will be held at WPI in the Taylor Room in Univeristy Center. Pizza, apples, and refreshments will be provided.
Teach For America
Teach For America (TFA) is a program whose goal is to provide equal education to students in impoverished and limited capacity schools. They recruit outstanding recent college graduates from all sorts of backgrounds and career interests to teach for 2 years in urban and rural public schools. They provide training and ongoing support to make sure the teachers are as successful as they can be.
After being in the program for 2 years, aside from the great sense satisfaction they feel and huge impact they've had on students, Teach for America teachers become Teach For America alumni and have many doors opened for them.
For more information please visit the Teach For America Website.
WPI Teacher Preparation Program
WPI has a program where students can get initial certification to teach in high need schools right out of college and afterward get a permanent teaching certificate.
The program involves taking 3 courses, doing an IQP/Practicum in teaching, and passing the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL).
The program requirements are further detailed online on the WPI Teacher Preparation Program Website
Noyce Scholarships
Noyce has a scholarships ranging from $10,000 to $14,000 for students who complete the WPI Teacher Preparation program and go on to teach in Worcester or some other high-need school district.
Applicants are eligible to receive up to 2 years of aid and are required to teach 2 years in a high-need district for each year of aid they receive.
More information can be found here
Why these Programs?
Schools districts need the help from highly skilled people.
Make a difference in poor communities.
Get help paying for college.
You don't change your major.
You are able to start teaching right after you graduate.
Links
File:NoyceBrochureFromTraver.pdf
WPI Teacher Preparation Program
Requirements of the WPI Teacher Preparation Program
This page is made by Neil Heffernan who was a Teach For America Teacher. This event is not an official Teach for America event. Prof Heffernan is simply wanting to share with WPI students why they should consider doing some teaching.
IQP Opportunities
If you are interested in teaching you might be interested in doing an IQP with Professor Heffernan. See my web page where I have supervised some good IQPs.
See Shrestha, P., Wei, X., Maharjan, A., Razzaq, L., Heffernan, N.T., & Heffernan, C., (2009). Are Worked Examples an Effective Feedback Mechanism During Problem Solving? ) In N. A. Taatgen & H. van Rijn (Eds.), Proceedings of the 31st Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society (pp. TBA). Austin, TX: Cognitive Science Society. [1].
Relevant Courses
You might also want to know classes taught in the SSPS department related to educational psychology.
- PSY 2401. The Psychology of Education.
- PSY 1400. Introduction to Psychological Science.
- PSY 1401. Cognitive Psychology
ASSISTment Opportunities
The non-profit ASSISTment project funded by the US Department of Education and run by Professor Heffernan employs a dozen work study students who help us on the project. You might want to think about getting a work study job with us.
Volunteer Tutoring Program
- APO runs a tutoring programmer for middle school kids. Prof Heffernan is a faculty advisor on the project.
You can get to this page by typing http://tinyurl.com/WPI-Teaching. Come see if you can't find who to talk to via APO.
