Wired for Learning: Enhanced Pedagogy for K-2 Teachers (2021-2022)

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction appointed a statewide, collaborative committee in 2000 to design a model K-2 program that would nurture students who have traditionally been underrepresented in gifted and advanced learning programs. Project Bright IDEA was launched from this initiative. 

In order to recognize the full potential in every child and address disproportional representation in advanced education programs, Project Bright IDEA aimed to increase student achievement among underrepresented populations by redesigning the curriculum and learning environment, and training teachers in the implementation of a Thinking Skills curriculum to foster high-level thinking in students.

This project team built on Project Bright IDEA by enhancing teachers’ instructional practices to ensure every student has access to an assets-based, rigorous curriculum that will raise their achievement, reveal their full potential and prepare them for their future. 

The previous project team learned that one of the main obstacles in the implementation of the Thinking Skills curriculum is preparing teachers to effectively deploy the associated instructional strategies in their classrooms. Building on that research, this year’s team addressed implementation issues by developing a series of open access, interactive professional development modules. These short, asynchronous, “just-in-time” modules are meant to assist K-2 teachers in effectively implementing the Thinking Skills curriculum in their classrooms.

Team members analyzed past Project Bright IDEA data and deliverables (videos, teacher-created Thinking Skills curricula) to target module content and identify usable content; plan and produce a series of modules; and determine the best venue for hosting the modules. 

Learn more about this project team by viewing the team's video.

Timing

Fall 2021 – Spring 2022

Team Outputs

Professional development modules for K-2 teacher

Digital archive of instructional videos

Online resource library of Thinking Skills instructional materials

This project team was originally part of the Education & Human Development theme of Bass Connections, which ended in 2022. See earlier related team, Wired for Learning: Supporting Thinking Skills in the K-2 Classroom (2018-2019).

Image: 2018-2019 team member Raisa Reed with first-grade students at Pearsontown Elementary, by Julie Schoonmaker

2018-2019 team member Raisa Reed with first-grade students at Pearsontown Elementary.

Team Leaders

  • Margaret Gayle, Social Science Research Institute; American Association for Gifted Children
  • Alissa Griffith, Arts & Sciences-Program in Education
  • Kristen Stephens, Arts & Sciences-Program in Education
  • Daniel Turner, Social Science Research Institute

/graduate Team Members

  • Natalie Hochhaus, Masters of Public Policy

/undergraduate Team Members

  • Rebekah Alvarenga, Visual Arts (AB)
  • Hanul Choi, Int Comparative Studies (AB)
  • Brynn Meyercord, Public Policy Studies (AB)
  • Shiyue Song, Biology (BS)
  • Ayla Weiss, Psychology (BS)

/yfaculty/staff Team Members

  • Megan Lancaster, Duke Learning Innovation