U.S. - Russia Teacher Professional Development Project

U.S. - Russia Teacher Professional Development Project (2010-2011)

Additional Contributing Faculty: Debbie Sprague, Margret Hjalmarson, Sheryl Cozart, Beverly Shaklee and Amy Weinberg

Funded: $293,061

The U.S. - Russia Teacher Professional Development Project (USRTPD) engaged Russian and U.S. teachers of Language, Science, Technology, and Mathematics teachers in a collaborative and reciprocal professional development programming across disciplines, cultures and national contexts. In the fall of 2010, 20 secondary school teachers from Far East Russia participated in 4 weeks of academic programming, field experience in an exemplary secondary school, cultural exchanges, and trips in the U.S. The academic program included seminars on Teacher Research, Second Language Research, Differentiation of Instruction & Assessment, Technology Implementation in Teaching, and Reflective Practice. In the Spring of 2011, Mason faculty and 5 U.S. secondary school teachers engaged in a reciprocal program for 2 weeks in Far East Russia. Additional follow-up included U.S. and Russian teachers’ participation in an online learning community along with a Teacher Research Conference conducted by Russian participants for their colleagues in Russia in the spring of 2011. The program’s website contains additional details http://cehd.gmu.edu/centers/cie/usrtpd/ and its blog http://usrtpd.wordpress.com/ features faculty reflections and photos and videos of the Spring 2011 trip to Russia.

Russian Teachers participate in seminars focused on differentiation, instructional technology, reflective practice and teacher research.

The Russian delegation spends 6-weeks on Mason’s Fairfax campus.

Lead faculty Drs. Wendy Frazier and Rebecca Fox pose with members of the Russian Delegation.