063-Annual-Report-2023-v13 Final pages - Flipbook - Page 17
RESEARCH IN ACTION
College of Education faculty
members Brooke Whitworth
and Julianne Wenner hosted
the Building Leadership
Among Science Teachers
(BLAST) Teacher Leader
Academy on campus in
early Summer 2024. The
research is funded by an
award from the National
Science Foundation (NSF)
to develop existing science
teachers in rural schools.
Lessons focused on light–
sorting skittles in a dark
room under different light
sources, examining light’s
warming effect–and creating
a playground model that
takes a community’s needs
and solar motion into
consideration.
ECHO for Education
Shanna Hirsch used Clemson University SEED funding to establish
Clemson University as a Project ECHO® (Extension for Community
Healthcare Outcomes) site. The ECHO is designed to increase
knowledge and workforce capacity through distance- based
professional development.
Hirsch and colleagues launched their first ECHO program
during the pandemic as an effort to help special educators build
relationships with educators in similar roles across a large district.
The initial findings from their study revealed the model to build
virtual communities of practice as an essential way to connect
practitioners, educators and specialists and maximize resources
by meeting virtually.
Since their initial ECHO in 2021, Hirsch and colleagues have
conducted six additional ECHO programs on topics such
as enhancing learning environments, building supportive
school environments for students with autism and supporting
neurodiverse individuals.
2024 Annual Report | 16
