Teaching & Learning


Center of Excellence for Inquiry in Mathematics and Science (CEIMS)

CEIMS is part of our broader Inquiry in Motion Institute, whose primary effort is to improve K-12 mathematics and science instruction. Our goals are to:

  • Increase the number of highly qualified middle school mathematics and science teachers
  • Increase the quality, confidence, and competence of in-service middle school mathematics and science teachers through the use of effective inquiry-based practice.

CU-ICAR-Themed STEM Explorations

The CU-ICAR campus provides a unique opportunity for a collaborative partnership among the CU-Eugene T. Moore School of Education, CU-School of Engineering, Greenville County School District, and CU-ICAR. Planning teams will weave engineering-based, technologically-rich, CU-ICAR theme-related content and experiments into existing science and mathematics courses.

Inquiry in Motion Professional Development Institutes

Two kinds of Professional Development Institutes (PDI-1 for first year participants and PDI-2 for second year participants) will be held to help teachers experience and understand content-embedded inquiry teaching, and to support the development, implementation, refinement, and evaluation of Unit and Lesson Exemplars based on the 4E x 2 Instructional Model. PDI-1 begins with a two week summer involvement where teachers can earn 3 hours graduate credit. During the ensuing school year, teachers will receive support as they implement and refine Exemplars that focus on improving student achievement in essential content while developing inquiry skills. PDI-2 participants will further develop their ability to implement content-embedded inquiry effectively, using the 4E x 2 Instructional Model as the guide. Furthermore, these participants will develop the skills and dispositions necessary to mentor both PDI-1 participants and pre-service teachers enrolled in Clemson’s pre-service teaching programs.

Creative Inquiry Teams

The Professional Development Institutes for high school math and science teachers help to prepare them to lead creative inquiry teams. These teams will be composed of high school seniors enrolled in a capstone experience that focuses on STEM ideas. Annual regional STEM competitions will allow students to compete with others and present research achievements for the year. These Creative Inquiry Teams will be modeled on Clemson University’s undergraduate initiative for Creative Inquiry, and Clemson undergraduates enrolled in pre-service secondary mathematics and science programs will help serve as mentors to the high school teams. Possible competitive inquiries include solar car competitions, robotics contests, and design innovation competitions.

Support for Teachers

Networks will be developed to allow course participants to be part of an educational community. Further, through the use of information technology, teachers will have access to resources and model lessons. These will include rich problem sets, videos of effective pedagogical strategies, and discussion boards. Also, teachers will receive funds that will allow them to purchase materials to make their classrooms focused on inquiry.

Mini-Courses

Half-day student courses uniting ICAR themes and targeting science and mathematics K-12 standards will be held at the IMI. These inquiry-based events will allow K-12 students to explore key conceptual ideas in various disciplines at deep levels. Before students attend the mini-courses, the IMI Liaison and Graduate Students will work with classroom teachers to provide preliminary explorations so that students will have the prior knowledge and skills essential to reap the full benefits of the mini-courses.

Regional STEM Competitions

Two types of competitions will be held annually at the IMI: Content-Focused Competitions and Project-Based competitions. The Content-Focused Competitions will target specific grade levels and courses and will address specific science and mathematics standards. For example, annual Algebra Competitions will be held; while one may target students in Algebra I, another may target seniors enrolled in Calculus. Prizes, and perhaps scholarships, will be offered to top performers and teams. The Project-Based competitions will vary. One example is a solar-car competition, for which teams will design and build solar cars that meet various criteria, such as the most energy efficient.

Graduate Classes

At least two graduate courses will be held at the IMI each fall and spring. These courses will be part of the M.Ed. in Secondary Education and the new M.A.T. programs. This will strengthen the research and inquiry components of these programs.