We created FUSE because we believe the single most crucial factor in our education system is the teacher in the classroom. This fellowship is designed to empower, embolden, inspire, and support teachers as they seek to address the thorniest and biggest challenge facing our students: engagement. There is a lot of science out there about engagement that has not been put to use.
That's because teachers don't often have the time and collaborative network to learn and apply the science in a way that makes sense for them and their students. We designed FUSE so teachers have a library of resources, a network of colleagues, and most importantly, dedicated time to think carefully about how they would like to use this important science.
Thank you for investing in your teachers and learning more about how FUSE can improve academic engagement for your students.
-Dr. David Yeager, University of Texas at Austin
Investing in Teachers
FUSE is designed in collaboration with current teachers across the state of Texas. The most impactful professional learning experiences are delivered by those who understand the day-to-day reality of being a classroom teacher and engaging with Gen Z students. We invest in our fellows in three key ways:
Fellows Earn Yearly $1,000 FUSE Honorarium
FUSE values the contribution of each of its fellows and their impact on the collective effort of improving student math outcomes across the state.
Retention of Secondary Math Teachers
Twice as many teachers in the FUSE program report a desire to stay in their current teaching position as compared to teachers not in the FUSE program.
Implementation of Professional Learning
FUSE members are 30% more likely to implement the science-based practices learned than those attending traditional professional development.
The FUSE Library of Practices
The FUSE Library of Practices is the bedrock curriculum that all Fellows engage with deeply over a two-year period. Here is a brief overview of each practice.
The Science of Memory
This module addresses a serious frustration for math teachers: students seem to forget material quickly and make the same mistakes over and over again. This module examines the cognitive science of an engaged brain and how we can use that science to improve our students' information retention. We will also cover the three stages of memory and discuss why effortful engagement is crucial at every step. Finally, we will share cognitive-science-backed practices that Texas teachers have used in their classrooms.
This module has three parts:
- Examining the science behind the three stages of memory: We’ll cover the importance of encoding, storage, and retrieval and how they each relate to learning.
- Leveraging cognitive science to maximize student learning: We’ll discuss how retrieval practices can increase student engagement and information retention.
Adapting these insights for your students: You’ll draw on your own expertise and the expertise of other teachers to design retrieval practices that will work best in your classroom.
Culture of Learning Speech
Purpose of this module: to guide you in developing a culture of learning speech so that you can effectively communicate your teaching philosophy and belief in all students’ potential to do well in this class.
This module has three parts. You will:
1. Reflect on why we adolescents are unlikely to correctly guess the good intentions behind our teaching methods and how a speech can help make our culture of learning more transparent to them.
2. Review effective speeches from previous FUSE fellows and draw on them to start writing your own.
3. Draft your culture of learning speech, which you can deliver at the beginning of each year and revisit throughout the school year.
Engaged Retrieval Practices
In this module, we will expand on what we covered in the The Science of Memory module. First, we will examine massed practice and why it is ineffective. Then, we will go deeper into the science of memory, specifically how and why our brain forgets information so quickly. Finally, we explore alternatives to massed practice that will actually engage students' brains and improve their learning.
This module has three parts:
Revealing why massed practice is ineffective: We’ll discuss massed practice, which is the standard teaching and learning strategy, and why it is not effective for students.
Examining how engaged retrieval practices trigger focused engagement: We’ll dive deeper into the science of memory and reveal why engaged retrieval practices work better than massed practice.
Adapting these insights for your students: You’ll draw on your own expertise and the expertise of FUSE fellows to incorporate engaged retrieval practices in the best way for your students.
Retesting & Revision Policies
This module examines how teachers can leverage developmental science to create a revision and retesting policy that maximizes student learning.
This module has three parts:
1. Examining why students don’t revisit missed problems: We’ll explore a major, under-appreciated reason why students disengage from missed problems.
2. Applying developmental science to improve retesting and revision policies: Drawing on the scientific foundations of the fellowship, we’ll discuss policies that create a culture where students willingly and independently correct their misunderstandings.
3. Adapting these insights for your students: You’ll draw on your expertise (and that of other FUSE fellows) to write a policy that works for you in your district.
Optimizing Memory Encoding
In this module, we’ll build on what we covered in the The Science of Memory module, where we discussed the three stages of memory: encoding, storage, and retrieval. This time, we’ll focus specifically on the first stage, memory encoding, and how it sets the foundation for better memory retention. This module has three parts:
- Exploring how the brain encodes information: We’ll review and dive deeper into the cognitive science behind how the brain encodes information in different ways.
- Examining the foundations of memory encoding: We will discuss the foundation of memory encoding—understanding the information, and how understanding leads to better memory, from remembering a simple sentence to complex math concepts.
Adapting strategies to support better encoding: We’ll explore strategies that can make memory encoding more effective in the classroom. You’ll draw on your own expertise and the expertise of FUSE fellows to incorporate engaged encoding strategies in the best way for your students.
Spaced Practice: A Closer Look
In this module, we’ll expand on what we covered in the Engaged Retrieval Practices, with a specific focus on spaced practice. Spaced practice will help address a common problem that many math teachers face: students feel confident right after learning something, but they aren’t able to demonstrate this learning on exams. This false sense of confidence is sometimes referred to as the “illusion of competence.”
This module will examine the science behind the “illusion of competence.” It will also show how to leverage what we know about memory to overcome it.
This module has three parts:
- Understanding the illusion of competence: We will explore the cognitive and developmental science behind the illusion of competence and why it can become a serious concern in math learning.
- Examining how spaced practice combats this illusion: We will dive deeper into practical ways to implement spaced practice in the classroom, without making major changes to the curriculum. We’ll examine how to determine the optimal spacing intervals to address the illusion of competence. You will also have opportunities to craft your own practice that works best for your students.
Exploring strategies students can use on their own to combat the illusion of competence: We'll explore how teachers can help students recognize when they don’t know as much as they think, and guide them to take charge of their learning to overcome the illusion of competence.
Mining for Mistakes: A Collaborative Troubleshooting Approach
The purpose of this module is to arm teachers with tools to combat harmful cultural beliefs about mistakes and give students a new way to engage in learning, free from the debilitating fear of mistakes.
Exam Speeches
Purpose of this module: To guide you in reinforcing a culture of learning through the speeches you give around exams. We cover what to say during three key times to improve student outcomes:
- Before the exam when students are preparing.
- On the day of the exam when stress may get in the way.
- After the exam when students are processing grades and planning next steps.
Reframing Mistakes
This module addresses a major source of frustration for math teachers: our society’s culture of fearing mistakes. The module will examine how this culture undermines student engagement and what the new developmental science of adolescence tells us about why this happens. The module will also present practical tips that can help any teacher counteract that culture and help students think differently about their mistakes.
This module has three parts:
Examining the culture of fearing mistakes: We’ll see how this culture, which students learn from our society, can make students disengage.
Leveraging new developmental science to overcome this culture: We’ll reveal scientific insights that can shift what students believe about mistakes, thus improving their engagement.
Adapting these insights for your students: You’ll draw on your expertise (and that of other FUSE fellows) to help your students overcome this pervasive culture.
Engaging Brains with Prediction
Decades of cognitive science research have shown that one of the best ways to combat information decay is through retrieval practices that require focused engagement.
We also looked at the standard strategy for teaching material which is massed practice. Cognitive scientists have found that it is ineffective for triggering accurate, long-term information retention. Based on the importance of focused engagement, scientists developed and tested alternatives to massed practice.
In this module, we will discuss another strategy scientists have discovered and Texas teachers have used to engage their students and promote long-term learning: prediction.
Let's Look Deeper at Teacher Retention
In addition to building academically engaging cultures, nearly twice as math teachers in the FUSE program report a desire to stay in the profession compared to non-FUSE teachers.
Connecting FUSE and Your Curriculum
The Science of Engagement enhances your current math curriculum and instructional practices by using cognitive science and adolescent development theories to foster a successful culture of learning.
FUSE Teachers Receive
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% of Teachers Would Recommend FUSE to a Colleague
Ready to Learn More?
We are currently enrolling teachers into the Fellowship group launching summer 2024! Let's discuss how FUSE is the right fit for your professional learning plans and how we partner in supporting your secondary math teachers and students.