Robert D. Wachtel Pronovost

Bio

Robert D. Wachtel Pronovost is a doctoral candidate in Learning Sciences and Technology Design, Curriculum and Teacher Education, and Leadership for System-wide Inclusive Education at the Stanford Graduate School of Education. He holds a B.A. in Psychology and an M.A. in Elementary Education from Stanford University. His interests center around maker-centered learning and technology integration in elementary schools for the benefit of all students. Through his research, teaching, and service, Robert aims to assist preservice and in-service teachers to support their students, especially historically marginalized populations of students, to discover their love of learning and to have exposure, access, and support to engage experiences that allow them to find their own definition of a successful, meaningful life.

Prior to joining the doctoral program, Robert has taught in elementary classrooms and served in administration at district and county levels. During his time as a district administrator, he built out a system of school makerspaces to help infuse creativity and hands-on learning into students’ school experiences.

Professional Affiliations and Activities

• Board President, Silicon Valley CUE (2011 - 2020)

Research Interests

• Curriculum and Instruction
• Elementary Education
• Equity in Education
• Leadership and Organization
• Poverty and Inequality
• Professional Development
• Special Education
• Teachers and Teaching
• Technology and Education

Current Research and Scholarly Interests

While the ethos of the Maker Movement has largely focused on individual makers, the adoption of makerspaces and elements of the Maker Movement into K-12 schools over the past two decades has prompted researchers to call special attention to examining how the pedagogical practices of makerspace teachers equitably support students. To address this research call, for my dissertation I am engaging in a year-long single-case study to examine the pedagogical practices of an experienced, highly regarded makerspace teacher in a public elementary school as they balance constraints and stakeholder expectations to facilitate maker-centered learning for all students. This study will add to a limited segment of research on in-school makerspaces in public elementary schools, with a particular focus on the role of the teacher, including the pedagogical decisions, such as scaffolding, they use to support student experiences in maker activities.