The work presented builds on a multiyear effort to study the implementation
and adaptation of Kids as Global Scientists (KGS), an inquiry-based, technology-rich
middle school learning environment enacted simultaneously in hundreds of classrooms
across the nation. Two groups of teachers participated in this study. One group consists
of “maverick” teachers: those distributed across the nation that find us and customize our
program to their needs without systematic professional development. This group of teachers
tends to work in schools with a relatively rich fund of resources and supports.