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Project
Team Poster
Abstracts
Page 1: March
10, 2007 Saturday — Abstracts 1-20
Page 2: March 10, 2007 Saturday — Abstracts 21-41
Page 3: March 11, 2007 Sunday — Abstracts 1-20
Page 4: March 11, 2007 Sunday — Abstracts 21-40
Page
1: Use
the links below to see a specific project team abstract or,
instead, just scroll through all the Page 1 abstracts.
Use the links above to access other pages.
1 Arizona
State University
2 Auburn University/Tuskegee University
3 California State University Northridge
4 Colorado School of Mines
5 Columbia University
6 Drexel University
7 Duke University
8 Emory University
9 Florida Institute of Technology
10 Georgia Tech
11 Idaho State University
12 Illinois State University
13 Kent State University
14 Louisiana State University
15 Michigan State University
16 Montana State University
17 North Carolina State University
18 Northeastern University
19 Ohio University
20 Pennsylvania State University
1 Arizona
State University
Down to Earth Science—An
interdisciplinary integration of research, education and
outreach
B.L. Ramakrishna | bramakrishna@asu.edu
Experimentation
and exploration — the way scientists
create new knowledge — is adopted as the cornerstone
for learning and teaching science in Arizona State University's
Down to Earth Science fellow/teacher/student partnership
program. The inquiry-based activities are based on a strongly
interdisciplinary, multiscalar approach to earth systems
science in three important research domains that powerfully
convey science content — Materials Science and
Engineering, Ecology, and Planetary Studies. This project
1) integrates research, education, and outreach in a meaningful
way by incorporating instructional strategies consistent
with the Arizona (and national) science standards; 2) increases
teachers' knowledge of science content and concepts, and
provides them opportunities to engage their students in actual
scientific research; 3) helps revitalize science education
from the use of abstract and obscure examples to the contextual
and the relevant. Some of the unique aspects of the project
are a) The Nanoeducation outreach collaboration with the
Nanoscale Informal Science Education (NISE) partnership at
the Exploratorium in San Francisco b) International partnership
with Taiwan on incorporation of nanoscale concepts into K-12
curriculum and c) incorporation of science education research
into the activities of the teacher-fellow partners. A new
model for institutionalization has been designed and successfully
implemented in the community with the graduate students volunteering
to be mentors in the graduate partners for science education
(GPSE) program. An evaluation of the cultural changes at
all stakeholder institutions and project members is being
carried out and the results will be made available at the
end of this academic year.
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2 Auburn University / Tuskegee University
GK-12 Fellows in Sciences and Mathematics for East Alabama Schools
Florence Holland | hollafm@auburn.edu
The "GK-12 Fellows in Sciences and Mathematics for
East Alabama Schools" project is a partnership between
the National Science Foundation, two doctoral granting institutions
(Auburn University and Tuskegee University), and two school
districts (Lee County School System and Macon County School
System). Auburn University and Tuskegee University send 15
graduate students (GK-12 Fellows) into classrooms in six
schools in the two school districts to assist science and
mathematics teachers (GK-12 Teachers). The GK-12 Fellows
focus on students that are taking physical science, biology,
chemistry, mathematics, and physics courses at Beauregard,
Beulah and Loachapoka High Schools in Lee County School System
and Booker T. Washington High, Tuskegee Institute Middle,
and Notasulga High Schools in Macon County School System.
All partner institutions are within a 15 mile radius.
The primary goals of the partnership are to increase student learning, motivation,
confidence, achievement, and enrollment in upper level science and mathematics
courses; bring university-level research experiences to high schools; increase
teacher content knowledge and skills; and increase the number of science and
mathematics majors that learn about teaching and the learning process.
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3 California State University Northridge
FERMAT (Fellows Engaged as Resources in Mathematics to Assist Teachers)
Jim Castro | jim.castro@csun.edu
In addition to assisting teachers with content expertise,
a focus of the FERMAT program has been the integration of
the Fellow’s own learning and research into the secondary
school classroom. FERMAT Fellows have developed lessons in
areas such as group theory, knot theory, group isomorphisms,
topological invariants, and non-Euclidean metrics. These
lessons make advanced concepts accessible to secondary students.
They are designed to promote enthusiasm for mathematics while
supporting and enhancing grade level curriculum. Fellows
construct their lessons in a way that will allow students
to experience the mathematical process of conjecture, experimentation,
and proof. For the first time, students see mathematics as
an area of ongoing learning and research where critical thinking
and mastery of basic skills is essential. Our poster will
give a few examples of this type of lesson. It will further
describe their impact on secondary students, secondary teachers,
and the larger secondary school community.
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4 Colorado School of
Mines
Highlights of Graduate Fellow Benefits in the GK-12 Learning Partnerships
Michael Wells | mwells@mintes.edu
Through funding of the National Science Foundation, the
Colorado School of Mines established a partnership with Adams
County District 50. This partnership has included the development
and implementation of three summer workshops to participating
teachers and classroom follow-up visits by graduate teaching
fellows. Over the course of three years and additional funding
through the Colorado Department of Education, eleven additional
school districts have had the opportunity to participate
in a subset of the partnership activities. A summer camp,
Tech Camp 101, was created for Adams County District 50 middle
school students. Tech Camp 101 is offered each summer through
this partnership, providing economically disadvantaged middle
school students the opportunity to explore the applications
of technology to science and mathematics. This poster presentation
will highlight the qualitative and quantitative outcomes
of the GK-12 Learning Partnership project on the participating
middle school classrooms, students and teachers, and the
graduate teaching fellows, and faculty. Information will
also be provided on the expansion of this project to other
districts through the Colorado Department of Education grant
and the GK-12 Learning Partnerships continuation grant.
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5 Columbia University
Developing Proficiency in Data Collection and Analysis in Physical Sciences
David Elson | delson@cs.columbia.edu
This poster summarizes the K-12 classroom contributions of the six
fellows in Columbia University 's Technology Integration Partnerships
(TIP) program of the School of Engineering and Applied Science,
with an emphasis on introductions of technology into the classroom
to better demonstrate concepts in the physical sciences. The
projects include: gathering and plotting data with Excel to
explore the relationship between work, force and distance;
using probes to measure and compare the pH of various solutions;
and probing the changing temperature inside a model greenhouse.
Additionally we describe our efforts to apply civil engineering
to a mathematics curriculum, and a year-long project shaping
student perceptions of science and scientists, which includes
pre- and post-tests for statistical assessment of impact.
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6 Drexel University
Engineering as a Contextual Vehicle for Science and Mathematics Education
Eli Fromm | fromm@drexel.edu
Ten teams, each composed of a Drexel University College
of Engineering GK-12 Fellow paired with a teacher from the
School District of Philadelphia , began intense work in the
July of 2006 to develop engineering-based modules for inclusion
in the middle school curriculum. The teams have implemented
their modules into the otherwise very proscribed traditional
math and science curricula of five area middle schools. The
schools selected provide a good opportunity to bring engineering
perspectives and a contextual framework for the study of
math and science to a student population generally underrepresented
in science and engineering. Modules are typically derived
directly from each fellow’s research and laboratory
activities. They are then adapted to their students’ grade
level to generate excitement about engineering and in the
fellow’s field of study. Teachers have developed new
perspectives on innovative ways of teaching science and mathematics.
Fellows, in turn, have learned to meet the challenges of
a middle school classroom and have gleaned insight and experience
by teaching to an audience much different than their traditional
peers. The fellows, teachers, and their students have all
discovered the excitement of fundamental math and science
when explored through hands-on interactive exercises and
experiments. As a result, students have been exposed to science
and engineering in ways that both complement and enhance
the standard curriculum. This poster illustrates a variety
of the creative module lessons developed by each of the fellows
during the first months of the program and provides some
evidence of the impact the GK-12 program has had on the middle
school students.
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7 Duke University
Impacts Of and On Duke Engineer Teaching Fellows
Glenda Kelly | Glenda@ee.duke.edu
Since 1999, Duke's Pratt School of Engineering has
placed 119 undergraduate and 40 graduate teaching fellows
in 19 public schools in NC serving over 7,500 students. Fellows
assist teachers with creation and delivery of lessons and
activities integrating math, science and engineering into
classroom curricula. Impacts on fellows include improved
leadership, communication, time management, organizational
and lesson planning skills. Fellows report that the opportunity
to practice rethinking complex concepts and explain them
in age-appropriate terms to K-12 students has deepened their
understanding of science and engineering. Of particular importance
is the impact on fellows of giving something back to the
community and sharing their love for science and engineering
in ways that inspire students to want to continue in these
fields. All fellows report increased awareness of the importance
of K-12 education, with 90% reporting intent for future involvement
with K-12 schools. The majority share the view of Liz Harper
(BME junior) "Being a MUSIC fellow has been one of
the most rewarding things that I have done while at Duke.
It has allowed me to give back to the community that I live
in while learning and having fun." Fellows informal
feedback combined with program evaluation suggests that GK-12
teaching fellows develop important career skills through
fellowship participation, renew their passion for science
and engineering, become inspired to impact K-12 STEM education
in the future, and leave their partner teachers with lesson
plans that will be used for the foreseeable future. In addition,
fellows’ lesson plans are published on http://www.teachengineering.com/ making
them available to teachers across the United States.
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8 Emory University
PRISM: Building A Community of Engaged
Scholarship
Jordan Rose | jrose14@emory.edu
The Problems & Research to Integrate Science & Mathematics
(PRISM) program at Emory University pairs graduate students
with middle and high school teachers to develop and implement
problem-based learning lessons in the sciences. The program,
funded by two successive National Science Foundation GK-12
awards, has propelled Emory toward its university-wide strategic
theme of preparing engaged scholars. Through partnerships
with four metro-Atlanta school districts and Clark Atlanta
University , PRISM is engaging graduate students in: (a)
inquiry-based, active-learning pedagogy and curriculum development;
(b) reflective teaching practices; (c) mentoring experiences
with K-12 students; and (d) dissemination of educational
scholarship through publications, conference presentations,
and an online database. The success of the program has lead
to additional funding through The MetLife Foundation and
the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation to expand university-community
partnerships at one high school, as well as a collaboration
with Clark Atlanta University's new Center for Functional
Nanoscale Materials (an NSF CREST award) to partner K-12
teachers with graduate students to translate research into
classroom materials. Additionally, Emory University's Office
of the Provost and the Graduate School have contributed funds
over the next five years to institutionalize the PRISM program
at Emory, showing their commitment to engage Emory's scholars
in science education. Through building professional relationships
with the community and through active grant writing to support
our activities, PRISM has established itself as a sustainable
enterprise to engage the university with the community and
to transform K-16 science education.
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9 Florida Institute of Technology
Ocean Discovery on Wheels: SEAS Mobile Laboratory Exposes Students to Science Research
Richard Tankersley | rtankers@fit.edu
To support field activities developed by Fellow-Teacher
Teams, Florida Tech’s InSTEP program recently purchased
and renovated a 35 ft recreational vehicle that will serve
as a mobile laboratory (Science Exploration at Sea - SEAS
Lab). SEAS provides a mechanism by which students can experience
firsthand many of the tools and techniques used by Graduate
Fellows as part of their thesis or doctoral research. It
also gives schools access to equipment and resources they
would otherwise be unable to afford. The 420 sq ft lab can
accommodate up to 12 students and includes 22 ft of bench
space, five computers, a GPS unit, filtered seawater and
distilled water, and a multi-sensor weather station. SEAS
also contains state-of-the-art research equipment for conducting
experiments and analyzing samples at local field sites, including
microscopes, balances, sampling gear (nets, seines, quadrats,
etc.), soil and water test kits, multi-probe meters, and
spectrophotometers. All on-board computers have access to
campus network resources and other online information, including
real-time data available through Florida ’s Coastal
Ocean Observing System (COOS). Digital imaging hardware and
software associated with the microscopes enable students
to capture, save, and analyze still images and video footage
of specimens. Three one-day modules focusing on coastal erosion
(“Sand Beneath Your Feet”), the importance of
mangrove wetlands (“Don’t Tangle with the Mangel”),
and adaptations to intertidal environments (“Living
in the Splash Zone”) have already been developed. Other
activities will be designed and piloted this spring by a
team of K-12 teachers and InSTEP Fellows (i.e., SEAS Taskforce)
and will be disseminated statewide through field-based workshops
and in-service programs for teachers.
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10 Georgia Tech
STEM Partnerships That Spill Over; GT STEP Up!
Donna Llewellyn | donna.llewellyn@cetl.gatech.edu
The Georgia Tech Student and Teacher Enhancement Partnership
(STEP) program places graduate and undergraduate students
into Atlanta-area high schools with an explicit goal of fostering
multifaceted partnerships between the university and the
individual schools. Many of the activities undertaken under
the guise of the STEP Program were anticipated in the original
GK-12 proposal, and are specifically related to the anchoring
presence of the STEP Fellows. In evaluation terms these are
the program objectives, or intended consequences, of the
partnership. However, in every STEP partnership there are
a variety of unintended consequences that have emerged, sometimes
becoming major driving forces in the partnership. In these
cases, this project “spillover” can have a crucial
impact on the original project objectives and anticipated
outcomes, leading to new objectives and effects that ripple
out from the original anchoring project. We define spillovers
as STEM-related outcomes that were not part of the original
program design. In this poster we examine the types of spillovers
that emerge from partnerships in general and the impacts
that spillovers have for the on-going operation of the partnership
and the larger program objectives of the participating partners.
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11 Idaho State University
Enhancing scientific literacy in
southeast Idaho through strong scientist/teacher partnerships
that engage students in regionally relevant projects
Rosemary Smith | smitrose@isu.edu
The Idaho State University GK-12 project focuses on partnership
projects that are locally relevant and build on the research
expertise of the Fellows. Fellows from Engineering mentor
student teams as they design, build and compete their robots.
Robotics is a key component of local industry- from fabricating
semiconductors to working with nuclear materials at the Idaho
National Laboratory. Fellows from Geosciences, Biological
Sciences, and Chemistry work with teachers and students on
water quality, animal behavior, genetics, microbiology, and
chemistry experiments. Again, these projects focus on the
regional watershed, wildlife, natural resource, and energy
issues, all related to the Fellows’ research. Our project
has received great media coverage and support from local
business and industry, school districts, and ISU. A key objective
of the ISU GK-12 project is to establish strong partnerships
between scientists and teachers. A research project by R.
Todd Hartle uses a variety of qualitative techniques
to identify and characterize the cultural differences between
K-12 educators and research scientists that lead to frustrations
when individuals from each of these groups work closely on
a mutual project. He has found that many of the differences
that have commonly been thought to be important, like the
difference between a broad but shallow knowledge-base vs.
a narrow but deep knowledge-base, do not appear to be significant.
However, differences in several novel areas, like the difference
between having a fixed daily schedule vs. a flexible daily
schedule, are more important than they appear. We incorporate
lessons learned from these results into our partnership training.
A second objective is for the partnership activities to produce
measurable improvements in the written and oral communication
skills of Fellows. We have developed a rubric to measure
communication and found significant increases in quality
in the first two years of the project.
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12 Illinois State University
The PRISM Project: Graduate Teaching
Fellows at Illinois State University —
A Partnership Model
Cynthia Moore | cjmoor1@ilstu.edu
The PRISM Project (Partnerships for Research in Science
and Math Education) at Illinois State University recruits
twelve graduate fellows each year in biology, chemistry,
and mathematics to provide resources for middle and high
school students and teachers in fifteen local school districts
in Central Illinois. A significant goal of this project
is to enhance long-term partnerships between the university
and local schools. Our goal is to increase the flow of science,
math, and technology education information, by creating a ‘learning
web’ connecting all participants. It is difficult to
overestimate the importance of partnerships among scientists,
mathematicians, and teachers for improving K-12 science and
math education. Scientists and mathematicians provide detailed
content knowledge, and experience in the application of scientific
reasoning and knowledge to real-world problems. Teachers
understand and practice the pedagogical techniques that are
most effective in communicating content and process to a
wide audience. Fellows can provide applicable content information
for teachers and enhance hands-on curriculum in the classroom,
and become long-term advocates for better science, math,
and technology education.
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13 Kent State University
NEOGEO (NorthEast Ohio Geoscience
Education Outreach): Creating Partnerships Through Effective
Teacher Professional Development Opportunities
Mandy Munro Stasiuk | mmunrost@kent.edu
Through our GK-12 NEOGEO program, we offer a series of
three professional development workshops for K-12 teachers
in Stark County, Ohio. The teaching team for each workshop
consists of at least two NEOGEO faculty and six NEOGEO Fellows.
Each GK-12 Fellow contributes to two workshops in series
to provide them with breadth in their teaching experience.
The workshops, offered in the summer, may be taken in succession
or independently. Centered on the themes of terrestrial,
aquatic, and atmospheric interactions, as well as geospatial
technology, the workshops are:
(1) “SATELLITES” (Students And Teachers Exploring Local Landscapes
to Interpret The Earth from Space), focusing on geospatial technology; (2)
"Exploring Earth Science - An Inquiry-Based Workshop for Teachers,"
focusing on geological, chemical, physical and biological processes; and (3) "Lake
Erie Islands and Coasts Field Trip," focusing on relationships between
the local geology and the physical processes that have shaped northern Ohio.
Each teaching team develops and presents hands-on inquiry-based activities
designed and aligned with their own research expertise as well as the Ohio
Academic Content Standards. Fellows enjoy presenting material they have first-hand
knowledge of, and teachers share the Fellows’ passion for their work.
This distinctive relationship has been instrumental in partnering our Fellows
with teachers. At the workshops Fellows and teachers naturally pair up due
to common interests and this pairing is preserved, by choice, for the following
academic year. Our poster will present an overview of the organization, activities,
and evaluation of the workshops, as well as case studies of successful teacher-fellow
partnerships that developed during the workshops.
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14 Louisiana State University
GK-12 at LSU: Math and Science Summer
Circles, Math Saturdays, Professional Development, and AP Vertical
Teaming
Frank Neubrander | neubrand@math.lsu.edu
The poster describes core initiatives defining the GK-12
program at Louisiana State University . The initiatives respond
to the fact that the vast majority of Louisiana high school
graduates are not properly prepared for the demands of post-secondary
education in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics
(STEM). The initiatives strengthen existing partnerships
between LSU and the local school districts by creating programs
that directly impact student achievement and rigor in STEM
courses, and encourage high performing students from low
performing schools to seriously consider majoring in STEM
fields.
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15 Michigan State University
GK-12 at W.K. Kellogg Biological Station: Partnerships
Promoting Ecological Literacy in K-12 Classrooms of Rural
Michigan
Laurel Hartley | lhartley@kbs.msu.edu
This partnership among 11 rural school districts, more
than 80 teachers at all grade levels, 8 graduate fellows,
a post-doctoral coordinator, and 5 MSU faculty members began
our program in 2006 with a one week summer teaching institute
that focused on inquiry-based approaches to learning and
helped foster partnerships between teachers and fellows.
We paired each fellow with mentor teachers from 1 of 8 rural
school districts in SW Michigan . Fellows and their teachers
developed lessons based on fellows’ research areas
and then presented those lessons to teachers from all 11
participating districts. Lessons had teachers comparing organic
and conventionally grown foods, dipping their hands in pond
water, and digging through soil. In the fall, fellows began
working in their partner school districts. Each fellow spends
most of their time in the classrooms of 1 or 2 mentor teachers,
and also participates in other district science activities.
Collectively, fellows have spent over 1200 hours in the classroom
and developed over 30 ecology lessons. Fellows have led outdoor
lessons in each partner district, including trips to nearby
forests, local rivers, and even the next door neighbor’s
corn field. In addition to the summer institute and classroom
activities, we hold 4 workshops for teachers each school-year
on topics in ecology, evolution, and teaching science. Workshops
include presentations by MSU faculty and guest speakers,
concurrent sessions in which pairs of fellows present original
activities that teachers can take back to their classrooms,
and time for district teams to meet, discuss, and refine
partnership activities.
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16 Montana State University
GK-12 Science & Society in the
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Erik Lehnhoff | erik_lehnhoff@yahoo.com
Graduate Fellows are paired with teachers in six rural schools within the Greater
Yellowstone Ecosystem. Our aim is to provide K-12 students with an understanding
of scientific processes and critical thinking through exploration of their
local environment. Fellows use their own research projects to demonstrate
the scientific processes and aid with student development of related field
studies. Projects associated with this work include: 1) the development of
a science curriculum formulated around the Yellowstone River that incorporates
aquatic ecology into both classroom and field activities, 2) a study of the
importance of riparian plant species dynamics along the Wind River and its
tributaries on the Wind River Indian Reservation, 3) students learning to
apply the scientific method through the study of hydrology and snow science
in surrounding mountains, 4) students conducting scientific investigations
into factors influencing bird and mammal distribution, abundance, and habitat
use in a riparian woodland ecosystem, 5) an exploration of aspects of plant
community ecology and invasive plant species through students setting up
and monitoring plant competition experiments, and 6) an investigation of
predator-prey dynamics of wolves and ungulates in Yellowstone National Park,
with students using camera traps to test hypotheses regarding habitat selection
of various mammals in their local area. These studies have excited rural
K-12 students about the process of research-based science. Integrating the
fellows’ research into the classroom and using the natural environment
as the laboratory seems to be an effective way to broaden students’ scientific
horizons, while also instilling an appreciation of the ecology of their natural
surroundings.
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17 North Carolina State University
The Impact of K-12 Outreach Programs on Graduate
and Undergraduate Experiences
Lynn Albers | laalbers@ncsu.edu
The impact of university-initiated educational outreach
programs extends beyond K-12 students and teachers to benefit
university fellows. A case study done by one such program,
Recognizing Accelerated Math Potential in Underrepresented
People (RAMP-UP) demonstrates marked improvements in professional
skills for both undergraduate and graduate fellows. As a
result of participation in this program, fellows increase
their community involvement, improve their communication
skills and explore many post-graduate career opportunities.
Due to the inclusion of undergraduates, the RAMP-UP sample
size is quite large compared to currently published work
and leads to stronger conclusions. In addition to observing
the impact of K-12 outreach on all involved fellows, we examine
the differences in impact on various groups: male and female,
white and minority, STEM (science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics) and non-STEM, undergraduate and graduate.
All fellows surveyed (undergraduate and graduate) believe
that RAMP-UP is a rewarding experience. Between before and
after surveys over the course of one semester, undergraduate
fellows recorded a significant increase in their value of
public speaking as a result of RAMP-UP; the experiences of
the STEM fellows especially drove this difference. During
the same time period, the appeal of being a role model increased
equally for both white and minority fellows. For fellows
at the primary partner university, a much higher percentage
of undergraduate fellows plan to attend graduate or professional
school, as compared to similar statistics for the entire
university. We believe that much of these results are due
not only to the program goals, but to a fundamentally different
structure which affects the impact on all involved students.
Recognizing Accelerated Mathematics Potential in Underrepresented
People
Liz Parry | eaparry@ncsu.edu
RAMP-UP, a partnership between a public university, a private
Historically Black College or University (HBCU), and the
local public school system, is a five year program funded
by grants from the National Science and GE Foundations. The
program consists of 45 undergraduate and 5 graduate fellows
in science, engineering or math (STEM) and secondary math
education working with 68 teachers in grades K-12 at eight
local schools. Under the direction of an engineering project
coordinator, graduate fellows supervise teams of undergraduate
fellows who work with classroom teachers throughout the academic
year. They plan and implement inquiry-based mathematics lessons
that demonstrate the practical application of mathematical
theory. RAMP-UP fellows are role models and mentors for their
students and thereby have the opportunity to make a significant
difference for many K-12 students. The poster will address
the program's accomplishments to date,
including student test score data and the highly successful
family/community math nights established by the program.
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18 Northeastern University
Experiencing, Believing, Achieving
Claire Duggan | c.duggan@neu.edu
By putting science and engineering graduate students in
their classrooms, the Northeastern University GK12 program
is changing the experience of students in their partner
schools. For these students, college is no longer a mystical
fantasy land that, with any luck, they’ll eventually arrive
at, but an institution they are familiar with and prepared
for. Northeastern’s GK12 Fellows are bringing college
to the students through college-level activities, informal
dialogue, and other interactions, and they are even bringing
the students to college through field trips. By giving
the students these experiences, the Fellows are increasing
the students’ awareness of the opportunities that
are available beyond high school. Through this awareness,
the students are setting goals for their post-high school
careers and believing that they can achieve them. Finally,
through the heightened skills and wisdom the Fellows are
bringing the students, the students are achieving the goals
they are setting for themselves.
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19 Ohio University
STEAM Partnerships Bring Results
Andrew Goodnite | goodnite@ohio.edu
The Science and Technology Enrichment for Appalachian Middle-schoolers
(STEAM) project is enhancing middle school education though
vital partnerships. Our approach is to instill excitement
about science by using engaging, game-like simulations and
educational software, which are developed and deployed in
partnership with middle school teachers. Keith Macartney,
a science teacher at Federal Hocking Middle School , is partnering
with Ohio University graduate fellow Mitchell Leitch in the
STEAM project. Mr. Macartney senses that gaming and simulations
could have a positive role in education in the future. More
things are possible in a virtual world than are in the real-world
classroom. Some experiments are too dangerous and some are
cost-prohibitive, but in a virtual environment these issues
are all irrelevant.
Rebecca Hartline, a science teacher at Belpre Middle School, is currently
working with Ohio University graduate fellow Eric Petri to assess the impact
that educational games and simulations have on student's performance and learning.
She is interested in this because students are already playing games on their
free time. One of the problems she encountered in the past was the lack of
resources to adopt new technologies in the classroom. With the help from the
STEAM project, she was able to introduce the Rock Cycle game, an educational
module developed by Eric, in her classes. As a result, the average score for
students increased between ten and thirteen points in these classes. The school
partners have worked in the project for only nine months. Yet the STEAM project
has already generated concrete results. We are optimistic that as our graduate
fellows and their educational software mature, our partnerships with the schools
will bring even better results.
Integration of Educational Gaming with Middle School Science
Standards
Eric Petri | ep161302@ohio.edu
STEAM is constantly researching new and innovative mediums
to help engage and motivate students while providing a strong
instructional presence for hard to teach science concepts.
Research has taken place by viewing different game creation
techniques, integrating science curriculum into video and
computer game play, and applying pre-test and post-test assessments
to measure instructional effectiveness. The students’ opinions
along with teacher observations have helped to improve the
overall game concepts and content. With the feedback received
from fellow teachers and students, we will be able to make
the use of the games easier for all middle school teachers
across the nation. I help facilitate student learning by
introducing the students to college, providing fun "facts
of the day" relating to their current science topics,
and being available to talk to and answer any questions they
may have. My partner teacher and I have noticed an overall
attitude improvement towards science, homework, and even
college due to my availability and facilitation. I feel as
though presenting my research and interest in science related
fields has motivated students to gain a new perspective on
their future education and employment opportunities in the
area of science.
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20 Pennsylvania State University
Advanced Transportation Technologies: An Interdisciplinary
Vehicle for Teaching STEM to the K-12 Community
Kim Earnheart | knc122@psu.edu
Using the unifying technical theme of advanced transportation
technologies, the GK-12 program at the Pennsylvania State University
incorporates research expertise of fellows from a variety of
disciplines to introduce fundamental STEM concepts to K-12
students. The Graduate Research and Education in Advanced Transportation
Technologies program, known as GREATT, enlists fellows from
the schools of engineering, science, and education. These fellows
bring their extensive background knowledge from an assortment
of concentrations to aid teachers in central Pennsylvania with
integrating activities that emphasize cutting edge technologies
into the teachers’ curriculum. Often, teachers are not
equipped to discuss the underlying concepts behind emerging
technologies. Our fellows act as resources for the teachers,
develop manipulatives that aim to introduce STEM concepts at
their level of understanding and communicate such concepts
to students in the classroom. The strength of our program is
evident in the diversity of fellows’ research, for example,
vehicle dynamics, hybrid technology and combustion research,
which can all be related back to the central theme of advanced
transportation technologies.
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