Reflecting upon 30 Years of STEM Partnerships between Industry, University, and Public Schools: Past Lessons, Current Successes, and Future Dreams
Abstract
:1. The Literature Framing the Partnership
2. Methods and Materials: The Solution to Today’s Issues Began 30 Years Ago
3. Reflections on the Evolution of the Partnership
3.1. University of Central Florida and Lockheed Martin Academy Programs
- (a)
- The LMCO provides the stimulus for the development of the LMA concept through an endowment to ensure the longevity of the program;
- (b)
- The Board of Regents of the State University System (SUS) of Florida provides matching funds to attain the LMA’s goals;
- (c)
- The University of Central Florida commits to support the development of the academy through new faculty lines, priority course scheduling, and faculty support.
3.2. K–8 Program
- (1)
- If teachers are exposed to workshops involving questioning techniques to promote problem solving in the classroom, how will this approach impact their questioning skills when teaching students about solving systems of linear equation word problems?
- (2)
- If students are exposed to problem-solving strategies, how will the approach impact the students’ ability to solve systems of linear equation word problems?
- (3)
- If I involve parents in guiding their children during STEM experiments at home, will the students demonstrate improvement in their understanding and self-efficacy of the engineering design process?
- (4)
- If I involve parents in guiding their children during STEM experiments at home, will the parents demonstrate improvement in their perceptions of self-efficacy to help their children complete STEM experiments?
- (5)
- How will implementing alternative ancient Egyptian computation algorithms using an ethnomathematics context impact fourth-grade marginalized students?
- (6)
- If we use iReady mathematical games to help first- and fourth-grade students learn computation of whole numbers, then will students demonstrate improvement in solving the computation of whole number problems?
- (7)
- If I implement interactive cross-curricular content using Nearpod (n.d.) during remote learning mathematics instruction, then will third-grade students demonstrate improvement in engagement with and understanding of fractions [32]?
- (8)
- If I implement flipped-classroom intervention in a remote classroom environment, then will my AP Calculus students demonstrate improvement on their test scores and grades?
- (9)
- How does explicit instruction in group collaborative skills affect fourth graders’ ability to work as a team to create a final product?
- (10)
- How will explicitly teaching collaborative techniques alter fourth graders’ ability to work together in an engineering task?
3.3. TMAST Program
3.4. Enhancement Grants
4. Current Status of the Program and Partnership
5. Future Dreams and Reflections
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Semester | Courses |
---|---|
Space and Physical Science for Educators Problem Solving and Critical Thinking Skills | |
2 | Data-Driven Decision Making for Instruction Reforming Curriculum in Mathematics and Science Education |
3 | Seminar in Teaching Mathematics Seminar in Critical Issues in Special Education |
4 | Environmental Education for Educators Leadership Development for Mathematics and Science Teachers |
5 | Current Methods in Elementary School Mathematics Research in Mathematics and Science Education |
6 | Teaching Mathematics and Science Using Reform-Based Practices Quality Teaching Practices (Action Research Capstone Course) |
Comments about the Most Valuable Outcome of the Program for Learning [21] |
---|
“Being able to apply the learned contents into my classroom, regardless of their abilities.” |
“The new learning strategies I can now apply to my teaching.” |
“Focus on science and math.” |
“Cohort instruction, reasonable schedule with teaching.” |
“The professors’ active knowledge about current classroom situations and state standards.” |
“The program has given me the confidence to be a leader in mathematics, and I feel more confident teaching science when I didn’t before this program.” |
“I loved the professors’ passion & investment in each of us, along with their inspirational knowledge base. I liked that everything was immediately applicable to my classroom as well.” |
“I liked learning new strategies and the way we should develop the class.” |
“I liked meeting with and learning from knowledgeable professors, as well as working with distinguished colleagues throughout OCPS.” |
Semester | Credits | Courses |
---|---|---|
1 Summer | 9 | Teaching Middle School Science OR Teaching Middle School Mathematics Theory and Practice of Teaching ESOL Students in Schools Content-specific course in mathematics or science content |
2 Fall | 9 | Literacy Strategies for Middle and Secondary Teaching Classroom Management for Mathematics and Science Teachers Internship |
3 Spring | 9 | Reforming Curriculum in Mathematics and Science Education Principles of Learning and Introduction to Classroom Assessment Internship |
4 Summer | 9 | Critical Analysis of Social, Ethical, Legal, and Safety Issues Related to Education Teaching Algebra in Secondary Schools OR Space Science for Educators OR Environmental Education for Educators Capstone Seminar in Secondary Education |
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Dieker, L.A.; Butler, M.B.; Ortiz, E.; Gao, S. Reflecting upon 30 Years of STEM Partnerships between Industry, University, and Public Schools: Past Lessons, Current Successes, and Future Dreams. Educ. Sci. 2021, 11, 760. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11120760
Dieker LA, Butler MB, Ortiz E, Gao S. Reflecting upon 30 Years of STEM Partnerships between Industry, University, and Public Schools: Past Lessons, Current Successes, and Future Dreams. Education Sciences. 2021; 11(12):760. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11120760
Chicago/Turabian StyleDieker, Lisa A., Malcolm B. Butler, Enrique Ortiz, and Su Gao. 2021. "Reflecting upon 30 Years of STEM Partnerships between Industry, University, and Public Schools: Past Lessons, Current Successes, and Future Dreams" Education Sciences 11, no. 12: 760. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11120760