Building Our Future - The University of Akron

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STEM Opportunities Serve as a Basis for Ingenuity and Enthusiasm Explore Robotics: STEM Program “Students who normally are a little timid found their voice and confidently taught others about the program. It was amazing!” It starts with the build! Students construct and program their robots to accomplish the mission. The Explore Robotics program offered through the College of Education provides opportunities for middle school students in Akron Public Schools (APS) to experience science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in innovative ways. By integrating computers, programming software (Lego Robolab 2.9 and Lego Mindstorm NXT) and building materials into a cooperative learning environment, student teams work to find solutions to mechanical and technical challenges. Ohio Academic Content Standards are aligned with these problem-solving scenarios (missions) to provide opportunities for hands-on learning. Even as the students become adept at manipulating their robots, they are mastering specific learning objectives and developing skills in teamwork, communication and problem solving. The program, initially funded with a grant from the Knight Foundation obtained by Sharon Kruse, professor (EFL), provided afterschool and summer enrichment opportunities to students at Perkins Middle School. Tim Sisson, project coordinator, further developed the program with cooperation from APS, Summit County Job and Family Services and the National Inventors Hall of Fame STEM Middle School. The program has expanded to include Reidinger and Miller South middle schools. On Feb. 3, 2009, the Explore Robots and their middle school creators “stormed” the eTech Ohio Conference. Students from all three middle schools modeled maturity, teamwork, knowledge and professionalism as they demonstrated their robots to an audience. The audience responses yielded interest on several levels – with curriculum materials, lessons learned and, of course, the engineers behind the robots. “It was amazing to see the students walk up to teachers, superintendents and others and introduce themselves with a handshake and then lead their guests through the various missions on display,” says Sisson. “Students who normally are a little timid found their voice and confidently taught others about the program. It was amazing!” It is hoped the Explore Robotics Program can offer more students across Summit County and beyond, opportunities to hone their STEM skills and have similar positive outcomes. The program is looking to more fully develop a model for classroom use, continue the afterschool/ summer enrichment program and to “invade” eTech again in 2010 with new ideas and lessons learned. Tim Sisson “Explores Robotics” with two middle school students who engineered their robots for a high level mission at the eTech conference. 8
BUILDING OUR FUTURE Construction on the First STEM Middle School in the Nation Under Way As Northeast Ohio undergoes a transformation from supporting an industrial age economy to an information or solutions-based economy, basic organizations, structures and relationships must evolve. To that end, the Akron Public Schools (APS), along with the city of Akron, The University of Akron and the National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation (NIHFF) began collaborating in 2004 to create a concept for a cutting edge school titled the National Inventors Hall of Fame School...Center for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Learning. Additional partners in this effort now include the Greater Akron Chamber and Akron Tomorrow. The STEM-focused middle school will be housed in the renovated National Inventors Hall of Fame on the western edge of campus. It will serve students of all ability levels in grades 5-8, with 100 to 125 students admitted per grade. The school will provide a unique opportunity for UA in that it will be a Professional Development School, bringing undergraduate and graduate students into the classrooms. (Since the renovation project is scheduled for completion in 2010, the NIHF STEM School will initially open to 210 fifth and sixth graders at the APS district office on West Market Street.) The decision to begin at the middle school level (grades 5-8) was purposeful, reflecting research that indicates that middle school is the time in which students “fall out of the pipeline” and decide math or science is not for them. The program is based on research and best practices on math and science learning. Along with partner expertise, it will be a model for other schools and public school districts. As a 2008 recipient of the Ohio STEM Schools planning grant, the NIHF school is one of five STEM schools, and the only middle school, in the Ohio STEM Learning Network (OSLN). The schools are linked and poised to learn from each other and to share best practices. Funding for the network was provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Battelle Foundation. For more information, visit www.akronscienceschool.com Vision To provide the highest quality education experience for students that ensures creativity and inventive thinking through a focus on science, mathematics and technology. The University of Akron Education HIGHLIGHTS 2008-2009 9
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