{"63394":{"#nid":"63394","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech and NASA partner to enhance STEM teaching","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology and NASA are partnering to deliver educational resources designed to enhance K-12 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) instruction. The five-year, $3 million collaborative agreement is on schedule for developing four topic areas including robotics, project-based inquiry learning, interactive statistics and technology integration.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIntegrated into Georgia Tech\u2019s Distance Learning and Professional Education (DLPE) professional development course offerings, NASA\u2019s Electronic Professional Development Network (ePDN) project offers the online, interactive courses tuition-free to any United States citizen worldwide currently teaching in a K-12 classroom (public, private or home school). \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe partnership resulted after the Georgia Tech Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC) and NASA realized that their respective STEM-related courses had the potential of effectively reaching more teachers through a distance learning format. CEISMC\u2019s expertise in STEM education and DLPE\u2019s experience in online course delivery provided a winning combination for NASA to locate ePDN on the Georgia Tech campus.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs the ePDN program enters its third year, more than 400 teachers have enrolled from 46 states as well as Puerto Rico, Brazil, Mexico and Ukraine. The high-demand classes, which provide continuing education units, can each accommodate 50 students. Participants who complete four courses earn a certificate.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cThe teachers really like these courses and get a lot out of them,\u201d said Fran Ruskin, Georgia Tech\u2019s ePDN project coordinator. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EComments shared on course evaluation forms have been positive. \u201cIn my sixth grade science classroom, I\u2019m currently using NASA\u2019s Field Trip to the Moon activities. The excitement, creativity, teamwork and problem solving among my students have convinced me that project based learning is the way to go,\u201d shared one of the program participants.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAccording to Ruskin, the courses require weekly assignments ranging from watching a video or developing a lesson plan to answering forum posts and sharing hands-on tasks like building or programming robots. \u201cParticipants often mention their increasing self-confidence with technology, their enjoyment of new strategies that engage students and the strong sense of connection with others taking the course,\u201d she said.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cWe want participants to feel like a community of learners, so we incorporate many collaborative tools -- a particular expertise of DLPE,\u201d said Marion Usselman, CEISMC\u2019s associate director for academic outreach. \u201cThis dynamic is very different from doing a course independently at your own pace.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAccording to Usselman, the goal is for problem solving and creative thinking from the training to translate into changes in the classroom. \u201cThat\u2019s what we\u2019re trying to do. So far, the evidence suggests that we\u2019re succeeding.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAdditional information and applications for Spring 2011 ePDN courses are now online at \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.nasaepdn.gatech.edu\u0022 title=\u0022http:\/\/www.nasaepdn.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.nasaepdn.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E. Notifications about upcoming courses may be requested by e-mailing \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:nasaepdn@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Enasaepdn@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Interactive courses available tuition-free to K-12 educators"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology and NASA are partnering to deliver \neducational resources designed to enhance K-12 science, technology, \nengineering and mathematics (STEM) instruction. The five-year, $3 \nmillion collaborative agreement is on schedule for developing four topic\n areas including robotics, project-based inquiry learning, interactive \nstatistics and technology integration.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Georgia Institute of Technology and NASA are partnering to deliver educational resources designed to enhance K-12 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) instruction."}],"uid":"27281","created_gmt":"2011-01-05 19:05:51","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:07:57","author":"Lisa Grovenstein","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-01-06T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2011-01-06T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"63396":{"id":"63396","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech and NASA partner to enhance STEM teaching","body":null,"created":"1449176690","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:04:50","changed":"1475894557","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:37","alt":"Georgia Tech and NASA partner to enhance STEM teaching","file":{"fid":"191815","name":"NASA_Distance_Learning_1.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/NASA_Distance_Learning_1_0.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/NASA_Distance_Learning_1_0.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":130293,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/NASA_Distance_Learning_1_0.JPG?itok=mK4p_qvB"}}},"media_ids":["63396"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.nasaepdn.gatech.edu\/","title":"Application Information"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ceismc.gatech.edu\/","title":"Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC)"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.dlpe.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Distance Learning and Professional Education"}],"groups":[{"id":"1183","name":"Home"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"11547","name":"CEICMC"},{"id":"2153","name":"Distance Learning and Professional Education"},{"id":"410","name":"DLPE"},{"id":"11548","name":"ePDN"},{"id":"11550","name":"Ruskin"},{"id":"167258","name":"STEM"},{"id":"11549","name":"Usselman"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELisa Grovenstein, 404-894-8835\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["lisa.grovenstein@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}