IndustryEducation Partnerships: Research to Practice NSF ESI0353441

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Industry-Education PartnershipsResearch to
PracticeNSF ESI-0353441

• Discovery Research K-12 (DR-K12) PI Conference
• Washington, D.C.
• November 13, 2008

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Why Industry-Education Partnerships?

• Students must be prepared to compete in todays
  knowledge-based, global economy.
• Students see no relevance of academic content to
  real world applications.
• Where am I ever going to use this?
• How can teachers teach something they have never
  experienced?- the late Melia Peavey, former
  president of Peavey Electronics

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Why Industry-Education Partnerships?

• Educators students must have a knowledge of
  basic skills and competencies required by
  industry.
• Communication
• Problem solving
• Mathematics and computer skills
• Ability to work as a team
• Strong work ethic
• Accepting responsibility
• Need for careers require STEM?

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Why Industry-Education Partnerships?

• Educators students must have a knowledge of
  STEM requirements at all educational levels.
• Educators students must have a knowledge of
  careers.
• Educators students must connect with industries
  in their local area to grow the economy of their
  state and region.

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As teachers we learn a lot about theory but not
application. Here, we learn why we teach what we
teach. Teacher, Mississippi
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Learning the physics behind the dry dock will
be an excellent science application. Teacher,
Mississippi
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Goals of Industry Experiences

• Experience the workplace
• Learn real world applications of science,
  mathematics and technology
• Learn workplace skills and values
• Learn career opportunities science, mathematics
  and technology requirements
• Establish relationships with local industries
• Integrate experiences into existing curricula

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Best Practices for Developing Successful
Partnerships

• Develop relationships THE KEY!
• Identify existing and emerging industry strengths
  in your area
• Mississippi Transportation
• Nissan, Toyota, Northrop Grumman, American
  Eurocopter, Aurora Flight Sciences
• Work with state and local economic development
  agencies and state and local chambers of commerce
• Identify key people in each industry

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Developing Relationships

• Be knowledgeable and passionate
• Approach business and industry leaders with a
  commitment to learning their needs
• Learn real world applications of content from
  their perspective
• Communicate a strong desire to work with them to
  better prepare students for todays workforce

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Developing Relationships

• Remember you are working in their world
• Visit their company
• Dress code
• Be on time
• Assess applications of STEM content in their
  context
• Communicate a strong desire to work with them to
  better prepare students for todays workforce

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Developing Relationships

• Follow the companies guidelines
• Continue to assess the value of the partnership
  to industry and to you
• Place industry representatives on your advisory
  boards
• Include industry representatives in your
  presentations and publications

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Developing Relationships

• Take every opportunity to acknowledge and praise
  industry support
• Invite company representatives to functions
  associated with your institution
• Thank them for support
• Update on progress
• Assess progress
• Discuss future collaborations

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Developing Relationships

• PRODUCE and build TRUST
• Be honest
• Be sincere
• Have the appropriate attitude necessary for a
  true partnership
• Be prepared to assist industry when they request
  assistance

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Value of Partnerships to Educators

• Learn how changes in the workplace affect the
  role of educators in preparing students for the
  workforce
• Gain knowledge of todays workplace skills and
  workplace values
• Relate real world applications to classroom
  instruction
• Gain knowledge or career requirements and
  opportunity
• Serve as full partners in educational reform
  efforts by business and industry

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Value of Partnerships to Industry

• Long-term impact on education
• Educators learn the requirements for a competent
  workforce through workplace experiences
• Internal relations with employees
• Enhances employee self-esteem
• Provides opportunity for contributions to
  education
• Public relations

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Value of Partnerships to Industry

• Career opportunities
• Teachers, students parents become aware of
  local job opportunities
• Development of basic competencies and workplace
  values
• Educators learn skills required by employees
  communication skills, computer skills, basic
  mathematics, problem-solving, measurement,
  ability to work with others

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Who Are Our Partners?

• Northrop Grumman Shipbuilders Gulf Coast
  Operation
• Tennessee Valley Authority
• Nissan
• North American Coal Mississippi Lignite Red
  Hills Mine
• Columbus Air Force Base
• American Eurocopter

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Who Are Our Partners?

• Aurora Flight Sciences
• Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center
• Meridian Air Base
• NASA Stennis Space Center
• NOAA
• Local Industries

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• Components
• Teams of teachers grades 5-12, guidance
  counselors, administrators, preservice teachers
  48 participants
• Summer Workshops of variable length multiple
  summers
• One week internship in local industry
• Academic year follow-up

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Our Professional Development Model

• Summer 1 Four Weeks
• Local Industry Internship
• Academic Year Follow-Up
• Summer 2 One Week
• Academic Year Follow-Up
• Summer 3 One Week
• Academic Year Follow-Up

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Our Professional Development Model

• Summer 1 Four Weeks
• Week 1
• Preparation for workplace activities
• Examples of curriculum integration
• Technology Training
• Weeks 2 3
• Industry Experiences
• Week 4
• Industry Experiences
• Curriculum Integration

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Northrop Grumman Ship Systems
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Northrop Grumman Shipbuilders Gulf Coast
Operation
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Northrop Grumman Ship Systems
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Northrop Grumman Ship Systems
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North American Coal Red Hills Mine
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North American Coal Red Hills Mine
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North American Coal Red Hills Mine
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North American Coal Red Hills Mine
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Tennessee Valley Authority
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Nissan
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Nissan
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Columbus Air Force Base
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Integration into the Curriculum

• Changes how teachers teach, not what they teach
• Correlates with standards
• Integrates workplace values and skills
• Models workplace operations

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Grand Prix Faye Kinard, Mississippi
Chemistry/Physics Teacher
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Grand Prix

• Objectives 
• Test the car to determine the distance traveled.
• Determine the average velocity of the car from
  distance and time.
• Determine the average acceleration of the car.
• Determine the average forces acting on the car
  and the balloon.

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FLOAT YOUR BOAT Faye Kinard, Mississippi
Chemistry/Physics Teacher

• Objectives 
• Evaluate the effects of changing temperature on
  the products of a chemical reaction.
• Relate changes in energy to an increase in
  activation energy and the development of an
  activated complex.
• Use the relationship between mass and volume to
  calculate density based on changes in
  concentration and temperature.
• Explore the production of polymers and relate
  this to industrial processes.
• Graph the relationship between the independent
  and dependent variables in the experiment.

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FLOAT YOUR BOAT

•  Applications in the Workplace
• Team work
• Modeling of the injection molding process
• Practice in measuring and evaluation the
  consequences of improper measuring
• Effects of weather changes on the storage of raw
  materials
• Experience in graphing techniques

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FLOAT YOUR BOAT

•  Integration across the curriculum
• Chemistry
• Measure and mix reactants
• Determine mass and volume and calculate density
• Physics Mathematics
• Use density values to calculate buoyancy
• Graphing skills
• Art
• Decoration of boats

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Designing an Outdoor Classroom Incorporation of
Framework - Patti Brooks, Mississippi Middle
School Teacher

• Compare and contrast the structure and function
  of living things.
• Determine how organisms co-exists in their
  environment.
• Explore how environmental factors of a population
  influence the formation of an ecosystem.

• Determine measurements with a focus on real-world
  problems.
• Use a two-dimensional drawing to understand a
  three-dimensional object.

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Building Bird Houses for Outdoor Classroom
Measure twice.
Cut once.
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What Have We Learned?

• There are few similar projects and no extensive
  or concrete evidence of impacts on classrooms and
  students.
• Teams of teachers, multiple teachers in the same
  school impact instruction.
• Students are more engaged in learning.

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What Have We Learned?

• Teachers have increased knowledge about the
  workplace.
• Translating quantifiable empirical impact
  evidence is a challenge.
• Evidence based action plans required.
• Experiences are being incorporated into the
  curriculum.

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What Have We Learned?

• Teachers are energized and enthusiastic about
  teaching.
• Leadership should be by teachers.
• Counselors provide limited career guidance.
• It is difficult to get counselors to participate.

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What Have We Learned?

• It is important to get administrator buy-in.
• We added a three-day administrators workshop with
  experiences at Northrop Grumman and Stennis Space
  Center.

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Contact Information

• Dr. Sandra H. Harpole
• Associate Vice President for Research
• Director, Center for Science, Mathematics and
  Technology, Professor of Physics
• Mississippi State University
• P. O. Box 6343
• Mississippi State, MS 39762
• 662-325-3570
• Sharpole_at_research.msstate.edu
• httpcsmt.msstate.edu/IEP

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What Have We Learned?

• Industry experience is used in National Board
  Certification Process.
• Impact extends beyond the length of professional
  development.
• Industries are enthusiastic and committed
  partners.