Integration Of Elementary Engineering Elements In The Language Arts Program
- Conference
- Location
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Honolulu, Hawaii
- Publication Date
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June 24, 2007
- Start Date
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June 24, 2007
- End Date
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June 27, 2007
- ISSN
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2153-5965
- Conference Session
- Page Count
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8
- Page Numbers
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12.937.1 - 12.937.8
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--2534
- Permanent URL
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https://strategy.asee.org/2534
- Download Count
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375
Paper Authors
Pat Van Driessche Douglas L. Jamerson, Jr. Elementary School
PAT VAN DRIESSCHE is a fourth grade teacher at Douglas L. Jamerson, Jr. Elementary School Center for Mathematics and Engineering. She earned a B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Wisconsin-Superior and her M.S. in Specific Learning and Behavior Problems from the College of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN. Her teaching experiences include over 30 years teaching first through sixth grade and seven years in exceptional student education. Pat has presented various district trainings and is currently involved in the development of the integrated curriculum at Jamerson.
Kim Parsons Douglas L. Jamerson, Jr. Elementary School
KIM PARSONS is the Reading Coach for Kindergarten through Third grade at Douglas L. Jamerson, Jr. Elementary School Center for Mathematics and Engineering. She earned a B.A. in Elementary Education from Florida Atlantic University and a Master of Arts in Education from the University of South Florida. Prior to her position as Reading Coach, Kim’s experience included fifteen years as a classroom teacher in grades one through five. Kim has presented at various county and state venues.
Chuck Parsons Douglas L. Jamerson Jr. Elementary School
CHARLES PARSONS is the Science Coach at Douglas L. Jamerson, Jr. Elementary School Center for Mathematics and Engineering. He earned a B.A. in Elementary Education from the University of South Florida. His experiences include over 30 years teaching in Kindergarten through fifth grade classrooms and 1 ½ years as a resource teacher. Chuck has curriculum writing experience and has presented at various state and national venues.
Robin Little Douglas L. Jamerson Jr. Elementary School
ROBIN LITTLE is the Engineering Coach at Douglas L. Jamerson, Jr. Elementary School Center for Mathematics and Engineering. She earned a B.A. in Elementary Education and a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from the University of South Florida. Her experiences include over 23 years in early childhood classrooms and seven years as a teacher resource and trainer. Robin has curriculum writing experience, including a nationally published teacher resource book integrating science and literature with other areas of the curriculum.
Debbie O'Hare Douglas L. Jamerson Jr. Elementary School
DEBORAH O'HARE is a 4th and 5th grade teacher at Douglas L. Jamerson, Jr. Elementary School Center for Mathematics and Engineering. She earned a B.A. in Elementary Education from Florida State University and has National Board Certification. In 2006, she was one of the finalists for teacher of the year for her district. Her experiences include over 21 years as a classroom teacher in all grades. Her main focus has been in the intermediate grades. Presently, she “loops” with her class from 4th to 5th grade, thus keeping them for two years. Deborah has experience writing curriculum using the Backwards Design Process and has worked with the state to create, revise and edit the math questions used on the statewide test for fifth grade.
Marilyn Barger University of South Florida
MARILYN BARGER is the Executive Director of FL-ATE, the Florida Regional Center for Manufacturing Education housed at Hillsborough Community College. She earned a B.A. in Chemistry at Agnes Scott College, and both a B.S. in Engineering Science and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of South Florida. She has over 16 years of experience in developing curriculum in engineering and engineering technology and is a registered professional engineer in the State of Florida. She is currently working with Douglas L. Jamerson, Jr. Elementary School to develop curriculum content for its Center for Mathmatics and Engineering.
Richard Gilbert University of South Florida
RICHARD GILBERT is a professor of Chemical Engineering in the College of Engineering at the University of South Florida. He has developed educational materials for ISA (Instrument Society of America), AVS (American Vacuum Society) Science Educator’s Workshop, and the National Science Foundation through a grant to develop high school science and math curriculum content. He is currently working with Douglas L. Jamerson, Jr. Elementary School to develop curriculum content for its Center for Math and Engineering.
Abstract
NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract
Integration of Elementary Engineering Elements In the Language Arts Program
Introduction
Douglas L. Jamerson, Jr. Elementary School in Pinellas County, Florida, opened three and a half years ago with a daunting challenge. Create a learning institution in a predominantly ethnically isolated inner city area that would naturally integrate the ethnicity of the student population within the school without the aid of a district assigned plan for student placement. To facilitate this challenge, the district provided key resources: 1) a new state of the art school, 2) application and subsequent Magnet School Assistance Program grant (MSAP), and 3) latitude in hiring the instructional staff. The combination of these elements has resulted in a dynamic learning community.
Jamerson has utilized the resources from a Magnet School’s Assistance Program Grant to design, create and implement a standards based curriculum with the integration of essential elements of elementary engineering. In its fourth year of development, the grade level teams, with the support of specialists/coaches, and two local university professors, are producing integrated lessons for the seven units of study: Nature of Science, Gravitational Force and Resultant Motion, Electromagnetic Force, Natural Resources, Space Exploration, Life Science, and Ecosystems. The backward curriculum design process is being used to develop the integrated curriculum. This design process was developed by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe in Understanding by Design (ASCD, 1998). This requires teachers to answer three interrelated questions; 1) what do students need to know, understand and be able to do based on national subject area standards, Florida’s Sunshine State Standards and the Pinellas County Student Expectations, 2) what is acceptable assessment evidence that they have learned the standards, 3) what specific instructional activities and learning experiences will be necessary to achieve the desired results. To approach these questions systematically, Jamerson teachers are using the Informed Design Process.
Using these questions as a guiding framework, Jamerson has designed its uniquely integrated curriculum. This required thinking “outside the box” as there is not an existing integrated engineering curriculum. This effort has to include integrating the language arts program.
Elementary Language Arts Overview
The language arts curriculum, specifically, reading and writing, can easily provide an additional support vehicle for all engineering curriculum. While engineering is the central theme for the magnet program, the school wide program is supported with research-based curricula in core subjects like reading and writing. Reading instruction is aligned with the principles of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB), Florida’s Reading First initiative and utilizes the Harcourt Trophies core reading program.
Classroom teachers use the district’s pacing guide based on this reading program for identifying the focus skills and strategies. These skills and strategies are incorporated into integrated reading/engineering units of study. Focus skills/strategies lessons include: phonemic awareness,
Van Driessche, P., & Parsons, K., & Parsons, C., & Little, R., & O'Hare, D., & Barger, M., & Gilbert, R. (2007, June), Integration Of Elementary Engineering Elements In The Language Arts Program Paper presented at 2007 Annual Conference & Exposition, Honolulu, Hawaii. 10.18260/1-2--2534
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