dgault
Registered: 05/02/06
Posts: 117
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Reply with quote | #1 |
Hello all who can and will join us in this conversation!
I am Dave Gault, part of the QCTeach team from the University of Oregon, College of Education. We have just begun a Summer project in which we will participate online in a professional development activity called QCTeach. Much information can be found about QCTeach at our home page, and many of the tools that Dr. Olson has developed over the years, which we will use, can be found there also.
Elkton High School, in Elkton, Oregon, has decided to grow with their science program, an engineering emphasis. Randy Harper, who is probably the whole science department there, has joined us in conversation about how he will begin begin to design and integrate this into his curriculum for the next school year.
I hope you will register and join in as you see this all develop this Summer!
Dave Gault
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jefrancis
Registered: 05/09/06
Posts: 112
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Reply with quote | #2 |
Hi Randy. To get us started on this thread perhaps you could share some of you ideas at this point and any questions you might be wrestling with about the engineering integration. Any thoughts?
Judy |
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dgault
Registered: 05/02/06
Posts: 117
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Reply with quote | #3 |
Hi Randy!
Hopefully you are able to get to email; I know Elkton S.D. may not be open for your use right now.
Would you please check the postings at the Churchill thread? Also, have you been able to access the revised content standards I forwarded (in the science update from the ODE)?
Dave
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dgault
Registered: 05/02/06
Posts: 117
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Reply with quote | #4 |
Hello Randy!
I posted on the Churchill thread, about a teaching strategy of looking for something that could become a problem, or project etc. that could be a focus and then the basic classical/textbook science could be used by a class to help solve or answer the problem/question/project. I suggested to Atzi that global warming might be a start to such a year long conversation for her biology class.
I'd like to suggest a similar strategy for your and your engineering emphasis by asking you about something I have collected over the years about the 'Kee Bird.' Have you heard or read about the attempts to repair and fly-out a B-29 that only had 220 hours on it when it belly-flopped in Greenland during a reconnaissance mission over half a century ago? (1947 to be exact) It's a stirring saga (the crash landing in 1947 to the attempt to finish the repaoir and fly it out), but also something that might keep the interest of freshmen while you work on the basics of physical science, and engineering as seen in the new Oregon Standards. As I looked at the new standards, especially the engineering one, I could see a problem/project orientation being exactly what was being sought by the standard writers and state board.
I think I first saw this in the Smithsonian Magazine but I'm sure that an online search would explode with ideas!
Dave Gault
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dgault
Registered: 05/02/06
Posts: 117
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Reply with quote | #5 |
End of Summer?
Hello!
As you think about the first few days of the fall semester, and if you might choose the Key Bird as a central focus for a semester of engineering, I'd also invite you to spend a time on the principles of flight. Maybe construction and flight testing of various forms of airplanes. How about a long range plan to visit the Spruce Goose, and the air museum in McMinnville? I know that the school year typically starts with a review of the so-called scientific method, and a rehash of the metric system, but if the principles of flight were involved, as a way of thinking about the challenges of designing, building, flying, rehabilitating, and flying the B-29 out, the focus is on the impending work instead. Possibly you have a retired reserve military pilot in your surrounding area; they often will give their time to a youth group like your science classes. The reservist might be able to gain participation points and add to their future pension this way; you should also have an academy liasion officer assigned to your area to mediate with interested parties, both before and maybe after they might be appointed to one of the service academies. Often these people are listed in the local phone listings, and they have great contacts with lots of possibilities.
I recorded a one hour tape of the Key Bird story from the television, and suggest you might use it as an introduction, a definer of a problem to study from the project, maybe a remotivator and rekindling of interest, as you go along. The actual footage of the B-29 moving for it's test run is very impressive!
I hope you'll find an idea here for your engineering year!
Dave Gault
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