The showcase encourages researchers, K-12 educators, higher education faculty, administrators, policymakers, and the general public to vote for their favorite videos to determine those recognized for the Public Choice award. Presenters can also participate in the voting for the Facilitators' Choice award. All visitors and participants also have the opportunity to provide critical feedback and ask questions about the projects.

The Georgia Tech Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing, (CEISMC), a unit that serves as the connection point between Georgia Tech, and the K-12 education community, submitted three videos to this year's showcase.

CEISMC garnered the 2017 Facilitators' Choice award for a video about an inspiring curriculum in math, science, and engineering called, "AMP-IT-UP." (NSF Awards: 1238089). The AMP-IT-UP project submitted a new video this year highlighting the impact of the project on teaching and learning in the classroom in the Griffin-Spalding County School System in Central Georgia.

This year, CEISMC's research and evaluation group present a video about one of their projects entitled, "An Exploratory Study: The Role of Social Networks and Self-Efficacy in the Retention of Noyce Teachers." (NSF Awards: 1660597)

The CAPACiTY project seeks to broaden the pipeline of students into computer science through relevant and culturally authentic project-based instructional materials for the high school Introduction to Digital Technology pathway, also produced and submitted a presentation video to the showcase. (NSF Awards: 1639946)

During May 13th-20th, CEISMC's videos and the over 200 other video submissions can be seen and voted for at the STEM for All Video Showcase's website https://stemforall2019.videohall.com.

Georgia Tech CEISMC's Direct Video Showcase Links:

• AMP-IT-UP - Advanced Manufacturing and Prototyping Integrated To Unlock Potential
• CAPACiTY - Culturally Authentic Practice to Advance Computational Thinking in Youth
• An Exploratory Study: The Role of Social Networks and Self-Efficacy in the Retention of Noyce Teachers

“Research has shown that out-of-school experiences are important to students pursuing STEAM subjects and careers,” said Chris Thompson, Associate Director of Technology and Student Activities at CEISMC. “CEISMC works hard through numerous programs such as Horizons, KIDS Club, Summer PEAKS, FIRST Lego League, and InVenture to make sure all students have an opportunity to participate in these experiences. In particular, we focus on underrepresented groups and work hard to close the opportunity gap for these students.”

There are many factors that may contribute to the lack of equitable opportunities in STEAM. Disparities in access to STEAM education are often rooted in historical inequalities that affect the funding and resources schools receive.

Programs such as GoSTEM seek to increase academic achievement in these special populations by creating a research-supported model for how technical universities, school systems, and philanthropic foundations can partner to promote academic success in STEM fields among Hispanic K-12 students.

The CAPACiTY project seeks to broaden the pipeline of students into computer science through relevant and culturally authentic project-based instructional materials for the high school Introduction to Digital Technology pathway.

“Our society was not founded for everybody to be equal, so, those things carry on in generational wealth, in generational access to education, and in generational poverty,” said CEISMC Associate Director of School and Community Engagement Dr. Tamara Pearson.

 Many schools lack sufficient resources to teach students the skills necessary for STEAM fields, or to expose students to STEAM fields at all. Opportunities students have in school are crucial to informing the professional paths they pursue later in life.

“A lot of kids say, ‘I don’t want to be an engineer or mathematician. Why does algebra matter?’ I always used to tell my students that it is not about what you think you want to be right now, it is about giving you the most options possible,” Pearson said.

Although educators are responsible for exposing students to new ideas and opportunities, they may lack the tools to do this effectively. Teachers face many challenges and pressures that may make it difficult to change their practices.

That is why it is important to influence teacher mindsets and increase their skills both inside and outside of the classroom. Professional development programs at CEISMC such as the Georgia Intern Fellowship for Teachers (GIFT) allow educators to gain meaningful professional experiences in research or industrial settings that enhance teaching and learning.

“Bringing teachers to a place like Georgia Tech to talk to researchers – or taking them to businesses so they can meet industry professionals who are actually doing the work they are preparing students for – really gives teachers more in their toolbox of ideas,” Pearson said.

In a similar way, the STEAM Leadership Conference is an opportunity for STEAM decision makers such as superintendents, curriculum coordinators, principals, academic coaches, and content specialists to enrich their own toolboxes of ideas. The conference is hosted by CEISMC and takes place at Georgia Tech on May 10 and 11. It is designed to help STEAM decision makers implement meaningful STEAM education within their districts and schools.

The conference will feature hands-on workshops, panel discussions, and keynote speeches that focus on the theme “We are the Future: Advancing Diversity and Equity in STEAM.” Leaders in education from Georgia and beyond will share their strategies for creating environments that invite all students to engage with STEAM concepts and thrive.

The conference also highlights the importance of incorporating the arts into STEAM curriculum. Many of the partnerships that CEISMC fosters with Georgia school districts have a significant focus on the arts. In 2018, CEISMC developed and evaluated a curriculum in five different Georgia school districts that utilized the software platform EarSketch, which allows anyone with an Internet connection to learn computer science through music remixing.

“Using music as a way to engage makes learning programming fun, enjoyable, and accessible,” said CEISMC Research Associate Doug Edwards. Edwards develops high school curricula using EarSketch and assists with the professional development for teachers who use it. Using EarSketch music samples that include contemporary genres like hip hop, students learn to code as they create their own art in the form of songs and ringtones.

Projects such as this demonstrate how STEAM education has become more accessible to students in the metro Atlanta area and other parts of the country; however, there are still many places where access to quality STEAM education remains inequitable. For this reason, it is important to continue to broaden preconceived ideas about STEAM that many students may have. Promoting the mindset that all students can thrive in STEAM subjects through platforms like the STEAM Leadership Conference is an important step towards providing equitable opportunities for K-12 students in every classroom.

By Rosemary Pitrone - CEISMC Communications

The authors of the study are Meltem Alemdar, Roxanne A. Moore, Jeremey A. Lingle, Jeff Rosen, Jessica Gale, and Marion C. Usselman. The researchers examined the impact of a three-year engineering course sequence developed by the Advanced Manufacturing and Prototyping Integrated to Unlock Potential (AMP-IT-UP) program.

The AMP-IT-UP program is a five-year National Science Foundation (NSF) Math and Science Partnership grant awarded to CEISMC and the School of Mechanical Engineering. Its mission is to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce development and to identify and cultivate the next generation of creative STEM innovators.

The project designed new middle school STEM Innovation and Design (STEM-ID) engineering courses to increase both engagement with and interest in STEM among middle school students. The authors of the article note that middle school is a crucial period for students to engage with math and science because students begin to consider future professions more seriously during this time.

The STEM-ID courses, titled Carnival Tycoon, Flight of Fancy, and Robot Rescue, were developed for students in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades, respectively.  The courses require students to engage with the engineering design process, collect and analyze data, and effectively communicate their ideas.

“It is very important that students have a low-stress but highly engaging environment in which to practice their math and science skills,” said Dr. Marion Usselman, Principal Investigator on the AMP-IT-UP project. “The STEM-ID courses, taken alongside the core math and science courses, provide students with just such an experience.”

Based on their analysis of student performance data on the state-level standardized math and science tests, the researchers found that students who enrolled in AMP-IT-UP engineering courses at least twice during middle school performed significantly better on the math and science tests than did students who never took these courses.  Students who had taken the courses also reported increased academic self-efficacy and a heightened interest in math and science.

Further, middle school students reported in interviews that the skills they acquired in engineering courses prepared them to succeed in math and science classes, and that concepts that may be confusing in math class became more accessible once applied in engineering.

“This is a huge contribution to the K-12 engineering education literature,” said Dr. Meltem Alemdar, co-Principal Investigator for research on the AMP-IT-UP project.

“This published article confirms our hypotheses that enabling students to practice their science and math skills within the context of engaging middle school engineering classes can significantly benefit both their engagement in STEM and their academic achievement.”

By: Rosemary Pitrone - CEISMC Communications

The AMP-IT-UP (Advanced Manufacturing and Prototyping Integrated to Unlock Potential) program is a multi-year NSF Math and Science Partnership whose mission is to cultivate the next generation of creative science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) innovators. It is a collaborative partnership between Georgia Tech and Griffin-Spalding County Schools. The Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (CEISMC) has partnered with the School of Mechanical Engineering to design math and science modules that bring advanced manufacturing and STEM themes to middle and high school classrooms; for example, AMP-IT-UP teachers Duke and Wilder are teaching their seventh graders three modules on ocean ecology, two of which are based on ECOGIG research. Each module profiles a member of the Georgia Tech faculty, connecting students in Griffin to the cutting-edge research being done at Georgia Tech and at the University of Georgia.

"I was very excited about going," said Wilder. "That was an opportunity of a lifetime – just to be a part of that whole process. A lot of times [students] don't get the science connection to the real world, and I'm hoping that through my experience, they'll be able to see that this is going on in other parts of the world – people are being impacted, the water is being impacted, the organisms in the sea are being impacted – and what can be done about it," shared Wilder. The teachers played an important role in collecting water samples on the cruise and gained firsthand experience with rosettes that measure the conductivity, temperature, and depth of water.  Duke shared: "My job was to collect water samples for Dr. Mandy Joye, who is at the University of Georgia. We collected [samples] from the surface, from a halfway point, and from the bottom of the ocean; we froze some of those samples, and they were put in coolers and shipped to the university for her to start working on her research with those samples.”

Dr. Annalisa Bracco, from the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Tech, is a principal investigator for ECOGIG who partnered with CEISMC to design these AMP-IT-UP modules and organized for the teachers to join the cruise. “It is not easy to find space on those cruises to help with research, and it was a great opportunity for them because they have been teaching modules specifically on that subject,” said Bracco.

The teachers traveled to various sites throughout the Gulf, including to the GC600 site, which is a natural oil seep. According to Bracco, ECOGIG scientists, including Dr. Joe Montoya at Georgia Tech, have found that there is increased biological activity in areas with natural oil seeps because the rising bubbles of oil also carry to the surface water that is rich in nutrients, which is beneficial to plankton. ECOGIG is able to measure the amount of productivity not only by measuring plankton but also by examining the amount of marine snow, or organic material, in that area; the amount of marine snow varies depending on proximity to natural seeps and seasons. “You can get it more in some seasons because you may have some Mississippi River water that contains a lot of nutrients from land, so the ocean gets fertilized, essentially,” said Bracco. While current measurements at GC600 are primarily from natural marine snow, polluting events such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill can contribute to an increase in the phenomenon.

Wilder described how going out to the different sites impacted her perspective on the Gulf of Mexico. “We went to three different sites, and it just blew my mind how you can go to one site and the water is pretty and blue, and go to another site and it is black,” said Wilder. “You could smell the oil and it was a very distinct odor,” she added. Both teachers were able to collect oil samples from the Taylor Energy Site, where there has been an ongoing oil spill since Hurricane Ivan in 2004 caused damage to the Mississippi Canyon 20-A production platform. Wilder and Duke plan to show the samples from the Taylor Energy Site to their students, who are even more excited about the classroom modules because of their teachers’ experiences.

This cruise is an example of how AMP-IT-UP is connecting teachers and students in Griffin to innovative research outside of the school district. The teachers thanked AMP-IT-UP for providing such a unique experience for educators and for bringing new enthusiasm to the classroom. “The AMP-IT-UP program has been absolutely wonderful for me because it has made me look at the way I teach science. In this way, you present students with a problem and then they need to come up with a possible solution. They gather data and decide: maybe we could have done this a better way or another way. Equipment doesn’t always work; you don’t always get the samples you need. It’s not foolproof, so they’re learning that,” said Duke. She continued, “I want to thank the AMP-IT-UP program for making this opportunity available. Not many times do classroom teachers get to go and do something like this; we were doing research firsthand and it was so impactful to me, just how I think about what they’re doing – their mechanical knowledge, their physics knowledge, their chemistry – how it all works together. It was really, really awesome.”

Advanced Manufacturing and Prototyping Integrated To Unlock Potential (AMP-IT-UP)
is made possible by a grant from the National Science Foundation (Award Number: 1238089)

By Rosemary T. Pitrone
CEISMC Communications

The presentation, entitled “AMP-IT-UP Manufacturing Mathematics,” looks at how assembly line process control can be used to teach statistical measures of center and spread in 6th-grade math classes. In the 3-minute video, Ms. LaSondra Thrash-Harris, a teacher at Rehoboth Road Middle School, Griffin, Georgia, shares her reflections on how the one-week modules that have a problem-based inquiry pedagogy within a manufacturing context have impacted her students. The project is funded by the National Science Foundation (#1238089). The AMP-IT-UP Manufacturing Mathematics video can be directly accessed at http://stemforall2018.videohall.com/presentations/1119.

Now in its fourth year, the annual showcase will feature over 200 innovative projects aimed at improving STEM learning and teaching, which have been funded by the National Science Foundation and other federal agencies. During the weeklong, event researchers, practitioners, policy-makers, and members of the public are invited to view the short videos, discuss them with the presenters online, and vote for their favorites. The Facilitators’ Choice Award was presented to AMP-IT-UP in the 2017 competition.

The showcase presentations cover a wide range of topics including science, mathematics, computer science, engineering, cyberlearning, citizen science, maker spaces, mentoring, informal learning, professional development, research and evaluation, and NGSS. The videos highlight initiatives for students of all ages - kindergarten through graduate school, as well as those for adult learners.

The STEM for All Video Showcase is created and hosted by TERC a non-profit, research and development organization, located in Cambridge MA.  TERC partners with six NSF funded resource centers MSPnet, CADRE, CAISE, CIRCL, STELAR, CS for All Teachers. The Showcase is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (#1642187).

AMP-IT-UP is a NSF Math and Science Partnership to promote workforce development and to identify and cultivate the next generation of creative science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) innovators. AMP-IT-UP is a five-year partnership that Georgia Tech CEISMC implements in collaboration with its core partners, the Georgia Tech George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the Griffin-Spalding County School System. National Science Foundation. Learn more about AMP-IT-UP at https://ampitup.gatech.edu.

Written by Steven L. Taylor - CEISMC Communications

These are a few examples of project-based learning featured in this year’s video that the Georgia Tech AMP-IT-UP project submitted to the 2017 National Science Foundation (NSF) STEM for All Video Showcase: Research and Design for Impact. Georgia Tech’s Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (CEISMC) implements AMP-IT-UP.

The AMP-IT-UP video joined 170 others in the online showcase, held online on May 15-22, 2017. It was recognized as one of 18 entries for the Facilitators’ Choice award.

The showcase invited submissions of videos running three-minutes or less about NSF-funded projects that seek to improve STEM learning and teaching. The videos should provide details about the need that inspired the project, the intervention or innovation that addresses the need, and the impact of the project.

The video features students and teachers from Carver Road Middle school in Griffin, Georgia, where the curriculum that AMP-IT-UP developed is being piloted. Students are shown engaging in AMP-IT-UP activities that focus on engineering design, foundational math skills, and science practices that promote evidence-based decision-making, as well as inspire academic engagement.

During the showcase, principal investigators, administrators, researchers, and the public viewed the videos, engaged in discussions, and voted for the videos that most effectively conveyed the creative work of NSF-funded programs.

“The video showcase provides a wonderful opportunity to explore the breadth of educational work funded by NSF and to make connections with other researchers and educators,” said CEISMC Associate Director and AMP-It-Up Co-Principal Investigator Marion Usselman. “We hope that legislators and policymakers in Washington got an opportunity to view them. Many are truly inspiring.”

CEISMC Educational Outreach Coordinator Will Jimmerson and CEISMC Research Associate Jayma Koval produced the video. Koval also served as a presenter during the showcase.  

“AMP-IT-UP is a large project that incorporates curriculum across many classes and grade levels,” Koval said. “The video showcase gave us the opportunity to highlight some of the many components of the project. We are very honored to be one of this year’s recipients of the Facilitators’ Choice award.”

Scenes from Carver Road Middle School were shot by Ben Brumfield, senior science writer at Georgia Tech’s Institute Communications and Steven Taylor, CEISMC’s communications manager, who also served as video editor. CEISMC’s Cameron Schriner narrated.

AMP-IT-UP is a five-year NSF Math and Science Partnership that CEISMC implements in collaboration with its core partners, the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the Griffin-Spalding County School System.

By Steven Lee Taylor - CEISMC Communications

Among many accomplishments, Rosen has grown the Georgia FIRST Lego League from 150 teams to over 650 teams since 2007, pushing Georgia’s program to be the third  largest in the nation. He is a passionate advocate for robotics and has worked with FIRST and VEX robotics teams across the state of Georgia. His work has appeared in journals and national conferences, including those by the American Society for Engineering and Education (ASEE), the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), and the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA).

In addition, Rosen served as conference host and organizer for the 2016 Georgia Engineering and Technology Education Association (GETEA) annual conference. He was named the 2013 Georgia TSA volunteer of the year. Rosen takes an active role in education policy through partnering with the Georgia Department of Education to update standards related to technology courses.

These are some of the reasons that ITEEA bestowed upon Rosen a Special Recognition Award for Performance of Outstanding Service to the Association and Profession in Technology and Engineering Education at its 79th annual conference, in Dallas, Texas.

“It is always an honor and pleasure for ITEEA to recognize those professionals, including teachers and students, who go the extra mile in their commitment to excellence in the profession and their teaching and learning environments,” ITEEA President Edward Reeve said. “As president of ITEEA, I am always proud to interact and be associated with these individuals.”

At CEISMC, Rosen has served on two multi-million-dollar National Science Foundation (NSF) grants that focus on improving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning through problem-based curriculums.

As co-principal investigator for the Advanced Manufacturing and Prototyping Integrated to Unlock Potential (AMP-IT-UP) NSF grant, Rosen has developed middle school technology courses that combine entrepreneurial thinking with engineering design, science, and math skills. Results show that students participating in the course, especially for more than one year, have higher math and science scores on Georgia Milestone tests.

Written by: Steven Lee Taylor – CEISMC Communications

They engaged with students using teaching modules developed in collaboration with CEISMC's AMP-IT-UP project. The modules' content are based on ECOGIG research, specifically the impacts of hydrocarbons on deepwater ecosystems (corals in particular).

The ECOGIG Ocean Discovery Zone is an exhibit booth and hands-on activity station designed to give non-scientists of all ages access to information about the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the Gulf of Mexico and the importance of healthy ocean ecosystems. Read more about the Ocean Discovery Zone here.

You can see photos from the event online here, all images courtesy of Steven Taylor
CEISMC -Communications Manager, Georgia Tech,

Spalding High teacher Lewis Pulliam interned at Sumika Polymers while Thomas Stinson, Carver Road Middle teacher, and Robyn Walker, Jackson Road Elementary teacher, interned at Caterpillar, Inc. These teachers will take their internship experiences and convert them into classroom lesson plans to share with their students.

Seven Griffin High students participated in the newly launched GSCS High School STEM Internship Program. Tyrique Hannah and Zakariayh Cox interned at UGA-Griffin campus; Cameron Davis, Jeramie Paz and Muhammad Butt interned at the Candler Field Museum (a 1920s/1930s replica of HartsfieldJackson Atlanta International Airport) and D'Asia Dennis and Fatima Humayun interned at Spading Regional Hospital. These students had the opportunity to learn about the skills and knowledge needed in STEM-related careers. During this four-week program, students gained hands-on experiences in robotics, wheat research, aviation, radiology and physical therapy.

AMP-IT-UP is a $7.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation that GSCS and Georgia Tech are implementing. The grant’s purpose is to improve science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and foster the next generation of creative designers.

School Superintendent Jim Smith stated, “These internships are a great opportunity for us to partner with local businesses to help benefit our teachers, students and district. These hands-on and real-world experiences provide invaluable professional development for both GSCS teacher and students.” Visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vR-QTHoSsZ8 to view a video featuring the internships at Sumika Polymers and the Candler Field Museum.

Article written and published by the Griffin-Spalding County Schools Office of Communications.

The following Griffin-Spalding County School teams were regional tournament award winners:

Team 12438 - 2nd Place Champion's - Carver Road Middle School

Team 12436 - 3rd Place Champion's - Carver Road Middle School

Team 12440 - Programming Award - Cowan Road Middle School

Team 22579 - Presentation Award - Cowan Road Elementary School

Team 17623 - Inspiration Award - Kennedy Road Middle School

The following teams will advance to the Super Regional Tournament in January:

Team 12436 from Carver Road Middle School

Team 12438 from Carver Road Middle School

Team 12440 from Cowan Road Middle School

Team 17621 from Rehoboth Road Middle School

Team 17623 from Kennedy Road Middle School

Team 22579 from Cowan Road Middle School 

Special thanks to the tournament organizer, Ms. Antoinette Richter, Engineering/Technology teacher from Carver Road Middle School, for organizing this event.

FIRST LEGO League (FLL) combines two organizations to help expose young minds to the fascinating world of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Each year, FLL releases a new challenge in late August which consists of three components: robot game, project, and core values. Directed by coaches, the teams conduct research on the science behind these challenges and design an innovative solution to solve the problem while practicing the core values. Using the LEGO MINDSTORMS technology, the teams must design, build, and program a robot to overcome these challenges and compete on a thematic playing field. Throughout the season, they develop multiple talents and techniques such as teamwork, communication, critical thinking, and presentation skills all while engaging in the STEM concepts and having fun!

FIRST LEGO League (FLL) combines two organizations to help expose young minds

to the fascinating world of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Each

year, FLL releases a new challenge in late August which consists of three

components: robot game, project, and core values. Directed by coaches, the teams

conduct research on the science behind these challenges and design an innovative

solution to solve the problem while practicing the core values. Using the LEGO

MINDSTORMS technology, the teams must design, build, and program a robot to

overcome these challenges and compete on a thematic playing field. Throughout the

season, they develop multiple talents and techniques such as teamwork,

communication, critical thinking, and presentation skills all while engaging in the

STEM concepts and having fun!