Introduction to the Setting
Location
The activities proposed in this action plan will transpire at Newsome Park Elementary School. Newsome Park Elementary School is located in the East End of Newport News. The East End of Newport News is marked by poverty, homelessness, and the highest crime rate in the city. Newsome Park Elementary School is a Title I school. In October 2014, the school was denied accreditation and remains in this status for 2015-2016 school year.
Participants
Newsome Park Elementary’s 2015 fall enrollment includes 477 students, 84 percent Black, 9.43 percent Hispanic, 4.19 percent 2 or more races, 1.89 percent White, 0.2 percent Asian, 0.2 percent American Indian (Virginia Department of Education, 2015a). Therefore the cohort …show more content…
“One way to think about advancing STEM education is by improving the separate disciplines or incorporating a discipline currently not included, such as engineering” (Bybee, 2013, p. 82). However, the critical demand for evidence of increased learning requires a bold transformation in teaching practices. “A step beyond maintaining separate STEM disciplines requires consideration and a decision to advance STEM education by integrating the disciplines” (Bybee, 2013, p. 82). “Individuals learn best when the context within which they are learning has personal meaning—that is, learning is enhanced when it is related to something people recognize or know, or in which they have a personal interest” (Bybee, 2013, p. 84). Furthermore, “there is an efficiency that comes with combining the knowledge and skills of different disciplines, and there is limited time in school days and years. If lessons, courses, and school programs can attain learning outcomes of both content and processes of different disciplines, such as engineering and mathematics, that has benefit for teachers and students” (Bybee, 2013, p. 85). Therefore, students and teachers of Newsome Park Elementary stand to receive the greatest benefit from an integrated approach to STEM …show more content…
“The professional development programs should provide enough initial time to establish a clear foundation for teaching and learning” (Bybee, 2013, p. 58). Fortunately, the district already has established an award winning professional development series, the iSTEM Innovation Institute. All teachers, current and future, at Newsome Park Elementary School should be required to participate in this program. Participation in the iSTEM Innovation Institute will “provide teachers with the knowledge and skills needed to enhance learning, and incorporate the content and competencies aligned with the goals of STEM education” (Bybee, 2013, p.