Drone Research and Opportunities for Native Elementary Students (DRONES)

该项目将推进学生和教师创新技术体验（ITEST）计划的努力，以更好地理解和促进提高学生动机和能力的做法，通过开发和测试高年级学生的职业探索体验，追求科学，技术，工程或数学（STEM）领域的职业生涯。该项目将吸引阿拉斯加三个农村学区的学生和教师参与：一个人口多样化的农村沿海中心，一个土著和非土著居民均匀混合的农村边缘社区，以及一个主要通过空中或船只进入的偏远农村地区，主要是阿拉斯加土著居民。该项目鼓励学生和他们的社区设想如何使用无人机系统（UAS）来解决当地的优先事项，如野生动物管理，搜索和救援行动以及危险监测。在这种情况下，该项目将制定，实施和测试基于地方的教育战略，其中包括教师专业发展课程，三个侧重于STEM领域的文化包容性课程单元，以及以UAS为重点的职业探索经验。该项目旨在提高阿拉斯加原住民学生在STEM教育中的热情，参与和成功。这一混合方法的比较案例研究回应了参与该项目的学校和社区内的三个确定的问题。 其中包括：1）缺乏与文化相关的课程和教育资源，2）缺乏经验的教育工作者对阿拉斯加农村环境没有准备; 3）当地STEM导师和STEM劳动力学习机会有限。在这种情况下，该项目的总体目标是提高阿拉斯加原住民学生的热情，参与度和STEM学习的成功。相关的研究目标是确定在STEM科目中取得成功的关键因素和策略。为了实现这些目标，该项目旨在：1）让学生和社区参与识别本地相关的UAS应用; 2）开发与基于地点的UAS应用相关的科学和技术课程; 3）为小学高年级教师开发远程继续教育课程; 4）培训最多23名小学教师使用基于地点的教学法教授科学和技术;和5）提供DRONES课程和相关的年终职业探索经验，为三个学区提供服务，共450名4至6年级的学生在14个阿拉斯加农村社区。一个向后的设计过程将用于课程开发，以确保项目交付解决有针对性的阿拉斯加文化标准，下一代科学标准，阿拉斯加科学标准，和21世纪世纪竞争。阿拉斯加原住民的文化价值将被确定，关键术语将被翻译成相关的阿萨巴斯卡方言，以鼓励社区的支持。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

This project will advance efforts of the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program to better understand and promote practices that increase student motivations and capacities to pursue careers in fields of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) by developing and testing a career exploration experience for upper elementary students. The project will engage students and their teachers within three rural school districts of Alaska: a rural coastal hub having a diverse population, a rural fringe community with an even mix of Native and non-Native residents, and a remote rural district primarily accessible by air or boat having a predominately Alaska Native population. The project encourages students and their communities to envision how unmanned aerial systems (UAS) can be used to address local priorities, such as wildlife management, search and rescue operations, and monitoring of hazards. In this context, the project will develop, implement, and test a place-based education strategy that includes a teacher professional development course, three culturally inclusive curriculum units focusing on STEM fields, and UAS-focused career exploration experiences. The project aims to increase Alaska Native students' enthusiasm, engagement, and success in STEM education. This mixed-methods comparative case study responds to three identified problems within the schools and communities participating in the project. These include: 1) a lack of culturally relevant curriculum and educational resources, 2)inexperienced educators who are unprepared for rural Alaska settings; and 3)limited opportunities for local STEM mentorship and STEM workforce learning opportunities. In this context, the overarching goal of the project is to increase Alaska Native students' enthusiasm, engagement, and success in STEM learning. The associated research goal is to identify key factors and strategies that engender this success in STEM subjects. To achieve these goals, the project aims to: 1) engage students and communities in identifying locally relevant UAS applications; 2) develop science and technology curricula related to place-based UAS applications; 3) develop a distance-delivered continuing education course for upper-elementary teachers; 4)train up to 23 elementary school teachers to instruct science and technology using place-based pedagogies; and 5)deliver the DRONES curricula and an associated year-end career exploration experience to three school districts serving a total of 450 4th through 6th grade students in 14 rural Alaska communities. A backwards design process will be used for curriculum development to ensure that project deliverables address targeted Alaska cultural standards, Next Generation Science Standards, Alaska science standards, and 21st Century Competencies. Alaska Native cultural values will be identified, and key terminology will be translated into relevant Athabascan dialects to encourage community support.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.