Drone Research and Opportunities for Native Elementary Students (DRONES)

该项目将推动学生和教师创新技术体验(ITEST)计划的努力，通过开发和测试高年级学生的职业探索体验，更好地了解和促进提高学生在科学、技术、工程或数学(STEM)领域追求职业的动机和能力的实践。该项目将在阿拉斯加的三个农村学区内吸引学生和他们的教师：一个人口多样化的沿海农村中心，一个土著居民和非土著居民均匀混合的农村边缘社区，以及一个主要通过飞机或船只到达的偏远农村地区，主要是阿拉斯加土著人口。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、搜救行动和危险监测。在这方面，该项目将制定、实施和测试一项以地方为基础的教育战略，其中包括一个教师专业发展课程、侧重于STEM领域的三个具有文化包容性的课程单元以及以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、参与度和成功。这项混合方法比较案例研究回应了参与该项目的学校和社区内发现的三个问题。这些问题包括：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的农村环境缺乏准备；3)当地STEM导师和STEM劳动力学习机会有限。在此背景下，该项目的首要目标是提高阿拉斯加原住民学生在STEM学习中的热情、参与度和成功。相关的研究目标是确定在STEM受试者中产生这种成功的关键因素和策略。为了实现这些目标，该项目的目标是：1)让学生和社区参与确定当地相关的无人驾驶飞机应用；2)开发与落地无人机应用有关的科学和技术课程；3)为高年级教师开发远程授课的继续教育课程；4)培训多达23名小学教师，利用就地教学讲授科学和技术；以及5)向阿拉斯加14个农村社区的3个学区提供无人机课程和相关的年终职业探索经验，为450名4至6年级学生服务。课程开发将使用反向设计流程，以确保项目交付成果满足目标阿拉斯加文化标准、下一代科学标准、阿拉斯加科学标准和21世纪能力。阿拉斯加土著文化价值将被确定，关键术语将被翻译成相关的阿萨巴斯坎方言，以鼓励社区支持。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.