MATE ROV Competitions: Providing Pathways to the Ocean STEM Workforce

该项目将利用海洋先进技术教育(Mate)中心非常成功的遥控潜水器(ROV)竞赛网络来接触、吸引和支持中学的参与。它们代表着教育道路上的一个临界点，在这个点上，学生，特别是来自代表性不足的群体的学生，最有可能对数学和科学失去兴趣。它将提供职业信息和指导工具，使学生能够从初中过渡到高中，然后进入大学和工作场所。它将强调家长参与学生教育的重要性，方法是主动接触家长，与家长沟通，并让家长参与项目活动。它还将扩大Mate中心的网络基础设施，以创建一个学习社区，促进资源的获取，并鼓励所有年级的沟通和合作。该项目还将评估这些活动的影响，并将这些结果贡献给关于STEM教育的知识库，特别是当它适用于传统上代表性不足的群体时。该项目的总体目标是利用Mate ROV竞赛作为一个吸引人的平台，为初中生在海洋STEM劳动力中的职业生涯做好准备。具体地说，该项目的目标是1)提高初中生对STEM和STEM职业的兴趣；2)为教师提供支持STEM职业信息和学习经验的资源；以及3)增加获得行业导师和STEM教学资源的机会。这种访问将允许各级学生和教育工作者使用ROV作为载体来建立和提高他们的STEM知识和技能，无论是象征性的还是字面上的。在3年的时间里，该项目将为240名服务于代表不足群体的中学教师提供28小时的专业发展，其中包括每位教师一个“带回家”的远程学习能力；为其中60名教师提供额外的56小时，总计84小时；为其中10名教师提供额外的56小时，总计140小时；为2400名中学生提供至少20小时的教学和实践STEM学习经验。此外，该项目将制作4个中学课程模块；在Mate现有的所有12个美国地区竞赛中实施初级(“童子军”)竞赛课程；修改和改进Mate现有的职业工具，为初中和高中受众制作一个在线职业课程和补充网站；向目标中学受众以及参与竞赛的其他中学和高中传播职业信息和指导工具。该项目还将开发一个网络学习中心，利用网络技术和社交媒体工具参与并增加访问和共享信息、资源和想法的用户数量。

This project will use the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center's highly successful remotely operated vehicle (ROV) competition network to reach, engage, and support the participation of middle schools. They represent a critical point in the educational pathway where students, particularly from underrepresented groups, are most likely to lose interest in math and science. It will provide career information and guidance tools that enable students to make the transition from middle school through high school to college and into the workplace. It will underscore the importance of parental involvement in students' education by proactively reaching out to, communicating with, and engaging parents in project activities. It will also expand the MATE Center's cyberinfrastructure to create a learning community that promotes access to resources and encourages communication and collaboration across all grade levels. The project will also evaluate the impact of these activities and contribute those findings to the knowledge base about STEM education, particularly as it applies to traditionally underrepresented groups. The overarching project goal is to use the MATE ROV competition as an engaging platform to prepare middle and high school students for careers in the ocean STEM workforce. Specifically, the project goals are to 1) increase middle and high school students' interest in STEM and STEM careers; 2) provide teachers with resources that support the delivery of STEM career information and learning experiences; and 3) increase access to industry mentors and STEM instructional resources. This access will allow students and educators at all levels to build upon and advance their STEM knowledge and skills using ROVs as the vehicle, both figuratively and literally. Over the course of 3 years, the project will provide 240 middle school teachers who serve underrepresented groups with 28 hours of professional development, to include one 'take-home' ROV per teacher; provide 60 of those teachers with an additional 56 hours, for a total of 84 hours; provide 10 of those teachers with an additional 56 hours, for a total of 140 hours; provide 2,400 middle school students with a minimum of 20 hours of instruction and hands-on STEM learning experiences. In addition, the project will produce 4 middle school curriculum modules; implement a beginner level ('SCOUT') competition class at all 12 of MATE's existing regional contests within the U.S.; modify and improve MATE's existing career tools to produce an online careers course and complementary website for middle and high school audiences; disseminate the career information and guidance tools to the target middle school audience as well as to the other middle schools and high schools that participate in the competition. The project will also develop a cyberlearning center that uses web technologies and social media tools to engage and increase the number of users accessing and sharing information, resources, and ideas.