Partnership to Provide Technology Experiences through Aerial Drones in High Schools of the Alabama Black Belt

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的动机和能力的做法，通过参与实践现场经验，实验室/基于项目的创业任务和导师经验，追求科学，技术，工程或数学（STEM）领域的职业生涯。基于对高中学生使用基于项目的学习（PBL）环境，是塔斯基吉大学、奥本大学、亚拉巴马州历史上的黑带地区的农村和城市学区以及亚拉巴马州教育部之间的合作伙伴关系。该合作伙伴关系的重点是每年从合作学区招募30名不同种族和种族的高中生，参加由塔斯基吉大学主办的为期四周的STEM强化PBL“STEM暑期学院”。该学院的目的是提供30上升10日和11日年级的学生每年（90在三年的补助金的生命）具有深远的技术经验，通过在PBL框架下的航空无人机的令人兴奋的探索。每一组的学生将形成一个种族，性别，民族，社会经济地位，居住在城市或农村地区的多元化群体。正在解决的关键问题是：（1）哪些连贯的经验有效和高效地支持学生的能力（例如，知识，技能），动机和坚持生产性参与今天或未来的STEM相关劳动力？(2)什么样的作用可能企业和行业的劳动力成员在激励学生成为意识到，感兴趣，并准备在干相关的劳动力的职业生涯？以及（3）鉴于我们目前的课堂和我们国家所反映的人口结构的变化，什么是有效和富有成效的方法来确保通过让不同的代表性不足的人群参与STEM项目和职业来扩大参与？该项目的目标是与合作学区的官员、塔斯基吉大学和奥本大学的教师以及亚拉巴马州教育部的代表合作制定的。他们制定，以确定沉浸在技术经验和特殊的合作伙伴关系在STEM暑期学院的学生的影响，根据他们的STEM兴趣，STEM知识，并采取成功的STEM职业生涯所需的途径的认识。本研究采用质性与量性资料的混合研究设计，探讨学生在以问题为基础的学习环境中对科学的动机与态度。

This project will advance efforts of the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program to better understand and promote practices that increase students' motivations and capacities to pursue careers in fields of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) by engaging in hands-on field experience, laboratory/project-based entrepreneurship tasks and mentorship experiences.This project, based on the use of a Project Based Learning (PBL) environment with high school students, is a partnership between Tuskegee University, Auburn University, a rural and an urban school district in the historic Black Belt region of the state of Alabama, and the Alabama State Department of Education. The focus of the partnership is to recruit annually a cohort of thirty ethnically and racially diverse high school students from the partnering school districts for immersion in a STEM intensive PBL four-week "STEM Summer Academy" hosted by Tuskegee University. The Academy is designed to provide 30 rising 10th and 11th grade students annually (90 over the life of the three-year grant) with far-reaching technological experiences through the exciting exploration of aerial drones under a PBL framework. Students in each cohort will form a diverse group in terms of race, gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and residing in urban or rural areas. The key questions being addressed are: (1) What coherent sets of experiences effectively and efficiently support student competency (e.g., knowledge, skills), motivation and persistence for productive participation in the STEM-related workforce of today or in the future? (2) What roles might business and industry workforce members play in motivating students to become aware of, interested in, and prepared for careers in the STEM-related workforce? and (3) Given the shifting demographics reflected in our current classrooms and in our country what are effective and productive ways to ensure broadening participation by engaging diverse underrepresented populations in STEM programs and careers?The goals of this project have been developed in collaboration with officials from the partner school districts, faculty at Tuskegee University and Auburn University and representatives from the Alabama State Department of Education. They are formulated to determine the impact of immersing students in technology experiences and special partnerships at the STEM Summer Academy based on their STEM interest, STEM knowledge, and awareness of the pathways needed to take for successful STEM careers. A mixed-method design with both qualitative and quantitative data will be used to examine the students' motivation and attitude towards science in a PBL environment.