Core Administrative Team

Paul Kauffmann, PI, Department of Engineering

Dana Espinosa, Co-PI, Department of Exercise and Sports Science

Cathy Hall, Co-PI, Department of Psychology

Gail Ratcliff, Co-PI, Department of Mathematics

Virginia Carraway, Project Coordinator

Michael Bossé, Curriculum, Department of Mathematics Education

Christie Wuebbles, Curriculum, Fike High School - Wilson County School System

Building Hope Community Center

 

Biomechanics Curriculum Team

Stephanie Sullivan, Department of Engineering

Dana Espinosa, Department of Exercise and Sport Science

 

Robotics Curriculum Team

Tarek Abdel-Salam, Department of Engineering

TJ Mohammed, Technology Systems

 

Solid Modeling Curriculum Team

Ed Howard, Department of Engineering Rick Williams, Department of Engineering

 

Excel Curriculum Team

Jeremy Dickerson, Department of Business, Career and Technical Education

 

Leadership Curriculum Team

David Batts, Department of Technology Systems

 

The academy consists of:

• IT explorations with force plates and sensors for biomenchanics gait studies;

• a programmable microprocessor for robotics navigation and speed control; and

• MathCAD and MatLab software tools.

These software tools are used to connect biomechanics and robotics explorations to 9th – 12th grade mathematics and science lessons. Topics include vectors, spatial sense measurement, geometry, and elementary mechanics such as Newton’s Laws of motion and Hookes’ Law for materials. The Information Technology Academy for Teachers (ITAT) and the related Information Technology Academy for Students (ITAS) provides explorations that integrate sets of learning goals into complex tasks that make IT part of a coordinated activity involving mathematics and science rather than as separate skills taught in isolation. In developing the framework for the Academy, high school mathematics and science teachers were surveyed to find out what types of IT support and collaboration would fit realistically within their typical workday.

Teachers reported that they had the strongest interests in:

• data gathering using the IT tools in University labs;

• teacher directed research supported by graduate students, and;

• IT infused curriculum modules co-developed with university faculty.

The project is funded by the National Science Foundation.