Engineering Applications For Middle School Mathematics Education:
- Conference
- Location
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Honolulu, Hawaii
- Publication Date
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June 24, 2007
- Start Date
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June 24, 2007
- End Date
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June 27, 2007
- ISSN
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2153-5965
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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Mathematics
- Page Count
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18
- Page Numbers
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12.617.1 - 12.617.18
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--2597
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/2597
- Download Count
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498
Paper Authors
Anne McClain University of Alabama-Birmingham
Ms. McClain is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She received her B.S. (1997) and M.S. (2000) in mechanical engineering from Mississippi State University. Ms. McClain is involved in the development and instruction of first-year experiences at UAB for engineering students, including freshman learning communities in engineering. She is a participant in the Greater Birmingham Mathematics Partnership which focuses on improving mathematics instruction in middle school classrooms. Her research interests include: computational solid mechanics, manufacturing processes, and materials characterization.
Dale Feldman University of Alabama-Birmingham
Dr. Feldman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Feldman has participated in initiatives to incorporate engineering and music into K-12 mathematics education and is a participant in the Greater Birmingham Mathematics Partnership which focuses on improving mathematics instruction in middle school classrooms. His research interests include: tissue engineering, wound healing enhancement and characterization, and degradable polymers for drug delivery systems and tissue scaffolds.
Lee Meadows University of Alabama Birmingham
Dr. Meadows is a science educator employed as an Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His work focuses on teaching and on science education reform. He serves as the director for Alabama LASER (Leadership Assistance for Science Education Reform). Dr. Meadows is a participant in the Greater Birmingham Mathematics Partnership which focuses on improving mathematics instruction in middle school classrooms.
Abstract
NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract
Engineering Applications for Middle School Mathematics Education: Supporting an Inquiry-Based Classroom Environment Abstract - Engineering faculty at the University of Alabama at Birmingham are participating in a middle school mathematics partnership, involving nine school districts (administrators, teachers, parents) and higher education faculty at two universities, and the Mathematics Education Collaborative (MEC). The partnership promotes inquiry-based learning curricula modeled after the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. The engineering faculty contribution to the partnership lies in the connection of mathematics to real world applications and to users of mathematics within the framework of an inquiry-based middle school mathematics classroom. The engineering faculty have surveyed many existing science and engineering based problems and activities, both to determine what is available and how our local teachers might use them. A number of resources exist that provide real world examples applicable to middle school mathematics. In some cases these activities are presented in a format that is difficult for teachers to adapt to an inquiry-based pedagogy in a mathematics classroom. Resources are also available that provide application- oriented problems in the form of word problems. These resources provide students with a connection to real world applications in their everyday lives and are supportive of inquiry-based practices. However, our local teachers wanted students to become more engaged in the problems by discovering how the mathematics is used to help solve critical problems in applications of interest. Engineering research and development relies on mathematics and covers many areas of interest for middle school students. Although many wonderful resources are available that provide educators with a connection between engineering, science, mathematics, and real world applications, there is a need for development in support of inquiry-based engineering application tasks for the middle school mathematics classroom. In this paper, available resources for engineering applications in middle school classrooms, inquiry-based pedagogy, and the need for engineering applications supporting inquiry-based mathematics education are presented. Development of the first new application task in this effort and feedback from middle school mathematics teachers are also briefly discussed.
Keywords: K-12, Mathematics, Engineering Applications
Introduction
Engineering faculty at the University of Alabama at Birmingham are participating in the Greater Birmingham Mathematics Partnership (GBMP), a middle school mathematics partnership, involving: nine school districts (administrators, teachers, and parents), higher education faculty at two universities, and the Mathematics Education Collaborative (MEC). Grades 6-8 in participating districts are made up of approximately 21,840 students and 274 mathematics teachers. The partnership promotes inquiry-based learning curricula modeled after the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Principles and Standards for School Mathematics through content and pedagogical preparation of future teachers, the professional development of practicing teachers, and the placement of interns in classrooms that model exemplary practices [1].
McClain, A., & Feldman, D., & Meadows, L. (2007, June), Engineering Applications For Middle School Mathematics Education: Paper presented at 2007 Annual Conference & Exposition, Honolulu, Hawaii. 10.18260/1-2--2597
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