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Math Matters in SE Indiana- Project Presentation Schedule

Wednesday, July 22

9:15-9:45- Chrystal Kuntz- So. Decatur Jr/Sr High- Business Partner: Landscaper

Stacey Walke- Central MS- Business Partner: Columbus City Planning

9:45-10:15- Tina Wyrick- Central MS- Business Partner: The Paris/Bingham Partnership

Charles Stucker- SE Learning Center

10:15-10:45- Eric Gutjahr- Columbus East- Business Partner: Cybermetrix

Matt Roberts- Northside MS- Business Partner: SIHO

10:45-11:15- Joe Talley- Columbus East- Business Partner: Space Port Indiana

Kim Stafford- Greendale MS- Business Partner: landscaper

11:15-11:45- Ashley Waskom- Crothersville Jr/Sr High- Business Partner: Mastersbilt Racing

Stacie Dishman- Greendale MS- Business Partner: Dearborn County GIS Coordinator

12:15-12:45- DeAnna Stott- Columbus East- Business Partner: Bartholomew Co. Waste Management

Michele Kohorst- South Dearborn High- Business Partner: Richard Goettle Inc.

12:45-1:15- Kathleen Gee- Madison HS- Business Partner: Champs Sports and Corporate Apparel

Paula Daugherty- Greensburg Jr High- Business Partner: Bev Rivera, Screen Printer

1:15-1:45- Jenni Hunnicutt- Seymour MS- Business Partner: TAG (The Awning Guy); Stogdill Sports

Trisha Burns- Madison Jr High- Business Partner: Linda Lytle, Executive Director, Madison Area Convention and Visitors Bureau

1:45-2:15- Jamie Armes- Seymour High- Business Partner: Premier Landscape and Irrigation

2:30-3:00- Virginia Schindler- Madison High- Business Partner: River Valley Financial Bank

Josh Jacoboski- Central MS

3:00-3:30- Susan Edwards- Seymour High- Business Partner: Personalized Fitness for You; Girls Inc. of Jackson County

Diane McDonald, Stephania Wagner- Lawrenceburg High- Business Partner: Aurora Lumber, Lowes

3:30-4:00- Thom Miller-Brown Co Jr High- Business Partner: Schoolhouse Partners

Chelsey Wilson- IU Bloomington, School of Education

4:00-4:30- Kristen LeClere- IU Bloomington, School of Education

April Isom- Madison Jr High- Business Partner: Madison Precision Products

BY CHRISSY ALSPAUGH calspaugh@therepublic.com

When students view math as abstract and irrelevant, they often tune out the teacher’s droning on about algebra, arithmetic and Archimedes. But 56 teachers from southeastern Indiana got together in Columbus recently to explore new ways of making math relevant to real workplace situations in students’ communities. The new project-based high school hosted the first of a two-part summer Math Matters workshop to usher high school math teachers into a new era of instruction. “We’re doing this because we want educational reform to happen,” said Sarah Gaynor, CSA New Tech teacher and one of the workshop’s instructors. “It’s exciting because these folks aren’t here because they have to be, but because they
want to make education better.” Catherine Brown, Indiana University professor of mathematics education, said students often are turned off by mathematics they view as irrelevant, abstract and useless.
Advancing instruction
The most recent end-of-course assessment for Indiana’s high school students revealed that 21 percent of students passed the required Algebra 1.
The workshop was based on a project-based learning program called Math Matters, which Brown developed.
She said she believes students who learn mathematics through projects grounded in workplaces in their community will increase their interest in math, demonstrate their understanding of the importance of mathematics in the workplace and everyday activities and improve their mathematical comprehension and academic performance.
The Math Matters program helped shape math instruction at CSA New Tech, which recently concluded its first school year.
At the school, students begin with a problem in the community requir- ing knowledge- and skill-acquisition to solve. This year, students learned core subject material through projects including audits of local businesses to determine their environmental friendliness and creating everything from salary invoices to budget sheets for conceptualized businesses
Virginia Schindler, an Algebra 1 teacher at Madison Consolidated High School, attended the recent workshop and said teaching with such a radically different approach will take some adjustment.
But the seven-year teacher said she is “desperate” to excite students about math.
“So many (students) are just in class because they have to be. They sit there, just putting in their time until they can drop out,” she said. “If I can find something to help those kids, I’ll try it. I’ll try anything.”
The idea to impart project-based math education on teachers from throughout southeastern Indiana stemmed from a study on how to best prepare students for careers in the local manufacturing, health care and tourism indus tries.
The study’s initiating agency was Economic Opportunities through Education by 2015, or EcO15, an effort from business, education and community leaders to advance education in 10 southeastern Indiana counties.
A math revolution
Throughout the weeklong workshop, teachers collaborated with business partners in their communities to create one project-based instructional unit each to take back to their classrooms.
The projects will be compiled on a new Math Matters Web site, serving as a database for any Indiana math teacher who wants to develop or implement project-based learning.
Joe Talley, Columbus East High School math teacher, said students frequently ask how they will use the information in his classes in everyday life.
“Engagement is so important. Maybe with these projects we’ll catch a few kids we wouldn’t have otherwise,” he said.
Fellow East math teacher Theresa Sublette said, “It’s scary to think about trying this in my traditional classroom.”
But to possibly help students learn and enjoy math, she said she is ready to give project-based learning a try.
East’s Eric Gutjahr said the group plans to add one project per semester.
Though his students previously have worked on end-ofunit group projects, he said he thinks students will be more interested in projects that are teaching rather than testing core material. Gutjahr said he also likes that in this new model, each group member has a clearly defined role and is held more accountable.
Teachers will return to CSA New Tech this month to present developed projects to their business partners.
Gaynor said she hopes participating teachers implement the new skills in their own classrooms and share them with their co-workers.
She said that although the techniques seem foreign, students will benefit.
“It’s exciting and scary and awesome,” she said, grinning. “It’s the revolution, happening.”

Kathy Huffman, EcO15 Jefferson Co. Coordinator

For three days, Ivy Tech Community College-Madison Campus was the training ground for thirty healthcare professionals and educators from Southeastern Indiana. The world’s leading expert in simulation, Dr. Pam Jeffries, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at Johns Hopkins University, led the Healthcare Simulation Institute.
EcO15, Economic Opportunities through Education by 2015, is investing grant funds to develop high fidelity simulations. These simulations use specialized mannequins that can be programmed to present a wide range of medical symptoms and conditions.
Gene Ann Shapinsky, Nursing Department Chair, Ivy Tech Community College, stated, “Simulation opens a wide variety of doors for clinical experiences for nurses, medical assistants, and EMT students by exposing these students to real-world scenarios that they otherwise might not get to see first-hand in their clinical experiences.” A nursing student may not see a choking patient during training but the simulation mannequin, or Sim Man, can be programmed to simulate a penny lodged in a child’s throat. Other examples of scenarios could include: allergic reactions, heart attacks, and trauma patients from car wrecks. The simulations are limitless. “Simulation also allows the area hospitals to complete competency checklists for current medical staff, such as doctors and nurses. These simulation labs will be used by all Southeastern Indiana area hospitals to conduct skills test for their current employees,” said Shapinsky.
According to Jim Battin, EcO15 Healthcare Coordinator, “The benefits of using simulation in healthcare education are significant. Students and healthcare personnel have an opportunity to practice procedures and gain confidence before performing in a clinical setting. As a result, patient safety and care will be improved.” Battin adds that, “we are limited in designing simulation scenarios only by our imagination.”
Participants in thesimulation training will help develop a library of simulations that will be available to medical educators throughout the ten county EcO15 region. This is a significant contribution to healthcare education because, as experienced by the Ivy Tech nursing staff when creating their first simulation module, the time required to create a module is 40 plus hours. The library of simulation modules to be shared among the region will save thousands of hours of behind the scenes work and over-time pay for the schools and hospitals. The participants are essentially the experts that will share the knowledge gained from this institute with their colleagues, students, and the community.
Ivy Tech, Hanover College and King’s Daughters’ Hospital and Health Services are part of this Regional Clinical Simulation Collaborative. The collaborative will allow schools and healthcare employers an opportunity to upgrade professional skills and improve patient care.

Celeste Sutter, Environmental Health and Safety officer/Technical Coordinator for Sciences at Hanover College said, “Attending the healthcare institute has been a wonderful experience. Learning from Dr. Pam Jeffries, the world’s leading expert in simulation, has opened the door for project-based learning not only for Hanover College students but for King’s Daughters’ staff, Ivy Tech students, and local high school students as well. Local high schools, post-secondary institutions, and the healthcare industry will be able to work together collaboratively to focus on pre-health careers and will have a huge impact on healthcare education for our community and the Southeastern region of Indiana.”

The Republic-

The Issue:
Adjusting to international migration.
Our Position:
Cutting educational funds for ESL students will cost communities much more in the long run.

Locally, Bartholomew County hasexperienced a growth of 5 percent between 2000 and 2008. In numbers that translates into 3,925 more residents.
Not surprisingly, the greatest gain came from a natural increase — more births than deaths.
But it is when the incidence of international migration into Bartholomew County is factored into the equation that the changing face of the community becomes apparent.
International migration alone pumped up the local population by 2.27 percent during that eight year period.
That’s double the state’s average and ranks it below only five other Hoosier counties in international migration.
 

Even those stunning statistics might not reflect reality. Su Casa President Stephen Franz believes the actual numbers are much higher with the Latino population growth more than doubling to over 7,200 in that eight-year period.
Whatever the actual numbers, the effect of these changes is dramatically evident. The new citizenry is changing life in Bartholomew County and it’s important that the community be prepared to deal with it.
Unfortunately, many members of the Indiana General Assembly and Gov. Mitch Daniels’ administration are not on the same page.
Faced with a difficult financial picture for the foreseeable future, Hoosier leaders have been forced to propose drastic cuts in a number of important programs.
One of the early targets was the English as a Second Language program for Hoosier schools. In early budget proposals, lawmakers were considering a plan to more than halve the previous expenditure of $7 million to $3 million.
Obviously, that might not have as great an impact in communities that have experienced little international migration.
Jennings, Decatur and Brown counties, for instance, have experienced almost insignificant international growth.
But to cut those funds in Bartholomew County, which has had to accommodate a much higher number of students for whom English is their second language, could not only impair the education of those children but affect the entire school corporation.
There are no stereotypes for this particular immigration. While Hispanic growth is the greatest, there has also been a significant increase in immigrants from India, for instance — many hired to work in technology positions with local corporations.
They all are part of the Bartholomew County that is emerging during this period of change and their needs must be addressed, not only for their benefit but for that of the entire county.

A program developed by an Indiana University School of Education professor is the basis for a workshop on project-based learning for math teachers taking place next week and next month in Columbus, Ind. Fifty-six teachers from 11 counties will participate in Math Matters in Southeastern Indiana June 22-26, at the Columbus Signature Academy-New Tech High School. A second workshop takes place July 22-23.

The workshops are based on the Math Matters program developed by Catherine Brown, professor of mathematics education. Brown has worked throughout Indiana to help teachers find innovative ways to engage students with math.

Math Matters in Southeastern Indiana is a project of Economic Opportunities through Education by 2015, or EcO15, an initiative of business, education and community leaders to advance K-12 education in a 10-county area in southeastern Indiana. EcO15 covers Bartholomew, Dearborn, Decatur, Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Ohio, Ripley, and Switzerland counties. A $38 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. funded the start of the project in 2007.

The workshops will present ways for teachers to use project-based learning — a method which engages students in learning subject matter through work on a project. Local math teachers selected to participate will be focusing on pre-algebra, algebra 1 and 2, and geometry projects. Teachers Jackie Fischvogt, from Columbus Signature Academy-Central Middle School, and Sara Gaynor, from Columbus Signature Academy-New Tech High School, will facilitate the workshop with help from Brown and others.

The workshop will help mathematics teachers develop their understanding of project-based instruction and support the design of project-based instructional units.

“We know that students constantly wonder ‘Why am I learning this math?’ and ask ‘When will I ever use this?”‘and are turned off by mathematics they view as abstract and useless,” Brown said. “Students who learn mathematics through projects grounded in workplaces in their community won’t have these questions. They will see why math matters and opens life opportunities for them.”

The idea for the workshops came out of a study EcO15 conducted to determine how to best meet the needs of preparing students for industry sectors in the area, including manufacturing, health care and tourism.

“Our goal is to raise all the citizens of southeastern Indiana up a level, whether that be in their education, job placement, job training or income,” said Stephanie Weber, communications and outreach coordinator for EcO15. She added that the most recent statewide end-of-course assessments for Indiana’s high school students revealed a dismal success rate in algebra. For the 2007-2008 school year, just 21 percent passed algebra 1. “So this workshop was developed to help engage these math teachers and help them be more creative and innovative in their approach to teaching math,” she said.

Each teacher will develop at least one project to use in the upcoming school year. EcO15 coordinators will help teachers partner with local businesses to develop projects grounded in actual operational activities within those businesses. “The students are actually going to learn about real-life work experiences and learn math at the same time,” Weber said.

“The ultimate goal of this workshop is to start with a select group of teachers, but continue this throughout the state of Indiana to try and improve mathematics education,” Weber said.

A Math Matters Web site is under construction and will contain all the projects produced by the teachers as well as resources for any teacher wanting to develop projects. Brown said she hopes that the Web site will be a place where mathematics teachers can learn about project-based learning, share their ideas and support each other.

The site has been developed by Nancy Miller of the Buddy Project (http://www.buddyproject.org), an organization that supports Indiana teachers and students through educational technology, and Jean Lee, an IU doctoral student in mathematics education. The Math Matters Web site is available to guests at http://iuedmoodle.educ.indiana.edu/moodle/course/view.php?id=6.

EcO15 facilitator Bob Abrams said the teacher-business partnership helps teachers demonstrate real-world applications to students while requiring them to develop communication and teamwork skills. He said businesses connect with schools and teachers and might even identify future employees.

“EcO15 is based upon the fundamental belief that it is the collective responsibility of educators and businesses to better prepare our students to prosper in the southeastern region of Indiana,” Abrams said. “Math Matters demonstrates this core principle of the need and benefits of such collaboration.”

Brown will also be taking part in an upcoming multi-disciplinary conference on project-based learning. Learning by Doing: The Project-based Learning Institute for Middle and High School Educators, sponsored by Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, the University of Indianapolis, the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning, and the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, takes place June 29 through July 1 at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis. School of Education professors Beth Berghoff and Joy Seybold are members of the planning team for the institute.

NEW! Advanced Manufacturing Career Clusters are now live on the EcO15 and DIDI websites.

EcO15- Simply click on the Advanced Manufacturing Quick Link to learn more about the exciting career opportunities that exists within advanced manufacturing.

DIDI (www.dreamit-doit.com/Southeastindiana) - Simply click on the Career Clusters tab to learn more about the exciting career opportunities that exists within advanced manufacturing.

Below are the most current and up-to-date Advanced Manufacturing Students Enrollment Totals for Southeast Indiana 2008-2oo9.

System Will Revolutionize Education and Training for New Manufacturing Workforce

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 27, 2009 - The Manufacturing Institute (MI) has been awarded a $1.5-million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to comprehensively plan and implement postsecondary education programs that include the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)-Endorsed Manufacturing Skills Certification System. These integrated educational programs in community colleges will prepare students, particularly low-income young adults and transitioning workers, with entry-level skills necessary to succeed in advanced manufacturing careers.

A postsecondary credential - two-year, four-year, or certificate - is a fundamental prerequisite for economic success. The current economic climate has only reinforced the importance of college. Adults 25 and older with at least an associate’s degree have average earnings 30% higher than those of high school graduates without college.
In the MI initiative, the worker credentials needed by the industry will be integrated into associate degree programs offered in community colleges. There are three primary benefits:
• Postsecondary education and training will become more engaging and meaningful to students who may stay in school and earn postsecondary credentials with real value in the workplace. The “stackable” industry credentials also provide more “on” and “off” ramps to postsecondary education needed in today’s workforce.
• Skill certifications will lead to employment in high-quality, middle-class jobs in advanced manufacturing.
• The number of skilled new workers for U.S. manufacturers will increase.
“We need to engage kids in learning and we need to give them options,” said NAM President John Engler. “Moving these industry-recognized skills certifications into community college programs will provide meaningful, relevant education for students and ultimately produce a highly skilled and mobile workforce - making us more competitive in the global economy.”

Leading community colleges in North Carolina (Forsyth Technical Community College), Ohio (Lorain County Community College), Texas (Alamo Colleges) and Washington (Shoreline Community College) will be the first to implement the Manufacturing Skills Certification System.

“Community colleges have taken the lead in adapting their postsecondary education to meet industry needs in their regional economies,” said MI President Emily DeRocco. “Successful integration of industry-driven skills credentials by these progressive community colleges will revolutionize postsecondary education, ensuring graduates have credentials with real value in the workplace.”

Community colleges enroll nearly half of all higher education students nationwide. With relatively low tuition and open admissions policies, they are a vital pathway to better jobs and higher earnings for many adults. Only about a third of those who enter a community college, however, earn a degree or certificate six years later.

The NAM-Endorsed Skills Certification System initially focuses on the core, basic skills required for entry-level workers in all sectors of manufacturing, from alternative energy and computers to aerospace and life-saving pharmaceuticals. The skills certifications address personal effectiveness competencies, foundational academic competencies, general workplace skills and manufacturing industry-wide technical skills. Entry-level science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills are included in the system.

The NAM system organizes individual certification programs designed and validated by ACT, Inc., the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council, the American Welding Society, the National Institute of Metalworking Skills and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers into a national structure creating scalable educational pathways with “stackable” credentials leading to an associate degree.

For information on the skills certification go to NAM Certification System.

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) has notified the Community Education Coalition that the Economic Opportunities through Education 2015 (EcO15) initiative is one of three national finalists in one of their annual Excellence in Economic Development Awards competition categories. The EcO15 initiative was recognized in the Excellence in Rural Economic Development category. The EDA annually recognizes innovative economic development projects or strategies in seven categories. The awards are designed to showcase best practices and highlight outstanding results.

A distinguished panel of economic development practitioners, academics and government representatives evaluated each nomination for this honor. On May 29, 2009, EDA will contact the winners in each award category and post their names on EDA’s website, www.eda.gov.

“We are honored that the EDA has chosen our region’s EcO15 initiative as a finalist in their Excellence in Economic Development Awards competition. Hundreds of stakeholders throughout the region including industry, economic development, workforce development, education, government, and community foundation leaders are working together to connect citizens of the region with educational opportunities that can lead to economic advancement,” said John Burnett, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Community Education Coalition.

EcO15 is an education and economic development initiative that is creating a regional system of life-long learning by connecting the residents of ten counties within rural Southeast Indiana to better economic opportunities through education by the year 2015. The ambitious vision of the project is to invest more than $38 million in grant funds awarded by Lilly Endowment Inc. in infrastructure and common support services allowing each citizen of the region to move up at least one level in their training, education, and/or job placement within the region’s three strongest economic clusters: Advanced Manufacturing, Healthcare and Tourism.

EcO15 programs are led by the Community Education Coalition (CEC) of Columbus, Indiana in partnership with Heritage Fund: the Community Foundation of Bartholomew County. CEC is a nationally recognized partnership of education, business, and community leaders focused on aligning and integrating the region’s community learning system with economic growth and a high quality of life.

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About Community Education Coalition:
The Community Education Coalition (www.educationcoalition.com) is a not for profit organization that brings together education, business and community stakeholders to align and integrate a community learning system. Specifically, CEC works to promote the efficient and successful integration of education, economic vitality and quality of life programming. Over the past few years, the CEC and its partners have established the Columbus Learning Center, a state-of-the-art 130,000 square foot educational facility that provides shared classroom, lab and library space to Ivy Tech Community College, Purdue College of Technology, Indiana University Purdue University Columbus, WorkOne, and related high school programs. CEC also -secured funding for expanded post-secondary education and training programs; assisted in the development of K-12 school programming; and has funded initiatives that support the development of pre-kindergarten children.

About Heritage Fund- the Community Foundation of Bartholomew County:
Heritage Fund—the Community Foundation of Bartholomew County (www.heritagefundbc.com) was formed in 1976 to provide an opportunity for people, businesses and organizations to make gifts and establish charitable funds to benefit the local community. It was created primarily to provide responsible stewardship of gifts donated for broad charitable purposes; to develop leadership to address community issues; to serve as catalyst for positive change in partnership with others; and to promote philanthropy broadly within the community.

About Lilly Endowment Inc.:
Lilly Endowment Inc. (www.lillyendowment.org) is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by three members of the Lilly family through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Gifts of stock in that company remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment. It is, however, a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the wishes of the three founders, Lilly Endowment exists to support the causes of community development, education and religion. The Lilly family’s foremost priority was to help the people of their city and state to build a better life. Although the Endowment also supports efforts of national significance and an occasional international project, it remains primarily committed to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.

For more information about EDA, visit www.eda.gov

If you are an employer possibly seeking interns or want to learn more about this, please check out our “Industry” tab in the upper right hand corner of our website.

If you are a student and would like to learn more about in-state employers that are offering internships year round, please visit our Careers/Internships link on our site: http://www.eco15.org/internships.php

As always, thank you for your continued support of EcO15.