Questions about how to solve algebraic equations in Joy Aviles\u2019 9th and 10th grade math classes are morphing into conversations about how NASA uses algebra to launch vehicles into space.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s because students are excited their teacher will be watching NASA\u2019s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or MAVEN spacecraft, launch live to Mars from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Monday, Nov. 18.<\/p>\n
Aviles is one of 20 local teachers and teachers-in-training who will get the chance to watch the launch and interact with the engineers and scientists who make space exploration possible. The special access is the result of the Lockheed Martin\/University of Central Florida Academy for Mathematics and Science Program, a partnership between UCF and Lockheed Martin that\u2019s supporting degree programs dedicated to improving math and science education.<\/p>\n
Aviles is part of the program and teaches at East River High School in Bithlo, as part of her training. She\u2019s scheduled to graduate from UCF next summer with a professional license in teaching mathematics and a Master\u2019s of Arts in teaching.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve lived in Florida since I was 12 years old, so NASA has always been an icon to me. NASA is Florida,\u201d said Aviles, who worked as an accountant before transitioning into teaching through the academy.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy students are so excited that I\u2019m doing this,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019ve got tons of questions for me to get answered for them, and I\u2019m really excited to get to experience a launch and then have a conversation with my students when I get back about what I saw and learned.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Lockheed Martin\/UCF academy is training the next wave of science and math teachers through two master\u2019s degree programs targeted at existing teachers and industry professionals interested in shifting into teaching.<\/p>\n
The K-8 program targets teachers who want to strengthen the quality of their teaching and learning, while the Transition to Mathematics and Science Teaching program, or T-MAST, is for industry professionals who want put their knowledge to work in high-needs classrooms.<\/p>\n
Each program has a different curriculum, but both serve to recruit the best teachers to become educational leaders in STEM, which stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.<\/p>\n
The academy was created 21 years ago with a $1 million grant from Lockheed Martin and the National Science Foundation. In 2004, a second gift of $500,000 with state matching funds was given to establish the T-MAST career-change program. In 2012, Lockheed Martin made a $500,000 gift to the academy to expand scholarship opportunities for students and provide enrichment programs for academy graduates.<\/p>\n
More than 500 teachers have graduated from the academy, and they have gone on to reach more than 1 million children in Central Florida.<\/p>\n
\u201cLockheed Martin understands and values the importance of providing training and resources to teachers so they are better equipped to teach the next generation of scientists, engineers and mathematicians,\u201d said Lockheed Martin Director of Community Relations Emily Simone. \u201cWe are proud to be a part of this program and excited to provide some real-world examples of science and math in action.\u201d<\/p>\n
Aviles and the other teachers who will be visiting Cape Canaveral are already pumping up their students and schools about the MAVEN launch. Many of the schools will allow students to watch the liftoff on NASA TV, and some of the teachers are incorporating their trip to the Cape into their curriculum through fun, educational projects.<\/p>\n
Erin Wagganer, a spring 2013 graduate of the academy, teaches 4th grade math and science at Lawton Elementary School in Oviedo. She will be using educational curriculum from NASA and her firsthand experience at the MAVEN launch to teach her students about the thought process engineers use to do their jobs and career opportunities in that field.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope students take away a love for science and a love for wanting to learn more,\u201d said Wagganer. \u201cWith the NASA opportunity and with me going back to school to do my master\u2019s, it shows them a love for learning and encourages them to go out there and discover. There\u2019s always something out there that we can learn from.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAs teachers, we\u2019re in the classroom all the time, so being able to go out and learn more about math and science firsthand so that we can bring it back to our kids is a really neat experience for us,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n