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Innovation Academy

Innovation Academy Kingsport, TN Innovation Academy is a collaborative STEM Academy between Sullivan County Schools and Kingsport City Schools.

• Each grade level at Innovation Academy will begin with 80 students (split evenly with 40 students from Kingsport City Schools and 40 students from Sullivan County Schools through a random drawing).

• Students are provided an iPad when accepted into the STEM program.

• Classroom teachers have developed a project-based curriculum that encourages students to explore and question, think critically, solve complex problems, and communicate effectively in a digital world.

Recognized by Apple as a distinguished program for innovation, leadership, and educational excellence.

Visionary Leadership

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Emphasizing that learning is empowerment, leadership, responsibility and ownership.

Section 1

What is Innovation Academy? !

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Innovation Academy of Northeast Tennessee is a platform school of the Tennessee STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Innovation Network.

This new school of excellence is a joint venture between Kingsport City Schools and Sullivan County Schools and is located in the former Brookside Elementary School building in the community of Bloomingdale.

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What is STEM? STEM education is an area of study but it is also a way of teaching and learning that is project-based, collaborative, and focused on solving real-world problems. STEM programs educate the whole student, emphasizing innovation, problem solving, critical thinking, and creativity.

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What is the TSIN? Established by an Executive Order of the Governor, the Tennessee STEM Innovation Network (TSIN) is a unique pubic-private collaboration between the TN department of education and Battelle Memorial Institute.

Designed to expand and promote the teaching and learning of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in K-12 public schools across TN.

http://thetsin.org

The heart of the TSIN is a community of committed educators and partners, but the Network itself is built on two key structural components: Nine STEM Platform Schools and six Regional STEM Innovation Hubs.

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What is the Battelle Memorial Institute?

Battelle was chosen as the managing partner because of its success creating the Ohio STEM Learning Network in its home state, an effort that inspired the creation of the TSIN. The TSIN is funded through Race to the Top and serves as the state’s primary vehicle for aligning and coordinating STEM education policies, practices, and partners.

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Why STEM? Tennessee is rich in STEM resources, from heavy industry and agriculture to a robust automotive sector, deep healthcare experience, logistics genius, music entrepreneurship, and internationally recognized research institutions.

The goal of the TSIN is to leverage these resources – the knowledge, skill, and acumen of Tennessee’s K-12, Higher Education, Business, and Community partners – to amplify opportunities for all students.

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STEM Platform Schools The Schools are non-selective – the student body is composed of students who express an interest in attending and are chosen by lottery – and are designed to encourage local educational innovation. Supported by the Hubs, the Schools will investigate and create new STEM teaching and learning models (best practices) to be shared throughout the state, all while providing their students with the skills necessary to succeed in the 21st century workplace.

Regional STEM Innovation Hubs The Hubs are the nucleus of regional STEM activity, representing a formal partnership among school districts, post-secondary institutions, STEM businesses, and community organizations, all committed to amplifying and accelerating the impact of STEM programs in their region.

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Section 2

WHAT IS INNOVATION ACADEMY? What Is This School All About?

1. Fully integrated academic curriculum.

2. Special focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.

3. Problem-based, hands-on learning.

4. “Real life” projects with “real life”technical professionals involved.

5. Rigorous course work.

6. High expectations of students.

7. Opportunity for ALL students to succeed.

The Northeast Platform School offers a new approach to education featuring a creative focus in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.

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Innovative Teaching

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Innovation Academy’s STEM Curricular Units and teaching methods are exemplary models of innovating Teaching.

Section 1

Transdisciplinary Learning

The vision of the Northeast STEM Platform School is a stand-alone school actively engaging students in problem solving through project-based learning, strengthened by a strong, transdisciplinary academic curriculum.

The STEM Platform School will serve to create innovation, test innovation, and provide innovation to send out.

Local expertise and assets will be leveraged and innovative pedagogical methods utilized to provide students with a dynamic, relevant, engaging learning experience.

Partnering STEM professionals in the community with both students and teachers draws on compelling STEM practices to engage and excite students.

We envision students taking what they learn in the Platform School out through their adult lives affecting how they approach decision-making, approach problem solving and perceive the world around them.

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Section 2

Project-Based Learning

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Authentic & Engaging !

An instructional approach built upon authentic learning activities that engage student interest and motivation.

Problem Solving !

Activities are designed to answer a question or solve a problem and generally reflect the types of learning and !

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work people do in the everyday world outside the classroom.

Hands-On Learning !

Students create a tangible, physical product by the end of the project.

Collaborative !

Students work in teams of students working together toward a common goal.

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Performance is assessed on an individual basis, and takes into account the quality of the product produced, the

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depth of content understanding demonstrated, and the contributions made to the ongoing process of project

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realization.

Content & 21st Century Skills !

Communication and presentation skills, organization and time management skills, research and inquiry skills,

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self-assessment and reflection skills, and group participation and leadership skills.

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Assessing Project-Based Learning Rubric Innovation Academy utilizes a transdisciplinary rubric for assessing project-based learning activities. All content areas are represented on the rubric for each project grade. This illustrates to our student the interdependence of each subject area as their apply their skills and knowledge developed through course work.

STEM!Project!

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Data!Analysis!!

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Social'Studies' Component'' ELA'Component:' Transition'Words' !

ELA'Component:'' Usage' !! !

Project!Title:!Aerodynamics!

Student!Name:!!!

Date:!3/18/2013'–'3/19/2013!

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Proficient! !

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Needs!Improvement! !

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Section 3

21st CENTURY LEARNING SKILLS

Making connections to STEM-related businesses and other types of STEMlearning environments allows the ETSU Hub to link the region’s classrooms to new sources of support including funding and other resources that will be critical to the sustainability of the Platform School/Hub and creating 21st century learning experiences. Our community support and engagement will play a critical part in connecting students with the “real world” where they will learn through exploration and discovery guided by teachers working jointly with scientists and others from the STEM profession.

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Section 4

IA’S STEM CURRICULAR UNITS THE ELEVEN STEM CURRICULAR UNITS 1. Leadership 2. Community and Communication 3. Agriculture 4. Medicine and Vaccines 5. Modern Living 6. Fossil Fuels 7. Transportation 8. Speed and Aerodynamics 9. Space Exploration 10. Heredity and Bioengineering 11. Eco-Friendly

When Innovation Academy teachers began to develop our STEM curriculum during the summer of 2012 we began by considering and evaluating our place in the STEM community and a focus that would best prepare students for this style of learning and application of skills. The name of our school, “Innovation Academy”, guided my research and brainstorming. Innovation Academy’s proposed purpose and structure was intended to become a regional STEM school that will best educate our students so that our region will achieve economic stability and competitiveness in the future. The teachers of Innovation Academy felt that a key component of a STEM school is technology, and the path to creating, understanding, and appreciating technology is engineering. Great technology is only available through engineering and innovation. We researched several different lists and compiled groupings by academic websites, blogs, and media websites. We also reviewed different STEM curriculums and the thematic units associated with their plans. For example, the “Northern Ireland Curriculum – Introduction, Key Stage 2 Thematic Units (Supporting the Areas of Learning and STEM)” included different ideas for thematic units. One of their thematic units for STEM education included the following topics – Bridges, Water, Wind, Textiles, and Farming. The teachers felt as if these five units would need to be expanded to include science concepts and standards such as cells, heredity, and the universe.

Another resource that we utilized to develop ideas for the thematic unit of Innovation Academy was the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s “From Stone to Silicon: A Brief Survey of Innovation” by Lawrence A. Husick, October 2008. This essay provides an overview and history of innovation that included twenty-five innovations that have impacted human life. From this list of twenty -five innovations, other top ten lists, and STEM curriculum guides the team of teachers created the idea for ten thematic units that would focus on Great Innovation.

We strongly feel that this series of thematic units can be used at the middle school level for STEM schools for grades sixth, seventh, and eighth.

Each grade level can take their own spin on each of the innovation topics and utilize their specific state standards to determine their path.

There is plenty of room and wonderful opportunities to extend students to the next grade level, review material from previous grade level work, and real world career connections.

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INNOVATION ACADEMY’S STEM Curricular Units

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Section 5

STEM Writing What Role Do The English Language Arts Play In STEM? Writing can enhance the brain’s intake, processing, retaining, and retrieving of information in STEM subjects.

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How is writing implemented in STEM? During the Unit: EXPLAIN

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How is writing implemented in STEM? During the Unit:

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How is writing implemented in STEM? After the Unit:

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Section 6

STEM COMPETITIONS

Science Fair - Experimental - Student selected topics - STEM professionals interviewed and judged students final displays and presentations.

STEM Fair - Small group - Engineering Design Process (EDP) - Students will modify and improve a common item utilizing the EDP and their group’s budget.

- STEM professionals will test, interview, and judge each group’s work.

Engineering Essay Contest - Lockheed Martin sponsored contest to promote the female engineers of tomorrow.

- Bio-Medical Advances and the EDP - Consulted local engineers in various fields regarding the importance and use of bio-medical engineering.

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Section 7

STEM FAIR

The Engineering Fair provided students with an opportunity to exhibit their understanding of scientific inquiry, the engineering design process (edp), and the use of science and technology in society. This unit began with a study of famous scientists and engineers. This study on the history of innovation gave students an understanding of how technology is created and the impact of engineering.

Then students formed small groups and assign responsibilities/ roles.

The groups then brainstormed to determine what type of technology their team will engineer. Teams planned for their experiment by developing scaled drawing, procedures, materials list, and a model of their innovative technology, while keeping within their budget. Each group of students were given a fifteen dollar budget for their project. This budget must cover all materials (including modifications) and presentation supplies. Teams completed purchase orders and submit these to their teacher for purchase. Students continued to follow the edp to create, test, and modify their pieces of technology. Students collected data from the experimental test of their prototype and provide rationales for modifications to their design.

The culminating project for this learning experience was the Engineering Fair. Student teams competed by creating a digital presentation, a display board, and demonstrating their prototype. The roles assigned at the onset of this unit determined how each teammate contributed the day of the Engineering Fair. The goals of this project were to meet the state technology and engineering standards, forming cross-curricular connections, and application of knowledge.

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INNOVATION ACADEMY’S STEM FAIR

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Section 8

SCIENCE FAIR

STATEMENT OF PHILOSOPHY The science fair provides students with an extraordinary opportunity to experience the hands-on use of the scientific method. Students will be able to utilize their knowledge gained through their classroom and laboratory experiences in a creative and innovative manner. Through the science fair students will participate in an experimental investigation while allowing students the autonomy to select their project topics and design their experimental methods. The students will also be recognized at the school level science fair providing them with a platform to have pride in their work and articulate their understanding of the real world application of science, mathematic, and research skills acquired throughout their school year. The goal of having a middle school science fair is to help students become more proficient in their scientific method and communication skills. Students will gain experience and skill at generating and solving highly challenging problems with original experimentation.

SCIENCE FAIR SCOPE & SEQUENCE • Science Fair !

- Individual Projects

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•Each student will complete their own science fair project.

- Full Scientific Process ! ! ! ! ! ! !

•Students must follow the scientific method. This means that ! their science fair project must be experimental in nature. !

It cannot be a research project or a demonstration. Each student must have an independent variable that they can !change and a dependent variable that they can measure for response. The students will be expected to log their data, analyze their results, and present their findings at the science fair.

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SCIENCE FAIR GOALS & EXPECTATIONS •Emphasize STEM education !

o Application of the scientific method

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o Investigation by experimentation - Inquiry-based learning - Problem-based learning

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o Development of critical thinking skills

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o Opportunity for a positive learning experience - Parent and Community Involvement - Increase in student’s SOFT skills • Interpersonal skills • Critical Thinking • Problem Solving • Team Work • Time Management

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o Extension of formal science education

• Students who place in the top five will participate in a regional science fair.

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Ongoing Professional Development

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The Innovation Academy teachers not only participate in ongoing Professional Development, but also provide Professional Development opportunities for our community.

Section 1

Professional Development at Innovation Academy

This information can be accessed through our Innovation Academy website: http://96.4.199.16/educators 36

Innovation Academy hosts teachers and other professionals throughout the year.

The teachers and community members are invited to Professional Development opportunities and classroom observations.

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Section 2

ETSU NORTHEAST TENNESSEE INNOVATION HUB

The ETSU Northeast Tennessee Innovation Hub works with the Innovation Academy teachers to provide support and professional development that has been integrated into our STEM Curricular Units.

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ETSU professors and STEM professionals provide the professional development for our Innovation Academy teachers.

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Professional Development- ETSU STEM Hub
 Lucinda Langston, Graduate Student, Geosciences and Archaeology

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Professional Development- ETSU STEM Hub
 Dr. T.J. Jones, Professor of Behavioral Ecology

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Compelling Evidence of Success

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Innovation Academy has experienced much success in its first year of operation.

Student Perception Surveys Many surveys administered in schools are whole school climate surveys, not classroom level surveys. In order to understand classroom learning conditions, this survey ask students about their experiences in individual classrooms.

The surveys provide unique insights into teaching practices, student engagement, school climate and youth culture. Survey results help teachers, schools and districts as they set goals and organize opportunities for professional growth and school improvement.

Student Perception Surveys Secondary School-Level Report School Name Innovation Academy Number of Students Participating:

District Name Sullivan County 65

School-Level Results

CARE: nurture, protect, watch over, provide for CHALLENGE: demand, require, impose high standards CONTROL: supervise, guide, direct, regulate CLARIFY: simplify, interpret, spell out CAPTIVATE: engage, fascinate, intrigue, stimulate CONFER: consult, counsel, discuss, coach CONSOLIDATE: unify, strengthen, integrate

School NCE

District NCE

State NCE

75

55.47

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School NCE

District NCE

State NCE

71.75

54.21

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School NCE

District NCE

State NCE

70.75

58.45

50

School NCE

District NCE

State NCE

68

56.92

50

School NCE

District NCE

State NCE

73.5

55.88

50

School NCE

District NCE

State NCE

57.25

50.48

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School NCE

District NCE

State NCE

63

54.48

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Innovation Academy of Northeast Tennessee 2012-2013 Achievement Data

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Flexible Learning Environment

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Innovation Academy offers a variety of learning environments for our students through our innovative courses, technology, and teaching methods.

Section 1

THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY Innovation Academy

Uses The One To One To One

Model, One Device For Each Student And Teacher. Increasing Access To Technology Is Essential For The Future, And One Of The Learning Tools Of The 21st Century Students Is The Apple IPad. This Has Been The Key For Providing Students With The Latest Technology To Keep Them Engaged In Learning And To Master The Skills Students Need To Become Successful Lifelong Learners. Our Technology Program Provides A Way To Empower Students To Maximize Their Full Potential And To Prepare Them For College, The Workplace And Life.

The Device Is Actually The Arena Where One-to-one Teaching Occurs. When The Device In Each Student's Hands It Levels The Playing Field For Our Students.

Because every student and teacher has access to the iPads, one on one teaching occurs even beyond the classroom. Teachers can now send videos taken in class to individual students for help and cater to every student's learning abilities. We have utilized the technology to support great instruction in the classroom and high-level student learning.

An important component of our STEM education is to ensure that our students can effectively communicate project results using the latest presentation tools. Innovation Academy students use MacBook Airs to create presentations that provide graphics and charts to post their research findings in an appealing and organized manner.

Since our children are the builders of tomorrow, they must be in sync with the pace with which our society is transforming. At Innovation Academy we provide our students with the latest technology devices in order to replicate those that are used in today’s workplace by our STEM professionals. With this type of engaged and authentic learning, we hope to prepare our students with the technology skills necessary to be suc46

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M OVIE 6.1 Innovation Academy’s Multimedia Course

The IA multimedia course employs a wide variety of professional grade design software, such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign.

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iPads in the Classroom

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Section 2

STEM WEEK Exciting and Engaging Introduction to STEM - Local scientists and engineers conducted experiments and hands-on learning projects with our students.

- Transitioned students with an orientation to our school’s business and industry focus along with the departure from “traditional” classroom.

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Industry Partners

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Industry Partners Innovation Academy teachers work with our business partners to create a curriculum and projects that will provide students will the experiences necessary to meet the changing needs of our local industry.

Business Partners Workforce Needs - Collaboration - Communication - Prioritizing Tasks - Problem Solving Skills - Analyzing Data and Forming Conclusions

Our Curriculum Incorporates these Necessary Career and College Readiness Skills.

- Student Presentations - Small Group Work and Leadership Roles - Project Based Learning - STEM Writing 54