Changing the Fabric of STEM Education in NORTH CAROLINA
 (NCSSM online, 2011)
IntroductionNCSSM is the North Carolina School for Science and Mathematics. NCSSM is housed in an old hospital building in Durham North Carolina, near the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. NCSSM delivers Science and Mathematics instruction to high school students throughout the state of North Carolina. High school juniors and seniors can apply to the residential and online hybrid programs at NCSSM. Science and Mathematics, delivered through technology is certainly in line with the concept of STEM education, a term buzzing in educational circles. STEM education, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education, isn’t just about teaching kids science and math, it is much bigger--- it is about training our youth in order to build a competitive workforce for the future (Cantrell, & Ewing-Taylor, 2009). There is a challenge in STEM education, to find qualified teachers in the fields of mathematics and science, especially for advanced level courses. This challenge is being met through NCSSM and NCSSM Online.
| What is NCSSM all about?North Carolina, through the University System already in place, realized the versatility of the Internet could address the challenge of connecting qualified STEM instructors with students throughout the state. This led to the development of NCSSM Online, the focus of this case study. It is hard to dissect NCSSM Online from its foundation in NCSSM, the residential school, because they share many aspects of, not only student life, but also instruction since they operate from the same campus. The pages contained on this web-based presentation provide information regarding the following aspects of NCSSM: Mission, Structure, Students, Teachers, Course Offerings and Regulation. A final page includes all references used in the course of this presentation. The video below helps one to grasp a feel for what NCSSM and NCSSM Online are all about. |
(NCSSM online, 2011)
