Your Town: Palm Coast teacher selected for 3D-printing workshop

Also in Your Town: Flagler Schools spring test scores released by state.


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  • | 9:30 p.m. July 2, 2019
BTMS teacher Michelle Coolican was selected for competitive professional development workshop focused on human evolution. Courtesy photo
BTMS teacher Michelle Coolican was selected for competitive professional development workshop focused on human evolution. Courtesy photo
  • Palm Coast Observer
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Michelle Coolican, who is going into her 14th year teaching at Buddy Taylor Middle School, will go beyond her science and STEM classroom for hands-on learning. She was selected for competitive professional development workshop focused on human evolution, according to a press release.

“I want to participate in this workshop to learn how to infuse 3D printing into my classroom,” Coolican said in an email. “I teach Life and Environmental STEM at BTMS and the Theory of Evolution is a major standard we cover. I have found that anytime I can incorporate technology and project based learning students are more engaged. Therefore, I thought this workshop would be a perfect opportunity for me to increase my knowledge of 3D printing and evolution while collaborating with other teachers throughout the state. My goal is to develop some exciting lessons and projects for my students and to teach them how to use 3D printers.”

Science teachers from across the southeastern U.S., including Coolican, will spend three days 3D printing hominid skulls as part of a professional development workshop focused on incorporating human evolution into middle and high school science classes. The Human Evolution Summer Teacher Workshop, developed by University of Florida biological anthropology Ph.D. student Molly Selba, takes place July 14-18 at the Florida Museum of Natural History. 

 

Also in Your Town:

Spring test scores released by state

The Florida Department of Education released the spring test score results last week, according to a press release from Flagler Schools. In most areas, Flagler Schools students met or exceeded state averages and showed marked growth in several subject areas.

“I am proud of our students, teachers, and staff for the hard work they put in each year,” Superintendent James Tager said in the news release. “While these scores are simply a snapshot of where our students are, it shows we are accomplishing a lot in our schools as we prepare our children for life after high school graduation.”

The results were from: the English Language Arts Florida Standards Assessments for grades 3-10; Mathematics FSA for grades 3-8; Algebra I and Geometry FSA for all students; Civics, Biology I, and US History End-of-Course Exams for all students; Statewide science assessment for grades 5 and 8.

A few of the district-wide highlights are: (Percentage earning a level 3 or higher compared to last year. This is designated “satisfactory” or “passing” by the State Board of Education.)

ELA scores among third through seventh graders, as well as ninth graders were higher than last year. Non-EOC math scores among third and sixth to eighth graders rose, compared to last year. Civics, geometry, biology I, and U.S. history EOCs all increased over last year.

Looking at the largest gains among our individual schools:

Bunnell Elementary: Grade 6 math up 15%

Belle Terre Elementary: Grade 6 ELA up 6%

Old Kings Elementary: Grade 4 ELA up 11%

Rymfire Elementary: Grade 3 math a 5% increase

Wadsworth Elementary: Grade 6 math a 10% increase

Buddy Taylor Middle School: Civics EOC up 12%

Indian Trails Middle School: Grade 7 math up 16%

Flagler Palm Coast High School: Biology 1 EOC up 13%

Matanzas High School: Grade 9 ELA up 5%

Visit http://www.fldoe.org/accountability/assessments/k-12-student-assessment/results/2019.stml

 

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