Model Airplanes

As educators, we always encourage our students to work together; we promise them two heads are better than one. But with so much happening in our individual classrooms, we teachers often don’t take our own good advice.

Last year at
Piedmont Elementary in Alabama, we decided to finally try it. We took our respective subjects—science and math—combined forces, and created one super-class: what our students affectionately call smath.

Smath was born out of a realization that the old way of doing things wasn’t working. New
Common Core math standards and Next Generation Science Standards were being implemented, and subjects were becoming more interconnected. Technology was also providing a surplus of real-time data we still weren’t sure how to best use. We realized combining classes could help us integrate science and math standards, while team-teaching would allow us to differentiate instruction.

Of course, combining classes is easier said than done. But with a little planning, teamwork, and the support of your administration, we believe any school can make it a reality. Here’s how we did it:

How smath works

Scheduling

In the past, our school’s schedule allotted 75 minutes for each class period. In order to merge two subjects, we combined math and science periods into one 150-minute block. This allows us to meet as a whole group for a 20-30 minute math and science mini-lesson at the beginning of the period, before dividing the students into small groups for the rest of class. It also prevents other subjects from being negatively affected.

An Enid man’s generosity will mean much to the community he loved.

Before his April 16 death, Milfred “M.L.” Becker established an unrestricted endowment fund for community needs in Enid through Cherokee Strip Community Foundation.

The $400,000 donation will be invested, and nonprofit organizations throughout Enid will receive the proceeds to help their efforts to aid others, said Mary Stallings, foundation executive director.

“There’s going to be funds to meet needs,” Stallings said. “To us, it means that people love Enid. We’re very excited.”

Becker was a pilot, photographer, expert sharp shooter, fisherman and loved model airplanes, Stalling said.

“He owned his own aircraft,” she said. “He was especially fond of Beechcraft Bonanza, and he never ever forgot the name of an airplane part.”

He also was a philanthropist, and before his death, he worked to distribute funds from his estate.

“What started with a phone call from local attorney David Henneke to (foundation) past president Tim Traynor, and a meeting with Mr. Becker’s longtime friend Tom Smith, quickly turned into a $400,000 donation to be used to create an unrestricted endowed fund for community needs at the Cherokee Strip Community Foundation,” Stallings said.

A veteran of World War II, Becker attended Emerson Junior High and Enid High School, where he graduated in 1941. He was drafted in March 1944, was assigned to a 10-man combat crew and was sent to England, where he served with the 487th Bomb Group in Levenam. He was transferred to the 34th Bomb Group and flew the Martin B-26 Marauder. 

After being shot down on his 23rd mission, he was marched

Article source: http://www.enidnews.com/news/local_news/foundation-receives-donation/article_5b4c9965-f76f-5d82-aeef-b8df6b208ab0.html

Photograph by Linda KC Reynolds

Serious business — Brodie Long, an engineer for The Spaceship Company builds model planes with his children Nora and Mike during Mojave’s Indoor RC and Glider Fly-in competition. Growing up in Oklahoma, Long said it took him 20 years to land his dream job in Mojave.

Flight enthusiasts of all ages gathered at the Stuart O. Witt Event Center at the Mojave Air and Space Port, April 14 to do what Mojave is best known for: to design, build and test experimental aircraft and to inspire the next generation.

Participants of the third annual Indoor RC and Glider Fly-in event tested their skills by building various balsa wood, hand- launch gliders while others built their own creations.

“These are one-of-a-kind, laser cut models designed and made just for this event,” explained Cam Martin from NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center, speaking of the balsa models. Each year new designs are introduced, often depicting a new aircraft conceived at Mojave.

Martin encouraged beginners to build a Delta Dart model first because they are easy to build and almost impossible for them not to fly.

Brodie Long, an engineer for The Spaceship Company brought his children, Nora and Mike for family entertainment and education.

“The kids have fun building, plus it is just a good, fun and a friendly environment,” said Long. Growing up in Oklahoma, he said it took him 20 years to land his dream job in Mojave. “Anybody that knows anything about airplanes knows

Article source: http://www.aerotechnews.com/blog/2017/04/21/flight-enthusiasts-enjoy-experimental-fly-in-model-competition/