A continuing education opportunity for teachers, with the goal of promoting science and math (STEM), was held Sept. 25 at the New Orleans Saints Indoor Practice Facility in Metairie.
The event was sponsored by the Sun Belt Conference, Science of Sport, and the College Football Playoff Foundation.
During the event, teachers got on the playing field to experience the finer points of the game through science and math.
This is the first of three Science of Sport sessions, being funded by the College Football Playoff Foundation. Science of Sport will lead the sessions, which not only promote science and math, but technology and engineering, as well.
“The College Football Playoff Foundation is helping us to provide what will be a really cool experience for teachers,” said Sun Belt Commissioner Karl Benson. “This is going to be a lot of fun for them, but ultimately, it is the students who will get the most fun out of it. Integrating sports in the classroom will get students further engaged with STEM materials, and the outcome will be beneficial to their learning experience.”
“We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with the Sun Belt Conference and Science of Sport,” said CFP Foundation Executive Director Britton Banowsky. “Teaching STEM lessons through sport is an innovative way to educate, and we are excited so many teachers will have the opportunity to learn this approach.”
The 15 lessons taught during the session on Sept. 25 were tailored to meet Louisiana’s state academic standards. The remaining sessions will be held throughout the 2017-18 academic year, with each session including 30 teachers. In March, a session will be conducted on basketball, and a baseball session will be conducted in May.
“The Science of Football, and its curriculum, brings STEM to life through active participation in sports,” said Science of Sport’s Vice President Daren Heaton. Topics included passer ratings, pass trajectory, field goal percentages, angles receivers take to catch balls, geometrical angles of the football field, and the importance of hydration, according to Heaton. “Exploring the game like this provides a fresh way for educators to present STEM to their students.”
In addition to the training, each teacher received a classroom kit that will included items such as stopwatches, cones, protractors, calculators, footballs, and a flag football set.