Instructional Insider: Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum at NCSSM-Morganton

In today’s interview, I switched up the process and I interviewed two STEM college students from Davidson-Davie Community College, Valeria Munoz-Cabral and Juan Morales Aguirre. Both of these students are part of FUTURES which is a STEM outreach program that empowers community college faculty, staff, students, and alumni to connect with their local community through sharing their personal stories. Valeria and Juan share their journey with us as current STEM majors.

https://ncsciencefestival.org/futures

https://www.davidsondavie.edu/

This interview was a privilege as I had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Jim Brown, a high school math teacher in North Carolina. Our conversation discussed the narrative that shaped his journey toward becoming an educator in mathematics. Mr. Brown shared insights about the moments that influenced his career choice. We also highlighted how pursuing a path in Math Education can be a great opportunity for individuals who possess a deep love and passion for the subject.

In this podcast interview, we had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Warren Jasper, a Textile Engineer Instructor at NC State University. Dr. Jasper's impressive journey took him from his roots as a rocket scientist, trained at MIT, to his previous role as an Aerospace Engineer. Our conversation with Dr. Jasper revolved around his current role in textile engineering at NC State, where he provided fascinating insights into the science underpinning his work. He also shed light on his early involvement with AI and machine learning back in the 90s. Moreover, Dr. Jasper discussed how he has effectively applied Six Sigma principles to streamline and enhance various processes. Tune in for an intriguing glimpse into the world of textile engineering and the cutting-edge technologies that Dr. Jasper has leveraged throughout his distinguished career.

Learn more about Dr. Warren Jasper at this link

In this episode, I had a conversation with Dr. Murray Fisher, Chief Engineer of Gulf Wind Technology, headquartered in New Orleans. They're expanding with a new office in Hickory, NC. Our discussion covered physics, the design process, engineering skills, problem-solving, and their focus on wind energy.

Gulf Wind Technology

NCSSM K-12 PD Opportunities

In this interview, I had the opportunity to speak with the Lake James Environmental Association, based in Nebo, North Carolina. Our discussion delved into understanding the organization's identity, its mission, and its efforts in preserving Lake James, which covers both McDowell and Burke Counties. The interview highlighted the association's vital role in safeguarding the environmental integrity of this cherished natural resource, along with its commitment to educating our local youth. Their dedication to both the well-being of the community and the conservation of Lake James was truly evident throughout our conversation and the work they do in the community.

https://www.ljea.org/

We have officially started our 2nd season for the Instructional Insider and 2nd year at our new campus at NCSSM Morganton. This season we will hear about new courses, new faculty, and all the new students throughout this year. To kick off this season, we're launching a STEM interview featuring a distinguished NCSSM alumnus, Michael Martine. He currently holds the position of Director of Asset Engineering for IBM at Research Park Triangle in North Carolina. In this interview, we talk about his time at NCSSM and explore how he leverages STEM in his capacity at IBM.

The Games at Work podcast —>  https://gamesatwork.bizUniHacks —> https://unihacks.ncssm.edu IBM’s Design Thinking —> https://www.ibm.com/design/thinking/ MIT’s Quantum Computing courses —> https://learn-xpro.mit.edu/quantum-computing IBM’s AI Ethics —> https://www.ibm.com/impact/ai-ethics my social network aggregation site —> https://about.me/michaelmartine 

In this week's podcast, I had the opportunity to interview Mario Sclarandis, the City Engineer for Morganton. Our discussion was enlightening as we talked about the components of the engineering department's duties and how they collaborate with other sectors to ensure the smooth functioning of the city's systems.

Additionally, I was delighted to have two student cohosts who offered valuable perspectives on campus happenings.

This week, I had the privilege of interviewing Angela Copeland, an educational journalist for "The Paper," a new fully-local newspaper serving Burke County. During our conversation, we discussed how journalism has evolved over the years due to advancements in technology, as well as the mathematics and technology that underpin the creation of the daily press.

I had the opportunity to interview Michael Gaffney, the Conservation and GIS Specialist for Foothills Conservancy in Morganton this week. We covered a broad range of topics related to STEM, including the application of environmental perspectives to scientific fields, as well as the use of Python for generating maps. During our conversation, Gaffney also shared his educational journey, which began in the humanities and later transitioned to environmental literature before ultimately focusing on ecology.