Come fly with me/Preface

This is a "virtual website" - a printed copy of the Come Fly With Me portal on WikiEducator.org as of December 2011. The web address of the "real" online version is http://wikieducator.org/Come_fly_with_me/

In the summer of 2011, we got the idea to transform the Housels' 1983 two-volume work Come Fly With Me to digital format so it could be used anywhere anytime by the global community of educators. The tagline is Exploring Science K-6 and 7-9 through aviation and aerospace concepts. This nicely sums up the broad range and depth of the learning activities for all grade levels.

The web version of Come Fly With Me is based on the work of David and Doreen Housel for the Michigan Aeronautics Commission. Many of the lessons are based on educational materials from NASA and a variety of aerospace companies, and are used with permission. We were delighted to find that most of the material was "evergreen" - the activities are just as relevant today as they were to learning science and math when they were developed. While there has been a lot of progress in aviation and science, as well as major changes in all aspects of society, using the basic principle of aviation and aerospace to engage students in learning science is as fresh as ever.

Using Come Fly With Me Activities

The 150+ activities explore science through aviation and aerospace concepts. There are activities for a wide range of science curriculum topics and grade levels. Some activities are simple, single lesson plans while others require equipment, preparation and cover a number of sessions.

This may look like a book, but it is not. The current, living OERs (Open Educational Resources) are located on the web, where they are accessible and available to adopt and redistribute to learners worldwide.

Worksheets are available for printing from the web site. Click on the thumbnail in the activity. Click on the "Full resolution" link (below the preview). In some browsers, it may be necessary to click on the image for the full-page printable version.

Thanks and recognition of support

Thanks to the ladies of Spruce Creek Women of Wings who helped and supported our work. The WOW Education committee - Marcia Gitleman, Jan Burnside, Carolyn Parkin, WOW executive - Donna Spillman, Lynn O'Donnell and Jean Lamonti.

A special thanks to Spruce Creek resident Mary Creason, long time pilot, instructor and aviation educator who commissioned the Housels to develop the Come Fly With Me curriculum for the State of Michigan. We only discovered this after the online version was completed.

A special thanks to the faculty, staff and students of Burns Science and Technology Charter School, Oak Hill, FL who made time to provide feedback during their incredibly busy and successful first year as a Charter school. Dana Greatrix, the Media Specialist and Dr. Jan McGee, Principle were wonderful - helpful, encouraging and models of tireless enthusiasm for educating the kids of Florida through conventional and innovative inclusion of technology and a focus on student engagement in learning Science.

Also thanks to WikiEducator for making the web space available for hosting Come Fly With Me materials and for promoting online learning through its site, its open courses, tutorials and technical support. Wayne Mackintosh and Jim Tittsler have been invaluable resources to us and to the OER Foundation and the Open Educational Resources community of practice.

About the authors

DOREEN HOUSEL

Doreen Housel, co-author and illustrator, was born in Bay City Michigan on March 30, 1939. After elementary education and high school in Unionville, Michigan, she studied first at Michigan State University and then at Wayne State University, graduating with a degree in English and Speech Education. After a move to Connecticut in 1970, she taught high school English in Stratford and, later, Advanced Expository Writing at the University of Bridgeport. Continuing her graduate studies there, she received a Master of Arts degree in Counseling in 1978. Since 1981 she has taught at Oakland University as an Adjunct Professor, assisting with the educational television program, "Open Math." Presently she is a university supervisor for student teaching at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan.

DAVID HOUSEL

David Charles Housel, co-author, was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin on April 9, 1941, and spent his elementary education years in Ashland, Oregon; Lansing, Michigan; and Glenshaw, Pennsylvania. Graduating in 1959 from the Shaler, Pennsylvania high school, he returned to Oregon to study science and education at Southern Oregon College in Ashland. The year, 1967-68 was spent earning his commercial pilot's license from the Sierra Academy of Aeronautics and attending California State University at Hayward. He entered Arizona State University in 1968, graduating in 1970 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education. While teaching elementary school in Phoenix (1970-73), he continued graduate study at Arizona State, earning a Master of Arts degree in Science Education in 1974. He was a Graduate Teaching Assistant and Instructor at Arizona State University (1974-78) while studying for his Doctor of Philosophy degree which was granted in August, 1982. Since 1978, he has been an Assistant Professor of Education at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan.

About the Producers

NANCY GOVONI

After serving for 32 years as a teacher and admistrator of science, language arts, social studies, and media programs for teachers and students in grades K-12, Nancy worked for 13 years as the Newspaper in Education Manager at The Daytona Beach News-Journal. Her masters degree from Goddard College is in adminstration and supervision and she holds a current Florida teaching certificate. In retirement, she has been able to combine her experience in teaching and learning with her interest in flying to promote aviation-related programs in local schools.

VALERIE TAYLOR

In addition to exploring science through aviation and aerospace concepts, Valerie is promoting open education, personal learning networks and educator collaboration. She is an advocate for universal access to science and engineering education. Valerie is one of the original elected members of the WikiEducator Community Council. Valerie holds a M.S. Education with a Specialization in Online Teaching and Learning from CSU Hayward.