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As part of the August ADL (Advanced Distributed Learning) iFest event, The National Center for Simulation, headquartered in the Central Florida Research Park hosted Education Assistant Deputy Secretary, James Shelton III, at a community roundtable. Lt. Gen. (Ret) Tom Baptiste, President/Executive Director of NCS and Hank Okraski, Chairman of the NCS Education and Workforce Development Committee, organized the event bringing some of Central Florida’s top education leaders and the simulation community together with Shelton to share the Central Florida education and simulation innovations story.
After a short orientation of the simulation industry by Baptiste, Okraski provided a historical perspective of growth of the industry in Florida and the pipeline of an educated workforce possessing the skill sets required by the industry. “Team Orlando, with its large acquisition programs,” said Okraski “is the economic engine of that growth.” He continued, “However, the myriad of simulation applications emerging have added more ‘cylinders’ to that engine, requiring a larger and more educated workforce.”
Mr. Shelton described his vision for regional education clusters that serve concentrations of technology throughout the nation. He also discussed the budget for education and the difficulties in dealing with shortfalls.
The group participated in active discussion on several topics, specifically touching on the growing need for resources and Central Florida’s innovative implementation of education (such as virtual education and customized learning for the “at risk” group of students whose educational needs currently go unmet), the various simulation programs that have been adapted in some of the schools, and the industry/education partnership and STEM initiatives. Shelton was impressed with the cluster and indicated the collaborative nature of the cluster positions it as a potential center of excellence in education innovation. He encouraged the group to continue to move forward in its innovations and collaboration while pursuing existing funding and grant opportunities, specifically identifying the U.S. Department of Education for innovations and cluster development and the Investing in Innovation Fund.
After leaving the roundtable discussion, Mr. Shelton saw first-hand examples of some of Central Florida’s education innovations at the University of Central Florida Institute for Simulation & Training. Dr. Randy Shumaker, Executive Director of the institute, led Shelton through two innovative programs under development at IST: NSF-sponsored ‘Water’s Journey through the Everglades’, an informal education project aimed at museums, and the Virtual Classroom that helps train student teachers, through virtual technologies, how to control and engage students to enhance learning. This project is currently in active use at ten universities, with another three universities coming on in the near future.
Participants in the roundtable included:
Linda Harmon- Northrop Grumman/Central Florid STEM Council
Cecilia Lopez- FL Virtual School
Walt Augustine- U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division
Dr. Jeff Bindell- techPATH, Florida High Tech Corridor Council
Dr. Randy Shumaker-UCF, Institute for Simulation & Training
Lt. Gen. (Ret) Tom Baptiste- NCS President/ Executive Director
Jim Shelton III, US Department of Education
Dr. Donna Poniatowski-Seminole County Public Schools (Journeys High School)
Walt Griffin- Seminole County Public Schools
Dr. Connie Collins- Seminole County Public Schools (Principal, Crooms AOIT)
Dr. Bill Vogel- Superintendent, Seminole County Public Schools
Janet Addair- Orange County Public Schools
VADM (Ret) Al Harms- VP, UCF /PRISM
Hank Okraski SES (Ret), NCS Board Member
Paul Jesukiewicz- Booz, Allen, Hamilton
Mary Trier- MT3 and NCS Board Member
Dr. Mark Riecken, SAIC
