Thank a Teacher Before It is Too Late
Have you thanked a teacher that made a difference in your life recently? Three months ago, I had an incredible opportunity to do just that, and it seems it was just in time. This past February, one of my clients needed me to teach at a conference in Houston. Houston is only a couple of […]
Guest Blog: 3 Ideas on Improving Perceptions of Engineering
Honored to be a guest blogger for Compass Learning out of Austin, Texas! [list3]<li>What exactly is engineering?</li> <li>What do engineers do?</li> <li>Why does the perception matter?</li>[/list3] Read my guest blog post for 3 Ideas on Improving Perceptions of Engineering.
Big Beacon Blog
Honored to guest blog today on BigBeacon.org: A Movement to Transform Engineering Education. Change the Conversation: Engineering Awareness in K-12. The blog discusses the lack of public understanding of engineering and the need to remedy this change in K-12. The National Academy of Engineering Changing the Conversation messages are listed as a framework, and two […]
If I had a $1,000,000…. for “STEM” Education.
Lockheed Martin has granted $1 million to implement and sustain Project Lead the Way programs across the U.S. If I had a million dollars, (as I start humming Barenaked Ladies) How would I improve STEM education?
A Case for Engineering in K-12
In order to meet the forecasted demands for U.S. Labor in technical areas that require scientific and mathematical training, it is imperative that educators and students begin to understand STEM professions and the role of engineers. By advocating science and math in a more holistic, inclusive and social context, more students will develop confidence in these subjects and be prepared to pursue a career in engineering. This article is useful for parents, educators, counselors, and administrators.
What is Design? Design is Creativity Unleashed
Can you teach creativity in design? YES! By providing opportunity for students to learn to construct their own problems and to become comfortable with ambiguity all within an environment that fosters independent resourcefulness, a student can develop creativity. If we want to educate engineers to be expert designers, it is best to start this process early so that it becomes an adaptive expertise.
Women in STEM: Wanda Gass
A renowned leader, both technically and civically, Wanda Gass has worked diligently to improve the workplace environment for women engineers and to empower girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math. Wanda worked at Texas Instruments (TI) for the last thirty years, where she became one of the highest ranking female technical leaders […]
Women in STEM: Erna Schneider Hoover
A pioneer in her field, Erna Schneider Hoover overcame countless challenges in a man’s world. If not for women like Erna who have worked to improve the landscape for women in technical fields, people like myself, a young female engineer, would not have the opportunities we are frequently afforded today. Read Mrs. Hoover’s biography…
Model Eliciting Activity: Green Roof
This is a model eliciting activity for high school students who have had algebra, examining rooftop gardens for commercial buildings. Model-eliciting activities (MEAs) are activities that encourage students to invent and test models. They are posed as open-ended problems that are designed to challenge students to build models in order to solve complex, real-world problems.
Key Engineering Education Reports
Here are eight key reports from The National Academies Press by The National Academy of Engineering related to engineering education. These reports guide future research and inform policy. Each of these can be read in full online, or you can simply view the executive summaries for a brief overview. Changing the Conversation: Messages for Improving Public […]