“I made it in engineering without help. They will too.” There is a problem, and They do need help!
“I made it in engineering without help. If these young women are meant to be engineers, they will too,” explained a female High School Engineering teacher. I nearly fell out of my chair when I heard this woman utter these words after I asked how she recruited and retained young women into her classes. Assuming […]
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.
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 […]
Evaluation Framework for Engineering Education Curriculum
This paper introduces a framework and rubric for evaluation of K-12 engineering education curriculum, based on engineering education literature and the Wiggins & McTighe process known as Backwards Design. This process is an alignment of content, assessment, and pedagogy, the three components used as the measure of quality programmatic elements. The rubric defined in this paper will be useful to teachers, administrators, and curriculum developers of engineering education curriculum.
Strategies for STEM Education | Bayer
“It’s said the American STEM education pipeline is leaking,” new President of the Bayer MaterialScience North American region, Jerry MacCleary, said as he laid out a series of strategies “to make the pipeline less leaky.” Bayer’s Strategies for improving STEM Education (listed by Reporter Malia Spencer) [list1]<li>Start early to grab student interest in elementary school. Bayer research has […]
What is Engineering? A workshop model for K-6 Counselors
If children begin career development in elementary school, then it is important for their teachers and counselors to be prepared to introduce all types of careers, especially those that will help us meet the demands of a rapidly changing world such as engineering and science. This proposal for a professional development workshop for K-6 grade school […]
What is Education? Education is the Ticket…
A poignant metaphor relating education to a ticket that one first discovers, then earns through formal education and personal enriching experiences, and cashes in for life’s adventures. The writings of Nel Noddings, Donald Schon, and Palmer Parker are interlaced throughout this article, presenting a personal reflection and opinion on the value of education.
Technology Provides Enhanced Capabilities for Educating Learners
Technology provides enhanced capabilities for educating learners, and schools should embrace these capabilities to reshape education and to prepare students for the changing world. Collins & Halverson (2009) identify these enhanced capabilities as “just-in-time” learning, customization, learner control, interaction, scaffolding, games & simulation, multimedia, publication, and reflection. These nine enhanced capabilities were aligned with established […]
Supplemental K-12 Engineering Education
Engineers make a world of difference and help shape our future, and our future depends on us working together to increase the participation of women in engineering. As early as elementary school, students can begin to learn basic principles of engineering such as the design process, incorporate engineering habits of mind – which are essentially […]