Engineering in K-12 Education Understanding the Status and Improving the Prospects (2009) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
6 Findings and Recommendations
6 Findings and Recommendations
Pages 149-180
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From page 149... ...
Although more and better impact studies will be necessary in the future, the available evidence shows that engaging elementary and secondary students in learning engineering ideas and practices is not only possible, but can lead to positive learning outcomes. It is equally clear, however, that the potential effectiveness of K–12 engineering education has been limited by a number of factors, such as challenges associated with curriculum and professional development, difficulties in reconciling this new content with existing curricula in other subjects, the influences of standards-based education reform and accountability,1 and the absence of teacher certification requirements and pre-service teacher preparation programs.
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From page 150... ...
K–12 STEM education, the role of technology education and engineering education have hardly been mentioned. In fact, the STEM acronym has become shorthand for science and mathematics education only, and even these subjects typically are treated as separate entities.
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From page 151... ...
The absence of standards or an agreed-upon framework for organizing and sequencing the essential knowledge and skills to be developed through engineering education at the elementary and secondary school levels limits our ability to develop a comprehensive definition of K–12 engineering education. Nevertheless, over the course of the committee's deliberations, general principles emerged based on our knowledge of engineering and technology, our review of K–12 engineering curricula, and key documents, such as the Standards for Technological Literacy: Content for the Study of Technology (ITEA, 2000)
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From page 152... ...
Systems thinking equips students to recognize essential interconnections in the technological world and to appreciate that systems may have unexpected effects that cannot be predicted from the behavior of individual subsystems. Creativity is inherent in the engineering design process.
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From page 153... ...
5 The figures for science and mathematics teachers do not include the over 1 million public and private school elementary school generalists, who are frequently responsible for teaching both subjects. 6Variations in research methodologies over the years have resulted in some uncertainty about the exact number of technology education teachers working in the United States.
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From page 154... ...
Indeed, evidence suggests that technology educators form the bulk of the teaching force for engineering in K–12 classrooms, and many curricula intended to convey engineering concepts and skills have been developed in part or whole by those in the field. Given its historical hands-on, project-based emphasis and the more recent focus on technological literacy, it is not surprising technology education has gravitated toward engineering.
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From page 155... ...
Curriculum Content Our curriculum review revealed that the central activity of engineering -- engineering design -- is a dominant feature of most of the curricular and professional-development activities we examined. Both curriculum developers and providers of professional development programs seem to understand engineering design as an iterative, problem-solving process in which multiple solutions are possible.
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From page 156... ...
Curriculum Connections Finding 8. Existing curricula do not fully exploit the natural connections between engineering and the other three STEM subjects.
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From page 157... ...
Mathematical Analysis and Modeling Although mathematical analysis and modeling are essential to engineering design, very few of the curricula or professional development initiatives reviewed by the committee used mathematics in ways that support modeling and analysis. There may be many reasons for this.
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From page 158... ...
Department of Education should fund research to determine how science inquiry and mathematical reasoning can be connected to engineering design in K–12 curricula and teacher professional development. The research should be attentive to grade-level differences in classroom environment and student cognitive development and cover the following specific areas: the most important concepts, skills, and habits of mind in science and mathematics that can be taught effectively using an engineering design approach; the circumstances under which students learn important science and mathematics concepts, skills, and habits of mind through an engineering-design approach as well or better than through science or mathematics instruction; how engineering design can be used as a pedagogical strategy in sci ence and mathematics instruction; and the implications for professional development of using engineering design as a pedagogical tool for supporting science and mathematics learning.
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From page 159... ...
Many of these professional development initiatives lack one or more of the characteristics known to lead to teacher learning, such as professional development that lasts for a week or longer, ongoing in-classroom or online support following formal training, and opportunities for continuing education. No active pre-service initiatives seem likely to contribute significantly to the supply of qualified engineering teachers in the near future.
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From page 160... ...
The lack of certification or licensing for "engineering" teachers, which is an issue at the secondary school level, reflects the relative newness of the field and uncertainties about the knowledge and pedagogical skills engineering teachers need to be competent. Over the long term, it is not clear where future engineering teachers for K–12 will come from, which could delay the acceptance of K–12 engineering education as a mainstream component of the school curriculum.
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From page 161... ...
Both curriculum developers and outreach organizations should take advantage of recent market research that suggests effective ways of communicating about engineering to the public. POLICY AND PROGRAM ISSUES Many questions remain to be answered about the best way to deliver engineering education in the K–12 classroom and its potential on a variety of parameters of interest, such as science and mathematics learning, technological literacy, and student interest in engineering as a career.
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From page 162... ...
Fully interconnected STEM education, that is, using engineering concepts and skills to leverage the natural connections between STEM subjects, would almost certainly require changes in the structure and practices of schools. Research would be necessary to develop and test curricula, assessments, and approaches to teacher professional development.
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From page 163... ...
Forty states have adopted the technological literacy standards developed by the International Technology Education Association, which contain a number of learning goals related to engineering design (Dugger, 2007)
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From page 164... ...
If K–12 engineering education emphasizes design activities, then two- and four-year post-secondary institutions may have to place early emphasis on design projects to avoid "turning off " students who expect that experience in their first year. Schools of engineering and other post-secondary institutions may also have to improve interactions among science, mathematics, and technology departments to accommodate the expectations of students who have experienced interconnected STEM education in high school.
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From page 165... ...
The modest literature that examines efforts at integration in STEM education mostly concerns science and mathematics (e.g., Berlin and Lee, 2005; Pang and Good, 2000) and, occasionally, science and technology (e.g., Geraedts et al., 2006)
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From page 166... ...
Standards of learning, instructional materials, teacher professional development, and student assessments will have to be re-examined and, possibly, updated, revised, and coordinated. Professional societies will have to rethink their outreach activities to K–12 schools in light of STEM literacy.
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From page 167... ...
Second, interconnected STEM education could improve teaching and learning in all four subjects by reducing excessive expectations for K–12 STEM teaching and learning. This does not mean that teaching should be "dumbed down," but rather that teaching and learning in fewer key STEM areas should be deepened and that more time should be spent on the development of a set of STEM skills that includes engineering design and scientific inquiry.
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From page 168... ...
: 259–268. ITEA (International Technology Education Association)
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From page 169... ...
High Tech High was founded in 2000 by a group of San Diego educators and business leaders as a charter high school. Since then, it has grown to include five high schools, two middle schools, and one affiliated elementary school.
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From page 170... ...
With no formal training on how to teach engineering to high school students -- indeed, with no background in education at all -- Berggren turned to the Project Lead the Way (PLTW) program, which, he says, was a "lifesaver." PLTW provides a variety of well developed modules and courses that can be taught as is to engineering students.
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From page 171... ...
. Originally developed for students in college engineering classes, EPICS is now being tested in 15 to 20 high schools around the country, including High Tech High.
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From page 172... ...
"I do it because you see what the kids get out of it." The kids also get much out of the High Tech High engineering classes, he says, especially "an understanding of and an interest in engineering." Of the 80 students in his engineering classes over the course of a year, he estimates that about 15 to 20 percent pursue engineering in college. And, he says, at least a few of them tell him something along the lines of, "I had no idea what this was, it never crossed my radar screen, but now I want to go on to college and study engineering." REFERENCES Coyle, E.J., L H
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From page 173... ...
The first piece of the K–16 pipeline, this school, called the Martha and Josh Morriss Mathematics and Engineering Elementary School, focuses on math, science, and engineering. The new school opened its doors in the fall of 2007, with Principal Rick Sandlin at the helm.
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From page 174... ...
Throughout the school year, the school curriculum coach works with teachers by conducting weekly planning sessions. "We're working on raising the bar in the way we teach engineering," says Principal Sandlin.
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From page 175... ...
The program included an accelerated version of the curriculum design and curriculum delivery courses designed for Morriss Elementary School teachers and is meant to prepare the sixth grade teachers to use inquirybased, hands-on instructional methods. "If the modules work well in sixth grade, we may consider using them in the seventh and eighth grades, which will be added over the next couple of years," explains Ronnie Thompson, assistant superintendent for school improvement.
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From page 176... ...
Adding one grade a year, the school now serves all four high school grades; the sixth grade (in middle school) was added in fall 2008.
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From page 177... ...
Through DSST's partnership with the University of Colorado at Boulder, one DSST engineering teacher has been trained directly by university professors; in addition, university engineering faculty teach some engineering courses. Mark Heffron, who teaches math and engineering electives and was a structural engineer before becoming a teacher, brings real-world experience directly to the classroom.
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From page 178... ...
An initial challenge grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, contributions from corporate, foundation, and philanthropic donors, and a DPS construction bond enabled DSST to build a state-of-the art building that is inviting to students and conducive to learning. "We held focus groups to find out what the kids wanted," says Greenberg.
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From page 179... ...
The Texas High School Project, a consortium of the Texas Education Agency, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, has chosen DSST as one of its bestpractices models. The project is creating 35 public STEM (science, technology, engineering and math)
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