Report: K-12 Engineering Teachers Lack Support
Posted on February 6th, 2020 by Mary Lord
A new consensus report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine finds PreK-12 teachers of engineering lack preparation, support, and professional development. (Links to PD options and other resources included at end of this post.)
Filed under: K-12 Education News, Special Features, Web Resources | Comments Off on Report: K-12 Engineering Teachers Lack Support
Tags: American Society for Engineering Education, and Medicine, Building Capacity for Teaching Engineering in K-12 Education, Education Policy, Engineering, National Academies of Sciences, Professional Development, Research on Learning, STEM education, teacher preparation, Teacher Training
Introduce a girl to engineering. Make slime and other cool stuff. National Engineers Week takes place Feb. 16 to 22 and this year’s theme – Pioneers of Progress – marks 30 years of celebrating the diversity of engineers and their work on the frontiers of discovery. Check out local events, downloadable activities, and other ideas for bringing EWeek 2020 to your classroom.
The Trustey Family STEM Teaching Fellows program at the University of Notre Dame’s Center for STEM Education provides top-tier professional development and continual feedback to teachers in grades 5 to 8 over the course of two years. The program, which covers travel, meals, and lodging for a two-week summer institutes on campus and January summit, includes a $6,000 stipend. Apply by Feb. 21, 2020.
Dazzle Box, a sturdy, reusable airdrop container for use in disaster relief designed by North Dakota State University mechanical engineering students, took top prize at the inaugural 3M Disruptive Design Challenge in 2018.
Nominate an outstanding K-6 mathematics, science, or computer science teacher for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). Nominations are due March 1, 2020, with applications due May 1.
Blind or visually impaired toddlers risk tripping over objects they can’t see and as a result tend to be overly cautious walkers. To help them learn to walk safely and more quickly, researchers at the City University of New York have invented a “toddler cane.” 
It began with a conundrum: How to accommodate a blind mechanical engineering major who needed to take a required engineering graphics course but couldn’t access its computer-assisted design system. Steven Zemke, a professor of engineering and physics at Whitworth University, figured out a way to teach fundamental visualization and drawing skills using assistive technologies such as braille pads – and small, 3-D-printed plastic parts that could felt and then sketched on special “swell paper” to show the raised lines like the example pictured here.
Science research competitions can spur confidence and open college doors, but many students – particularly those from underrepresented groups – don’t know about these opportunities. The Society for Science & the Public seeks to broaden participation through its Advocate Grant Program, which offers training, a $3,000 stipend, and paid trip to Washington, D.C., for individuals to help a minimum of three underserved students navigate the transition from conducting to presenting their research at a competition. Apply by March 4, 2020. 
Outdoor adventures, engaging lectures, and a visit to Washington, D.C., are among the life-changing experiences that two graduating high school STEM leaders selected from each state and the District of Columbia will enjoy at this prestigious summer science-education program in West Virginia – all travel and camp fees covered. Applications are due Feb. 28, 2020. 
