There is, according to Johannes Strobel, a growing body of research evidence that shows that interest in engineering among schoolchildren needs to be fostered, particularly at an early age. “It’s time to translate that research into teacher professional development,” says Strobel, who is director of the Institute for P-12 Engineering Research and Learning at Purdue University’s School of Engineering Education. So, he tells Campus Technology magazine, his institute has partnered with PBS’s TeacherLine, a web-based professional development program, to educate elementary school teachers on how to teach engineering concepts to their young charges. The goal is to get more youngsters interested in science and engineering.

The Purdue institute developed the 30-hour, two-credit course, which targets pre-K-6 teachers and makes use of audio, video and interactive technologies. TeacherLine will make the course available to educators nationwide. Teachers will learn, for instance, how to teach such engineering topics as balance and forces, electricity and magnetism, the magazine reports. It will also show them how to make the best use of technology to enhance learning.

Filed under: K-12 Education News

Tags: PBS, PBS programs, Programs for Teachers, Resources for Teachers, Teacher Resources