Conference Session

Engineering in Middle Schools

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Juanita Jo Matkins, College of William and Mary; John A. McLaughlin, McLauglin Associates; Eugene Brown, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Gail Hardinge, College of William and Mary; Nancy West, College of William and Mary; Robert Stiegler, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division; Kirk Jenne, Office of Naval Research

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

and engineers could effectively team withteachers in the classroom to stimulate a greater long-term interest among middle school studentsin science and mathematics.The VDP addresses the strategic vulnerability that our future Navy will face as a result of thesegenerational, educational, and budgetary realities. The program is exploring whether workingscientists and engineers with their real-world experiences can help shape positive perceptionsabout math and science among middle school students. More specifically, the VDP is testingwhether we can inspire more young people to see the value and relevancy of a future career inscience or engineering by: • Showing pre-teens and teens that math and science are fascinating, fun, and socially

Conference Session

Successful K-12 Programs for Girls & Minorities

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bruce Gehrig, University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Deborah Sharer, University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Stephen Kuyath, University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Anthony Brizendine, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

established clubs that are focused onseveral activities during the academic year. These activities are designed to illustrate the STEM fields andthe interdependence of multiple professions, while offering opportunities for students to participate inindividual and team events. Specifically, academic year activities for NCJETS high school clubs involve: 1. Applied mechanical engineering principles through the design, analysis, simulation, construction, fabrication and testing of trebuchets, culminating in a competition on the university campus. 2. A career exploration contest which promotes student research of career / educational opportunities in STEM fields by addressing a specified open-ended problem with a specified

Conference Session

Engineering in High Schools

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mitchell Nathan, University of Wisconsin - Madison; Natalie Tran, University of Wisconsin - Madison; Allen Phelps, University of Wisconsin - Madison; Amy Prevost, University of Wisconsin - Madison

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

measures, as well as serving as the primary connectionsbetween instruction and learning. Curricula shape and are shaped by the professionals teacherswho use them. The curricula influence the content of the subjects being taught9 as well as theway the teaching is enacted. This investigation explores the structure of high school curricula formathematics and for pre-engineering in order to understand the learning experiences that areintended to prepare students for future studies and careers in engineering and other technicalfields. It is part of a larger collaboration between the School of Education and the College ofEngineering investigating the challenges and remedies for the development of a broader, morediverse and more able pool of engineers in