4. Goals Learn about the what and why of engineering education Explore some current research and educational initiatives on engineering education Questions and Ideas Play!
5. Engineering The design & development of tools, machines, materials, and processes to improve human lives The application of mathematics and scientific knowledge to solve problems Scientists study the world as it is; engineers create the world that has never been. -Theodore von Kármán
6. Engineering Education for Early Childhood Education A new hot topic in early and elementary education From after-school robotics to standardized K-12 curriculum Interdisciplinary in nature, with an emphasis on problem solving & critical thinking Developmentally appropriate Research support for engineering education
8. Statistics By 2018, 8.6 million jobs in the US will require a degree in STEM (Georgetown U.) By 4th grade, 1/3 of students lose interests in STEM By 8th grade, 50% of students see STEM as irrelevant
11. Constructionism Seymour Papert (1980) of MIT Media Lab Learning happens when we are actively building tangible objects in the real world Children construct their own understanding of objects around them as they mainpulate with tangible objects Building and constructing with models
12. What is Engineering Ed? Teaching children to identify, understand, and solve real-life problems Providing the tools, knowledge, and thinking skills needed to design and build solutions Offering a space or environment in which children can “practice” engineering
13. National Curricula Massachusetts is the only state with a distinct Engineering framework Many states including technology or design as part of the state’s science curriculum framework Other organizations have published complete curricula, such as “Engineering is Elementary” - MOS-Boston “Engineering by Design” - ITEEA
17. Engineering Design Design Challenge Pose a problem Identify the parameters Specify the desired outcomes Design Journal Guide children thru the engineering design process Encourage children to predictions and documenting results Foster early literacy
18. Design Environments Building & Tinkering Construction manipulatives Tangible objects that can be examined and tested A focus on the prototype and refinement process Programming Programming environment Virtual manipulatives that can be easily modified with immediately observable results A focus on the debugging process
19. Lego Simple Machines Lego Education DUPLO construction kit Complete kit comes with teachers’ guide, curriculum, and activity pages Designed for Preschool & Kindergarteners
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21. Design Environments Building & Tinkering Construction manipulatives Tangible objects that can be examined and tested A focus on the prototype and refinement process Programming Programming environment Virtual manipulatives that can be easily modified with immediately observable results A focus on the debugging process
22. Scratch Programming language & environment Developed by the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab Specifically designed for 6 – 16 yos
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24. Design Environments Building & Tinkering Construction manipulatives Tangible objects that can be examined and tested A focus on the prototype and refinement process Programming Programming environment Virtual manipulatives that can be easily modified with immediately observable results A focus on the debugging process Robotics
25. Lego WeDo Lego Robotics Kit for elementary school Developed as a collaboration between Lego and the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab (Mitchel Resnick and others) Designed for 7+, but appropriate for 5+
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27. CHERP A hybrid programming interface for robotics Created by the Developmental Technologies Research Group at Tufts University (Marina Bers and others) Designed for 4+ Funded by the NSF
First, let’s establish a definition of Engineering. There are many branches of engineering, with a history dating back to antiquity. But in general, engineering can be defined as….
Why are we talking about engineering education for early childhood education?
Recent emphasis on technology and engineering education for young children stems from two sourcesMany initiatives coming from both private and the public sectors to strengthen STEM education to prepare a workforce that is ready for 21st C. jobsCulmination of years of research in education, and a new field called the Learning Sciences, on leveraging engineering and new technology to engage children’s critical thinking and bridge curricular disciplines
Emphasis on STEM education
By 10th grade, we lack behind many other countries.This is the often cited statistic on how US compares to other countries in STEM scores.
Recent emphasis on technology and engineering education for young children stems from two sourcesMany initiatives coming from both private and the public sectors to strengthen STEM education to prepare a workforce that is ready for 21st C. jobsCulmination of years of research in education, and a new field called the Learning Sciences, on leveraging engineering and new technology to engage children’s critical thinking and bridge curricular disciplines
A lot of work around engineering education, especially those that deal with computer-based learning environment, stem from the work of Seymour Papert, most noted for his work on the Logo programming language.
National CurriculaITEEA = International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
How do teachers approach engineering design in the early childhood classroom?
How do teachers approach engineering design in the early childhood classroom?
How do teachers approach engineering design in the early childhood classroom?
Scratch
How do teachers approach engineering design in the early childhood classroom?
Creative Hybrid Environment for Robotic Programming
