K-12 Engineering &Technology Education
WORKING FOR AN INNOVATION DEAL USA IN THE 21ST CENTURY
This page builds a link to the Scholar STEAM K12 Plus site, my web site on the subject of K-12 STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) improvement in the United States, with a strong focus on K-12 engineering and technology education. The creation of this web site is a logical extension of my research on the issue as a National Center for Engineering and Technology Education Fellow (funded by the National Science Foundation) at the University of Georgia (2007-2009), the publication of my Vision Paper titled Proposed Model for a Streamlined, Cohesive, and Optimized K-12 STEM Curriculum with a Focus on Engineering, in The Journal of Technology Studies, a peer-reviewed scholarly journal associated with Virginia Institute of Technology (Winter 2009 Issue No. 2). The vision paper advocates comprehensively improvement of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education with a new model of life-long process starting at K-12 level, with two-year community colleges as an important link. This article presents a proposed model for a clear description of K-12 age-possible engineering knowledge content, in terms of the selection of analytic principles and predictive skills for various grades, based on the mastery of mathematics and science pre-requisites, as mandated by national or state performance standards; and a streamlined, cohesive, and optimized K-12 engineering curriculum, in terms of a continuous educational process that starts at kindergarten and/or elementary schools, intensifies at middle schools, differentiates at high schools and streamlines into four-year universities through two-year community colleges, integrating solid mastery of particular analytic skills and generic engineering design processes. This article is based upon a “Vision Paper” that was presented at the International Technology Education Association’s 71st Annual Conference held in Louisville, Kentucky under the sponsorship of Dr. John Mativo, from the University of Georgia. It is hoped that many ideas explored in this article could provide answers to the problems in the current practice of K-12 engineering education, as discussed in the authoritative report issued several months later, on September 8, 2009, by the Committee on K-12 Engineering Education established by the National Academy of Engineering and the National Research Council, titled Engineering in K-12 Education: Understanding the Status and Improving the Prospects, which included the absence of cohesive K-12 engineering curriculum and the lack of well-developed standards. This article is also available at the website of the Institute of Education Sciences (the research arm of the U.S. Department of Education) at http://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ906150, at Virginia Polytechnic Institute website at http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JOTS/v35/v35n2/pdf/locke.pdf), at EBSCOhost Connection website at http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/69712612/proposed-model-streamlined-cohesive-optimized-k-12-stem-curriculum-focus-engineering.
The vision paper is based on the integration of the collective experience of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education practitioners, some general ideas for K-12 STEM education reform advocated by established scholars in the United States (notably, professors at the University of Georgia College of Education and other institutions of higher learning associated with the National Center for Engineering and Technology Education), and my endeavors to build a practical framework to implement these ideas within the context of American K-12 education institutions. It is futuristic but also respectful of the established traditions in STEM pedagogy. After my graduation from the University of Georgia, I also received assistance and encouragement from engineering faculty at East Los Angeles College, which hosts one of the best "2 + 2 Engineering Transfer" programs in California, to allow students to completely finish their first and second years of undergraduate engineering programs at a community college, get certified and then transfer to four-year universities in Southern California to complete their Bachelor of Science degrees in various engineering majors (including mechanical, civil, industrial, electrical and others). I highly appreciate the above-mentioned professors and scholars for their advice, guidance and support.
In the Scholar STEAM K12 Plus web site, I have so far published some of research data, articles, and other documents, peer-reviewed or not, on the subjects of K-12 age-possible engineering topics in the subjects of statics (Presenting a List of High School 9th Grade Age-Possible Statics Topics to Engineering and Technology Educators and Curriculum Developers), fluid mechanics (Presenting a List of High School 9th Grade Age-Possible Fluid Mechanics Topics to Engineering and Technology Educators and Curriculum Developers), and many others.
Additional research outcomes will be published in the Scholar STEAM K12 Plus web site later, to share with K-12 STEM education professionals (teachers, administrators and curriculum developers).
Any question? Please email me: [email protected].
The vision paper is based on the integration of the collective experience of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education practitioners, some general ideas for K-12 STEM education reform advocated by established scholars in the United States (notably, professors at the University of Georgia College of Education and other institutions of higher learning associated with the National Center for Engineering and Technology Education), and my endeavors to build a practical framework to implement these ideas within the context of American K-12 education institutions. It is futuristic but also respectful of the established traditions in STEM pedagogy. After my graduation from the University of Georgia, I also received assistance and encouragement from engineering faculty at East Los Angeles College, which hosts one of the best "2 + 2 Engineering Transfer" programs in California, to allow students to completely finish their first and second years of undergraduate engineering programs at a community college, get certified and then transfer to four-year universities in Southern California to complete their Bachelor of Science degrees in various engineering majors (including mechanical, civil, industrial, electrical and others). I highly appreciate the above-mentioned professors and scholars for their advice, guidance and support.
In the Scholar STEAM K12 Plus web site, I have so far published some of research data, articles, and other documents, peer-reviewed or not, on the subjects of K-12 age-possible engineering topics in the subjects of statics (Presenting a List of High School 9th Grade Age-Possible Statics Topics to Engineering and Technology Educators and Curriculum Developers), fluid mechanics (Presenting a List of High School 9th Grade Age-Possible Fluid Mechanics Topics to Engineering and Technology Educators and Curriculum Developers), and many others.
Additional research outcomes will be published in the Scholar STEAM K12 Plus web site later, to share with K-12 STEM education professionals (teachers, administrators and curriculum developers).
Any question? Please email me: [email protected].
Edward Locke's SuniSea Studio
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