Lydia Liu
Luisa Chiesa
“Authentic experiences” are core to many projects. The session shows ways authenticity is used in engineering/technology with examples from projects.
The ubiquitous use of the term “authenticity” makes it difficult to not only operationalize the term for the development of learning environments, but also for empirical research into the effectiveness or role of different dimensions and different constructs of context and authenticity. Research on STEM education and underrepresented minorities and women may serve as an example for the significance and impact of authentic learning experiences and the need for more reflection: Data show that STEM fields are not as attractive to underrepresented minorities and girls.
In an environment structured for productive thinking, educators from different content areas collaboratively begin to develop a set of recommendations or considerations for cross-content generative engineering lessons.
This session focuses on a particular role that engineering lessons and curricula can play, placing them as tools for engagement in and expansion of mathematics and science learning in which engineering is used primarily as a means to help promote learning in these content areas. This role may not be what all engineering education specialists strive for; many of us may well value engineering education for its own sake and its role supporting technological literacy.
(Open to all grantees)
This group discusses current research and practice in K-12 engineering education and issues related to content and delivery.
Blue Heron STEM Education provides an array of support for STEM projects, with special emphasis on K-8 curriculum and teacher professional development.
