Outreach to K–12 Teachers: Workshop in Instrumentation, Sensors, and Engineering
Publication: Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice
Volume 136, Issue 2
Abstract
During the summer of 2007, The Workshop in Instrumentation, Sensors, and Engineering (WISE) introduced 20 middle and high school teachers to hands-on engineering design in an intensive 2-week residential workshop at Polytechnic University. Teachers were introduced to sensors, instrumentation, and engineering in a planned and integrated learning environment. Guided training consisting of lectures, tutorials, structured engineering workshops, and discussions exposed the teachers to foundational elements of engineering through the use of sensors and computerized data acquisition, which were presented as vital tools to be used in engineering and science education and profession. By the end of the WISE project, participants completed 70 h of in-class professional development. In addition, learning continued into the evenings and weekend, as participants took part in activities that exposed them to contemporary engineering concerns and projects. These supplemental activities provided an additional 15 h of professional development. Exposure to a hands-on, technology-rich, multidisciplinary learning experience in the workshop has prepared the participating teachers to provide their students with enriched learning opportunities and stimulate them to seek higher achievement in science and mathematics. Participating teachers accorded the workshop an overall score of 8.8 (out of 10) in the project evaluation.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
WISE was funded by a NYS Education Department Engineers of the Future Program Grant No. UNSPECIFIEDC400687. The writers thank Richard Organisciak, superintendent of New Rochelle SD and Arnold Goldstein, assistant superintendent of Bellmore Merrick SD for their support. Most lab exercises were developed under NSF Grant No. NSFDGE-0337668: GK12 RAISE. The writers thank the following Polytechnic research assistants whose participation in WISE made it a success: Brandi Barra, Amir Bozerg-Haddad, Harish Chandra, Alp Gokce, Mahmoud Mahmoud, and Ilya Zarankin. The writers are also grateful to the following engineers for lecturing about current engineering concerns: Ray Sandiford, P.E., Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; Karen Armfield, P.E., DMJM Harris; Franc Roger, Blue Helios Inc.; Mike Wetherell, P.E., Urban Engineers; Lisa Barrett, R.A.; and Joel Voltera, P.E., Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers. Finally, the writers wish to thank the participating teachers for attending the WISE project and for so enthusiastically pursuing their studies.
References
American Electronics Association. (2005). “Losing the competitive advantage? The challenge for science and technology in the United States.” American Electronics Association, ⟨http://www.aeanet.org/publications/IDJJ_AeA_Competitiveness.asp⟩ (Jan. 15, 2010).
Council on Competitiveness. (2004). “Innovate America: Thriving in a world of challenge and change.” The National Innovation Initiative Final Rep., Council on Competitiveness.
Freund, J. (2006). “Technology student attitudes regarding privacy scenarios.” Computer, information and system sciences, and engineering, K. Elleithy et al., eds., Springer, New York, 419–426.
Friedman, T. (2005). The world is flat: A brief history of the twenty-first century, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York.
Hirsch, L., Carpinelli, J., Kimmel, H., Rockland, R., and Bloom, J. (2007). “The differential effects of female only vs co-ed enrichment programs on middle school students’ attitudes to science, mathematics and engineering.” Proc., ASEE Annual Conf., ASEE, Washington, D.C., Paper AC2007-392.
Iskander, M. (2007). “WISE2007 four biology labs video.” ⟨http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHuJhU5_Pl8⟩ (Jan. 15, 2010).
Iskander, M. (2009). “WISE2007 magnetic levitation video.” ⟨http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Swkr0bV5K_M⟩ (Jan. 15, 2010).
Jefferis, P., Stahll, B., and McRobb, S. (2006). “A framework for exploring the relationships among pedagogy, ethics, and technology.” Advances in computer, information, and system sciences, and engineering, K. Elleithy et al., eds., Springer, New York, 433–440.
Michelin, M. (2006). “Can a game put engineering students in an active learning mode? A first experiment in sustainable agriculture teaching.” Advances in computer, information and system sciences, and engineering, K Elleithy et al., eds., Springer, New York, 343–349.
NYC. (1999). “Performance standards: Science, Board of Education of the City of New York.”
NYS. (2007). “New York State learning standards.” New York State Academy for Teaching & Learning, ⟨http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/nysatl/standards.html⟩ (Jan. 15, 2010).
O’Neil, D. (2001). “Analysis of internet users’ level of online privacy concerns.” Soc. Sci. Comput. Rev., 19(1), 17–31.
Orsak, G., Munson, D. C., Weil, A., Conner, M., and Rummel, D. (2004). “High-tech engineering for high school: It’s time!” IEEE Signal Process. Mag., 21(1), 103–108.
Pathways to teaching careers: Recruiting, preparing, and retaining teachers for America’s schools. (1997). DeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund, New York.
Rodriguez, G., and Knuth, R. (2000). “Critical issue: Providing professional development for effective technology use.” North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, Oak Brook, Ill., ⟨http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te1000.htm⟩ (Jan. 15, 2010).
Schaaf, R., and Klosky, L. (2003). “Show me the money! Using physical models to excite student interest in mechanics.” Proc., ASEE Annual Conf., ASEE, Washington, D.C.
Sobhan, S., Yakubov, N., Kapila, V., Iskander, M., and Kriftcher, N. (2006). “Sensor based experiments in high school physics labs.” Computer, information, and system sciences, and engineering, K Elleithy et al., eds., Springer, New York, 441–448.
Sobhan, S., Yakubov, N., Kapila, V., Iskander, M., and Kriftcher, N. (2007). “Modern sensing and computerized data acquisition technology in high school physics labs.” Int. J. Eng. Educ., 23(5), 902–909.
Stein, B., Haynes, A., Redding, M., Ennis, T., and Cecil, M. (2007). “Assessing critical thinking in STEM and beyond.” Innovations in e-learning, instruction technology, assessment, and engineering education, Springer, New York, 79–82.
Victor, J., and Iskander, M. (2007). “Issues in the evaluation of a program to provide assistance to science teachers in inner-city secondary schools.” Innovations in e-learning, instruction technology, assessment, and engineering education, M. Iskander, ed., Springer, New York, 169–174.
Wallia, M., Yu, E., Iskander, M., Kapila, V., and Kriftcher, N. (2006). “The modern science lab, integrating technology is the answer.” Advances in computer, information and system sciences, and engineering, K Elleithy, et al., eds., Springer, New York, 358–363.
Yu, E., Iskander, M., Kapila, V., and Kriftcher, N. (2007). “Promoting engineering careers by using modern sensors in high school science labs.” Innovations in e-learning, instruction technology, assessment, and engineering education, M. Iskander, ed., Springer, New York, 229–235.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice
Volume 136 • Issue 2 • April 2010
Pages: 102 - 111
Copyright
© 2010 ASCE.
History
Received: Feb 19, 2009
Accepted: Sep 25, 2009
Published online: Oct 12, 2009
Published in print: Apr 2010
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.