Engineering

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Facilitator: Andrea Perry, Garrison Forest School Notes from January 31:

Be sure to visit the Engineering Links page for links to resources.

Agenda topics
- Integrating with the curriculum or standalone classes - What is "pre-engineering"? - Sequence to rollout - What are the stereotypes of "engineering" and are they keeping girls from taking that path? - Assessment methods (of class work) - Co curricular projects - Content/resources/who teaches and what are the hurdles

What is the ideal engineering classroom? Chris Lee and Licia Kovach described their current classrooms - what works, what doesn't work. Need a large, dedicated space with lots of storage (cubbies, shelves, cabinets) for works-in-progress. Tall science tables - students may stand or sit on tall stools Laptops - we discussed various CAD/robotics/bridge simulation software (go to Engineering Links) Smartboard, ELMO Students write in journals Would love to have: shop area with hand tools and machines for students to do more hands-on building of designs

Prerequisites to take engineering classes Laurel - Chemistry, Geometry. Seniors & juniors take the year long class (she teaches 2 sections of 15 & 18 students). Holton-Arms -- Alg II. Primarily seniors and juniors who take the course; sophomores who take it are doubling up on science that year. Analysis skills are important; 11th & 12th grade journaling skills are better. He teaches two sections of 9 & 13 students.

Consider alternating AP offerings; don't offer each, each year then can fit discreet engineering class into curriculum and class schedule

Their courses are project-based (case studies at Laurel - terminology shift).

How do you integrate "engineering" in lower grades (i.e.; not waiting for students to have math/science to "take" engineering)? 'Egg Drop' experiment Rube Goldberg machines Ethics debates in engineering Robotics - Botball competition Alternative energy sources Look at Engineering Links again for resources

Engineering classroom doubles as art studio -- NEED SOME HELP FILLING IN THIS TOPIC! Truly interdisplinary: looking at art through a science lense/looking science through art lense; study of architecture; should also include the social impact and social good of engineering on society Garrison Forest: idea of STEA(art)M rather than STEM: intersection of art and STEM disciplines; share physical space between art/engineering lab with power tools

In order for any STEM classroom to be effective, there needs to be teaching support - more than one teacher per classroom; STEM very hands-on, one-to-mentoring in class essential

Question was posed to Stacy Klein of Vanderbilt University Engineering School: What types of students are engineering schools looking for? Courses taken: - one year of Calculus; students may opt to take first year of Calculus again their first semester in college, but it is very important to have exposure to it beforehand Physics - VERY important! (algebra-based) Biology Chemistry Experience with some kind of programming language is not required, but certainly is a plus. The ability to think logically is critical. Students must also talk, write and speak well (i.e.; do well in English) Look at ASEE resources

Problem: Girls are accustomed to succeeding and are reluctant to take risks with the possibility of failure. How do we prepare them for college? Encourage them to think about resources that are available (TAs, profs, other students) Create a culture in which it is safe to take risks and make mistakes. Girls must learn that they will make mistakes. When they succeed at difficult tasks, confidence is built. It is okay not to know an answer; the problem solving PROCESS is important. Girls like project-based work and cooperative work

Expose them to other science programs (Talented Youth summer programs at Johns Hopkins, Duke, Vanderbilt, etc.) They are free to collaborate with others. Competitions are good also.

We touched on Assessments - Chris spoke about the importance of being extremely clear with the students about how they will be graded. Chris grade some project on an individual basis and others on a group basis. Other teachers maybe don't understand his method of grading since he doesn't give tests. Grades are too important ("APs ticket to admissions").

Standalone classes
· Holton Arms (Chris Lee) o Course started out of a grant received from EE Ford Foundation (to promote technology, engineering) in girls school with robotics lab and infusing technology into other courses. o Around the time the NCGS conference on Math and Science was held. Talked to U of Maryland folks to generate a list of topics to cover. Spent the summer looking at programs and textbooks. o Curriculum tries to cover the skill sets of engineers § problem solving § collaboration § journal writing § communication skills § history of engineering § fields of engineering § bridge construction § technical communication skills § research on bridge disasters § presentation skills § systems and optimization § robotics and computer programming § current news articles each week o Uses Engineering Your Future (glpbooks.com) for projects o Uses Problem Solving Strategies by Key Curriculum Press o Working to get students in summer internships with research opportunities in the area He has outside speakers come in; a female engineer who has an interesting career path and who relates well to students.

· Laurel School (Licia Kovach) o Developed pre-engineering course with help from Al Gomez, Madison HS in WI. Spent two days with her, talking about curriculum. He has a 4 yr program and at the end of 4 yrs, they build a high mileage vehicle. He discussed his curriculum as project based (case studies). Licia developed a one year course that was driven by student's work on case studies, for example, designing/ testing of bridges, robotic competitions and ethical debates (see Engineering links for her curriculum). o She has one engineering class (two sections), and is thinking of developing a 2nd year course to cover CAD (using SolidWorks software) and computer programming. Development of a second year of engineering course is in progress. o Textbook: __Strategies for Creative Problem Solving__ (recommended by ASEE) o Student journals: any time they begin a case study, students write ideas, data, lessons learned, etc. in the journal. o How did she find space in the curriculum? They alternate the years that AP science classes are offered. They offer AP Physics every year, but alternate AP Chem, AP Bio, and the AP Environmental class, allowing them to offer this Engineering class each year. o What about guidance counselors? Her experience has been that universities are glad to see students who are willing to push themselves and take such a class. Parents have reacted favorably to the course offering also. o Her students who go on to engineering in college have said that project work was very important. Also having a background in programming was found to be advantageous. o She was given grant money from Laurel School and the summer to create the course. This has been grass roots project. She has been teaching the course for 7 years. Every third week, she has outside speakers/professionals come in to talk to her students, help with projects, etc. Important for the girls to interact with women role models in Engineering. o Partnership with Case University and other professionals in the area § classes visit and interact with various departments at Case § Case offers Robotic competitions and workshops to all local area high school.

Are their courses personality-dependent? Question to ask nationally recognized K-12 engineering programs (per Stacy) – have they done any type of gender-based research to look at the efficacy of their curriculum?

Integrating into other classes
· There MUST be professional development for non-engineering teachers to understand how to and when to integrate engineering concepts into their course.

3rd session notes - Engineering Curriculum (continued)
Conversation about standalone classes vs integrating engineering concepts into the curriculum to lead up to a standalone class. No clear cut answer or solution to various issues raised.

Public schools in Maryland is receiving lots of money in areas of STEM; doing a MUCH better job than independent schools.


 * Mentor NEW teachers from their hiring date to incorporate STEM in their classrooms.***

What about resistance from other departments/colleagues about creation of a new “program” in the curriculum? Keep in mind Stacy’s data from the keynote speech about # of women in engineering and growth areas for future jobs.


 * //Think about engineering as a SKILL driven, instead of a CONTENT driven – meaning that it’s a way of problem-solving that could be taught in every subject. Kids would then see it in different contexts --- “engineering” a heart valve in biology; “engineering” a bridge in science; “engineering” a clay box in art; etc.//**

Girls prefer "safe" competition; i.e.; in which they will not be hurt if they fail.

4th session notes - Engineering Curriculum (continued)
Ways that people may have considered or tried to integrate something STEM related into the curriculum:

Roland Park, Ereni Malfa: 6-8 grade had an engineering challenge in which they competed against other schools in the area. Timing of competition now makes it impossible for them to compete with other schools. Lower school teachers now do an engineering type project to invent a simple machine; build a model; etc. Upper school is where the ball is dropped a bit. Science department is talking about how to bring engineering topics into their classroom - bottle rocket unit in physics (10th gr). 11th grade - biodiesel project in chemistry and determine who developed the best fuel. The girls research what will produce the best biodiesel and go out to obtain it, with cost constraints. Nothing yet in the biology curriculum and something to put in 2nd semester of physics.
 * Ereni - What are the topics your students take on in the challenge? I missed them.**

Chapin School, Sherm Taishoff - water project in which girls must take an amount of water outside on a sunny January day in NYC and see who can design something to heat the water up (solar collector); $10 budget for the project. Prize for the best design.

Laurel School - Physics classes participate in Science Olympiad with a variety of competitions including designing/testing a catapult launcher. School is also investigating using a case study format for teaching the more traditional science courses such as biology, chemistry and physics. No longer following chapters of a textbook; but teaching concepts as applicable to the specific case study of the moment. For example, in biology, an environmental case study of water contamination of local pond.

Holton-Arms -- 3-5 robotics; Middle School has no robotics going on right now; pick up again with Chris in Upper School

Schools with Interdisciplinary projects/programs? Co-curricular and curriculum can be personality driven...and then not succeed if personnel leave school. Scheduling - the 'fight for time' is a probem Competitions, contests take time to coordinate. Use 'real life examples' at your school: construction site, dining hall waste, business office. Use alums in STEM to come to campus to talk, work with students in classroom. College website: use univesities in your area! also good for speakers list. Harpeth Hall - Middle School has grade level teams that meet once every 7 day rotation to discuss curriculum and work on interdisciplinary projects. National Cathedral School - this is an "interdisciplinary year," an effort to look for commonality in topics across subjects to help de-stress the students this year; a chance to look at 'pure disciplines vs. integration.' Laurel School -- K through 12 in science: fixed meetings where all science teachers come together. They developed a Scope & Sequence for the science curriculum in a similar format. Content, skills, time spent on each topic.

Outside speakers: have it be a conversation with the girls; make sure you know exactly what topic they will cover; know the speaker well or at least know enough about them to predict whether or not they'll be able to speak on your students' level.

Is this interdisciplinary model viable? How can we create a structure in our school so that a STEM curriculum can be a thread throughout? The standalone course is probably easier to do than the interdisciplinary approach. There's a lot of "engineering" going on at schools; teachers don't realize they are including it, or are using a different language. If we could get faculty to talk about engineering as a SKILL and connecting that word to what they are doing in their classrooms, it may become more evident that there is STEM going on. And then it would become more evident where/how to beef up the skills. There is a MARKETING / LABELING problem here. Important to build a common vocabulary. It is probably in the best interest for the students to integrate engineering in an interdisciplinary manner. There is not TIME right now for teachers to meet to talk, plan, learn together. What about better K-10 interdisciplinary integration? You may have much more interest in standalone classes for 11-12 grades.

Ruth Miller of Roland Park brought up the Idea of 'position paper' by NCGS stating importance of STEM to girls' schools (STEM makes girls' schools distinctive); help to get STEM initiated if there is a top-down process of understanding and interest. Included in this conversation: entire curriculum revamping - teach regular subjects in a different way, add new topics to regular courses. Question asked by Ruth: Is STEM a different discipline strand? In any event, STEM strand/pillar needs to start in lower schools. Another question posed: Trying to make STEM too important? Push back from other department and disciplines

Perhaps apply a community-building model to STEM - to achieve buy in from many different types of faculty members. Eleni's example of the Back Woods on their campus (Roland Park). [|Charrette] method was used - no pressure; only folks who are interested participate; no threats; etc.

"Greening" of independent schools is a good way to bring engineering into the school's collective conscious and vocabulary. We can build vocabulary around certain topics/activities such as recycling, sustainability, efficient heating/cooling, conservation, etc.

How do you help students retain knowledge to go from one class to another = Repetition vs Building upon prior learning? The model should be spiral: knowledge expands then refines, goes from basic to refined, zeros in.

Co(Atlas) Curriculum Mapping can be very helpful to determine WHAT is being taught, reinforced, built upon. Difficulty is populating the curriculum map with accurate data.

How to get faculty and students excited about STEM
Model innovative teaching /content yourself and enthusiasm will likely be generated.

Notes from February 1: What’s the best curriculum map for STEM? Sequences, co-curricular “add-on” programs.

• Integrated science for the middle school – lends itself to do problem solving, engineering-like project based science. o Physical science, biological sciences – inquiry based teaching o SPIRAL! More challenging for the teacher, but rewarding to STEM

Best practices for teaching girls - Do like to participate in safe competition - Allow them to set up the answers to build confidence - Relate the helping aspect of women to engineering approaches

• Free standing projects (discrete projects, “Add-ons”) o Bridge building programs – to what level of teaching does one enter o Lego robotics: Holton, Harpeth-Hall, The Chapin School, Laurel School Engineering class o Solar cars: Laurel School Engineering class o Does NCGS have statistics on how many girls schools participate in these competitions? o Science Olympiad: Laurel School Physics class o “Math Counts” – contest for middle school kids • heads of schools are beginning to assign them as additions • adding math and science to mission statements of some schools

Lower school starts some of these add-on programs but when the students move on to the middle and upper schools other conflicts arise from sports and other commitments.

If it is a priority why not make it [add-on programs/contests] a standing part of the curriculum.

• Assessment within a pre-engineering course (Licia from Laurel School) o Case studies (rubric according to project requirements) 30% o Quizzes (30%) o HW/ Class Assignments (10%) o Journal – for each case study: schematics, brainstorming, lessons learned, observations, reflection of group work (20%) o Participation/Team Work (10%) o Midterm exam given- take home exam applying problem solving strategies learned in the first semester o Final exam given- Team needs to solve a particular problem and present their findings to the class via a power point presentation • Students take on the burden of learning by working together on these case studies • If you are considering the case study approach, Ethical debates would be a great project as a starting point.

Intro course is not just the hard math and science, the focus is problem solving; more freestanding, pulls from both departments and all disciplines. (Teachers really have the opportunity to work together for reinforcement). Projects that do require more advance math/science – depending upon the skill level of the class. If the course is too driven by the math and science then it may lose the engineering focus (experiencing key phases of engineering design and viewing it as an iterative process). “Heterogeneous skill level” works very well in this type of group work. Prereq for Laurel Engineering class– chemistry and geometry: this makes students at least juniors since students usually take chemistry in 10th grade at Laurel. More often than not student in the engineering course however are seniors due to high demand of the course/priority. Since the class is primarily seniors and almost all of these students have taken physics- students are well prepared in terms of the science/math background. Licia adds: "Assessing work in an Engineering course is very different than courses that traditionally depend on test/quizzes. Assessments must include a rubric for each particular case study so that the students are well aware in advance as to what they will be graded on. These types of assessments take a great deal more teacher time. One of the major purposes of these courses need to be attracting girls into STEM disciplines. We must also stress however, that Engineering at the college level is still taught with a “bootcamp mentality”-throw as much hard science and math at the students and hope they survive. Be realistic with the girls about the road ahead."

If doing younger grades (9/10) could it be geared to a P/F grading – semester elective? WISE program in some schools knock out the AP students that would definitely end up in an engineering program due to scheduling conflicts.

• 2nd Assessment (Chris from Holton-Arms) o Case Studies • Brainstorming each session (journal work) • Detailed work/description of each project • Design requirements – actual group work • Reflection o Problem solving sets (rubric) 10 pts per • Involve strategy session • Review, reflecting where their strengths/weaknesses lie. o Students develop how their should be graded • Outline the elements that they will have to do for the grade. • There are no tests – majority are seniors o Midterm project • Technical skills on writing • Possible robotics for final exam

Can offer students more information as to what is happening and why when they hear news, read in other subject area (i.e. vocab). Subsequent years of the same course gets easier to teach – flexibility for the teacher with getting the projects done. Is the stopping bar a teacher/personnel issue? Enlisting assistance from support staff available in your community.

Research opportunities for students either in the school year or summer

WISE program – Lisa & Andrea with Garrison-Forrest, joined with John Hopkins University to take the students. • Application process o What are your interests? Trying to match with available projects at the university. • Take 14 students (many as 9 as few as 4) • T,W,Th 1-4:30p – joined with a professor or grad student working in the lab leading up to some results. After a few weeks may be given a project on their own to work on. This can lead to a separate project o Required journal entries for assessment. o Interviews of their mentors o Power point final presentation for the project and results • Concurrent with Honors physics – which can be inhibitory to getting all the material done with the modified schedule. • Students are asked to board on campus. • Learning the lingo of an engineering discipline. Reporting a high level of comfort with relating to professors, getting oriented with a college atmosphere. “Stepping out of the comfort that an all-girls school provides them.” • Outreach is becoming a vital component of funding for many faculty and motivating mentors.

Cheryl Hansen at Holton-Arms • Works on placing girls at biotech industries. She interviews the girls and places them in fields with prior contacts. • Meets with them in the spring and they work in the Summer. • Girls have gotten published from their research. Required documenting and reporting back to the school.

Larry Goodman at Laurel School lgoodman@laurelschool.com • Protégé - Working to link interested girls into internships in many areas of study, research assistantships and mentorships (shadowing/ working with professionals for a shorter time commitment than internships). More than 20 students participated in 2006-2007.