Leading the way to engineering
New program to provide intense teacher professional development in engineering
2:35 p.m., May 5, 2015--Bradley Cain was born with an inside track to engineering — both his father and grandfather had degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Delaware, and by the time the young tinkerer was 14, he had already taken a computer science course at UD.
Not all kids are so lucky. For most, engineering is a field that they don’t encounter in the classroom until they’re in college.
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Project Lead the Way (PLTW) is geared toward changing that, and the organization recently announced a partnership with the University of Delaware to launch an Engineering Career Pathway program at seven Delaware high schools beginning this fall. The program will eventually be brought into elementary and middle schools as well.
“Our affiliation with Project Lead the Way supports the vision of the College of Education and Human Development, which is to form key collaborations that will have a positive impact on education, locally and globally,” says Dean Lynn Okagaki.
“Through PLTW professional development programs, our education professionals will work alongside engineering faculty, providing K-12 teachers in the region with the tools to develop integrated STEM lessons that align with education standards.”
UD’s role will be to “teach the teachers” through a two-week summer institute on campus. Design and problem solving will be the overarching themes, and the teachers will have the opportunity to learn about engineering in the Design Studio in Spencer Laboratory.
“Project Lead the Way has an effective model used by schools nationwide,” says Amy Trauth-Nare, associate director of science education at UD’s Professional Development Center for Educators. “By partnering with PLTW, we’re ensuring that we have an effective curriculum and the potential to reach a large number of teachers and students in a sustainable way.”
Jenni Buckley, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, sees the program as a great way for kids to preview engineering.
“The program will give them a sense of what to expect from engineering at the college level, as well what it would look like to work as an engineer,” says Buckley, who is the PLTW state leader for Delaware. Trauth-Nare will serve as the affiliate director for PLTW at UD.
Trauth-Nare and Buckley recently worked together to develop unique curriculum kits called Orthopaedics in Action (OIA) that teach science, mathematics and engineering concepts through medical experiments.
Now, their new collaboration will help kids see the attractions of engineering long before they enter college.
Cain, who went on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from UD in 1995 and 1997, respectively, views engineering as a creative discipline.
“But it can be hard to see that when you’re a kid,” he says.
About the partnership
PLTW provides hands-on, project-based curricula and high-quality teacher professional development through a network of corporate and community partners. Students engaged in the PLTW curriculum develop the skills necessary to succeed in the global economy as recognized by colleges, universities, and numerous national organizations.
The Engineering Career Pathway program will initially be launched at Appoquinimink High School, Hodgson Vocational Technical High School, Middletown High School, Newark Charter High School, Polytech High School, Smyrna High School, and Sussex Academy for the Arts and Sciences High School. More than 140 students will enroll in engineering programs at these schools this fall.
PPG Industries Foundation has underwritten PLTW programs to be implemented in the schools in part by sponsoring teachers from across the state to attend the summer training institute at UD.
Article by Diane Kukich