Thoughts from the Chair
Dear PCEE Division Members. It goes without saying that these are unusual times. However, it has provided some new and unique opportunities for various division members to explore some creative ways to keep our community engaged. This newsletter contains a lot of very important, particularity in regards to PCEE events at the ASEE Annual Conference. Be aware some information for the conference is still to be determined and will be shared as we receive it. Please read and let me know if you have any updates or questions.
Bradley Bowen, PCEE Division Chair (bowenb@vt.edu)
ASEE Annual Conference – At Home with Engineering Education, June 22-26, 2020
This year the ASEE Annual Conference is virtual. While I will miss the face-to-face interaction with you, this has presented several opportunities that we may not normally be able to provide. Please see below for special opportunities for P-12 teachers and also our PCEE Division schedule highlights.
Special Opportunities for P-12 Teachers (PCEE Members – Please share with your P-12 colleagues, even those that are not ASEE members)
P-12 Teacher Benefits for Registering for the ASEE Annual Conference
Teachers, without travel costs this year, registering the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference is an amazing opportunity to participate in a high-quality professional development where you will learn best practices for integrating engineering and STEM in your P-12 classroom. The Pre-College Engineering Education division of the ASEE is a passionate community of educators that wants you to be aware of trends and resources in engineering and STEM education. The first 35 teachers, who are not ASEE members, that register and pay to participate in this year’s “At Home with Engineering Education” virtual ASEE Conference will have their ASEE membership fee and division dues covered for this year (a $57 value). Optional graduate credit ($150 for 3 credits) is available for those who register and participate.
Important dates:
June 22-26 – At Home with Engineering Education Conference
May 28 – Registration deadline to qualify for teacher ASEE membership fee and division dues
June 20 – Registration deadline for the At Home with Engineering Education Conference
Benefits of ASEE membership:
- Access to valuable resources and best practices that can be used to enhance instructional methods
- Professional connection to other teachers (both university and K-12) that are teaching engineering across the country
- Expand your professional focus from local and state level to the national level involvement in STEM education.
Click here for conference information and to register. Teacher registration rate is $175. Questions? Contact Martha Cyr (martha.cyr@gmail.com).
Implement Engineering! Teacher Grants
The PCEE Division is thrilled to continue our grant program for P12 teachers who seek support for the implementation of an engineering project in their classroom. The awarded funds will support the purchase of classroom materials and/or teacher professional learning expenses. There are two possible grant amounts, depending on project type:
Single: For a project that will impact a single teacher and her/his classroom(s). Amount $500.
Team: For a project that will impact two or more teachers and their classrooms. Teachers must be
within the same school. Amount $800.
Timeline:
§ Applications are due by July 1, 2020
§ Awardees will be notified by August 14, 2020
§ Projects must be implemented in the 2020-2021 academic year
Full details about the required application materials, the link for submission, the review process, and the evidence of project work required for the grant is available at https://bit.ly/2Lc7o9A
ASEE Annual Conference PCEE Division Schedule
In additional to all the wonderful Technical Sessions, please see below for some special PCEE Division Events.
Division Business Meeting – Tuesday, June 23, 3:30-4:30 pm
The PCEE Division Business meeting with be on Tuesday, June 23, from 3:30-4:30. ASEE plans on providing call information for division members to be able to participate in the meeting that are not actually registered for the conference. Stay tuned for more information, this will be a great way to connect even if you don’t register for the conference.
Aerospace Panel – Wednesday, June 24, 1:00-1:30 pm
Two of our PCEE Division members, Vemitra White and Paula McElroy, will be part of a special panel on how aerospace activities are being incorporated into P-12 classrooms. Please make plans to listen to this special opportunity for our division.
Computing Panel – Increasing Participation of Women and Underrepresented Minorities, Thursday, June 25, 1:00-1:30 pm
In a cosponsored panel with the Women in Engineering Division, Minorities in Engineering Division, and Pre-College Engineering Education Division, panelists will address questions about goals, costs and benefits, building partnerships, lessons learned, and the impact on their careers from participating in computing-related programs. Participants will come away with ideas for programs that may be effective in their regions. They will also receive pointers on building the necessary partnerships.
PCEE/MIND/WIED Division Mixer – Thursday, June 25, 7:00 pm – FREE TICKET!
Join the Pre-College Engineering Education Division, Minorities in Engineering Division, and Women in Engineering Division for our annual social mixer.
Pre-College Engineering Education Division Poster Session II – Friday, June 26, 1:00-1:30 pm
Join us for the PCEE Division’s poster session.
PCEE Executive Officer Election Results
Thank you to all the candidates who were willing to submit their names for the slate of positions that will take effect for the 2020-2021 year that begins at the end of ASEE’s annual conference in June. I’m excited to share the names of who will be filling these roles!
Program Chair Elect: Manuel Figuroa
Secretary/Treasurer: Rebekah Hammack
P12 Representative, P-5: Tracy Babcock
P12 Representative, 6-12: Paula McElroy
P12 Representative, Other: Matthew Traum
(2) Members at Large: Leon Grant & Vemitra White
Daily Engineering Challenges for P12 Instructors and Parents
ASEE has established a Facebook page to provide daily engineering challenges for P12 instructors and parents to use at home. Please go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/687366151802693/ to join and see all the awesome design challenges. If you have a challenge you would like to post on the page, please email Stacy Klein-Gardner at stacy.klein-gardner@vanderbilt.edu
Other Announcements
Participate in a research study exploring science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) identity development during K12 STEM outreach and education programs.
We are seeking participants that currently coordinate such programs through a college or university. If you are interested in participating in the research, please take a short online survey. The survey should take about 5-minutes to complete. To take the survey, please follow this link: https://cuboulder.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_erPH1Hn0bgRE0gR
Based on the survey responses, we will select program coordinators to invite to participate in two elements of this research study: (1) an interview, and (2) contacting university students who participated in your program between 2018 and 2020 on behalf of the research team. If you have any questions, please contact PI Sabina Schill at sabina.schill@colorado.edu.
Call for Papers: A Special Issue on “Asset-Based Pre-College Engineering Education to Promote Equity’’
The Journal of Pre-college Engineering Education Research (J-PEER) invites original manuscript submissions that investigate the design, learning and social processes, and outcomes of asset-based engineering education. Studies should focus on pre-college engineering education, but may be quantitative or qualitative, observational or interventionist. https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1264&context=jpeer
Extended Abstracts: Structured 500-word abstracts will be accepted on a rolling basis through May 30, 2020. Abstracts should include the following sections: Purpose, Background/ Framework, Methods, Findings, and Conclusions. Guest Editors: Lee Martin and Kristen Wendell. Authors are encouraged to reach out to guest editors with questions about fit and send abstracts directly to the guest editors at leemartin@ucdavis.edu or kristen.wendell@tufts.edu.
Upcoming NSF program due dates
Inclusion Across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (NSF INCLUDES) Planning Grants 19-600; July 13, 2020 deadline
Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) 20-525; July 27, 2020 deadline
Innovative Technology Experiences for Students & Teachers (ITEST) NSF 19-583 ; August 14, 2020 deadline
E4USA Project
The course, Engineering For Us All (E4USA), empowers, engages, and excites students to use what they know and find what they are passionate about to take control and boldly influence the world. Empowerment is built through an awareness of engineering in everyday life, the diversity of engineers, and by interrogating and emphasizing how engineering is embedded in society. Read more about it on this project summary document. For more information contact e4usa@umd.edu. More information is also available at https://e4usa.umd.edu/.
Advancing Excellence in P-12 Engineering Education (AE3) Research Collaborative Partners with the American Society for Engineering Education to Establish a Defined and Cohesive Educational Sequence for P-12 Engineering
The Advancing Excellence in P-12 Engineering Education (AE3) research collaborative (www.p12engineering.org) announces a partnership with the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) to establish a defined and cohesive educational sequence to serve as the foundation for P-12 Engineering Standards. National educational content standards in science and technology have included engineering practices and content as way to facilitate design-based, engineering learning experiences in the classroom. Previous standards, however, may provide a too narrow of a view to adequately describe authentic engineering, specifically with concern to engineering content and competencies beyond design. Please read more on the AE3 blog page at https://www.p12engineering.org/post/framework-first-let-s-talk-engineering-standards