Thoughts from the Chair

March always seems to jump out at me as the month that I realize how fast the year is racing by! Our division is moving forward with getting strong conference sessions lined up for Salt Lake City, completion of the election process that will bring in new members to the executive committee, and working on determining how best to offer a PreK-12 teacher workshop day in 2019. Please read through the following announcements and opportunities. There are many great things happening, and one might just be the perfect fit for you.

2018 ASEE Annual Conference

Thank you to every one who submitted a draft paper. We extend a very warm thank you to all of the draft paper reviewers! And an extra special thank you is sent out to the reviewers who took on additional last minute reviews!

This is a gentle reminder that the upcoming due dates can be found in the Author’s Kit at https://www.asee.org/documents/conferences/annual/2018/2018-Authors-Kit.pdf

The next deadline on the horizon is the March 19th deadline for blind papers with applicable requested revisions.


Conference Workshop to consider attending:

U2109O·SUNDAY WORKSHOP: Teaching Math to Future Technology and Engineering Students
Sun. June 24, 2018 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Room 151 E, Convention Center – Salt Palace

The presenter, Andy Grossfield, is both an engineer and a mathematician with almost 50 years’ experience helping students learn mathematics and technical subjects. He believes that the way math is currently taught is turning too many students away from studying the math that they will need as engineers and citizens. He sees precalculus and calculus visually and can provide you with clear understandable visual interpretations of important mathematical concepts. He can provide you with alternative definitions and explanations for those times when students say they don’t understand. Just listening to the discussion will give you ideas concerning how you can best convey mathematical concepts and facts to your students.
You can continue using your current lesson plans and using your favorite problems but you will
have a different viewpoint and a different story.

PCEE Division Executive Committee Election Results

Here our PCEE Division election results! Thank you to all you ran for office, to those of you who will be coming aboard to shape this organization, and to all who voted!

Secretary – Treasurer: Manuel Figueroa

Program Chair Elect:  Andrea Burrows

K-12 Representative, PK-5:  Riley Meehan

K-12 Representative, 6-12:  Paula McElroy

K-12 Representative, Other:  Hope Parker

Member(s) at Large (2017-19):  Rebekah Hammack and Leon Grant

These folks will be joining the rest of the PCEE Division’s Executive Committee in the 2018-2019 year, starting right after the Salt Lake City Conference:

Division Chair: Martha Cyr

Chair Elect: Bradley Bowen

Immediate Past Chair: Pamela Lottero-Perdue

Program Chair: Jenny Keshwani

Immediate Past Program Chair: Deb Besser

Member(s) at Large (2016-18): Cheryl Carrico and Katrina Rothrock

 

Opportunities

Tell your stories of Diversity and Inclusion in Engineering – two grant opportunities

1) Student Essay & Video Contest

Students, tell us your story or share your perspective! – 1st Prize is $275

The ASEE Diversity Committee honors the heart of engineering education with a focus on diverse teams in engineering and engineering education, because teamwork is at the heart of engineering. Students from a broad range of backgrounds and among various grade levels (P12, undergraduate, and graduate) are invited to share their perspective on diversity in engineering teams by submitting an entry into the essay and/or video contests. Each entry should clearly answer the prompt provided below and follow all contest rules.Prompt – Teamwork is an essential component of engineering, and diversity impacts the process and products of engineering teams. When people work together across differences in personal backgrounds, cultures, engineering disciplines, race, gender, age, and other characteristics, we can face new challenges and achieve better outcomes. Describe a time in your life when you worked on a diverse team in the context of engineering or engineering education. Discuss what you learned personally from the experience, what your team accomplished, and how diversity impacted your team.

Submit by March 15th. More information can be found here.

2) PCEE Media Challenge is back!

The ASEE PCEE Division is excited to celebrate the efforts of those promoting inclusion and diversity in precollege engineering. We invite you to share with the world how you engage diverse students in inclusive engineering, and compete to win a $1000 travel award to the 2018 ASEE Annual Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Objective: Share your best practices and strategies that demonstrate inclusion, educational equity, and diversity in teaching precollege engineering.

Format: 2-3 minute video or podcast, essay, infographic, blog, photo essay, — basically any form of media that meets the objective.

Deadline for submissions is May 1st.
Find more information on the PCEE website.

Participation in Research Study about Involvement will benefit ASEE

Several faculty from University Lincoln Nebraska are conducting a research project, funded by the National Science Foundation, whose main purpose is to determine the extent to which professionals from across all engineering disciplines who are involved in Computer Science Education & Engineering Education, and ways in which they may be engaged, or not, in related professional development activities (DUE-1323633). We aim to recruit from a broad range of engineering disciplines whose members may be engaged in education across all ASEE Professional Interest Councils and every ASEE PIC division.

In recognition of your ASEE’s cooperation, we are offering an incentive to the organization.  Specifically, for each completed survey, we will donate a nominal amount ($1) to support students or other professionals in professional development activities in a manner decided by ASEE Division leadership.  We are asking survey participants to identify their PIC and their Division and we will provide you with this information so that you can allocate this fairly.

Here is the link to the survey http://go.unl.edu/CSE-survey

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is the purpose of this research project and who is funding this research?

We are conducting a research project, funded by the National Science Foundation, whose main purpose is to determine the extent to which professionals engaged in Computer Science and Engineering Education are engaged in professional development activities (DUE-1323633).  As part of this project our team is conducting a survey of computer science education and engineering educators.  Our team includes experts in in each of the substantive domains plus social science and survey methodology.

What is this study about?

This study aims to advance our scientific understanding of the factors that shape professional development trajectories, especially regarding ongoing efforts to broaden participation in ways that optimize the inclusion of previously underrepresented groups in the field of Computer Science Education & Engineering Education.  Findings from this study also may inform efforts by professional associations and employers dedicated to improving recruitment into and retention of experts in this field.

Who should participate and how is their information protected?

Participation by ASEE members will be completely voluntary and confidential (UNL IRB approved). Survey administration, coding and analyses will occur behind a firewall-protected server housed at UNL.  For questions about the dissemination process, please contact the Bureau of Sociological Research at bosr@unl.edu


The 2nd Advancing Excellence in P-12 Engineering Education Symposium

Please consider participating in the Advancing Excellence in P-12 Engineering Education (AEEE) project.

Equity Through Engineering Curriculum & Pedagogy: Baltimore, MD – May 29th – May 31st, 2018

  • Background
    • The Advancing Excellence in P-12 Engineering Education (AEEE) Project and the 2nd AEEE Symposium seek to provide two powerful benefits: first, promote collaboration to pursue a vision/direction for P-12 Engineering Education; and second, the development of a coherent content framework for scaffolding the teaching of engineering and design at the high school level. The 2nd AEEE Symposium will specifically focus on the theme of Equity Through Engineering Curriculum & Pedagogy and build upon the resulting work from the 1st symposium which included a defined Taxonometric Structure of Engineering Concepts and Progressions of Learning in Engineering (PLiE) for secondary school programs.
    • During the 2nd AEEE symposium, participants will hear from national leaders in engineering education, industry, and curriculum development to serve as provocateurs as they work in breakout groups to review and refine the PLiEs and recommend culturally-relevant engineering instructional vignettes and activities.
  • Register
    • By March 13th, please Register to Attend, if you believe you can participate. We anticipate a larger community this year, with a focus onPedagogy and Curriculum. The format will be similar to last year, with meals provided, and breakout sessions around specific topics. Additional information regarding the project, can be found at: https://www.iteea.org/Activities/2142/AEEE_P12.aspx .
    • Specifics, including an agenda, hotel information, and participants, will be shared in the coming month to all registered attendees.
  • Webinar – To discuss logistics and details.
    • Wednesday, March 14, 2018
    • 4:00 pm  |  Eastern Daylight Time (New York, GMT-04:00)  |  45 mins
    • Webinar Link

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to myself, or Dr. Greg Strimel (gstrimel@purdue.edu) or Dr. Tanner Huffman (huffmant@tcnj.edu).


Special Issue “Computer Science and Engineering Education for Pre-collegiate Students and Teachers”

There are widespread areas to explore in both engineering education and computer science education. While computer science has roots in mathematics and is often seen as a branch of engineering, based on Johri and Olds’ Cambridge Handbook of Engineering Education Research (2014) and Kadijevich, Angeli, and Schulte’s Improving Computer Science Education (2013), exploration of computer science and engineering education offers a rich field of study.

This Special Issue “Computer Science and Engineering Education for Pre-Collegiate Students and Teachers” is a mechanism to advance and capture the current conversation about computer science and engineering education in pre-collegiate schools—worldwide—by using current research studies in the area. Quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, and action research methodologies are welcome for this special issue. A clear problem and research questions, appropriate theoretical framework, literature review, methodology and methods, analysis, conclusions, and limitations are expected for all submitted articles.

More information can be found at http://www.mdpi.com/journal/education/special_issues/Computer_Science_and_Engineering_Education

The deadline for manuscript submissions is Nov. 5th, 2018.

 

Job Postings

Seeking Center Director – Harpeth Hall

Harpeth Hall seeks  a dynamic and proven leader to lead the Center for STEM Education for Girls. The Director will be highly organized and a strong communicator with proven experience in STEM fields, preferably in an underrepresented field (engineering, computer science, etc.) and preferably pre-college teaching expertise. The Director will have research expertise that fosters future success in leading Center-based research and will have a demonstrated interest in and understanding of the value of girls pursuing STEM and developing STEM pathways for girls. The Director will be a fearless networker and bring strong networks in related fields to the job. Lastly, the Director will be capable of “reimagining the box” and implementing a refreshed vision for the Center. Full job description available here.

Candidates should complete an online application including a letter of interest, curriculum vita, and references.

Get Involved!

We invite you to join us in our efforts to ensure that every child engages in high-quality pre-college engineering education facilitated by effective educators. http://precollege.asee.org/get-involved

Contribute to the Newsletter

This newsletter is for you! If you are interested in sharing brief items that would benefit our community, please let us know. http://precollege.asee.org/contact

Show off your PCEE Style

Order t-shirts, totes, mugs, thermoses, bags, buttons and more! Proceeds go to support scholarships to the annual conference. http://www.zazzle.com/asee_pcee?rf=238925686759147007

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