Hi, Team! I hope you all had a good start to the school year and a relaxing Labor Day weekend. In this message, please find information on:
- Call for Papers for ASEE 2012 Annual Conference
- K-12 and Precollege Division Call for Papers
- Opportunity to submit feedback on new science standards
- An article from Inside Higher Ed regarding a student and parent survey on STEM preparation (also in today’s First Bell)
Thanks for all you to advance K-12 Engineering Education and have a great week!
Liz
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2012 Abstract Submission Phase Now Open!
September 6, 2011
Dear ASEE Members,
We are eager to announce that the abstract submission for the 2012 Annual Conference and Exposition being held in San Antonio, Texas on June 10-13, 2012 is now open! You can now submit your abstract, but be sure to submit it no later than Friday, October 7th. The Call for Papers for the various divisions are now available on our website at http://www.asee.org/conferences-and-events/conferences/annual-conference/2012/program-schedule/call-for-papers.
Last year we launched Monolith (the paper management system) and the system has proven to be user friendly while providing a more efficient submission process. The system also maintains membership records and processes registration and proceedings fees.
The 2012 Annual Conference Author’s Kit has extremely important information regarding the submission process as well as all relevant deadline dates and is also available now on our website at http://www.asee.org/conferences-and-events/conferences/annual-conference/2012/program-schedule/call-for-papers. In order to ensure that all papers are processed in a timely manner, all authors are responsible for meeting all deadlines and requirements, so please be sure to read the Author’s Kit and refer to it whenever necessary.
Professional Interest Council Special Project Fund
Additionally, the Profession Interest Council (PIC’s) has a Special Project Fund available for all ASEE Divisions and Constituent Committees during the 2011-2012 ASEE Annual Conference year. For more information please visit http://www.asee.org/conferences-and-events/conferences/annual-conference/2012/program-schedule/ASEE_PIC_Special_Projects_RFP-Application_2011-2012.pdf.
If you have any questions regarding submitting your abstract submission, your Monolith account or the paper management process, please first view the Author’s Kit before contacting me (Wayne Davis, Program Manager) at (202)331-3530 or w.davis@asee.org for assistance.
We are looking forward to seeing you in San Antonio as well as your participation in another successful and informative conference!
Regards,
Wayne Davis
Program Manager
American Society for Engineering Education
1818 N Street, N.W., Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
202-331-3530 (direct)
Fax: (202) 265-8504
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2012 Annual Conference Call for Papers
The K-12 AND PRE-COLLEGE ENGINEERING DIVISION seeks papers for the 2012 ASEE Annual Conference, which will be held in San Antonio, TX June 10 – 13, 2012. This division provides a forum where the research, development, implementation and dissemination of K-12 e engineering and/or technology education initiatives, curriculum, instruction and ideas are shared and discussed. We invite papers related to all aspects of K-12 engineering and technology education efforts including: (a) studies of innovative curriculum, pedagogical methods, and teacher preparation and professional development; (b) appropriately assessed and/or evaluated, effective outreach and education efforts, particularly those efforts contributing to greater diversity and access to engineering and/or awareness among key stakeholders such as teachers, principals, guidance counselors, parents and policy-makers; and (c) models for establishing, maintaining, and measuring the impacts of partnerships between universities, primary and secondary schools, industry and/or informal educational settings. Special sessions for 2012 are not yet identified. Information will be sent out to the division membership when available. Others should monitor the K-12/Precollege Division website.
This year’s papers will include the possibility of two tracks. Either: papers will report the results of research or systematically collected outcomes assessment (i.e. data will be expected by reviewers) or papers can present “works in progress.” Submissions should indicate clearly in the abstract which of these two tracks are appropriate. Works in progress may have a higher likelihood of being assigned to a poster session and should have innovative aspects that have not been previously published by others. Papers authored collaboratively between engineering and technology education faculty, industry, outreach partners, and K-12 teachers are encouraged. Additional information about review criteria and the special sessions will be sent through the division member list-serve and will be posted along with answers to frequently asked questions on the K-12 division website (http://k12division.asee.org/). Updated information about submission processes and deadlines can be obtained at: http://www.asee.org/conferences/annual/2011/Call-for-Papers.cfm
For more information, please contact the Division’s Program Chair, Laura Bottomley, North Carolina State University, laurab@ncsu.edu.
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We need your expertise!
A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas was recently released on the National Academies Press website (read and/or download it at https://download.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13165). ASEE will be submitting feedback to the committee. A subset of our policy committee will coordinate our division’s response to ASEE HQ. Please send your comments and feedback to any of the following board members: Martha Cyr, Tamara Moore or Christine Schnittka.
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From today’s ASEE First Bell:
Why They Chose STEM
September 7, 2011
Most college students studying for degrees in science, technology, engineering or math make the decision to do so in high school or before — but only 20 percent say they feel that their education before college prepared them “extremely well” for those fields, according to a survey released today by Microsoft and polling company Harris Interactive.
The survey, which asked college students pursing STEM degrees and the parents of K-12 students about attitudes toward STEM education, also found that male and female students enter the fields for different reasons: females are more likely to want to make a difference, while males are more likely to say they’ve always enjoyed games, toys or clubs focused on the hard sciences.
The survey, of 500 undergraduate students at institutions across the country working toward STEM degrees, enters a crowded field of data on why students choose to pursue — or not to pursue — STEM subjects, which have been called the key to continued American economic success. Researchers have previously studied whether romance makes female students less likely to pursue STEM, the role of instructors’ race and gender in whether students continue with their degrees and the graduation rates for students in STEM fields, to name just a few topics.
The new study largely reinforces what was already known: that good teaching and preparation are key to attracting and keeping students’ interest, said Jane Broom, director of community affairs at Microsoft. “We as a country have to find the political will and make the hard decisions to actually implement what research is telling us,” she said.
Despite the emphasis in recent years on the nation’s need for more STEM graduates, only 25 percent of students said that was a reason they’re pursuing the field. Far more mentioned high salaries (68 percent, with this motivation particularly significant for pre-med and male students), the intellectual stimulation (68 percent, including many engineering, science and female students) and the potential for future jobs.
The study also found:
- Just over half (55 percent) of college students said they were “extremely” or “very” well-prepared for college, with female students more likely to say they were well-prepared than male students.
- The majority of students (57 percent) decided to study STEM subjects in high school, and students who felt they were “somewhat” or “not at all” prepared for college science courses were more likely to have decided in college to pursue a STEM degree.
- Sixty-six percent of students, and 76 percent of parents of K-12 students, agreed that the U.S. is doing “a poor job” of teaching STEM subjects compared to other countries.
- Despite the dissatisfaction with K-12 education, only 31 percent of college students said a good science education before college was “absolutely essential” or “extremely important” to college success. “Having a passion” and “studying hard” were the two factors most frequently cited as essential.
Those findings could help parents, schools and colleges tailor their appeals to students to pursue STEM degrees, Broom said. “The adults in the system and the parents in the system ought to push and make it clear for kids that these are great opportunities,” she said. “They’re great jobs, and there’s great earning potential in these jobs.”
© Copyright 2011 Inside Higher Ed
Thanks,
Liz
Liz Parry
North Carolina State University College of Engineering
Coordinator, K-16 STEM Partnership Development