Preparing For Emerging Technologies: A Grass Roots Approach To Enhancing K 12 Education
- Conference
- Location
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Chicago, Illinois
- Publication Date
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June 18, 2006
- Start Date
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June 18, 2006
- End Date
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June 21, 2006
- ISSN
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2153-5965
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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K-12 & Pre-College Engineering
- Page Count
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11
- Page Numbers
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11.1017.1 - 11.1017.11
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--1398
- Permanent URL
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https://strategy.asee.org/1398
- Download Count
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313
Paper Authors
Kenneth Hunter Tennessee Technological University
Kenneth Hunter is currently Associate Professor of Basic Engineering at Tennessee Technological University. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in mechanical engineering from Tennessee Technological University. He has over 30 years of engineering experience, including positions in academia, industry, the United States Army, a government laboratory, and his own consulting business. He is a licensed P.E. in the State of Tennessee.
Jessica Matson Tennessee Technological University
Jessica Matson is currently Professor and Chair of the Industrial and Systems Engineering Department at Tennessee Technological University. She received her B.S. from Mississippi State University and her M.S. and Ph.D. from Georgia Institute of Technology, all in industrial engineering. She has previously served on the faculty at Mississippi State University and the University of Alabama and is a licensed P.E. in the State of Mississippi.
Susan Elkins Tennessee Technological University
Susan Elkins is currently Dean of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies and Extended Education at Tennessee Technological University. She received her B.S. in elementary education and M.A. in education administration from Tennessee Technological University and her Ed.D. in educational leadership from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. Prior to her work in higher education, she spent 15 years as a middle school math teacher and high school career program administrator.
Abstract
NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract
Preparing for Emerging Technologies: A Grassroots Approach to Enhancing K-12 Education
Abstract
In the summer of 2004, Tennessee Tech University joined a partnership that included five, mostly rural, Tennessee county school systems to assist them with the development and implementation of a program called “Preparing for Emerging Technologies.” The primary objectives of the program were to:
• enhance the rigor and relevance of existing K-12 curricula by incorporating content from emerging fields of technology, including nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology, and others; • encourage students to pursue careers related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); and, • develop a better-prepared workforce in order to attract new industry and business to the partner counties.
The efforts of this group resulted in a series of three professional development workshops for teachers and two summer enrichment programs for high school students. The first workshop focused on the need for including the emerging technologies in the existing curricula, the second on providing teachers with the background information and materials needed to introduce the emerging technologies in their classrooms, and the third on providing teachers with the knowledge and materials needed to prepare specific lesson plans. A unique feature of these workshops was that teachers from all curricular areas were encouraged to participate, including English, history, and social studies. The summer enrichment programs were designed to provide high school students with exposure to the emerging technologies, encouragement toward STEM- related careers, and a college experience. More than thirty different organizations representing government, industry, and education contributed to the summer enrichment programs, providing tours, demonstrations, lectures, and hands-on activities in emerging technology research laboratories and industrial facilities located throughout the State of Tennessee. This paper presents program details, lessons learned during the first year, results of participant surveys, and plans for future programs.
Introduction
In the late summer of 2004, Tennessee Tech partnered with Columbia State Community College, Motlow State Community College, and school systems from Giles, Lawrence, Maury, Warren, and Williamson Counties to assist with the development and implementation of a program called “Preparing for Emerging Technologies.” The primary objectives of the program were to:
• enhance the rigor and relevance of existing K-12 curricula by incorporating content from emerging fields of technology, including nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology, and others;
Hunter, K., & Matson, J., & Elkins, S. (2006, June), Preparing For Emerging Technologies: A Grass Roots Approach To Enhancing K 12 Education Paper presented at 2006 Annual Conference & Exposition, Chicago, Illinois. 10.18260/1-2--1398
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