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06.09

Engineering the K-12 Curriculum for Technological Innovation

By Ioannis N. Miaoulis, Ph.D.

The Challenge

With an economy in crisis and a work force at risk, educating the nation's future engineers and scientists and advancing technological literacy are more important than ever. We need a strong engineering work force to remain competitive. To maintain our country’s vitality and security, we must expand students’ understanding of technology and engineering and widen the pipeline to careers in these fields so that a diverse array of talented students can pursue them.

The goal of the Museum of Science, Boston is to introduce engineering and technology to schools and at least one science center or informal education organization in every state by 2015. Achieving this goal will help transform how children and adults understand technology and engineering, while inspiring young women and men to pursue careers in engineering and technology.

The key to educating students to thrive in this competitive global economy is introducing them to the engineering design skills and concepts that will engage them in applying their math and science knowledge to solve real problems. This is the way to harness the creativity of young minds. This is also the process that fuels innovation of new technologies.

Lately, K-12 math and science education has received a lot of attention, while K-12 technology and engineering education has been largely overlooked. The problem is that the school science curricula still focus more on the natural, not the human-made — or technological — world, and have taught little to no engineering. The beauty of engineering is that it is the connector that uses science and math to create the technological innovations that facilitate daily experience. Nineteenth century society was largely agrarian. No phones, automobiles or computers. Obviously, our world has changed, but most curricula have not, leaving a huge gap in students’ learning. While most people spend 95 percent of their time interacting with technologies of the human-made world, few know these products are made through engineering. We need to add technology and engineering as standard subjects in U.S. public schools.

There are many reasons to introduce engineering in K-12 schools:

• First, engineering is rich in hands-on experiences. Children are born engineers, fascinated with building and taking things apart to see how they work. Describing these activities as engineering can help them develop positive associations with the field.

• Second, engineering brings math and science to life, demonstrating that they are relevant and motivating students to pursue them. Engineering pulls together many other disciplines, engaging children of differing abilities in problem-based learning, where teamwork is important.

• Third, to create a technologically literate work force, we need to foster engineering as a career choice. Relevance is particularly significant for girls and other underrepresented groups. Offering engineering early in schools makes it accessible to many more children who could enroll in necessary math and science courses.

• The fourth and most important reason to start engineering early is that technological literacy is basic literacy for the 21st century. We live in a technological world. We need to understand how human-made things like shoes and bicycles are created and how they work.

A Solution

Understanding the importance of technological literacy and the need for trained engineers, the Museum of Science launched the National Center for Technological Literacy® (NCTL®) in 2004 to enhance knowledge of engineering and technology for people of all ages and to inspire the next generation of engineers and scientists. The NCTL is working to integrate engineering as a new discipline in schools, developing standards-based K-12 curricular reform, and creating technology exhibits and programs. Recognizing that a 21st century curriculum must include the human-made world, the NCTL strives to introduce engineering in elementary school and continue it through high school, college and beyond. The NCTL is helping states modify their educational standards and assessments to include engineering, developing standards- and research- based K-12 engineering curricula, and offering educators support and professional development.

In part because of the NCTL’s advocacy: 1) the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Science Framework for 2009 will be the first national test to include questions on technological design alongside those on scientific inquiry; 2) the National Governors Association STEM agenda calls for the adoption of technology and engineering standards and assessments; 3) the America COMPETES Act creates opportunities for technology teachers and engineering instruction at several federal agencies (not yet funded); and 4) the Higher Education Act expands the definition of “technological literacy” to include the engineering design process.

Call for Action

If we are truly concerned about innovation and global competition, it is time for a major investment in technological literacy. Engineering education must move into the formal classroom so that all students learn the engineering design process and have the opportunity to explore careers in technology and engineering.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s desire to use part of the “Race to the Top” funds to promote world-class standards offers a unique opportunity to further this goal. Specifically, a portion of the Race to the Top funds should be set aside to support a multi-state consortium to develop common standards and aligned assessments for science, technology and engineering, and to support related teacher professional development activities.

In 2001, Massachusetts was the first state in the nation to develop a K-12 curriculum framework and assessments for technology/engineering. More than 30 states now address technology/engineering through science and/or technology education standards. This “Race to the Top” effort can build on current and new state initiatives to include technology and engineering in state standards and assessments and serve as a model or resource for other states to adopt, if they desire.

By developing common standards and assessments via a broad, multi-state consortium, the “Race to the Top” funds will help states unable to implement these initiatives because of a lack of resources to do so and improve teaching and learning in STEM fields. Part of the "Race to the Top" funds should be used to aid these critical state initiatives.

Join us. Visit www.nctl.org.

Ioannis Miaoulis is president and director of the Museum of Science, Boston and former dean of Tufts University's engineering school. This article has been excerpted in part from a White Paper submitted by Dr. Miaoulis, who served as a panelist at the 18-19 August 2008 National Science and Technology Summit at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee. The Office of Science and Technology Policy convened the summit, called for by the 2007 America COMPETES Act, on behalf of the President. The summit final report has been delivered to Congress.

Comments on this article may be submitted to todaysengineer@ieee.org.