FEBRUARY 2001

Featured Editorial:
Engineers in Middle School?   Absolutely, If We're Going to Boost Technical Literacy!

by Hardy J. Pottinger

A number of both private and government sources estimate that as many as half of all jobs in this country will require significant information technology (IT) skills within the next five years. The U.S. Department of Commerce coined the term "digital divide" to describe the growing separation between the digital "haves" and "have nots." IEEE-USA believes that improvements in precollege math, science and technology education are essential for a technically literate workforce, and that involving engineers in the educational process is necessary to bring about those improvements.

We need to think outside the box though. As engineers, we often focus on math and science subjects when we talking about precollege education. Bit material we sometimes dismiss as "fluff" can be just as important. For example, creativity and critical thinking skills developed in fine arts courses, economic and ethical issues encountered in social studies, and interpersonal and group problem-solving skills developed in communication courses are at least as important in engineering disciplines as, say, integral calculus. To be more specific, my own state of Missouri publishes a framework for curriculum development through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (http://www.dese.state.mo.us).

The framework is divided into several categories, including math, science, communications and other subjects. Each category identifies what students should be able to know and do in that area upon completion of each grade level. In the communication arts category, for example, students are expected to master how to gather, analyze and apply information and ideas, communicate effectively beyond the classroom; recognize and solve problems; make decisions; and act as responsible members of society. Unless I am badly mistaken, those sound right in line with the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology’s standards for engineering schools.

So maybe our engineering problem-solving skills can help Johnny read and give Sally a hand with her physics homework. However, there is a caveat. Title I of the Federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) requires that for the purposes of school accountability, states administer annual assessments to students in at least reading/language arts and math and in three grade spans (between grades 3 and 5, 6 and 9, and 10 and 12). Title I also requires that state assessments be aligned to state content and performance standards and that the assessment systems use multiple measures that assess higher-order thinking skills and understanding. State boards of education take this requirement seriously, since noncompliance can have a significant effect on their federal funding. As a result, any volunteer effort by our engineering community that doesn’t correlate well with a school district’s final assessment plan is likely to be viewed dimly.

So, you ask, how can I help? Opportunity abounds for getting involved in precollege education. For starters, check with your section’s Precollege Education Committee (PEC) contact. A contacts list is available at http://ewh.ieee.org/cmte/pcollege/roster2000.html. If your section isn’t listed, contact your section chair. Next, check out the volunteer tips in the resource center at http://www.ewh.ieee.org/cmte/pcollege/. There is a wealth of information in the activities section of PEC’s homepage. Be sure to visit the the Educational Activity Board (EAB) webpage (http://www.ieee.org/organizations/eab/precollege/) as well. Their Pre-college Engineers Training (PET) is loaded with useful tips on working with schools.

Too busy and can’t spend a lot of time in the classroom? Check out the International Telementoring Center (http://www.telementor.org/). This activity, started by Hewlett-Packard in 1995, facilitates electronic interaction between engineers and students.

Reader Poll:
Should engineers be involved in precollege education?

The need for all citizens to achieve some level of technological literacy is clearly important. Teachers are the main point of contact with students in the classroom but have different levels of technical awareness. Engineers, who use technology every day, can provide a unique resource to the education community. What do you think?

Do you believe engineers should be involved in precollege education? If so, how and at what level? If not, why not? Is your section involved in precollege education? What are some novel ways that engineers in your area are working to improve our schools? Let us know by emailing us at todaysengineer@ieee.org.

Hardy Pottinger is the Precollege Education Committee Editor for the IEEE-USA Member Activities Council. He can be reached at hjp@ece.umr.edu.