News Bytes: The Latest in K–12 Engineering Education
–Bleak Outlook for K–12 Education Programs in Administration’s FY2006 Budget Request
–NACME 2004 Annual Report Now Available
–Visit ASEE’s Engineeringk12 Center Exhibit at T3™ and NSTA Dallas

Factoids
–Interesting Facts and Statistics for You to Use in the Classroom

Outreach Up Close
–Engineers Week’s Million Girl March
–Detroit’s Finest Display at Science and Engineering Fair

Feature
–Tech–Savvy Teachers Bridge Classrooms to the 21st Century

Amazing Engineering
–Transparent Concrete

Links
–Get a Career Check Up with the Ed Doctor:
www.engineeringk12.org/students
–So You Want To Be an Engineer? Finding the Right School:
www.engineeringk12.org/findingtherightschool

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BLEAK OUTLOOK FOR K–12 EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN ADMINISTRATION’S FY2006 BUDGET REQUEST

National Science Foundation (NSF) K–12 math and science education programs, along with many education programs at the U.S. Department of Education, did not fare well in the Bush Administration’s FY2006 budget request released earlier this month.

Under the President’s budget, only $120 million will be restricted to competitive grants administered by the Department of Education for Secondary Education Mathematics Initiatives. Additionally, the $1.3 billion in funding now going exclusively to career and technical education, such as the Perkins Program, will be eliminated and shifted over to pay for the President’s new $1.5 billion High School Initiative.

The NSF Education and Human Resources (EHR) Budget also saw drastic decreases in the new budget proposal, sustaining a 12.4% reduction overall. The NSF Math and Science Partnerships are cut nearly 25% to $60 million, and the Elementary, Secondary and Informal Education (ESIE) budget is reduced by more than 22%.

For the total federal budget, the Bush Administration proposed saving up to $20 billion by ceasing 150 government programs, 48 of which come from the Department of Education. These programs account for $4.3 billion of those savings.

The President's Fiscal Year 2006 Education Budget can be viewed at www.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget06.

NACME 2004 ANNUAL REPORT NOW AVAILABLE

The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME) released its 2004 Annual Report last month. Download the report to learn more about the organization’s progress through the last 30 years as well as for fiscal year 2004.

View the document at www.nacme.org/04.

VISIT ASEE’S ENGINEERINGK12 CENTER EXHIBIT AT T³™ AND NSTA DALLAS

Come visit the ASEE EngineeringK12 Center exhibit booth at the annual Teachers Teaching with Technology™ International Conference, March 18–20, at the Grand Hyatt Washington Center in Washington, D.C., and at the National Science Teachers Association National Convention, March 31–April 3, at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas, TX.

Drop by Booth #202 at the T³™ Conference, and Booth #1317 at the NSTA Convention, to learn more about how the EngineeringK12 Center can help you bring engineering and technology into the K–12 classroom.

To learn more about the T³™ International Conference visit http://education.ti.com. You can learn more about the NSTA National Convention at www.nsta.org.

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The need for improving K–12 engineering and engineering technology education:

Another reason to get kids interested in engineering at the K–12 level: new college grads with engineering degrees have the most promising job outlook after college. In a report released by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), electrical engineering and mechanical engineering, along with accounting, business administration, economics/finance, and computer science topped the list of majors employers plan to hire at a bachelor’s degree level.

To learn more, visit www.naceweb.org.

Fun facts for the classroom:

Did you know that there are up to 1,000 engineers employed by Walt Disney Company?

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ENGINEERS WEEK’S MILLION GIRL MARCH

February 24, 2005, marks the fifth annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, scheduled as the centerpiece of Engineers Week’s annual outreach to encourage underrepresented groups to consider a career in engineering. Each year, tens of thousands of women engineers (along with men) gather for “Girl Day,” and this year, their goal is to reach one million girls that day and throughout the year with hands–on mentoring activities.

Engineers Week was founded in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers. The weeklong effort is dedicated to raising awareness of positive contributions made by engineers to the quality of life. Engineers Week promotes recognition among students, teachers, and parents of the critical importance of technical education and literacy, and motivates students to pursue engineering careers.

This year’s Engineers Week campaign is led by BP p.l.c. and ASME International (The American Society of Mechanical Engineers). For more information on Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, visit www.eweek.org/site/News/Eweek/2005_nationalpledgeroster.shtml.

DETROIT’S FINEST DISPLAY AT SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FAIR

The 48th Annual Science and Engineering Fair of Metro Detroit will gather the top science students from public and private schools around Detroit at the Cobo Conference and Exhibitor Center from March 8 to 12, 2005. The showcase will feature these students’ best science and engineering projects, many of which will go on to state and international science fairs.

A panel of science and engineering leaders will judge the fair, including over 100 from Ford Motor Company. The top prize winners will get an all–expense–paid trip to the International Science Fair in Pheonix, Arizona.

The Science and Engineering Fair of Metro Detroit, a non–profit organization dedicated to promoting science and engineering among students in 7th through 12th grades, is the largest one of its kind in the country. To learn more, visit www.sefmd.org.

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TECH–SAVVY TEACHERS BRIDGE CLASSROOMS TO THE 21ST CENTURY

As the information era continues to race full–speed ahead, many K–12 schools are finding it difficult to keep up with fast–changing technologies. A recent U.S. Department of Education report concludes that on the whole, America’s schools aren’t doing enough with technology in their classrooms. The large gap between the technology available out in the real–world and what’s provided in schools can lead to students being ill–prepared for facing a tech–intensive world during and after college.

But for many students, the dilemma extends further. In a digital generation brought up on MP3’s and instant messaging, dealing with the latest gadgets is the norm. Sitting in a technologically–deficient classroom everyday can lead to disengagement and inattentiveness. Integrating technology fully into K–12 curricula is not only a way to keep students engaged, it’s also a way to help students better understand the harder concepts present in math and science.

Despite what the Department of Ed report states, there are tech–savvy teachers out there trying to bridge the gap between today’s cutting–edge services and more traditional methods of instruction. A new type of physics software, for example, allows students to experiment virtually with things they cannot in real life. The use of computers also highlights details within their experiments they might otherwise miss in just a laboratory setting. Some math teachers are also letting their students play math–related games on small, hand–held gadgets.

One new technology is quickly becoming the latest craze in K–12 classrooms. The SMART Board, an interactive digital whiteboard developed by Canadian company SMART Technologies Inc., is the tech–savvy teacher’s answer to the boring overhead projector and the messy chalkboard. This device acts like a digital dry–erase board, with the ability to write on the screen with either a digital pen, or just a finger. The SMART Board can project text, data, images, video, and sound from a computer, and allows teachers and students to write and edit notes using the board’s software.

According to Market Data Retrieval’s “Technology in Education 2004” report, interactive whiteboards such as these are currently in 28 percent of all K–12 public schools in the U.S., with their popularity steadily growing. The reason? Not only is the new technology extremely cool and efficient, teachers can see that it engages students with vastly different kinds of abilities and learning styles—something that becomes increasingly important in the face of tougher academic standards and higher expectations for students of all abilities.

Most schools are finding the money to purchase the interactive whiteboards through grants such as those available through the SMARTer Kids Foundation. From those educators who are already using the devices, there is a collection of ideas and activities on how to use the whiteboards available on the web at http://edcompass.smarttech.com.

To learn more about interactive whiteboards, including those offered by SMART Technologies Inc., visit the links below:

SMART Technologies Inc.: www.smarttech.com
Numonics Corporation: www.numonics.com
eBeam Interactive: www.e–beam.com

For information about the SMARTer Kids Foundation, go to www.smarterkids.org. If you’d like to see the many ways educators are using interactive whiteboards, visit http://edcompass.smarttech.com.

To read the U.S. Department of Education’s report on technology in education, visit www.nationaledtechplan.org

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TRANSLUCENT CONCRETE

Concrete has never been the most attractive of building materials. It is dull, gray, and often gives a room a harsh and impenetrable quality. Concrete doesn’t usually lighten up a room. Unless it’s made by Hungarian architect Aron Losonczi.

By combining concrete with optical fiber, Losonczi has created concrete that transmits light. The result? A concrete wall that is translucent.

The new material, named LitraCon, allegedly retains the strength of regular concrete, but because of the embedded array of glass fibers, can display a view from the outdoors in the form of silhouettes.

The concrete works by containing thousands of optical glass fibers that form a matrix between the two main surfaces of every block. According to Losonczi, this special effect will create the impression that the thickness and weight of a concrete wall will disappear, giving concrete buildings a light and airy feel.

His new company, also called LitraCon, hopes to commercialize the concept of translucent concrete and start manufacturing and selling pre–fabricated blocks. The end result will be a material that significantly expands the possibilities for architectural and engineering design.

You can read more about Aron Losonczi and translucent concrete at http://optics.org/articles/news/10/3/10/1.

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GET A CAREER CHECK UP WITH THE ED DOCTOR:
www.engineeringk12.org/students

Curious about what your career and learning style is? Get your personalized Career Map from Ed Doctor, a mapping tool developed by Texas Tech University. You can find Ed Doctor at ASEE’s EngineeringK12 Center website at www.engineeringk12.org/students.

SO YOU WANT TO BE AN ENGINEER? FINDING THE RIGHT SCHOOL: www.engineeringk12.org/findingtherightschool

So, your soon–to–be high school graduates are thinking about studying engineering in college, eh? How do they know which schools to apply to? More importantly, what do you tell them when they come to you for advice? Finding and affording the right engineering school takes a lot of work. Visit the Students section at the EngineeringK12 Center website to learn more about choosing an engineering school, getting in to it, and then paying for it at www.engineeringk12.org/findingtherightschool.

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Citizen Scientist Science Writing Competition

Citizen Science, the science and technology program of SustainUS, is pleased to announce the first–ever CITIZEN SCIENTIST science writing competition for young people (ages 13–26) in the United States. The best scientific papers written for a general audience on any topic relating to the economic, social, or environmental dimensions of sustainable development will be published in the Citizen Science online journal. Authors will receive a free magazine subscription and have an exclusive opportunity to present their respective ideas at the United Nations. Competition details are available at the following link: www.sustainus.org/mambo.

For more information about SustainUS, visit www.sustainus.org

CAPCO Science Class Challenge

Participate in the CAPCO Science Class Challenge and win $500 to $5,000 for your school. For grades 4–9, the competition is meant to encourage students and teachers to learn about the Earth's protective upper ozone layer, CFCs, and the environment by using provided activities or their own creative methods.

The contest is open to teachers with classes in grades 4–9. Teachers must be employed by a public or private school. Deadline: May 13, 2005

For more information visit: www.nocfcs.org.

Materials Camp 2005

Do you know the perfect candidate for the ASM Materials Education Foundation Materials Camp? This weeklong summer program utilizing hands–on learning principles of applied math, physics and chemistry, actively engages students in learning more about applied science. If you know any bright high school students who will be entering junior or senior year next fall, and have strong math and science aptitude, then this is the camp for them!
Learn more at www.asminternational.org.

Take the ASEE K–12 Teacher Survey

ASEE has embarked on a project to learn what makes K–12 teachers tick—and specifically, to learn what they think of engineering as an academic and career pathway for their students. The survey will take about 10 minutes and will help ASEE complete a report on the best practices in engineering education. All teachers of students in grades K–12 are encouraged to take the survey, which is available online here.  To view the current results of the survey, click here.

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