The TeachEngineering Digital Library Collection:

An Engineering Resource for K-12

Jacquelyn Sullivan and Mindy Zarske— University of Colorado at BoulderRené Reitsma — Oregon State UniversityGary Ybarra, Nancy Shaw and Paul Klenk — Duke UniversityMike Mooney — Colorado School of MinesMartha Cyr — Worcester Polytechnic Institute

TeachEngineering is…A searchable, web-based digital library

collection of standards-based, engineering lessons and activities

for K-12

see TeachEngineering.com

TeachEngineering Vision To use engineering as a vehicle to integrate science

and math in K-12 classrooms through inquiry-based curricula and hands-on activities that demonstrate the creativity of engineering and are relevant to the lives of

youth

Initial curricular contents:

– 111 lessons

– 201 hands-on activities

– Increasing thru 2006

TeachEngineering Infrastructure

• System architecture developed by OSU

• Traditional digital library architecture based on Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP software tools

• Unified “look & feel” template requires commoncurricular elements

TeachEngineering Infrastructure

• Functionality for searching and displaying curricula

• Associates related curricula into comprehensivecurricular units

• Checking systemverifies all linked connections are operational

Creating Value for UsersK-12 Teachers– One-stop shopping– Curricula for classroom use

Engineering Faculty and Fellows– Use collection to partner with local schools– Opportunity to make lasting contribution– University service-learning courseware opportunities

Practicing engineers from industry and societies– What math and science do 5th graders do?– What curricular content are 7th grade science

teachers held accountable for students learning?

TeachEngineering Features • Standards-based • Organized by:

– Activities

– Lessons

– Multi-week curricular units

– Living Labs

• Dynamic (contents evolve)

• Consistent look and feel(requires structured template)

• Initial states (CO, MA, NC)

• National (McREL, AAAS, NSES, NCTM, ITEA)

• Cross-correlated

Consistent TE Components• Lesson or Activity Summary• Student Learning Objectives• Background & Concepts for

Teachers• Engineering Connections• Correlating Educational

Standards• Activity Preparation

Procedures• Extensive (and varied)

Assessment

• Vocabulary and Definitions• Time Required• Expendable Cost per Group• Troubleshooting Tips• Extension Activities

Web portals to real and archival data from real-world systems for use in

engineering, science and math activities

Engineering Our Water (USGS data)

Wind Engineering (wind farm data)

Fastracks (Denver transportation data)

Encourage students to explore, construct meaning, critically think about and use data for analysis and

design

Searching TeachEngineering

Example:

Search for

engineering lessons

about the laws of

motion that address

Colorado physical

science standard 2.1

for 5th grade…

Searchable at multiple levels by:

Subject areaGrade level

KeywordEduc. Standard

LessonActivity

and more...

Early Teacher Curriculum Ratings

Service-Learning Outreach Corps

• Service-learning technical elective• Upper-division undergraduate students • Use TE digital library as resource• Outreach scholarship:– Develop & test a new lesson

& activity for TE– Example: elementary-level

Simple Machines from Pyramids to Skyscrapers

• Long-term sustainability• Collection growth• Collection maintenance– Routine software upgrades– Prompt broken link resolution– Upgrade curricular components

with user feedback

• Expanding state standards for all 50 states• State standards currency (~every 5 years)

TeachEngineering Challenges

TeachEngineering Challenges

• Incorporating new content from faculty nationwide — university and K-12

• Evolve contents as new fields emerge• Content quality • Assessment is critical (it’s about the users…)• Better QA/QC mechanisms• Central processing capability?• Create corporate alliance

(with HP partnership)

ASEE Partnership

• Promote TeachEngineering collection• Engineering faculty workshops• K-12 teacher professional

development workshops• K-12 Surveys, feedback

TeachEngineering.com