Exploring Technology": A Novel Introduction of Prospective Engineers and Early Childhood Teachers to Science and Technology

小行星9354482 该项目建议开发一个新的课程，这将源于工程学院和儿童研究系之间的强有力的伙伴关系，并将提供一个共同的解决方案，两个独立的主要问题：幼儿教师在理解和教学科学和技术方面的准备不足，以及工程专业学生的热情产生和保留。 工程教师团队，研究生和本科生将开发一个协调的迷你课程库，专注于应用科学和技术的令人兴奋的主题。这些课程将是跨学科的性质，将包括开放式的实验室和/或实地经验，将涉及一个学期的团队项目，并将被设计为让学生没有以前的大学水平的背景参加。虽然课程将是严格的，并强调深度与广度，将特别注意创造一个理解和欣赏的科学和工程过程。工程新生和儿童研究专业将分别选择并参加其中两门课程。除了这些课程，儿童研究专业，未来的K-3教师，将采取科学和技术课程开发的课程，将培训他们转移技术知识，以发展适合幼儿的教学单元。课程的重点性质将允许拟议的计划从根源上成长，因为课程将根据个人研究和个别教师的其他兴趣提出和开发，同时得到高层的支持，通过强大的机构承诺。该项目将由大学分摊费用，可以很容易地传播到将联合收割机科学和/或工程系与教师培训单位结合起来的许多学院和大学。 ***

9354482 Miaoulis This project proposes to develop a novel curriculum that will stem from a strong partnership between the College of Engineering and the Department of Child Study and will provide a common solution to two separate major problems: the inadequate preparation of early childhood teachers in understanding and teaching science and technology, and the enthusiasm generation and retention of engineering students. Teams of engineering faculty members, and graduate and undergraduate students will develop a coordinated pool of mini-courses that focus on exciting topics of applied science and technology. These courses will be interdisciplinary in nature, will include open-ended laboratory and/or field experiences, will involve semester-long team projects and will be designed to allow students with no previous college-level background to participate. Although the courses will be rigorous and emphasize depth versus breadth, special attention will be given to creating an understanding and appreciation for the scientific and engineering process. Engineering freshmen and Child Study majors will each select and take two of these courses. In addition to these courses, Child Study majors, the future K-3 teachers, will take a Science and Technology Curriculum Development seminar-course that will train them to transfer technical knowledge to the development of teaching units appropriate for young children. The focused nature of the courses will allow the proposed program to grow from the roots, since courses will be proposed and developed following personal research and other interests of individual faculty members, while being supported from the top, by a strong institutional commitment. The project, which will be cost-shared by the university, can be easily disseminated to numerous colleges and universities that combine science and/or engineering departments with teacher preparation units. ***