Starting Early With the ‘E’ in STEM
ASEE offers an increasing number of resources to support P-12 educators.
ASEE’s mission is to advance innovation, excellence, and access at all levels of education for the engineering profession. As interest in engineering grows within the P–12 community, the Society has intensified its efforts in this area. We seek to help define what engineering education looks like in a pre-college setting and provide educators the tools to accurately communicate that message to students, leading to better prepared future engineering professionals.
Support for P–12 engineering education comes from three segments within ASEE: (1) the Commission on P–12 Engineering Education, which enhances and improves internal knowledge of and communication about P–12 engineering education within the Society; (2) the Pre-College Engineering Education Division, which focuses on interdivisional and external communications; and (3) headquarters (HQ).
Recent Activities
Framework for P–12 Engineering Learning. Developed with teachers, school administrators, and researchers working with leaders of the Advancing Excellence in P–12 Engineering Education (AE3) research collaborative and ASEE, the framework identifies common learning goals to help P–12 students become engineering literate. https://p12framework.asee.org
P–12 educator webinars. The webinar series addresses various topics and highlights best practices within the engineering educator space—from diversity, equity, and inclusion to engineering standards to useful classroom tools for teachers. Webinars are scheduled bimonthly. https://resources.asee.org/course-catalog (select P–12)
Standards for Preparation and Professional Development for Teachers of Engineering. This reference guide describes the professional preparation and development necessary for P–12 teachers of engineering. Schools and professional development providers can use the document to create material or evaluate an existing program. https://bit.ly/2PdVMs8
Engineering Teacher Professional Development Endorsement (ETPDE) program. To address the growth of professional development (PD) opportunities for P–12 engineering educators, ASEE developed a system for endorsing such programs based on its standards and the associated matrix. The program assures PD providers that their program emphasizes essential aspects of engineering content, pedagogy, curriculum, and assessment, and assists PD consumers in finding quality PD opportunities. https://etpde.asee.org
Engineering, Go For It (eGFI). This publication offers hundreds of standards-based, teacher-tested activities, professional development opportunities, contests, and scholarships for teachers and students. An award-winning monthly e-newsletter provides the latest in P–12 engineering. http://teachers.egfi-k12.org and http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/newsletters
P–12 summer camps. To support parents and provide access to hands-on activities in 2020 and 2021, ASEE’s P–12 Commission led online summer camps on topics such as computer-aided design (CAD), DNA, and energy. https://sites.asee.org/p-12committee
ASEE P–12 Instructors and Parents Facebook Group. The Society created this group to address the quick pivot to online learning during the pandemic. It has grown into a learning community for sharing engineering challenges and resources. https://bit.ly/3BaBXVq
P–12 Commission monthly spotlights. The Commission launched a series of spotlights focusing on P–12 engineering activities. ASEE members across divisions offered information about activities and programs. https://bit.ly/2PgcV4z
Pre-College Engineering Education (PCEE) Division teacher grants. The Implement Engineering grant program provides support for P–12 teachers to implement an engineering project in their classroom. Funds pay for teachers’ professional learning expenses or the purchase of classroom materials. http://precollege.asee.org/grants
PCEE Conference for P–12 Educators. ASEE’s PCEE Division holds this annual conference; in June 2021, the division partnered with California’s Long Beach Unified School District. Session topics included Socially Engaged Engineering for Equity and Engaging Young Learners in Computational Thinking Using Everyday Objects. http://precollege.asee.org/pcee_conference
The Division also sponsored a distinguished lecture and a number of sessions at ASEE’s Annual Conference, including Observing Empathy in Informal Engineering Activities With Girls Ages 7–14 and Studying In-Service Teacher Professional Development on Purposeful Integration of Engineering into K–12 STEM Teaching Outreach Programs.
Outreach and collaboration. ASEE participates in conferences and summits held by the National Science Teaching Association, International Technology and Engineering Educators Association, AE3, STEM Leadership Alliance, and Integrated STEM Asia to engage more teachers and build a better understanding of engineering while encouraging collective impact.
The Commission collaborated with the NSF-funded Engineering for Us All (e4usa) project, an advanced high school course in engineering intended for broadening participation and democratization of the field. In 2020, ASEE HQ sponsored 14 teachers to attend its virtual Annual Conference through the generosity of a sponsor, since the conference has been cost-prohibitive for some.
Future Initiatives
As ASEE continues to identify opportunities to support P–12 educators in engineering, planned steps include launching the P–12 Educator Mentoring Program, Speakers Bureau, and Educator Resource site. If you have thoughts on how ASEE can further support P–12 educators, contact Geraldine Gooding at g.gooding@asee.org.
2022 ASEE Annual Conference
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Call for Papers
All divisions are ‘Publish to Present.’
ASEE’s 2022 Annual Conference will be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, June 26–29.
The Society’s divisions are “publish to present.” All papers must be submitted for peer review to be presented at the Conference and subsequently published in the proceedings.
The submission process is as follows:
- All authors must submit an abstract of their papers to be reviewed and evaluated.
- Authors of accepted abstracts will be invited to submit a full paper draft for three engineering educators to review.
- A draft may be accepted as submitted, accepted with minor or major changes, or rejected.
- Successful review and acceptance of the full paper draft will allow a final paper to be presented at the Conference.
- Exceptions to the “publish to present” requirement include invited speakers and panels.
Abstract submissions open October 11, 2021 and close November 8, 2021.
For more information, go to https://www.asee.org/annual-conference/2022. Additional author deadlines can be found at https://bit.ly/3EclamN. Questions? Please contact the ASEE Conferences staff at conferences@asee.org.
Access to the 2021 Annual Conference
Did you miss a speaker or paper from the 2021 Annual Conference in July? Want to relive a session? View papers, scholarly work, and recorded content through May 1, 2022. Non-attendees can get access for $100. Sign up at https://bit.ly/2YU9wwT.
CoNECD Registration Open
ASEE’s Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity (CoNECD) conference is the only such event dedicated to all the diverse groups that comprise the engineering and computing workforce.
The 2022 conference will take place February 20–23 in New Orleans. Registration is now open.
The vision of the CoNECD (pronounced, “connected”) conference is to provide a forum for exploring current research and practices to enhance diversity and inclusion of all underrepresented populations in the engineering and computing professions.
CoNECD includes women; individuals of diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as varied gender identities and expressions; the LGBTQ+ community; people with disabilities; veterans; and first-generation college students.
Go to https://bit.ly/3tKTMaL to register.
Editor Applications Wanted
ASEE seeks applications and nominations for the position of editor for the Journal of Engineering Education. JEE is the premier journal for engineering education research, with a circulation of more than 8,500 subscribers in nearly 80 countries. More information about the journal can be found on the JEE website (https://bit.ly/3CRg3ar), including its history and most recent strategic plan.
The editor works with a team consisting of deputy, senior associate, associate, and assistant editors to establish and execute processes to maintain JEE’s reputation as the leading research journal in engineering education worldwide. Among these processes are establishing and maintaining the editorial standards for the journal, managing the review and publication of papers, expanding global connections of the journal, and participating in events to expand the quantity and quality of engineering education around the world. Executing these responsibilities requires a commitment of at least one-quarter time, on average. Applicants should be recognized scholars in engineering education, active members of ASEE, and employed by an ASEE member institution.
Candidates for the position should send a (1) cover letter, including a summary of relevant experiences; (2) vision statement, including how they will address diversity, equity, and inclusion for the future of JEE, and a statement of their editorial philosophy; (3) full curriculum vitae; and (4) list of three references, to Ms. Monique Maddox, Director of Human Resources for ASEE (humanresources@asee.org). All materials should be sent as PDF attachments no later than Monday, November 1, 2021, by 5:00 p.m. (EST).
The JEE Search Committee will review application materials, interview finalists, and submit recommendations to the Executive Director of ASEE, and ultimately to the ASEE Board of Directors. The target date for completing the selection process is March 31, 2022. The anticipated start date for the position is July 1, 2022.
Questions regarding the position or the search process should be directed to Dr. Oscar Barton, Jr., Chair of the JEE Editor Search Committee (oscar.barton@morgan.edu) or Dr. Norman Fortenberry (n.fortenberry@asee.org), Executive Director of ASEE.