Resources: Staying in Touch - Gone Global

The article highlights two classroom activities that help classrooms communicate globally using communication technologies. They include the pen-pal/classroom exchange program and the online exchange program using web cams and videoconferencing. Moreover, it discusses how the cited communication technologies enhance learning as well as the challenges inherent in using them in a classroom setting

Design Assessment: Consumer Reports Style

The article analyzes a design assessment-based activity, in which students are asked to evaluate an existing technology through a Consumer Reports-style approach. According to H. Petroski, the exposure of students to several design examples is important to start learning the basic elements needed in the design process. It claims that the activity will enable students to sharpen their knowledge in several areas including identifying design constraints and criteria, training via study of open designs, and practicing engineering design methods for optimization. It suggests that these are important skills for creating the student\u27s capacity to undertake bigger design activities

Resources: Student Friendly Modeling Materials

The article presents cost-effective materials for elementary classrooms that allow students to create models. These materials include card stock, clay, cable or zips ties, fasteners and bolts, and commercially manufactured building kits such as LEGOs, Erector Sets, Tinkertoys and K\u27Nex. In addition, the author asserts the importance of using such materials in promoting student learning of technology and engineering

Teacher Challenges to Implement Engineering Design in Secondary Technology Education (Third in a Three Part Series)

This descriptive study examined the current status of technology education teacher practices with respect to engineering design. This article is the third article in a three-part series presenting the results of this study. The first article in the series titled Examination of Engineering Design Curriculum Content highlighted the research findings regarding engineering design curriculum content delivered by technology education teachers. The second article in the series titled Examination of Assessment Practices for Engineering Design Projects in Secondary Technology Education reported technology education teachers’ assessment practices when implementing engineering design projects in the classroom. The sample for this study was drawn from the current International Technology Education Association (ITEA) membership database. This article will present the research findings that identified challenges faced by technology educators when seeking to implement engineering design

Examination of Assessment Practices for Engineering Design Projects in Secondary Education (First in a Three Part Series)

The following descriptive study was designed to determine the national status of secondary technology education curriculum content and assessment practices as they relate to engineering design. The results of this study were divided into a three-part article series. Although this study focused on the larger construct of the national status of the infusion of engineering design into technology education, three separate sub-constructs emerged. The three sub-constructs were: a) status of engineering design curriculum content; b) the status of assessment practices of engineering design projects, and c) what selected challenges are identified by secondary technology educators in teaching engineering design

Resources: Getting There - Space

The article presents a school activity about transportation concepts using the DVD Black Sky: The Race for Space & Winning the X-Prize. The article describes the video as a good resource to explore novel ideas in space travel with students. It suggests that the video inspires students to learn more about space transportation and the science and technology of modern rocketry

Resources: Building Big (and Small)

The article offers a set of videos and web resources for elementary teachers to help them explore five different structures, including bridges, domes, skyscrapers, dams, and tunnels, that have been built big to meet the human needs and wants. It includes the miniseries video Building Big by David Macaulay and the website www.pbs.org/buildingbig.com