April Moon

Principles of Engineering (POE) Course Description:

In Principles of Engineering, students will explore technology systems and manufacturing processes. They will gain a deeper understanding of engineering, problem solving, and project management. In addition, they will learn many new concepts. For example, they will be introduced to Physics (i.e. - Statics, Dynamics, Vectors), Material Strength and Properties (i.e. - Stress, Strain), Trigonometry Concepts, Gears, Programming, and Digital Electronics. Fischertechniks, hand tools, and several design applications provide a creative, hands-on environment. This course is rigorous, helping prepare students for college and the ‘real world’!

Engineering Program (Project Lead the Way) Background:

Reaching higher student achievement levels and helping students to value learning are universal goals for all educators. However, finding avenues for each student to reach these goals seems elusive. Yet, in schools across the nation, teachers set high goals and facilitate learning experiences that result in high levels of rigor and relevance for all students. One of the most effective ways to achieve rigor and relevance is through the use of activities-based learning, project-based learning, and problem-based learning, the focus of the Project Lead The Way^® pre-engineering middle and high school program.

Engaging students hands-on in solving real-world problems is a great motivator. Students work as a class or in small groups over an extended period of time because of the in-depth nature of the chosen project or problem. Like adults trying to solve a problem, students in Project Lead The Way^® curricula are not restricted to one discipline but rather students delve into mathematics, science, technology, and English Language Arts. In the process, they are learning to apply knowledge that they will retain beyond the test and integrating school learning and real life.

WGH’s engineering classes will teach the objectives outlined by Project Lead the Way (PLTW). PLTW, established ten years ago, is a nonprofit organization that offers an entire high school engineering program that is aligned to national learning standards. They capture the hearts of students and prepare their minds by basing their coursework on rigor, relevance, and relationships. They also ensure instructors are ready for the challenge by requiring extensive training and offering a strong nationwide network made up of teachers, universities, and professionals. (There are over 1,300 schools across 45 states currently using PLTW’s curriculum.) In addition, there is an opportunity for PLTW students to earn college credit once WGH becomes officially certified by PLTW (1-2 years from now). Colleges vary in how they accept or recognize PLTW courses, but students from any PLTW certified high school may apply for transcripted college credit from many universities and all Texas community colleges (29 universities / colleges total).

*Approximately 68% of seniors in PLTW’s program plan to enroll in engineering or engineering tech post-secondary studies, compared to only 10% of seniors in traditional high school programs.

Engineers Week 2009

To enlarge a picture below, simply click on it!

NATIONAL ENGINEERING WEEK (eweek) WAS FEBRUARY 15 - 22, AND WE HAD A BLAST! CHECK OUT THE PICTURES ON THE RIGHT!

We would like to thank Howard Eighth Grade Center for allowing us to display our engineering projects and hand out brochures and flyers on their campus this past week. In addition, a big thanks goes out to all the local businesses that passed out flyers for us and allowed us to hang posters that promoted eweek. We would also like to express our gratitude to the Waxahachie Daily Light for publishing our students' engineering essays over the past two weeks.

Our biggest event during eweek was a community wide hands-on workshop, "Engineering in Action, for 1st - 8th graders. Approximately 80 kids plus their parents showed up to learn more about engineering and to design, build, and test newspaper boats! I want to thank our PTO team for providing cookies and juice for the participants, the administrators and teachers at Global High for running the registration table and providing tours, and I especially want to thank my wonderful students that did an excellent job preparing for this workshop and leading the design challenges.

Click here to see recent articles about our engineering program:

Click here to learn more about the 3D Dimension SST printer:

PROJECT-BASED LEARNING
An Integrated Science,
Technology, Engineering,
and Mathematics (STEM)
Approach

This recently published book presents
an original approach to Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and project-based learning (PBL). I am
a coauthor of chapter four, "Designing Engineering Project-Based Learning". It was a great pleasure to work with Dr. James R. Morgan and Dr. Luciana R. Barroso, two Civil Engineering professors at Texas A&M, as well as the editors of the book, Dr. Robert M. Capraro and Dr. Scott W. Slough. Thank you for all your hard work on this book!

Several pictures from Texas A&M's mathematics camp, where I served as a tutor this past summer, are included in the book. A picture of two of our very own students, Mattea Ingram and Tiffani Castillo, is also included in my chapter.

This book will be used in Texas A&M's College of Education and Human Development graduate classes, and sections will be used in Texas A&M's College of Engineering undergraduate courses as well.

Please click HERE to find out more about this book, read a free preview (first two chapters), and order you own copy!