In April of 2010, the author was approached to write a proposal that would provide grant money for a summer program to take place at the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University's Developmental Research School (FAMU DRS). The FAMU DRS functions as a normal K-12 school; however, it is administered by the Florida A&M University College of…

In order for technology and engineering education (T&EE) students to meet the design challenges of this century, T&EE teachers will need to deepen their content pedagogy in the areas of science and math. This raises the question: Will the need to deepen content pedagogy initiate a process of change that transforms technology and engineering…

The interdisciplinary approach that science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) projects inspire in both teachers and students "brings to light a larger picture that promotes real-world scientific applications, which has in turn been shown to increase undergraduate persistence in STEM." The high school students have been warned…

As science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education demands greater integration across all subject areas, technology teachers can showcase many of the cross-curricular projects already occurring inside their classrooms that intrigue students and build their STEM skills. Robotics, just one of those projects, has become an excellent…

In a middle school classroom, the science of fluidics was introduced using the rig. Afterwards the students were able to make informed choices about using air or water as the medium inside their syringes. The three kits available through the NFPA were explored, reverse-engineered, discussed, and analyzed as a lead-in to the in-house culminating…

A low-cost and portable colorimeter kit has been designed and developed as an educational tool at Penn State University by Dr. Daniel Sykes for K-12 schools' integrated STEM learning. This scientific instrument allows students to learn how scientists utilize light as a means to study the chemical and physical properties of materials with an…

Exposing students to the application of math and science through a design-based activity can make them more technologically literate and teach integration between the STEM disciplines at an early age. This article discusses an activity that originated as a portion of a green residential house project conducted by the authors with their high school…

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) teachers teach multiple concepts that lend themselves to possible collaboration on a daily basis. Much like Metz's (2009) insightful discussion about the importance of science educators creating partnerships in the community "outside the school walls," integrative STEM teaching also requires…

In this article, the authors introduce engineering and technology teachers to the process that led to the National Research Council's framework for K-12 science education and some of its content and delve into the dimensions of the framework that should be of most interest to engineering and technology teachers. The framework articulates a vision…

As science, technology education, and engineering programs suffer budget cuts, educators continue to seek cost-effective activities that engage students and reinforce standards. The featherweight challenge is a hands-on activity that challenges students to continually refine their design while not breaking the budget. This activity uses one of the…

As technology education continues to consider a move toward an engineering design focus as proposed by various leaders in technology education, it will be necessary to employ new pedagogical approaches. Hill (2006) provided some new perspectives regarding pedagogical approaches for technology education with an engineering design focus. One…

Does the nation need K-12 engineering education standards? The answer to this question is paradoxically both simple and complex, and requires an examination of a rationale for such standards as well as the opportunities and barriers to developing and implementing the standards. In two decades since 1989, the idea of national standards for…

Numbers do not exist for the percentage of girls in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) academies across the U.S. The most recent career and technical education statistics at the secondary level from the U.S. Department of Education are from 2005, and they show very low numbers of female students in STEM. The absence of women from…

The United States' economy depends greatly on a citizenry that possesses scientific and technical skills within the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) for economic growth. In the past few decades, technological advancement has created a demand for a highly skilled workforce possessing scientific and mathematical…

Late in the winter of 2010, teachers across Massachusetts received invitations to apply for six- to eight-week Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in which middle or high school teachers in STEM subjects would work alongside scientists and their graduate students as they sought to solve real-world problems. This country-wide effort was funded…