"Engineering awareness and interest among students is low. Here are a few interesting facts:
This past year the Honolulu District had a fair designated solely as a “Science Fair.” In the Senior Research division, projects were grouped into 17 categories with three bearing titles linked to engineering. Twelve projects out of 154 were in these latter groups.
At the Hawaii State Science and Engineering Fair, only 22 out of 220 projects were in the engineering categories. At the Hawaii State Fair, a presentation venue for Industrial, Technology, and Graphic Arts is located at an adjoining site. In this latter venue, craftsmanship skills and artistic creations are showcased. Although there is an expression of a lot of engineering skills in the various Robotics programs and contests in the State, field of robotics is but one branch of modern global multidisciplinary engineering.
The Honolulu Star Advertiser 25 December 2013 issue noted in an article titled "Hour of Code" a timely wake-up call for schools. During Computer Science Week in Early December students across the US wrote 500 million lines of code. Coding challenges students to problem-solve and think critically. Students communicated and collaborated with their peers, accessed tutorials when they needed more information, started over when they hit a roadblock, demonstrated perseverance and celebrated success.
The Inventive Engineer Poster Contest has a similar outreach and set of advancing steps for students during the upcoming Engineers Week beginning 16 February. Engineering skills compliment and make more satisfying the pursuit of coding as a career.
Stanford Magazine in its December Issue provided a look into how Stanford chooses whom to accept when so many are so deserving. Last year, undergraduate admissions officers spent more than 10,000 hours evaluating nearly 39,000 applicants.Less than one in 17 were accepted: 1,291. Dean of admission Richard Shaw elaborated on the process. Here is where the black and white melds into gray. Here is where Shaw uses phrases such as "intellectual vitality" when describing what Stanford looks for in an applicant. "It's a holistic evaluation," Shaw says. "Of course academic credentials are important, but we're also looking for evidence that this young person has a passion, that he or she will bring something to our community that is unique. We want to hear a 'voice'—that's a critical component.
These added evaluation ingredients are important. Consider the fact that 69 percent of Stanford's applicants over the past five years with SATs of 2400—the highest score possible—didn't get in! They are not taking just a number. They are taking the personality, the talent.
The Inventive Engineer Poster Contest submission is a dramatic demonstration of initiative and willingness to be a effective communicator: Technically and artistically."
Technically and artistically designed. Puts one in a good frame of mind: The creative edge
ReplyDeleteThanks Da Vinci. I take great inspiration from your name and your history.
DeleteDa Vinci, would love to hear your thoughts on how we can promote Engineering excellence in Hawaii's schools... what would you propose if we lived during your era (the Renaissance in Florence, Italy). How would you have gotten young students interested in learning more about the world around them?
DeleteHe had a workshop. No class period bells, no tests other than demonstrated growth in value to the production of objects and ideas. Dr. Edgerton at MIT in the 1950's was a modern day island within the institution context. (Father of high speed photography and inventor of the strobe) Both these apprentice shops were motivating and creative environments.
DeleteExcellent Ideas -- Please post some articles to this effect
Delete