Engineering could really take root thanks to STEM

Education

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March 13, 2008

By Bethany Bray

Science lessons at Wood Hill Middle School are expected to become even more hands-on.

The Andover school district was recently awarded a three-year grant of $400,000 to beef up its fledgling middle school engineering curriculum. The money means Wood Hill will receive a new engineering lab and teacher.

Wood Hill will become the last of the town's three middle schools to create an engineering lab. West Middle began offering engineering for students for the 2006-07 school year and Doherty Middle students did so this school year.

Andover middle-schoolers take engineering in addition to regular science classes. Skills learned are tested on the eighth-grade science MCAS test, 25 percent of which covers technology and engineering.

Andover's proposal was one of 10 chosen by the state for grant funds, which are available immediately, said Lisa Glickstein, grant coordinator for the district. The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Pipeline Fund selected the 10 proposals from 19 across the state.

The grant money will cover 20 percent of a new engineering teacher position for next school year at Wood Hill, said Glickstein. The other 80 percent of the position's salary is included in the district's proposed budget, which has not yet been approved.

The grant also will pay for some engineering classroom supplies and professional development workshops for teachers on engineering principles. The first engineering workshop for teachers paid by the STEM fund grant is being organized for June, right after school ends, said Glickstein.

In engineering labs, students work on hands-on projects, from building model rockets from scratch to learning about alternative energy, wind turbines and electronics. There is a "wind-up-toy surgery" project, where students take apart mechanical toys and put them back together to see how they work.

Students at West and Doherty middle schools have engineering lab for nine weeks as part of their integrated arts rotation, during which they also take health, music and art classes for nine weeks each.

The lab introduces basic engineering techniques including creating, testing and revising an original design, and it exposes students to engineering and technology careers.

Doherty Middle engineering teacher Steve Cogger started teaching this year, switching from a career as an engineer.

Wood Hill Middle Principal Patrick Bucco said an engineering lab will fit right in at his school, which uses an expeditionary learning style emphasizing hands-on and interdisciplinary projects.

He is excited about the grant and what it means for his school, but said he is "cautiously optimistic," hoping that the 80 percent of the engineering lab teacher's salary will be approved at Town Meeting.

"We think it's a good tie-in because we try to do project-based learning as much as possible, where it fits. Asking regular science teachers to address engineering concepts is just too much. They often don't have the time or expertise," Bucco said. "We try to offer the best education opportunities we can. If we can add to that with this engineering program, we owe that to our students."

Andover is part of a consortium of schools working on implementing engineering for middle-schoolers. This includes Brookline and Worcester Public Schools as well as Northeastern and the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Philips Healthcare and Wyeth, Andover businesses, are part of the consortium as well. Engineers from both companies are slated to visit Andover classrooms next year, to introduce students to engineering careers, said Glickstein.

"This grant is all about partnership," she said. "Middle school engineering is really an unmet need."

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Andover's engineering labs

r West Middle School, introduced during 2006-07 school year

Teacher Dan Miley's salary covered by school budget as part of West Middles 's integrated arts rotation; lab costs paid for by Raytheon

r Doherty Middle School, introduced this year

Teacher Steve Cogger's salary paid for by Merrimack College; lab costs covered by the Andover Coalition for Education, the Andona Society and the Doherty Parent Advisory Council

r Wood Hill Middle School, to be introduced next year for 2008-09 school year

Teacher to be hired, 80 percent of the salary covered by school budget (if approved), 20 percent covered by state grant; lab costs also covered by STEM grant