Careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
by Kathy Belcher
How are Career and Technology Education teachers in Texas equipping students with critical skills needed to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics in the 21st Century?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs requiring science, engineering or technical training will increase 24 percent between 2004 and 2014 to 6.3 million jobs nationally. Students competing for jobs in the 21st Century need skills in the following areas: information and communication, critical thinking, real-world problem solving, collaboration, and technology, to name a few.
High school teachers across Texas are providing opportunities for students to gain skills through real-world projects, participation in science- and engineering-based competitions, mentoring professionals in the field, and experiencing career possibilities while in high school.
Over a dozen high schools in Texas participated in the 2008 MATE – Marine Advanced Technology Education Center Texas Regional ROV Competition held at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Lab at the Sonny Carter Training Center in Clear Lake. Nimitz High School in Houston, led by career and technology instructor Gary Rodgers, was the 2008 MATE Texas regional champion and advanced to the 2008 MATE International ROV Competition held last June at the University of California, San Diego. The competition challenged students to design and build ROVs (Remote Operated Vehicles) to uncover the mysteries of the Earth’s mid-ocean ridges. The mission centered on biology, chemistry, and geology of deep-sea hydrothermal vent environments.
In talking with Gary, he says, “This is a great program that allows the student to understand real world engineering problem solving. The formal courses we use are research & development one year and the next year problems and solutions. We spend a lot of time testing our designs and equipment. Reports are required for each step in the process. We practice the missions, engineering evaluation, and prepare technical reports.” The Marine Society of Houston gives a $1000 dollar scholarship each year to the outstanding senior at the regional competition and Gary’s students have won the scholarship for the last three years. “One of my best students 3 years ago went to work for a local turbine manufacture while he was going to North Harris Community College. He did so well that he became the company 3D modeling trainer because of his exposure to Autodesk Inventor in my class.” Quite a few of Gary’s students have decided to pursue an engineering career as a result of the program.
Ike Coffman, regional coordinator for MATE and pre-engineering teacher at Humble CATE Center, has involved his students in the regional competition. He says “This program is successful because it does have great engineering and technology content combined with the fact that it is fun and relatively cheap. The MATE contest is a good way of providing the motivation and the context for building the ROV. I try to develop fun projects (or at least interesting to students) with real math, science, and technology content that we can explore in creative, practical ways.” Ike believes the best projects are those that are difficult enough (perhaps involving electronics, programming, pneumatics, or some more complex mechanical linkage) that challenge students to think and solve problems.
It is obvious that students involved in programs such as MATE are gaining critical skills and real-world experiences needed to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in the 21st Century. For information and photos that show the careers for which the MATE competition prepares students, go to: www.OceanCareers.com. Other programs that prepare students include BEST, FIRST, and VEX Robotics, Botball, High school students United with NASA to Create Hardware (HUNCH), and Interdisciplinary National Science Project Incorporating Research and Education Experience (INSPIRE). To learn more, go to www.cte.unt.edu and click on STEM, then Resources.
Contact author, Kathy Belcher at belcher@unt.edu.
References
(2007) Manor ISD launches new T-STEM Academy. Retrieved November 25, 2008, from Our Schools Our Stars Education Showcase Archives, T-STEM Academies, Education Recognition and Announcements Across Texas, Website:
