Summer Course 2007

The summer course included the following major areas found in both Civil Engineering and the grades 6-8 Science and Engineering/Technology curriculum frameworks: engineering design, the Infrastructure, Foundations, Structures, Bridges, Environmental (water quality), Transportation Safety, and Civil Construction Technologies. Major topics included: engineering design and systems, the infrastructure, water quality, foundations, forces and structures, bridges, civil construction materials and methods, traffic and safety, civil engineering measurements.

Meeting Dates: July 16-20, 2007

Project objectives: The objectives of this initiative are to help teachers to implement the principles and goals in the MA Science and Technology/Framework (MA DOE, 2001) and to support the Commonwealth's plan for teacher professional development. The objective of the summer course was to introduce middle school teachers to the concepts of engineering complex systems through the study of modern Civil and Environmental Engineering practice.

The expectations of the course were:

• Expand the participating teachers' knowledge of the subject matter of engineering and of the engineering design process;
• Increase teachers' knowledge of standards-based curriculum, instruction and assessment by providing them with curriculum materials developed by NSF-funded projects, and instruction in standards-based pedagogy and assessment;
• Provide the opportunity for novice teachers to interact with their more experienced colleagues; and
• Provide teachers with the knowledge and skills that they need to reduce gap between goals for students' achievement and students' actual progress.