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IEEE Precollege
 Education

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IEEE

Math and Science Teacher's
Organizations:  An Opportunity
for Engineers

By

Carolyn Koenig and Rosanna Lerma

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• How To Locate Math and Science Teachers' Organizations
• Projects for Math and Science Teachers’ Conferences
• Useful Tips
• Summary

Introduction

A frequent lament of K-12 teachers is the shortage of examples of real-world applications of science and math that will make course work come alive for the students. Math and science teachers’ organizations offer a vehicle for engineers to communicate their knowledge of applications of math and science fundamentals. At teachers’ meetings they can meet K-12 educators and learn informally of their needs and concerns. They can get a view of the educational resources available from commercial, nonprofit, and government sources. Teachers’ organizations are leaders in standards development, and they are tuned in to the political scene at both the national and local level. Engineers’ involvement with these organizations can spawn a wide variety of projects to support and enhance math, science, and technology education.

How to Locate Math and Science Teachers’ Organizations

The principal organizations at the national level are the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). These groups each sponsor one national and several regional conferences annually. In addition, they publish newsletters, periodicals, and books. Detailed information can be found on their web sites: www.nctm.org and www.nsta.org.

Teachers’ organizations also exist at the state, county, and district level. Often these local organizations are affiliated with NCTM or NSTA and are listed on their web sites. Local organizations can also be identified by contacting county or district offices of education. They have periodic meetings and seminars that afford engineers the opportunity to meet educators and get involved.

Consider joining a teachers’ organization yourself. You will receive newsletters, meeting notices, and other information that can help you plan relevant projects. The dues usually are quite reasonable.

Projects for Math and Science Teachers’ Conferences

Teachers conferences offer a convenient venue for informing educators about IEEE volunteers and what they can contribute to support and enhance precollege science and math education. Like IEEE conferences, teachers’ meetings have tutorials and workshops, exhibits, and social activities. Thousands of teachers attend the national and regional conferences of NCTM and NSTA; local school districts plan in-service training days so teachers can attend.

Following are some ways to participate in teachers’ conferences:

• Attend. Information gained at the conference will improve not only your interaction with teachers but also your understanding of students and the classroom. Attending some sessions, particularly hands-on sessions, will let you see what techniques for illustrating math and science principles work in the classroom. Sessions focused on areas of challenge and concern to teachers will give you useful insights. Teachers’ meetings frequently include a Saturday, so you can attend without taking time off work.
  
• Exhibit. An exhibit provides an excellent venue for talking with teachers informally. You can tell them about such IEEE precollege activities as National Engineers Week Discover-E classroom visits and JETS’ programs. Nonprofit organizations often are given special areas to set up displays at reduced fees. Remember, however, that participating as an exhibitor requires advance planning: exhibit space must be reserved and display materials ordered well in advance, and volunteers must be recruited and scheduled to staff the exhibit.
  
• Present. Presentation topics can include examples of "real-world" applications and "hands-on" demonstrations in which teachers can participate. Demonstrations usually are limited in attendance, and you must supply the materials. Requirements for presenting are similar to those for IEEE conferences: abstracts are required in advance; you are notified if yours is accepted and told when your presentation is scheduled; only the abstracts are printed in the program.

Useful Tips

In California’s Santa Clara Valley and Oakland East Bay IEEE Sections, PACE leaders have participated in all three of the above activities and have also conducted their own workshops for teachers. Their experience indicates that participating in NSTA, NCTM, or other teachers’ meetings is preferable to planning and executing your own workshop, primarily because school districts consider the event in-service training, thereby guaranteeing a good attendance. In addition, the teachers’ organization takes responsibility for scheduling, facilities and food arrangements, advertising, and registration, which can be heavy burdens for volunteers.

At a recent California state science teachers’ conference, the Santa Clara Valley and Oakland East Bay Sections participated as exhibitors and presenters. At the exhibit, volunteers from IEEE, the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), and the Silicon Valley Engineering Council gave out JETS brochures, signed up teachers for National Engineers Week visits and SWE speakers, and displayed books on technology. The IEEE PACE volunteers presented a three-hour seminar on the applications of math and science in engineering, but found that teachers, like engineers, are session-hoppers, desirous of attending as many events as possible. The lesson learned was to do several short presentations rather than a single long one. On the whole, however, the interaction at the meeting was successful. Most of the several hundred teachers encountered did not know that organizations like IEEE existed. The volunteers benefited by learning about the resources for science and math education in the local area.

Engineers interested in conducting sessions at a teachers’ conferences should have prior experience presenting to teachers. The Santa Clara Valley and Oakland East Bay IEEE volunteers had acquired this experience by organizing their own workshops for teachers. You can acquire it by attending seminars at local teachers’ meetings or participating in programs sponsored by a science museum or college.

Summary

Interaction with teachers’ organizations can afford IEEE volunteers the opportunity to participate in projects with both teachers at their meetings and students in the classroom. Increased communication between teachers and IEEE volunteers can ultimately contribute to relevant classroom experiences for the students.