Technology in use in Engineering

I have a Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and I worked for 10 years as an engineer before becoming an educator. I still do some consulting and keep up to date in the field. With all the talk about educational technology, I thought it would be nice to share some of the technology currently being used by engineers so that educators have an idea of what college students will be learning.

Engineers, like everyone else, use office productivity tools (MS Office, Google Docs), email, and the internet. In fact, the internet is one of the engineers' best tools. Research, online catalogs from vendors, online reference guides and calculators, and discussion groups and forums are all used on a daily basis.

Computer Aided Design (CAD) is the next major technology that engineers use. Products are designed in 3D on the computer, analyzed, fit checked, and simulated before prototypes are even built. Multi-physics simulation software, Finite Element Analysis, and Computational Fluid Dynamics software are critical to being able to design, analyze, and test products virtually before spending more money on manufacturing and live testing. They can analyze and simulate almost everything that a product would go through, virtually.

There is also Bill of Material (BOM) software to keep track of all the pieces and parts, Manufacturing software to help the engineers figure out the best way to build a product and then programming the equipment to do the work.

3D printers are used to make functional models of the product for early testing. They either strip away material, or lay down material (a plastic) to create the parts. These 3D printers can fit on a desktop. There are also 3D scanners that can be used to take a real part and turn it into a 3D model in the computer.

When I worked at Sikorsky Aircraft, we did everything on the computer. Design, analysis, simulation, manufacturing layout, communications, coordination, and more. Even our manuals and references were all online. If we printed something out, it had a watermark on it saying that the computer network should always be checked for updated information.

Computers and software have always been important in engineering, but as computers have gotten more powerful, so has software and the tools that can be used. Things change quickly, so engineers have to be able to learn new software and tools on their own.

As a high school physics teacher, I teach 90% seniors. This means that I am usually the last science teacher that they will have in high school (they may be taking two sciences). I try to expose them to project based learning (how WPI does things and how engineers work) and different types of software and systems that are out there for science and engineering. I try to teach them how to do their own research and how to learn things on their own, because I know that is what they will need to be able to do in college and in the workplace.

I also try to encourage students who are interested in and good at science to look at engineering as a career. Our world needs more engineers to solve the world's problems and continue with improving our standard of life.

Engineering is obviously not the only career field using technology - medicine, manufacturing, even retail, all use technology in ever increasing ways. This means that the more our students are exposed to technology, the better prepared they will be for college and the workplace.

More information on engineering and engineering resources for educators:

http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2009/10/engineering-resources.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineering

PreK-12 Engineering

PreK-12 Engineering is a site with free resources for educators to integrate engineering concepts and activities into preK through 12th grade classrooms. The activities are linked to the Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework.

The activities are really well thought out and developed and I have used many of them.

Things are sorted by grade level for easy searching.

For more resources on engineering: http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2009/10/engineering-resources.html

Engineering Resources

Engineering is a very important career for our world, yet enrollment in engineering programs is decreasing, especially by American students. I was an Aerospace Engineer (WPI '92) for 10 years before becoming an educator and I try to encourage my Physics students to go into engineering. I am also a CPEP teacher. CPEP is an after school program in CT for students interested in engineering. CPEP provides curriculum and materials to give students hands-on project experience.

Local companies are also a great resource for educators. Have engineers come in to your class and talk about what they do. Take a field trip to the company's facility. I am lucky to have Sikorsky Aircraft nearby. The engineers are really good about coming into schools and the company loves to have groups come in for a tour. Some smaller companies in the area have also been great resources, including Alinabal.

I have compiled a list of engineering resources for educators. Each of these sites have information about engineering, the career, and educational resources. I have found them all to be great resources. One not on the list is NASA. NASA also has great educational resources, many of which are geared towards engineering.

Dept of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Engineers - great information about the career, job outlooks, salaries, and more.

American Society for Engineering Education - great resource with information about all types of engineering, educator resources, and more.

Engineering - Go For It! - this site is produced by the ASEE (see above) and is completely devoted to promoting engineering. It has resources for educators and students, as well as lessons and career exploration resources.

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics - has resources for aerospace engineering careers. Educators can join for free and get even more resources.

Society of Automotive Engineers - has resources about engineers dealing with the automotive industry.

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineer - resources about engineers in the electronics and electrical engineering.

Engineering Challenges - this site lists and explores the greatest challenges facing engineers in regards to world issues. This is a great site to use as a starting point for your own classroom projects.

Discover Engineering - another great site that explores engineering as a career.

Connecticut Resources:

CT Business and Industry Association - CBIA has an education section. They have a great resource about Engineering. The site also has videos you can show to your students.

Next Generation Manufacturing Center - this is a cooperative group of manufacturers, CBIA and CT's Community Colleges. They work to get more students interested in engineering and manufacturing. There are some great videos on the site, too. They have a lot of great programs, including the Engineering Challenge. They also sponsor summer externships for teachers. These externships pay teachers to spend the summer at a local manufacturing company learning about their industry and coming up with ways to get more students involved in engineering and manufacturing. I was able to participate two years ago and found it to be a great experience.

Please share any resources you have and spread the word to your students about engineering. Even the President has said that students should avoid careers as lawyers and accountants, and instead look at engineering, science, and education.

Ask Polaris - Engineering Career Help

Ask Polaris is a site set up by a variety of Aerospace organizations, including AIAA, AIA, and FAA. The site is a great resource for students who are interested in Aerospace Engineering and also has information on engineering in general. There is information on college selection, college admissions, high school preparation, and career guidance. There is also a section for parents.

Each of the cooperating organizations also have educational sites.

This site is a must see for any student interested in engineering, especially in the aerospace field.

(I'm a little partial to this as my undergrad degree is in aerospace engineering and I worked as an aerospace engineer for 10 years before becoming an educator.)