In the News: Teaching STEM

The National Research Council has announced “a new framework that identifies key scientific ideas and practices all students should learn by the end of high school.”

The press release from The National Academies, specifies four disciplinary areas for comprehension: life sciences; physical sciences; earth and space sciences and engineering, technology and the applications of science. The new K-12 science education standards replace those issued more than a decade ago.

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Tau Beta Pi is an official partner of the 2nd USA Science & Engineering Festival. As part of the build up to the Festival in April 2012, hundreds of engineering and science professionals are visiting schools across the Washington, DC area to speak about their work to middle and high school students. See the full list of “Nifty Fifty” participants here

Several of the speakers are Tau Bates, such as: Dr. Aprille Ericsson (DC A ’86); Dr. Karen Panetta (MA D ’85); Dr. Anne Spence (MO B ’85); Dan Vergano (PA B ’90); & Dr. Charles Vest (WV A ’63) among others.

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This week the Stanford Technology Ventures Program announced the plans for “a national center for teaching innovation and entrepreneurship in engineering to address the nation’s critical need for greater numbers of innovative and entrepreneurial engineers.” Two of the three principal project investigators are Tau Bates: Dr. Tom Byers (CA A ’75) and Dr. Sheri Sheppard (WI A ’78).

The center will be based at Stanford University and the National Science Foundation awarded a five-year grant in support of the center. Read the full news release

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