Technology Education/Pre-Engineering

Undergraduate Program

 

Faculty:  Dr. John Karsnitz, Chair; Dr. Steve O'Brien; Dr. Matthew Cathell; Professor Susan Donohue; Dr. Ralph Edelbach

At The College of New Jersey’s School of Engineering, this area of certification has been redesigned to include K-12 technological and pre-engineering principles. The goal of the program is to prepare teachers who can explain to students how objects that they interact with on a daily basis have been conceived of, designed, and fabricated by another person or group of people—an engineer, architect, graphic/fashion or industrial designer. These objects run the gamut from the design of the package that contains their cereal to the fabrication and fashion design of their clothing, to the water supply system that allows them to wash in the morning, to the myriad of engineering advances that allow them to play MP3s on their PC and instant message friends from their mobile phones while sitting comfortably in their climate-controlled houses.

New “Standards for Technological Literacy: Content for the Study of Technology” were published in 2000. The National Science Foundation (NSF), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and most recently the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) have recognized technology education/pre-engineering as a new field of study and as an important element of school reform. Continuing its commitment to providing New Jersey’s children with an education that enables them to succeed in the new economy, the New Jersey Department of Education established a new Core Content Standard #8 for “Technological Literacy.” Students in the Department of Technological Studies with a teacher-education specialty in either Technology Education or M/S/T receive provisional certification to teach in New Jersey schools. Most states recognize teacher candidates from these NCATE nationally accredited program. Students graduating from the program also take positions in business and industry such as manufacturing design and prototyping, industrial sales, training and development, or become entrepreneurs. Some students choose to pursue this program to prepare for positions in higher education, commerce, media, or government service. Graduates from both the Technology Education and M/S/T majors can become pre-certified to teach PLTW courses and are in high demand.

Entrance, Retention, and Graduation Standards

Every major program at the College has set standards for allowing students to remain in that program, to transfer within the College from one program to another, and to graduate from a program. The following are the standards for programs in technological studies. Minimum grades are noted in parentheses:

• Retention in the technology education major is based on the following performance standards in these “critical content courses”

  • ETE 261/Multimedia Design (C+); and

  • TED 280/Introduction to Teaching Technology Education (C+).

• Transfer to the technology education major from another program within the College is based upon the following performance standards in these “foundation courses”

  • ETE 261/Multimedia Design (C+); and

  • TED 280/Introduction to Teaching Technology Education (B-).

• Retention in the M/S/T major is based on the following performance standards in these “critical content courses”

  • ETE 261/Multimedia Design (C+); and

  • ELST and DHST—ELE 201/RAL221 (C+); or

  • ECST—ECE 102/202 (C+); or

  • SEST—WRI 102/SPE 103/FSP (B).

• Transfer to the M/S/T major from another program within the College is based upon the following performance standards in these “foundation courses”

  • ETE 261/Multimedia Design (C+); and

  • ELST and DHST—ELE 201/RAL221 (C+); or

  • ECST—ECE 102/202 (C+); or

  • SEST—WRI 102/SPE 103/FSP (B).

 

Technology Education (ETTC) or M/S/T (ELST/ECST/DHST/SEST) Majors

Candidates for a teacher-education certificate must have a 2.75 cumulative grade point average to successfully complete their teacher education program. They also must meet the state hygiene/physiology requirement and pass the appropriate PRAXIS examination before the New Jersey State Department of Education will issue the appropriate certificate. MST graduates will be able to qualify for a middle school endorsement. Teacher-education candidates will receive a “certificate of eligibility with advanced standing” which requires a candidate to be provisionally certified for his or her first year of teaching. After one year of successful teaching, the candidate is eligible for a permanent certificate. Students should consult with their departmental advisers in planning their academic program. These plans should take into account requirements for the major, general education, professional courses, and state certification.

 

Suggested Course Sequence

Technology Education—First Year (by advisement)

FSP    First Seminar............................................................. 1 course unit

MAT   127/Calculus A........................................................... 1 course unit

TST   161/Creative Design.................................................... 1 course unit

ETE    261/Multimedia Design................................................ 1 course unit

PHY    201/General Physics I.................................................. 1 course unit

ETE    111/Engineering Design............................................... 1 course unit

ETE    131/Engineering Math................................................. 1 course unit

WRI    102/Academic Writing (if not exempt)*........................ 1 course unit

Total for year 8 course units

*It is recommended that students exempted from this course take other liberal learning courses.