Introducing Engineering into the Dominican Republic Classroom: Teacher Workshops

Kenneth J. Reid, Director of Engineering Education, Debra Gallagher, Assistant Professor of Education Tyler Hertenstein, David Reeping, Liz Spingola, Stacy McClelland, Morgan Sperry Ohio Northern University

Dominican Republic: Salary dispute escalates (3/12/13)

Salary strains The basic salary for teachers in the Dominican Republic is US$219 per month*. The Education Ministers salary is US$7,317, without all the additional benefits, said Teresa Cabrera, ADP President and a member of EIs Executive Board. This is just one example of the inequality that prevails in the Dominican Republic.
http://www.ei-ie.org/en/news/news_details/2491

Note:

$2483/ year = $1.19/hour *$2628/ year = $1.26/hour $3200/ year = $1.50/hour $10091/year = $4.85/hour
Map: http://web.worldbank.org/

History: Teacher Workshops in the Dominican Republic

July 2011
Freshmen Without Borders Northern Engineering Without Boundaries (NEWB)

May 2012 - Solid Rock International schools

Initial Teacher Workshops (IEEE TISP lessons)
San Juan de la Maguana ~ 85 teachers from 3 schools El Cercado ~ 15 teachers Elias Pia ~ 15 teachers
Walking distance to Haitian border

Overall: teachers for ~2000 students

May 2013:
Liceo Pedro Henriquez Urena
3 days of workshops
Tall Tower Challenge
Desafo de torres altas

Build a Better Robot Arm

Fabricar tu propio brazo robotizado

Rotational Equilibrium
Equilibrio rotacional: Una cuestin de balance

tryengineering.org

Tall tower:
Engineering design process

Tall tower:
Constraints:
50 straws, 50 pipe cleaners, paper clips, 1 ball

Robot arm
Design a robot arm
Lift a water bottle Cardboard, paper clips, etc. Learning Styles

Rotational Equilibrium

Heavier math content Student led

Student leaders

Observations
U.S. standard-driven vs. Dominican Teachers expected a lecture
active learning was a huge surprise

Much more feedback than expected (based on similar workshops in the U.S.) Enthusiasm
When are you coming back?

Assessment
2012: 94 surveys received
94/105 = 90% Exceedingly positive

Interviews with administrators were fantastic

Each workshop activity had been implemented

3-2-1 surveys being translated Overall: amazingly positive

Next steps
Further workshops, Further empowerment, Further assessment
Were the activities implemented? Did the workshops inspire teachers to explore on their own? Can we document an improvement in
Performance Interest Perception of science, math, engineering?

Questions?
Ken Reid - k-reid@onu.edu
Program Director, Engineering Education
Engineering Education

Director, First-Year Engineering ~ Faculty Advisor, NEWB & ASEE

I have been teaching since I was a part-time instructor in Spring 1996 - 16 years. I've done countless summer camps, teacher workshops, innovative classroom things. I used to literally think "this particular day was a 10 out of 10" after many days in the classroom. Nothing has ever compared to today - this was one of the highlights of my life and surpassed every possible best-case scenario. We brought everything with us - 600? 700? lunch bags, 1200 pencils, 3000 paper clips, pens, binder clips, cardboard, etc. We printed out and had translated 5-6 lesson plans in Spanish, made 120 copies and brought them. Pre- and postassessments. This morning, we headed to the bus. We had me, Deb, Jenny, Chris and 12 students. Not just engineering education majors (though we did have 2) but engineers, pharmacists, nurses and social studies students. As we headed to the site, the thought occurred to me:
Most of the faculty are at home or on vacation [nothing wrong with that - we aren't paid in the summer], but I'm on a bus in the Dominican because I agreed to take students and do a workshop that hasn't been done before, and do it in Spanish, and kick it off with up to 90 teachers. Am I crazy? What the heck am I doing here?

Jenny laughed, and Chris said "You are living life." Well said...