Waltham, Massachusetts – In recognition of National Engineers Week, WGBH and Raytheon Company have partnered to build a new collection of media-rich resources for K-12 educators that teach to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The collection – "Teaching NGSS Engineering Design Through Media" – is now available on PBS LearningMedia and features a wide range of tools to engage and inspire young engineers in K-12 classrooms.
"Raytheon understands the critical need to support educators as they integrate engineering into their curriculum," said Pamela Erickson, Raytheon's vice president of Corporate Affairs. "By working with WGBH and PBS LearningMedia to bring these important professional development resources to teachers nationwide, we hope to help cultivate the next generation of engineers."
"By joining forces, WGBH and Raytheon aim to help teachers deepen their knowledge of the NGSS, celebrate engineering in the classroom, and support students' potential as the next generation of engineers," said Brigid Sullivan, WGBH's vice president of Children's Media and Educational Programming. "This collection invites viewers not only to recognize the products of engineering in their everyday lives – the sneakers on their feet, the subway they ride to school or work, the door alarms that protect their homes – but also to glimpse the future of engineering: robots that understand social cues, improved artificial limbs for amputee athletes, or human habitation on the moon or Mars. We are proud to work with Raytheon on this exciting endeavor."
Boston's WGBH produces television and web content for PBS. In 2002, WGBH created Teachers' Domain, a broadband resource service for Massachusetts teachers that established the foundation for the national PBS LearningMedia. Last year, WGBH was named the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) lead for PBS LearningMedia, a free, online service for teachers across the U.S. with more than 35,000 curriculum-based digital resources.
The collection features more than 40 multi-media resources drawn from WGBH's award-winning series that include Design Squad/Design Squad Nation, Fetch with Ruff Ruffman and Nova ScienceNow. In addition, through a special collaboration with the Museum of Science, Boston and the Engineering is Elementary curriculum it created, "Teaching NGSS Engineering Design Through Media" features professional development videos that illustrate classroom best practices. Since January, WGBH has hosted three webinars for elementary, middle, and high school teachers that introduce the collection and offer a closer look at the NGSS as they pertain to engineering. To increase educator familiarity with the collection, WGBH has also drawn on the power of social media to generate awareness among educators looking for high quality tools to support engineering instruction.
Source: Raytheon Company