Building Blocks of an Engineering Career

Author: Guest Author; Published: Sep 2, 2010; Category: Classroom presentations, Education outreach, Engineering Careers, Math, Science; Tags: Careers, Children, Education, Engineering, Engineering Careers, Math, Parent, STEM, Student, Teacher, Volunteer; Comments: Be the first

Guest Author – Marva Morrow, Energy Education Consultant

What is your response when a child or student says “I like to build…” or “I want to build (blank) when I grow up?” Would your first reaction be to tell the child about engineering? The fact is, many people don’t connect engineering to these kinds of teachable moments. It’s a lost opportunity to introduce even small children to a rewarding career.

Here’s a way you can respond: Engineers are trail blazers! They do exciting things like design and create buildings, bridges, and low carbon cities. Engineers are people who solve problems and make things work.

There are over 200 types of engineering! This has lead to some confusion among students. Just like sports can be grouped into areas like football, baseball, soccer, tennis, golf, etc., the different types of engineering can be grouped into specializations: chemical, civil, electrical, engineering management, engineering sciences, geotechnical, mechanical, petroleum, and many others.

Engineers use innovation and creative ideas. Then they apply the principals of science and math to develop solutions to problems. Engineers make and maintain things with a practical purpose. Many engineers develop new products. During the process, they consider several factors. For example, in developing an industrial robot, engineers specify the functional requirements precisely; design and test the robot’s components; integrate the components to produce the final design; and evaluate the design’s overall effectiveness, cost, reliability, and safety. This process applies to the development of many different products, such as chemicals, computers, power plants, helicopters, and toys.

Become an engineer and love your work, live your life, be creative, work with great people, solve problems, design things that matter, never be bored, make a big salary, enjoy job flexibility, travel, make a difference and change the world!

Learn more about engineering careers!

SPE Sabah Section Reaches 112 Students

Author: Darci Ramirez; Published: Aug 16, 2010; Category: Classroom presentations, Education outreach, Energy, Energy Education, Engineering Careers, SPE members, Volunteering; Tags: Children, Education, Energy, Energy4me, Engineering, Engineering Careers, natural gas, oil, Petroleum, School, SPE, Speaker, Student, Teacher, Volunteer; Comments: Be the first

Sabah Section plants “tree of hope” on the school compound to conclude program

A big thank you to the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Sabah Section for holding their first Energy4me educational outreach event in July. A group of 15 young professionals visited 112 pupils and 17 teachers at SK Kabajang in Beufort, Sabah. This was the first destination chosen as part of the Sabah Section’s strategic plan for educational outreach as part of their Corporate and Social Responsibility (CSR) program.

The program made children aware of the petroleum industry and its opportunities for careers. Lots of laughter got the program off to a great start during a fun, ice-breaking activity. A presentation on petroleum history and its benefits to the nation followed along with interactive activities. The event concluded with planting a “tree of hope” on the school compound.

The school children expressed excitement throughout the program and had a wonderful learning experience. They were especially excited to receive goodies and gifts as a token to remember the day, and to see a gift presented to their headmaster.

Energy4me encourages young industry leaders to get involved by giving classroom presentations or holding educational outreach programs in their area. Sharing educational and career possibilities with younger students can have a huge impact. Children often relate well to young professionals who are closer to their own age. Giving presentations not only inspires children, it also gives young professionals the opportunity to polish their leadership and public speaking skills.

Share your contributions and outreach efforts in your community that you are already making with Energy4me and inspire others to join in on the fun!

Thank you to the SPE Sabah Section for sharing!

See Mark Rubin’s Presentation to NEED Teachers

Author: Darci Ramirez; Published: Jul 14, 2010; Category: Classroom presentations, Education outreach, Energy, Energy Education, Energy sources, Science, Volunteering; Tags: Education, Energy, Energy4me, Engineering, natural gas, oil, Petroleum, science, SPE, Speaker, sustainability, Teacher, Technology; Comments: Be the first

View Mark Rubin's Presentation

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The Society of Petroleum Engineer’s (SPE) Executive Director, Mark Rubin, educated science teachers attending the National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project’s National Energy Conference for Educators with a keynote presentation on the energy’s grand challenges.

Mark covered the most important things first – where to find the best BBQ and  Mexican food in Dallas – and then provided an overview beginning with the basics on why meeting the world’s growing demand for energy is so complex. A synopsis of the oil and natural gas exploration and production process followed, along with a candid discussion of today’s challenges with the Mocondo blow-out in the Gulf of Mexico. 

Teachers shared that they were impressed that Mark didn’t shy away from questions, but provided answers and led discussion about even the most difficult of topics in the industry right now – the Gulf oil spill and hydraulic fracturing.  Mark’s presentation was rated best ever by one of NEED’s veteran facilitators in attendance. 

What Happens When 110 Teachers Get Together?

Author: Guest Author; Published: Jul 13, 2010; Category: Classroom materials, Education outreach, Energy, Energy Education, Science; Tags: Education, Energy, Engineering, School, science, SPE, Speaker, Student, Teacher; Comments: Be the first

Guest Author – Mary Spruill, NEED Executive Director

They learn.  They get energized. They network. They take away inquiry activities designed to teach about energy in an exciting way in the classroom.  This week, Energy4me’s partner, the National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project, brought together 110 teachers – ranging K-12 – to Dallas, Texas for the National Energy Conference for Educators. Teachers and energy educators from over 20 states and Thailand are in attendance.  The conference kicked off with Energy Bingo as an icebreaker to get the group engaged and thinking about energy, and ready for a week of fun. 

The Society of Petroleum Engineer’s (SPE) Executive Director, Mark Rubin, started day two with an excellent synopsis of the oil and natural gas exploration and production process.  Mark covered the most important things first – where to find the best BBQ and  Mexican food in Dallas – and then provided an industry overview beginning with the basics of exploration to a discussion of today’s challenges with the Mocondo blow-out in the Gulf of Mexico. Teachers shared that they were impressed that Mark didn’t shy away from questions, but provided answers and led discussion about even the most difficult of topics in the industry right now – the Gulf oil spill and hydraulic fracturing.  Mark’s presentation was rated best ever by one of NEED’s veteran facilitators in attendance. 

Each year, NEED hosts conferences to provide educators the opportunity to increase their own energy knowledge and learn ways to integrate it in their classrooms. Energy can be taught anywhere in the curriculum and at any age level, while writing poems and songs, while learning about the solar system or sedimentary rock, or even learning to count, and while designing experiments and finding new ways to engineer solutions to old challenges. 

Attendees seek funding from local sources and often apply to NEED for scholarships to attend.  NEED is honored to have sponsors and partners who believe in the importance of energy education and in the value of an investment in a teacher.  Think of all the young minds that will be energized by one teacher returning from this conference with classroom curriculum and hands-on kits to teach about the forms of energy, energy sources, electricity, transportation, and energy efficiency.  The reach of that teacher is virtually endless.  Tomorrow, the group will tour an Encana drilling site in Denton, Texas on the Barnett Shale.  Up close and personal.  When we see it, discuss it, and learn about it – energy can be an overarching theme.  It is something for each of us to understand as consumers and educators. 

 NEED is honored to be a partner of SPE’s Energy4me program and is grateful for SPE’s donation of the Oil and Natural Gas book for all participants. 

Want to learn more about NEED?  Visit http://www.need.org/.  Want to come to summer camp for teachers next year?  Watch for details on http://www.need.org/. 

World Cup Can Boost Math Skills

Author: Darci Ramirez; Published: Jun 29, 2010; Category: Classroom materials, Math; Tags: Children, Classroom Instruction, Education, Engineering, Lesson Plans, Math, Parent, Student, Teacher; Comments: Be the first

Photo credit: Omar Torres/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Using math during summer activities can keep skills sharp. And, let’s face it; math isn’t usually the first thing on a kid’s mind during summer vacation.

Sporting events, like the World Cup, make it easy to apply math while having fun. Any game that keeps score uses math. Which team is most likely to win?  Determine the probability by dividing the number of times that the team has won by the total number of events.

Ever noticed how a soccer ball (football) is made from several flat shapes? Kids can learn basic geometry by cutting and sewing pieces of cloth together and filling it with a soft material to make an indoor ball. By the way, did you know the shape of a soccer ball is called a “truncated icosahedron?”  You’re kids probably didn’t know either! Look it up with them and find out what it means.

Any geometry whizzes out there? Think from a goalkeeper’s perspective: if an attacking player approaches, where does the goalkeeper stand to prevent a score? How far in front of the goal? What would the position be to maximize reach while diving forward towards the ball rather than sideways? When positioned far from the goal, a goalkeeper can get a single player’s ball more easily, but the attacking player can more easily kick the ball over the goalkeeper. If a second opponent approaches at the same time, that player has a free path to the goal. Whew – that’s a lot of math!

If calculus is your thing, soccer matches are filled with complex aerodynamics. Analyze the way balls curve and swerve through the air. The shape and surface of a soccer ball, and its initial orientation, play a fundamental role in its trajectory. For example, the seams of a soccer ball cause more turbulence than would a perfectly smooth sphere with no seams.

Find more ideas from the NY Times for teaching and learning with the World Cup.