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Just in time for the holidays ...
Faculty and staff in Purdue University's College of Engineering have come up with a holiday gift guide that can help engage children in engineering concepts.
The "Engineering Gift Guide" was developed through the INSPIRE Institute for Pre-College Engineering, a part of the School of Engineering Education.
It features toys, games, books, movies and apps for mobile devices for a variety of ages. In addition to the selected items, the guide includes suggestions on finding other engineering-themed gifts.
"It's important to introduce engineering to children at a very young age – even before they reach kindergarten," says Monica Cardella, associate professor of engineering education and INSPIRE director. "One way to achieve this is simply putting a puzzle together or playing with building blocks and talking with the child about what they want to design, what ways they can accomplish that, and who or what could use their creation.
http://phys.org/news/2014-11-gift-parents.html
http://inspire-purdue.org/parent-materials
(Score: 2) by Common Joe on Monday December 01 2014, @09:08PM
There are some great stories in this thread. (Somewhat) Unfortunately, I was turned away from some of this. My dad used to work on the car and had me watch him instead of help him. He then didn't understand why I got bored and didn't want anything to do with cars. I eventually got my own computer and I was on my way to exploring things. Hence, I became a programmer.
One of my brothers took a different route. He had the same problems with learning mechanical stuff about cars from our dad. After high school, he eventually went to a tech school and made a deal with the other guys who knew a lot more about cars. Since he was a brain, he offered to help them out with their math and English classes if they helped him learn the mechanical and electrical stuff so he could become a grease monkey. They agreed and it was a win-win for everyone. My brother eventually became a great mechanic, then went to engineering school and became a great engineer. Worked out pretty well for both of us.
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Tuesday December 02 2014, @01:27PM
In the end your fathers interests weren't your interests. It happens all the time. But at least he tried and that was the important thing.
(Score: 2) by Common Joe on Tuesday December 02 2014, @04:57PM
Actually, I did have an interest in fixing cars until he took me out there to work on it about a dozen times and I got to do zero. I got annoyed and decided I had better things to do. For a while, I wanted to be a mechanical engineer. Had he allowed me to work on the cars, I may have had a better understanding of mechanical things and done better at the university. Coulda, shoulda, woulda.
You are right, though. He wasn't perfect, but he did the best he could and I give him huge points for that. I was sometimes angry at him as a teenager, but for the most part we get along pretty good these days.
The point I was trying to make was that my father didn't support my brother or I in the mechanical world. I think it harmed us. My brother found a way to fix that. I never did.
I don't mean to sound like I'm whining. I thought it was just an interesting counter story to the other guys in this thread.
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Tuesday December 02 2014, @08:47PM
Ah, I understand now. Yea having someone learn by watching vs. getting your hands dirty is borderline torture.