Engineers make a world of difference and help shape our future. They creatively collaborate to create the technologies that improve our health, happiness, and safety. In addition to contributing to the ubiquitous engineered technologies that make our lives safer, more enjoyable, and more productive, many engineers also use their incredibly transferable skillsets to contribute to social good. The March 2…
Culture shapes our biases and beliefs about people based on their age, gender, race, language, (dis)ability, or income level, often without our realization. We communicate our biases in our world, often unknowingly, through micromessages. The accumulation of micromessages over time impacts a person’s belief in his or her own ability to be successful in a course, class, college, and career.…
Join Dr. Meagan Pollock and Dr. Fay Cobb Payton as they discuss: How Do You Define Equity in Engineering or K12 STEM Education? About the Hosts Dr. Meagan Pollock is the Director of Professional Development for the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity. Before turning her focus on the intersection of education and equity, Meagan worked as an engineer for…
If birds of a feather, flock together, then how do we make engineering ed better? Stale stereotypes of engineering as a haven for rare birds persist, and continue to perpetuate an image of an environment that is not welcome to other birds, or even rarer- female and colorful birds. After all, a sense of belonging is a fundamental avian motive. It also happens to be…
Join us for our weekly #BigBeacon Twitter chat on topics related to engineering education. This week the topic is a discussion of the 8 steps to a Whole New Engineer, as depicted in the video sketch below. We welcome anyone interested in challenging the status quo: students, educators, administrators, engineers, industry professionals, parents. See you Wednesday, November 5, at 8 PM EST for…
Guest blog written by Scott Nichols Greetings Big Beacon community members and Twitter followers interested in reforming engineering education: Come join me, Scott Nichols, to discuss how student-centered vs. teacher-centered instruction may influence the quality of engineering programs. We will get started on Wednesday, October 8th at 8:00 pm, Eastern Time. As the global economy rapidly grows, more and more…
What are the stories that we tell about engineering, engineers, and engineering education? How have those stories fed stereotypes? How are those stereotypes limiting access to and interest in engineering? How are those stereotypes fueling a status quo that no longer serves us? “The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue,…
Join us for our weekly #BigBeacon Twitter chat on topics related to engineering education. This week the topic is drawn from the BigBeacon Manifesto: #5 The Whole New Engineer is mindful, observant, and an effective listener. As the new semester kicks off, as we manage our projects, as we consider new design cycles, considering mindfulness, observation, and listening can…
Join us on Wednesday June 4 at 8 PM EST for our weekly Twitter Chat by following #BigBeacon. Here's a message from this week's guest hosts, Taormina and Jessica of Outbound Adventurer: Bringing experiential education from the field and the lab to the classroom Hi, everyone! We’re super excited to be co-hosting a Twitter Chat about experiential education with Big Beacon, a…
Cultural Vistas and the IAESTE program return to host an upcoming Twitter Chat with Big Beacon on the subject of "Entrepreneurship and Engineering". This topic is at the forefront of our minds at our nonprofit as we welcome a delegation of six German entrepreneurs, selected and sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, for a two-week visit focused on strengthening…