Hi Everyone,

It has been some time since posting a blog topic here at Techspectives but thought this string conversation I had recently with Celeste Baine on a short video clip she posted on her blog might start some interesting convesations. So what started this conversation? See the video at this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54iAkkjsfrA

How do we engage our children or students in ways that are safe but the activities allows them to explore and take risks in developing their own view of the world and what it could become?

 

Tom,

It’s always nice to hear from you! I’m happy you enjoyed the video. I just about fell out of my chair the first time I saw it. What great spirit! And sadly, I agree with your cultural observations about parents and way kids grow up today. But it’s even more than that – it’s also the media and the excellent world they can create around them in the house. The instant gratification of the Internet, cell phones and TV. I’ve found that cell phones make kids reluctant to try to figure anything out on their own because it’s so easy to ask someone for the answer at any time. I can’t decide if that means job security for me or not. Like you, if we are just going to bang our heads against the wall because the current culture is stronger than the impact we can make, do they need us more or less? Hmm. Of course the outcome is worth the effort so we continue but to be honest, I’ve been dreaming of a tropical paradise where I lounge in the sun and eat Guava and Mangos. 
My son is starting college next year and I think it will change my perspective on what I do.
Celeste Baine
Director – Engineering Education Service Center
Author – Engineers Make a Difference
1004 5th St., Springfield, OR 97477
541-988-1005 tel, 541-988-1008 fax
Join my blog on marketing engineering education….
Hi Celeste,
Everyone here at MATEC loved the short video clip from Hydro. It reminded me of the days when I was about ten years old experimenting with my friends in building rockets, fireworks, and other chemical activities. I think our current breed of parents who want to protect their children from everything really stifles the imagination and creative abilities of their children. This then leads us to the decline of young people interested in being engineers and technicians. If my friends and my own parents knew what was in their basements when we were experimenting we would have been in big trouble. How do we change the parents or better, how do we engage young people in safe activities that allow them to experiment with some risk involved? Risk in learning or experimenting always makes it more fun from a child’s perspective or at least mine. Have fun experimenting.
Thanks for the great thought provoking video clip.
Tom McGlew
Celeste Baine's Blog   

Be the Change

Ghandi’s famous quote, “Be the change that you want to see in the world” is easily applicable to engineering because engineers change the world everyday. Abraham Lincoln said that if you can imagine it, you are already half-way to making it a reality.

To promote engineering to a younger community, you have to first find out what they want and what is interesting to them. Once you figure that out, it’s much easier to find ways to grab their interest with engineering.

I ran across the video below at Hydro, an aluminum and energy company, and couldn’t have said it better. Not only is this great marketing for Hydro, it’s a great example of the creative thinking we need to reach a new generation. Take a look, it’s only 47 seconds.

See the video…