The goals of my internship will directly influence the levels of engagement in my class because it has provided me with a plethora of real-life experiences and projects that I can integrate into my class. As a CTE teacher, one of my main goals is to prepare students for the workforce. This program has provided me with tools and resources to prepare my students to be future engineers. Throughout the year, I will be able to provide students with project-based lessons that they may use on the college level and even in a engineering position. I am able to provide students with an in-depth experience of what it’s like to be an engineer. When students are challenged and are able to make connections about real-life applications they are more apt to be engaged, which in turns elevates teaching and learning.
Also, this program has shown me the importance of teaching students how to work in collaborative groups. Engineers do not work in isolation. They work with corporations, small businesses, doctors, lawyers, the EPA and the list goes on and on. Therefore, it is important that I engage students in this process and provide feedback on how they can improve their collaborative skills. If students cannot work in collaborative groups then they probably will not be successful in an engineering career as well as many other career options that are available in today’s 21 century workforce.