A record number of TCNJ Technological Studies undergraduate and graduate students, along with the department’s faculty, attended the Technology Education Collegiate Association’s (TECA’s) East Regional Conference; which was held from November 15 – 17, 2009. TECA East, as the conference is known, is one of four regional conferences where student teams participate in a variety of technology themed competitions, with first place teams advancing to the national challenges at the International Technology Education Association’s conference. TCNJ students continued their longstanding success at TECA, winning numerous awards which include: First place for Automatic Controls, Elementary Design, Teaching Lesson and Transportation.
Some highlights from the competition include TCNJ’s Elementary Design team taking first place for the third year in a row; the Transportation team qualifying to compete at the national conference; and the Manufacturing team overcoming many obstacles, including not receiving the correct challenge before the conference, to place third. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the participants TCNJ was placed in the lead among other attending schools including Division I universities.
Besides competing for awards, students got the opportunity to network with other students, attend a job fair, and enjoy the beauty of the Chesapeake Bay and Tidewater Virginia. The students were very proud of their achievements and said “We left as a close group and arrived back at TCNJ even more committed to the continued professional development of each other and to being agents of change in STEM education.”
The Department of Technology Studies prepares future K–12 technology teachers, with a primary focus on the secondary education domain. The department also offers a unique interdisciplinary Math/Science/Technology major, focused on preparing future K–5 teachers who are trained to deliver instruction that integrates all of the STEM disciplines. At the graduate-level, the Department offers a Master of Science in Educational Technology for certified teachers and a Master of Arts in Teaching degree, which provides an excellent opportunity for engineering and technology professionals to transition their careers into classroom teaching at the secondary level.