Article HistoryThe recent emphasis on engineering practices provides an opportunity for K-12 science and mathematics teachers to apply STEM concepts to real-world engineering design challenges (EDCs) for students (Next Generation Science Standards, 2013). We argue that engineering practices are more equitable when they are relatable to students and rooted in local experiences and social justice connections. There is promise in connecting middle school STEM teachers with minoritized engineers to achieve this goal. Digital technologies accessed through tablets can support teachers and engineers to form a community of practice (CoP; Lave & Wenger, 1991) and to collaborate, research, illustrate, and implement plans for equitable EDCs. We use a case study analysis to describe how two middle school STEM teachers and collaborating engineers use digital technologies within a blended community of practice to plan equitable EDCs using online collaboration and presentation tools. Teachers Kevin and Tania visually map their process of planning an EDC with professional engineers, creating connections between their middle school students, social justice issues, their own experiences, and content standards to create an EDC in which students were invested and motivated to devise solutions. The cases highlight how teachers adapted digital technologies to their needs to facilitate the coconstruction of lesson plans with engineers.
Keywords
Digital technologies Community of practice Engineering Middle schoolThis case study expands the current knowledge base that is focused on how digital technologies are used within CoPs to personalize EDCs for minoritized students in STEM classes. Thus, this paper responds to the questions: How do teachers and engineers participate in a CoP using digital technologies found on tablets to plan engineering experiences that are personalized for students in STEM classes? We also inquire: How do teachers" online collaborations with engineers influence their perception of planning more inclusive engineering experiences for students? Through these two questions, we seek to describe how teachers developed their sophistication in sharing and how they developed their understanding of context, content, and pedagogy through cloud-based digital technologies featured on iPads.
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