Technology Teacher Education Program Department of Industrial Technology
Purdue University
Purdue University’s Technology Teacher Education Program prepares educators to
teach in middle school and high school technology education classrooms. The
curriculum develops professional educators with strong pedagogical and technical
skills needed for success in today’s high-performance workplace.
Careers
Purdue University’s Technology Teacher Education Program places 100% of its graduates.
Currently there is an extreme shortage of technology education teachers in the school
districts across the nation. Many states are offering incentives for graduates to
relocate. Technology education teachers instruct both middle-level and secondary
courses in the areas of design technology, drafting (CAD), construction technology,
electricity/electronics, manufacturing technology, power and energy, and transportation
technology.
The Program
The Technology Teacher Education undergraduate curriculum is based on the
Scholar-Practitioner Model, NCATE accreditation standards, Standards for Technological
Literacy, and Indiana Professional Standards Board Standards. This solid foundation
emphasizes the blending of practical experiences, technical expertise, and academic
rigor. Students complete coursework in general education (33 hours), professional
education (33 hours), and technology education (54 hours). Most students complete
their degree requirements in four years. This undergraduate preparation is capstoned
by a supervised student teaching experience. The program also integrates the
pre-engineering requirements of Project Lead The Way throughout the curriculum. This
provides Purdue University graduates with the competencies to teach the PLTW courses
of Gateway to Technology, Introduction to Engineering Design, Principles of
Engineering, Computer Integrated Manufacturing, and Engineering Design and Development.
Resources
Full-time faculty holding doctorate degrees and teaching credentials teach the
majority of the technology education undergraduate courses. Courses are taught in
both the School of Technology’s state-of-the-art laboratories and the new DEPCO, Inc.,
Technology Education Laboratory that is designed to emulate a contemporary
middle-level environment.
Activities
Purdue University is one of only five land-grant universities to have a Technology
Education Collegiate Association (TECA) Chapter. Technology education majors compete
in both regional and national TECA activities. Purdue University’s TECA Chapter also
sponsors a Grand Prix racecar. The Technology Teacher Education Program sponsors a
study abroad program with Griffith University in Queensland, Australia. Technology
education majors also have the opportunity to become members of Epsilon Pi Tau, the
honorary for professionals in technology.
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