We are pleased to announce the Siemens Virtual Teacher Training Symposium. This weeklong training is designed to help secondary school teachers have the skills and confidence to deliver the Siemens Engineering Design curriculum in the classroom and virtually, should that be necessary for the start of the 2020-21 school year.  Upon successful completion of the training, Siemens will provide each teacher with a Certificate of Continuing Education Units (40 contact hours). Siemens is committed to making the Siemens Engineering Design course effective and affordable for any secondary school. This training is being made available free of charge, however, class enrollment is limited to the first 21 attendees. It is available on a first-come, first-served basis. This article will explain how you can register for this training and what you can expect to learn from it.

Virtual Teacher Training Symposium

This event will be held daily from Monday, August 3 until Friday, August 7, 2020, from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. EST.

To register you must complete the following tasks:

1. Complete this Teacher Registration Form and email to Tom White (His email address & instructions included on the form.)
2. Include an email/letter from your school principal, (sample letter) indicating support for the training requirements, as follows:
   • School agrees to provide the equipment necessary for the course
   • School agrees to provide a Windows-based laptop computer that meets or exceeds the necessary requirements for Solid Edge software. Pre-loading of software is required. The software is available for free to educators.
   • Siemens Solid Edge is available to schools and educators at no charge.  Visit Solid Edge for Teachers to register and download your free Solid Edge educator license. All you need to do is complete the registration form found on the webpage to access a link and immediately download your edition of Solid Edge. Note: Accept all defaults when installing the software.
   • Technical support will be provided upon request should you need help with the installation.

Registration confirmations will be sent to the first 21 teachers who complete all the registration requirements. Teachers will be instructed as a class of 21 and will also work in cooperative learning groups of three.

 Why attend Siemens Teacher Training?

• Learn about project/problem-based learning and the role of the teacher in the learning process.
• Understand the Engineering Design Process and its application in the Siemens Engineering Design
• Understand the importance of student research when solving design problems recognizing that there is typically more than one appropriate solution.
• Recognize that CAD is a tool for problem-solving requiring proper drafting fundamentals and those fundamentals are developmental, meaning students become more proficient over time.
• Learn how to effectively use cooperative learning groups where students work as a team, but each member of the team is responsible for all the learning.
• Learn various methods of remote or on-line delivery of technical subjects.
• Apply file sharing to allow for the rapid transfer of ideas during the design process.
• To learn the effective use of formative assessment in remote situations as a vehicle to drive excellence

Course Requirements:
To successfully participate, here are the materials you will need:

• Windows-based computer, webcam and high-speed connection for collaborating with other teachers
• Ability to download the free Solid Edge software, files, and class materials prior to the training
• Access to a 3D printer for the week along with spools of filament
• A dial caliper

The above supplies are all that is necessary for this training. Components and complete course kits are available from Studica, Inc. Contact Studica for equipment and supplies.

Exploring Siemens Engineering Design Curriculum

Siemens Engineering Design is an introductory curriculum that challenges students to work in teams to solve complex design problems. It is created for middle school, high school, and maker spaces. With this program, students research, design, develop, and communicate design solutions. Broken up into teams, they will use engineering software to prepare and evaluate designs. They will also make extensive use of 3D printing to prepare models for presentations. The main goal of the course is the application of the tools to address unique problems allowing the students to rapidly create and analyze proposed solutions. This is a wonderful experience for the students as Siemens’ software and hardware are tools frequently used by industry. For future success, understanding how these tools are used in problem-solving is critical.