Technology at High School for Math, Science & Engineering at CCNY
By Dr. Crystal Bonds, Principal
The High School for Math, Science and Engineering at the City College of New York, (HSMSE) founded in 2002, is one of the eight specialized high schools in New York City. As a school established on the premise of, and with a strong focus on, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), it draws students interested in STEM from all over the city as well as former industry professionals, who have a passion for their discipline (engineers, architects, actuaries) and who have a love for teaching that resonates as they bridge their industry experiences to the curriculum.
Serving in my fifth year as principal, I have seen how the curriculum and school community challenges and supports our precocious youth to reach their potential. According to the United States Department of Commerce, it is predicted that by 2018, STEM jobs will grow at a rate of 17% verses non STEM jobs at a rate of 9.8%. At HSMSE, we do a tremendous job as we work together to prepare our young people for college and careers, some of which have not been created yet. There are many classes and practices in place to make this possible; however, I would like to highlight just a few innovative engineering and science classes taught at the school.
Principles of Engineering (11th grade) uses the premise that engineers apply scientific principles to solve human problems. The projects are chosen to expose the students to a wide range of engineering fields and a variety of methods and materials. Most work is done in groups, as professional engineering is, and applies the principles learned in previous engineering courses.
Digital Electronics (11th grade) students design circuits and simulate them. The course covers topics in mechanics, including: forces and motion, rotational motion and equilibrium, gravitation, work and energy, fluid mechanics, and thermodynamics.
Innovation and Design (12th grade) Students acquire the skills they need and then apply those skills in meaningful contexts by solving problems posed in projects. Through projects, students demonstrate mastered skills and knowledge, rather than parroting phrases or concepts on short answer, multiple choice, and true/false sets of evaluations.
Advanced Architecture (12th grade) creates designs that deals specifically with architectural concepts and develops advanced techniques in freehand drawing, model making, presentation drawings and computer assisted design. The course focuses on urban design issues as it relates to exploring a full range of neighborhood conditions. Students explore the design of New York City in terms of historical context of the past century and how we can develop designs that address the future needs of the city population in terms of site, program, infrastructure, form-mass and sustainability. The project culminates with a juried presentation and exhibition at the Center for Architecture Foundation.
Advanced Placement Computer Science (11th & 12th) is equivalent to a first-semester, college-level course in computer science. The course introduces students to computer science with fundamental topics that include problem solving, design strategies and methodologies, organization of data (data structures), approaches to processing data (algorithms), analysis of potential solutions, and the ethical and social implications of computing.#
