University of Wisconsin Stout | Wisconsin's Polytechnic University

Professional Objective

Serve the dynamic educational needs of students and society by providing leadership through research, scholarly publications, teacher education, and curriculum development and assessment.

Summary Statement of Assignment

Assistant Professor and program director of both the Bachelor of Science in Technology and Science Education Program and Bachelor of Science in Technology Education Program at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.  Primary teaching assignment includes and Technology and Science Education teacher preparation courses including Curriculum, Methods, and Assessment, Pre-clinical Field Experience in Technology and Science Education, History and Philosophy of Technology Education, Student Teaching in Technology Education.

Professional Experience

1.    Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Stout; School of Education, Menomonie, Wisconsin, 2007-Present.

2.    Bachelor of Science in Technology and Science Education Program Director, University of Wisconsin-Stout; School of Education, Menomonie, Wisconsin, 2010-Present.

3.    Bachelor of Science in Technology Education Program Director, University of Wisconsin-Stout; School of Education, Menomonie, Wisconsin, 2010-Present.

4.    Master in Technology Education Program Director, University of Wisconsin-Stout; School of Education, Menomonie, Wisconsin, 2008-2010.

5.    Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of Minnesota (Minneapolis/St. Paul), MN, 2005-2008.

6.    Technology Education Teacher, Lakeville South High School, Lakeville, MN, 2005-2007.

7.    Technology Education Teacher, Blackhawk Middle School, Eagan, MN 2001-2005.

8.    Technology Education Teacher, Wrenshall School, Wrenshall, MN, 1998-1999

Scholarships

• National Center for Engineering and Technology Education Doctoral Fellow, 1/05 to 6/08

Funded Projects

• A Case Study of Teaching Engineering Concepts in Science, a seed grant from the National Center for Engineering and Technology Education with funding from the National Science Foundation ($45,000).
• Introducing Integrated STEM Units of Instruction in Collaboration with the Chetek School District, a CEHHS Merle Price Mentor-Mentee Research Award ($3000).
  

Reports

• Stricker, D. R. (2008). Creativity in Art, Music and Technology Education. Unpublished Doctoral dissertation, University of Minnesota, St. Paul/Minneapolis

Book Chapters

• Stricker, D. R. (in press). The Many Forms of Creative Expression, In Gimmell, P. & Warner, S. A., (Eds.), 60th yearbook of the Council on Technology Teacher Education. New York: Glencoe.

Articles

• Stricker, D. R. (2009). Thinking Small: Nano Small. Technology and Children.
• Stricker, D. R. (in press). A Case Study of Teaching Engineering Concepts in Science.  Journal of sTEm Teacher Education.  
• Stricker, D. R. & Mason, K. (submitted). Units in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM): Engaging Students in Inquiry and Project-based Learning. The Science Teacher.

Presentations

• Integrated STEM Units in collaboration with Chetek-Weyerhauser School District, invited speaker for the Colloquium on P-12 STEM Education Research, University of Minnesota, St, Paul , MN, August 15-16, 2011.
• A Case Study of Teaching Engineering Concepts in Science, invited speaker for the P-12 Engineering and Design Education Research Summit, 2010, Seaside, OR, August 12, 2010.
• Creativity in Art, Music and Technology Education. Research in Engineering and A Case Study of Teaching Engineering Concepts in Science, invited speaker for the National Center for Engineering and Technology Education, Spring Seminar Series, Utah State University, Logan, UT, April 6, 2010.
• Perspectives in Learning and Thinking: Expert and Novice Technological Literacy presented at the 96th annual Mississippi Valley Technology Teacher Education Conference in Nashville, Tennessee on October 1-2, 2009
• A Case Study of Teaching Engineering Concepts in Science, International Technology Education Association Conference, Charlotte, N.C., March 19, 2010.
• Creativity in Art, Music and Technology Education. 55th Annual Technology Education Conference, University of Wisconsin Stout, Menomonie, Wisconsin, October 17, 2008.
• Creativity in Art, Music and Technology Education. Technology Education Conference, St. Paul Campus, University of Minnesota, May, 2008.
• Robotics Engineering in a Traditional Lab Setting. 54nd Annual Technology Education Conference, University of Wisconsin Stout, Menomonie, Wisconsin, October 15, 2007.
  

Awards

• Outstanding Teaching Award, College of Education, Health and Human Sciences, 2010-2011
  

Student Advisement

Currently advise approximately 70 undergraduate students in the Bachelor of Science in Technology and Science Education Program & Bachelor of Science in Technology Program.

Research Advisement

The following graduate students completed thesis papers under my direction as part of their committee.

Kraig Kalka, A Study on the Perceptions and Interests of Female Students About Technology Education Course Content and Activities at Poynette High School (July, 2010).

William J. Truttschel, III, An Analysis of Math TABE Scores as Predictors of GED Attainment, Post-Secondary Matriculation, and Post-Secondary Completion from One- and Two-Year Programs at Northcentral Technical College in Wausau, WI (December, 2010).

Robert Ligocki, An Analysis of the Effectiveness of Orthographic Projection Activities in Teaching Spatial Reasoning Concepts to Sixth Grade Students at Greendale Middle School (August, 2011)

Service Activities

2010 -     Member of Grievance Committee, University of Wisconsin-Stout.
2010 -     Consultant, working in concert with Curriculum and Staff Development Coordinator and middle school faculty to conceptualize and construct engineering curriculum for middle school students, ISD 622 - North St. Paul - Maplewood - Oakdale Schools, North St. Paul, MN
2010        Member of Institutional Planner Search Committee, Budget, Planning and Analysis,  University of Wisconsin-Stout.
2010        Member of Educational Psychology Faculty Search Committee, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Stout.
2010 -     Member of undergraduate Art Education program advisory committee.
2009 - 10    Consultant, worked with administration and the math, science, and technology education faculty to conceptualize, construct, and implement an engineering curriculum for all incoming sixth grade students, ISD 196 - Valley Middle School, Eagan, MN
2009 -10    Conference Coordinator, Annual Technology Education Conference, University of Wisconsin-Stout.
2009        Member of Science Education Faculty Search Committee, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Stout.
2008 - 10    Member of undergraduate Technology Education program advisory committee.
2008 - 09    Conference Coordinator, Annual Technology Education Conference, University of Wisconsin-Stout.
2009 -    Member of graduate Career and Technical Education program advisory committee.
2009 -     Member of the Graduate Faculty, University of Wisconsin-Stout.
2008 -    Member of School of Education Governance Committee.

Educational Philosophy

An inconsistency exists between the types of capabilities students are required to demonstrate in school and what is expected of them once they leave.  With educational standards being adopted and refined for all subjects in many states in the U.S. and the increased usage of standardized test results employed to benchmark individual schools’ success, the tendency for teachers to “teach to the test” and students to subsequently learn about the world around them in a rote and myopic fashion can be expected.  Ironically, business communities emphasize the importance of ‘outside the box’ thinking and the need for creative solutions as a result of competitive market pressures that characterize the true global economy that exists today.  As a result, a question arises amid these competing educational paradigms: Where in the curriculum are students allowed to exercise their innate creative urges?  More specifically, since it is such a valued skill, how is creativity fostered in students?

There are other motivating factors outside education that provide incentive for educators to discover the power of their subject area.  Teaching children critical thinking abilities requires different teaching methods, learning materials, school structures and assessment techniques.  Simply put, the roles of teachers and students are changing.  Many of these changes are focusing attention on the development of higher level thinking skills and the kinds of pedagogical methods used by creative educators: active learning; personal involvement in learning; in depth experience with real life, complex problems; use of technology to aid thinking; information management; and problem solving.  For example, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education can consistently provide these types of learning experiences for students that encourage and foster creative thinking.  With problem solving, design, and critical thinking at the core of STEM, it is not a large leap to conclude that the role creative thinking plays in each of these domains is crucial.  Therefore, research pertaining to successful pedagogical practices, student learning, and their meaningful interaction in STEM disciplines is critical.  Specifically, the role of emotion, controversial subject matter, competitive events involving technology and engineering aptitude, and the role of reflection in the engineering process are of particular interest, especially related to STEM pursuits.   

As a result, these needs guide and shape my educational philosophy and subsequent professional objective of serving the dynamic educational needs of students and society by providing leadership through research, scholarly publications, teacher education, and curriculum development in the pursuit of achieving technological literacy.