- Manasquan High School
- Overview
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Contact Info:
Amy Edwards, MLIS
aedwards@manasquan.k12.nj.us
732-528-8820 Ext. 1889 (voicemail only)
Typically found "inventing" in the PLTW Advanced Engineering Lab & Esports Arena, Room 460A, before/after school & during community lunch!Extra Help: Wednesdays after school in room 464 until 3:15 p.m. or by appointment.
My current roles here at Manasquan High School:
- STEM Academy, Coordinator
- Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Engineering, Teacher & Site Coordinator
- Esports Team, Faculty Advisor
What if every student learned to think like an inventor?
As an engineering & STEM teacher at Manasquan High School, my goal is to use invention and project-based learning to motivate students to self-identify as problem-solvers and change-makers. Invention education requires students to work as teams to identify real-world challenges they want to solve. When students experience this approach, they become more engaged in their learning, more inclusive in their thinking, and more prepared for a future of rapid change and uncertainty.
I strive to prepare my students to be the leaders of the future. The technologies I teach them in class will help my students build and practice the “soft” skills such as empathy, inclusivity, and curiosity that are in such high demand for tomorrow’s workforce. I’m not teaching my students to solve one problem; I’m teaching them the tools so they can analyze a problem, work with others to develop a solution, and apply these skills to any situation they encounter.
Happy Inventing!
Mrs. Edwards
Education:
NJCU, various additional graduate-level coursework
Master's in Library & Information Science (MLIS), Rutgers University [School Library Media Specialist]
Bachelor of Science in Biology, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey
Certifications:
Technology Education, NJ Standard Teaching Certification
Project Lead the Way Certified Teacher, Introduction to Engineering & Design, Principles of Engineering
Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Academy, Gold Certified EV3 Robotics Instructor
School Library Media Specialist, NJ Standard Certified Education Support Professional
Background:
I began working at Manasquan High School in the 2013-2014 school year as the Certified School Library Media Specialist. In 2015, I was asked to create the Academy of Engineering (AOE). I ran both the AOE and the Media Center from 2015-2020. During those years, I also taught an NJIT college course on our campus, Fundamentals of Engineering Design. In 2021-2022, we’d grown the AOE to the point that I needed to focus solely on it, so I transitioned to teaching engineering courses full time while running the AOE. Starting in the 2023-2024 school year, we expanded the AOE and transitioned it to the STEM Academy to better represent our inclusivity and broader scope of practice.
Subjects I Teach:
- STEM Academy Current Courses:
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- Introduction to Engineering & Design (PLTW)
- Principles of Engineering (PLTW)
- Civil Engineering & Architecture (PLTW)
- PLTW Capstone Course
Prior Courses:
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- Fundamentals of Engineering Design, NJIT college course on MHS campus
- Introduction to Engineering Robotics
- Introduction to Engineering & Design
- I am the "General Manager" for our Esports Team.
- Using our Esports Arena, room 464, I work with all my team captains and my Student Production Team to run 3 seasons of esports teams' competitions, along with Community Gaming Nights and other events.
- We have meetings and practices during community lunches in room 464 - See the posted schedule outside my classroom & connect with us on our Team Discord
- Each Championship/Varsity game's competition is scheduled after school at 3:30 on the assigned day, culminating in 3 seasons of State Championships (in-person at a NJ college)
- Contender League (JV), friendly/casual matches are also scheduled if student interest is present.
- We are always innovating and trying something new!
- I encourage students' exploration of emerging technologies, and new gaming formats, as requested by my team.
- Mr. Snyder has taken over the "club" aspect of the Innovation Lab. Working together with Mr. Snyder, we facilitate students’ participation in various STEM challenges, such as NJ STEAM TANK Challenge competitions, Samsung Solve For Tomorrow National Competition, and Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam.