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Friday, May 30, 2008

Quote of the Day
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
Arthur C. Clarke 

Topics in This Issue
01. Application to Present - Louisville 2009
02. Last Chance to Join at Current Rates!
03. Attention Affiliate Presidents and ITEA Representatives
04. National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning Website Includes I³
05. Trash to Treasure Competition
06. Green and Environmental Grants
07. More Green Topics
08. Safety Scholars Video Contest for Teens
09. New Episode—Ask Mr. Z Show
10. NASA Assigns Crew for Final Solar Array Delivery to Station
11. Statewide Summit on Technology Education Held in New York
12. Passage
13. Bill Will Improve Federal Agency Education Programs in the STEM Fields
14. NASA News
15. Greenfield Central High School is a Winner!
16. Need Inspiration?
17. Conference Opportunities
18. Engineering byDesign™

Application to Present – Louisville 2009

The Application to Present at ITEA’s 71st Annual Conference and Exposition March 26-28, 2009 in Louisville, Kentucky is available online at http://www.iteea.org/Conference/apptopresent.htm. The theme of the 2009 conference is “Delivering the T & E in STEM.” Presentations must address one or more of the following strands: Technology, Innovation, Design, Engineering, or STEM Integration. STEM is one of the hottest topics in education in America right now. Technology education can and does play a critical role in helping school districts deliver all aspects of STEM education to students, with particular emphasis on the T and the E. The discussions are sure to be of crucial importance to those interested in the field of technology and engineering education. Don’t miss this chance—apply now! The application deadline is June 15, 2008.

The association for technology, innovation, design, and engineering education!

Last chance to join ITEA or renew membership at current rates!

Join ITEA now or renew ahead at the current rates through June 30, 2008.

Visit ITEA’s eStore at www.iteea.org/Membership/membership.htm to renew by credit card
or call Member Services at 703-860-5032.

Attention Affiliate Presidents and ITEA Representatives
An Important Volunteer Opportunity in the Area of Governmental Relations

To expand our reach in the governmental relations area, ITEA is attempting to create a nationwide network of concerned TIDE educators willing to respond to elected representatives on issues of importance to the profession. This effort is being led by Dave Janosz (NJ) who also leads TIDEWatcher, the learning community designed to keep members informed about legislative issues. 

Give some thought as to who are our most politically astute association members. We will provide the leadership and guidance for each issue, but need voices coming from state leadership to your elected leaders. Please send your contact names and addresses to Lari Price (lprice@iteea.org) at ITEA Headquarters. Dave Janosz will be communicating with volunteers during this network-building process as more information becomes available.   

We thank you, in advance, for assisting us as we build this important network. As a network, we can and will make a difference.

Len S. Litowitz, DTE
ITEA President 2008-09

National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning Website Includes I³

The National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning of the U.S. Department of Education has launched a new website, Technology Curriculum Resources Database. http://www.sedl.org/afterschool/guide/technology/ Included in the database are ITEA’s I³ Units for Grades 5-6, part of the Engineering byDesign™ program series. http://www.sedl.org/cgi-bin/mysql/afterschool/technology.cgi?resource=9. An announcement issued in the e-newsletter from the National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning is available at http://www.sedl.org/afterschool/afterwords/apr2008/index.html.  

Trash to Treasure Competition
TURN YOUR TRASH INTO TREASURE AND WIN!

The Design Squad Trash to Treasure Competition challenges kids of all ages to take everyday discarded or recycled material and re-engineer it into functional products. The product can move things or people (Mobility), protect the environment (Environmental), or be something kids can play with inside or out (Play). The grand prize winner will receive a $10,000 cash prize provided by the Intel Foundation and a trip to the development lab at Continuum, an award-winning international design and innovation consultancy, to build a prototype of his or her Trash to Treasure design. The contest is for kids in Grades K-12 and is a really exciting way to get them interested in engineering and inventing. For more information, go to: http://pbskids.org/designsquad/contest. Submit your design online before June 30, 2008.

Green and Environmental Grants...

Grants for High School Teachers for the Environment
To help provide teachers around the country with support for their innovative work to bring environmental education into the classroom, the National Environmental Education Foundation is launching the Classroom Earth National High School Challenge—an opportunity for up to 25 teachers to secure as much as $5,000 to $10,000 in funding to bring innovative environmental themes into their coursework. Visit www.neefusa.org to learn more and to download the application. Submit your proposal by June 20, 2008.

Live Green Teacher Grants
Discovery Education and General Motors will award $1,000 grants to 40 middle-level teachers who inspire their students to learn about and embrace new technologies—in support of “living green.” Winning teachers will identify an issue or problem, create an innovative plan to address it, and integrate the topic into classroom teaching through an exciting project that motivates students. The competition is open between now and June 15, 2008. Teachers must submit a 750-word essay online at www.discoveryeducation.com/livegreen. Applicants are instructed to draft a creative essay with a visionary quality, answering the question, “How will you advance your students’ learning about sustaining resources through the use of new and emerging technologies?” Application deadline is June 15, 2008, with winners notified beginning July 9, 2008. For more information visit the website at http://livegreen.discoveryeducation.com/. 

Captain Planet Foundation Grants
The Captain Planet Foundation accepts applications four times each year for funding projects that help students better grasp environmental issues. Grants range from $250 to $2,500. Projects must promote understanding of environmental issues, focus on hands-on activities, involve children and young adults ages 6 to 18, promote interaction and cooperation within a group, help young people develop planning and problem-solving skills, include adult supervision, and commit to follow-up communication with the Foundation. Deadline for submitting grant applications for this cycle is June 30, 2008. For more information, visit the website at www.captainplanetfdn.org/grants.html.

More Green Topics

Green Schools Website
A website launched by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in October gives students, parents, teachers, school administrators, elected officials, and community members a new resource in the effort to ensure a future of green schools for every child within a generation. Build Green Schools (www.buildgreenschools.org) is filled with facts on the benefits and costs of green schools, including the ways green schools foster learning, decrease student and teacher absenteeism from respiratory and other illnesses, reduce energy and water bills, and provide models for teaching the world’s future leaders about sustainability to benefit communities for generations to come. It is complete with profiles of schools that have already gone green, examples of policies governments and school districts have instituted to ensure future schools are green, an extensive list of resources and links, and even a social networking site for visitors to share their experiences, best practices, and creative ideas.

A 2006 study sponsored by the American Federation of Teachers, the American Institute of Architects, the American Lung Association, the Federation of American Scientists, and USGBC found that building green would save an average school $100,000 each year in energy costs alone—enough to hire two new additional full-time teachers, purchase 5,000 new textbooks, or buy 500 new computers.

From the Hybrid Owners of America (hybridownersofamerica.org)
MIT Says We Need More Hybrids on the Road Now

An MIT study found that if we have the same mix of vehicles on the road in 2035 that we had in 2005, our fuel use will rise 35 percent. However, "aggressive adoption of hybrids would make carbon dioxide emissions 20 percent lower than if no changes were made in the next 27 years. That would require 55 percent of new cars on the road to be hybrids or plug-in hybrids, leaving 44 percent to run on gasoline." The researchers also called for immediate government support through fuel-efficiency tax credits—view the article at http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9937326-54.html?tag=newsmap.

Source: weeklyupdate@hybridownersofamerica.org
May 08, 2008

Safety Scholars Video Contest for Teens

It’s time to fire up the video cameras and get the creative juices flowing. The 2008 Safety Scholars Video Contest, presented by Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC, is now accepting student-made, safety-themed videos.      

The company is again turning to America’s teens for solutions presented in a creative format to help make roads safer for everyone. The Safety Scholars Video Contest now includes a chance for young video producers to have their auto safety videos broadcast as a public service commercial. The contest will award three $5,000 college scholarships for the most compelling and effective videos that drive home life-saving messages on auto and tire safety. The top 10 filmmakers will also receive a new set of Bridgestone tires. Three unique stars of last year’s winning Safety Scholars videos included robots with road rage, text-messaging nutcracker dolls, and seatbelt-savvy Lego® figurines. In addition to scholarships, the top four 2008 winners will showcase their videos to top automotive journalists at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show. The top 10 videos will also appear on SafetyScholars.com and YouTube.com, in addition to MySpace.com and Facebook.com on July 7. Viewers will then select the winners through online voting at SafetyScholars.com. 

Subject: New Episode—Ask Mr Z Show

View the latest episode 005 of SchoolTube's Ask Mr Z Show right now! Hear just how easy Visual Communicator is for kids of ANY age level and ability. See the episode at http://www.SchoolTVmadeEasy.com.

NASA Assigns Crew for Final Solar Array Delivery to Station

NASA has assigned the space shuttle crew for Discovery's STS-119 mission, targeted for launch in the fall of 2008. The flight will deliver the final pair of power-generating solar array wings and truss element to the International Space Station.

Air Force Col. Lee J. Archambault will command Discovery. Navy Cmdr. Dominic A. Antonelli will serve as the pilot. The mission specialists are Joseph Acaba, Richard R. Arnold, II, John L. Phillips, and Steven R. Swanson. Antonelli, Acaba, and Arnold will be making their first spaceflight. http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2007/oct/HQ_07229_STS-119-Crew_prt.htm
View an installation video at: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/iss_manifest.html 
Biographical data for ITEA members Joseph Acaba and Richard Arnold can be accessed directly from the ITEA home page at www.iteea.org.

Statewide Summit on Technology Education Held in New York

The New York State Technology Education Association (NYSTEA) in partnership with the New York State Education Department (NYSED) recently conducted a summit focused on the discipline of technology education. The title and thrust of the summit was Educating and Enabling 21st Century Students, with a primary focus on Pre-K through 16 education issues. Participants, working in groups, addressed the instructional areas of assessment, curriculum, and professional development as they pertain to technology education, the 28 N.Y.S. Learning Standards, literacy across the curriculum, and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) initiatives. The summit groups jointly formulated NYSTEA and NYSED short-term goals to be accomplished within 12–18 months, and long-term recommendations culminating in the technology education standards review in 2011. Within the next two weeks, these recommendations will undergo a review to ascertain the mutually agreed upon action steps that are realistic and can be accomplished by NYSTEA and NYSED. A full report of these proceedings will be published by June 1, 2008. Contact Charles Goodwin, Advisory Council Chairperson at cgnystea@stny.rr.com for additional information.

New York State Technology Education Association
Chartered by the Board of Regents of the State of New York
www.NYSTEA.com

Passage

Dr. Joseph Oakey, former Vermont Commissioner of Education and President of the Autodesk Foundation, passed away on May 3, 2008. Dr. Oakey was known throughout education as an innovator who was always looking for ways to showcase outstanding teachers and programs. As President of the Autodesk Foundation, he was responsible for over $60,000 worth of grants going directly to teachers and programs implementing Technology Project-Based Activities. He was a member of the Technology Education Advisory Council and received ITEA's Prakken Professional Cooperation Award. 

Bill Will Improve Federal Agency Education Programs in the STEM Fields

On May 21, 2008, Rep. Mike Honda and Sen. Barack Obama introduced a bipartisan bill in their respective chambers that will make America’s students and future labor force more competitive in science-related fields. The bill was introduced at a time when other countries are gaining ground on America in science and technology fields. Obama (D-IL) and Honda (D-CA) said this bill will help develop a coordinated strategy in the teaching of science, technology, engineering, and math education, the fields collectively known as STEM. The “Enhancing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education Act of 2008” (H.R. 6104) will create mechanisms for federal agencies and the states to coordinate STEM education strategies. Among the bill’s original cosponsors are Rep. George Miller, chairman of the House Committee on Labor and Education; Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-MI); and Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ).

In 2006, the federal government sponsored 105 STEM education programs through 15 different federal agencies at a cost of $3.12 billion. Yet the following year, American students did poorly in a test offered worldwide that measures student proficiency in understanding and applying science. Honda’s and Obama’s bill would:

• Reorganize the President’s Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). OSTP has a STEM subcommittee that has remained largely dormant over the past few years. The bill would raise that subcommittee to a committee level, giving it a mandate to work proactively at designing coherent STEM strategies.
• Create an Office of STEM at the U.S. Department of Education at the assistant-secretary level. This office will coordinate STEM education initiatives among all federal agencies and have a seat at the OSTP STEM Committee.
• Institute a voluntary Consortium on STEM education. The Consortium would be integrated by no less than five states representing at least five of the nation’s nine geographical regions. Its mission is to develop common content standards for K-12 STEM education, engineered at the state and local levels.
• Create the National STEM Education Research Repository. This would be a clearinghouse for educators to research the latest innovations in STEM. This will break the silos that keep creative programs from being replicated.

For educators, this bill promises to create tools and make available resources that are now scattered and isolated among federal agencies and the states.

NASA News

New NASA International Year of Astronomy 2009 Website
Join NASA in 2009 as it celebrates the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first observations of the universe through a telescope. In honor of this historic event, the International Astronomical Union and the United Nations have proclaimed 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy. The purpose of IYA is to spread awareness of astronomy's contributions to society and culture, stimulate young people's interest in science, portray astronomy as a global peaceful endeavor and to nourish a scientific outlook in society. To commemorate this event, NASA has launched a new website that will serve as a portal to NASA resources, events, and opportunities for involvement. A program of regional and national IYA activities for students, teachers, and the public are currently being planned. To learn more about this IYA and to find news and information about events that are being planned, visit http://astronomy2009.nasa.gov/.
 
NASA Shuttle Tire Loan Announcement – Space Shuttle Main Landing Gear Tires
Proposal Deadline: COB June 11, 2008
NASA is seeking outside organizations interested in a unique outreach opportunity using main landing gear tires from space shuttle missions. The long-term loan of these tires may be used to educate, inspire, or inform the public about NASA's scientific and technological achievements through art, sculpture, furniture, building structures, exhibits, or other innovative uses of the artifacts. These items may not be used for the promotion of any organization or entity, or for commercial purposes. Additional information and the full announcement are available at Artifacts.nasa.gov.

NASA/NSTA Web Seminar
Mars Exploration Rovers: Where Are They Now?
June 5, 2008 – Join Dr. Steve Ruff of Arizona State University as he presents an update on the Mars Exploration Rovers, including a description of an important new discovery by the Spirit rover in the Gusev crater concerning water and habitability on Mars. Dr. Ruff will also talk about initial results from the recent landing of the Phoenix mission and describe future Mars exploration plans. Designed for educators of Grades 5-12, the 90-minute seminar will begin at 6:30 p.m. EDT. http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/JPL2/webseminar13.aspx
 
If you have questions about the Web seminar, please email your inquiries to webseminars@nsta.org.

Send Your Name to the Moon Aboard LRO
NASA invites people of all ages to join the lunar exploration journey with an opportunity to send their names to the moon aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, spacecraft. The Send Your Name to the Moon website enables everyone to participate in the lunar adventure and place their names in orbit around the moon for years to come. Participants can submit their information, print a certificate, and have their name entered into a database. The database will be placed on a microchip that will be integrated onto the spacecraft. The deadline for submitting names is June 27, 2008.
 
For more information about the LRO spacecraft and its mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/main/index.html.

Greenfield Central High School is a Winner!

Congratulations to Greenfield Central High School, 2008 IMSTEA SuperMileage Champions! Greenfield Central was recently highlighted on How Cool is Your School?, a feature of Fox 59 TV. Watch the video at http://weblogs.fox59.com/news/education/coolschools/.

We’ll bet ITEA member, Gary Wynn, is extremely proud of his school!

Need Inspiration?

Check out the Indiana Department of Education, Office of Career and Technical Education website at http://www.doe.state.in.us/octe/technologyed/goodnews.html. And there’s more in the Indiana Tech Flash Newsletter here at http://www.doe.state.in.us/octe/technologyed/techflash.html.  

Conference Opportunities

Museum of Science, Boston and Valley City State University, ND present:
"Closing the Technology & Engineering Teaching Gap"
VCSU will host a two-day workshop on July 14 and 15, with an opening keynote address on Sunday, July 13. This workshop is intended to introduce K-12 teachers to the STEM-based curriculum developed by the Museum of Science, Boston and the National Center for Technological Literacy. Separate sessions will be dedicated for teachers at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Content in the workshops would be ideal for implementation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) instruction.

For details and registration information, please visit: http://teched.vcsu.edu/home/vp.htm?p=1220

Engineering is Elementary
National Teacher Educator Institutes 2008
Announcing intensive 2 ½ day workshops about Engineering is Elementary (EiE) for teacher educators offered by the Museum of Science, Boston in collaboration with partners across the country. This interactive program includes: hands-on experience with three EiE units; a preview all 13 existing EiE units; professional development-oriented discussions and reflections; a review of research about EiE; opportunities to share your experiences and plan with colleagues.

Locations to date include:                       
Boulder, CO (June 16-18)
Boston, MA (June 30-July 2)                
Austin, TX (September 17-19)

Visit the EiE website to register and to learn more about the Engineering is Elementary project http://www.mos.org/eie/workshops_programs.php

Southeastern Technology Education Conference
October 3-4, 2008, Norfolk, Virginia

Call for Presentation Proposals
STEC is seeking presentation proposals from its membership. Presentations are to be related to technology education and be 45 minutes in length. Presenters will have an additional 15 minutes to allow for questions and discussion. Graduate students should be encouraged to attend and to present. One session is planned for graduate students to present research in progress or preliminary results of research they have conducted. These sessions will be limited to 20 minutes each. All proposals are to be submitted by June 30, 2008. Contact Joe Busby at joe_busby@ncsu.edu or 919-513-0221 for complete information.

Submissions to Inside TIDE

To submit news or calendar items to Inside TIDE, email: kcluff@iteea.org.

End of Inside TIDE, Friday, May 30, 2008