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Topics in This Issue
01. Last Call for Presenters in Charlotte
02. ITEA Reinstates Elementary School Membership
03. "What Did You Say?"
04. ITEA's IdeaGarden Gets a "Facelift"
05. Bring Equity to Your Classroom
06. People and Programs in the News
07. New Episode of "Space Place Live!" Available Online
08. Future City Design Challenge 2010 Registration Opens
09. Southeastern Technology Education Conferene Call for Papers
10. Explore the City of Materials
11. Teaching STEM Through Aerospace Teacher Workshop
12. NASA Opportunities
13. Students Offered Amazing Prizes in Essay Competition
14. Alternate Energy Technology Teacher Resource Book
15. Bioscience Education Study Finds Some States Lagging
16. The Status of Women in STEM
17. Nation's Most Innovative Educators Honored for Contributions to Education
18. New Nanotechnology Center Features Unique Design
19. Figure This!
20. ITEA – For the Success of Each Member

Last Call for Presenters in Charlotte

The presenter application process for ITEA’s 2010 Charlotte, NC conference is now in its last week. Presentations must address the conference theme, “Green Technology: STEM Solutions for 21st Century Citizens” and, specifically, one or more of the following three strands: 1) Designing the Green Environment, 2) Describing Best Practices Through Teaching and Learning STEM, and 3) Developing 21st Century Skills. Complete descriptions of the strands are posted at www.iteea.org/Conference/apptopresent.htm along with an online link to the Application to Present. Hurry! The application deadline is June 15, 2009.

ITEA Reinstates Elementary School Membership

The ITEA membership recently voted to add elementary school memberships to its Bylaws. Previously, the Bylaws granted benefits and services to elementary school members that differed from those available to individual members. This member type was removed from the Bylaws pursuant to a decline in participation. After a trial reinstatement approved by the ITEA Board, the elementary membership type has achieved sufficient numbers to merit reinstatement, which was then formally approved via the voting process.

“What Did You Say?”

Over 500 members responded to the recent ITEA Communications Survey and provided us with much-needed feedback to assist in making decisions about the association as we move forward. What did we learn? Here are some highlights:

• A full 25% would be interested in participating in additional social networking opportunities, such as Twitter.
• The medium rated as “most effective” in providing useful information is The Technology Teacher, followed by the ITEA website.
• A whopping 92% of respondents rated their overall impression of The Technology Teacher as either “excellent” or “good.”
• The top four article topics suggested for future issues of TTT were:
• STEM (and STEM integration)
• Green Technology (Technology and Environment)
• Robotics
• Engineering Technology
• 77% felt that Inside TIDE provides information that is timely and relevant
• More than half of respondents were comfortable with receiving The Technology Teacher in electronic format now or within the next year. This is a dramatic increase from 2006 when only about 15% of members were ready for such a move. It is apparent that our members are somewhat ahead of the curve in their acceptance of more interactive electronic offerings.  

Again, we thank you for taking the time to provide us with this much-needed information about what works and what doesn’t. We place a very heavy emphasis on trying to create products and services that fit your needs.

ITEA’s IdeaGarden Gets a “Facelift”

After eight years, ITEA’s most popular Learning Community is going strong. Viewed by many members as a primary benefit of involvement with ITEA, this listserv is particularly active among teachers looking for or offering classroom solutions and support to one another. Daily interaction is the norm as questions are posed and provided with almost immediate feedback from others who have undergone similar teaching challenges. There is a definite spirit of camaraderie that goes hand-in-hand with professional development among the “Gardeners” that you can’t afford to miss out on.

If you’re an ITEA member you are entitled to FREE access to IdeaGarden. If you’re not already taking advantage of this problem-solving, thought-provoking forum, we strongly urge you to sign up today by going to www.iteea.org/Networking/IG/IG.htm.  

If you’re not already an ITEA member, sign up today at www.iteea.org/Membership/membership.htm to join in!

“Bring what you know…and watch it grow!”

People and Programs in the News

The Secret at Lake Middle School by Joy Burnett Lake Middle School has a well-kept secret. Hint: it’s not sports-related. The best-kept secret at the school is an award-winning master teacher who is preparing young minds for the careers of the future. Victor Stefan, a quiet, unassuming man who enjoys teaching technology to middle school students, has been recognized for his achievements at four separate events this year alone. Any one of these honors would be a feather in any teacher’s cap. Mr. Stefan was named a Distinguished Technology Educator (DTE) at the 71st Annual Conference of the INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION (ITEA) in Louisville, Kentucky in late March... The DTE recognition is one of the highest honors for professional achievement in this field. Together with Plain Local Schools teacher Rick Oyster, Mr. Stefan also gave a presentation on Robotics for Middle School Students at the conference, the same one they gave at Carnegie Mellon University for educators from around the world.

The Martha Holden Jennings Foundation has recognized Mr. Stefan as a Jennings Scholar, one of 200 high-performing, outstanding master teachers in Ohio. The Jennings Scholars program is an important source of professional development for teachers that encourages the Scholars to apply new and improved capabilities in their own schools and classrooms... On May 2, Mr. Stefan was among 21 Kent State University alumni who received the Distinguished College of Technology Alumni Awards at the 2009 Vision 21 Awards Banquet. This award bestows recognition upon graduates who have achieved outstanding accomplishments in their professional lives and careers. The number of honorees (21) emphasizes the importance of technology in the 21st Century. Mr. Stefan recently received a Research Grant from Hofstra University for a middle school program that was part of the MSTP Project, a National Science Foundation-funded Mathematics and Science Partnership Project conducted by the Hofstra University Center for Technological Literacy. The program involved a project that included a problem situation, a challenge, design specifications and constraints, spreadsheets, design drawings and budgets, and a group presentation to the class. A Lake Middle School teacher since 1978, Mr. Stefan knows that living in the 21st Century requires more than just the basic ability to read, write, and perform simple mathematics. He teaches Integrated STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Technology, using the Engineering byDesign™ program that focuses on student achievement through technological literacy, encouraging the next generation of engineers, innovators, and technologists. Mr. Stefan’s success has been reflected with his students’ awards over years in competitions sponsored by the Ohio Technology Education Association and his ITEA Program Excellence Awards at the regional, state, and national levels, as well as a long list of many other professional honors and awards. Excerpted from an article printed in The Hartville News, May 15, 2009, pg. 3 Reprinted with permission

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Fort Hays State University Makes The Hays Daily News
FHSU students had an impressive showing at the TECA Competitive Events at ITEA’s Louisville conference in March. Department of Technology Studies Chair, Fred Ruda, who was named a Distinguished Technology Educator (DTE) at the conference, and The Hays Daily News were very proud of them. Read the full story at www.hdnews.net/Story/fhsunationals040109.

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Technology Education Professor Honored by the University of Arkansas
Michael Daugherty received recognition from the University of Arkansas College of Education and Health Professions for his induction into the Academy of Fellows at the ITEA conference in Louisville. Read the article at http://coehp.uark.edu/7124.htm.

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Congratulations to Mr. Stuffle’s Transportation Processes Class!
ITEA Teacher Excellence Recipient Ed Stuffle’s Transportation Processes class at North Montgomery High School in Indiana had a banner year—they built a hovercraft! Read Lori Poteet’s May 26 article in The Paper of Montgomery County at /www.thepaper24-7.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=20504&SectionID=23&Sub.

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Educator of the Year Award presented to Georgette Yakman in Virginia
Georgette ‘”George” Yakman, a technology teacher at Pulaski County High School in Virginia, received the Educator of the Year Award from the NewVa Corridor Technology Council at their annual TechNite awards banquet on May 21, 2009 in Roanoke, VA. The council represents over 200 technology-oriented businesses and organizations in Western Virginia. The award stated that she won because of her promotion of science, technology, (engineering), and mathematics in creative ways to transfer knowledge and help develop future technology leaders. The award included a check for $1,000. 

Georgette received her BA and MS degrees from Virginia Tech, where she is currently working on her Ph.D. degree. She is a member of ITEA and Secretary of the Virginia Technology Education Association. She has extensive experience in business and industry as well as in education.

New Episode of “Space Place Live!” Available Online

The Space Place, NASA’s award-winning website for kids, presents the Space Place cartoon kids hosting their own talk show “live” from the Space Place Clubhouse. Their guests are NASA scientists and engineers. The goal of “Space Place Live!” is to introduce kids to the human, down-to-Earth side of real scientists and engineers working in the space program. Each guest is presented as a passionate and accomplished role model for every child interested in science or engineering.

In the latest episode, the kids interview a cartoon version of the GOES satellite Deputy Project Manager, Andre Dress. Andre works at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. He talked with Kate and Kyo about preparing the new GOES-O weather satellite and the team for the most exciting day of the mission, the launch! To watch the latest episode and past episodes that have been archived, visit http://spaceplace.nasa.gov. Questions about Space Place should be emailed to spaceplace@jpl.nasa.gov.

Future City Design Challenge 2010 Registration Opens

Registration for next year’s Future City Design Challenge is open on the national website: www.futurecity.org/. Please register early and encourage other teachers to as well. 

You can check out a video on PBS from this past year’s event: http://pbs-newshour.onstreammedia.com/cgi-bin/
visearch?user=pbs-newshour&template=template.html&query=%22future+city+competition%22&keywords=%22future+c

Source: NJTEA Update, #24, May 9, 2009

2009 Southeastern Technology Education Conference Call for Papers

STEC is seeking presentation proposals from its membership for the 2009 Southeastern Technology Education Conference to be held October 1‐3, 2009 at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee as a joint meeting with the Mississippi Valley Technology Teacher Education Conference. 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. All proposals are to be submitted by June 30, 2009. For an electronic copy of the conference details and submission form, contact Philip Reed at preed@odu.edu.

Explore City of Materials
where kids have fun with stuff

There’s a new place where middle school students, teachers, and parents can have fun, solve CSI-like mysteries, and learn more about the amazing world of materials.

“City of Materials (www.cityofmaterials.com) is an interactive online environment where you can explore the materials that are part of our everyday lives,” said Jan Edwards, leader of the K-12 Education Committee of ASM International, the materials information society. Developed by ASM volunteers representing the materials science and engineering community, along with the participation of pre-college teachers and graduate students, City of Materials is technology rich, web-based, visual, and interactive. The goal is for students to connect with Materials Science and Engineering both as a real-world engineering discipline and as a possible career. 

Teaching STEM Through Aerospace Teacher Workshop

The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center and the Federal Aviation Administration are sponsoring a teacher workshop for middle and high school teachers. This workshop will focus on using aerospace-based activities to teach science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The workshop is taking place on June 30, 2009 at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord, NH. Registration is $75 per person and limited to the first 80 participants. To register, call 603-271-7827, and press zero (0) after the recording begins. For more information, visit www.faa.gov/education/educator_resources/teacher_workshops/. If you have questions about this opportunity, please contact the Director of Education David McDonald at 603-271-7827, extension 114.

NASA Opportunities

• NASA Invites High School Students to Apply for INSPIRE Project
  NASA’s Interdisciplinary National Science Project Incorporating Research and Education Experience, or INSPIRE, is a multi-tiered, year-round program for students in Grades 9-12 and their parents or legal guardians. Applications are due June 30, 2009. INSPIRE provides grade-appropriate, NASA-related resources and experiences to encourage and reinforce students' aspirations to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and careers. The project also offers resources and information for parents to help them better champion their student's goals. INSPIRE provides participants a rich online community as well as opportunities to compete to participate in NASA/STEM experiences. INSPIRE participants will be matched to one of the 10 NASA facilities, based on the participant's place of residence and the NASA facility’s Area of Service. For more information about this opportunity, visit www.nasa.gov/education/INSPIRE. If you have questions about this opportunity, please email your inquiries to INSPIRE Project Manager Steve Chance at steven.h.chance@nasa.gov.
• Top Stars: Website Accepting Entries
  The Top Stars project invites U.S. formal (K-12, college) and informal educators to submit their best examples of using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope for STEM education. The website is now accepting entries from individuals or teams of up to four educators. Once you register, you may begin creating your entry (you can save, return to edit, and submit once read). Entries will be accepted through January 2, 2010 (May 29 was the deadline for entries to be considered in the first round of selections). For more information or to get started, visit http://topstars.strategies.org.
• XXII Satellite Educators Conference
  August 13-15, 2009; Los Angeles, CA
  This annual conference is for educators interested in discovering ways to use satellites and related technologies as a vehicle for helping students appreciate and understand the complex interrelationships among science, technology, individuals, societies, and the environment while developing and applying inquiry and technology skills to study authentic questions and problems. The conference is sponsored by NASA, NOAA, and aerospace corporations. For more information, visit: www.SatED.org.

Students Offered Amazing Prizes in Essay Competition
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and U.S. Navy invite students to enter Navy Diversity Essay Competition 

The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), Advancing Hispanic Excellence in Technology, Engineering, Math and Science (AHETEMS) and the U.S. Navy are inviting all SHPE student members to enter the first Navy Diversity Essay Competition for a chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Three student contest winners will be offered the choice between being a passenger on the U.S. Navy’s historic Blue Angel ride; boarding a U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier; or stepping inside a U.S. Navy Nuclear Submarine. The first-place winner will have an opportunity to choose first from these prizes, followed by the second and third places, respectively. The winner will be chosen based on his or her representation of the topic, “Service to the Country as an Engineer.”

SHPE students pursuing a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics degree and attending accredited U.S. universities or community colleges are encouraged to participate. To qualify, students must have at least a 3.0 GPA and be 18 years old or older. The essay submission deadline is September 10, 2009. Ten finalists will be interviewed on site during the 2009 SHPE Conference on October 29 in Washington, DC, and the three winners will be announced at the conference’s Gala Banquet, October 31. For more information regarding the contest and application, students may visit www.ahetems.org.

Alternate Energy Technology Teacher Resource Books

Ninety years ago, Thomas Edison was a huge supporter of alternate energy technologies like solar and wind. In recognition of this vision and insight, The Edison Innovation Foundation is proud to offer its new Alternate Energy Booklets on a single CD, a seven-volume teacher resource collection concentrating on the timely subject of alternate energy topics like Energy Conservation, Wind Power, Solar Energy [Photovoltaic], Solar Energy [Thermal], Geothermal Heating, Fuel Cells, and About Energy and its Use.

Written by ITEA member and The Technology Teacher contributor, Harry Roman, each booklet is on average about 20+ pages, and contains teacher resource materials, experiments, classroom activities, and supplemental and reference information. Input from approximately 60 teachers who attended several early alternate energy workshops conducted by the Edison Foundation (and who provided feedback) helped define the nature and content of this booklet collection. Copies of the CD can be purchased by contacting: The Edison Innovation Foundation [Christine D’Amico], One Riverfront Plaza, 3rd Floor, Newark, NJ 07102, 973-648-0500.

Bioscience Education Study Finds Some States Lagging
First-ever report by Battelle, BIO, and Biotechnology Institute find wide disparities in achievement and uneven program efforts

States across America are failing to prepare students for pursuing biosciences in higher education—a key pipeline for developing the bioscience workforce of the future. A new report funded and researched by BIO, Battelle, and the Biotechnology Institute provides the first-ever comprehensive study of middle and high school bioscience education in the 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. The report also finds a wide disparity across measures of student achievement in overall science and biosciences, an uneven record across states in incorporating the biosciences in state science standards, supporting focused bioscience education programs and higher level bioscience courses, and ensuring science and bioscience teachers are well qualified.

The findings indicate a clear need for improved science education that incorporates the biosciences at the middle and high school levels if the United States bioscience industry sector is to remain globally competitive. This is not to say that bioscience education is nonexistent in the United States, because there are many examples of programs that work. However, the report does say that these programs should be replicated across the country, and that states need to commit resources to them.

The study and individual state profiles are available at: http://bio.org/battelle2009.

The Status of Women in STEM
New National Academies Report Shows Women Faring Well in Hiring and Tenure Processes for Science and Engineering Jobs at Research Universities, but Still Underrepresented in Applicant Pools

Although women are still underrepresented in the applicant pool for faculty positions in math, science, and engineering at major research universities, those who do apply are interviewed and hired at rates equal to or higher than those for men, says a new report from the National Research Council. Similarly, women are underrepresented among those considered for tenure, but those who are considered receive tenure at the same or higher rates than men.

The congressionally mandated report examines how women at research-intensive universities fare compared with men at key transition points in their careers. The report's conclusions are based on the findings of two national surveys of tenure-track and tenured faculty in six disciplines (biology, chemistry, mathematics, civil engineering, electrical engineering, and physics) at 89 institutions in 2004 and 2005. The study committee also heard testimony and examined data from federal agencies, professional societies, individual university studies, and academic articles.

The study was sponsored by the National Science Foundation at the request of Congress. The National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council make up the National Academies. They are private, nonprofit institutions that provide science, technology, and health policy advice under a congressional charter. 

Copies of Gender Differences at Critical Transitions in the Careers of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Faculty are available from the National Academies Press at 202-334-3313 or 1-800-624-6242 or www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12062.

Nation’s Most Innovative Educators Honored for Contributions to Education
Cable’s Leaders in Learning Award Winners Include Teachers, Administrators, and Community Leaders

In a small town in the Midwest, students create movies for a film festival that brings industry executives from Los Angeles and Chicago and draws 1,600 attendees. Through community support and business partnerships, a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) charter school opened its doors in the Jefferson Parish region of New Orleans and now thrives academically. Through local cablecasting, students become reality TV stars as the trials and tribulations of planting and harvesting their own organic garden are played out on a reality show.

These are among the examples of visionary education approaches utilized by the winners of the prestigious 2009 Cable’s Leaders in Learning Awards from Cable in the Classroom (CIC), the cable industry’s national education foundation. Winners were chosen from 47 finalist applications submitted from across the country. Applicants consisted of educators, school administrators, college faculty, volunteers, and community leaders. 

The national Cable’s Leaders in Learning Award honorees will each receive a $3,000 prize and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. where they will be honored at an awards ceremony and luncheon on June 10th hosted by Food Network Chef Alton Brown. For more information on the awards and the 2009 winners, visit www.leadersinlearningawards.org.

New Nanotechnology Center Features Unique Design

The new Marcus Nanotechnology Building, which recently opened on the campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology, has captivated spectators with its unique design and magnificent copper-clad facade. Located in one of the nation's premier research universities, the Marcus Building—coupled with the other research facilities in the complex—creates a nanotechnology hub for the development of healthcare advances and green energy technology. Read the whole story at www.gatech.edu/newsroom/release.html?id=2829.

Figure This!

Casio Computer Co., Ltd., has announced the official launch of an English Version of its high-precision calculation website, “Keisαn,” which means “calculation” in Japanese (http://keisan.casio.com/). Keisαn provides a free online service that allows users to perform a variety of calculations, and is designed to give back to society the expertise in calculation that Casio has developed over many years as a calculator manufacturer. 

The Library page on the site offers a wide variety of libraries, including operations necessary for serious mathematics such as Bessel functions and probability functions, as well as features useful in everyday life, such as measurement unit converters, loan calculators, and calendar-related tools. The recommended calculation library section on the right side of the menu includes features like sunrise and sunset times, same birthday probability, and other unique formulas. The website provides visitors with a number of fun, convenient calculation features.

The Japanese version of the website was launched in April of last year and is already receiving an average of 150,000 visitors each day. The site was met with favorable reaction as a calculation site that is both entertaining and practical. Now, with the launch of the English version of the site, an even greater number of people are able to benefit from Casio’s highly accurate calculation tools.

ITEA – For the Success of Each Member

We are educators united to improve teaching and learning.

Representing more than 35,000 secondary educators, ITEA is the largest technology education association in the world. Our membership reflects all aspects of technology, innovation, design, and engineering education. Our members are professional educators and advocates from kindergarten through university levels throughout the United States and in over 40 countries worldwide.

We advocate sound education policies.

Educators and all who care about technological literacy view ITEA as a trusted source. We help link research-based practice to informed policymaking. We help those with differing perspectives reach consensus about what’s best in order to attain the goal of technological literacy for all. ITEA and its more than 50 affiliates serve as the gateway to sources and resources, offering “in the field” perspectives to educators and policymakers alike about what’s working in the field.

We share best practices.

ITEA provides the latest in information and products, and offers cutting-edge professional development for effective teaching and learning. We advance professional accountability. We offer worldwide perspectives about the best in technology, innovation, design, and engineering teaching and learning.

We care.

It’s in our nature to care about each other—and ITEA is an association that cares too. One of the best member benefits you will receive is the opportunity to network with colleagues who encourage you to think, allow you to share, and always challenge you to be your best!

For the success of each member!
Join ITEA today and save $10 off the first year of membership.

Submissions to Inside TIDE

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

End of Inside TIDE, Wednesday, June 10, 2009