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Registration is Opening This Week for ITEEA's 75th Anniversary Conference in Columbus!
 ITEEA’s 2013 conference in Columbus from March 7-9 marks the 75th annual meeting of the association and offers a unique opportunity to reflect on decades of activities, reconnect teachers with former students, and focus on the challenges of the future.
The conference theme, Improving Technology and Engineering Education For All Students: A Plan of Action provides numerous opportunities to showcase our field, and in this feature we’ll focus on the K-16 students who are the primary focus of our educational efforts.
In the 1800s, an educational program was developed in the Scandinavian countries called “Slöjd” (which, in Swedish, means handicraft). During the dark and cold winters of the region, students would stay indoors building small projects or repairing home and farm instruments. Hand and tool skills were developed while young students fashioned projects of wood, metal, or natural materials. Noted educator Otto Salomon popularized the Sloyd Movement in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Obviously, project-based learning developed into a technique that was both educational and engaging, and is common even today. Modern technology and engineering teachers use this same project method when covering current technologies with today’s students.
At one time, projects were the exclusive evidence of successful practice in industrial-based programs. A tour of any high school included looking at student handiwork in a showcase, or checking out furniture and similar artifacts on laboratory benches or in storerooms. A school’s program was deemed valuable, even “excellent” when the students produced quality projects (with impressive examples available behind for others to see).
In the era of academic standards, the focus on “achievement” has expanded to include student knowledge and abilities. Projects are still popular, but the intellectual growth of individual students and small teams is most important. Students who excel in TSA events or a FIRST robotics competition have ribbons, plaques, and trophies to show for their “outstanding” work. Artifacts are often replaced by headlines in local media, and successful learning is recognized later when each student becomes an effective problem solver or creative designer in a modern career.
Every technology and engineering teacher should be able to identify former students who are now working in a field related to modern technology. These students have fulfilled the mission statement of your schools and programs, as they are better prepared to excel in a global society. They display the knowledge, laboratory proficiency, and confidence to contribute at home and work.
The ITEEA conference in March will involve teachers who also developed into outstanding educators from a variety of backgrounds. Plan to attend the 2013 conference in Columbus to see, among many other offerings, these former “projects” (i.e., students) and learn of their many successes in life.
Click here for complete conference information, including registration.
ITEEA Board of Directors Election – Vote Today!
 The 2012-2013 ITEEA Board of Directors election ballot, including candidate biographies, was emailed to Professional and active Life Members on October 1. Exercise your right to vote by completing your ballot promptly! Ballots must be completed on or before October 30, 2012. If you did not receive your ballot, please email iteea@iteea.org and put “Need Help with Ballot” in the subject line.
This year’s candidates are:
President-Elect (Teacher Educator)
James Boe, DTE, Chair, Department of Technology, Valley City State University, Valley City, ND
William (Bill) L. Havice, DTE, Professor and Associate Dean, Clemson University, Clemson, SC
Region I Director (Classroom Teacher)
Henry L. (Hal) Harrison, III, Florence Chapel Middle School, Duncan, SC
Jan F. Stark, Port Jervis High School, Port Jervis, NY
Greg Joseph Strimel, Marriotts Ridge High School, Career & Technology, Marriottsville, MD
Region III Director (Supervisor)
Don Fischer, Technology and Engineering Education State Supervisor, ND Department of Career and Technical Education, Bismarck, ND
ITEEA Special Recognition Awards
The ITEEA Awards Committee seeks nominations for the Association?s Special Recognition Awards. These include Special Recognition Award, Wilkinson Meritorious Service Award, Lockette/Monroe Humanitarian Award, Award of Distinction, and the Academy of Fellows. Please go to www.iteea.org/Awards/awardspecialrecognition.htm to find qualifications and procedures for nominating your colleagues for these awards. Nomination packages must be received by December 1. Awardees will be recognized at the Association?s conference in Columbus. For additional information, email Committee Chair John M. Ritz, DTE at jritz@odu.edu.
CNC Software/Mastercam to Sponsor Student ITEEA Memberships Through October 31
NEWS IN THE
SPOTLIGHT
For CTETE Members
 There are three awards available for members of ITEEA’s Council for Technology and Engineering Teacher Education: the 2013 CTETE Travel Grant Award, the 2013 Research Award, and the 2013 Silvius-Wolansky Publication Award. The deadline for CTETE awards and recognition is coming soon: November 23.
Please consider nominating a colleague or yourself for one of our prestigious awards.
Details and application forms are located on the CTETE site at www.ctete.org/#!awards/vstc3=awards-applications.
Star of the Month for October – Scott Kutz
 Scott Kutz is a Tech Ed teacher at Westlake High School in Ohio. He designed a year-long course for his high school students called Design Squad ? based upon both the hands-on activities found on the Design Squad website, as well as on challenges found in episodes of the show. In 2010-2011, the final challenge for his class was to create a PVC kayak, just as the contestants on Design Squad had done in episode PVC Kayak (#202). The kids tested their designs at a community center pool down the street from the school. This past year, Scott paired his seniors with underclassmen to collaborate on submissions for the Build Big Competition ? a contest where teams were challenged to supersize a Design Squad activity, which ran throughout the spring and summer of 2011. Several of Scott’s students were recognized for their efforts ? including contest winners Paul, Kalin, and Robert. (Go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVC6x9in0AQ&feature=player_embedded to watch their submission.)
Since word has spread about Scott’s dynamic use of Design Squad resources, he has served as an advisor to many Design Squad projects, as a panelist during a Design Squad session at the ITEEA conference in Minneapolis in 2011, and a guest speaker during a Design Squad webcast hosted by NASA in May 2010.
Nominated by: Susan Buckey
WGBH, host of Design Squad Nation
Another ITEEA Star – Joel Ellinghuysen
 ITEEA would like to take a few moments to give special recognition to a member who goes above and beyond what is expected of him ? and that member is JOEL ELLINGHUYSEN. Joel attended his State Conference in MN recently and worked very hard to promote ITEEA. His efforts really paid off. Out of 115 conference attendees, Joel managed to sign up 31 new and renewing members! Yes, that is correct:
- 31 memberships (includes joint state, professional, and advocate) and he gave a presentation on ITEEA in a general session.
- Additionally, he had all members check their contact information to earn a ticket for door prizes ? the effort on his part to do this helps ITEEA to keep its database up to date.
In a double-duty role, serving ITEEA as Region 3 Director and MN Affiliate Representative, Joel’s performance is amazing! He is indeed a STAR and an example of how to MAKE IT HAPPEN!
The Minnesota Technology and Engineering Educators Association state conference took place at the end of September. "What a great way to reenergize and network with fellow technology and engineering educators! Lots of great people, vendors, products, projects, curriculum and just great fun!"
Hybrid Training Opportunity at the ITEEA Annual Conference
 As part of this National Science Foundation-sponsored project, Stevens Institute of Technology is offering ITEEA members the opportunity to participate in a hybrid training course for WaterBotics during 2013. The course will commence with a full-day preconference workshop at the 2013 ITEEA Conference in Columbus, OH, followed by four online modules, 2-3 hours each, offered in the spring and again in the summer, 2013. Key details are as follows:
- Stevens will conduct a full-day, preconference workshop on Wednesday, March 6, 2013 for 20 ITEEA members.
- This session will be followed by 4 online modules, 2-3 hours each, to be completed either in the spring or summer, 2013. Modules will consist of written materials, videos, screencasts, simulations, and web conferences, with the goal of maximizing flexibility for the participants.
- Participants will be selected through an application process, with preference given to 2-member teams of teachers from the same school or district.
- Each participant will receive reimbursement for his/her conference registration and a $500 stipend pending completion of classroom implementation and evaluation requirements.
- Each participant will receive a WaterBotics site license valued at $200.
- Participants will be asked to complete pre- and post-surveys and assessments, and to have their students complete assessments that are embedded within the WaterBotics curriculum.
- Participants must have or obtain the necessary equipment needed to implement WaterBotics with a class of students during the 2013-14 school year. Participants must also have access to this equipment for the online training component. Please review the equipment and material requirements below before applying for the program.
If you are a middle or high school teacher and ITEEA member, we encourage you and a partner teacher from your school or district to apply. Please note that each partner must complete an application form.
The deadline for submitting applications is November 30, 2012. Applicants will be notified by January 4, 2013. Go to www.waterbotics.org/iteea/ to apply.
Downloads
For advertising, sponsorship, and exhibiting opportunities, visit www.iteea.org/Marketplace/marketplace.htm
For membership, visit www.iteea.org/Membership/membership.htm
OTHER STEM NEWS
The College Comment Now Available
The September 2012 issue of The College Comment is now available from the Technology and Engineering Education Collegiate Association (TEECA), an affiliate council of ITEEA. TEECA, through the support of ITEEA and its affiliate councils, is the only organization that provides future technology and engineering teachers with the opportunity to develop as future teacher leaders through professional development opportunities and competitive events at regional and international conferences.
Visit www.iteea.org/Membership/Councils/TEECAComment09.12.pdf to browse or download a pdf of The College Comment. Past issues are also available at this link. Please contact TEECA National Advisor, Jerianne Taylor, at Taylorjs@appstate.edu if you have any questions about TEECA and the role you can play in this exciting organization.
New NASA iPad Magazine "Space Place Prime" Now Available
Announcing "Space Place Prime," the new NASA magazine for iPad. This brand new app gathers some of the best and most recent Web offerings from NASA. It taps engrossing articles from The Space Place website, enlightening NASA videos, and daily images such as the Astronomy Picture of the Day and the NASA Earth Observatory Image of the Day.
“Space Place Prime” targets a multigenerational audience. Kids, teachers, parents, space enthusiasts, and everyone in between will find fascinating features on this new, free NASA app.
For more information about the new magazine, visit http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/ios/. iPad is a registered trademarks of Apple Inc.
Source: NASA Education Express Message — September 20, 2012
10 Connecticut Schools Receive $1200 REC VEX Grants
Thanks to the efforts of the REC Foundation, the Connecticut Technology Education Association (CTEA) was able to make available ten $1200 grants for first-time teams to participate in the CTEA Southern New England Regional VEX Competition, presented by Central Connecticut State University and the CT-TSA State Competition VEX Event. The funds will be used to purchase VEX Equipment/software. Teams receiving the grant are required to register for the CTEA Regional Competition and the CT-TSA State Conference VEX Competition.
REC Foundation is the organization providing grants for schools to get involved in the VEX Robotics Competition. The VEX Robotics Competition is the largest—and fastest growing—middle and high school robotics program in the world. The VEX Robotics Competition supports over 65,000 students on over 5,000 teams in over 25 countries.
CTEA is looking forward to possibly funding additional first-time teams, so any school interested in being considered for future grants should contact Greg Kane, CTEA Affiliate Representative and State VEX Competition Coordinator, at Gkane@aol.com.
"Curiosity in the Classroom" Brings STEM Resources to Teachers and Students
Discovery Education and Intel Corporation recently announced the expansion of Curiosity in the Classroom, a partnership designed to extend learning opportunities found in Discovery Channel’s groundbreaking television series CURIOSITY to teachers and students. With a critical need for free resources to ignite students’ interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), the expanded website will feature new lesson plans and activities that create STEM connections across various subjects.
CuriosityintheClassroom.com, an interactive, educational tool, contains cutting-edge curriculum examining topics such as artificial intelligence, communications, computers, nanotechnology, and robotics. The site provides resources that encourage insightful conversation between educators, students, and families.
Building on the website’s robust collection of resources aligned to national education standards for students in Grades 6-12, Discovery Education and Intel are adding an increased selection of interactive lesson plans to help boost engagement among today’s digital learners. The updated site now features new topics integrated into multidisciplinary lesson plans and activities for English/Language Arts and World History to make real world connections to STEM topics, and help students gain essential problem-solving skills.
For more information, visit CuriosityintheClassroom.com.
Opportunities for Students
Trash Transformation Challenge from Tech Directions
Challenge your students?to apply their creativity to invent something useful that incorporates one or more of these materials. Given a good supply of discarded CDs/DVDs, old toothbrushes, Popsicle sticks, and empty sewing thread spools, what might your students create?
If your students’ ideas are among the best, they will receive a Tech Directions Inventors Award certificate, and their solutions will be published in the May 2013 issue of the magazine. The top three competitors will also receive a book or poster of their choice from Tech Directions Books & Media. All winners will have a notable accomplishment to list on future resumes and college applications, and they’ll bring excellent publicity to your technology and engineering education program!
The deadline is January 31, 2013. For complete rules and submission information, go to: www.techdirections.com/contest.html
Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision Launches 2013 Program
Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision, the world’s largest K-12 science and technology competition is now accepting entries for 2013. Students research scientific principles and current technologies as the basis for designing inventions that could exist in 20 years. As the program has evolved over the past two decades, it continues to encourage excellence and motivate students in STEM disciplines. Applications for this year’s competition are available online at www.ExploraVision.org. The deadline is January 31, 2013.
The Extreme Redesign 3D Printing Challenge 2013 is Now Open!
Calling all engineering, design, art, and architecture students and teachers across the globe: The 2013 Extreme Redesign contest is now accepting entries.
We're looking for CAD students worldwide to submit their most creative, useful, and innovative Extreme Redesigns. Whether it's a new perspective on an everyday product or a fresh vision for a piece of art, animation, or architecture, Stratasys will award student scholarships based on the design's creativity, usefulness, part integrity, and aesthetics. Learn more at: www.dimensionprinting.com/extreme-redesign/extreme-redesign-main.aspx
“Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge” Opens Call for Entries
More than $300,000 in Prizes, Including Scholarships, Savings Bonds, School Grants, Adventure Trips, and More
As global environmental challenges increase, the Siemens Foundation and Discovery Education are looking to our country’s future leaders for innovative solutions. Since 2008, through the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, K-12 students have been asked to identify environmental problems or issues in their schools, communities, and across the globe and devise plans to solve them.
The Challenge, which kicked off October 1 with a call for entries, pairs student teams with advisors and asks them to tackle local (K-5), regional (6-8), and global (9-12) environmental problems or issues and find replicable green solutions. A panel of environmental experts and science educators judge teams based on their research, analysis, and the ability of the solution to be replicated on a larger scale.
The project is a collaboration of the Siemens Foundation, Discovery Education, the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), and the College Board. Participating students can find help in turning their ideas into a reality through the aid of a variety of Web-based curriculum tools powered by Discovery Education.
To join this educational initiative, team advisors (who must be full-time or part-time school employees) can register for the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, add their student teams, and begin formulating their projects at www.wecanchange.com. Student and school prizes, which vary according to grade level and are valued at more than $300,000 total, include scholarships, savings bonds, school grants, adventure trips, school assemblies, and more.
The www.wecanchange.com site helps teams get started with a robust free resource section that includes lesson plans, e-books, virtual labs, and more to accompany each stage of the Challenge. These materials have been created by Discovery Education, a division of Discovery Communications that provides scientifically proven standards-based digital content and resources to classrooms nationwide.
The deadline for all entries is March 5, 2013. Finalists and winners will then be announced in April 2013. For more information on the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, visit www.wecanchange.com or www.facebook.com/wecanchange.
Pressman Toy Corp. Announces National MASTERMIND® BrainTwister Challenge
Students from all over the country are invited to come up with their own BrainTwister!
Pressman Toy Corporation has announced the first annual MASTERMIND® BrainTwister Challenge from now until December 31, 2012. Students will be challenged to come up with their own games for the MASTERMIND® BrainTwister Challenge. Those can be puzzles, word problems, or games with a solution or riddle. Children ages 7 through 12 are eligible and can enter online at www.mastermind-education.com.
MASTERMIND® is a game that has been around for over 40 years. It teaches kids skills in logic, reasoning, and strategic thinking.
2013 RASC-AL Competition
NASA and the National Institute of Aerospace announce the 2013 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts Academic Linkage, or RASC-AL, Competition. RASC-AL is a design project competition aimed at university-level engineering students. The RASC-AL contest challenges participants to design projects based on real NASA projects. Participants can choose from three different themes. Concepts derived from the design projects potentially could be implemented by NASA.
Interested teams are encouraged to submit a notice of intent by November 9, 2012, and teams must submit an abstract for their proposed project by January 19, 2013. The RASC-AL Steering Committee of NASA and industry experts will evaluate the proposals and select as many as 10 undergraduate and five graduate teams to compete against each other at a forum in June 2013 in Florida.
The RASC-AL competition is open to full-time undergraduate or graduate students majoring in engineering or science at an accredited university. University design teams must include one faculty or industry advisor with a university affiliation and two or more undergraduate or graduate students. A group of universities may also work in collaboration on a design project entry. Multidisciplinary teams are encouraged.
For more information about this competition, visit www.nianet.org/rascal/index.html. If you have questions about this competition, please contact Shelley Spears at Shelley.Spears@nianet.org or Stacy Dees at stacy.dees@nianet.org.
NASA Education Express Message – Sept. 20, 2012
SpaceTech Engineering Design Challenge
Challenge: Design a Thermal Control System for a space station in lunar orbit.
For a manned space station in low lunar orbit, design a thermal control system to maintain all of the avionics components within an acceptable temperature range and simultaneously provide a healthy, comfortable environment for the astronauts during the entire mission.
NASA is planning to study the concept of placing a Space Station in Low Lunar Orbit (LLO). LLO is a challenging thermal environment and, as such, the Thermal Control System (TCS) design is complicated. There are a number of thermal control system design challenges associated with this particular mission. Thermal control is the maintenance of all vehicle surfaces and components within an appropriate temperature range throughout the many mission phases despite changing heat loads and thermal environments. For satellites, this requires that the TCS must maintain all of the equipment within its operating and/or storage temperature range. Similar to the system for satellites, the TCS for human-rated vehicles must also maintain all of the equipment within their prescribed temperature ranges. In addition to component-level temperature control, the crewed spacecraft’s TCS must also safely and reliably maintain the internal cabin temperature to ensure both crew survivability and comfort. Once a baseline TCS design is established, the team will identify the most difficult design challenges and potential technologies to address these challenges.
For more information, go to: http://spacetech.larc.nasa.gov/
Call for Entries for 2012 Teacher Innovator Awards
Awards Recognize Innovative PreK-12 Educators Using Digital Media to Enhance Learning
PBS LearningMedia and The Henry Ford today announced the third annual Teacher Innovator Awards, recognizing PreK-12 educators using media in new and unique ways to enhance students’ learning.
Teachers are using digital media in the classroom in creative ways to inspire and engage young minds in every subject from math and science to music and the arts. The Teacher Innovator Awards recognize classroom educators, media specialists, technology coordinators, and homeschool educators who are digital pioneers, paving the way for new teaching techniques and a more interactive learning experience.
Teachers can apply for the Teacher Innovator Awards by submitting a video up to three minutes in length or a written essay, up to three pages with images. Entries must address how they are using digital media to enhance students’ learning by augmenting the traditional textbook approach to teaching. Thirty educators in total will receive prizes for their outstanding work, with the top ten winners receiving a professional development prize package for a week-long, all-expense-paid "Innovation Immersion Experience" at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan, and a PBS TeacherLine course. The deadline to apply for the awards is December 12, 2012.
The 2012 Teacher Innovator Award winners will be announced in March 2013. For more information on the awards, visit www.pbslearningmedia.org/innovators/. For more information on PBS LearningMedia for local schools and districts, visit www.pbslearningmedia.org.
Source: PBS LearningMedia is © 2011 PBS & WGBH Educational Foundation – All rights reserved.
Change the Equation Releases State Data on STEM Learning
In September, Change the Equation released the richest and most extensive comparable state data on STEM learning ever assembled. The 2012 Vital Signs reports paint a wide-ranging and in-depth picture of the condition of STEM learning in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Vital Signs embodies Change the Equation's belief that the more we know about the strengths and weaknesses of STEM education in every state, the more we can do to accelerate STEM learning. Read the full report at http://changetheequation.org/change-equation-now-newsletter-september-2012.
Source: Change the Equation Now newsletter, September 2012
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