New Jersey Joins ITEEA's EbD™ Consortium of States

ITEEA is pleased to announce that New Jersey has entered into an agreement with its STEM±Center for Teaching and Learning (STEM±CTL) to join the EbD™ Consortium of States.

The partnership between the College of New Jersey’s Center for Excellence in STEM Education and Edison Ventures is a prime example of how partnerships can leverage STEM resources at a time when state resources are shrinking. Chris Anderson from the Center for Excellence and NJTEEA (New Jersey Technology and Engineering Educators Association) are using an aggressive plan of professional development to bring Integrative STEM Education to schools across New Jersey. When asked about his plan, he commented, “We expect to have over 50 schools on board to pilot the EbD™ program by spring 2012. Our offer of professional development on EbD™ to teachers in New Jersey has been overwhelming. There is a real need to get involved with EbD™ as schools look for affordable STEM solutions!”

The STEM±CTL will support this initiative by bringing schools that join the Network into ebDonline™ and the EbD™ Online Student Assessment and Design Challenge. Additionally, The College of New Jersey will undertake a significant research initiative to better understand the positive effects on students in middle and high school of a standards-based Integrative STEM Education model.

For more information about ITEEA’s STEM±CTL or the partnership, contact Barry Burke, Director of the STEM±Center for Teaching and Learning, at bburke@iteea.org.

ITEEA's STEM±CTL Partners With Virginia Tech and Old Dominion University

ITEEA’s STEM±Center for Teaching and Learning is pleased to announce a partnership with Virginia Tech and Old Dominion University to run the Engineering byDesign™ (EbD™) Online Student Assessment and Design Challenge.

The EbD™ online end-of-course assessments are currently provided to over 500 classrooms and over 30,000 students in 22 states. The assessments are used by teachers to inform their instruction in the quest to have all students technologically literate by the time they graduate from high school. VT and ODU will handle all aspects of the assessments—from item development and reliability studies to research based on student results and teacher professional development. The move to VT and ODU follows the assessments’ tenure at the California University of Pennsylvania (Dan Engstrom, DTE) and previous to that at the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore (the late Gerald Day).

For more information about ITEEA’s STEM±CTL or the partnership, contact Barry Burke, Director of the STEM±Center for Teaching and Learning, at bburke@iteea.org.

ITEEA Member Represents Fulbright Academy

Fulbright Academy Issues Statement of Support for the World Science Forum

The Fulbright Academy of Science and Technology (Fulbright Academy) recently announced a Statement of Support for the World Science Forum, which took place November 16-19, 2011 in Budapest, Hungary.

The Fulbright Academy was represented at the Forum by a delegation of 30 alumni of the prestigious Fulbright Exchange Program, including ITEEA member Dr. Edward M. Reeve, DTE, a professor in the Department of Engineering and Technology Education at Utah State University. Dr. Reeve was selected to be in this delegation that includes presidents, rectors, and senior executives from colleges and universities in 14 countries. The international delegates also participated in discussions and strategy development in order to plan collaborative ventures and be a catalyst for progress.

“We strongly believe that college and graduate students in all countries—especially those in science and technology fields—must be informed and active participants in the international community” stated Virginia Carson, President of South Georgia College, a member of the Board of Directors of the Fulbright Academy and a delegate to the Forum.

The World Science Forum is an invitation-only gathering of leaders from the science, government, and business community, organized by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in partnership with UNESCO, AAAS, ICSU, and other scientific societies. For more information, go to www.FulbrightAcademy.org

ITEEA Members Attend International Conference

Several ITEEA members recently attended the 2011 International Conference on Technology Education (ICTE) in Nagoya, Japan. The conference saw participants from over 20 countries. In the group photo at left are ITEEA members Dr. Hidetoshi Miyakawa of Japan (Conference Chairperson), G. Eugene Martin, Lung-Sheng Steven Lee, John M. Ritz, DTE, William E. Dugger, Jr., DTE , and Howard Middleton. For more information about the conference, go to www.auetech.aichi-edu.ac.jp/icte2011/.  

Education Department Awards Strengthen Minority Participation in STEM Fields

U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, has announced that 12 colleges and universities that serve large minority populations will receive $2,898,578 in grants to strengthen education programs in STEM fields. Under the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP), grants were awarded to institutions in California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, and Texas to increase the number of ethnic minorities, particularly ethnic women, studying in STEM fields. "These grants will help prepare more minority students for STEM-related careers, which are in high-demand and critical to building a competitive workforce that will grow our economy," Duncan said.

MSEIP supports the Administration's overall goal of improving STEM education to increase America's technological and scientific competitiveness. In addition to the goal of these grants—to expand career opportunities for underrepresented groups, especially women—the Administration is also working to improve the quality of math and science teaching in our Nation's schools so that students can master challenging content, think critically in STEM-related subjects, and are no longer outperformed by students in other nations. MSEIP is currently supporting 38 continuation grants in addition to these 12 three-year grants. More details are online.

Source: Triangle Coalition Electronic Bulletin, Volume 17, Number 38 - November 3, 2011

2012-13 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship

Applications are currently available for the 2012-13 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program. This program is open to current public or private elementary and secondary mathematics, technology, engineering, and science classroom teachers with demonstrated excellence in teaching. Applications are due January 5, 2012.

Selected teachers spend a school year in Washington, DC, sharing their expertise with policy makers. Einstein Fellows may serve with one of several government agency sponsors, such as the Department of Energy, NASA, or the National Science Foundation. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and be currently employed full time in a public or private elementary or secondary school or school district. Applicants must have been teaching full-time in a public or private elementary or secondary school for at least five of the last seven years.

For more information about this opportunity and to apply online, visit www.einsteinfellows.org.
Inquiries about the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program should be directed to einsteinfellows@triangle-coalition.org.

North Carolina Fellowship Opportunity

The Kenan Fellows Program offers a unique opportunity for North Carolina K-12 public school teachers from all disciplines to collaborate with research and industry professionals to integrate relevant science, technology, engineering, and math into classroom instruction. Fellows develop new, inquiry-based curriculum to share with other teachers and become part of a respected network of accomplished teachers who serve as leaders in their districts and across the state of North Carolina.

As part of their fellowship, Kenan Fellows participate in a five-week externship experience with a research mentor whose work is relevant to their academic content area. Fellows attend focused professional development designed to advance teacher leadership, model instructional best practices, and facilitate the strategic use of technology in the classroom. Fellows work individually and as groups on creative ways to incorporate concepts and insights gained during their externship into lessons for students and instructional resources for other educators. Fellows receive a stipend of $5,000 and a Lenovo laptop and tablet to support their work.

For more information, visit www.ncsu.edu/kenanfellows/.

Engineer Girl! Essay Contest

The National Academy of Engineering’s EngineerGirl! website is pleased to announce its 12th annual Essay Contest. Students are asked to write about the role of engineering in providing safe and nutritious food. Details and rules can be found on the EngineerGirl! website. 

Participation is open to both girls and boys in Grades 3-12, and submissions must be entered by March 1, 2012. All winning entries will be published on the EngineerGirl! website, and winners will receive cash prizes: first place winners – $500, second place winners – $250, third place winners – $100. Please visit www.engineergirl.org to learn more. If you have questions or seek clarification, please contact the EngineerGirl! team at engineergirl@nae.edu.

Girl Scouts and AT&T Unite to Advance Underserved High School Girls...

... in Science and Engineering

As minority students and women are gravitating away from science and engineering toward other professions and employment in STEM fields is increasing at a faster pace than in non-STEM fields, educational experts say the U.S. must increase proficiency and interest in these areas to compete in the global economy. The Girl Scouts of the USA and AT&T have announced that they are addressing this issue with a $1 million AT&T Aspire contribution to spark interest in STEM in underserved high school girls across the country. The initiative, called "IMAGINE: Your STEM Future," is designed to reach 6,000 young women and introduce them to a variety of career options in the STEM fields. AT&T's contribution is among the largest gifts ever made to Girl Scouts of the USA going toward STEM programs.

From November 2011 through summer 2012, 18 Girl Scouts Councils, selected through a national competitive grant process, will participate in an educational curriculum called IMAGINE, provided in a creative kit. The IMAGINE curriculum offers opportunities for high school girls to team up with AT&T employees and other volunteers to participate in interactive activities and visual experiments, such as extracting DNA from a banana. These activities are designed to help students imagine a future STEM career, spark their interest in taking additional STEM courses in high school and college, and open doors to new career options. AT&T and the AT&T Foundation have given nearly $87 million to support STEM initiatives since 1995. Projects supported by AT&T contributions range from STEM scholarship programs and science/math-focused summer camps for at-risk youth to hands-on technology labs and elite robotics competitions at the nation's leading universities.

Source: Triangle Coalition Electronic Bulletin, Volume 17, Number 39 – November 10, 2011

NASA News

• Registration Now Open for the 19th Annual NASA Great Moonbuggy Race
Registration is open for the 19th Annual NASA Great Moonbuggy Race. High school and college students are challenged to design and build a vehicle that addresses a series of engineering problems similar to those faced by the original lunar-roving vehicle team. Each school may enter up to two teams. International teams are limited to 10 teams per country. The race will take place April 13-14, 2012 in Huntsville, AL at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.

International teams must register by January  9, 2012. U.S. teams must register by February 10, 2012. For more information about the competition and to register online, visit http://moonbuggy.msfc.nasa.gov/index.html. International teams with questions about this event and registration should email Marilyn Lewis at Marilyn.H.Lewis@nasa.gov. U.S. teams with questions should contact Diedra Williams at Diedra.A.Williams@nasa.gov.

• What's New at NASA's Space Place Website
Space is not always about, um, space. Often it's about Earth, our home, and about us, how we are changing Earth. Getting into orbit above it all gives us a whole different perspective on our beautiful and precious planet. What new things can we learn about Earth—from space?

One type of Earth-observing spacecraft is the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites, also known as GOES, built by NASA and operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. The GOES are workhorse satellites doing everyday tasks; they watch and warn of developing severe weather, monitor events such as floods and fires, and monitor solar storms that can have damaging effects on Earth.

The next generation of the GOES—series “R”—will produce much more data, and of higher resolution, than the current GOES. Meteorologists and other scientists on the ground who receive and depend on the GOES data are building new computer systems to handle the huge influx that will be coming from GOES-R.

A fun, colorful—dare we say addictive—new game on The Space Place has you hopping around like mad to keep up with this incoming wealth of information. The game is called “Satellite Insight.” Its game “pieces” represent data from the kinds of observations the satellite’s advanced instruments will be making in order to reinforce the power and importance of studying Earth’s—and the sun’s—dynamic processes from space. Check it out at http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/satellite-insight.

• NASA Accepting Applications for Future Astronauts
Do you dream of flying in space? Now is your chance. NASA is accepting applications for the agency's next class for the Astronaut Candidate Program. Qualified individuals can submit applications through the federal government's USAJobs.gov website. Those selected will be among the first to pioneer a new generation of commercial launch vehicles and travel aboard a new heavy-lift rocket to distant destinations in deep space.

Qualifications include a bachelor's degree in engineering, science, or mathematics and three years of relevant professional experience. Successful applicants frequently have significant qualifications in engineering or science—or extensive experience flying high-performance jet aircraft. Educators teaching kindergarten through 12th grade with these minimum degree requirements also are encouraged to apply.

NASA will accept applications through January 27, 2012. After applicant interviews and evaluations, the agency expects to announce the final selections in 2013. Training will begin that summer. For more information about astronaut application and selection and to follow the latest news via NASA accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, visit www.nasa.gov/flynasa.

• Host a Real-Time Conversation With Crewmembers Onboard the ISS
NASA is now accepting proposals from U.S. schools, museums, science centers, and community youth organizations to host an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, or ARISS, contact between July 15, 2012, and January 15, 2013. To maximize these radio contact opportunities, NASA is looking for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan. Proposals are due January 30, 2012.

Using amateur radio, students can ask astronauts questions about life in space and other space-related topics. Students fully engage in the ARISS contact by helping set up an amateur radio ground station at the school and then using that station to talk directly with a crew member on the International Space Station for approximately 10 minutes. The technology is easier to acquire than ever before. ARISS has a network of mentors to help you obtain the technology required to host this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for your students.

Interested parties should contact Teaching From Space, a NASA Education office, to obtain complete information, including how the technology works, what is expected of the host organization, and how to obtain the proposal/application form by sending an email to JSC-TFS-ARISS@mail.nasa.gov or by calling 281-244-1919. Additional information can be found at www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/teachingfromspace/students/ariss.html.

• Centennial Challenge: Nano-Satellite Launch Challenge
NASA and the Space Florida Small Satellite Research Center are seeking teams to compete in a satellite launch technology demonstration competition with a potential $2 million prize. During the Nano-Satellite Launch Challenge, teams will compete to launch satellites with a mass of at least 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) into Earth orbit twice within the span of one week. The objective of the competition is to encourage innovations in propulsion and other technologies, as well as operations and management relevant to a safe, low-cost, small-payload delivery system for frequent access to Earth orbit. Innovations stemming from this challenge will be beneficial to broader applications in future launch systems. They may enhance commercial capability for dedicated launches of small satellites at a cost comparable to secondary payload launches—a potential new market with government, commercial, and academic customers.

For more information about the Nano-Satellite Launch Challenge, visit www.spaceflorida.gov/nano-sat-launch-challenge. Draft Rules for public comment will be posted in the near future. Questions about the Nano-Satellite Launch Challenge should be sent to Percy Luney at pluney@spaceflorida.gov.

Source: NASA Education Express Message – November 17, 2011

• NASA Glenn Faculty Fellowship Program (NGFFP) Now Accepting Applications
Ten-week fellowships for full-time science and engineering faculty members who are at accredited U.S. universities and colleges are available at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) in Cleveland, Ohio during the summer months. The proposed research project must be aligned with the research and technology needs of GRC and have the potential to advance the NASA mission.

The Aeronautics and Space Research and Technology Fellowship is intended to provide university and college faculty opportunities to:

1. Enhance their professional knowledge by performing relevant and high-cutting-edge research at GRC.
2. Stimulate exchange of ideas between faculty and employees of NASA GRC.
3. Enrich and refresh the research and teaching at U.S. academic institutions through infusion of NASA mission-related research and technology content into classroom teaching.
4. Contribute to the research, technology, and engineering work packages and objectives of GRC. 

Fellows work on projects to complement in-house efforts by their GRC professional colleagues. 
More in-depth descriptions of GRC research opportunities for faculty may be found at http://rt.grc.nasa.gov/university-affairs/ and by visiting the GRC portion of the NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) site at http://nasa.orau/postdoc.