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February 13, 2013 Vol. 4, #7

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NEWS FROM HQ

75 Years! Join the Celebration

ITEEA's 75th Anniversary conference will be in Columbus in three weeks. Take this unique opportunity to join your colleagues for "Improving Technology and Engineering Education for all Students: A Plan of Action."

There is still time to convince your boss or board that you should attend. With travel budgets being cut and funding tight, here are seven tips to help you justify your attendance at the conference next month:

1. Focus on what you will specifically bring back to the school and your colleagues for the investment.
2. Offer to prepare and deliver a short presentation and Q & A to your colleagues to share what you learned. That way, other educators will benefit from your attendance too. Invite other STEM departments to join you.
3. Share the speaker handouts with your colleagues. As an attendee, you have unlimited access to materials posted by speakers.
4. Be ready with a plan that shows who will cover for you while you are attending the conference.
5. Prepare a list of conference sessions for your administrators that provide professional development that will make a difference in your future instruction. Let your administrators know (more than once) just how important it is to learn from the experiences shared during the conference.
6. Offer to share a room to reduce hotel expenses by finding a roommate through one of ITEEA’s social networking avenues.
7. Offer to prepare and deliver a short presentation and Q & A to a local service organization such as the Rotary, Knights of Columbus, etc. This will bring support to your program, bring good PR to your school, and gain the appreciation for doing so from your administrators. Who knows, maybe they would support your trip with a small grant to this or next year’s meeting.

Conference Highlights include:

• Keynote Presentations from Stephen Hicks, recently retired from Proctor & Gamble, who will speak on the importance of students from all backgrounds being involved in STEM and the design process; and a special ITEEA Heritage presentation, with guest speakers highlighting four significant eras of your profession.
• 100+ professional development learning sessions
• Specialized Pre- and Post-Conference Workshops: Designing and Making Made Simple, Hands-On STEM with Energy, Motion, and Aeronautics, Using Language Arts and Social Studies to Integrate STEM Into the Elementary Classroom, PIC Training Systems for Embedded Technologies, and High School EbDLab?: PathwayExtension? ? Robotics, Engineering, and Automation
• Engineering byDesign? series of learning labs being offered for elementary, middle, and high school teachers all three days
• Educational Tours of local facilities (including Honda Manufacturing, OSU Center for Automotive Research, and Priority Designs)
• Exhibitor Showcases (formerly called Action Labs): an entire slate of vendor-sponsored learning sessions. These are FREE sessions that focus on the latest technologies and topics to help YOU become a better teacher.
• Vendor Interaction in the Exhibit Hall
• Celebration Central – our anniversary area in the middle of the show floor; filled with two days of special activities
• Networking – endless opportunities to network with colleagues in your state and around the globe.
  The STEM movement has never been stronger than it is today. Educators from all over the world will come together in three weeks to help define what technology and engineering education should be in our schools today and tomorrow.

The hotel deadline for securing your rooms at the Hyatt and Red Roof Inn have been extended until the room blocks are sold out. Guarantee your room at our special rates and AND enjoy free Internet, offered only to attendees who book within the ITEEA room block. If you are in need of student housing, there is a limited supply of student rooms/rates available. Please contact Jerianne Taylor at Taylorjs@appstate.edu for details.

Are you still thinking about attending? You should be. You don't want to miss the premier event for your industry and profession and the chance to be exposed to and participate in a plethora of educational opportunities. 

So plan to join your colleagues in a few weeks in Columubus. Preregistration is closed, but you can register on-site beginning Wednesday, March 6th from 11:00am-5:00pm, in the Columubus Convention Center. Registration payment can be made on-site by credit card, check, cash, or valid PO when you arrive.

For the latest conference information go to www.iteea.org/Conference/conferenceguide.htm.

Sharing Best Practices

Planning to attend ITEEA’s 75th Annual Conference in Columbus? If so consider presenting at the Teaching Technology and Engineering Showcase (aka Tech Fest). The Showcase is an exhibition of best practices in the teaching of technology and engineering teachers, teacher educators, administrators, undergraduate and graduate students, and informal educators.

The Showcase provides a forum for those concerned with advancing technological literacy to feature an idea, technique, or best practice related to learning activities, marketing materials, career guidance, facility design, program design, assessment methods, equity, or classroom and laboratory management techniques. Showcasers are asked to illuminate a single element of technology and engineering teaching and learning that they feel they have exemplified. Plan now to be a part of the Teaching Technology Showcase in Columbus!

Download application from: www.iteea.org/Conference/TeachTechShowcaseForm.doc 
Questions/applications should be directed to Craig Clark, DTE at cbcnasa@comcast.net

This is a great chance to gain some valuable recognition for your program and the hard work you do. So, don’t miss this extraordinary opportunity to collaborate with your peers and celebrate the future of our profession. See you in Columbus!

ITEEA Has an App for the Columbus Conference, March 7-9, 2013!

Exhibitor Spotlight at ITEEA Conference in Columbus

Join us at Center Stage for Exhibitor Spotlight, which will take place during dedicated Exhibit Hall hours Thursday and Friday (11:00am?1:00pm). Stop by to hear the latest from our participating exhibitors. 

THURSDAY, MARCH 7

• INTERNATIONAL SOAP BOX DERBY – 11:00am?11:10am
  Building Cars to Further STEM Education
  Stop by our spotlight to hear firsthand how Soap Box Derby cars are making a difference in STEM learning in the classroom.
• STRATASYS ? 11:30am?11:40am
  Schools Using 3D Printing Technology in STEM Classrooms
  Hear about schools that are using 3D printing technology and how it can enhance curriculum and increase student engagement by providing hands-on learning in classrooms and labs, including specific examples and 3D models from various schools.
• GOODHEART WILLCOX PUBLISHER ? 12:00pm?12:10pm
  3 Cs ? Conversation on Curriculum and Content
  Stop by to listen to the authors and executives from Goodheart-Willcox discuss where technology education has been and where engineering education is going in the future.
• THE BOOMERANG MAN ? 12:30pm?12:40pm
  Boomerangs Are Coming Back
  Educating audiences on his boomerang talents, see what Gary Broadbent has to say about the technology and engineering of boomerangs?you are sure to be entertained.
• IASCO-TESCO ? 1:00pm?1:10pm
  Bring Back Industrial Arts
  Everything old is new again.
  

FRIDAY, MARCH 8

• WHITEBOX LEARNING ? 11:00am?11:10am
  3D Engineering Meets 3D Gaming
  WhiteBox Learning enables your students to engineer and compete their virtual designs against other students all over the world, from any browser, 24/7 ? how cool is that?
• TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION CONCEPTS ? 11:30am?11:40am
  Digital Fab-Labs: Today’s “Must Have” for Every School That Teaches STEM!
  If your middle or high school teaches STEM, your school can’t be without a Digital Fab-Lab. Fab-Labs are essential in completing the STEM learning process because they provide students with the end result: A product they can hold in their hand. We’ll be touching on what you need to know about equipment when planning your school’s Fab-Lab, especially 3D printers and Laser cutting/engraving technology, two components every Fab-lab needs to keep up with today’s manufacturing technology.
• KIDWIND PROJECT ? 12:00pm?12:10pm
  Advanced Wind Experiment Kits
  Michael Arquin, founder of KidWind, will give a description of our Advanced Wind Experiment Kit and some examples of experimentation for usage in an engineering classroom setting. Michael will show how using our kits in a classroom can effectively teach engineering concepts in a multidisciplinary, hands-on approach.
• THE BOOMERANG MAN ? 12:30pm?12:40pm
  Boomerangs Are Coming Back
  Educating audiences on his boomerang talents, see what Gary Broadbent has to say about the technology and engineering of boomerangs?you are sure to be entertained.
• PicoKit GIVEAWAY ? 1:00pm?1:10pm
  Soldering Projects with PIC Programming Potential
  PicoKit doesn't just make exciting Pre-Programmed Soldering Kits, with PicoFlow Alpha, we bridge the divide between learner-friendly Flowchart Programming and Industry Standard Programming for Microchip PIC. Using Firmware Techniques and Special Function Peripherals on a PIC has never been so much fun. Come and see us at Booth 218 to find out more.

Also in Celebration Central - don't miss this!

• Meet and Greet the Speakers and ITEEA Leaders (11:00am–1:00pm Thursday and Friday)
• 75th Anniversary Heritage Displays
• Live Soap Box Derby Cars
• Mini Soap Box Derby Racing Challenge
• National Robotics Challenge Showcase
• Boomerang Man
• Wheel of Fortune
• Vendor Raffle
• Ohio F1 in Schools Competition (Thursday only)
• Ohio School Exhibits of Excellent Student Work

NEWS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Plan Your Visit to Columbus

For a list of things to do and see while in Columbus for ITEEA’s 75th Anniversary Conference, please visit the OTEEA website at www.oteea.org/joomla/

Join Design Squad Nation at the ITEEA Conference in Columbus

Design Squad Nation will host two workshops at this year's ITEEA conference in Columbus, OH. Brush up on your Design Squad Nation knowledge and check out this season's new hands-on engineering activities on Saturday 3/9 and learn about our new educator guide, Mission Solar System, in our Friday 3/8 workshop. Stop by the Design Squad Nation booth and stock up on guides and other STEM resources. Check your program guide for workshop time and locations.

ITEEA-CSL Hosts Online Discussion Forum

The ITEEA-Council for Supervision and Leadership (ITEEA-CSL) online discussion forum will continue through February 24, 2013. Additional information on the online forum can be found below. To view the blog and join the conversation, please click: http://iteeacsl.blogspot.com/ and select “Join This Site.” 

Purpose of the Forum:

Participants will engage in an interactive process to assess current paradigms and identify what characteristics will be required to transform people, places, and things as a Change Agent. Using the “Business of Paradigms” as a basis, the discussions and presenters will develop a plan of action (SWOT) that they can implement upon return to their school/district/state. These sessions will engage teachers, teacher educators, and supervisors as leaders to cope with and lead change in their school/district/university/state. 

ITEEA-CSL will engage the full membership of ITEEA to participate in a dialogue to lead change in these additional categories: 

February 11–24, 2013: 
"Taking the Lead with Next Generation Science Standards” 
Hosted by: Steve Parrott and Matt Strinden 

March 6–9, 2013: 
Join members of ITEEA-CSL at the 75th Annual ITEEA Conference. See ITEEA-CSL Conference Information

And be sure to check out CSL's completely updated website at: http://iteea-csl.org/. This site provides school system leaders with information and professional development opportunities related to Technology and Engineering Education. Please visit the site for additional information.

Star of the Month for February – Joel Ellinghuysen

JOEL ELLINGHUYSEN
ITEEA Board Member (Region 3 Director) and Affiliate Representative
Joel attended his state conference in Minnesota in October and really worked hard to promote ITEEA. Joel managed to sign up 31 memberships (includes joint state, professional, and advocate), and he gave a presentation on ITEEA in a general session. Additionally, members who checked their contact information for accuracy earned a ticket to win door prizes (the effort on his part to do this helps us keep the ITEEA database up-to-date).

In a double-duty role, serving ITEEA as Region 3 Director and Minnesota?s ITEEA Affiliate Representative, Joel's performance is amazing! He is indeed a STAR and an example of how to MAKE IT HAPPEN! With members like Joel, ITEEA will surely succeed!

For membership, visit www.iteea.org/Membership/membership.htm

OTHER STEM NEWS

Celebrating National Engineers' Week

ENGINEERS WEEK® (February 17-23, 2013) celebrates the positive contributions engineers make to society and is a catalyst for outreach across the country to kids and adults alike. Engineers Week is part of many corporate and government cultures and is celebrated on every U.S. engineering college campus. This week's tip: Celebrate exceptional STEM educators who are helping students discover engineering! Nominate an educator for a DiscoverE Educator Award. There are awesome prizes and the deadline is March 8. Click this link for the online application: www.eweek.org/NewsStory.aspx?ContentID=290

Igniting Students' Passion for Service, Space, and Technology

Candy, soda, and other everyday items will be the tools of the trade for teenage rocket makers competing in the What If? Live Student Design Challenge. Registration is open through February 28 for the worldwide contest, in which 14- to 18-year-old students will design experimental propulsion systems using materials that are cheap and easy to get.
What If? is designed to excite students about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The goal is to develop their creative and analytical abilities by learning about the growing need for green fuels and designing a vehicle propulsion system using commonly available materials, including sweet treats and carbonated beverages.

Students in two age categories, 14-16 and 17-18, may work alone or in groups of as many as four. They must create a research plan, write a research paper, develop and build the propulsion system, make a video showing the vehicle in action, and submit the video to judges via YouTube.com. A panel of scientists, astronauts, and educators will judge the entries and select finalists. There will be one winning design in each age category. Winners will be announced in May and receive special recognition from NASA and Ahoora.

To register, submit research, and learn more about vehicle design, the official rules, and other information about the What If? Live Student Design Challenge, including view a two-minute video of the propulsion system in action, visit: http://www.whatifprize.org

Video Game Contest

Are you a teacher with zero video game design experience? NO PROBLEM! This year’s Healthivores Video Game Contest has begun, and it's easier than you think. Check out the included Lesson Plan that will take teachers, even those with zero game design experience, step-by-step through the process of teaching your students to design games. You will have your students completing their video games in less than four weeks. This year we have added Technology-, Science-, and Math-focused Lesson Plan options to the already popular Nutrition and Fitness Lesson Plan. Each winning team will receive one laptop for the teacher, one for the school, and one for each student on the team (see 2012 Winners here). Deadline for entry is March 31, 2013 (allow four weeks for completion of Lesson Plan). Get started now at the Healthivores Video Game Contest homepage!

Game on for the National STEM Video Game Challenge

The annual National STEM Video Game Challenge, opened on February 11 for student submissions of original video games and game designs. The Challenge, now in its third year, aims to motivate interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) by tapping into students’ enthusiasm for playing and making video games. The Challenge is accepting entries from U.S. students in two categories: Middle School and High School. The Middle School category is open to students in Grades 5–8, and the High School category is open to students in Grades 9–12. Both categories offer entries for individuals and teams of up to four students. Entries can be created using any game-making platform such as Gamestar Mechanic, Microsoft’s Kodu, GameMaker, Scratch or a written game design concept document.

The 2013 STEM Challenge opens with the launch of a new web community at www.stemchallenge.org, featuring game development tools, news, and resources on game design and STEM skills, an Ask the Experts area, and information on STEM Challenge events. These features and details on how to enter the 2013 Challenge are available on the website. The National STEM Video Game Challenge is accepting entries through April 24, 2013.

Winners in each category will be selected for each game creation platform and will receive an AMD-powered laptop computer including game design and educational software. Each winner’s sponsoring organization will receive a cash prize of $2000. The National STEM Video Game Challenge was inspired by President Obama’s “Educate to Innovate Campaign,” an initiative promoting science, technology, engineering, and math education. More than 3,700 middle and high school youth participated in the 2012 Challenge. Twenty-eight youth were selected as winners last year, and two winners from the inaugural year of the competition were invited to showcase their games at the White House Science Fair in February 2012.

Virginia Space Grant Consortium Awards

The VSGC Undergraduate STEM Research Scholarship Program provides awards of up to $8,500 to rising juniors and seniors who are enrolled full-time in a program of study in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) and have a specific faculty-mentored research project that has NASA or aerospace relevance. The Virginia Space Grant Consortium (VSGC) Graduate Research STEM Fellowship Program provides fellowships of $5,000 in add-on support to graduate students to supplement and enhance basic research support. Applicants must be enrolled full-time in a program of study in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) and have a specific faculty-mentored research project that has NASA or aerospace relevance. For more information, visit www.vsgc.odu.edu/.

New Robotics Teams Worldwide

The Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation and the Northrop Grumman Foundation announced a partnership to establish 200 new VEX Robotics Competition teams in locations worldwide and support the program's outreach. In addition, the partnership will support the VEX Robotics Competition World Championship in Anaheim, CA, April 17-20, an event that will attract more than 700 teams and 15,000 students for three days of robotics engineering competition. The REC Foundation manages the VEX Robotics Competition, which provides student teams worldwide with hands-on, curriculum-based robotics engineering programs while also offering valuable teamwork and problem-solving experience. Teams compete year-round at more than 350 events that culminate in April at the VEX Robotics Competition World Championship. The VEX Robotics Competition is the largest middle and high school robotics program in the world and is expected to reach more than 85,000 students during the 2012-2013 season. To learn more about the REC Foundation, please visit www.RoboticsEducation.org.

Thomas Edison Website Completely Updated

A website entirely devoted to Thomas Edison, including education materials for teachers and students, has been completely revamped and can be viewed at www.thomasedison.org/

STEM is Universal – July 31-August 2, 2013

Registration is now open for STEMathon 2013. Pennsylvania's first statewide conference for STEM education begins with a networking reception, dinner, and keynote on Wednesday, July 31, 2013. Thursday, August 1 opens with breakfast and a second keynote, followed by a full day of breakout sessions. Lunch is also provided. The conference concludes on August 2 with a morning of hot topic seminars and door prize drawings. To learn more about the conference, go to http://stemathon.org!

Two internationally-known keynote speakers include Jan Morrison of the Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM and Yvonne Spicer of the National Center for Technological Literacy at the Museum of Science, Boston. Don't miss the opportunity to see and hear these two visionaries in STEM education speak at STEMathon 2013. In addition, plan to attend the conference to network and collaborate with other educators interested in STEM education, visit exhibitors in a sold out exhibit hall packed with information about some of the best STEM products and services, learn from presenters as they share a wide variety of STEM education ideas, and get inspired for a new school year!
To register for STEMathon 2013 go to: https://www.mylearningplan.com/Conference.asp?D=10019&H=1&I=1270188&M=V.  

There are three different registration options to choose from:
? Act 48 Hours Kit A - ($175) Full Conference Package for Wednesday through Friday.
? Act 48 Hours Kit B - ($150) Conference Only for Thursday through Friday.
? Act 48 Hours Kit C - ($40) Dinner Only on Wednesday evening.

Lodging information for the Radisson Harrisburg, including a A special conference discounted room rate and reservation instructions, is available at http://stemathon.org/travel.

UW-Stout Mourns Passing of Former Chancellor Swanson

Robert S. Swanson, an alumnus who rose through the teaching ranks and helped redefine the University of Wisconsin-Stout during 16 years as chancellor, has died. Swanson, 88, passed away Sunday, January 27, 2013, in Rochester, MN, of complications due to Alzheimer’s disease, according to family members. He is survived by his wife of almost 65 years, Margaret “Penny,” and four children, as well as a sister, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Except for four years when he served during World War II, Swanson dedicated his adult life to UW-Stout. He spent more than 40 years at the school, including as an undergraduate and graduate student in the late 1940s; professor and administrator from 1950 to 1972; and as the school’s sixth leader from 1972 to 1988. Swanson was a product of the school’s well-known industrial arts education program. During his tenure, two undergraduate majors, several master’s programs, and six minors were added, especially in new areas focused on serving industry, business, and the human services field.

The family asks that all memorials in Swanson's name go to the Stout University Foundation, Alzheimer's Association, or a charity of the donor's choice.

Kohl's Cares® Scholarship Program

Nominate a young volunteer, age 6-18, who has made a difference in your community. Top winners each receive $10,000 for higher education. Nominations are accepted February 1-March 15, 2013. For more information, visit www.kohlscorporation.com/CommunityRelations/scholarship/index.asp.

News From NASA

From NASA Education Express Message ? January 17, 2013:

2013 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships
Caltech's Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships, or SURF, project introduces undergraduate students to research under the guidance of seasoned mentors at Caltech or NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Students experience the process of research as a creative intellectual activity and gain a more realistic view of the opportunities and demands of a professional research career.

SURF is modeled on the grant-seeking process. Students collaborate with potential mentors to define and develop a project and to write research proposals. Caltech faculty or JPL staff review the proposals and recommend awards. Students work over a 10-week period in the summer, mid-June to late August. At the conclusion of the project, each student will submit a technical paper and give a SURF Seminar Day oral presentation.

All application materials must be received no later than February 22, 2013. For more information, visit www.surf.caltech.edu/. Please email any questions about this opportunity to the Caltech Student-Faculty Programs office at sfp@caltech.edu.

5th Annual NASA STEM Educators Workshop Series
Join NASA for the 5th Annual NASA STEM Educators Workshop Series taking place March 4-6, 2013, in Charlotte, NC. This workshop series will explore engineering design challenges, problem-based learning activities, distance learning modules, inquiry-based lessons, and hands-on projects. Each workshop will be led by experienced educators and education public outreach specialists who will model pedagogical techniques and methods to foster problem-based learning, science as inquiry, technology integration, and best practices. Workshops target inservice, informal, and preservice teachers who serve the K-12 education community.

Registration is free. The deadline for registration is February 25, 2013. For more information and to register for the workshops, visit https://education.uncc.edu/cstem/nasa. If you have any questions about the workshops, please contact Brandon Hargis at Brandon.Hargis@nasa.gov.

2013 NASA Glenn Research Center High School Internship Project
The NASA Glenn Research Center High School Internship Project provides paid summer internship opportunities, eight weeks in duration, to students interested in careers in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and professional administration at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, OH. This project offers opportunities for students in Grades 10 and 11 who will be juniors and seniors in the upcoming school year, and is sponsored by the Educational Programs Office.

To be eligible for this project, applicants must be/have:

• A U.S. citizen and 16 years old on or before the project start date (June 17, 2013).
• A permanent resident of Ohio and currently enrolled in a high school located within a 50-mile radius of Glenn Research Center.
• A current sophomore or junior at the time of application.
• A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• Available on a full-time basis (Monday through Friday, 40 hours per week) from June 17, 2013, through August. 9, 2013.
  
  Applications are due March 15, 2013. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/education/GlennHighSchoolIntership.html. Please email any questions about this opportunity to GRC-intern@mail.nasa.gov

From NASA Education Express Message – February 7, 2013:

Historical NASA Space Artifacts Available for Educational Use
NASA is inviting eligible educational institutions, museums, and other organizations to screen and request historical space artifacts. The artifacts represent significant human spaceflight technologies and processes and the accomplishments of NASA's many programs. NASA and the General Services Administration worked together to ensure broad access to space artifacts and to provide a Web-based electronic artifacts viewing capability. The Web-based artifacts module is located at http://gsaxcess.gov/NASAWel.htm.

Eligible participants may view the artifacts and request specific items at the website through March 4, 2013. Only schools and museums are eligible to receive artifacts. They must register online using an assigned Department of Education number, or through the state agency for surplus property in their state. The artifacts are free of charge. Eligible organizations must cover shipping costs and any special handling fees. Special items, such as space shuttle thermal protective tiles and packages of three packets of astronaut food, also are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Instructions for requesting artifacts and special items are linked on the website home page.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to GSAXcessHelp@gsa.gov.

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