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April 5, 2012, Vol. 3, #8

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ITEEA Executive Director Announces Retirement

Dr. Kendall N. Starkweather, DTE, CAE, ITEEA’s Executive Director/CEO, recently announced his retirement, effective at the end of August 2012. Starkweather has been the Executive Director/CEO since June 1980, at which point he planned to “work at the association for a couple of years and then return to the University of Maryland.”

Starkweather has seen the association undergo tremendous change. He began as the Executive Director of the American Industrial Arts Association (AIAA), which later became ITEA, which, in turn, became the ITEEA of today. These name changes reflect a field that is dynamic in nature, creating curriculum advances that took the profession from industrial arts to industrial technology to technology education to the current technology and engineering education. Starkweather participated in curriculum work that started with The Maryland Plan and the Jackson’s Mill Curriculum Project (late 1970s/early 1980s) and continued through the various stages of standards that are in place today.

Starkweather joined AIAA as an undergraduate. Raised on an Illinois farm, he understood the importance of pursuing higher education. He received his B.S. from Western Illinois University, M.S. from Eastern Michigan University, took graduate courses at the University of Michigan, later transferring credits towards a Ph.D. at the University of Maryland. He has been a high school teacher in Ann Arbor (MI) and an undergraduate course instructor at Eastern Michigan University. He remained on the Maryland faculty after receiving his Ph.D. and credits much of his success to his mentor, Dr. Donald Maley, an internationally recognized technology educator. He worked with Maley for over 10 years as a graduate assistant, instructor, assistant professor, and associate professor before receiving his promotion, getting tenure, and asking for a leave of absence—all on the same day. The leave of absence was to accept the AIAA Executive Director position. He never returned to the university.

He became known for his ability to lead through the action of others and is also content with others being recognized for their accomplishments that he often helped to engineer. Starkweather is known as one of the most prolific writers in the profession, even when his name did not appear. He never hesitated to speak when it was necessary—having delivered presentations in many of the United States as well around the globe. He has also written countless position letters and papers for use at agencies, in testimony, or for legislative purposes.

He will be remembered for helping others to be their very best, giving many hours beyond what was expected, presenting a professional image in any venue, and trying to be fair and consistent in dealing with all people. He has been the Executive Director for a small association, but has acted in many big ways when it came to advocating technology and engineering education. He continues to deeply believe in his colleagues and his chosen profession.

Conference Funding Sources

Click here for ideas about where to find funding.

ITEEA Marketplace

Exhibiting, Sponsorship, and Advertising Opportunities in Columbus

Apply NOW to Present in Columbus!
The submission deadline for the Application to Present at ITEEA’s 75th Annual Conference March 7-9, 2013 in Columbus, Ohio is June 15, 2012. The Columbus conference theme is Improving Technology and Engineering for All Students: A Plan of Action. Potential conference presenters are challenged to describe their “plan of action” as it relates to one of the following strands that will be used to guide the program of the 2013 conference: Strategic Leadership for a Strong Education; Earlier and Increased Exposure to Technological Literacy; Solutions for Producing Quality Teaching; Improving What is Taught and Learned; and Delivering Instruction in a Virtual Age. The Application to Present is online, and it’s easy – just click here. ITEEA membership is required in order to apply.

Long Beach Conference Highlights

Attendees experienced numerous interesting learning and networking opportunities at ITEEA’s 74th Annual Conference in Long Beach, California last month. The Exhibits Area was teeming with attendees perusing the latest products and services available to teachers in the field. In addition to the displays, attendees were treated to a full lunch on Friday, compliments of PITSCO.

Wednesday's preconference workshops were well attended, as was the Welcome Networking Gathering at the Renaissance Hotel that evening. Many lucky winners walked away with gift certificates to local restaurants. Each day was full of special interest sessions on literally dozens of topics, Action Labs, workshops, and educational tours, including a very popular tour to Northrop Grumman. Both general sessions experienced packed houses, as attendees were inspired, educated, and entertained by Dr. Don Giddens, Christine Purcell, and Tom Fitzgerald.

Saturday morning’s Poster Sessions and Teaching and Technology Showcase were very heavily attended and provided an excellent venue for teachers and teacher educators to share their ideas with one another. At the same time, a number of others were attending the very educational all-day EbDLab™ on Robotics, Engineering, and Automation.

Other opportunities for the attendees to learn and network were the food functions, including the very popular TECA Awards Banquet (the largest ever), the International Luncheon, addressed by Jianjun Gu of China, and the FTEE Breakfast, at which Aaron Clark, DTE of North Carolina State University spoke on the topic of “Excellence.” At the closing event, the Awards Luncheon, several in the field received the highest honors offered by their peers in the field of technology and ,engineering education. To close the conference, newly installed ITEEA President, Bill Bertrand gave an impassioned and motivating speech, highlighting ITEEA's new Strategic Plan.

ITEEA would like to extend a warm thank-you to the attendees and vendors who made this conference a successful event. Thanks go to the Long Beach Planning Team for hosting this year's conference. To view more Long Beach conference photos, go to the ITEEA home page, where photo links for each day are in the blue square. Presentations will be archived in the ITEEA Online Library, which is located in Members Only at www.iteea.org.

CTETE Update

• CTTE Becomes CTETE – At the Council on Technology Teacher Education's annual meeting at ITEEA’s Long Beach conference, the organization voted to officially change its name to: Council on Technology and Engineering Teacher Education (CTETE).

• Bill Havice (Clemson University) has been named Technology Teacher Educator of the Year for 2012. Congratulations!

• Congratulations, also, to the four institutions that successfully completed the ITEEA/CTTE/NCATE review this past cycle: Fitchburg State, Illinois State, Old Dominion University, and Purdue University.

TECA News

Thanks to all of the advisors who emphasize and model the importance of professional involvement in your association.

• The results from the competitions in Long Beach and the 2012-2013 TECA officer team are listed below and can also be found on TECA’s Facebook page. Please “like” this page. This is the one place to find the most up-to-date information about TECA.

• A motion has been presented by the TECA Executive Committee to change the name to TEECA (Technology and Engineering Educators Collegiate Association). Chapters will be able to vote “Yes” or “No” for this name change beginning April 16th. The name change is being reintroduced because of the 60% majority that supported the name change last semester. We only need a 2/3rds majority for this motion to pass. Please take some time to discuss the name and the importance of aligning with the affiliate councils and parent organization with your students. Encourage your students to comment on the Facebook Page under the original post.

• The Summer Leadership Conference will be held in conjunction with the TSA National Conference. If you or your students are interested in attending, please contact 2011-2013 TECA National Advisor Jerianne S. Taylor, EdD, DTE, at taylorjs@appstate.edu or 828-262-6352.

• The following individuals were recognized and received awards at this year’s TECA Awards Banquet. Congratulations to each of these outstanding individuals and chapters:

TECA Awards

TECA Award of Distinction: Zach Pixler – Fort Hays State University
TECA Outstanding Chapter Service Award: Brian Pesavento – California University of Pennsylvania
TECA Outstanding Chapter Award: Technology Education Association of California (TEAC) – California University of Pennsylvania
TECA Distinguished Faculty Advisor Award: Kim Stewart – Fort Hays State University
ITEEA College Student Leadership Award: Troy Corson – University of Wyoming-Casper College

• 2012 TECA Competitive Event Results
Communications
1st         Brigham Young University
2nd        St. Petersburg College
3rd        California University of Pennsylvania

Manufacturing
1st         Fort Hays State University
2nd        Pittsburg State University
3rd        California University of Pennsylvania

Problem Solving
1st         Pittsburg State University
2nd        California University of Pennsylvania
3rd        Montana State University

Robotics
1st         Brigham Young University
2nd        Pittsburg State University
3rd        California University of Pennsylvania

Teaching Lesson
1st         Brigham Young University
2nd        Millersville University
3rd        Fort Hays State University

Technology Challenge
1st         Brigham Young University
2nd        Millersville University
3rd        California University of Pennsylvania

Transportation
1st         Brigham Young University
2nd        California University of Pennsylvania
3rd        Pittsburg State University

• 2012-2013 TECA Officers
President
Dustin Roten
rotendd@appstate.edu
Appalachian State University

Vice President
Andrew Marra
mar2916@calu.edu
California University of Pennsylvania

President-Elect
Blake Hoover
mowglie.hoov@gmail.com
Brigham Young University

Secretary
Julianna Ryan
ryanj5@tcnj.edu
The College of New Jersey

Reporter
Ashley Alley
aeray5@gmail.com
Brigham Young University

TECA Advisor
Dr. Jerianne Taylor, DTE
taylorjs@appstate.edu
Appalachian State University

ITEEA/TECA Director
Rod Thompson
rodt@uwyo.edu
University of Wyoming

Good News!

Dr. Thomas R. Hensley, Superintendent of Schools for Southern York County School District in Pennsylvania has written to share this good news:

“We have been notified by the Shippensburg University Study Council that our ‘Engineering byDesign™ Program’ at our middle school and our ‘Life Skills Support Program’ at our high school have been selected as ‘Exemplary Programs’ for the 2011/2012 school year. Both programs will be showcased on April 18th at Shippensburg University for administrators and teachers from across the state.

Congratulations are extended to Steve Hildebrand and Mike Konzelman for the ’Engineering byDesign™ Program’ and Tom Laure for the ‘Life Skills Support Program’! Steve, Mike, and Tom will be honored at a luncheon at Shippensburg University on April 18th and receive the ‘Exemplary Awards’ at that time.”

Children’s Technology and Engineering Seeks Authors

Children’s Technology and Engineering is seeking authors for the 2013-14 publishing year.

Theme for Volume 18: Teaching STEM

Volume 18, #1: Design

Volume 18, #2: Scientific Inquiry

Volume 18, #3: Integrative Curriculum Desigm

Volume 18, #4: 21st Century Skills

Potential authors should contact Katie de la Paz at kdelapaz@iteea.org for more information.

Connecticut Technology Education Association Conference

The 79th Annual Connecticut Technology Education Association Conference will be held May 24, 2012, 7am–4pm at Central Connecticut State University in The University Student Center. The conference will include Workshops, Exhibitors, Lunch, Awards, and more. Registration is $45.00.

The annual C.T.E.A. conference is a great place to meet and share ideas with colleagues and learn about the latest innovations in support of our programs. You can attend workshops offered in three sessions. Exhibitors will be on hand to show off what they can do to support our programs. You can show off your students' work at the Student expo. If you need more information, visit the website at www.cteaweb.org or contact: jbrochinsky@darienps.org

Photo: Central Connicticut State University Student Center. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Design Squad Nation Heads to DC

If you plan to be in the DC area this month, join Design Squad Nation for the USA Science & Engineering Festival – a free public event April 27-29 featuring:

Stage Shows (including DSN’s host Nate Ball! He’ll be beatboxing, dancing, and showing off the electrical engineering behind his supersized Dance Pad.)
Exhibits (Stop by the Design Squad Nation booth in the National Science Foundation area to build a space capsule that will land softly and safely on the moon.)
A Book Fair (including many author presentations).

North Carolina Schools, Businesses are Building a Future Together

Pitsco STEM Labs Introduce Students to Skills Used by the Local Workforce

North Carolina's 13-county Eastern Region is changing its education course—and local businesses are coming along for the ride. Recognizing a dual need—to prepare students for the workforce and to prevent attrition to out-of-state employers—area educators and local businesses have partnered to implement new curriculum designed to close the "classroom-to-career" gap.

Pitsco Education STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) labs delivered: hands-on, project-based, computer-delivered courses strong in STEM content and requiring a cooperative team effort. In this case, that includes a combination of Pitsco middle-level STEM and Algebra programs throughout the area: a Pitsco Algebra program for the Contentnea-Savannah K-8 School, Pitsco STEM labs in West Craven and Havelock Middle Schools, and plans for more Pitsco labs in Jones, Wayne, and Lenoir counties.

To read more about North Carolina's STEM initiative, visit http://systems.pitsco.com/tabid/326/default.aspx?tree=11&art=5449.
To learn more about Pitsco curriculum, visit www.pitsco.com.

Free Supply Information Kit from NAEIR

The National Association for the Exchange of Industrial Resources is a nonprofit organization that collects donations of inventory from manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers and then distributes those goods to nonprofit organizations across the U.S. Schools and other nonprofits are invited to join NAEIR and claim free supplies and merchandise. Call 1-800-562-0955 and ask for the NAEIR Fee Supply Information Kit.

Nine Research Teams Explore How Students Learn Best

Papers on Teaching, School Districts, and the Brain Released

Students at the Center Project Refocuses Reform Debate on Meeting Individual Needs to Meet Higher Standards

Cutting-edge research shows that adapting K-12 classrooms to individual interests, needs, and strengths is essential to maximizing each student’s learning and improving schools, according to an ambitious new interdisciplinary project, Students at the Center: Teaching and Learning in the Era of the Common Core. The first three papers, which Jobs for the Future recently released with funds from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, are part of a series focusing attention on putting middle and high school students at the center of education reform strategies in order to significantly raise U.S. educational achievement, increase completion rates, and help close persistent race and income gaps.

Jobs for the Future is releasing the papers in three rounds. The papers focus on 1) teaching — what student-centered learning looks like in action; 2) school districts — how school systems can begin or expand student-centered approaches; and 3) the brain – what biology and cognitive science tell us about how students learn.

The first two groups of papers were released in March, and the final three papers will be released April 11. On April 25-26, education researchers, writers, practitioners, and policymakers will attend a symposium in Boston to further identify how student-centered approaches to learning can be implemented at the district, state, and national levels to further the goals of education reform and to align with the Common Core standards.

The papers can be downloaded at http://bit.ly/yGFRVc. Executive Summaries of all the papers are available at http://bit.ly/x8bs7W.

eXploration Habitat (X-Hab) 2013 Academic Innovation Challenge

The National Space Grant Foundation is pleased to announce the X-Hab Academic Innovation Challenge. This program is a university-level challenge designed to engage and retain students in STEM. The competition is intended to link with senior and graduate-level design curricula that emphasize hands-on design, research, development, and manufacture of functional prototypical subsystems that enable habitation-related functionality for space exploration missions. NASA will directly benefit from the challenge by sponsoring the development of innovative habitation-related concepts and technologies from universities, which will result in innovative ideas and solutions that could be applied to exploration habitats. The Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) Habitation Systems Deep Space Habitat (DSH) project will offer multiple X-Hab awards of $10K - $49K each to design and produce functional products of interest to the DSH project (see topic list) as proposed by university teams according to their interests and expertise. The prototypes produced by the university teams will be integrated onto an existing NASA-built operational habitat prototype. The Foundation anticipates that approximately 6-8 awards will be made under this solicitation ranging between $10,000 and $49,000 each.

Important Dates and Information
Program website: http://spacegrant.org/xhab/
Notice of Intent Due: April 4, 2012
Technical Interchange Meeting: April 11, 2012
Proposals Due: May 2, 2012

NASA News

Updated Rockets Guide Available Online
Few classroom topics generate as much excitement as rockets. The scientific, technological, engineering, and mathematical foundations of rocketry provide exciting classroom opportunities for authentic hands-on, minds-on experimentation. The activities and lesson plans contained in this educator guide emphasize hands-on science, prediction, data collection and interpretation, teamwork, and problem solving. The guide also contains background information about the history of rockets and basic rocket science. The rocket activities in this guide support national curriculum standards for science, mathematics, and technology.

The guide contains new and updated lessons and activities from the original Rockets Educator Guide. www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Rockets.html

NASA Education Express Message – March 29, 2012