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NEWS FROM
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ITEEA 2013, Celebrating 75 Years – Our Heritage On Display
 The ITEEA conference in Columbus on March 7-9, 2013 will mark the 75th annual conference of the association. The first conference was in Cleveland, OH, and the association is returning to the Buckeye state on this diamond anniversary.
The conference theme is “Improving Technology and Engineering Education For All Students: A Plan of Action.” Two words in that title highlight the significance of the 2013 festivities: ALL and STUDENTS. We are an association based on teaching and learning, and we are focused on all students in a modern technological world.
The strength of any association is the people involved, which certainly is true of our profession. From the early days, “industrial” educators were famous for their ability and willingness to work with all populations of a public school. The number one concern was a focus on the students. Technology-based teachers encouraged students to try things, get their hands dirty, and gain experience with tools and supplies.
As teachers, we have all become students ourselves as we study emerging technologies.
Our subject matter is dynamic, so we constantly study and explore new concepts and practices. We teachers are students as well!
Today, ITEEA’s structure is centered around students of varying ages, from the elementary grades (Children’s Council) to today’s collegiate faculty (CTETE) and undergraduate population (TEECA). All of us are students in a world of technological and engineering marvels.
Finally, associations like ITEEA are based upon dedicated leaders and servants. These professionals (officers, Board members, district representatives, delegates, etc.) have been mentored during seven-plus decades. Many of the retired educators will be at the Columbus conference. It will be a great time to say “hello” and “thank you” to your former teachers and students.
The program in Columbus next spring will include an exciting mix of new and old. The heritage events will bring back fond memories and challenge future generations. Plan to attend the 2013 conference in Ohio in March!
Thanks to ITEEA Board Member Rich Seymour for this historical perspective.
ITEEA Collaborates on Teacher Education for Next Gen Standards
 ITEEA provided a response to the Next Generation Science Standards through a critical stakeholder survey conducted by the Achieve Corporation as part of the overall standards development process. ITEEA and many of its members have provided input to this process, from the beginning developmental stages to the current review process, which will culminate in another iteration of the standards being available sometime in the fall of 2012.
The new science standards contain two standards that relate to the technology and engineering community. Those two standards address (1) engineering design, and (2) links among engineering, technology, science, and society. ITEEA has been concerned about the quality of delivery of these two standards by the science community, which has not traditionally prepared teachers to address technology and engineering to the depth prescribed in the current version of the standards. ITEEA has informed the science community that there is already a technology and engineering workforce that can deliver the content of these two standards. It is expected that, if these standards are successfully implemented, it will take a combined effort of the technology and engineering and science teachers to provide successful implementation.
ITEEA’s response to the critical stakeholders’ survey commended the creators of the standards for including technology and engineering to show content relationships. The reply addressed “thinking” and “doing” pertaining to technology and engineering and cautioned that, “Intelligence doesn’t come from thinking, it comes from doing, and doing is more than just experimenting and replicating.” ITEEA noted that “doing” in technology and engineering is vastly different than “doing” in science. This viewpoint was not totally evident in the standards, which appear to consider technology and engineering from a science perspective.
ITEEA expressed concern that technology and engineering was being represented as a subcategory within the science standards?a categorization that caused many in the technology and engineering field to respond with emotion, dissatisfaction, and anger. Though the standards are not curriculum, numerous membership responses dealt with issues such as teacher licensing, course content, teacher preparation, the lack of time in a teacher’s day, and more that was not directly related to the real purpose of the standards or the survey. These standards are being developed separately from any thinking that relates to the practicality of implementation.
Other survey comments included the specification of when the standards are addressing technology or engineering or both, inconsistency in the use of the terms, the context in which both or either is addressed, and the incorrect use of the label "engineering" when it is really technology that is being described. It was noted that a very narrow perspective of the big picture of technology and engineering was featured in these two standards.
Disappointment was noted at the K-5 level for the minimal inclusion of elementary technology and engineering. The document read as though physics concepts were being used as a substitute for technology and engineering concepts throughout the elementary section. The middle and high school levels appeared to have a “clumsiness” between them as well as between them and the elementary level. The writers completed their task, but did not seem to have time to specify proper integration, despite the fact that connections and integration were the focus of the second standard.
ITEEA will continue to monitor and provide input to this standards-creation process as the next level of development evolves. At the same time, efforts are underway to provide technology and engineering activities that can be used by science educators to address the new standards and to make technology and engineering teachers more aware of the content in addressing science.
For more information, go to www.iteea.org. Questions can be directed to iteea@iteea.org or 703-860-2100.
CNC Software/Mastercam to Sponsor Student ITEEA Memberships
EbD™ in the News
 The following article was submitted by ITEEA’s STEM±CTL Teacher Effectiveness Coach, Kim Weaver.
The Spartanburg Herald Journal (8/7, Healy) reports, "Spartanburg School District 7 teachers built miniature bridges, raced sailboats, and constructed ‘bug bungalows’ on Monday as they previewed materials they plan to incorporate into their classrooms during the coming school year." Students "throughout the district will implement elements of the Engineering byDesign? program in their classroom curriculums as the district continues its focus on" STEM initiatives. "About 30 teachers representing all of the district's elementary schools participated in the training at the District 7 administrative office Monday, working together to complete projects similar to those their students will soon gain exposure to." The teachers were "joined by representatives from Clemson University, including NASA astronaut Patrick Forrester, who is working with the university for about a year."
NEWS IN THE
SPOTLIGHT
Star of the Month for August – John Singer
 John Singer is a teacher of technology and engineering at P. S. duPont Middle School in Wilmington, DE. He has been implementing STEM-related activities into his classroom for the past several years and has been supportive in the development of the Delaware STEM Council’s vision and mission to work with educators, legislators, and business and community leaders to help foster Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education in Delaware in order to prepare students for careers of the 21st century that meet competitive challenges by fueling innovation and stimulating economic growth. John is currently the president of the Delaware Technology Education Association and is active with ITEEA and TSA. He has been honored as a Teacher Excellence winner in 1996 and 2007 and with a Program Excellence award in 2002 and 2007. Additionally, he serves on the advisory board for the Hagley Museum in Wilmington and supports the annual Invention Convention that is held each year to inspire children to gain a greater understanding of technology, innovation, design, and engineering. His spare time is spent playing golf and having fun.
NOMINATED BY: Professor X and the Magic Brine Shrimp
You, too, can nominate a STAR!
- Do you know someone who has done a stand-up job in your state?
- Is there a member who has really gone above and beyond to make a difference?
If so, nominate that person to be ITEEA’s “STAR of the Month!" As our “STAR,” he/she will be featured on www.iteea.org and recognized by his or her peers for one FULL month.
CRITERIA:
This person has a “what’s in it for others” mentality (not “what’s in it for me”) and could have:
- Put new ideas into practice.
- Put human systems to work.
- Performed at a high level for a long time.
- Implemented new curricula or tried something new in his or her classroom.
- Been involved in the state or national/international association in some way.
- Done something out of the ordinary for his/her school or another teacher.
- Helped students learn something in an interesting way.
- Contributed to ITEEA publications on more than one occasion.
HOW NOMINATIONS ARE SUBMITTED:
Go to www.iteea.org and click on the “Star of the Month” link next to the graphic of the current "star." Follow the instructions at the bottom of the Star of the Month page. Please submit the name and email address of the person you are nominating and the reason for your nomination. Please also submit YOUR full name, email address, and whether or not you are a current member of ITEEA. If you have a photograph or image, please attach it.
ITEEA Announces New Publications
PATT Prodeedings Now Available
 The PATT Proceedings (Research on Improving P-16 Technology and Engineering Education) from ITEEA’s 2012 conference in Long Beach, CA have been posted - http://www.iteea.org/Conference/pattproceedings.htm.
Thanks to Marc de Vries for making these proceedings available to the public and for his tireless work on behalf on Technology Education around the world.
 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
St. Petersburg TEECA Students Donate to Claussen Scholarship
 With the closing of the Technology Education program at St. Petersburg College, the SPC TEECA Club had a decision to make about remaining club funds totaling $2,093. The SPC students voted to donate these funds to the ITEEA/FTEE Claussen Fund to support future undergraduate technology education students. Their former advisor, Dr. Tom Loveland, applauded the decision to leave a legacy from the club to help other students.
Communication From ITEEA Member Chuck Goodwin
 Dear All,
President Obama recently announced that he has proposed $1 billion dollars for his STEM Education Initiative that includes a STEM Master Teaching Corps. [Access the full story.]
Truly, the President and Dr. Duncan do not understand what STEM education needs to be in order for this program to be viable, effective, and valid. Why? Because their version of a STEM Master Teaching Corps only includes math and science teachers. There is a T and E STEM linchpin and connective tissue that they do not seem to comprehend.
I have suggested that ITEEA open up the conversation (with Dr. Duncan and President Obama) to stress how important and essential it is for technology and engineering teachers to be a part of this important initiative (STEM Teaching Corps). Without question, the success or failure of this program is a NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE. We (ITEEA and STATE Affiliates) want this program to work and grow, but we do not see it happening if the focus is purely on math and science teachers. I see this announcement as an opportunity to become a part of the conversation and the President's STEM initiative.
I have already written President Obama regarding this concern. He needs to hear from many voices and from many different corners of influence. It is exceptionally clear that our discipline MUST RESPOND in force, from all levels, with every national-level legislator as well as with the present administration. Doing nothing will ensure that technology and engineering teachers will clearly be left out with this STEM Teacher Corps Initiative. Doing nothing is not an option if we expect to see our instructional discipline grow and become an important player within the STEM Education movement and with education generally.
Thanks,
Chuck
The White House can be contacted via the following link. Suggestions and comments are welcome. www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments
Charles H. Goodwin, DTE
New York State Technology & Engineering Educators Association (NYSTEEA)
NYSTEEA Advisory Council Chair
Email: cgnystea@stny.rr.com
T & E Website: www.nysteea.org
STEM Collab.:www.nysstemeducation.org
Digital Teacher Update from ITEEA Member John Doubleday in Australia
_svg.jpg) We may be across the world from you, but a great deal of design and technology education is similar, so I thought you may be interested in what I do on my Design and Technology website called Digital Teacher (www.digitalteacher.com.au or
www.digitalteacher.com.au/super-tech.html).
To start the ball rolling, here is something you may like for the visual learner who has trouble setting goals…or a new use of Google Sketchup:
www.digitalteacher.com.au/forum/6-super-tech/110-goal-setting-using-goolge-sketchup.html
When you have a little time, watch the video and you will see an international issue that I would like to collaborate on. I would like to develop a junior school unit of work that makes people think and a "real" contacts list students can email for greater action: www.digitalteacher.com.au/forum/6-super-tech/118--education-can-change-this-.html
Roland R. "Bud" Johnson of Paxton/Patterson, LLC Publishes Popular Article
 Below is an excerpt from an article by Roland R. "Bud" Johnson, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, PAXTON/PATTERSON LLC. The article, published in April 2012 in EdNet Insight, was the most read article in the first half of 2012:
"Changing the Conversation to CAREER and College Readiness
There is a lot of talk about college and career readiness today, but I believe they have it backwards. The conversation needs to revolve around high school students making the right career pathway decisions and then deciding what post-secondary education or training is really needed. Why do I say this? Let's look at the FACTS today in America's high schools:
- 7,000 students drop out every day
- 70% graduation rate nationwide and only 50% in many urban schools
- 1.3 million students dropping out every year
So what is causing this tragic condition? I believe it is the ever-increasing lack of relevance in America's high schools?" Read the full article...
Opportunities
 2012 NJTEA STEM Boot Camp
August 22, 2012
8:00 AM to 3:00 PM EDT
NJTEEA will host its 4th annual STEM Boot Camp at Mount Pleasant Middle School, 11 Broadlawn Drive, Livingston, NJ 07039. The conference will feature an opening session, workshops on integrating STEM into existing classes and the creation of successful project-based learning, and technology learning activities. Participants will also benefit from two full-scale, design-and-build workshops that will successfully integrate STEM in the classroom. For more information, go to http://site.njtea.org/ or email dromero@njteea.org or mbuttitta@nbtschools.org.
TEEAM Fall Conference
October 19, 2012
The 45th Annual Technology and Engineering Educators of Maryland (TEEAM) Fall Conference, Grades K-12: Getting Ready for the T & E in STEM, will be held at Catonsville High School, 421 Bloomsbury Avenue, Baltimore, MD. Who should attend? Educators who are getting Grade K-12 students ready for the T & E in STEM.
K-12 Topics include: Space Telescope Science Institute (Engineering applied to the real world for scientific discovery); SeaPerch (underwater remotely operated vehicle); Engineering byDesign?, TEEMS
(Technology, Engineering, Environment, Mathematics, Science) Curriculum; Engineering is Elementary® Curriculum; Maryland Engineering Challenges; and The Fab Lab at the Community College of Baltimore County.
Registration is now open. Visit http://techedmd.org/index.htm for information or contact Douglas Handy at dhandy@bcps.org.
Southeastern Technology Education Conference
November 1-2, 2012
This year's Southeastern Technology Education (STEC) Conference will be held in Nashville, TN on Thursday and Friday, November 1st and 2nd. The 99th Mississippi Valley Technology Teacher Education Conference will be co-located with STEC this year. Mississippi Valley will hold sessions on Thursday, November 1st, and STEC will hold sessions on Friday, November 2nd.
Conference registration fees will be $70.00 for members and $35.00 for graduate students. We will send out conference registration forms in mid to late August. Please do not send your conference registration payment at this time. If you wish to reserve a hotel room early, please do so. The conference will be held at the Millennium Hotel Maxwell House Nashville, and the negotiated conference rate is $101.00/night + tax. The Millennium Hotel is located at 2025 Rosa L. Parks Boulevard, Nashville, TN 37228-1505, and the Hotel phone is (615) 259 4343. For further information, please access the hotel website: www.millenniumhotels.com/millenniumnashville/index.html
Questions can be directed to jvernst@vt.edu, or please call 803-422-3324.
Satellites and Education Conference XXV
August 9-11, 2012
Join the Satellite Educators Association for an education conference being held in Los Angeles, CA. The annual conference is for educators interested in discovering ways to use satellites and related technologies in the classroom. Participants learn ways to help students appreciate and understand the complex interrelationships among science, technology, individuals, societies, and the environment. Conference attendees learn to develop and apply inquiry and technology skills to study authentic questions and problems. In conjunction with this year's conference, a two-day training session for the GLOBE program will take place August 10-11.
For more information, visit www.sated.org/. If you have questions about this event, please contact conference coordinator Dr. Paula Arvedson at parveds@calstatela.edu.
Source: NASA Education Express Message – June 28, 2012
Comet Quest Game From NASA's Space Place Now Available in Flash
 Now, if you don’t have an iPhone, the popular Comet Quest game is also available on the Space Place website as an equally exciting Flash game. Learn about comets and the Rosetta mission while playing this fast-moving, immersive action game. It’s like the real Rosetta mission, but with you in control of the spacecraft: First, drop the comet lander carefully onto the nucleus; observe and record gas jets, craters, cracks, and other happenings; dodge and dart around ice chunks flying off the nucleus; and, in your spare time, communicate with the lander and with Earth. Go to a comet at http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/comet-quest.
News From the Conrad Foundation
 Get Your Genius On: 2012-13 Spirit of Innovation Challenge Kicks Off
It’s time again to get your genius on with the 6th annual Spirit of Innovation Challenge. This year’s Challenges launched in June from the Conrad Foundation’s new home in Houston, near Johnson Space Center, Mission Control for manned space flight. Challenge categories for the 2012-2013 competition have been expanded. Now, student teams can develop innovative products in one of four
categories: aviation and aeronautics, energy and environment, health and nutrition, and cyber technology and security. Check out the new features added to our website and join the online community for more information, tools, and resources. If you are interested in reaching into your community to create more teams, reach out to our Education & Outreach Director, Carrie Taylor, to receive our online tool kit of resources.
Source: Conrad Foundation June Newsletter
Conrad Foundation and NanoRocks, LLC Team Up to Launch First Program to Fly Student Experiments in Space Using Funds Generated From American Express Points Program
Nancy Conrad, founder and chairman of the Conrad Foundation, recently announced the Foundation has joined forces with NanoRacks LLC, the leading company for low-earth orbit utilization, to launch a new program called DreamUp. The program will assist students in raising money to participate in a unique educational experience?conducting experiments in the microgravity of space. DreamUp is the first program to enable students to use American Express(R) Membership Rewards(R) points to fund student experiments onboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Junior high, high school, and undergraduate college students from accredited U.S. schools who register for the DreamUp program will have access to NanoRacks' two standardized research platforms aboard the ISS (also known as NanoLabs), each of which supports 16 payloads (or experiments) housed in small containers. Each NanoLab is plugged into the ISS' power and communications system by a NASA astronaut, offering students a chance to test scientific theories in a zero-gravity environment. Students also get the opportunity to interact with ISS astronauts regarding their experiments.
Students can design two different size payloads, starting at $15,500 each. For every 1,000 American Express points redeemed, the DreamUp program will receive $10.00 for the team/school of the donor's choice.
Several example experiments that would benefit from the DreamUp program include: testing plant growth in space; comparing insect lifespan in space versus Earth; testing food decomposition in space using leftovers from an astronaut's meal; measuring the time it takes to hatch an egg in space; or studying the behavior of fish in a sealed aquarium. However, students are encouraged to be innovative in their research projects and will not be restricted (beyond the size and weight requirements) in their experiments.
Schools interested in signing up for DreamUp should complete an easy online registration form to get started. Once registered, schools can join the Conrad Foundation's online community and connect with other students, teachers, and advisors to get even more ideas for new innovative technologies and research.
Donations can also be made to a scholarship fund, which will help deserving, underserved schools fund their own DreamUp payload. Unused funds from accounts will also be added to the scholarship fund. Anyone interested in donating money or points to the DreamUp program should visit www.conradfoundation.org/dreamup/donations/.
Northrop Grumman Foundation Launches STEM Flix?...
 ...in Movie Theaters and Online this Summer
Young people nationwide will get a fun-filled and entertaining lesson in STEM when they head to the theaters and online this summer, thanks to the Northrop Grumman Foundation’s STEM Flix™ video series featuring popular television show guest and school teacher “Science Bob” Pflugfelder.
Airing in select theaters across the country between June 8 and September 7, and with its own dedicated website (www.northropgrumman.com/stemflix), STEM Flix™ is a four-part video series designed to show young people how fun STEM can be, while also teaching them how the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are responsible for so many of the electronics, games, products, and experiences people enjoy every day.
The STEM Flix™ series kicked off June 8 with an introduction to STEM and a first look at how fun science can be through a simple, yet colorful experiment known as the “Elephant’s Toothpaste.” The experiment creates an exothermic reaction when a few common household ingredients such as dish soap, yeast, and water combine with oxygen. Each of the remaining video episodes will focus on a specific area of science and technology with outrageous demonstrations, graphics, and experiments according to the following schedule:
- “From Bike Helmets to Flying Cars ? Composite Materials Make All Things Possible!” ? July 27-August 16
- “Grab Your Telescope and Travel Through Time!” ? August 17-September 7
The videos will appear during the on-screen movie trailers and announcements that air before this summer’s G, PG, and PG-13 rated feature films at the following theaters:
- Shore 8 ? Huntington, NY
- Del Amo 18 with IMAX ? Torrance, CA
- Irving Cinemas 10 ? Irving, TX
- Fairfax 10 and Fairfax 14 ? Fairfax, VA
- RGL1258 Movies at Wekiva 8 ? Altamonte Springs, FL
- Cinemark Egyptian 24 ? Hanover, MD
- RGL1043 Mira Mesa 18 with IMAX ? San Diego, CA
Produced by PGFilm Entertainment, the video series will also be featured online at www.northropgrumman.com/stemflix so that young people and their parents nationwide can learn about STEM. In addition to the movie theater shorts, the site will feature expanded versions of the videos, home versions of the experiments, fun facts about STEM, behind-the-scenes photos from the filming of the STEM Flix™ series, and more to help young people get better acquainted with STEM.
Northeast Ohio Technology and Engineering Teachers Quick to Get Onboard GRC Event
 Realizing it was a natural extension of their STEM-oriented curriculum, a growing number of technology and engineering teachers in Northeast Ohio have “gravitated” to the International Soap Box Derby Gravity Racing Challenge (GRC) event. The event was held on May 19, 2012 at Derby Downs Hill in Akron. Sixty five teams of 3-10 students each from mainly Ohio competed. Technology Teams in the race were from: Rootstown, Coach Ed Bose; Westlake, Coaches Adam Purdy and Scott Kutz; Louisville, Coach Jeff Hoffman; North Canton, Coach Todd Alkire; Tallmadge, Coaches Justin Christopher and Keith Bee; and Cuyahoga Falls, Coach Russ Hofer. Technology teacher Victor Stefan worked with assisting, training, testing, and reverse-engineering team car builds in the fall of 2011 for area elementary schools on available Saturday inservices and at the starting gate for race times and control.
These highly qualified teachers primarily use the “design and build” component in the “learning cycle” (constructivism) model for instruction. The GRC event is an authentic problem-based learning activity that engages students in the engineering design process, the foundation of invention and innovation. In its third year, the GRC started with two cars (teams), last year had nine, and will have 65 teams from all around Ohio this year, including a team from North Carolina.
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