Video of our tour at Syracuse Center of Excellence - March 22nd

North Country Colleague looking for guidance & info on the APPR pre-assessment in Technology Education

My friend and fellow Technology Education Teacher, Kevin McBath kmcbath@twcny.rr.com
 recently sent me an e-mail in regards to the upcoming APPR evaluations...

“…I am dropping you a quick line to see what your school and schools in your area are doing next year for the APPR pre-assessment in Tech?  I am on our district negotiation team that just finished the general language. However we had a staff development day on Friday where all of the Tech teachers in the area got together with the purpose of coming up with a pre-assessment tool for our courses.  As you know our state standards are so vague that any tech teacher could can make an activity fit the standards.  BOCES was driving this workshop and they wanted a regional tool.”

I know that there are individuals that are review this blog that give Kevin a more direct answer than myself. Please feel free to send Kevin and myself an e-mail response. I can then post any relevant information on my next blog post to be shared.

EngageNY ~ A GREAT RESOURCE for the Common Core Standards & APPR

http://engageny.org/

EngageNY is an evolving, collaborative platform for educators. As the Regents Reform Agenda moves forward across the state, we want you to be able to access and share resources that work for you.

A bit more about us: New York’s educators are always investigating better ways to improve what is being taught, how it’s being taught, and what to do about obstacles to student learning.

It was with these concerns in mind that we designed the Content Areas that Network Teams, administrators, principals, and teachers will use to facilitate change in schools:

1. Common Core standards
2. The Data-Driven Instruction cycle (DDI) and School-Based Inquiry (SBI)
3. Teacher/Leader effectiveness (performance management systems)

As reform priorities grow and evolve over time, EngageNY will grow and evolve, too – so that you always have the resources you need to ensure success in your school.

John Edson Sweet Lecture: Biometrics: Automated Human Measurement for Security and Convenience

Stephanie Schuckers, PhD, an associate professor at Clarkson University, will present Biometrics: Automated Human Measurements for Security and Convenience, a talk about using biometrics for automated identification of people, as part of the the Technology Alliance of Central New York’s 2011-2012 Sweet Lecture Series.

People interested in learning more about biometrics and its future are invited to attend the free Sweet Lecture presentation on Tuesday, April 10, 2012, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Room 101 of the Whitney Applied Technology Center on the Onondaga Community College campus. Networking starts at 5:30 p.m., the speaker is introduced at 6 p.m., the presentation is slated to run from 6:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and the event ends at 8 p.m. following questions from the audience. Admission is free and open to the public. Walk-ins are welcome, but we ask that people RSVP by emailing sweet.lecture@tacny.org by April 5, 2012.

Schuckers is an associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Clarkson University and serves as the Director of the Center of Identification Technology Research (CITeR), a National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center. She received her doctoral degree in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan. Schuckers’ research focuses on processing and interpreting signals that arise from the human body. Her work is funded from various sources, including National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Department of Homeland Security, the Center for Identification Technology and private industry.

CITeR is a multi-university research center involving Clarkson University, West Virginia University, University of Arizona, University of Buffalo, Michigan State University and St. Lawrence University. The center advances the performance of biometric systems and credibility assessment systems by enabling technologies, interdisciplinary training of scientists and engineers, and facilitation of new technology transfer to the private and government sectors.

Schuckers’ talk will focus on the state of the art of biometrics for automated recognition of individuals, as well as discuss the outlook for the next decade.  She will also describe her research to minimize vulnerability in biometric systems, through the development of algorithms to reduce risk of spoofing, i.e. using fake biometric artifacts.

To help us plan, please email your RSVP. We look forward to seeing you there - please pass the word!

www.tacny.org

Society of Women Engineers - Annual Scholarship Reception

The Society of Women Engineers, Greater Syracuse Area Section will host our Annual Scholarship Reception on May 21, 2012 at 6:00 pm.  Please join us as we honor our 2012 Scholarship Award Recipients!

The event will be at Justin’s Grill in East Syracuse.  This year’s theme is “Oh! The Places You’ll Go!” and we are excited to announce that Gwen Mannion of SRC will be our keynote speaker.  Please contact Monica Cody if you would like to attend ($15/non-member – appetizers and cash bar).  Registrations and payment are requested prior to May 11, 2012.

Scholarship applications are being accepted until April 6, 2012.  Please visit our scholarship page to download a scholarship application, obtain information about sponsorship opportunities, and learn more about the award.  Completed applications, scholarship sponsorships, and all questions about the award and the event should be directed to Monica Cody at SyracuseSWE@gmail.com.

NYSTEEA & Mike Barbieri ~ Looking for volunteers for the conference

Our region Vice President, Mike Barbieri and out NYSTEEA Executive Board NEEDS

your help! They are looking of a few volunteers to assist with the conference registration and set

up on Wednesday, April 18th! 

They also need to borrow PROJECTORS for the various presenters to use during the conference. 

If you can volunteer or provide the conference with a projector please send Mike an e-mail today: mbarbieri@tiogacentral.org I have indicated to him that I would help out if need be... but I know we have a very strong and active retiree group that could fit the bill better than I ;-)!

Greater Syracuse Scholastic Science Fair Needs Volunteers

Volunteers are still needed to judge projects at the Greater Syracuse Scholastic Science Fair (GSSSF) to be held on Sunday, March 25, 2012 at the OnCenter. Students from Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga and Oswego counties will compete in two divisions, the junior fair for 5th-8th graders and the senior fair for 9th-12th graders. Judges don't need to be experts in science to listen as the students demonstrate how much they have learned and accomplished. Lunch and training for the judges will be provided. For those interested in serving as judges at GSSSF for the first time, please register online here.  If you registered online as a GSSSF judge last year, you do not have to register again; simply send an e-mail to eventcoordinator@most.org indicating what fair assignment you would like (junior, senior or special judge). For more information, contact the GSSSF Director at gsssf@most.org, or visit www.most.org. 

Many thanks in advance!!  Programs like this are not possible without the generosity of community members like you. Sincerely, Diane Darwish

CNYTEEA Tour: Syracuse Center of Excellence THURSDAY, March 22nd @ 4:00 PM

CNYTEEA Tour: Syracuse Center of Excellence
THURSDAY, March 22nd @ 4:00 PM
http://www.syracusecoe.org/coe/

SyracuseCoE is a federation of firms, organizations, and institutionsthat creates innovations to improve health, productivity, security, and sustainability in built and urban environments.
Activities within SyracuseCoE include research, product development, commercialization assistance, and education programs. The scope of application interests include systems that monitor and control thermal comfort, air quality, lighting, sound, and water quality in built and urban environments and innovative energy systems, including clean technologies and renewable fuel sources.

Engineering by Design is Coming to NEW YORK

I am pleased to announce that we are very close to bringing the ITEEA curriculum Engineering by Design™ (EbD) to NY State. Again, we are not trying to have this program mandated to districts; rather, we wish to make it an available option to districts seeking a low cost, flexible, regularly updated and standards-based K-12 program. ITEEA is also tying the program in with Common Core Standards, an effort that should appeal to many.

Our first round of EbD teacher training by ITEEA experts will take place June 26-28 at Oneida-Madison-Herkimer BOCES in New Hartford, NY and cover the 7^th and 8^th grade Engineering Design™ courses. Unless demand is high enough to warrant a shorter timeline, high school training will be offered next year.

If you are a teacher who signed the EbD support form, your district superintendent should have recently received detailed information about the program and the associated agreements. This information was distributed directly by the superintendent of Oneida-Madison-Herkimer BOCES and, strategically, this collaboration opens a door to BOCES aid. Please note that even if you did not fill out a support form, districts throughout the state are welcome to participate; however they must agree to the consortium terms. For participation in 2012-13 all agreements and commitments must be completed by May 1, 2012.

As members of the EbD consortium, each participating district will pay a yearly fee; however, as more districts participate each year, the fee will drop significantly. As an example, if only 12 districts join this summer (our minimum number), the cost per district will be $2,165. If more districts join, the cost will be lower. Given the current economic conditions, it is important to note that BOCES aid will likely pay a portion of these expenses; however the percentage covered will vary from district to district.

We are very fortunate because the CTE Technical Assistance Center of NY will be paying the majority of costs to bring ITEEA expert trainers to NY, leaving teachers/districts with only $150 charge for 15-18 hours of training. Districts will be expected to cover their participating teacher’s mileage, lodging, meals and daily stipends. Again, BOCES aid will likely pay a portion of these expenses.

In most instances Engineering by Design™ can be implemented using existing technologies commonly found in schools and technology programs. More specific information on Engineering by Design™ is attached and still more can be found at http://www.iteea.org/EbD/ebd.htm. Members of NYSTEEA, the CTE Technical Assistance Center of NY and Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES are available to answer questions and contact information is attached.

To sum up the costs in a Worst Case Scenario (only 12 districts participating), the first year cost would be $2,165 fee per district + $150 per teacher for training + the cost of mileage, lodging, meals and teacher stipend, -Minus BOCES Aid. However, we optimistically expect the district fee to be lower.

We look forward to working with many of you this summer as we move forward with this exciting collaboration!

Sincerely,

--

Michael T. Fry
President 
New York State Technology & Engineering Educators' Association 
NYSTEEA--Promoting Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM)
Hands-On, Real-World Education
www.nysteea.org

TSA & STEM teaming up for student competition in Ithaca, NY

The NYS Technology Student Association (TSA) competitions will be held this year in Ithaca, N.Y.

http://www.nystsa.com/

If you have a student club or any interested students who would like to compete you should consider coming to Ithaca for this TSA competition on Saturday - April 28th.  You can expect a well run event with terrific community support.

There will be more registration forms and information in next week's post. I do plan on pushing

my students to go, however I do not plan on attending. I will expect the parents to drive the kids to the events so I will be developing an individual registration form that I send out to you all soon.

ITEEA Strategic Plan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K50UV5Pi8lI&context=C344dc3bADOEgsToPDskKV4vO

Please take a look at ITEEA's 6-8 min. video on their

upcoming Strategic Plan. The short video provides lots to think about.

Current ITEEA President Dr. Tom Bell describes the Strategic Plan

in this video.There are nine ITEEA Taskforces planned to be engaged over the next 3 years.

I will be leading Taskforce #8.

All the very best,

Chuck

New York State Technology & Engineering Educators Association (NYSTEEA)

NYSTEEA Advisory Council Chair

12 Tudor Drive

Endicott, New York 13760-4332

Office: 607-785-1680

Cell:    484-885-0045

E-Mail: cgnystea@stny.rr.com

NYSTEEA Conference PRICE REDUCTION if your register before March 31st

Hello Fellow Tech Ed Teachers,

NYSTEEA recognizes the numerous challenges we all face in the current
economic environment. To offset some of the pain, we have decided to
significantly lower the registration cost of this year’s conference. For
those who register before March 31st, the cost will drop from                             $160 down to $85. For those registering after this date the price will be $105.        If you are staying at the University Sheraton, several meals are included in your
lodging package. For those commuting, the commuter meal form provides
several dining options.

The conference dates are approaching, so please go to
http://www.nysteea.org/content/nystea-conference-2012 and register today.
For those who have forgotten to update your membership, this is a great
time to do so. Both registrations can be completed online, but you will
first need to create an account on our website (if you have never done so).
Printable forms are also available…just look for the attachments.

We also have good news for those who have already registered for the
conference, as we will be sending you a partial refund!

As a side note, please stand by over the next couple of weeks for some
exciting news regarding ITEEA’s Engineering by Design program.

Hope to see you all in Syracuse,

Mike Fry
NYSTEEA President

http://www.nysteea.org/.

Girls Summit Career Conference

Greetings from Girls Inc. at the YWCA Syracuse & Onondaga County.  I am writing to share an amazing opportunity for young women.  

Girls Inc. will be hosting our annual ‘Girls Summit’ Career Conference on March 24, 2012 at the Hillside Phoenix Center from 10:00 - 3:30pm.  Girls Summit is a fun - filled career conference featuring guest speakers and hands-on workshops presented by professional women in our community.  Presenters vary every year, but we try to include fields where women are underrepresented, such as the STEMfield.  All girls in 5th-10th grade are invited to come and encouraged to bring a friend!

Please share this amazing opportunity with the young women in your life.  Help us to inspire all girls to be strong smart and bold!

We are still recruiting presenters and volunteers for the event, if this is something you may be interested in- contact us!  The presenter information and registration forms are available by simply visiting our website.  I’ve inserted the link just below!

You may also learn more about our event by visiting our website at:

http://www.ywca.org/site/pp.asp?c=doJMI1OyEnH&b=5796029

Registration forms and further information available by visiting the website

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our agency directly.  Thank you for your time and support. 

Kobie Decker

Program Director

Girls Inc. at the YWCA Syracuse & Onondaga County

401 Douglas Street

Syracuse, NY 13203

Tel: 315.474.0746

www.ywca-syracuse.org

Opportunities to Inspire Students

March approaches and with it come THREE great opportunities to inspire young people. Every year we find that the most powerful experience at the science fair is judge interviews. Your personal interest in what student do, what they learn, and what they hope to do next – it is that human connection that enable science fairs to encourage and affirm kids who are making good choices!

Wednesday, March 14

SUNY ESF Environmental Challenge at ESF and the Carrier Dome

Sunday, March 18
Ying TRSEF at OCC’s Gordon Student Center

Sunday, March 25
GSSSF at the OnCenter

Judging is a treat for YOU, too – the days of baking soda volcanoes are long gone. For example, the March 18^th fair will include:

Can the Dung Beetle Make a Home in Space?

Fly Fishing on My Home Waters

Waste Oil Burner (the student has welded his own test equipment!)

Ribosomal Proteins S7 and S11: An Interaction with Evolutionary Significance

Comparative Analysis of a Natural, Established Vernal Pool to a Man-Made Vernal Pool in its First Season

Eyewitness Recognition of Faces with Hoodies or Sunglasses

The Effect of Sisal Twine Fibers on Compressive and Tensile Strength of Concrete

The Effects of Stretching on Lower Leg Muscle Balance

An Analysis of Ribosomal Protein S16 and the Evolution of the Ribosome

Effect of Lure Presentation Speed on Male Pumpkinseed Reproductive Success

Aerodynamics and Flight Trajectory Calculator

Improving the Accuracy of Radiation Dose by Predicting the Rate at which Water Equilibrates with Room Temperature

Green Fit Energy Bike Project

M&Ms® to Dye For: What artificial food dyes are in different colors of M&M® candies?

Thank you all for your help!

Mary Eileen

Mary Eileen Wood, Director Ying TRSEF
Member International Advisory Council ISEF
Dr. Nelson Ying Tri Region Science and Engineering Fair
604 Walberta Rd, Syracuse NY 13219
315-468-1025   trsef@verizon.net   www.YingTRSEF.org

McDonald's Grants for Middle School (thru 8th grade)

MAC Grants can help you Make Activities Count for your students.

McDonald's knows how hard you work to create stimulating lesson plans. But we also know there are many other activities you'd love to include, if only the budget allowed.

MAC Grants can help. http://cny.mcdtoday.com/macgrants

This program, sponsored by local McDonald's restaurants, provides up to $500 for meaningful, hands-on activities to enhance the learning process for students in grades three through eight.

Math lessons will come alive by desinging and building a model. Recreate life in the industrial revolution by creating an assembly line.

March TACNY Junior Cafe Scientifique "Antarctica Before the Ice: How Global Climate Change Affects Marine Ecology"

Saturday, March 10, 9:30-11:00am (NOTE: not the usual third Saturday of the month)

Milton J Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology, Syracuse NY

Linda C. Ivany, an associate professor of earth sciences at Syracuse University, will present

Antarctica Before the Ice: How Global Climate Change Affects Marine Ecology, a talk about the threat of global warming to Antarctica, as part of TACNY’s 2011-2012 Junior Cafe Scientifique lecture series.

People interested in learning more about the impact of global warming are invited to attend the freeJunior Cafe presentation on Saturday, March 10, 2012, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology (MOST) in Syracuse’s Armory Square. Walk-ins are welcome, but we ask that people RSVP by emailing jrcafe@tacny.org by March 8, 2012.

 Linda C. Ivany, PhD, is an associate professor of earth sciences at Syracuse University. She received her bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University, her master’s degree from the University of Florida, and her doctorate from Harvard University. She was a Michigan Society Fellow at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor for three years before moving to Syracuse in 2000. Ivany is a paleontologist and paleoclimatologist, using fossils to understand ancient environments, ecology, and climate change. She lives in Earlville on a farm with a multitude of animals.

Antarctica was not always covered in ice. Fifty million years ago, it was lush and forested, and the waters offshore were warm and teaming with life. As climate cooled, predators were eliminated from the marine ecosystem, resulting in the unique and fragile fauna that lives near the ice today. But global warming is threatening that ecosystem. If the water warms enough to allow predators to reinvade, the entire ecosystem will be changed forever. Learn more by attending Dr. Ivany’s talk.

TACNY Junior Cafe Scientifique, a program for middle-school students, features discussions between scientists and students about topics in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in an informal atmosphere and seeks to encourage students to consider careers in these areas. Students must be accompanied by an adult and can explore the MOST at no cost after the event. For more information about TACNY, visit www.tacny.org.

TACNY Sweet Lecture "Nuclear Energy: Will It Survive?"

When: Tuesday, March 13, 2012, at 5:30 pm
Where: Whitney Applied Technology Center Room 101 at Onondaga Community College
Stan Wilczek Jr., PE, author and assistant professor at Keuka College, will present Nuclear Energy: Will It Survive?, a talk about the future of nuclear energy in the wake of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, as part of the the Technology Alliance of Central New York’s 2011-2012 Sweet Lecture Series. The Event is being cosponsored by the Syracuse Chapter of the IEEE Power and Energy Society. 
People interested in learning more about nuclear energy are invited to attend the free Sweet Lecture presentation on Tuesday, March 13, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Room 101 of the Whitney Applied Technology Center on the Onondaga Community College campus. Networking starts at 5:30 p.m., the speaker is introduced at 6 p.m., the presentation is slated to run from 6:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and the event ends at 8 p.m. following questions from the audience. Admission is free and open to the public. Walk-ins are welcome, but we ask that people RSVP by emailing sweet.lecture@tacny.org by March 8. 
Stan Wilczek Jr. spent 30 years in the nuclear and utility industry and is currently an assistant professor of business and management at Keuka College. He earned a bachelor of science in nuclear engineering from SUNY Buffalo, an MBA from Syracuse University, and is a graduate of Harvard's Advanced Management Program. The author of two novels, he lives in Central New York and is currently working on his next book. 

Nuclear energy once promised to be an environmentally friendly, safe, abundant and economical supply of electricity that would be “too cheap to meter.” Though it appears to have been fading for decades, did last year’s accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Complex in Japan finally put an end to the nuclear dream? Will nuclear energy survive this latest test?
To help us plan, please email your RSVP. We look forward to seeing you there - please pass the word!

www.tacny.org

G.Ray Bodley High School will be hosting a Technology and Engineering Fair

The Technology Department at G.Ray Bodley High School will be hosting a Technology and Engineering Fair on Wednesday, March 21^st from 6:30 – 8:00 PM. The purpose of the event is to provide parents and students with the various career and educational options that are available to them in Technology related fields.  We have found that our students are entering their senior year and graduating high school without a clear understanding of the educational requirements their future career path.  We feel that it is essential to provide students with an opportunity to explore possible career paths and give them avenues to seek additional information about the courses that they have found an interest in throughout their high school years.  

Currently we are trying to solicit help from professionals, like you that work in different Technology related fields. We are hoping to schedule between 6 – 10 different presentations, approximately 40 minutes in length, that focus on specific Technology careers. Each presenter will be asked to discuss their career twice throughout the evening. The target audience for this event will be students from the current 8^th grade class, high school students, parents, and community members.

On the evening of the event I would like for the presenters to provide several pieces of information:

1.      What skills should someone have if they wish to enter your field?

2.      What level of education does someone need to enter your career area?

3.      What is the anticipated outlook for your profession in the future?

If you would like to present at our event or if you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me through e-mail (mthurlo1@fulton.cnyric.org) or phone (532-1044) at your earliest convenience.

    

Manlius Pebble Hill School Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Fair!

To conserve a variety of resources, we are sending this green invitation to be a part of the Manlius Pebble Hill School Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Fair!

Approximately 150 students in Fifth through Eighth Grade are currently designing and executing individual projects rooted in science, technology, engineering, and math. They will present their completed projects at the Fair on Thursday, March 15th from 5:15 to 9 p.m.

A critical component of the Fair experience centers around the discussions students will have about their work with two evaluators. Those discussions require organization, clarity of thought, and the ability of students to express their ideas. Each year, volunteers from the MPH community share their time and talent by serving as Fair evaluators. We are now looking for 65 individuals who would like to support our young scientists and be a part of their learning process as evaluators at this year's STEM Fair.

For those new to this event, it is a celebration of student work. The evening does not include the awarding of places, prizes, or awards. (Those students seeking a competitive fair are urged to participate in the Greater Syracuse Scholastic Science Fair sponsored by the M.O.S.T.) Evaluators are asked to engage students in conversation about the goals and achievements of their projects, as well as about aspects of their work that may have generated more questions and further curiosity about the topic.  Refreshments will be provided.

We hope you will consider being an evaluator at our STEM Fair. To join with us in offering our students a vigorous experience, please simply reply to this e-mail with your name and preferred e-mail address, so we may contact you with additional details as the date approaches. If you know of other potential evaluators, please send their names along, too, or forward this message to them. I hope to hear from you soon!

Thank you,

Sue

Sue Foster

Science Department Chair

Manlius Pebble Hill School

5300 Jamesville Road

DeWitt, NY 13214

sfoster@mph.netmailto:sfoster@mph.net