Great Technology Education Promotional Video

This is Mike Fitzgerald, State Supervisor for TE from Indiana, filmed when he ws a classroom teacher.

Fun, Informative and Useful Websites

LINK http://www.factcheck.org/

Best High Schools 2009 Search

U.S.News & World Report—in collaboration with School Evaluation Services, a K-12 education and data research and analysis business that provides parents with education data—analyzed academic and enrollment data from more than 21,000 public high schools to find the very best across the country. These top schools were placed into gold, silver, bronze, or honorable mention categories.

Canton High School Hartford County, Canton, CT	Silver
	Capitol Preparatory Magnet School Hartford County, Hartford, CT	Bronze
	Darien High School Fairfield County, Darien, CT	Silver
	Guilford High School New Haven County, Guilford, CT	Silver
	Joel Barlow High School Fairfield County, Redding, CT	Silver
	Lyme-Old Lyme High School New London County, Old Lyme, CT	Silver
	New Canaan High School Fairfield County, New Canaan, CT	Silver
	Northwestern Regional High School Litchfield County, Winsted, CT	Silver
	Pathways to Technology Magnet School Hartford County, Bloomfield, CT	Bronze
	Ridgefield High School Fairfield County, Ridgefield, CT	Silver

Simsbury High School Hartford County, Simsbury, CT	Silver
	Sports and Medical Sciences Academy Hartford County, Hartford, CT	Bronze
	Staples High School Fairfield County, Westport, CT	Silver
	University High School Hartford County, Hartford, CT	Bronze
	Weston High School Fairfield County, Weston, CT	Silver
	Wilton High School Fairfield County, Wilton, CT	Silver

Tech Ed students at Berlin High lead the way with machine project

Sunday, November 29, 2009 9:58 PM EST

By SCOTT WHIPPLE
Staff writer

BERLIN — Holly Robillard says she spent hours at home on school nights tossing and turning, wondering how she was going to solve certain problems.

No, the 15-year-old Berlin High School sophomore wasn’t a potential guest on Dr. Phil’s sensational TV show. She was losing sleep over "a Rube Goldberg" machine: a complicated invention she and her classmates in David Salonia’s Tech Ed class were grappling with.

Though the project was continually on her mind, Robillard says the time and effort she invested in the project was well worth her time and effort.

Robillard, who wants to pursue a career in engineering, signed up for the course because she thought the project would be interesting. She wasn’t disappointed.

"I like to design and problem-solve," she said. "My partner. Kyle Kissane, and I were assigned one part of the project. We had to incorporate as many simple machines as possible."

Robillard and Kissame started with a pulley, that turned a crank, attached to a screw, pushing a marble onward and sending it down an incline plane. There needed to be enough of a tilt to make a U for at least five seconds.

Jon Hauptfeld, 15, a sophomore, worked on another section of the project. He needed to keep the marble rolling so it would roll into a cup, forcing it down, then another section up. The eight students working on the project weren’t allowed to buy the parts; they had to use whatever Salonia had in his back room.

Last Wednesday, Salonia’s second year engineering students gave a demonstration in the high school’s media center. Their "Rube Goldberg" type machine (so named for the famous cartoonist who created odd-shaped contrivances). The system of simple machines take marbles from one place to another, finally raising a flag three feet into the air.

"We call the machine ‘SMET,’" said Salonia, "for Simple Machine Energy Transformation. My students designed, tested and built the entire machine themselves as part of an engineering activity from Project Lead the Way. It’s truly a work of ingenuity."

Lead the Way is a national initiative to "ignite immagination and innovation" in the classroom.

The class received an A for the project; each student got a grade between B plus and A. Grades are based on an rubric that demands a participant work with certain constraints. Students are asked to draw up schematics, a concept they think will work. And, they keep a journal of their progress.

Often they discovered what they had sketched out didn’t work in practice.

Salonia’s students found the project challenging and frustrating. However, they learned patience, teamwork, trial and error, and that by working together they could accomplish a lot more. The students worked in two’s. Salonia reshuffled the teams so they wouldn’t just partner with their friends.

"In the workforce you have to work with other people," Salonia said. "It may not be a person you like; you can’t always work with your friend."

The project will stay on display in the school library for a year until next year’s class builds their project. In all, there are three sections to the machine, each one, 12 inches by 12 inches. It contains levers, triggers, springs, catches seesaws, planes, while one motion activates the other.

This is the fourth year Salonia has introduced a class project.

"The kids love it; they find it challenging," he said. "Because it’s about problem-solving and teamwork they can apply the concepts. Engineers are problem-solvers. They have to follow the rules. If they design a new car that has to get 30 miles an hour, they need to stay within constraints."

Salonia stresses that he is teaching how engineers think — from concept to manufactured product. Students can go further in engineering if they are interested in architecture or manufacturing or con-struction or woodworking. Out of eight kids in class, two are girls

"I think a lot of kids like the course because it’s a hands-on activity, a departure from sitting and listening in class," Salonia said.

Or, as Hauptfeld said, "It really helped me learn about machines."

High School Student Nominations Wanted

LINK TO NOMINATION SITE HERE See High School Category below Call for Nominations: Women of Innovation Awards 2010 The Women of Innovation Planning Committee of the Connecticut Technology Council is seeking nominations of women in Connecticut for recognition of their efforts in the technology, science and engineering fields for the 2010 Women of Innovation Awards Dinner. The sixth annual awards dinner will be held at the Aqua Turf in Southington on January 28, 2010. Nominate a Woman of Innovation Now (Nov. 6, 2009 deadline) Honored will be women who are innovators, role models, and leaders who work as researchers, educators, managers or service providers in technology, science and engineering. Nominees can come from such fields as biotech, pharmaceuticals, telecom, software, computer hardware, electronics, alternative energy, nanotech, medical devices, IT, networks, communications and robotics. Do you know a woman whose efforts should be acknowledged in science, engineering, technology research, or education, or is working in a company providing professional services to these communities, or is in a scientific, engineering or technology company management position? If yes, then please complete the nomination form by November 6th 2009. Nominees are women who exhibit the extraordinary energy that powers a company or institution. They are hard working, entrepreneurial, and inspirational to others and motivated to excel. Nominating them allows us to recognize their efforts and their achievements. Nominees may be growing or well-established in their careers. They may be shaping the future of their industry or institution, or starting a company, or serving as a role model for young women thinking about careers in technology, science, or engineering. Nominees may also be young high school women, ages 18 or younger or college women, ages 18 to 25, who are enrolled as undergraduates or graduate students, who have excelled as young inventors, are academically proficient in a science or technology curriculum or have accomplished an extraordinary technology feat that should be recognized for its innovation and uniqueness. Women of Innovation Nomination Eligibility Criteria The nomination process is open to women working in the technology, science, and engineering communities, in business or academia, and employed in Connecticut. Consider these criteria: 1. Possesses at least three years of managerial or technical experience in a technology, engineering or science-related company. The candidate does not have to be at the CEO, senior manager or a senior academic faculty member. We wish to recognize women who are playing an important role at a variety of managerial levels. 2. Has created a culture of innovation through her efforts. For example, the nominee has moved or played a key role in moving a company or institution to adopt new practices, processes or paradigms. 3. Thinks creatively and solves problems. Has led a company’s or team’s efforts to generate breakthrough ideas for new products and services. 4. Has demonstrated leadership abilities. Is able to motivate people to perform at their best, make work meaningful and rewarding, foster commitment and innovation, and attract and retain top performers. Is able to mobilize and lead teams and projects. Serves as a mentor. 5. If within academia, the nominee should be engaged in technology research, or work, curriculum development, and inspires and encourages other women to pursue careers in technology, science, or engineering. Serves as a mentor. 6. If a high school student 18 or younger, has demonstrated exceptional academic achievement in the technology or science areas of study or who has displayed inventiveness or creativity in those fields. 7. If a college undergraduate or graduate student, has demonstrated exceptional academic achievement in the technology, or science or engineering areas of study or who has displayed inventiveness or creativity in those fields. 8. If in a professional services field such as law, finance, accounting, marketing or consulting, the nominee should have worked specifically with technology, scientific, or engineering firms. Fill out the following form and submit it for consideration. All nominations are due by November 6th, 2009. Women of Innovation Nomination Form Step 1 You may nominate a woman for the appropriate category as described below. Nominees will be judged solely on the basis of a nominator's written presentation. Nominators are strongly encouraged to focus on the criteria that the nominees will be judged on and to provide specific information on as many of the criteria as possible. It is the responsibility of the nominator to provide a clear and accurate nomination. Nomination Categories: Research Innovation and Leadership Definition: A woman who has developed new knowledge or products or improvements to products in a corporate or academic setting. She has exhibited original approaches to research and has achieved peer recognition in the technology, science or engineering disciplines. She has exhibited leadership ability by leading research teams, motivating staff and securing funding and/or resources to enable her research program. Judged on: a) Achievement in new product or idea development, b) Receipt of professional recognition, c) publication and/or patent record, d) Scope of research program as evidenced by research funding, resource allocation, such as full-time staff assigned and the interdisciplinary scope of research team(s), e) Leadership Academic Innovation and Leadership Definition: A woman in an academic setting (elementary or high school, college, university, medical school) who has created and fostered programs (in technology, science, and engineering) in curriculum development, student research, and teacher-student collaborations. A woman who has secured outside funding and/or has received peer recognition for her leadership and innovation in these areas. A woman who has worked to inspire and encourage other women to pursue careers in technology, science or engineering. Judged on: a) Innovative curriculum development, b) Academic awards or peer honors, c) Secured grants to support this work, d) Mentorship, e) Leadership Entrepreneurial Innovation and Leadership Definition: A woman who has founded her own company or helped found a company. Has taken great professional and financial risk to make her idea a reality. Judged on: a) Entrepreneurship, b) Innovation c) Leadership Large Business Innovation and Leadership Definition: A woman with at least three years of managerial or technical experience in technology, science or engineering. Has managed a program, project or business unit in an exemplary way in a large corporation or professional services firm. Judged on: a) Managerial skills, b) Leadership, c) Innovation Small Business Innovation and Leadership Definition: A woman with at least three years of managerial or technical experience in technology, science or engineering. Has managed a program, project or business unit in an exemplary way in a small company or professional services firm. Judged on: a) Managerial skills, b) Innovation c) Leadership Youth Innovation and Leadership Definition: A young female high school student who has demonstrated exceptional academic achievement in the technology or science areas of study or who has displayed inventiveness or creativity in those fields. (Note: The honoree in this category will win be awarded a modest scholarship). Judged on: a) Academic achievement, b) Innovation and Creativity Collegian Innovation and Leadership Definition: A woman undergraduate or graduate student who has demonstrated exceptional academic achievement in the technology, science, or engineering areas of study or who has displayed inventiveness or creativity in those fields. Judged on: a) Academic achievement, b) Innovation and creativity Community Innovation and Leadership Definition: A woman employed in technology, science or engineering who has devoted her own time and resources or marshaled those of her company or organization to supporting community organizations or non-profits. Has created or encouraged a culture of giving at her company or place of employment or has volunteered her time outside her workplace. Judged on: a) Service to community, b) Leadership, c) Innovation

FREE OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE

FREE SOFTWARE LNK---- http://freetech.wikispaces.com/Software

Definitions of Open source software on the Web:

• Open source software (OSS) is defined as computer software for which the source code and certain other rights normally reserved for copyright ...
  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source_software

• Open Source Software is software for which the underlying programming code is available to the users so that they may read it, make changes to it, and build new versions of the software incorporating their changes. ...
  www.crosswebtech.com/information/glossary.htm

• software in which the source code is by definition freely available to the general public for redistribution, modification, examination or any ...
  www.salon.com/tech/fsp/glossary/

• Computer software that is distributed under a licensing arrangement and which allows the computer code to be shared, viewed and modified by other users and organisations. ...
  www.parliament.vic.gov.au/SARC/E-Democracy/Final_Report/Glossary.htm

• An overloaded term currently in vogue on the Internet, refers to software that is also distributed with the source code, the files that were used ...
  www.ultra-high-speed-mn.org/CM/Custom/Glossary.asp

• A method of software distribution where a programmer creates a program and makes it available for others to use without cost, as well as modify the source code and redistribute the modifications to the software user/developer community.
  www.nursing-informatics.com/kwantlen/glossary4.html

• An operating system and/or applications software for which the code is open for alteration by the public.
  www.girpm.com/articles/glossary.asp

• Software that can be copied and redistribute by the user. Many products are also free (FOSS).
  www.timr.ca/RecentArticles/Online/terminology.html

• Software with code that can be read, used and changed by any user, usually by license.
  www.mikalac.com/www/webgloss.html

• Is gratis software made freely available to anyone under the GNU General Public License (GPL)
  www.igmmedia.co.uk/terms/

Name this CT Teacher

From NorwalkPlus.com LOCAL Teachers defy gravity to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers ] Sep 29, 2009 - 7:19 PM As the plane flew over the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, teachers conducted a range of experiments, including soaring like Superman, as they experienced lunar, Martian and zero gravity. Pictured: James Janski, Wells Road Intermediate School, Granby, CT (top row, left); Geoffrey Bergen, Whisconier Middle School, Brookfield, CT (top row, right); Michael Gary, J. A. DePaolo Middle School, Southington, CT (second row, right); Nina Rooks Cast, Cooley Health, Science, Technology High School, Providence, RI (second row, left), and Brian Katz, Keansburg High School, Keansburg, NJ (bottom row, left). Students throughout Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island to receive the message that science is cool from their teachers’ microgravity experience NORWALK, CT – Sept. 29, 2009 – The Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) Foundation sent 30 educators representing various school districts throughout Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island into weightlessness today as part of the Northrop Grumman Foundation Weightless Flights of Discovery Program, which aims to inspire and prepare the next generation of scientists, mathematicians and engineers – critical areas where the U.S. has fallen behind globally. The program, in its fourth year, provides educators with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to prepare for and participate in micro- and zero-gravity flights during which they test Newton's Laws of Motion with a variety of planned experiments. The experience and experiment results are captured through photos and videos that the teachers will then take into their classrooms to share with their students in order to demonstrate how exciting and cool careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) can be. The United States is experiencing a shortage of college graduates in the STEM disciplines, a negative trend that bodes ill for the nation’s industries that depend on talented scientists and mathematicians. Because studies have indicated most children make the decision to pursue math and science education and careers during middle-school, Northrop Grumman developed the Weightless Flights of Discovery to engage teachers, and key influencers in the lives of students during these crucial years. The Northrop Grumman Foundation supports diverse and sustainable programs for students and teachers. These programs create innovative education experiences in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.