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.

Connecticut Tech Ed Teacher in Space

Check out the Blog from Brookfield TE Teacher Geoff Bergen. BLOG LINK

Design a House

Design Studio On this Web site, you can design a house, walk through it in 3D, and then share it with the world. You can also learn more about architecture, past and present, and explore Frank Lloyd Wright's life and work.

Grant Opportunity

$500 mini-grants for Pay it Forward activities The Pay It Forward Foundation administers a mini-grant program for Pay It Forward activities designed by and involving youth in service to their school, neighborhood or the greater community. Mini-grants up to $500 are available to schools, churches and community-based groups of youth for service activities of all types. A Pay It Forward project is defined as one or more service activities that benefit a school, neighborhood, or the greater community and include learning goals for its youth participants.

NAEP Draft on Technological Literacy Unveiled

Published Online: August 11, 2009

By Kathleen Kennedy Manzo

A discussion draft of the framework for the national assessment of technological literacy, the first to gauge students’ understanding of and skill in using a range of tools, has been presented to the board that oversees the testing program.

The computer-based National Assessment of Educational Progress in technological literacy, scheduled to be administered to a representative sample of the nation’s 4th, 8th, and 12th graders for the first time in 2012, will evaluate students’ understanding of technology tools and their design, the ways they can be used to gather information and communicate ideas, and their impact on society.

The goal of the technological-literacy assessment should be to help students “understand all of the implications of living in a highly technological society,” said Alan Friedman, a physicist who is a member of the National Assessment Governing Board, which sets policy for NAEP. Mr. Friedman is the vice chairman of the board’s assessment-development committee.

Those implications, he said, include not only the advances to society that have been created by technology, but also the drawbacks, such as concerns about privacy, as well as the challenges society will face in the future in energy usage and other areas.

When it is made final, the framework will guide the design of the assessment. The draft defines technological literacy as the “general understanding of technology coupled with a capability to use, manage, and assess the technologies that are most relevant in one’s life, such as the information and communication technologies that are particularly salient in the world today.”

The committee embraced a broad definition of technology that ranges from automobiles to computers, including many of the tools that are used in daily life.

Limits to Measurement

Students may be tested on their knowledge of the kinds of tools that are available and how they are used, along with their ability to apply technological concepts to solve problems. They may be given tasks that demonstrate their ability to use various technology platforms to communicate information or collect and analyze data, evaluate information, and suggest a technology solution to a given problem.

While the assessment is meant to gauge a broad range of skills that are considered essential to technological literacy, the test design may be limited in its ability to measure some areas, the draft states, such as the habits of mind and critical-thinking skills that are considered essential to a deeper understanding and use of technology.

“This is an important development, I can say that without reservations because technological literacy is such a critical element of being a successful 21st - century citizen,” said Valerie Greenhill, the director of strategic initiatives for the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, a Tucson, Ariz.-based advocacy group. “The progression being made in the technology community away from the notion of just technology competence, such as how to use a computer, to … developing that literacy with the use of technology in daily life and in core academic subjects as well is incredibly important. To the extent that the NAEP is developing a framework that guides the development of these competencies is a welcome move.”

A number of states have implemented tests of technology or information literacy, and most have adopted the national K-12 standards in the field produced by the International Society for Technology in Education.

The NAGB committee that has been devising the framework has reviewed state technology standards, studies on assessing technology skills, and the guidelines and recommendations of ISTE and other organizations.

“We want students to understand that technology is not just computers,” said Senta Raizen, the director of the National Center for Improving Science Education, who co-chaired the framework committee. The center is based at WestEd, a research organization in San Francisco.

The goal, Ms. Raizen said at a meeting late last week where the draft was unveiled, is to understand “the human design world, where do things come from, where does our technology come from.”

She and others involved in the project say the material represented in the framework could be covered in science class, but also in subjects across the curriculum, such as mathematics, history, social studies, and language arts.

“We’ve seen movement for reading across the curriculum, writing across the curriculum,” Mr. Friedman said. “Well, technology across the curriculum makes as much sense as those do.”

Assistant Editor Sean Cavanagh contributed to this story.

Vol. 29, Issue 01

© 2009 Editorial Projects in Education

GREAT Site from New Zealand

To Read the Entire Article go to the LINK

Energy Related Lesson Plans for High School

Great Site for Energy Related Lesson Plans for High School

http://ase.org/section/_audience/educators/lessons/high/

Report: Teacher shortage undermines career and technical education, potentially economic growth

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Erin Uy, euy@careertech.org

August 14, 2009 301.588.9630 (office), 301.641.9358 (mobile)

Report: Teacher shortage undermines career and technical education, potentially economic growth

SILVER SPRING, MD – The fastest growing jobs in the nation will be in career and technical education fields such as manufacturing – from aerospace to pharmaceuticals—and health care, however a shortage of qualified teachers may jeopardize the nation’s ability to prepare students for those professions, according to a recent issue brief released by the National Association of State Directors of Career and Technical Education.

However, an opportunity to boost the supply of teachers may be opening, as a growing number of displaced industry workers are making a career shift into the education system. But to capitalize on what may be a silver lining of the nation’s economic downturn, schools, policymakers and accrediting institutions must create pathways to attract, support and retain teachers, according to Teacher Shortage Undermines CTE.

Urging action, the report notes that “in order to cultivate a workforce to fill these jobs, students will require training from quality secondary and postsecondary CTE teachers – resources that are lacking across the nation due to a teacher shortage.”

The issue brief recommends:

· States adopt flexible, but rigorous standards alternative certification programs. Research has shown that there is no statistically significant difference in the academic achievement of students whose teachers took different routes to certification.

· Schools provide professional development through various funding streams – from traditional CTE funding pots through Perkins to Title II of NCLB. Also, all professional development should be comprehensive and continuous.

· Proactively recruiting teachers from industry, particularly in fields where the economy is experiencing the most growth and transformation. Industry perspective can keep the school programs fresh and relevant to economic demands.

The report highlights examples of teacher training programs and standards in Oregon, Alabama and California that may serve as models for other states. Visit http://www.careertech.org/uploaded_files/Teacher_Shortage_Undermines_CTE.pdf

NASDCTEc is the Washington D.C.-area based professional society of the state and territory agency heads responsible for career technical education. The state directors are committed to leadership and results. The association has a growing membership of over 200 members who share the state directors’ commitment to quality education at the secondary, post secondary and adult levels.

We have all been undoubtedly frustrated by the lack and accuracy of information available as it relates to technology and engineering education. I believe it is important to be doing more to educate the public, policy makers, and school officials as to the value and benefit of children engaging in technology and engineering programs during their K-12 school experience. So, I am setting out to produce a series of multimedia tracks that will be posted in various forums. Once complete, I will create a new Podcast and post them to YouTube as well as other appropriate online venues. The title for this production is “Education for Innovation” and my goal is to launch the first six episodes by the fall of 2009, then continue on to produce other episodes building on the first six.

Each episode will focus on a particular topic or concept important to technology and engineering education such as:
Workforce Issues
Innovation
Academic Achievement
Technological Literacy
Sustainability
Engineering
Architecture
Industrial Design
Design
Manufacturing
Impacts of Technology
Systems
STEM Integration

I am inviting your participation and contribution to this material in the following way. I will be scheduling a recorded thirty to sixty minute telephone interview or teleconference panel discussion with willing individuals. I will ask each individual to sign an appearance release for this production. I will then edit/select illustrative audio samples from these discussions and pair them with appropriate visuals and use the final productions in the manner described above.

My goal is to begin production as soon as possible and I am ready to proceed as soon as I can line up a few interviews with knowledgeable people such as you. I hope that you are willing to help illustrate the issues that are so important to society yet remain misunderstood.

Will you please send a message back if you are willing to participate?

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Dave Janosz

dave@janosz.us

Helen Keller program will teach ‘real-life’ technology

Helen Keller program will teach ‘real-life’ technology

Written by Brad Durrell
Thursday, 13 August 2009 13:51

Linking course work to real life.

That’s the goal of the Project Lead the Way initiative to be implemented at Helen Keller Middle School during the next five years.

The program teaches youngsters about math, science and technology in a way that exposes them to the different types of careers available in engineering and related fields.

“We want to connect course work to real life, especially when students’ interests in careers are still forming,” said Keller Principal Joan Parker.

Few students really understand what engineers and technology workers do, and the variety of opportunities available to them in the medical, environmental, manufacturing, research, design and computer industries.

The private, nonprofit Easton Learning Foundation (ELF) has agreed to fully fund the five-year implementation plan at a cost of $115,700. The costs include room alteration, equipment, software, and teacher and guidance counselor training.

Beginning in 2014-15, it is expected the program’s ongoing annual expenses of $3,900 to $8,900 would be paid by the Easton Board of Education. The initiative would become part of Keller’s regular curriculum.

The school system is unable to pay the five-year implementation costs now due to budget constraints.

School Supt. Allen Fossbender is excited about the program’s potential, noting students would learn about the variety of jobs in engineering at a young age. “It opens up career exploration and makes class relevant to them,” he said.

National program

Project Lead the Way is a national nonprofit organization that designs pre-engineering courses for middle school and high school students.

The goal is to show students how engineers use technology to solve everyday problems. The Project Lead the Way curriculum has been used at 300 schools across the nation, including in Simsbury and Stratford in Connecticut.

A brochure for Project Lead the Way explains that today’s engineers don’t necessary fit the stereotype held by most young people.

“Aren’t they those brainy nerds, the unfashionable introverts who always dream about math and science, computers, and schematics?” states the brochure. “No...The days of the pocket-protector-wearing engineer are gone.”

In fact, the brochure points out, the people who become engineers aren’t necessarily the best math and science students when young.

“The key is early exposure,” Parker said.

The United States is in dire need of engineers, especially when compared to China and India. Many experts fear the lack of trained engineers could hamper America’s competitiveness in the global economy.

New teacher, classroom

Students will begin the new course work in year two of the plan, or in the 2010-11 academic year.

The students will be taught about design and modeling, automation and robotics, electrons, the science of technology, and aerospace.

“The curriculum,” states the brochure, “gives them hands-on experience applying math and science concepts to solving real-life problems.” Students also will be taught the importance of communication skills.

The woodshop at Keller will be renovated, with new computers and other equipment added. Some of the existing equipment may be used for certain tasks.

A new teacher, Betty Noone, has been hired to teach technology, engineering and design. She replaces longtime woodshop teacher Ted Gass, who school officials praised for his expertise and years of service.

Noone has strong computer skills and has worked in the private sector, school officials said.

Fossbender said the Project Lead the Way approach will change lives for the better. “It really makes the curriculum come alive,” he said. “It’s engaging. It’s tested and relevant, and has been put in place by others.”

Foundation is thanked

Parker and Fossbender said ELF’s willingness to fund the initial costs should be applauded, noting the foundation has focused on the importance of science, technology and math in the past.

“They are taking this one on, and we are just thrilled about it,” Parker said. “There would be no other way to get this started.”

Fossbender said ELF “will partner with us once again, leading to a positive program.”

Keller officials worked closely with Greg Kane of the state Department of Education to pursue the program. Kane has since retired.

Fossbender also said he admired the efforts of Parker and Assistant Principal Susan Kaplan to start the program. “They persisted despite the budget issues,” he said.

Parker said one reason for her persistence is because early adolescence is a time when youngsters are open to more activities, so it’s the right time to teach them more about the career potential for engineers.

“The excitement of discovery and the passion of investigating one’s interests generates an energy that is electric,” she said.