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."

Greetings

I want to wish you and your families the happiest of holiday seasons.

As I look toward next year I am excited about all the opportunities available to technology education teachers in Connecticut. The number and topics of professional development activities as well as meeting and conferences is extensive (see below). I hope you take advantage of these opportunities by participating wherever possible.

The word from Washington is the President elect is a supporter of Career and Technical Education and will be looking to put people with CTE experience into the US Department of Education. There is even talk that he supports Perkins and an increase of dollars for this grant is not out of the question.

At the State level, even though our financial outlook is grim, we are moving forward with pushing the school reform plan. This means the concept of students being enrolled in STEM courses, CTE electives and Senior project is still part of the foundation of the plan. Technology Education is seen at the heart of these proposals. Our time is now.

I also encourage you to get involved or at least join your professional organization. ITEA, CTEA, CTELC, TSA all have a lot to offer you and your programs.

Once again Happy holidays and Happy new Year.

Greg

January 8-9, 2009 PLTW New England School Counselor Conference Worchester MA
January 22, 2009 Engineering by Design (EBD) One Year Later, CREC Hartford
January 26, 2009 CTELC Meeting #289 Howell Cheney Technical High School Manchester
January 29, 2009 PLTW Teacher Workshop Science and Engineering Magnet School New London
March 5, 2009 VEX Follow-up workshop
March 7, 2009 VEX Robotics Scrimmage South Windsor High School
March 10, 2009 Construction workshop Follow-up ITEB New Britain
March 18, 2009 CTELC #290 being finalized
March 25-28, 2009 ITEA Conference
April 4, 2009 Connecticut CTEA VEX Robotics Competition CCSU New Britain
May 8, 2009 CT-TSA State Conference Hartford Convention Center
May 9, 2009 PLTW Student Presentation Hartford Convention Center
May 14, 2009 CTELC #291 Pratt and Whitney Jet Engine Training Center in East Hartford
May 27, 2009 CTEA State Conference CCSU

I am sure we will be adding to this list and as new opportunities develop I will post them on this listserv and the Connecticut Technology Education BLOG at http://connecticut-te.blogspot.com/

What's Blog

A blog is whatever you want it to be. There are millions of them, in all shapes and sizes, and there are no real rules.

In simple terms, a blog is a web site, where you write stuff on an ongoing basis. New stuff shows up at the top, so your visitors can read what's new. Then they comment on it or link to it or email you. Or not.

Since Blogger was launched in 1999, blogs have reshaped the web, impacted politics, shaken up journalism, and enabled millions of people to have a voice and connect with others.

Welcome

Welcome to the Connecticut Engineering by Design Blog. This Blog is here for Connecticut teachers currently teaching EbD or those interested in finding out more about the program.

A bit of history to start

In 2007 Connecticut joined the ITEA, CATTS Consortium of states (CT,FL,GA,IL,KY,MD,MO,NC,ND,NH,OH,OK,PA,TN and TX). Membership in the consortium was funded through a NSF grant awarded to the Connecticut Community Colleges' College of Technology's Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing to be directed by the Connecticut Department of Education office of Technology Education and Engineering.

In June of 2008, the first Connecticut districts in the CT-EbD Network sent their teachers for training in the courses they would be offering in when the 2008-2009 school year began.
************************************************************************************

Frequently Asked Questions about the Engineering byDesign™ (EbD™) Program & EbD™ Network of Schools & Teachers

The International Technology Education Association’s Engineering ByDesign™ (EbD™) program is a K‐12 solution for states, school districts and schools wanting to deliver technological literacy through science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM.) In only the second year of existence, EbD™now includes over fifty participating schools nationwide. The EbD™Network links schools and teachers that believe that the ingenuity of children is untapped, unrealized potential, that properly motivated, will lead to the next generation of technologists, innovators, designers, and engineers.

What is Engineering byDesign™?

ITEA’s Center to Advance the Teaching of Technology and Science has developed the only standards‐based national model for Grades K‐12 that delivers Technological Literacy. Engineering byDesign™is a national Model Program that was developed in with the collaboration and leadership of a consortium of states, the Technology Education Advisory Council, ITEA Institutional Members, and the Science, Mathematics and Engineering Community. The model, called Engineering byDesign™is built on the Standards for Technological Literacy (ITEA); Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM); and Project 2061, Benchmarks for Science Literacy (AAAS). Built on the constructivist model, students participating in the program will be learning concepts and principles in an authentic, problem‐based environment. The intent of the program is related to the development of Technological Literacy for students in Grades K‐12, and delivered in the context of Technology, Innovation, Design and Engineering (TIDE.)

What are the Goals of the Engineering byDesign™Program?

Provide a standards‐based K‐12 program that ensures that all students are technologically literate,
Provide opportunities for all students without regard to gender or ethnic origin,
Provide clear standards and expectations for increasing student achievement in math, science and technology
Provide leadership and support that will produce continuous improvement and innovation in the program.
Restore America's status as the leader in innovation
Provide a program that constructs learning from a very early age and culminates in a capstone experience that leads students to become the next generation of technologists, innovators, designers, and engineers.

Why should I be interested in the Engineering byDesign™(EbD™ Network?

The EbD™Network consists of teacher pioneers that collaborate through synchronous and asynchronous professional learning communities to implement the program on a national level. As a participant in the EbD™Network, teachers and schools collaborate to understand the complexities of student learning and join forces to help all students succeed and be prepared for the global society in which they will grow up. Teachers receive a series of training opportunities that prepare them in advance of implementing the program. The opportunities provide the technical expertise needed and the content knowledge required so that students in these schools will achieve the highest gains on EbD™and standardized assessments (local and state.)

The EbD™Network Believes that:

All students can learn,
Diversity enhances the creativity of teams and individuals,
Collaborative teams that work to solve technological problems achieve better solutions and more reliable results,
Increasing student achievement relies on providing students with standards‐based opportunities that are standards‐based, problem‐based, and solved in an environment that provides an authentic environment, Authentic learning will increase all students’ achievement in mathematics, science, and English.

What does it mean to be a part of the EbD™Network?

Members of the EbD™Network receive resources and professional development opportunities that address specific needs in the areas of technological literacy, mathematics, science, and engineering. Through synchronous and asynchronous professional learning opportunities, teachers work together to elevate student achievement that will guarantee a technologically literate student that uses mathematics, science and engineering to develop solutions to authentic technological problems. Teachers participating in the network commit to the following strategic components of the Network:
1. Implement the identified course (from within the program) as it was developed,
2. Offer at least one class of the course during their teaching schedule in the identified year,
3. Actively participate in the opportunities for professional development,
4. Offer the EbD™online assessment to the students in the identified class
5. Actively utilize the data to improve instruction and ultimately student achievement.

What are the criteria to be a member of the EbD™Network?

There are 4 requirements of the EbD™Network. 1. Schools apply to the EbD™Network using the one‐page application process at www.engineeringbydesign.org . The school’s principal and teacher must sign the application and send it to the address noted on the form. Applications are accepted between April 1st and November 1st (exceptions made on a case by case basis.)
2. Schools agree to deliver the identified courses as they were written, covering the content using the units and lessons provided in the identified EbD™Course Guides. Professional development will be offered both at the ITEA Annual Conference and online at eTIDEonline. Teachers agree to enroll and actively engage in the professional development opportunities and to be an active participant in the EbD™Network professional learning community. There are no costs for the 4 identified schools in each consortium state for the professional development. Costs associated with travel, substitutes, and internet connectivity is the responsibility of the school/school system.
3. Schools agree to have students participate in the EbD™Network eTIDEonline Assessment program. Schools will not be required to share student names. Data will be collected in isolation of names in compliance with privacy requirements. Teachers will have access to scores and be able to identify students through their own coding system.
4. Schools agree to create and sustain an EbD™Collaboration Team. The team consists of (but is not limited to) representatives from the technology, mathematics, science, engineering, and counseling departments in the school, as well as a minimum of 1 or 2 representatives from the community (PTA/engineering communities).

What is eTIDEonline and how does it work?

eTIDEonline is an online professional learning community where teachers in training or implementing the Engineering byDesign™courses are able to access resources and coordinate strategies to improve student achievement. It is the method by which teachers from across the country (in some 65 schools) that are participating in the pilot communicate regarding instructional strategies, and development of resources to deliver the course. eTIDEonline is hosted on a Moodle® server, where participants are provided access to each course they are committed to implementing. Once online, teachers work together to pilot lessons from the course, share exemplars of student work (example of student work that illustrate above target, at target, and below target) to gain consistency. In addition, teachers that develop resources to augment instruction share these resources electronically. Together, teachers are able to build an extensive standards‐based library of student exemplars and resources. Teachers participate, and engage others in online forums, blogs, and chat rooms. Schools participating in the EbD™Network are automatically enrolled once the EbD™Application and Agreement is signed by the teacher, principal and superintendent of the school district.

What are the sequence of events so that I can incorporate the opportunities into my school calendar?

The process is a two year process in order to plan ahead and receive the proper training to implement the program. Exceptions are made in situations where schools are interested in participating, the teachers in the schools are recognized as highly qualified, and the principal has identified the program as a means to achieving the school improvement plan. International Technology Education Association www.engineeringbydesign.org P a g e | 4
What is the Student Assessment and Design Challenge and how does it work?
The eTIDEonline student assessment is given at the end of the pilot year. The assessment has been built by experienced assessment writers from around the country. The assessment was developed by writers looking at the identified standards for each course, the content for each unit, and associated math/science standards that were to be covered. Schools that are part of the pilot are provided enough student seats for every child in the pilot class. Each assessment is divided into 3 parts. Part A and B are selected response questions. These questions have students interpreting scenarios, graphs, diagrams, etc that would have been covered in order to meet the identified standards. In addition to the knowledge section, students complete Part C ‐ a design challenge in groups of 3 or 4. Once complete, each student then answers questions based on the challenge.

What Courses make up the EbD offerings?

ide 4

.