2013 Teacher Excellence Award

Statements of Belief:

I believe that Technology & Engineering Education is a critical element in helping us become a more
technologically literate nation. Regardless of career choice, all people need the problem-solving and
critical thinking skills taught by the hands-on approach of T & E Education. Thus, T & E Education becomes a catalyst for an interdisciplinary approach to education. Concepts of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) along with social studies, language and the arts are applied to give meaningful, first-hand experiences to students.  I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. I teach and I know I know forever.

Dan Lemieux is the 2013 recipient of the Teacher Excellence Award as given by the Technology
& Engineering Educators Association of Maine (T.E.E.A.M.) and the International Technology &
Engineering Educators Association (I.T.E.E.A.). Dan has been a career Technology & Engineering
Teacher at Spruce Mountain High School in Jay, Maine, since graduating from USM in 1983. He
followed with a Masters in Science degree from UMO in 1994 and has applied his education to his
daily school activities by creating a dynamic T & E program for grades 9 through 12 students from Jay,
Livermore and Livermore Falls. As a self-described “over-achiever,” Dan is not only the department
head of the T & E program, but he serves many roles in the school, most notably as the Student Council Advisor, the Cross-Country Coach, and the MLTI Leader/Teacher, to name a few. Further, Dan
has expanded the realm of T & E Education to involve the commercial and industrial communities
in several engineering challenges, including the US FIRST Robotics, Vex Robotics and the Maine
Windblade challenges. Mr. Lemieux and his students have proven themselves worthy as they have
earned numerous regional and state titles, and even participated in the Vex World Championships.
Dan is a resourceful teacher as well, as he and his students have written and received many grants
while also generating revenue for their robotics projects by operating their own fundraisers and
by establishing partnerships with many local and area businesses and industries. Thanks to Dan's
boundless energy, students in his classes have remarkable opportunities available to them to learn about Computer-Aided Drafting, Architectural Design & Building Construction, Automotives, Metals and Woods Technologies and Robotics.

The TEEAM is proud to have Dan represent its organization and the State of Maine at the upcoming
conferences of the TEEAM in March, The ITEEA also in March and at the New England Association
of Technology Educators in the Fall of 2013.

the T & E in STEM

If you are still teaching “shop”, “ Industrial Arts”, or something other than Technology and Engineering maybe you need to read this article http://www.postbulletin.com/news/stories/display.php?id=1515574.  It also shows why we are a part of the STEM world even if you do not think so.

William F. Bertrand | Technology Education Advisor

Department of Education | Bureau of Teaching and Learning

333 Market Street | Hbg PA 17126

Notes from 10/25/2012 TEEAM meeting

Technology and Engineering Educator's Association of Maine

Notes on the October 25, 2012 Fall Kick Off Meeting

Gray-New Gloucester High School, Gray, Maine

Andy Davidson, TEEAM president, called the meeting to order at 5:20.

Dave Kramlich, Technology and Engineering teacher at Gray-New Gloucester High School, gave an overview of the program. Courses include Intro to Technology, Digital Photography, and Pre-Engineering.

Meeting participants had been asked to bring something from their programs to share. The following is a listing of the projects and ideas that were contributed:

John Kraljic, Falmouth High School – The Tug of War Challenge will be held on March 29th and is funded by a grant from the Perloff Foundation. This June, Falmouth graduates will be able to get a STEM endorsement on their diploma.

Andy Davidson, Scarborough Middle School – Andy's students work collaboratively to design a puzzle using Google SketchUp. Each student creates one piece of the puzzle which will result in a 3” cube that students fabricate from wood.

Tim Taylor, Scarborough Middle School – Tim has made various shapes from wood which students measure then draw and dimension using Google SketchUp. 

Dave Southard, York Middle School – Dave relates the grading for a project to the systems model. Students complete a graphic organizer by explaining and categorizing the work they did developing a project as input, process, and output on a systems model diagram.

Sam Blunda, Saco Middle School – Sam's 8th graders build a house using Google SketchUp, then build a physical model from cardboard using a printout of the top view of the SketchUp model as a guide.

Sunny Stutzman, Yarmouth High School – Sonny's students design Tiny Houses that are 8 ½' x 20' x 11 ½' using Google SketchUp. They build paper models of the houses, make adjustments to their designs, indicate the materials that will be used to construct the houses, then pitch their ideas to people interested in Tiny Houses.

Jim Rowe, Auburn Middle School – Jim's students design boat hulls and create them from foam. They race the boats in a tank equipped with motion sensors. 

Mary Ann Hamel, Gray-New Gloucester Middle School – 7th grade Tech Ed students at Gray-New Gloucester Middle School make casein glue from milk as a hands-on Biotechnology activity. They use the glue to make a simple popsicle stick truss, then test the truss for strength.

John Kraljic recommends the NASA online classes. He is completing one on Project Based Learning and Assessment.

The TEEAM conference will be held on March 29th at USM

The meeting was adjourned and was followed by a tour of the lab at Gray-New Gloucester High School

Notes submitted by Mary Ann Hamel, TEEAM secretary

STEM-focused schools

STEM-focused schools by scitechframework

The state is FULL of conversation about STEM focused programming. Some districts have hired STEM coordinators, some are adopting STEM endorsed diplomas, others are designing STEM Academies.

Any school wondering how to strengthen STEM education should first read the National Research Council's (short) report Successful K-12 STEM Education.

Below are a few schools that I know of that have, or are working to adopt comprehensive STEM programs at some level.  PLEASE post comments about other STEM programs/conversations around the state.

1. The Maine School of Science and Mathematics (MSSM) - MSSM is Maine's magnet high school. MSSM is a public boarding school that offers an advanced curriculum in science and mathematics to students from throughout Maine and beyond.

2. Maine Academy for Natural Sciences (MeANS) -  MeANS opened in September 2011 as Maine’s first high school to focus on the natural sciences. MeANS includes day students from the local region and boarding students from across the State. MeANS focuses on agriculture, sustainability, forestry, workforce skills training and independent living, offering high school experiences for the active, real-world learner.

3. Baxter Academy for Science and Technology - Baxter will be a rigorous, college-preparatory high school promoting student ownership of learning through curriculum focused specifically on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Baxter Academy students will study complex, real world problems, using and building technological tools in a collaborative environment with scientists, engineers, and other professionals. Baxter will open in the fall of 2013.

4. Falmouth High School - Falmouth High School is offering a high school diploma with a STEM endorsement. To get a Falmouth High School STEM Endorsement, students must take four years each of core science and math courses, such as biology, chemistry, algebra and geometry, plus three related elective courses, such as genetics, forensics, astronomy and engineering. Students in the program also must participate in eight science- or math-related extracurricular activities, or extended learning opportunities.

5. Bangor High School STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) academic program - Students who choose to enroll in the BHS STEM Academy complete all the traditional Bangor High School graduation requirements while simultaneously completing a challenging and enriching research-based sequence of STEM courses and experiences. Under this model, the experience of sequential curricula informing and enhancing students’ long-term research is captured by the term TAR STEM: Transformative Apprentice Research in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

6. South Portland Middle School STEM - Funded by a grant from Texas Instrument (formerly National Semiconductor) the core of the program is a three-week project framed around various themes, such as energy and ecology. The units have a community-based component to help students make connections between real-world problems and the math and sciences that apply to them.

7. Durham Community School (K-8) - Under the leadership of Superintendent Shannon Welsh and Principal Will Pidden, RSU 5 are making Durham Community School a K-8 setting focused on engaged learning and STEM. They are accomplishing this goal through the use of building design, educational  programming, and professional development support for educators.

Engineering Open House for STEM Teachers & Counselors

The College of Engineering is holding its first Engineering Open
House, in partnership with Southern Maine Community College, to
promote two distinct pathways to an engineering degree this coming
Tuesday, Dec. 11th at Brunswick Landing.

Engineering Open House
Counselor/Teacher Session
Dec. 11, 2012
10:30am
Brunswick Landing

We would very much like to invite STEM teachers in Maine as well as
counselors to this morning event that is geared to just counselors and
teachers.

The event will include:
Presentation
Q&A
Tours of MATEC
Catered lunch from Wild Oats Bakery

Register by emailing um-admin@maine.edu - by Dec. 5th, if possible.

We will also be holding an evening event at 6pm for everyone else, so
please help us promote through your networks. 

The evening event:
Engineering Open House
Open to the Public
Dec. 11, 2012
6:00pm
Brunswick Landing

For more information, go online to www.umaine.edu/brunswickengineering

Please let me know if you have any questions or would like additional information. 
We hope to hear from a lot of STEM teachers.

Victoria Blanchette
Communications Specialist
College of Engineering
207.581.2204 Phone
207.581.2220 Fax
victoria.blanchette@umit.maine.edu
www.engineering.umaine.edu

Executive Director
Maine Engineering Promotional Council
 www.engineeringme.com

STEM Careers

Introduce Your Students to STEM Careers with iON Future

On November 20 at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET), Change the Equation (CTEq) is hosting a webcast to launch iON Future, a suite of free online learning games to introduce youth, middle to early high school age, to a variety of STEM-base professions. To view a "sizzle reel" about iON Future, click here.

CTEq is  looking for teacher ambassadors who would like to participate, with their students, in the webcast event on November 20 at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT, broadcasting from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.  We hope teachers see this as a valuable, yet different, way to capture youth's attention in this time leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday!   

• This one-pager details the 35-minute webcast, which takes students on virtual tours of STEM in action, challenges them to think from a STEM perspective, and introduces them to iON Future.
• Interested teachers can tune in here November 20 at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT.

If the time and date of the live webcast are not convenient, the webcast can be viewed directly from CTEq's website beginning the week after Thanksgiving. A learning guide is available, with some recommended lesson plans, that will introduce iON Future to students.

Teachers are encouraged to share the iON Future suite of games with their colleagues and other STEM stakeholders.

Is this working?

This is the third month that I have been adding things to the TEEAM/Spirit blog.  Is anyone viewing it?  If so, what do you think?  Are there things I could do better?  I would really appreciate some feedback.
Thanks,
-John
jkraljic@falmouthschools.org

Gotta Watch

At the recent NEATT conference, the keynote speaker, Doug Webster shared the following video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B-g1_6QCWU
You must watch this to feel good (better) about what you do.  After you've viewed the video, just 6 minutes, please share it with others.  This is a powerful video, from a respected person, that really makes a case for what we do, teach the T & E in STEM.  It also identifies the need for getting more female students involved in technology and engineering.

TEEAM Area Meeting

A reminder there will be a TEEAM Kick-Off area meeting at Gray New Gloucester High School at 5:00pm this Thursday the 25th. If you are planning on attending and have not replied to let me know, please do so, so that I will know how many to expect. 

I would like everyone who is planning on attending the meeting to bring a lesson, activity, or a project that they would like to share. It is my hope to start the year off by sharing these items, and providing the opportunity for everyone to learn something new that they can take back to their schools and try in their own classroom.

Draft Agenda:

Refreshments

Gray New Gloucester High School - Dave Kramlich

Tug of Maine (war) Challenge- John Kraljic 

Lesson/activity share- Andy Davidson + others

Directions to Gray-New Gloucester High Shop. The High School is located on Libby Hill Road, across from the Hannaford's Store on Route 26 in Gray. Turn onto Libby Hill road, take the first right and keep bearing right as if you are going towards the athletic fields. As you enter the parking lot, look to the left for the wood shop dust collector and/or gym entrance. The shops are on your right as you walk towards the gym entrance. 

Dave Kramlich

Vex Curriculum Lesson Content

For those of you using Vex, this may be of interest?

·         Vex Curriculum Lesson Content This section includes the lesson content for the Autodesk VEX Robotics Curriculum. The curriculum is divided up into 12 primary Units and 1 optional Unit. Students will start off learning about engineering and engineering problem solving. They will be given introductions to the VEX Robotics Design System and Autodesk Inventor. In Unit 5 students will be presented with an engineering challenge; they will need to build a robot to play a sport-like game. After this, the rest of the curriculum walks students through the design of their robot while presenting them with relevant STEM and Robotics principles. At the end of the course, students compete head-to-head with their robots.

Mike Fitzgerald, DTE

Education Associate, Technology Education

State Advisor, Technology Student Association

Delaware Department of Education

Collette Education Resource Center

35 Commerce Way, Suite #1

Dover, DE 19904

Leveraging Science Practices

Leveraging science practices with technology tools by scitechframework

In anticipation of (and excitement about) the Framework for K-12 Science Education and the development of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), many educators in Maine are already integrating some of the Practices into current instruction. Here's a chance to look more deeply at the 8 Science and Engineering Practices from theFramework for K-12 Science Education.

Join MLTI Integration Mentor, Phil Brookhouse, for one of these workshops.  Phil will provide skills and strategies for supporting the Practices in your science classroom. Phil and I designed these session to explore the practices and expand on teaching and learning ideas for the integration of the Practices. Register now for a workshop session in your local area, bring your MLTI laptop and learn about some great new tools and approaches.

Please visit http://maine.gov/mlti/events/ for a list of all events and to find links to online registration.

Some locations are being finalized and will be added as scheduled. If you have a space available for use, please contact Juanita Dickson.
We are trying to break up Aroostook County & Washington County into a southern & northern region to make drives shorter.  We hope you find this helpful!

Leveraging Technology with the Science Practices

• October 18, 2012: Woodland Jr Sr HS
• October 23, 2012: Lewiston High School
• October 30, 2012 : York Region
• October 31, 2012: Washington Region (Southern)
• November 5, 2012: Penquis Valley HS
• November 7, 2012: Presque Isle
• November 13, 2012: Gorham Schools
• November 20, 2012: Aroostook Region (Southern)
• November 27, 2012: Midcoast Region
• November 29, 2012: Kennebec Region
• December 4, 2012: Cumberland Region

October 2012

Service-Learning Mini-Grants Available for New England Projects!

KIDS Consortium is pleased to announce that applications for the Dara Jeanne Kaufman Fund are now being accepted.   The Fund provides mini-grants for service-learning projects in the New England states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont).  This Fund, inspired by Dara Kaufman’s life, is meant to encourage young people in New England to take action to make their schools and communities caring, supportive and environmentally sustainable places. The fund will support K-12 service-learning projects that focus on issues that were important to Dara.

Who May Apply: K-12 classrooms, after-school programs, or community-based programs that wish to use service-learning as a pathway to solve a problem and improve their community. We accept proposals from students, teachers, and community organizations.

Amount: Up to $350.00 may be requested.

To learn more: http://www.kidsconsortium.org/minigrants.php

FREE STEM and Service-Learning Guide from KIDS Consortium

Download your FREE electronic copy of Integrating Scientific Practices and Service-Learning: Engaging Students in STEM here:  http://www.kidsconsortium.org/stem_service_learningguide.php

The Guide was developed as a result of a collaboration with the Maine Mathematics ad Science Alliance and schools around New England.  Through the project, called the “Youth as Citizen Scientists” initiative, more than 1,000 middle-school students at 10 sites across New England and New York worked with their teachers and community partners to address environmental issues (such as waste reduction and energy efficiency) in their schools.  Read more about the initiative, including links to descriptions of the actual projects implemented by students at http://www.kidsconsortium.org/stem.php.

Manufacturing Day

See manufacturing in action across America 

October 5, 2012

Manufacturing Day has been designed to expand knowledge about and improve general public perception of manufacturing careers and manufacturing's value to the U.S. economy. Manufacturing Day is for students, parents, educators, media, customers, suppliers and the community at large. Visitors will learn about real career opportunities, training, and resources. In addition, manufacturers will learn about business improvement resources and services delivered through manufacturing extension partnerships.

Final Print Edition

Final Print Edition

This is the final printed edition of TEEAM/Spirit.  The executive board voted to convert the physical newsletter to an electronic one.  In the future you may:
-receive an email blast when a new newsletter is ready; or
-go to <TEEAM.net> and read the latest edition.
It's been fun, but it is also time for a change,
~John

Tug of Maine workshop

Tug of Maine

An Engineering Design Challenge

The Technology and Engineering Educators Association of Maine (TEEAM), in conjunction with the Perloff Family Foundation is pleased to announce a free workshop for middle and high school teachers.  This workshop will be conducted at the Auburn Middle School on Saturday, September 29th at 9:00 AM.   The workshop is scheduled to run for 4 hours but participants may stay longer to build their own playing field.

Modeled after an MIT 2.70 design challenge, this design challenge is appropriate for both middle and high school students.

During the workshop attendees will learn about conducting the Tug of Maine design challenge in their classrooms and leave ready to start the activity with their students.  The workshop will:

-explain the challenge and give participants all the information they need to engage their students;

-demonstrate the building and wiring the control boxes;

-discuss various power sources;

-provide a full set of rules;

-demonstrate the building the playing field; and

-provide information on where to obtain additional help and support.

The first 10 schools to register will receive free materials for two student teams (motors, gears & pulleys, switches for controllers, playing field construction materials and advice).

While not a part of the Perloff Family Foundation grant, there will be an opportunity for schools to bring their best teams to a state-wide competition in March.

To register, please submit the completed form below to:  John Kraljic, Falmouth High School, 74 Woodville Road, Falmouth, ME 04105 or jkraljic@falmouthschools.org


Name:  _____________________________________________________
School:  ____________________________________________________
Email:  _____________________________________________________
School Phone:  ______________________________________________
Subject Taught:  _____________________________________________
Grade Level:  _________

FREE On-Line Recertification Courses

FREE On-Line Recertification Courses

Are you looking for a way to enhance your instructional skills, meet your professional development goals, or find new and exciting STEM resources to use in your learning/teaching environments? Then NASA's Electronic Professional Development Network (ePDN) is for you!  http://www.nasaepdn.gatech.edu/

• FREE online professional development certificate programs for K-12 teachers in Robotics, Statistics, Project-Based Inquiry Learning, andTechnology Integration
• Certificate courses that are hands-on, interactive and infused with NASA content. Each certificate program consists of four courses, totaling at least 52 hours of instruction.
• The flexibility to take individual courses within a certificate program, to mix and match courses among certificates, or to complete an entire certificate program. All courses can be submitted to your school systems for Continuing Education Units to use towards recertification requirements.
• Self-directed courses that you can participate in at your own pace. Focusing on one particular content area, courses includeAstrobiology, Microgravity, Outer Space Environment, with additional topics added every year.
• Connections with colleagues around the country, and even the world, who teach or coach similar subjects. All participants must be U.S. citizens.

Charter school offers hands-on approach in industrial arts

Charter school offers hands-on approach in industrial arts

Read more: Sparks Tribune - Charter school offers hands on approach in industrial arts

RENO — Charter schools have been popping up all across Washoe County offering supplemental and alternative education to local students. The Academy for Career Education (ACE) is a district-charter high school that allows students to choose a career path in the industrial arts field, such as building and construction trades, Computer Aided Drafting and Design (CADD) and diesel mechanics.

from:

Gary Wynn, DTE

Greenfield-Central High School

810 N. Broadway

Greenfield, IN 46140

Sch 317-462-9211 ex:34853
ITEEA President 2010 - 2011 

http://www.scoop.it/

Looking for Resources and Ideas?

scoop.it is a blog with smaller blogs within.  Of interest to STEM Educators is:  http://www.scoop.it/t/stem-
education-in-k-12  Currently there are articles on getting kids interested in space, a church that is sponsoring robots in Haiti, moving beyond computer literacy, LEGO activities, an interview with Dean Kamen, STEM educational resources, and much more.  Check it out.

NEATT Conference

New England Association of Technology Teachers would like to take this opportunity to invite all Technology Education teachers across the six New England states to be part of our Association.  We would like our site to become a gathering place of information and contacts for Technology Teachers. Please be sure to click on the membership link and Join NEATT.  Every year the NEATT sponsors a fall conference. We are still in the planning stages of the our 75th Annual Technology Conference. Feel free to contribute and information on Technology Education scholarships or grants for current Technology Teachers or the future Tech Teachers. Hope you enjoy our website.

The 75th Annual New England Association of Technology Teachers Conference
will be held on Friday, November 2nd and Saturday, November 3rd, 2012 in Burlington, Vermont.

“2012 NEATT Conference Click HERE!”

 

Click Here for more Information about 2012 NEATT Conference.

Book Information

Teaching Engineering Made Easy! (Second Edition)

The engineering activity book, Teaching Engineering Made Easy: A Friendly Introduction to Engineering Activities for Middle School Teachers is available in a 2nd edition! Updated and improved, it features activities for Chemical, Civil and Mechanical Engineering as well as team building and problem solving too. Each type of engineering includes content on engineering careers so that you can inspire students to do their best by showing them not only how much money they can make right out of college but also what they can do with an engineering education (these pages are also reproducible as student handouts). By using this teaching guide, students can see that engineering is not something to be afraid of but a realistic way to solve the problems of everyday life.This easy and exciting time and work saving book was developed to help middle and high school teachers with no engineering background teach engineering. It gives classroom teachers an easy and dynamic way to meet curriculum standards and competencies. You’ll find the lessons and activities to actively engage students in learning about engineering and our technological world by applying creativity and innovation as they complete the projects. The activities do not require a formal science lab and can be done with materials that are inexpensive and easy to find.Each lesson includes background information, standards alignment, a list of materials needed to complete the activity, an easy-to-follow procedure for presenting the lesson, teacher notes, reproducible student sheets, and safety notes. Activities range from 20 minute problem solving exercises to several class period design or “challenge” activities.

American Society for Engineering Education

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering Division

http://k12division.asee.org/

Promotes engineering thinking and practice in formal and informal educational settings for pre-K through high school aged students, their teachers, group leaders, and caregivers. We also engage in shared scholarship to determine better ways to accomplish our goals, assess our impacts, and evaluate our progress.  We seek to open the doors to engineering to all young people as a future career or as a way of finding solutions to everyday challenges.  

The Division strives to provide a focus for development of innovative K-12 engineering education curricula and delivery approaches and a forum for the presentation and sharing of K-12 engineering educational initiatives and methods; create a vital community engaged in K-12 engineering initiatives; encourage the professional development of teachers in K-12 engineering education methodologies; increase awareness and participation of university faculty and industrial educators/partners in K-12 engineering initiatives; promote engineering as the context to integrate science and mathematics with all subjects in the K-12 setting; encourage the participation of K-12 educators in the creation and delivery of K-12 engineering content; and, synthesize and broadly disseminate lessons learned.

Odyssey 2012

Odyssey 2012

Odyssey Day is an nationwide event to showcase alternative transportation technologies. Odyssey Day is coordinated by the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium (NAFTC). Their mission is to educate the nation about alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles.  The Odyssey event will include a wide range of technologies and fuels, including hydrogen, electric, propane, natural gas, biodiesel, hybrids, idle reduction and ethanol.  The event will have a trade show format, providing opportunities for one-on-one conversations with vehicle and technology vendors, owners and operators, as well as short presentations on a variety of topics throughout the day at a center stage. Dates: October 19-20, 10am-4pmEvent Fee: Free