WELCOME
"If Math Counts and Science Matters, Technology Education is the Innovation and Application of all that Counts and Matters."
Why do less than 10% of Technology Education professionals belong to their State or National Professional Organization?
Does your school have a TSA chapter? Watch this video! youtube link
GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
LEGO: LEGO Smart Creativity Contest
LEGO Education is inviting K-12 teachers and home educators from across the United States to register as contestants for the 2010 LEGO Smart Creativity Contest, challenging classrooms coast to coast to become LEGO Smart. Maximum award: a LEGO Education gift certificate, LEGO Smart gift valued at $500, and recognition. Eligibility: legal residents of the United States employed or working within the education field (K-12) at time of entry. Deadline: pre-registration by July 30, 2010.
http://www.legoeducation.us/about/item.aspx?art=3465&bhcp=1
ASCD: Outstanding Young Educator Award
The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development is seeking nominations for its Outstanding Young Educator Award, which recognizes a teacher under the age of 40 who demonstrates excellence in his or her profession, a positive impact on students, creativity in the classroom, and leadership in his or her school or district. Maximum award: $10,000; an all-expenses paid trip to the ASCD annual conference in March for the winner and one companion, including registration, travel, hotel, and meals. Eligibility: pre K-12 teachers under age 40; no self-nominations accepted. Deadline: August 1, 2010.
http://www.ascd.org/programs/Outstanding-Young-Educator-Award/Outstanding-Young-Educator-Award-Program.aspx
Vernier/NSTA: Technology Awards
The Vernier/NSTA Technology Awards promote the innovative use of data-collection technology using a computer, graphing calculator, or other handheld device in the science classroom. Maximum award: $1,000 in cash for the teacher, $1,000 in Vernier Products, and up to $1,000 toward expenses to attend the annual NSTA National Convention. Eligibility: Current teachers of science in grades K-College. Deadline: November 30, 2010.
http://www.vernier.com/grants/nsta.html
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center is distributing $1 million in grant funding for summer programs. About 20 grants will be given and the maximum grant size will be $50,000. Each grant is for four months and will be executed next summer. Details can be found at:
http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/national/summer/home/index.html
Maker Faire Detroit Coming July 31-Aug. 1
By Matt Roush
Maker Faire, a do-it-yourself festival celebrating individual innovation that drew 80,000 people to suburban San Francisco last month, will have its initial Detroit event July 31-Aug. 1 at The Henry Ford in Dearborn.
A couple of hundred community and innovation leaders gathered Thursday night at Henry Ford Museum to celebrate that fact, and to hear from Maker Faire creator Dale Dougherty, founding editor and publisher of Make magazine, the flagship of Maker Media of Sebastopol, Calif.
Dougherty started the magazine in 2005 after a stint at technical publisher O'Reilly. Dougherty is a Web innovator in his own right -- in 1993, he was the founder of the Global Network Navigator, the first Web site to offer clickable advertising, now better known as banner ads. And he coined the term Web 2.0 in 2004.
"We look for innovation in the wild, not so much in large corporations or universities," Dougherty said of his magazine and Maker Faire events. "We find people who are making things with a combination fo hardware and software."
There's a serious nerd factor in all this -- many of the Maker Faire projects involve stuff like robots, model rockets and model airplanes.
A flip through the April issue of Make magazine shows a wild variety of do-it-yourself projects, from a remote control camera to a hoodie that controls your TV to a radio control lawn mower to a variety of musical instruments to a cat toy that senses a cat's batting paw and moves the toy out of the way through a guitar string. It's like Popular Mechanics by way of Warped Tour.
Dougherty said he decided to hold a Maker Faire in Detroit last year, after visiting Ann Arbor to give a speech, visiting with a hacker group and touring Henry Ford Museum.
The idea of Maker Faire is "very connected with the values of this institution," said Patricia E. Mooradian, president of The Henry Ford. "Since its founding by Henry Ford 81 years ago, this institution has celebrated the spirit best represented by tinkerers, by innovators, by makers, by inventors, by entrepreneurs. The Henry Ford is hosting Maker Faire Detroit because of its alignment with this vision."
Greg Main, president of the Michigan Economic Development Corp., said Michigan was built by makers. "Somehow I think we've lost our way a little bit and we need to get back to that," he said, announcing that the MEDC would be a presenting sponsor of Maker Faire Detroit.
Dougherty said the event stresses fun for both kids and adults. "It's not dumbed down for kids or over anyone's head," he said.
And it celebrates individuals' innovation. "Things like the PC industry came from people just playing with technology," he added.
Dave Egner, president of the Hudson-Webber Foundation and executive director of the New Economy Initiative for Southeast Michigan, announced that his organization too would be a major sponsor. "Talk about a no-brainer grant to make if you're in the business of innovation," he said. "This was an easy decision."
Also heavily involved will be TechTown, Wayne State University's technology, business and research park, which is now apparently the world's largest innovation incubator.
Maker Faire will be held in the huge parking lot of Henry Ford Museum along Oakwood Boulevard. More than 200 makers from all over the Midwset and as far as Texas and California will attend. The event here is being renamed Maker City Faire, "Motor City to Maker City." It's one of only three in the nation this year, the others in the San Francisco area and New York City.
More at http://makerfaire.com/.
STRATEGIC REPORT SAYS STEM EDUCATION NEEDS TO START AS EARLY AS PRE-KINDERGARTEN
Students need to begin training in the sciences and math as early as pre-kindergarten for success in today's global economy, according to a report recently released by Wheelock College's Aspire Institute. The report, "Strengthening STEM Education in the Early Years," was commissioned by the John Adams Innovation Institute of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative and recommends the establishment of a Greater Boston STEM Educator Consortium to provide additional teacher training. "The report offers an actionable roadmap for students to adapt to the opportunities of the 21st century economy," said Mitchell Adams, executive director of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. Within the past year, national and local calls to strengthen STEM education have intensified. President Obama recently announced a $250 million initiative as part of his Educate to Innovate Campaign to train math and science teachers. The federal Race to the Top funding includes STEM as the only "content" area referred to as a "competitive preference priority."
Recently Lincoln Consolidated Schools was featured on WXYZ's "Best Schools in Michigan".
STEM/Tech Ed was prominently featured, as the video will demonstrate...
Enjoy. We are most proud .
http://bestschoolsinmichigan.com/featured/lincoln.php
