LITE Board of Directors
LITE Source Purpose: To provide educators with resources to enhance the integration and delivery of Technology Education in the K-14 curriculum.
LITE Source Editorial Policy: Materials appearing in this journal, including advertising, are expressions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or the opinion of LITE, its officers or its staff.
Referee Policy: All professional articles in LITE Source are refereed, with the exception of selected activities and reports. Refereed articles are reviewed and approved by the Editorial Board before publication in LITE Source.
To Submit Articles: All articles should be sent directly to: LITE Source, 1028 Drexel Drive NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505. For guidelines and article format write directly to the above address. Please submit five (5) copies; a copy on a high-density disk is also desired (please state which software package was used).
Technology Education By James S. Levande
School-to-Work By Tom Ochs and Roger Shoemaker
LE: Imagine That! By Linda Gostomski and Pat Ward-Mytinger
MS: Rain...Rain...Go Away By Gary and Sandi Graff and Steve D. Moss
HS: Science and Tech Ed: Collaboration, Not Competition By Kathleen Betrus and J. T. Nuzzo
1998 LITE Springfest Registration Form & Info
Calendar of Events
LITE is a nonprofit Michigan corporation dedicated to assist in the integration of Technology Education in the schools. Teacher inservice workshops (Technology Fests) will be organized and managed; Technology Learning Activities (TLAs) will be published to keep teachers up-to-date on happenings and materials in Technology Education.
To sum it up in one sentence, the Learning Institute for Technology Education will be a center of resources for Technology Education.
Another new year is upon us with all our new "resolutions." I read somewhere that we should call them "revolutions" and I thought that sounded like a wonderful idea! I plan to use this next year to deepen my friendships and understanding of myself. This past year has been a year of increased awareness for me in all areas of my life.
This issue promises to give all of us some new insights with ideas we may or may not have tried in the past. Check out the curriculum ideas from elementary to high school. Be sure to read Jim Levande's article on Technology.
Pass on the ideas to your administrators and fellow staff and encourage them to join us February 28th for a day of learning and sharing! See this issue for details and to register for the LITE Springfest. I hope to see all of you at the end of February at Concord High School in Concord, Michigan.
We want to hear from you! We welcome your article, comments, and tips. Refer to the LITE Source editorial policy for submission information.
by James Levande
Technology Education is flourishing. With support from the MCCTE a number of initiatives in Technology Education are in place or in process - Technology Content Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 are in place and being disseminated and applied; a curriculum framework guide for Technology Education is in a review and editing process: and a revised new certification for teachers of Technology Education has been approved by the State Board of Education.
Technology Content Standards and Benchmarks
The draft version of the Technology Content Standards and Benchmarks was published in April, 1996. The standards focus on what every technologically literate Michigan K-12 student should know and be able to do. In the time the standards have been in circulation a number of school districts around the state have used them in integrating core curriculum content areas, technology education instruction, school-to-work, school improvement, and accreditation activities. This integrative approach provides the local districts with an opportunity to involve students with real-world experiences and to efficiently develop and grow as an educational organization. Byron Center and Pinconning are two districts where this approach is being applied.
The Technology Content Standards and Benchmarks can be accessed electronically at the Michigan Department of Education's Gopher site: gopher://gopher.mde.state.mi.us/11/serv/occareas/teched
Technology Education Curriculum Framework Guide
The Technology Standards are also being used in the development of a curriculum framework guide for Technology Education teaching and learning. This guide will be part of the overall Michigan Curriculum Framework. The guide will address planning, teaching and learning, assessment, and professional development for Technology Education. The guide?s purpose is to provide local districts with a structure to implement and improve Technology Education instruction for all students. One component of the guide stresses the integration of the core academic curriculum areas with hands-on, student problem-solving that results in technological products or services. A draft version of the guide should be available for use before the end of the calendar year.
The Technology Education Curriculum Framework guide will be a component of the three-tiered Michigan Curriculum Framework system. The Tier I framework document which covers mathematics, science, language arts, and social studies is available from the MCCTE.
Technology Education Teacher Certification
Teacher certification for Technology Education has been changed. These changes were prompted, in part, by the introduction of the Technology Standards. The Industrial Arts (IX) endorsement has been redefined and renamed "Industrial Technology" and a new endorsement, called "Technology and Design," has been added. The changes were approved by the State Board of Education in January 1997.
Currently, school districts are seeking out the best qualified teacher, regardless of their area of endorsement, to teach Technology Education classes. The creation of the new and revised endorsements is not intended to restrict school districts from continuing to place the best qualified teacher in technology education classrooms, but rather to assure that there is an increasing supply of very well-qualified individuals to teach in these classes.
Newly certified and endorsed teachers in both "Technology and Design" and "Industrial Technology" will be qualified to teach many of the same classes, however there are also subjects and classes that are unique to each endorsement. Teachers who hold the Industrial Arts (IX) endorsement will continue to be qualified to teach all of the same subjects at all of the same grades that they are currently qualified to teach, as well as those subjects that are included in the new definition of "Industrial Technology" which will continue to be the "IX" endorsement. The code letter designation for "Technology and Design" is "TX."
Referent groups made up of higher education and K-12 professionals in the field of Technology Education are currently developing standards for the preparation of teachers in both areas. Once the standards are approved, teacher education institutions could apply to offer the new endorsements immediately. Teacher preparation institutions currently approved to offer the Industrial Arts endorsement will be provided a time line not to exceed two years in which to modify their programs to address the new definition and standards for the endorsement. For more information contact Dr. James S. Levande, Contracting Consultant for Technology Education OCTEL/MDE at 517/373-6731.
This article originally appeared in MCCTE Newsletter, Spring 1997. Reprinted with permission.
School-To-Work IS the Future of Education
Everything that is taught to a student must relate to the skills, behaviors, and knowledge needed after they graduate. Hopefully all students will eventually be working; therefore, we must provide all the work based competencies needed for entry level employment. This doesn't mean that only the Industrial Technology and Technology Education classes need to prepare students for the future; all classes must focus on the eventual goal of productive employment.
Two of the biggest problems with developing a School-to-Work program are finding work settings for students and defining the skills that all students must have before they enter the workforce. The first problem has been met in various ways and requires networking with businesses to find placements.
The second problem of defining the skills all students must have before entering the workforce has been partially solved with the development of the CIM, or "Certificate of Initial Mastery." The problem associated with the CIM is "where do the students get the skills and knowledge required to receive a CIM?" The answer is "the high school curriculum!"
Every class needs to help students achieve the CIM. It is obvious that Industrial Technology and Math courses help students. The difficulty arises in incorporating the skills and knowledge required for the CIM into the rest of the curriculum.
One tool that can be used to help in incorporating CIM skills into the rest of the curriculum is the crosswalk, or matrix. A matrix is a graphic display of the intersection of teaching units and specific skills. This tool can be used to evaluate a present program, create an improvement plan for an existing program, or develop new curriculum. Below is a small section of a matrix which correlates some School-toWork skills/knowledge with units from Byron Center's mandatory freshman Tech Ed course.
It is easy to see how an Industrial Technology course can be correlated to School-to-Work skills/knowledge, but how about other curricula? The process is still the same when using a matrix. The skills/knowledge is listed down the side and the units listed across the top. Whenever any skill/knowledge is covered in a unit, the corresponding box has a check or "x" placed in it.
Byron Center uses the matrix to show two specific correlations. The first correlation shown is between our department units and specific tools or skills, and the second is the incorporation of skills and content from other departments into our course units. The first type of correlation, between tools and units, defines when and where technology is being applied across the curriculum. Below is a sample of how other departments have incorporated some of the technical skills/knowledge of the CIM into their units.
For more information on developing a School-to-Work program, incorporating School-to-Work skills/knowledge into the rest of the curriculum, or using the matrix as a tool to create your paper trail, contact us at Byron Center High School, 8638 Byron Center Avenue, Byron Center, Ml 49315 or call us at (616) 878-6600.
Imagine That!
What: This unit integrates science and technology into the language arts curriculum
Who: Fourth-grade students
Why: Fourth-grade Ferndale schools objectives includes the integration of language arts, science, technology, and math.
How: Students will use prior knowledge and experience while building new skills which include:
1. Planning, designing and testing
2. Using tools to construct
3. Measurement, geometric shapes, fractions, and computing
4. Utilizing appropriate materials
5. Researching to broaden and enhance knowledge
6. Informational and creative writing
Outcome: Students will design and construct a variety of projects using electrical circuits and demonstrate writing skills.
1. Simple electrical circuit
2. Design and construction
3. Writing both informational and creative
MIDDLE SCHOOL
by Gary and Sandi Graff and Steve D. Moss
TITLE: Rain...Rain...Go Away
DEVELOPED BY: Gary & Sandi Graff & Steve D. Moss
INFORMATION BRIEF: The unbelievable amount of rainfall in the Midwest during the summer of ?93 caused devastating damage as the rivers overflowed their banks and changed the lives of the residents nearby. The Army Corps of Engineers had created levees, dams, and other flood control systems, but they were not enough to handle such a long term deluge. People around the country watched in horror as the "river residents" frantically fought the rising water and thousands lost their homes, livelihood, and some lost their lives. The weather had suddenly turned against them and broke historical rainfall records.
PROBLEM SOLVING TASK: This activity asks the students to design and fabricate an "EARLY FLOOD WARNING SYSTEM." It is more than just a "rain gauge." It is an electrical and mechanical system that will warn the "residents" when it is time to either build up the levees or move to higher ground. The students will have to "simulate" a rising water situation in a cup or bottle, create their warning system, and "weatherize" their device to keep it from malfunctioning.
SPECIFICATIONS:
1. A functional electrical buzzer must engage when the water reaches a certain point.
2 The mechanical and electrical system must be able to be easily re-set to be used again.
3. The entire system must be "weatherized" so it can be used again.
4. The system must be able to be used and not cause a "water mess
5. The "harness" concept must be used where the device serves as the switch and the electrical "harness" can be attached to all the different devices with alligator clips.
6. A "water-rising scale" must also be included on the device.
7. Quality fabrication will be encouraged for function and aesthetics.
8. The instructor will add the size and time limits for the device.
ACTIVITY RESOURCES:
Ditto Paper
Foam Core
Elect. Breadboard (Optional)
Scissors
Posterboard
Styrofoam
Rulers
Small Dowel Rods
Masking Tape
"Mr. Circuit" Kit (Optional)
Hot Glue Gun
Paper Fasteners
Hot Glue Sticks
Clothespins
Paper Cups
22 Gauge Solid Wire
Exacto Knives
Drinking Straws
Toothpicks
Soldering Iron
Needle-nose Pliers
Tongue Depressors
Paper Clips
Solder
Wire Cutter
Balloons
Pipe Cleaners
9-volt Battery
Cups
Wire Strippers
Rubber Bands
String
"Buzzers" S
Small Electric Motors
Aluminum Foil
Small Washers
LED?s
Motors
Mousetraps
Misc. Containers
220 Ohm Resistors
Screwdrivers
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:
1. How well did your device serve as a functional warning "sensor"?
2. Was the "harness" easily attached to your system?
3. What "simple machines" are displayed in your device?
HIGH SCHOOL
Science & Tech Ed: Collaboration, Not Competition
We will take a look a how partnerships between Tech Ed and Science can successfully fulfill the outcomes of both disciplines. Included in an introductory activity on teamwork and inertia.
EGGBERT
Purpose:
To determine if Eggbert, a raw egg, can survive an impact with a rigid object.
Theory:
Eggbert will attempt to demonstrate Newton?s 1st Law of Motion, also known as the Law of Inertia, which says that an object at rest will remain at rest and an object in motion will remain in motion at a constant velocity, unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.
Will your team be able to put a sufficient unbalanced force on Eggbert to keep him from continuing in his motion?
Materials:
One seat, one wing nut, one raw egg, a marker, plastic bag containing:
1 meter of string 20 cm yarn
10 cm masking tape 1 rubber band
5 squares of tissue 2 paper clips
2 wooden stirrers 5 cotton balls
Scenario:
You are a member of a NASA space station crew. Your space station has just been hit by a meteor and you and the rest of the crew are injured. One of your team members (Eggbert) is seriously injured and your team has decided that he must be returned to Earth for medical attention. Your team must secure him to a one passenger space glider for his trip to Earth. Since reentry and landing could further injure Eggbert, your team?s job will be to design and construct a restraint system that will prevent additional injuries.
Special Note: All other crew members (by chance alone) suffered the same injury - a broken arm. The arm (and hand) that is broken cannot be used in any manner during the construction of the restraint system.
Procedure:
1. Use the marker to make a face for Eggbert.
2. Choose materials from the plastic bag to construct the best restraint system to keep Eggbert in his seat during a sudden stop. Be sure not to cover the hole in the seat.
3. Taking turns, bolt your seat onto the glider and sail it along the fishing line into the bricks.
4. If Eggbert survives, each team member will receive a Starbase Certificate for helping save Eggbert.
DESIGN BRIEF:
Design and construct a model glider that is a minimum of 35 cm long, will fly straight for a distance of at least 7 meters, and will be able to move in at least one of the three axes of flight upon adjustment of one or more of the control surfaces.
OUTCOMES:
1. Student will be able to work in a collaborative group.
2. Student will be able to work individually.
3. Student will be able to demonstrate the problem solving process.
4. Student will be able to explain inertia and Newton?s First Law of Motion as applied to flight.
5. Student will be able to explain Newton?s Second and Third Laws of Motion as applied to flight.
6. Student will be able to explain and demonstrate the four forces of flight and how each works.
7. Student will be able to explain and demonstrate Bernoulli?s Principle.
8. Student will be able to demonstrate the successful operation of the control surfaces of a glider.
9. Student will be able to demonstrate movement of glider in each of the three axes of flight.
CONSTRAINTS / LIMITATIONS:
Size:
Glider must be a minimum of 35 cm in length.
Energy:
The only source of energy will be from muscular force provided by a team member.
Materials:
The glider must be made from materials provided in class or preapproved materials brought in by team.
Output:
The glider must fly straight for a minimum distance of 7 meters. Then, upon adjustment of one or more of the control surfaces, the glider will move in one of the axes of flight.
Time:
You will have approximately 8 days to brainstorm, discuss, plan, design, construct, test, evaluate and modify before seminars begin.
RESOURCES: Information Energy Machines/Tools People Capital Time Materials
ASSESSMENT:
1. Report-Team
2. Report-Individual
3. Academic Outcomes
4. Team and Personal Skills
5. Final Project
6. Seminar
PROJECT EVALUATION and
ACTIVITY EVALUATION
This is to be included with your report. Each team member is to write their own evaluations and include them in the group report. The project and activity evaluations are to be done on a separate piece of paper and must be typed, word processed or printed neatly in pen. Use complete sentences. Proper grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, etc. is important and will be graded. Address each of the statements below. Answers may be combined if appropriate.
PROJECT EVALUATION:
1. I really like these factors in my design:
2. These are some features of my design that I do not like:
3. These are some improvements I would have made if I had more time or used my time more efficiently:
4. If I had it to do all over again, including brainstorming alternatives and choosing the best solution, these are some things I would do differently:
ACTIVITY EVALUATION: This is your chance to tell the teacher how you feel about the activity you just completed.
1. I liked this activity because:
2. I disliked this activity because:
3. This activity could be improved by:
4. I was able to use knowledge and information gained in previous activities to solve problems in this activity because: (describe any knowledge and/or experience you brought with you into this activity and how it helped you with this project.)
Springfest is Coming !
Connections to the World Beyond the Classroom
Rates: $40.00 per night. Two double beds. Free continental breakfast. Mention LITE to receive the special rate. If other arrangements are needed, speak to Amanda.
Exciting Breakout Sessions!
Recognized leaders at all grade levels Integrating Technology into the Learning Community will share their ideas for motivating, effective Teaching/Learning Applications.
Informative Conference Topics, including:
? Design Folios ? Design & Construction
? Classroom Management ? Problem Solving Models
? Manufacturing Technology ? Quality Tools
? Technological Literacy for All ? Standards & Benchmarks
? New products and resources presented by selected vendors
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
- February 27, 1998
- LITE Leadership Night - Firefly Award
- February 28, 1998
- LITE Springfest
- Concord High School
- Concord, Michigan
- March 8, 1998
- ITEA Pre-Conference
- Contact: 703-860-2100
- 1914 Association Drive
- Reston, VA 22091-1539
- Web site: www.iteawww.org
- March 9-10, 1998
- 60th Annual ITEA Conference
- March 12-13, 1998
- MACUL Workshop