The National Center for Optics and Photonic Education (OP-TEC), is a National Science Foundation (NSF) National Center of Excellence with the mission of promoting photonics education and assisting colleges around the United States in developing and implementing educational programs that support expansion of this critical technology.
As part of its efforts to provide faculty development in optics and photonics, OP-TEC offers a hybrid, online faculty development course in optics and photonics. This Open Entry/Open Exit course has been developed for faculty whose schedules demand a more flexible course timeline. It is perfect for busy faculty who might have difficulty keeping up with weekly assignments in a "scheduled" course, but who would have a period or periods of time during the semester or school year that would allow them to complete assignments and exams independently and at their own pace. It is also an excellent opportunity for junior faculty, adjunct faculty, and lab technicians who may need to prepare to teach a college level or dual credit introductory photonics course.
This online course is being offered at no charge to U.S. high school, community college and technical college faculty interested in teaching a basic photonics course.
The course will cover OP-TEC's Fundamentals of Light and Lasers. Modules Include: Nature and Properties of Light, Optical Handling and Positioning, Light Sources and Laser Safety, Basic Geometrical Optics, Basic Physical Optics, and Principles of Lasers.
Online: The course is facilitated by an instructor experienced in teaching photonics concepts at the college level and will require a high level of independent self-paced instruction. The six modules will be completed online and through email with the instructor. Though this course is self-paced, participants must pass all six End of Module tests by May 15, 2013 to be eligible to attend the Capstone Laboratory Experience in June 2013.
Hands-on: After successful completion of all six modules by May 15, 2013, participants will spend a 3-day Capstone Laboratory Experience at an OP-TEC partner college where they will have the opportunity to conduct laboratory experiments included in the course and discuss with experienced instructors best practices for teaching the materials.
Participants who successfully complete the online course and the 3-day laboratory session will receive a certificate of completion from OP-TEC. Participants may also apply for 9 CEUs from an OP-TEC partner college.
No tuition or materials fees! Participants will be responsible for travel, lodging, and meals for the 3-day lab session in June 2013.
Applications are accepted online or by email. For more information and registration, please visit http://www.op-tec.org/faculty, call 254-751-9000, or email op-tec@op-tec.org.
Increase the number of women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) classrooms with the strategies presented in the WomenTech Educators Online Training Fellowship. Based on proven practices, the workshop training curriculum includes the “best-of-the-best” of IWITTS strategies, culled from four National Science Foundation projects and over 18 years of success in assisting educational institutions in recruiting and retaining female students in programs around the country.
Participants will take away (learning outcomes):
• An easy-to-implement recruitment plan that will greatly increase the number of women and girls in their STEM classrooms.
• A retention plan that will increase the completion rate of female (and male students), starting this semester.
• The knowledge and confidence to put these plans into action, right away.
Fellowship includes:
• WomenTech Educators Online Training ($450 value). 10-week training starts January 28, 2013.
• Long-term follow up support for implementation ($300 value). 6 monthly live Support and Strategy sessions of 45-60 minutes each, starting in April 2013
• Women in Technology Outreach Kit ($150 value). Learn where to find female role models and exactly what to ask them. Includes easy-to-customize outreach materials like brochures, flyers and a PowerPoint Presentation.
• STEM Resources for Instructors to Help Women and Girls: An Annotated Bibliography ($35 value): Instant access to online role model resources that will help women and girls see themselves in all career pathways.
• Membership in the WomenTech Educators Online Learning Community (priceless)
Eligibility: Administrators, teachers, professors, instructors, counseling and outreach staff at two-year colleges from science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs in which women are under-represented. Priority will be given to applicants who are connected to an ATE Project or Center.
The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) will convene the annual Workforce Development Institute (WDI) Wednesday, January 30 through Saturday, February 2, 2013 in San Diego, CA.
Designed as a comprehensive program for community college-based workforce service providers, the Workforce Development Institute (WDI) is an annual three-day conference that aims to educate, invigorate, and motivate those who are new to workforce development as well as seasoned practitioners.
WDI brings together all the partners, community college professionals, businesses, government leaders, and nonprofit organizations for networking opportunities.
The National Council for Geographic Education, US Geological Survey, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and West Valley College (in Saratoga CA) are partnering to offer professional development for GIS instructors at two-year colleges, high schools, and universities interested in collaborationg with two-year college geospatial programs. The program builds on the successful iGETT project (Integrated Geospatial Education and Technical Training), recently completed with ATE funding by the same group of collaborators. The new program, iGETT – Remote Sensing, enables participants to teach workforce skills that integrate remote sensing data with GIS.
iGETT – Remote Sensing is currently recruiting the first of two cohorts. Cohort 1 will join the project in February 2013; Cohort 2 in February 2014. Each will participate in monthly webinars and two summer institutes, held at the USGS EROS Center and/or the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, over an 18-month period. More information about both the original iGETT project and the current project and Cohort 1 applications for iGETT-Remote Sensing (due December 20, 2012) are available at http://igett.delmar.edu.
In this webinar, ACE founder Diego Navarro will discuss the need for an intensive introduction to community college that shifts the students’ mindsets and behaviors towards improved academic performance. He will discuss curriculum that addresses and evidence that shows shifts in student’s affective factors.
This 1-hour webinar will take place at 11:30 AM PST.
Join hundreds of women leaders for two days of learning, connecting and empowerment at the 3rd annual Women’s Leadership Conference & Celebration of Inspiring Women to be held February 8, 2013 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Hosted by Women in Philanthropy and Leadership (WIPL) for Coastal Carolina University, the Women’s Leadership Conference educates, motivates and challenges women to lead change in their own lives, their communities and the world.
The conference will be held Friday, February 8, 2013 at the Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center Hotel. Optional pre-conference workshops will be held on February 7 for participants who wish additional, in-depth training experiences.
Following the Conference, WIPL will host the annual Celebration of Inspiring Women at 6:30 pm on February 8. The 2013 Inspiring Women Awards, created as a lasting way to recognize the incredible achievements of women who have called the Palmetto State “home,” will be presented at this highly anticipated annual event.
There is pressure in education systems today to look closely at programs and their value. This webinar discuses inquiries that help program evaluation, such as: Are the program objectives appropriate in light of current workplace trends? If achieved, will they produce graduates who will be able to enter employment at acceptable levels? Does the labor market’s demand justify the number of graduates that the program is producing? To register, visit: http://www.matecnetworks.org/growth.php.
The Science & Health Education Partnership at University of California, San Francisco and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) are pleased to announce the first International Teacher-Scientist Partnership Conference. The conference, funded by the National Science Foundation, will be held February 13-14, 2013, in Boston, MA, just before the annual AAAS meeting.
This conference is designed for anyone involved or interested in teacher-scientist partnerships, such as teachers, scientists, engineers, partnership program coordinators/specialists, administrators, and evaluators. The program will include sessions of interest to both new and experienced stakeholders in the field and will include a mix of keynote speakers, panel sessions, workshops, and networking time. Conference topics will include: partnership models, getting started in partnerships, recruitment, evaluation, dissemination, and more. Join others from around the world for two days of discussions, workshops, and presentations as we build community and share expertise in this rapidly growing field.
This webinar provides a look at learning materials available at WindTechTV.org. Take a tour of the web portal, and learn about the resources produced for this project, which are freely distributed through the website and a YouTube channel. See how a technology instructor uses the videos, PDFs, and other media to enhance learning, and learn about the production process used to create them. The videos have been viewed over 15,000 times this year by people from all over the world. A limited number of stipends are available for faculty and administrators who participate in the webinar activities.
This webinar will take place Friday, February 15 from Noon to 1:30 PM CST.
The AACC John E. Roueche Future Leaders Institute, or Roueche - FLI, is an innovative five-day leadership seminar designed for mid-level community college administrators who are ready to move into a higher level of leadership. These individuals are currently in a position that is responsible for multiple employees, including faculty, administrators and/or staff and probably have titles such as Vice President, Dean, Associate Dean or Director.
The faculty for the institute is drawn from the community college leadership field and are highly skilled presidents, chancellors, and groundbreaking leaders. Institute faculty leverage their community college leadership expertise and field-based practical skills to create new knowledge and enduring concepts that shape the practice of community college leadership.
Participants in this one-day course will learn how to perform a PV site assessment for a home or small business. The course will cover site assessment tools, load analysis, energy efficiency recommendations, array placement options, basic system sizing, cost estimates, and evaluating existing infrastructure on site. Participants will learn how to access online tools for solar resource analysis, PV system performance calculators, and incentives.
To receive the MREA PV Site Assessor Certificate, participants will need to complete this course, two practice site assessments, pass the written test, and pay a $50 exam fee.
The courses are designed to build faculty knowledge of the content areas with opportunities for hands-on
training. They are geared to instructors and faculty with little knowledge in these areas. Although the
courses are intended to share best practices with instructors and provide teaching resources in the
specific content areas, they are open to non-faculty, as well.
There will be discussions on various topics related to distance learning technologies, techniques and how to
leverage them for greatest transfer of knowledge, skills and abilities. The course will refer to tasks found in
the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education
(NIST/NICE) [4]. Upon completion of the course, participants should have adequate preparation to take the
Accessdata Certified Examiner (ACE) certification and be familiar with the CEH certification requirements [5].
Engineering EXPO is a two-day open house event that showcases the College of Engineering, USF academic departments, research labs from across campus, student organizations, and exhibits from local engineering firms. Our primary goal is to introduce students to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and show them how STEM affects their everyday lives. Last year more than 30 student organizations, 10 research laboratories, 15 departments, and myriad local engineering firms participated in EXPO. Engineering EXPO hosted more than 19,000 students, youth groups, and families in 2012. EXPO demonstrations include the Physics department show, the Chemistry Magic Show, IEEE Laser Light Show and ASME at USF Electrathon Race. Large demonstration tables and shows presented by local engineering firms have included: TECO, NASA, Honeywell, Raytheon, Sypris Electronics, Lockheed Martin, and more.
This one-day course uses a combination of lecture and classroom activities to teach the structural considerations involved in solar installations. Participants will learn about local building codes, construction permitting, structural integrity of buildings and roofs, structural integrity of solar systems under various weather conditions, and NEC code considerations.
SRI International has been conducting workforce partnership research with funding from the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education program (DUE #0903331), and plans to present preliminary findings with a panel discussion of researchers, community college policy leaders, and an experienced industry partner in a webinar scheduled for February 25, 2013 at 10 am PST / 12 pm CST / 1 pm EST.
The goal of the webinar is to develop a short white paper about engagement in workforce education from two perspectives: Engaging industry and engaging students. The white paper will feature a Harvard Business Review set of case studies about challenges encountered and solution strategies that worked and share back to the workforce education community.
Manufacturing solutions have evolved from simple, off-the-shelf machines to highly specialized technologies of the future. Machinery that was once mundane and common are now works of art — original, creative, and designed to work with a sophistication that’s efficient and compelling. Whatever their industry, participants will discover unique and original solutions for teir most urgent and perplexing manufacturing challenges.
Beyond Sustainability conference continues to move ideas into action and offers opportunities to engage in meaningful dialogue with intended outcomes to cultivate potential collaborations. As we dive deeper into conversations about the triple E (Education, Ecosystems, and Economics) bottom line of sustainability, the goal of this year’s conference is to shine light on creating nexuses among socialentrepreneurs, investors, educators, government, regulatory agencies, businesses, and community.
This 90-minute webinar is presented by The Southwest Center for Microsystems Education (SCME). Each live session is presented by subject matter experts and includes screen sharing, live chat, and Q & A.
The webinar will address the following: What is Design of Experiments (DOE)? Why is it important in manufacturing microsystems? In addition, participants will discuss these key points about DOE:
• Plan/Do/Study/Act (PDSA) Cycle
• Choosing Factors and Responses
• Factor Interaction
• Two Factor Design
