Advanced Technological Education .

Welcome to the ATE Central Connection! Published the first Tuesday of each month, the ATE Central Connection is meant to disseminate information to and about ATE centers and projects, providing you with up-to-date ATE news, events, reminders, as well as highlighting new centers, projects, and resources. In addition, we will also highlight an educational topic with complementary resources found within ATE Central to help illustrate how ATE resources can be used in the classroom.

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In This Issue

Featured Resources: Building Industry Relationships for STEM Education

From National Convergence Technology Center (CTC):

Implementing the BILT Model of Business Engagement

atecentral.net/downloads/6126/BILT-Toolkit-092518.pdf

This 12-page document was developed by the National Convergence Technology Center in conjunction with CORD (Center for Occupational Research and Development) to provide a detailed guide to implementing the Business and Industry Leadership Team (BILT) model. The BILT model involves creating a group whose membership consists of executives, hiring managers, and technicians from local businesses that hire graduates from technical programs. This allows college technical programs to have direct input into which knowledges, skills, and abilities graduates are gaining to help better prepare them for careers in their field. Topics covered in the document include: Background, Benefits of BILT, Essential Elements of a BILT, Preparing For Your First BILT Meeting, Reporting Back to the BILT, and more.

From Advanced Manufacturing and Prototyping Integrated To Unlock Potential (AMP-IT-UP):

The InVenture Challenge: Inspiring STEM Learning through Invention and Entrepreneurship

ampitup.gatech.edu/sites/default/files/presentations/inventure_challenge_-_gsta.pdf

These presentation slides, provided by Georgia Institute of Technology, discuss the InVenture Challenge, a competition for Georgia Tech undergraduates. "The InVenture Challenge seeks to bring design, engineering, invention, and entrepreneurship to K-12 education by providing a framework, curriculum, and competition that can be used by teachers in different disciplines with support from Georgia Institute of Technology faculty and staff." These slides include information about the challenge and its history. A paper that further discusses this challenge is available to view separately.

From Working Partners: Documenting the Impact of Industry Collaboration within the ATE Community:

Working Partners: Workplace-Based Learning Partnership Model

www.workingpartnersproject.org/workplace-based-learning.html

Working Partners, an ATE project undertaken by the Internet Scout Research Group, has resulted in the Working Partners Toolkit, which includes Partnership Models, Case Studies, and Resources and Data, and was designed to help educators strengthen their relationship with industry. Eight partnership models used by the ATE community to incorporate industry expertise into higher education were identified by the Working Partners team using a mixed methods approach.

This Workplace-Based Learning Partnership Model is defined as "Industry partner provides on-site opportunity for student applied learning, paid or unpaid, frequently with employment potential, often integrated with coursework." The model is presented in the following sections: Implementation Strategies, Reported Impacts, and Reported Challenges.

Also included in the webpage is a description of the Workplace-Based Learning Case Study. The other partnership models and additional Toolkit resources are available to view separately.

Community Connection

Developing UDL Classroom Resources

MANY within the ATE Community are knowledgeable about the importance of creating accessible classroom documents, but even the most experienced among us can benefit from a few practical tips. Those in search of guidance on developing Universal Design for Learning (UDL)-aligned materials may benefit from the resources assembled by the NSF-funded AccessATE project and the National AEM Center at CAST, an AccessATE project partner.

UDL helps verify that accessibility is not an afterthought, incorporating a full understanding of diverse student requirements into the creation of course tools. The UDL guidelines focus on engagement (the why of learning), representation (the what of learning), and action and expression (the how of learning) to guarantee that educational materials are authored with a diverse set of students in mind. Classroom documents that are UDL-aligned provide multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression. This ensures that students with different strengths and needs will find a means of each that works for them.

A great place to start in verifying that your educational materials meet accessibility standards is watching the recent Designing Accessibility with POUR webinar presented by Luis Pérez, TA Specialist for the National AEM Center at CAST and Rachael Bower, PI of AccessATE and ATE Central. The talk covers how accessibility guidelines can be "distilled into four core principles, as captured by the acronym POUR (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust), that define four qualities of an accessible user experience." Then, with the revision of a course syllabus as context, the webinar offers practical, applied techniques educators can implement right away. Instructors can build upon their higher-level understanding of the POUR core qualities to ensure their classroom materials "are accessible and work for all learners from the start, by design."

To read more about creating UDL-aligned learning tools, visit the ATE Impacts blog.

ATE Success Tips: Outreach

Networking

In the age of digital networks, it can be easy to forget the power of good old-fashioned relationship building. While making the most of online resources is paramount, your outreach team will see the greatest results from strategies optimized to initiate and strengthen human connections.

Here are some quick and easy ways to target lasting relationships in your outreach efforts:

Make the most of networking events.

  • With HI-TEC fast approaching, this is the perfect opportunity to brush up your elevator pitch. Have a one-minute blurb prepared and memorized to sell yourself and your project or center.

Remember, it's a two-way street.

  • Ask follow-up questions, show interest, and don't be afraid to articulate how your work connects with and potentially supports others' goals. Networking is more than just meeting people; it's about forming working relationships.

Add that human touch.

  • The best professional connections are built on a foundation of personal respect and engagement. "Small talk" doesn't need to be small-impact. Show interest in potential partners as individuals to strengthen their professional trust in you and your team.

Feeling inspired to build on new relationships and expand your digital presence? Check out ATE Central's Outreach Kit for a helpful guide.

Did You Know?

Community colleges receive only 18 percent of all Federal Work-Study funds allocated? Learn more from the full June 2019 AACC Data Points PDF.

Select STEM Education Resources

A few online STEM resources from outside of ATE, that you may find of interest:

National Geographic: Photo Ark

www.nationalgeographic.org/projects/photo-ark

The National Geographic Photo Ark offers readers a stunning collection of animal portrait photography featuring thousands of species from around the world. The Photo Ark is a project founded in 2005 by veteran National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore. It aims to "document every species living in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries," many of which are threatened or endangered in the wild, with the ultimate goal of inspiring people to help protect these species and their habitats. Visitors can explore this ongoing project's more than 30,000 photographs of more than 9,000 species (as of this write-up), with each species including multiple beautiful photos with simple black or white backgrounds, its common and scientific name, its population status on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List, and other information. Readers can search this vast trove of photos by species name and filter by class (e.g. birds, reptiles, cephalopods, etc.), IUCN Red List status, and where the photo was taken. Teachers may want to check out the Photo Ark's education section, where they will find several classroom activities and other teaching resources.

The Geological Society: Plate Tectonics

www.geolsoc.org.uk/Plate-Tectonics

Teachers and students of earth science and physical geography, as well as the generally curious, may find this educational resource on plate tectonics helpful. This resource comes from the Geological Society of London, a nonprofit professional organization founded in 1807, making it the world's oldest geological society. On the main page, visitors will find an interactive world map that can be toggled to show the different types of tectonic plate boundaries and their locations, as well as the global distribution of volcanoes and earthquakes. From this map, readers can click on eight numbered pins to view case studies of various representative plate margins illustrated with short animated videos. These case studies can also be reached via the plate margins link at the top of the page. Plate Tectonics also features a section specifically focused on the tectonic history of the UK. This resource also includes the history of plate tectonics as a science, a concise explanation of the basics of plate tectonics, and a glossary of relevant geological terms. Students may find the test your knowledge section helpful; educators should check out the teachers' zone, where they will find downloadable worksheets, examples of exam questions, and links to other useful resources.

Celebratio Mathematica

celebratio.org

Math educators and aficionados may be interested in Celebratio Mathematica, an open-access digital publication that "celebrates mathematics and related fields, and their people." Visitors to this project will find extensive information on the lives and work of nearly thirty noteworthy mathematicians (as of this write-up), with each person's entry organized into an "enhanced guide to [their] collected works." These digital volumes include such figures as David Blackwell, "an eminent statistician who specialized in probability and game theory," and Emmy Noether, a pioneer in abstract algebra and the namesake of several influential concepts. Each volume contains a collection of biographical narratives (sometimes in the mathematician's own words), a bibliography of their published work, commentaries by other mathematicians on the significance of their work, information on their graduate students, and more. For anyone curious about the careers of prominent twentieth-century mathematicians, this project is a valuable resource. Celebratio Mathematica was conceived by Robion C. Kirby and James W. Pitman, both professors of mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley and published by MSP (Mathematical Sciences Publishers), a nonprofit scholarly publisher.

Do you have some great STEM resources you'd like to share with ATE Central? Email us with your ideas at [email protected].

ATE Events

Upcoming Events
– Info CCNA 1 Instructor Certification (CCSI) for Teachers Madison, WI
– Info Certified Ethical Hacker Online
– Ag/Env Wisconsin STEM Educator Solar Institute Madison, WI
– Eng Underwater Robotics & Engineering Design Arizona Project WET and MATE Tucson, Tucson
– Info EMC - Cloud Infrastructure & Services Online
– Gen WomenTech Educators Online Bootcamp Online
– Gen WomenTech Educators Online Bootcamp: Boost Female Enrollment in STEM & CTE Online
Info Cisco Cybersecurity Essentials Online
– Gen Presidents Academy Summer Institute Atlanta, GA
– Mfg Summer 2019 Electric Guitar Institutes New York, NY
– Info NGTC Workshops: ArcGIS with Anita Palmer, Roger Palmer, gisetc. San Diego, CA
– Info (ISC)² CISSP Online
– Bio/Chem NBC2 miniBIOMAN Conferences - Quality in Biomanufacturing Blue Bell, PA
– Info Professional Development Hands-on Seminars - Getting Started with Spatial Data Stuttgart, AR
– Gen HI-TEC: A National Conference on Advanced Technological Education St. Louis, MO
– Eng Intermediate Underwater Robotics: The TriggerFish ROV Tucson, AZ
Info Hands-on Seminar: Introduction to Facilitating GIS (Stuttgart, AR) Stuttgart, AR
Info Old Erie Canal Summer Workshop Chittenango, NY
– Eng Technology in Marine Science: ROV Building Tucson, AZ
– Eng Automated and Connected Vehicles Summer Conference Dayton, OH
– Info Professional Development Hands-on Seminars - Getting Started with Spatial Data De Queen, AR
– Info Community College Cyber Summit (3CS) Bossier City, LA
– Info NGTC of Excellence Regional Workshops Huntington, WV
– Ag/Env Summer Energy Educator Series (SEES) Normal, IL
– Info NGTC Workshops: Getting Started with UAVs and FAA Part 107 Certification Champaign, IL
– Mfg AWS SENSE High School Teacher Welding Workshop Monroe, MI
– Nano NPDP Hands-On-Site Workshop University Park, PA
– Bio/Chem ASM Conference for Undergraduate Educators Tysons, TA
– Eng Underwater Robotics & Engineering Design: The TriggerFish ROV Newport, OR
– Eng Fundamentals of Photonics Workshop Ottumwa, IA
– Eng CAR Management Briefing Seminar Acme, MI
– Ag/Env Delaware STEM Educator Energy Institute Dover, DE
– Nano NPDP Hands-On-Site Workshop Williamsville, NY
– Info NGTC Workshops: ArcGIS with Ann Johnson and Nicole Ernst Eugene, OR
– Info ISACA Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) Online
Info Governance, Risk Management, & Compliance Online
– Ag/Env Washington STEM Educator Solar Institute Shoreline, WA
– Info Basic Electricity for IoT Online
– Eng Autonomous Vehicles Detroit Program Novi, MI
Gen How to Manage Student Behavior Without Really Trying Freeport, IL
– Eng The Battery Show Novi, MI

For more events, please visit the ATE Central Events page or, if you have any upcoming events that you would like posted on ATE Central or in the ATE Central Connection, please submit them online.

To add a continuously-updated list of ATE and STEM education events to your website, use the ATE Event Widget.

News & Reminders

Join Us at HI-TEC 2019

There's still time to register for the 2019 HI-TEC conference in beautiful St. Louis and take advantage of all the conference and city has to offer. We look forward to seeing you there in July - please come visit ATE Central in booth 404 in the exhibit hall!

Webinar Recording: Designing for Accessibility with POUR

Hone your accessibility expertise with this webinar designed to assist in developing classroom materials that meet the core principles accessibility.

The hour-and-a-half program presented by the NSF- ATE-funded AccessATE project and the National AEM Center at CAST uses revision of a course syllabus as a context to explore how accessibility guidelines can be "distilled into four core principles, as captured by the acronym POUR (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust), that define four qualities of an accessible user experience." Then the webinar offers practical, applied techniques educators can implement right away. Instructors can build upon their higher-level understanding of the POUR core qualities to ensure their classroom materials "are accessible and work for all learners from the start, by design."

For more insight into making your classroom documents accessible, view the webinar slides or watch the recording.

MentorLinks is accepting proposals for colleges and applications for mentors! Please read below for details about each.

Request for Proposals: MentorLinks Colleges
The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) is pleased to announce a national grant competition for the MentorLinks: Advancing Technological Education program, developed with the support of the National Science Foundation. MentorLinks is designed for community colleges seeking to improve technician education programs in the science, technology, engineering, or mathematics fields. Colleges should be interested in working with an experienced community college mentor who has successfully planned and implemented a major change in a high-technology program. MentorLinks colleges will receive $20,000 for the 2-year grant period and travel support for the project director to attend three project meetings. The grant's primary emphasis is on valuable networking, and rich opportunities for technical assistance and professional development. The grant period runs October 1, 2019–November 30, 2021. For complete information and to apply by the deadline of June 7, 2019, please go to www.aacc.nche.edu/MentorLinks.

Request for Applications: MentorLinks Mentors
The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) is pleased to announce a national call for applications for the MentorLinks: Advancing Technological Education program, developed with the support of the National Science Foundation. AACC seeks applications from 2-year college professionals who are interested in serving as mentors to work with a college whose faculty and administration want to develop or strengthen a certificate or degree program for technicians in a science, technology, engineering, and/or mathematics field. MentorLinks colleges will be selected in a separate request for proposal process and assigned to a mentor. Up to ten institutions will be selected as MentorLinks colleges and up to ten individual mentors will be named to the MentorLinks Mentor Team for a 2-year grant period beginning October 1, 2019, and ending November 30, 2021. Mentors will receive an honorarium and travel support to attend a mentor training and orientation meeting, three national project meetings, and to conduct college site visits. For complete information and to apply by the deadline of June 7, 2019, please go to www.aacc.nche.edu/MentorLinks.

At HI-TEC 2019: Entrepreneurial Approaches to Sustaining and Scaling Educational Innovations Workshop

This workshop, which will be held at HI-TEC this July, kicks off a two-week course that guides participants through the process of exploring innovative ways to solve problems that address the needs of your intended audience and/or market in the education sector.

This course is especially relevant to ATE PIs who are interested in learning how to sustain and scale educational innovations and network with education industry professionals. The kick-off workshop will be held at HI-TEC on July 22 with all subsequent courses held online throughout August 2019.

Those who participate in the course will learn how to explore project opportunities beyond federal funding, work through ideas while receiving direct feedback from instructors, and learn how to effectively network with the ATE community, among many other benefits.

For more information about the workshop and to register, check out the workshop's informational flier and visit the HI-TEC registration site.

Would you like copies of the ATE Impacts book?

Book orders and general inquiries about ATE Impacts 2018-2019: Twenty-Five Years of Advancing Technician Education can be emailed to [email protected].

Archiving your deliverables with ATE Central is now easier than ever!

Upload your curriculum, professional development materials, or other deliverables created with ATE funding directly to the ATE Central resource portal via the new archive submission form.

Can CWIS software help support your project goals?

CWIS is open source software, created with NSF funding, that can help your project or center showcase resources online. It's free and very easy to use. The latest version (CWIS 4.1.1) was released on and is available for download on the Scout site. Please email [email protected] if you have any questions or would like a quick tour of its features!

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