Advanced Technological Education . February 2020

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 Project: Smart Manufacturing for America's Revolutionizing Technological Transformation
Featured Resources: Advanced Manufacturing Technologies
Community Connection
ATE Success Tips: Social Media
Did You Know?
Select STEM Education Resources
ATE Events
News & Reminders

Featured Center

Smart Manufacturing for America's Revolutionizing Technological Transformation

sites.google.com/view/nsfsmart/home

Smart manufacturing combines automated processes with networks of advanced sensors, data analytics, and information and communication technologies to improve the productivity of companies. It has been widely recognized as a groundbreaking technological trend with the potential to transform manufacturing industries. Smart manufacturing was first defined by the United States in 2015. However, current efforts in the United States have not resulted in the growth of a workforce trained to utilize smart manufacturing techniques. Many individuals are not quite sure what is involved in smart manufacturing, what is its importance, or how it applies to their companies. To overcome this knowledge gap, it is important for technician educators to have opportunities to become well-informed about such advances in technology. They are then able to properly prepare technicians with the skills needed for rapidly-changing industries. In this project, training workshops and resources will be created and offered for educators in mechatronics and engineering technology programs. These resources will also be made available to manufacturers and local industries to increase their involvement with this technology area. The project will contribute to improving the education of future manufacturing technicians and the nation's workforce.

The goals of the project will be to: 1) create educational modules and workforce development tools on smart manufacturing; 2) identify the skill sets and needs of smart manufacturing professionals; 3) develop a repository that serves as a knowledge base for industry and STEM educators; 4) increase awareness about smart manufacturing; and 5) develop a knowledge base of best practices for Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) site visits. In this project, the educational modules on smart manufacturing will be implemented in train-the-trainer workshops and webinars. Topics covered in the modules will include: an overview of technologies used in smart manufacturing; sustainable manufacturing; additive manufacturing; the fourth industrial revolution and manufacturing innovations; data science in manufacturing; and adaptive control systems and machine intelligence. An online platform will be established as the repository for the developed materials and resources, and will allow educators and manufacturing personnel in industry to exchange ideas on applications and techniques for smart manufacturing. Results from the project will be widely disseminated within technical communities and venues.

Featured Resources: Advanced Manufacturing Technologies

From Smart Manufacturing for America's Revolutionizing Technological Transformation:

Smart Manufacturing for Energy Conservation and Savings

sites.google.com/site/nsfsmartt/SM+for+Energy+Conservation+and+Savings.pdf

This 23-page resource, made available by Motlow State Community College, discusses smart manufacturing, "a fabrication method that goes beyond the factory floor by implementing cyber-physical intelligent systems through a dynamic response time that allows the system to better adapt the manufacturing process to specific product and energy needs." Sections of the resource include: Introduction, Overview, Levels of Smart Manufacturing, Pillars of Smart Manufacturing, Intelligent Robots/Automated Solutions, and more.

From Smart Manufacturing for America's Revolutionizing Technological Transformation:

Low-Cost Remote Supervisory Control System for an Industrial Process using Profibus and Profinet

sites.google.com/site/nsfsmartt/Low+Cost+Supervisory+Control+System+V3.pdf

This four-page resource, made available by Motlow State Community College, demonstrates "two applications of a low-cost remote supervisory control and data acquisition system in two models." The following sections are included: Abstract, Introduction, Experimental Setup, Supervisory Control Library (Toolbox), Multimedia Demonstration, Conclusion, and Discussion.

From Central Virginia Advanced Manufacturing Initiative:

CNC Machine Design - Stepper Motor Control Module

github.com/ebredder/CNC-Stepper

This resource, from Piedmont Virginia Community College, includes files for a project-based learning module that "provide[s] a background for controlling stepper motors using a basic microcontroller." During this project, "students will gain experience in breadboard prototyping, basic electronic circuits, uploading and editing code to control motors using a microcontroller, and using existing libraries to connect with a computer to develop complex control functions." Directions, images, and Fritzing and Arduino files are included.

Community Connection

Women and Girls in STEM Resources

Established by the United Nations in 2015, International Day of Women and Girls in Science "recognize[s] the critical role women and girls play in science and technology communities." In celebration of the annual February 11 holiday, this month's Community Connection features resources that highlight the history, achievements, and barriers to entry for women in STEM fields.

Wogrammer

wogrammer.org

Wogrammer was founded by Erin Summers and Zainab Ghadiyali, software engineers on a mission to tell the stories of women around the world who are challenging and changing the landscape of STEM fields. Under Stories, readers will find the fruits of over 200 interviews (as of this write-up) with women in STEM, including (for example) Olamide Opadokun, a Nigerian mechanical engineer interested in clean energy who was the lone woman graduate from her university class, and Madhura Maskasky, a computer scientist from India who went on to co-found her own company. Stories are published weekly and seek to inspire more young women to enter into STEM fields, while also commemorating the accomplishments of women who paved the way. In addition to the stories featured, Wogrammer recently launched a Podcast to add another element to conversations about women in STEM. Finally, readers can click on the Fellowship page to learn more about the writers producing content for Wogrammer and how to apply to be one!

Emerging Female Scientists

emergingfemalescientists.com

Emerging Female Scientists is the only electronic, peer-reviewed, open access journal specifically for female middle and high school students. The journal is unique in that all articles are authored and edited by girls and women, and it was created by and for future women in STEM. Emerging Female Scientists was founded by Margaret DiRuggiero, a high school student who had the vision to encourage STEM research publishing from young women in order to advance women's presence in STEM fields. The publication features writing in the following categories: original research, interviews of prominent or significant women in science, summaries of current scientific events, public policy pieces, and historical biographies. Emerging Female Scientists has published two volumes (as of this write-up), Spring and Fall 2019, which can be found on the Articles page. Additionally, teachers of middle school students may want to check out the Publication Process and Types of Publications pages to learn more about opportunities for their students to get published. The website is currently in the process of adding resources for those interested in starting STEM clubs in their own schools, so teachers should stay tuned for additional content to come.

Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics: Quick Take

www.catalyst.org/research/women-in-science-technology-engineering-and-mathematics-stem/

Despite advances in equality, women still face barriers to entering STEM fields. The Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM): Quick Take tackles this issue, highlighting the disparities for women in STEM, both in educational and vocational settings. Notably, the report states that women accounted for less than a third (28.8 percent) of those employed in scientific research and development across the world in 2015. And, the percentage of women employed in high-tech manufacturing positions is even smaller. It further highlights that women of color in STEM fields experience even greater disparities, noting that the percentage of bachelor's degrees in a STEM-related field earned by women of color was five percent or less for Asian, black, and Latina women. In addition to highlighting unequal representation in STEM fields, the Quick Take explores root causes for many of these disparities, including unequal treatment at work, lack of representation in leadership, and gaps in earnings between their male counterparts. The resource concludes with an Additional Resources section for those who want to further explore the topic. The Quick Take was created by Catalyst, a global nonprofit working with some of the world's most powerful CEOs and leading companies to build workplaces that work for women.

Sheherazade Speaks Science

www.shespeaksscience.com

Dive into "inspiring stories about space and science," with Scheherazade Speaks Science. This publication was founded by astrophysicist Ghina M. Halabi, who recognized that "the world needs science and science needs more women." The site gets its name from the story of Scheherazade, a character from the book of Islamic Golden Age folktales One Thousand and One Nights, who uses storytelling as a platform to push back against misogyny. On a similar mission, Scheherazade Speaks Science allows readers to indulge in various kinds of stories that "promote the visibility of women scientists." Examples of such stories include "Can We Still Save the Northern White Rhinos?" and "Martian Deserts on Earth." Select stories are also available in Spanish. In addition to story collections and archives, the website also has a Resources page, which compiles supplementary tools and websites to assist storytellers. Scheherazade Speaks Science was launched in 2018 and is supported by the University of Cambridge.

ATE Success Tips: Social Media

Using LinkedIn as a Social Media Platform

Unlike other communities, many ATE grantees are well versed in making the most of the outreach opportunities offered by LinkedIn, along with Facebook and Twitter. LinkedIn provides a unique professionally-oriented social media experience and boasts a user base of more than 600 million individuals, a 100 million user increase from 2018. For those of you who haven't taken advantage of this channel, here are a few handy tips, to help you leverage this growing platform to expand your project or center's social media reach.

Create a LinkedIn Content Strategy. As with any social platform, having a strong plan in place is the first step to success. Some common features of strong LinkedIn pages include: viewing the platform as an interactive community, rather than a "soapbox" for branded messages; offering real examples of their organization's work and connecting it to user interests; and engaging in existing conversations, sharing content of interest to the audience they are trying to attract.

Set Up a Company Page. Individual profiles are great for networking on a personal level, but your organization can achieve the best result by creating a "company" page for members to link to on their own profiles. People want to engage with other people. Because the personal touch is so successful, putting faces to an organization name will attract more followers. Having a central hub for your project or center will also unite the disparate networks of individual members, creating a more cohesive professional community.

Optimize for Mobile Users. Since July 2019, Google now indexes new websites first by their mobile version, making it particularly important to ensure that your LinkedIn page is optimized for mobile users. Ensure that the most relevant, important information appears at the top of your page, so that mobile users will be able to view an accurate snapshot of your organization's identity and goals. It's also important to prioritize posts, as these get high billing on the LinkedIn mobile app and give the sense that your project or center is actively engaged with the LinkedIn community.

For more guidance around crafting a content strategy, check out the Planning Guide section of the ATE Central Outreach Kit.

Did You Know?

A study by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics based on Current Population Survey data found that in 2018 individuals holding professional certifications or licenses were more likely to be employed than those without. Of associate's degree-holders with a professional credential, 88.3 percent participated in the labor force in 2018, compared with 62.8 of associate's degree-holders without a certification or license. There is also evidence to suggest that among individuals holding such credentials gender and age gaps in employment are smaller, compared to employment gaps for those without.

To learn more about this hard evidence of the impact of certifications and licenses, read the full Bureau of Labor Statistics report.

Select STEM Education Resources

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

The Pathogen Tracker Game

game.pathogentracker.net/Intro/introduction/EducatorsResources.htm

The Pathogen Tracker Game is perfect for science teachers seeking a hands-on activity to demonstrate the power of pathogens. The game was created and launched by Cornell's SciCentr, with educational resources produced by science teacher Mimi Cooper and fellow researchers. The goal of the game is to demonstrate the effects of "foodborne illnesses and how online databases can help track down the source of the organisms that cause them." Instructors may want to start on the Educators' Resources page, where they will find information on how to use the game as a "three-stage lesson in [their] classroom." This includes a teachers' guide, classroom worksheets (with answers), and a vocabulary chart. Worksheets can also be accessed on the Players' Resources page, for those interested in playing outside of a classroom setting. Then, on the Play the Game page, players take on the role of "Foodborne Illness Investigators (FBII)." Moving between the casefile, email, encyclopedia, and lab tabs in the game, users will undertake an in-depth and hands-on learning experience to engage with the study of foodborne illness. At the conclusion of the game, users may want to explore the "Food Safety Careers" and "Related Resources" informational sheets accessible at the bottom of the Educators' Resources page..

Esri: GeoInquiries

www.esri.com/en-us/industries/education/schools/geoinquiries-collections

Teachers of a variety of subjects and grade levels who would like to incorporate maps into their classroom activities may want to check out Esri's GeoInquiries, a collection of short, standards-based inquiry activities for teaching map-based content found in commonly used textbooks. Here, visitors will find a library of activities organized by topic, with each topic containing 15-20 different activities. For example, the American Literature section offers activities to enhance students' understanding of books like The Great Gatsby and Into the Wild, while the Mathematics section offers a range of geometry and beginning algebra activities. GeoInquiries also covers topics such as Earth Science, Government, and World Geography. Each GeoInquiry activity includes a teachers' guide in PDF format, an interactive webmap, and an optional worksheet for students. Most activities are Level 1, which are designed so that learners use visual analysis and thus require no login, no installation and will run on any computer or device, but some topics also offer Level 2 activities that use ArcGIS Online analysis tools. Those new to using GeoInquiries should be sure to read through the guide Getting to Know GeoInquiries, which is linked in the introductory paragraph on the collection's main page.

Open SUNY Textbooks

textbooks.opensuny.org

Instructors and learners who are on the lookout for free educational materials may want to check out Open SUNY Textbooks. First launched in 2012, this resource is an open-access textbook publishing initiative of the State University of New York Libraries that is managed by Milne Library Publishing at SUNY Geneseo. At the link above, readers will find (as of this write-up) approximately 40 college-level textbooks and other open education resources (OER), roughly half of which are original textbooks published by this initiative and all of which are openly licensed and available to download for free. These resources cover a broad range of disciplines, from STEM subjects like mathematics and microbiology to humanities subjects like film production and poetry. There are also resources to support general learners, such as guides on information literacy and academic writing. While visitors can browse the collection by author, subject, or SUNY affiliation, it may be more helpful to conduct a keyword search or to view all the resources on one page by clicking Browse Textbooks. In 2017, Open SUNY Textbooks was selected to partner with OpenStax (see the 3-22-2019 Scout Report), another major OER initiative.

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
February 6	Info	Rolling with the Tide	Online
February 7	Gen	Writing in the Disciplines and Math Workshop at Corpus Christi RDSPD	Corpus Christi, TX
February 7	Gen	Teaching Critical Thinking	Lakeland, FL
February 11–12	Ag/Env	Oregon Wine Symposium	Portland, OR
February 13	Gen	Identifying & Removing Barriers to Access: Guide Considerations of Complex Request	Online
February 18–21	Gen	Dream 2020	National Harbor, MD
February 18	Gen	Strategic Outreach: Spreading Accessibility throughout Campus	Online
February 19–20	Gen	UVU Engineering & Technology Week	Orem, UT
February 20	Nano	Multi-Responsive Nanogels for Biosensing, Drug Delivery, and Regenerative Medicine	Online
February 20–22	Ag/Env	2020 TFWA Annual Conference	Franklin, TN
February 20–22	Ag/Env	Texas Wine and Grape Growers Conference	Irving, Texas
February 21	Gen	Searching for Tangible Evidence of Critical Thinking Skills	Victoria, TX
February 26–28	Ag/Env	Business. Enology. Viticulture. NY	Rochester, NY
February 27	Info	Looking for industry resources for classroom use?	Online
March 1–4	Gen	Innovations Conference	Seattle, WA
March 3–4	Eng	Advanced Manufacturing & Repair for Gas Turbines	Charlotte, NC
March 5	Gen	Accessibility Requirements in Internships and Externships	Online
March 9–11	Mfg	Annual National Symposium for Supply Chain Automation	Atlanta, GA
March 10–12	Ag/Env	Eastern Winery Exposition	Lancaster, PA
March 10	Gen	Expanding Accessible / Assistive Technology (AT) Options at Your Institution	Online
March 11–13	Nano	Small Modular and Micro Reactor Summit	Silver Spring, MD
March 11–14	Eng	ITEEA 2020 Conference	Baltimore, MD
March 12	Gen	Walking the NSF Budgeting Walk: NSF ATE Proposal Budget and Budget Justification	Online
March 16–19	Mfg	AeroDef Manufacturing 2020	Fort Worth, TX
March 17–19	Eng	AEROTECH	Pasadena, CA
March 20	Gen	Brain-Based Teaching and Learning	Largo, MD
March 27–30	Gen	American Association of Community Colleges Convention	National Harbor, MD
March 28–29	Ag/Env	Wine Chemistry Workshop	Springfield, MO
April 2	Gen	A Disabled American in Paris	Online
April 3	Gen	Searching for Tangible Evidence of Critical Thinking Skills	Tyler, TX
April 4–5	Ag/Env	Wine Sensory Analysis Workshop	Geneva, OH
April 5–9	Info	IEEE 6th World Forum on Internet of Things	New Orleans, LA
April 7	Gen	Methods and Strategies for Implementing Assistive Technology with Students	Online
April 15–18	Eng	ASME International Mechanical Engineering Education Leadership Summit	San Juan, Puerto Rico
April 20–23	Mfg	RAPID + TCT 2020	Anaheim, CA
April 23	Gen	The Legal Year in Review	Online
April 25–26	Ag/Env	Wine Sensory Analysis Workshop	Springfield, MO
April 28	Gen	Assistive Technology for Students with Mental Health Conditions	Online

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

Register Now to be a Presenter in the 2020 STEM for All Video Showcase

Do you have an NSF or other federally funded project aimed at improving STEM or CS learning and teaching in formal or informal environments? If so, you are invited to be a presenter in this year's STEM for All Video Showcase!

This year's theme is STEM for All: Learning from Research and Practice. Videos should address at least one of the following: Strategies to broaden participation and increase access for all; research informing STEM and CS teaching and learning; challenges and strategies in the implementation of STEM and CS programs; measuring impact of innovative programs; or partnerships fostering participation and broader participation.

Successful videos will describe the need that the project addresses, the intervention, innovation, or research, and the potential impact of the work. Video presentations will cover a wide range of topics including, science, mathematics, computer science, engineering, cyberlearning, citizen science, maker spaces, mentoring, informal learning, professional development, research and evaluation, NGSS and the Common Core. The videos highlight initiatives for students of all ages (kindergarten through graduate school, as well as adult learners).

The interactive, online Video Showcase will take place May 5–12, 2020. During this week-long event, approximately 200 innovative STEM Educational projects, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and other federal agencies, will be featured. Presenters will share their 3-minute video and discuss it with researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and the public at large.

All videos from past annual showcase events can be viewed on the newly launched STEM for All Multiplex. We encourage you to visit and explore presentations of interest to you. Videos from the upcoming 2020 Showcase will also be added to the Multiplex after the May event.

Register to present by February 10 (or earlier, if the showcase receives more than 300 registrations). Don't miss out!

Call for Applications: Community College Innovation Challenge

For the fifth year, AACC in partnership with the National Science Foundation, is inviting community college students to participate in the Community College Innovation Challenge (CCIC).

The CCIC is a prestigious competition where community college student teams, working with a faculty or administrator team mentor, use science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to innovate solutions to real-world problems; earn travel support to attend an Innovation Boot Camp in Washington, DC; and compete for cash awards.

The Boot Camp provides hands-on learning opportunities and coaching designed to build strategic communication and entrepreneurial skills—and includes a student poster session on Capitol Hill, and a formal pitch presentation at the Boot Camp in front of a panel of industry professionals, to determine the first and second place winning teams.

Diverse and interdisciplinary teams that include students in STEM, business, humanities, and other fields are encouraged to register for the challenge and apply by the March 31, 2020 deadline.

Call for Applicants: Grant Writing Workshop for Two-Year College Faculty

Participants in this workshop will learn about the NSF Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program and how to most effectively apply for grant funding. Faculty must propose a specific project to improve an ATE-eligible technical program in a one-page proposal. One-page proposals will be reviewed from October to February 1st when the first acceptances will be sent. Proposals will be either accepted or sent back for corrections and the website will remain open until the workshop and a waiting list are full. Workshop activities will include presentations; planning and writing sessions with mentors who have had extensive experience with ATE and NSF; and networking with colleagues from similar institutions around the country. Two faculty from each college will receive stipend support.

Full-time STEM discipline faculty involved in technician education programs from two-year colleges. Two faculty per college are eligible and colleges may also send a grant writer as a third team member at their own expense.

The mentor assigned to each college team will continue throughout the year to support each college’s efforts to write a complete proposal. This will include creating pre- and post-workshop milestones, webinars, suggesting resources, and providing feedback both for proposal writing and in the award process.

The event runs June 14-17, 2020 at College of the Canyons, Santa Clarita, CA (Los Angeles County). To register for the workshop, visit the College of the Canyons NSF grant writing workshop website.

Webinar Recording: Evaluation: The Secret Sauce in Your ATE Proposal

Planning to submit a proposal to the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program? Then this is a webinar you don't want to miss! The talk covers the essential elements of an effective evaluation plan and shows you how to integrate them into an ATE proposal. In addition, the webinar provides guidance on how to budget for an evaluation, locate a qualified evaluator, and use evaluative evidence to describe the results from prior NSF funding. Viewers receive the Evaluation Planning Checklist for ATE Proposals and other resources to help integrate evaluation into their ATE proposals. The webinar concludes with an extended 30-minute Question and Answer session.

View the webinar slides or watch the recording to learn more about planning for evaluation.

New Student Success Story Videos in the Works

As part of ATE Central's most recent funding we are looking to create a second round of our Student Success Story videos. There will be fifteen new videos in this series and we are actively looking for a diverse set of ATE students with engaging stories and successes to feature.

Do you have a student who you think might fit the bill? Fill out this short survey to tell us about them! Vox Television will be producing these new videos for the community; production will begin in late fall and continue over the next two years.

We look forward to working with you on this exciting project and featuring these and other videos from the whole community on the ATE Central portal. Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions about the video series or our other tools and services.

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 May 18^th 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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