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.

We want the ATE Central Connection to be a valuable tool; please e-mail info@atecentral.net with any suggestions about how to make the ATE Central Connection more useful for you or to suggest any information you would like to see in an upcoming issue.

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In This Issue

Featured Resources: Engineering Technologies

From National Center for Autonomous Technologies:

Teaching Using Social VR

atecentral.net/downloads/12243/Teaching+in+Social+VR.pptx

This PowerPoint presentation, provided by the National Center for Autonomous Technologies (NCAT), covers teaching in social virtual reality (VR). During this presentation, senior personnel Mark Gill and Alan Srock from St. Cloud State University AHS discussed the immersive collaborative tool of social VR and how it can be used in an online classroom setting, as well as a virtual conference. This resource includes information about VR benefits, examples, common limitations, the differences between experiential and collaborative VR, and more.

From The Center for Aviation and Automotive Technology Education using Virtual E-School:

Building Virtual Simulations for Advanced Technological Education

www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7xIiWNhCHc

This webinar, published by the Center for Workforce Development, is part of a series on technology and instructional issues. In this presentation, Dr. Jeff Bertrand introduces viewers to virtual reality, focuses on the development process for a typical virtual simulation, highlights some of the challenges and benefits of using VR, and describes how educators can use online virtual simulations in a browser-based format without the need for special equipment. A Q&A follows the presentation.

From Industry 4.0 Seminar Series:

Engaging the Workforce and Customers Through AR/VR

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA3I571b34s

This video from Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) is part of the Innovative Technology Speaker Series and features four presenters that explore augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR). Héctor Jiménez from Rockwell Automation explores digital transformation, ways of sharing and accessing knowledge, industrial use cases, first steps towards digital transformation, augmented reality, virtual reality digital twins for the industrial environment, workforce learning and performance, and other topics related to AR/VR. Emme Darkowski explores Gen Z and the XR world, including how AR and VR transform Gen Z's learning experiences and careers. Kacie Hokanson explores virtual construction at Miron, including details on using VR and AR for construction projects, as well as mixed reality (MR). Mike Race talks about Microsoft Guides and how NWTC uses this to prepare students to use AR/VR technology.

Community Connection

Recent Research on Community College STEM Impacts

Several significant research initiatives and strategies are currently underway to address critical challenges in various fields.

Firstly, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is investing $45.6 million in semiconductor technologies and workforce development as part of the NSF Future of Semiconductors (FuSe) program, partnering with industry leaders to nurture a skilled semiconductor workforce and drive innovations. Secondly, the Biden-Harris Administration is tackling the shortage of cybersecurity professionals through its National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy, emphasizing collaboration between government, educational institutions, and the private sector to enhance cybersecurity education and training.

Additionally, efforts are being made to support diverse student populations in community colleges by providing tailored support to immigrants and non-native English speakers, and a separate initiative led by the American Association of Community Colleges is expanding apprenticeship programs across the nation, aiming to train 16,000 apprentices and diversify the talent pool in various sectors, ultimately contributing to the growth of the American workforce. These initiatives collectively represent a commitment to advancing technology, strengthening the workforce, supporting diversity, and expanding educational opportunities.

To read more about these initiatives, check out the latest ATE Impacts blog post.

ATE Success Tips: Websites

Integrating the ATE Central Calendar Feed into Your Website

The ATE Central Calendar Feed is a versatile and customizable tool that allows you to display upcoming events from the ATE Central Events Calendar on your website, in the Outlook or Mac Calendar apps, and more. It's a great way to keep your audience informed about events related to the ATE and NSF community.

Step 1: Generate a Calendar Feed. Follow these steps to generate your calendar feed:

  • Go to the Calendar Feeds page on ATE Central.
  • Select the events and/or keywords that you want to include in your feed. This will determine which events will be displayed on your website or calendar application.
  • Click on the "Create" button.
  • Right-click on "FEED LINK" and copy the link URL to paste it into your CMS or calendar app.

Step 2: Integration with Your Website. Now that you have your calendar feed URL, you can integrate it into your website. The method may vary depending on your website platform. For WordPress-based sites you can use free plugins like ICS Calendar to display a list of upcoming events on your site.

Step 3: Keep Your Audience Informed. By integrating the ATE Central Calendar Feed into your website, you'll automatically display upcoming events of interest based on your chosen keywords.

Step 4: Contact ATE Central for Support and Feedback. ATE Central welcomes your feedback and questions. If you have any inquiries or need assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to the team at info@atecentral.net. They are here to support you. Incorporating the ATE Central Calendar Feed into your website is an excellent way to enhance your content and provide your audience with up-to-date information on events in the world of advanced technological education.

Did You Know?

More than half of recent community college students had multiple goals, with 65% aiming to complete a credential or transfer their courses, and the remaining one-third seeking courses for skill, professional, or personal development, according to a report by the Strada Education Foundation. These goals often overlapped, as over half of those with transfer or degree goals also sought career skills, while around one-third combined attainment with personal interest, and about one-quarter aimed for professional development, with 22% expressing interest in a certificate

Select STEM Education Resources

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

EDUCAUSE Quarterly

www.educause.edu

EDUCAUSE Quarterly "is a practitioner's journal about managing and using information resources in higher education." It deals with many issues about implementing information technology (IT) practices as learning tools. The material is suitable for anyone interested in IT applications but is particularly useful for those who work in computer services or other IT organizational positions. This site offers full text articles from the journal at no cost, and several back issues can be viewed as well. The current edition considers such topics as open source software, IT investments, Web services, a student information system, and maintaining technology hardware.

Geyser Observation and Study Association

gosa.org

The Geyser Observation and Study Association is a non-profit scientific and educational corporation whose purpose is the "collection and dissemination of information about geysers and other geothermal phenomena in Yellowstone National Park and elsewhere". The Web site has descriptions and photographs of geysers from around the world with an emphasis on Yellowstone and Old Faithful. Other features include recent and historical geyser activity information, a glossary of geyser terms, an index to geysers described on the site, a "Guess the Geyser" game, and other interesting links round the site out.

Lectures on Superconductivity

www.ascg.msm.cam.ac.uk/lectures

Provided by Cambridge University's Applied Superconductivity and Cryoscience Group this series of lectures on superconductivity features contributions from leading world experts in academia and industry. The project, led by Dr. Bartek Glowacki, was funded by SCENET-2, Pi-Shirt, and the European Science Foundation and the lectures are available free of charge. Each lecture includes several chapters, each with an accompanying video. In addition to the video lectures, the site includes links to other related educational resources, an image gallery, and a bibliography of papers and publications related to the lectures.

Do you have some great STEM resources you'd like to share with ATE Central? Email us with your ideas at info@atecentral.net.

ATE Events

Upcoming Events
– Gen Inclusive Research Mentor-Manager Training Online
– Gen Accessing Higher Ground Conference Denver, CO
Eng Drone Fest at Discovery World Milwaukee, WI
– Nano NNF Minicourse Training Lincoln, NE
Info What’s New in Geographic Calculator 2023 SP1 and GeoCalc Online? Online
Bio/Chem BioMADE Member Workshop: New Bioindustrial Supply Chain Modeling Tool Online
Ag/Env IREC Vision Summit Minneapolis, MN
Mfg Rochester STEAM Summit Rochester, MN
Eng Aerial Drone Competition - Mission Eclipse Thief River Falls, MN
Bio/Chem BioMADE Webinar Series — Accelerating Bioindustrial Manufacturing Workforce Readiness Online
Gen Assistive Technology for Reading Online
Bio/Chem Advanced PCR Techniques Webinar Series: Part II Gene Therapy Online
– Bio/Chem ASM Conference for Undergraduate Educators (ASMCUE) Phoenix, AZ
Info Cybersecurity Capabilities and Careers Symposia (3CS) Session Proposal Development Workshop Schuylkill Haven, PA
– Eng Underwater Intervention Conference New Orleans, LA
Eng Experience Northland Aerospace - Middle/High School Pre-Registered Open House Thief River Falls, MN
Gen Strengthening STEM Education at Minority Serving Institutions through NSF ATE Funding Online
Gen Utilizing an Interview to Determine a “Good Fit” Online
– Info NICE K-12 Conference Phoenix, AZ
Gen Assistive Technology for Writing Online
– Mfg Defense Manufacturing Conference 2023 Nashville, TN
– Info WASTC ICT Educators Winter Conference San Jose, CA
– Mfg FCPN 2024 Symposium Jensen Beach, FL
– Gen AACC Workforce Development Institute New Orleans, LA
– Gen ATIA 2024 Conference Orlando, FL

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.

News & Reminders

Newly Revamped ATE Outreach Kit Now Available

Whether you've already received funding from National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program or you're in the process of writing your first grant proposal, outreach and dissemination activities are critical to the work of your ATE project or center.

The newest version of the ATE Central Outreach Kit encourages you to walk through a process directly related to your outreach efforts - including pinpointing your primary audiences, considering the partners and resources that can support your work, and tackling issues like branding and messaging. You can use the provided Template & Table to record your answers, and use this information to develop a solid outreach plan. Go online to access all sections of the kit and download the accompanying Template & Table.

New Tool - Calendar Feed

The ATE Central Calendar Feed is an easy to customize tool that enables calendar feeds from the ATE Central Events Calendar to quickly be added to either the Outlook or the Mac Calendar app, and will then automatically display upcoming events of interest based on the keywords you include. You can use the feed to populate your personal calendar or to add lists of upcoming events to your ATE center or project website. For WordPress-based sites, free plugins like ICS Calendar will allow you to use a calendar feed to display a list of upcoming events on your WordPress site. You'll need to sign in to your ATE Central account to create a feed - and it's easy to change your selection of keywords to add or subtract areas of interest over time. We look forward to hearing from you as you utilize this new service and as always, we'd love to get your feedback or comments. Don't hesitate to reach out to the team with any questions at info@atecentral.net.

ATE Impacts 2022-2023 Book Showcases Work of ATE Community

The ATE Impacts 2022-2023 book showcases the work of the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education Community. This edition includes a foreword from United States President Joseph Biden. It features the work of 33 projects and 28 centers across the seven ATE areas, as well as applied research. By highlighting the ATE community's successful and innovative work, the book encourages broader participation in the ATE program by academic institutions, educators, and industry partners. Dissemination of the ATE Impacts book advances understanding of the importance of technician education and its role in supporting the high-tech industries that drive the United States' economy More information on the book can be found on the ATE Impacts website.

Follow ATE Central on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with all things new at ATE Central and in the ATE Community as well as in the world of STEM Education.


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