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APRIL 2008
The Technology Education Advisory Board (TEAB) is gearing up for the Exemplary Program Review cycle for Madison, Oakton and Woodson High Schools. Notebook review and school site visits are scheduled for mid-May. The TEAB is also actively working to review the draft STEM course documents for final comments prior to the summer curriculum team beginning their work.
Several middle and high school Technology Student Association (TSA) chapters are preparing for the state competition Technosphere in Hampton, Virginia the weekend of May 2-4, 2008.
Several middle schools are preparing for the local FCPS LEGO NXT challenge developed to provide a local competition in robotics, electronic systems and computer programming. The event will be held at Robinson Secondary School on May 16, 2008, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The Chantilly Academy FIRST Robotics team made it to the quarterfinals at the national competition held in Atlanta Georgia on April 19, 2008.
MARCH 2008
Congratulations to the following technology education teachers who were recognized for teacher excellence for the state of Virginia at the International Technology Education Association (ITEA) conference in Salt Lake, Utah on February 22, 2008:
Steve Snyder, Robinson Secondary, ITEA Middle School Teacher of the Year
James Gralton, Herndon Middle School, ITEA Middle School Program of the Year
Phil Harris, Annandale High School, ITEA High School Teacher of the Year
A McLean High School Engineering Club team won 2nd place (and $200) in the George Mason University American Society of Civil Engineers Student Organization Popsicle Bridge Contest. The event was held at George Mason University on February 16, 2008.
Through a grant from the United Engineering Foundation, The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), The Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Jeff Leaf, technology education teacher, at Robinson Secondary School, presented the Inspire Innovation workshop at the 2008 International Technology Education Association conference. The goal of the grant is to provide resources to the classroom teacher to help the teacher develop and present interesting activities connected to engineering applications. Jeff Leaf, also a mechanical engineer and former Vice-President of ASME, presented a process for conducting open-ended problem-solving projects related to engineering.
Technology Education students from Carson MS, Franklin MS, Frost MS, Liberty MS, Robinson SS, Chantilly HS, McLean HS, West Potomac HS, and West Springfield HS competed in the Northern Regional Technology Student Association fair at Mountain View High School in Stafford, Virginia on March 15, 2008. Results will be posted soon.
The Technology Education Advisory Board (TEAB) is currently reviewing the draft STEM course outlines and preparing for the Exemplary Program Review of the programs at Oakton, Madison and Woodson High Schools.
The technology education program at West Springfield High School was a featured article in the March 2008 magazine Technology Teacher.
The Northern Regional Technology Student Association (TSA) competition was held at Mountain View High School in Stafford, Virginia on March 15th. Carson, Franklin, Frost and Robinson Middle Schools, and Chantilly, McLean, and West Springfield High Schools represented Fairfax County Public Schools. They placed in 12 of 16 middle school events and 12 of 18 high school events. Franklin Middle School took the top three places in the TSA multimedia event. Over all FCPS schools brought back seven first place, nine second place, nine third place, and five fourth place awards as well as placing in the top ten in other events. Details can be found at: http://www.vatsa.org/conferences/regionalfairs/winners/NOwinners08.html
JANUARY 2008
The LEGO League team from Herndon Middle School competed in their first LEGO League regional competition on Saturday, November 17. The team won first place in the area of Teamwork by building a bridge, using LEGOs, over a space between two tables.
Chantilly Academy has partnered with the Naval Center for Space Technologies at the United States Naval Research Laboratory in Washington D.C. Four academy students are the leading systems engineers for a fall 2009 launch of a Naval Research Laboratory satellite project. The satellite ground station is in the engineering laboratory classroom at Chantilly Academy.
The Connection (12/6) reported, "Chantilly Academy and Micron Technology, Inc., signed an agreement to advance pre-collegiate engineering and information technology programs at the academy" with a $10,000 grant from the Micron Foundation. It will support "science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workshop modules; Career and Technical Education (CTE) course enrichment; guest lectures from distinguished university faculty members; and encourage diversity in pre-collegiate engineering education."
Chantilly Academy primarily offers engineering and scientific technology electives for "approximately 1,200 students from over 20 Fairfax County [Virginia] public schools." Students can earn college credits, receive valuable hands-on experience and gain professional licensure through these programs. The Connection noted, "Eighty percent of all Chantilly Academy student graduates pursue postsecondary and higher education."
On November 16, 2007, two Marshall Academy Engineering Systems II students presented their progress to date at the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for the Atmospheric Neutral Density Experiment (ANDE) program at the Naval research Laboratory (NRL). Following the PDR, the students were given a tour of the space facility at NRL, and saw historical satellites and satellites under construction. They were pleased to see the Pollux satellite housing in one of the construction rooms.
West Potomac High School was awarded a grant proposal from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Foundation Classroom Fund Precollege Outreach Committee to purchase X-Plane software with related modeling and simulation equipment for the engineering program to enhance students understanding of aeronautic principles.
TE teachers countywide are preparing students for the Technology Student Association Regional competition on March 15, 2008, hosted by Mountain View High School in Stafford, VA.
A TE student at Carson Middle School won the 2007 Pitsco Systems Essay Contest. The official announcement will be made when the essays are printed in the February-March issue of The Pitsco Network and posted online. The prize is a $250 NXT and the school receives a $150 gift certificate from Pitsco.
NOVEMBER 2007
The northern region Technology Student Association (TSA) fall rally was held at Washington Ferrari in Dulles, Virginia on November 10, 2007. Students from Franklin and Frost Middle Schools, West Springfield, West Potomac and Woodson High Schools, and Robinson Secondary School attended this kick off to the TSA competitive year.
Technology Education teachers are currently preparing for the first annual FCPS Lego NXT challenge. This event is designed to provide students with practical programming skills related to robotics. The challenge this year is centered on a hazardous waste removal situation. The robots will need to place various colored ping-pong balls (the “hazardous” material) into specified areas thereby containing the hazard. More information on the event will be forthcoming.
Engineering instructor Marty Rothwell, from Chantilly Academy was given a once in-a-lifetime opportunity to go on a weightless flight of discovery. This innovative science and engineering education program incorporates a zero gravity flight experience for teachers. Sponsored by the Northrop Grumman Foundation and ZERO-Gravity Corporation, Marty was able to train with an expert coach, board a specially modified 727 aircraft, G-FORCE ONE®, and experience zero gravity; the only way possible without going to space.
Plans are in early stages to develop a proposal for a new course to FCPS in technology education. The course, Digital Visualization, focuses on the world of modeling and simulation (Mod Sim) and the use of new technology in 3D simulation to create engineering virtual environments for research and development study.
Currently, a focus group of technology education teachers, with degrees in various engineering fields and those with backgrounds in integrated or interdisciplinary approaches, is being formed to explore and develop a four- course sequence of technology education classes to address the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) focus of the VDOE. Working with state supervisors, the intent would be to offer a model for FCPS and VDOE to review and approve as a viable solution for the STEM program.
SEPTEMBER 2007
Toss Cline,
Madison
HS, received
the High
School
Teacher
Excellence
Award at
the International
Technology
Education
Association
(ITEA)
conference.
The Virginia
Technology
Education
Association
-VTEA 2007,
named the
following:
High School
Teacher
of the
Year -
Phil Harris,
Annandale
High School
Middle
School
Teacher
of the
Year- Steve
Snyder,
Robinson
Secondary
School
Middle
School
Program
of the
Year- Jim
Bullock
and James
Gralton,
Herndon
Middle
School
Fairfax County Technology Education Association named Scott Settar, West Springfield High School, as FCPS Teacher of the Year.
At the National TSA-07 competition in Nashville, TN, on June 24-28, 2007, Fairfax County students placed 5th in the nation in F-1 in Schools, along with two 2nd place, two 3rd place, and a 4th place.
Michael
Montie,
engineering
systems
and engineering
physics
teacher
at Marshall
Academy,
has been
awarded
the Robert
L. Cannon
Education
Award by
the National
Association
of Rocketry.
Mr. Montie
was cited
for excellence
in the
rocketry
and curriculum
materials
he uses
in his
courses.
MAY 2007
2007 TECHNOSPHERE AWARDS
Technology education students from three FCPS schools competed in the state Technology Student Association (TSA) competition Technosphere in Hampton, VA on April 27-29, 2007. Students from Franklin Middle School placed in the top ten in various events and earned the title as the third highest scoring team in the state—Outstanding Middle School Award. Students from McLean and Chantilly high schools also placed in the top ten.
Technology Education teachers and special local and state guests attended the annual Fairfax County Technology Education Association (FCTEA) retirement social on May 17, 2007.
The Technology Education Advisory Board (TEAB) honored Scott Settar as the FCTEA Teacher of the Year for 2007. Teachers in their first year with FCPS were also recognized. Members of the TEAB were also in attendance.
APRIL 2007
The Chantilly Robotics won the most prestigious award at the FIRST Robotics Competition March 8th for the second consecutive year, and went to the International Championship Competition at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on April 12-14. The Chairman’s award is given to the team that best exemplifies the ideals of FIRST, promoting science and technology in our culture and exhibiting gracious professionalism. The judges cited the team’s work in helping children with disabilities, helping to create a children’s science museum in Loudoun County, integrating engineering in the classroom and mentoring other robotic teams. On March 16-18th, the team went to the Chesapeake Robotics tournament at the Naval Academy in Annapolis and placed 2nd out of 58 teams. They also won the Entrepreneur Award for their 5-year business plan.
MARCH 2007
The Technology Education Advisory Board (TEAB) is currently working on evaluation and validation of the advanced drawing curriculum. Their input will be taken by the teachers from Fairfax County Public Schools leading the curriculum writing team in Richmond to develop framework documents for VDOE. These framework documents, when completed, will solidify the advanced drawing course for all districts in the state to use as a potential course offering.
Several middle and high schools are sending girls from their technology education programs to the “Girls in Engineering” Event sponsored by Mitre Corporation on April 13, 2007. The students will tour a robotics lab, work with a flight simulator and be able to network with female engineering professionals during the visit.
FIRST Robotics Competition
This year's competition involved robots being able to hang pool tubes on a rack on a tic tac toe board on a revolving cylinder. The students had just six weeks to conceptualize, design, build, program, test and ship their robot. Students at Madison High School placed first out of 66 teams at the NASA/VCU Regional FIRST Robotics Competition on March 3, 2007, in Richmond, Virginia. Team 612 from Chantilly Academy received the Regional Chairman’s Award. Teams from Oakton High School and Westfield High School also competed in the event.
On March 3, 2007, four Marshall Academy teams -- The Undergraduate Team of the Aerospace Engineering Club and three teams from the Engineering Physics 1 course -- moved forward in the national Team America Rocketry Challenge. Rockets designed and built by the teams are tasked to carry an egg to an altitude of exactly 850 feet and land it safely exactly 45 seconds after takeoff. Two teams’ rockets flew to within five feet of the altitude goal (one to 855 feet, the other to 845 feet), the third team averaged 849 feet, and the fourth team achieved a flight time of exactly 45 seconds. In April, the four teams will compete for selection to the national finals in May. A total of $60,000 in scholarships and prizes will be distributed among the top teams at the national finals. In addition, the winning team will attend the Paris Air Show as the guests of the Aerospace Industries Association.
Technology Student Association (TSA) students from McLean High School, Woodson High School, Frost Middle School, and Franklin Middle School competed in the Northern Regional TSA competition at Mountain View High School in Stafford on March 10, 2007. These students competed in 14 of 32 possible events placing in all of them. Fairfax County Public School students placed in the top three in 11 of the events and took the top three awards in two of the events.
FEBRUARY 2007
Marty Rothwell, engineering systems teacher at Chantilly high school academy, has been awarded the Air Force Associations (AFA) Virginia State Educator of the Year Award. Mr. Rothwell received a $1,000 personal award, and a $1,000 matching award for the Chantilly High School Academy Robotics program. The AFA is an independent, nonprofit, civilian education organization promoting public understanding of aerospace power and the pivotal role it plays in the security of the nation.
Engineering Systems 1 and 2, Electronics and Engineering Physics students at Chantilly Academy are now providing FCAL Satellite monitoring support for the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) as one of two U.S. Ground Stations. The NRL launched this satellite on December 7 and it was deployed successfully on
December 20. NRL provided the equipment, software and instructional support for students to gather satellite data on atmospheric density at its orbit altitude that is similar to the current orbit of the International Space Station. The next step in the Chantilly Academy’s collaboration with NRL is the acquisition and building of 10 CanSat satellites that will be launched by Chantilly students later this spring. The CanSat project will be a joint project with the Academy’s Air Force Junior ROTC program students in space education.
Chantilly Academy was also highlighted on Channel 9 News for their GE2 program targeting girls in engineering. The news clip can be seen from the link http://www.wusa9.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=55243
Students from Herndon Middle School placed third in the Future Cities Washington DC finals. This competition is for seventh and eighth grade students and combines an engineering challenge with a hands-on application for students to present their vision of the city of the future. The competition requires problem-solving, team work, research and presentation skills, practical math and science applications and computer skills
JANUARY 2007
The Technology Education Advisory Board (TEAB) is currently working with the local technology education teachers’ association in the nomination and selection process for the FCPS technology education teacher of the year.
Engineering systems 1 and 2, electronics and engineering physics students at Chantilly Academy are now providing FCAL satellite monitoring support for the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) as one of two U.S. Ground Stations. The NRL launched this satellite on December 7 and it was deployed successfully on December 20. NRL provided the equipment, software and instructional support for students to gather satellite data on atmospheric density at its orbit altitude that is similar to the current orbit of the International Space Station. The next step in the Chantilly Academy’s collaboration with NRL is the acquisition and building of 10 CanSat satellites that will be launched by Chantilly students later this spring. The CanSat project will be a joint project with the Academy’s Air Force Junior ROTC program.
Engineering systems students at Marshall Academy also are working with the CanSat project and the Team America Rocketry Challenge.
Chantilly High School Academy will announce “Girls Exploring Engineering - GE²” a new girls-only elective program with a core curriculum of Engineering systems 1 and an enrichment experience that will include one-on-one mentorship with distinguished women in engineering higher education, industry and government, guest lectures, job shadowing, and field trip opportunities. Offered at the Chantilly High School Academy and available to junior and senior high school girls from more than 20 Fairfax County high schools, the GE² program will promote the wide range of engineering specialties, encourage engineering post-secondary education and engineering careers.
Thoreau Middle School has seven teams competing in the ecybermission program, a web-based competition integrating math, science and technology. More information can be found at http://ecybermission.com
The Technology Student Association (TSA) chapter at Lake Braddock Secondary School (LBSS) will host the FCPS local CAD drafting contest and is currently developing the parameters for contest delivery and evaluation. The contest will be done via Blackboard as it was last year taking advantage of on-line technology. LBSS students will again apply for summer internships in the construction industry through Future Force Now. Last summer, four LBSS students competed for and obtained these opportunities out of about 15 available to the whole county. http://www.futureforcenow.com/
Several school TSA chapters are getting ready to compete at the Northern Virginia Regional TSA Fair at Mountain View High School on March 10, 2007. http://www.vatsa.org/
Staff at Marshall High School has started an ACE mentoring program (joining the ranks with Hayfield and Woodson high schools) in providing engineering mentoring opportunities to students. For more information see http://www.acementor.org/
Design and Technology students at Robinson Secondary School just finished a pilot curriculum for the National Building Museum and the US Department of Labor. The Design Apprenticeship Program (DAP) was developed to create interest in students in design, construction and related fields. More information can be found at: http://www.nbm.org/education/Design/DesignApp.html
NOVEMBER 2006
On Friday, November 3, six Chantilly Academy Engineering Systems students, faculty and the career experience specialist met with faculty and students from the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology on a new collaboration to advance education and awareness of aerospace engineering careers.
OCTOBER 2006
Technology education students from Franklin and Key middle schools and Woodson high school attended the Technology Student Association (TSA) Northern Virginia Fall Rally at the Ferrari dealership in Dulles, Virginia on October 7, 2006. Approximately 30 students from Fairfax County Public Schools attended. Students were introduced to the technology surrounding cars priced at $600,000.00, and various careers associated in the Ferrari industry and their racing program.
SEPTEMBER 2006
Technology Education
A team of eleven Annandale High School technology education students competed in the annual regional Botball competition on May 6, 2006, and placed in the top 16 out of 46 competing schools. The word “Botball” originates from the words robot and ball combined together. This year’s robotic competition was based on search and rescue. Each team had to present their concept of the solution to the robot challenge—one student’s on-site presentation received a perfect score and a Judge’s Choice Award in that category.
West Springfield High School’s Technology Student Association (TSA) students were featured on Channel 9 news on May 12, 2006. The feature highlighted the students for their victories at the state Technosphere competitions held in Hampton, VA in March.
A technology education student at West Potomac HS in the R&D Engineering class won the following awards at the 2006 Intel International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF) 2006 in Indianapolis:
• First Award from United States Air Force
• First Award from Patent and Trademark Office Society
• Honorable Mention from United States Coast Guard.
His technology education teacher at West Potomac High School received a $300 check from the Air Force in recognition of the sponsorship and support of the student. This check will be used to enhance the technology program at the school.
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