Conference

The fall of 2006 conference was held at the Fitchburg State College Industrial Technology Department 160 Pearl Street, Fitchburg, Massachusetts on November 17, 2006.

Congratulations to the winners of the Build a better Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge Scale Model contest from Wachusett High School, Michael Lyons, Mikyle Bengtson, The Delta Xs. Click here to view the contest and the winners.

Key note lunch speaker
Patrick Foster
Pat Foster was born, raised, and educated in New Britain, Connecticut. He lives in New Britain with his wife, Cathy, and their two children a six-year-old daughter and a four-year-old son. After graduating from Central Connecticut State University in 1992, Pat taught industrial technology to children in grades 2-5 for two years at Burris Elementary School in Muncie, Indiana. He later taught at Ball State University and the University Of Missouri. From 1997 to 1999, Pat was department chair of Applied Technology at Greenway High School in Phoenix, Arizona, where he taught woods, drafting, and introduction to technology. In 1999 he was named state supervisor of Industrial Education at the Arizona Department of Education. Since 1993, he has published more than 50 articles in national publications and presented more than 50 papers at national conferences. He is the author of the entry for “technology education” in the Encyclopedia of Education, second edition. Pat has been teaching at Central Connecticut State University since 2001. Several times each semester, he brings his students into public-school classrooms, where they teach lessons and implement activities with real kids. Click here to see a picture from the presentation.

2007 MassTEC Conference offerings
SESSION I
Room 100
HOPE Helping Overcome Problems VIA Engineering By Jessica Ruppert and Tim Seguin, Tantasqua Public Schools
Learn about the design and construction process of adaptive seating and standing frames doe developmental and physically delayed Haitian children. The project was made possible through a community service learning grant. It encompasses a multitude of creative learning experiences and interpersonal dialogue. The chairs designs have evolved from a single functioning
structure to a multi use adaptive aid and interactive play station.

Room103
Chief Architect By Michelle Lowe, Technical Education Solutions, LLC
Chief Architect- Learn how to introduce your students to the most user friendly architectural CAD software on the market.

Room 109
Bobsled Engineering and Meg-Lev By Brian Crossman, Minuteman Outreach Program at J.R.
Grey Jr. H.S. Action , MA
Bobsled Engineering - Follow the engineering design process through the exciting Olympic sport of
bobsledding. This transportation unit will tap into the applied physical sciences I.e. friction, mass,
velocity, gravity, and acceleration. Meg-Lev - Learn how to design and fabricate a mag-lev train. This transportation unit will incorporate science and math concepts, I.e. magnetism, center of mass, scale and time/rate/distance. Click here to view a picture from the workshop.

Room 113
Experience is the Key to Success By Pamela Anne Glass, Westport Community Schools & Mary Price, SEA Pipeline Grant
"Project Invention" is an SEA Pipeline Grant opportunity to meet the standards, expand student knowledge and develop Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)skills. Students work in teams to invent, design, and build a product. Students experience the step of the Engineering Design Process and do an oral presentation of their journey at Bridgewater State College.

Room 256
Unraveling MCAS Technology/Engineering Open-Response By Katie Bowler, Per Christiansen, and Sal Beatini, Massachusetts D.O.E.
Participants will come away with a better understanding of the development process for MCAS test
items. They will learn about the scoring process for open-response items and will have the opportunity to practice scoring items. Click here to see a picture from the workshop .

Room 212
Engineering the Future: 7000 Students and Counting By Julie Brenninkmeyer and Lee Pulis, Museum of
Science
This workshop will focus on the lessons learned from two years of field testing, new curriculum, and collaborations in professional development as well as how engineering has brought more teachers to an appreciation of technology education. Engineering the Future: Designing the World of the 21st Century is a full year, introductory course for grades 9-10 that covers the Massachusetts educational framework for Technology/Engineering. Throughout the course, students develop a practical understanding of how all are influenced by technology, and how we all influence future technological development by choices we make as workers, consumers and citizens. Click here to see a picture from the workshop.

SESSION II
Room 100
Pro/ENGINEER in the Engineering Classroom By Steve Smith, Technology Coordinator, Newport High School Newport teachers will show how they are implementing PTC's new educational version of Pro/ENGINEER in the classroom. Topics discussed will include CAD and Robotics/Engineering.

Room 103
Overview of Elements of the Technology/Engineering Institute By Wayne Whitfield PhD, Fitchburg State College
This is an overview of the Content Institute which was run for 29 middle and high school Technology/ Engineering teachers. Learn about future institutes for Technology/ Engineering teachers.

Room 109
Monster Trucks By Mark Rodriquenz Rodriquenz@aol.com, Minuteman Outreach Program, Action, MA
Monster trucks is a lesson involving the safe use of a variety of tools, construction methods and design techniques to build a 4-wheel drive vehicle. Click here to see a picture from this workshop.

Room 113
Electronic Portfolios
By David Sianez, Central Connecticut State University Design and construction of electronic portfolios to organize, display and provide reflection of student's coursework and projects. Topics include portfolio design and construction methods, artifact selection, and reflective practices.

Room 202
FIRST Robotics is now for Grades 2 Through 12 and Beyond By Steve Cremer and Brad Lauer, New England FIRST
Find out how this international program can serve all the students in your school system and will allow them to continue involvement for the rest of their lives. Find out what's new and exciting in FIRST including the new curriculum and Massachusetts Framework links to Technology/Engineering, Science, Math and ELA standards. Hear about partnerships with Radio Shack, and LEGO which have created the FIRST VEX Challenge, FIRST LEGO League, Junior FIRST LEGO League, and the upcoming FIRST College Robotics Challenge.

Room 256
Making High School Technology/Engineering Courses"Count" By Jake Foster, Massachusetts D.O.E
Technology/Engineering is an integral part of the State Framework and a valuable course offering for students in Massachusetts. Technology/Engineering courses prepare students to take the corresponding high school MCAS must provide students an opportunity to learn the range of standards in the Framework. Please join me to review the updated state Frameworks, consider different courses that meet the standard, and discuss strategies to make these courses "count" for student credit in(technology/engineering and science). Click here to download his presentation from this workshop. Click here to see a picture from this workshop.

Room 212
Structural Engineering for Middle School: The Importance of Failure. By Jonathan Dietz, Weston Public Schools
In this 9 week Grade 7 Design-Construction course, students learn the design process as it applies to structures - towers, bridges, buildings , how technology affects design and the critical importance
of failure in engineering. Hands-on activities such as paper towers, straw bridges and structural house models are alternated with videos(such as David Macaulay's Building Big) and engineering computer models.

SESSION III
Room 100
What You Need To Know About Your Retirement System By Harold Crowley Jr., MTA Retirement Consultant
An opportunity to get your questions answered about how the retirement system works. What you need to know now and in the future to avoid problems.

Room103
Promoting Interdisciplinary Activities in Technology Education By David Hagberg, Westborough Public Schools, & FSC Adjunct Professor
Merging concepts from multiple disciplines can create powerful and long lasting learning experiences. This workshop will offer suggestions, examples, and demonstrations of cross-curriculum connections. Grade7-12, all Technology Education areas and academic
disciplines.

Room 109
Water Wheels: Power Up! By Christine Shaw & Valerie MacEacherm, Museum of Science
Water as a power source has been used since the beginning of civilization. This hands-on workshop will present one way to introduce this lab into the classroom and open the options for science and mathematics applications.

Room 113
Discover the Power, Performance and Price of Envisioneer 3D Architectural CAD, Now Available to Schools! By Richard Amarosa, President, Technology Education Concepts Inc.
Discover the Power and Performance and Price leader in 3D Architecture Software. Award winning Cad software Envisioneer is now available for classroom with four Quick Start Wizards and the power and flexibility to engage your students from middle school and up. This software is easy on the budget and gives you the ability of many features.

Room 202
Using Simulation-Based virtual Laboratories on Fiber Optics and Wireless Communications in Science, Technology and Engineering By Dr. Yakov Cherner, ATeL, LLC
This workshop will demonstrate how to engage students in learning Technology/Engineering subjects by using highly interactive simulation-based virtual laboratories on Fluid Mechanics, Heat, and Thermodynamics. Participants will learn how to create new virtual experiments and assessments using preexisting simulations and an easy to use authoring tool. The labs employ real world processes focusing in science and Technology/Engineering investigations.

Room 256
Growing Balsam Fir Trees in a Hydroponics System- A Study in the Universal Systems Model (USM) and Custom/Mass Production By Stephen Van Voorhis, MassTEC
This workshop utilizes a ebb and flow hydroponics system s model. Activities included are worksheets where students break down the hydroponics system into the (USM); students identify their own system and apply it to the (USM), and a worksheet on custom production and creating a mass production system planting balsam fir trees.

Room 212
An Update on Alternate Approaches to Tech Ed Teacher Licensure By James Alicata, Fitchburg State College, Jake Foster, Massachusetts D.O.E.
This workshop will describe the Massachusetts Licensure standards and Fitchburg State College's
commitment to preparing licensed Tech Ed. Teachers both at the undergraduate and graduate level. Fitchburg State College has recently changed their Tech Ed. Program to an evening program to attach new teachers interested in obtaining their initial as well as professional license.

Pictures from the 2006 Conference


Monster Trucks By Mark Rodriquenz, Minuteman Outreach Program, click here to view the workshop description	Unraveling MCAS Technology/Engineering Open-Response By Katie Bowler, Per Christiansen, and Sal Beatini, Massachusetts D.O.E. click here to view the workshop description

Key note lunch speaker Patrick Foster	Engineering the Future, click here to view the workshop description

Bobsled Engineering and Meg-Lev By Brian Crossman, Minuteman Outreach Program at J.R. Grey Jr. H.S. Action , MA Click here to view the workshop description	Making High School Technology/Engineering Courses"Count" By Jacob Foster, Ph.D. Massachusetts D.O.E, Click here to see his power point presentation, click here to view the workshop description

Action in the vendor area, click here to see links to the vendors that attended this year