HI-TEC Experience from a "Newbie" Perspective

     As a “newbie” to the ATE Program, the first High Impact Technology Exchange Conference (HI-TEC) conference for me was informative and enlightening. The HI-TEC conference is a national conference on advanced technological education highlighting innovation throughout the country. The conference sessions were plentiful, offering up information about new innovations and strategies for those working in technician education. The SC ATE Center and its project Mentor-Connect had the opportunity to present and exhibit at the HI-TEC 2013 Conference, opening the door for newcomers. We were able to provide tools and information for those interested in new opportunities.



Tressa Gardner and Charlotte Forrest at HI-TEC 2013

    
     Meeting creative minds and new colleagues was invaluable for my work in Advanced Technological Education. The Mentor-Connect project is embarking on accepting twenty new community colleges into our one-on-one mentoring program, paired with ten seasoned ATE Principal Investigators and former Principal Investigators. For nine months our cohort will work as a team to build a solid grant proposal, submitting for small grant funding in October of 2014. Our project will be hosting an orientation webinar to initiate the application process for those interested in this unique mentoring opportunity.
     We invite any community college, who has not obtained National Science Foundation ATE grant funding within the last ten years or not at all to apply immediately following attendance at the orientation webinar on September 12, 2013. Applicants who are selected will be notified on November 8 and will be required to attend our grant writing workshop January 22-24 (with financial support).

For more information, please contact me!
 

Charlotte Forrest, Project Manager

Mentor-Connect: Leadership Development and

Outreach Initiative for ATE (DUE #1204463)

mentor-connect@fdtc.edu

843.676.8540

Follow the Money: How to Successfully Budget and complete Budget Forms for NSF ATE Proposals

 

 Many of us wish we had someone to help us navigate the complex road to submitting a successful grant proposal. For those planning to submit a proposal to the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education Program (NSF ATE), help is now available from the Mentor-Connect project. For example, information on how to successfully budget and complete budget forms for NSF ATE proposals is being shared by the Mentor-Connect project (NSF DUE #1204463). With featured guest, Dr. Elizabeth Teles, NSF Program Officer (former co-lead of the NSF ATE Program), members of the Mentor-Connect project team provided a technical assistance webinar on this topic on June 11, 2013. Dr. Teles provided tips, errors to avoid, and answered questions. The webinar covered:

Ø  information to enter into each budget category of the NSF budget form

Ø  how prepare a budget justification

Ø  the mutual dependence between the budget and project description

Ø  common errors that can be avoided

 

Access materials from the archived Webinar via these links:

• Archived Webinar
• Handout
• PowerPoint Presentation
 

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Grant No. 1204463. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Spring into action: A lab strategy you can use today (video)

       Hi, it’s Donna Milgram, Principal Investigator (PI) of a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded project to provide community college educators with free professional development to increase the number of female students in STEM courses, and I want to wish you a happy spring! In honor of the season, I made this short video to help you “spring into action” with one technique you can employ in your lab right away to help you teach to female learning styles.  In surveys, female students reported that this was one of the top strategies that helped them succeed in their STEM program.

Check out the video where I fill you in on the details of the lab strategy:

At my NSF-funded, two-day WomenTech Educators Training, you’ll learn proven strategies like this one to help you increase the number of female students in your programs.  You will walk away with a concrete recruitment and retention plan, and connect with a network of like-minded colleagues from around the country. Plus, the teaching techniques you will learn have been shown not only to increase retention for female students, but have helped male students, too.

Find out more about the NSF WomenTech Educators Training

The training will be hosted by the South Carolina Advanced Technological Education (SC ATE) National Resource Center May 14 & 15, 2013 at the Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology (SiMT) in Florence, SC. If you're not sure what to do next to recruit more female students, or you've already tried some strategies and they didn't work, then I'll show you proven ways for you to see real results, often in just one year. More information on the training can be found here: http://www.iwitts.org/scatetraining

This is likely something that you’ve been meaning to take action on for a long time, so spring into action and reserve your spot today!

Sign up for the NSF WomenTech Educators Training now


Don’t hesitate to sign up. The workshop is free to community college STEM educators because it is funded by NSF. Take this opportunity be a leader in this area and increase the number of female students in your programs:

REGISTER NOW

I look forward to seeing you in Florence, South Carolina for the two-day workshop!

Best,

Donna Milgram

PI, NSF-Funded CalWomenTech Scale Up Project

Executive Director, Institute for Women in Trades, Technology & Science (IWITTS)


PS. The deadline to sign up is April 15, 2013 and seating is limited, so spring into action and sign up for the training now.

Reserve your spot at the NSF WomenTech Educators Training

SC ATE/Destination: PBL Instructional Leadership Institute

Roots and Wings 2013
March 10-14th

Charleston, SC

Working together to improve our technical workforce through problem-based learning

    Are you Faculty, a Teacher, or an Administrator supporting the preparation of students for the nation’s Advanced Technological workforce? Do you teach or administer science, computer science, engineering technology or an industrial technology subject (e.g.manufacturing, logistics), English, or math?

     Join us in beautiful Charleston, SC for the Instructional Learning Institute: Roots and Wings 2013, co-sponsored by SC ATE and the Destination Problem-Based Learning Project as a PBL Practitioner, Scenario Builder, or PBL Administrator.

    Are you seeking ways to infuse 21st Century capabilities into your classroom without sacrificing content learning? Do you want your students to leave your classroom knowing how to learn? How to work through failure to achieve success? Problem- or Scenario-Based Learning (PBL/SBL) can help you accomplish those goals. Attend as a PBL Practitioner (PP).

    Are you an experienced PBL practitioner? Are you ready to create your own problem-based learning scenarios, tasks, and assessments to enrich advanced technological education in your classroom and institution? Are you willing to implement the tasks in your class by Spring 2014? Attend as a Scenario Builder (SB).

    Are you a community college or high school administrator interested in learning about incorporating PBL/SBL instruction to improve student learning outcomes? Are you willing to support and advocate for PBL and/or supporting scenario building and PBL implementation in your institution or professional community? Attend as an Administrator/PBL Supporter.

“If you were born without wings, do nothing to prevent them from growing.”― Coco Chanel

“When solving problems, dig at the roots instead of hacking at the leaves.”― Anthony J. D’Angelo

Learn more here or contact Tressa Gardner at (843) 676.8559 or tressa.gardner@fdtc.edu.