Salt Lake City Conference Exhibitors Motor Mania - International ...

ONE SOUND IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS • COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE AS PART OF TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION 

Technology 

TEACHER 

The Voice of Technology Education 

the 

February 2008 

Volume 67 • Number 5 

Also: 

Salt Lake City Conference Exhibitors 

Motor Mania: Revving Up For 

Technological Design 

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Contents 

FEBRUARY • VOL. 67 • NO. 5 

Teaching TIDE With Pride! 

Join your colleagues at ITEA’s 70 th Annual Conference, 

February 21-23, 2008 in breathtaking Salt Lake City, 

Utah. 

Departments 

Features 

Photo Credit: Jason Mathis 

Web News 

1 

TIDE News 

2 

3 Calendar 

13 Resources 

in Technology 

34 Classroom 

Challenge 

5 

18 

23 

Motor Mania: Revving up for Technological Design 

Students are challenged to build a model car capable of handling different road conditions, 

which is a complex technological problem with multiple variables and potential solutions. 

Wendy M. Frazier and Donna R. Sterling 

Computational Science as Part of Technology Education 

An interview with Dr. Aaron Clark to discuss the inclusion of computational science as part 

of technology education to create technologically literate people who can function in the 

twenty-first century. 

One Sound is Worth a Thousand Words: Using and Understanding 

Audio Files 

A guide for classroom teachers to better understand and use audio files to capture a wide 

variety of sounds that will benefit the classroom. 

Joseph J. Frantiska, Jr. 

NEW! 

28 

29 

TTT Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation 

NEW FEATURE! 

Model Program: Greenfield-Central High School, Greenfield, IN 

36 


Publisher, Kendall N. Starkweather, DTE 

Editor-In-Chief, Kathleen B. de la Paz 

Editor, Kathie F. Cluff 

ITEA Board of Directors 

Andy Stephenson, DTE, President 

Ken Starkman, Past President 

Len Litowitz, DTE, President-Elect 

Doug Miller, Director, ITEA-CS 

Scott Warner, Director, Region I 

Lauren Withers Olson, Director, Region II 

Steve Meyer, Director, Region III 

Richard (Rick) Rios, Director, Region IV 

Michael DeMiranda, Director, CTTE 

Peter Wright, Director, TECA 

Vincent Childress, Director, TECC 

Kendall N. Starkweather, DTE, CAE, 

Executive Director 

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for the Advancement of Science. 

The Technology Teacher, ISSN: 0746-3537, 

is published eight times a year (September 

through June with combined December/January 

and May/June issues) by the International 

Technology Education Association, 1914 

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Technology 

TEACHER 

T h e Vo i c e o f Te c h n o l o g y E d u c a t i o n 

the 

Editorial Review Board 

Cochairperson 

Dan Engstrom, DTE 

California University of PA 

Cochairperson 

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California University of PA 

New Online Library 

ITEA has added an Online Library in the “Members Only” section of its 

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It’s what you asked for... it’s all in one place... and it’s free for members! Just 

one more way that ITEA strives to advance teaching and learning about 

technological literacy. 

Steve Anderson 

Nikolay Middle School, WI 

Stephen Baird 

Bayside Middle School, VA 

Lynn Basham 

VA Department of Education 

Clare Benson 

University of Central England 

Mary Braden 

Carver Magnet HS, TX 

Jolette Bush 

Midvale Middle School, UT 

Philip Cardon 

Eastern Michigan University 

Michael Cichocki 

Salisbury Middle School, PA 

Mike Fitzgerald, DTE 

IN Department of Education 

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Appalachian State Univ. 

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Manteo Middle School, NC 

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South Fayette MS, PA 

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SUNY at Oswego 

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Valley City State University 

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Black Hills State University 

Mary Annette Rose 

Ball State University 

Terrie Rust 

Oasis Elementary School, AZ 

Yvonne Spicer 

Nat’l Center for Tech Literacy 

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Appalachian State University 

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Wayne State College 

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North Carolina State Univ. 

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Editorial Policy 

As the only national and international association dedicated 

solely to the development and improvement of technology 

education, ITEA seeks to provide an open forum for the free 

exchange of relevant ideas relating to technology education. 

Materials appearing in the journal, including 

advertising, are expressions of the authors and do not 

necessarily reflect the official policy or the opinion of the 

association, its officers, or the ITEA Headquarters staff. 

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All professional articles in The Technology Teacher are 

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will be identified as either refereed or invited unless written 

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Publications/Submissionguidelines.htm. Contents copyright 

© 2008 by the International Technology Education 

Association, Inc., 703-860-2100. 

1 • The Technology Teacher • February 2008

TIDE News 

ITEA Election Results 

ITEA’s professional and life members have completed 

a balloting process to elect a new President-Elect and 

Directors for Regions II and IV. 

Joining the ITEA Board of Directors are: 

• Ed Denton, DTE (President Elect) 

Ed is Director of Technology for the Neshaminy School 

District in Langhorne, PA. 

• Michael A. Fitzgerald, DTE (Region II Director) Mike 

is the Technology Education Specialist for the Indiana 

Department of Education’s Office of Career and 

Technical Education in Indianapolis, IN. 

• Patrick McDonald (Region IV Director) 

Pat is a technology lab facilitator/classroom teacher at 

Bingham High School in South Jordan, UT. 

Also joining the ITEA Board of Directors is Jared Berrett, 

a technology and engineering teacher at San Juan High 

School in Blanding, UT. Jared will represent the Technology 

Education for Children Council (TECC). 

Sincere thanks are extended to the new Board Members for 

taking on this leadership role, and to the other candidates 

for bringing such a wealth of experience and talent to the 

balloting process. 

Ed Denton, DTE 

President Elect 

Michael A. Fitzgerald, 

DTE, Region II Director 

Patrick McDonald 

Region IV Director 

Jared Berrett 

TECC Director 

Don’t Miss Our 70 th Annual Conference in 

Salt Lake City, February 21-28, 2008 

Preregistration has closed, but you can still register onsite 

in Salt Lake for Teaching TIDE With Pride! On-site 

registration opens Wednesday, February 20 at 11:00am in 

the Salt Palace Convention Center and will remain open 

throughout the conference. Pay by credit card, check, cash, 

or valid PO when you arrive. 

This conference offers more than 100 informative, 

educational sessions covering all levels of education and 

interest. These sessions are available to all conference 

attendees and will run February 21-23. CATTS, TECC, 

CTTE, PATT, TECA, and EPT are just a few of those 

offered. There are seven conference workshops, each at a 

cost of $95, that will take place Wednesday, Thursday, and 

Friday. There are four afternoon Industry/Educational tours 

on Thursday and Friday in addition to the numerous meal 

function/social events scheduled. Our exhibit floor will 

be loaded with valuable resources. And you won’t want to 

miss our keynote presentations by NASA astronaut Barbara 

Morgan and Dr. Robert Ballard, founder of the JASON 

Project. Please visit www.iteaconnect.org/Conference/ 

conferenceguide.htm for complete conference information. 

ITEA conference rates will be extended if there is availability 

at the conference hotels. So call the hotels directly (full 

information is available on the website). We hope you can 

make last-minute plans to join us. This is one conference 

you don’t want to hear about from a colleague who attended 

while you didn’t! 

ITEA’s Board of Directors Holds Fall Meeting 

At the ITEA Board of Directors meeting in November, 

President Andy Stephenson led the Board through a 

rigorous agenda that included strategic discussion issues 

pertaining to positioning technology, innovation, design, 

and engineering (TIDE); addressing outreach; teaching 

innovation; and increasing membership. 

Action items completed included a revamping of the 

Elections Committee structure to include (2) classroom 

teachers, (2) teacher educators, and (2) supervisors from 

across the regions. These appointed individuals will serve on 

a staggered three-year rotation basis, with one third of the 

committee rotating off each year. This committee will meet 

annually at the ITEA conference. 

Other action included passed motions to assess, realign, and 

develop new (proposed) guidelines for the Regional Director 

positions, have a higher visibility at the secondary school 

principals’ conference, start a writing campaign placing 

articles in other educational association journals, looking 

at a name change for the association, locating the 2010 

conference in Charlotte, NC, approving the 2009 conference 

theme, and looking into the possibility of creating additional 

learning communities. 

Discussion also took place on numerous functional items 

pertaining to the association, including strategies for 

adding revenue to the association’s finances, adjusting staff 

guidelines, approving an award to be given at the Salt Lake 

City Conference, and logistics for the coming strategic 

planning meeting. 


Calendar 

The Board will next meet prior to the Salt Lake City 

Conference in February. 

For more information pertaining to ITEA and its Board of 

Directors, go to www.iteaconnect.org. 

Technology Education Advisory Council Meets 

in Louisville 

ITEA’s Technology Education Advisory Council (TEAC), 

met in November to address four topics considered 

important to directions affecting the profession that 

included: (1) visions of the future, (2) engineering education 

initiatives, (3) sustaining global competitiveness, and (4) 

addressing critical needs of the U.S. science, technology, 

engineering, and mathematics education system. Members 

of the advisory council come from the corporate world, 

governmental agencies, selected associations, and the 

technology teacher profession. TEAC was first created in 

1981 to gain advice from experts outside of the immediate 

field to: 

• Recommend ways of resolving any discrepancies 

between the programs and philosophies of teaching 

education and current industrial/technological 

practices. 

• Recommend content direction to improve the relevance 

of technology education. 

• Suggest methods of improving the public’s perception 

and understanding of technology education. 

• Assist in the cooperation between industry and 

education to improve the education process. 

The ITEA Board of Directors participated in this daylong 

meeting and later used the discussions to formulate 

directions and support decision making during the Board 

meeting that immediately followed. Current TEAC 

members include Betty Shanahan (Society of Women 

Engineers), Elizabeth Strickland (National Science Board), 

Andrea Prejean (National Education Association), Rodger 

Bybee (Biological Sciences Curriculum Studies), Michael 

K. Daugherty (University of Arkansas), Gregory Keenan 

(Virent Energy Systems), Tom Pachera (Ann Arbor 

Michigan Public Schools), Mellissa Morrow (Sarasota 

Florida County Schools), Michael Mayo (WGBH-Boston), 

Michael Madison (Ann Arbor Michigan Public Schools), 

and Michael Stief (Intelligencer Printing Company). Guests 

and presenters at this meetings included M. James Bensen 

(Bemidji State University), Kim Bess (San Diego California 

County Schools), Greg Pearson (National Academy of 

Engineering), and Henry Lacy (Kentucky State Department 

of Education). 

For more information pertaining to ITEA and its 

Technology Education Advisory Council, go to www. 

iteaconnect.org. 

Calendar 

February 7-9, 2008 The American Association of 

Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) will celebrate its 

60th Annual Meeting and Exhibits, “Quality Matters: Our 

Commitment to All Learners,” at the Hilton New Orleans 

Riverside, New Orleans, Louisiana. Learn more at www. 

aacte.org/Events/meeting_exhibits.aspx. 

February 17-23, 2008 Engineers Week 2008, cochaired 

by IBM and the Chinese Institute of Engineers-USA (CIE- 

USA) will aim to make engineering a stronger, more diverse 

profession by unveiling a broad program of outreach and 

education efforts to encourage more women and other 

diverse groups to consider engineering careers. Information 

on all Engineers Week programs and events can be found at 

www.eweek.org. 

February 21-23, 2008 ITEA’s 70th Annual Conference, 

“Teaching TIDE With Pride,” will be held in Salt Lake City, 

UT. The latest information and details are available on 

the ITEA website at www.iteaconnect.org/Conference/ 

conferenceguide.htm. 

ITEA’s Technology Education Advisory Council meets in 

Louisville, KY. 

February 28-March 1, 2008 The Annual Virginia 

Children’s Engineering Convention will be held at the 

Holiday Inn Select, Koger South Conference Center, 

Richmond, VA. Visit the website at www.vtea.org/ESTE/ for 

complete information. 


March 28-29, 2008 The Ohio Technology Education 

Association (OTEA) Annual Spring Conference will be held 

at Worthington Kilbourne High School in Worthington, 

Ohio. The conference will be an extension of the 2007 

OTEA Fall Conference, with topics of discussion focusing 

around STEM and other educational topics. Visit www.otea. 

info for the latest details. 

April 13-16, 2008 The 13th Annual Technology in 

Education Conference and Tech Exposition, TechEd 2008, 

will take place at the Ontario Convention 

Center in Ontario, California. The 

Community College Foundation is calling 

for presentations for this event, the 

theme of which is “Realizing the Vision.” 

A full description of topics and the 

abstract submission process is available 

online at www.TechEdEvents.org/2008. 

Registration is now open, and the 

Program is available. 

May 1-2, 2008 Save the date for the 

2008 New Jersey Technology Education 

Association (NJTEA) Conference, which 

will take place at the Hyatt in New 

Brunswick, NJ. More information 

and registration materials will be 

available soon. 

May 8-10, 2008 Hold the Date for ‘08 

for the Ontario Council for Technology 

Education’s (OCTE) 2008 conference, 

to be held at the Nottawasaga Inn in 

Alliston, Ontario. The Council is now 

accepting speaker and seminar ideas. 

Contact joe.hogan@rogers.com for 

information. 

May 12, 2008 The Connecticut 

Technology Education Association 

(CTEA) will hold its 75th Anniversary 

Spring Conference at the CCSU Student 

Center. Look for details at www. 

cteaweb.org or contact Jerry Stevens, 

CTEA Conference Chair, at gstevens@ 

monroeps.org or 203-452-2281. 

List your State/Province Association 

Conference in TTT and Inside TIDE 

(ITEA’s electronic newsletter). Submit 

conference title, date(s), location, and 

contact information (at least two months 

prior to journal publication date) to 

kcluff@iteaconnect.org. 


Motor Mania: Revving Up For 

Technological Design 

By Wendy M. Frazier and Donna R. Sterling 

Motor Mania is a topic that lets 

students experience firsthand 

the relationship between science 

and an everyday technological 

application such as getting a car 

to function well. 

Students get very excited when confronted with 

problems that they find meaningful. For ten years, our 

science enrichment program has taught middle school 

students complex science concepts via real problembased 

learning experiences. Problem-based learning lets 

students solve problems using the strategies and tools that 

scientists use. While developing solutions via technological 

design and construction, students experience firsthand the 

relationship between science and technology. To capture 

students’ interest, Motor Mania was selected as a theme, 

since the students are only a few years away from being able 

to drive and are very excited about cars. 

What is Problem-Based Learning? 

In problem-based learning experiences, students investigate 

real problems such as those scientists and engineers 

investigate (Greenwald, 2000). By solving problems as 

scientists and engineers do, students actively participate 

in hands-on, inquiry-based experiences (Schack, 1993). 

As a result, students seek solutions to problems by asking 

questions, investigating possibilities, testing solutions, 

drawing conclusions, and making recommendations based 

on their findings (Delisle, 1997). Throughout the process, 

students seek solutions to problems and make choices about 

their path of research as they work in teams and research 

the problem situation (Delisle, 1997). Learning abstract 

ideas becomes more concrete and realistic for students as 

the teacher creates a real situation in which the students can 

learn about the topic (Chin and Chia, 2004; Delisle, 1997; 

Schack, 1993). 

A student prepares her newly constructed car for testing. 

Link Science and Technology 

By exploring a topic with technology connections, students 

apply their science learning to technological design and 

construction. Grounded in human needs and interests, 

problem-based learning scenarios provide a realistic 


way in which this can happen. Students can experience 

firsthand the systematic design, construction, and testing of 

technological solutions. Students also experience firsthand 

the way that the efficiency of technological solutions can 

drive future science learning. Questions naturally occur, 

such as, “Could we come up with a better solution if we 

knew more science?” 

Incorporate Technological Design 

Most of the planning for problem-based learning 

experiences happens up front for teachers when they 

develop the overall structure and scenario for the 

investigation. Problem situations that take about two 

weeks to explore and solve work well for students. 

Start by identifying a topic, a problem to solve, a role for 

students, available resources, and a scenario in which the 

problem can take place (see Figure 1). After preliminary 

planning, the remainder of the experience is determined 

by the students. Motor Mania is a topic that lets students 

experience firsthand the relationship between science and 

an everyday technological application such as getting a car 

to function well. 

Designing Problem-Based Learning 

Theme: 

Problem: 

Student Roles: 

Resources: 

Scenario: 

Focus Question: 

Physical science – Motor Mania 

Building a model car that will handle diverse terrain conditions 

Team of researchers – automotive engineers 

Internet, textbooks, encyclopedia, dictionary, and community resources such as automotive 

engineers, design professionals, auto mechanics, police department and crash investigators, and 

drivers’ education instructors 

Cross-country road trials with a culminating Grand Prix Challenge 

Cruisin’ coast to coast: Can we get to the Grand Prix on time? 

Figure 1 

Motor Mania Scenario 

George Mason Grand Prix Challenge 

Departure: 

Arrival: 

Goal: 

Challenge: 

Los Angeles, CA 

Masonville, VA (two weeks later) 

To travel across the United States in the racecar you build, in order to compete in the George 

Mason Grand Prix 

To make modifications to your racecar based on challenges faced during your cross-country 

adventure 

Question: Can you make it to Virginia in time for the George Mason Grand Prix? 

You will design and construct a racecar with a working motor that you will modify based on your team’s experiences 

while traveling from Los Angeles to Virginia. Along the way, you will conduct experiments based on the challenges your 

team encounters and make modifications to your cars based on your findings. Each day of your trip you will be guided 

by an itinerary consisting of required miles to travel, a departure and arrival location, and a description of the detour 

and roadblock that your team must overcome. You will also need to collect Internet data on the weather and traffic 

conditions of the area in which you are traveling and maintain a journal of your design plans, experimental data, and 

modifications. Modifications will be made to your racecars depending on the results of each day’s progress. Upon arrival 

in Masonville, each racecar will compete in the George Mason Grand Prix. Individual and team accomplishments will 

be recognized daily and at the Grand Prix. 

Figure 2 


Environmental and Travel Conditions En Route From California to Virginia 

Roadblocks Situation Science Investigation 

Roadblock 1 Speeding and seatbelt laws Car safety, seatbelts 

Roadblock 2 Crossing the desert Heat and sand 

Roadblock 3 Rockies Altitude, cold, and ice 

Roadblock 4 Midwest Wind 

Roadblock 5 Flooding Alternative routes, mileage 

Roadblock 6 Fog Speed, lights 

Figure 3 

Physical and Mechanical Challenges En Route From California to Virginia 

Detours Situation Science Investigation 

Detour 1 Too much luggage Test weight distribution 

Detour 2 Sierra Nevada Mountains Test angle of incline planes 

Detour 3 Mountains Test number and radius of curves 

Detour 4 Traffic Test stopping and accelerating 

Detour 5 Mechanical failure Test circuits and batteries 

Detour 6 Blue Ridge Mountains Test tire traction 

Detour 7 

Figure 4 

Running on empty 

Calculate mileage, speed, distance, 

and gas prices 

For the problem, students are challenged to build a model 

car capable of handling different road conditions, which is 

a complex technological problem with multiple variables 

and potential solutions similar to the Technology Students 

Association’s Transportation Challenge for middle school 

students. As a means of encouraging students to become 

engrossed in the problem, the teacher creates a scenario 

(see Figure 2). In this scenario the students become teams 

of automotive engineers attempting to build a model car 

capable of overcoming obstacles they encounter while 

driving from California to “Masonville” in Virginia and 

competing in a Grand Prix Challenge once they arrive in 

Virginia. The obstacles occur in two forms: “roadblocks” 

that are obstacles stemming from environmental and travel 

conditions (see Figure 3) and “detours” that are specific 

challenges the teams of automotive engineers encounter 

related to the physical characteristics of the terrain and the 

mechanical function of their cars (see Figure 4). Roadblocks 

and detours are mostly student-generated obstacles as they 

identify natural challenges based on the terrain through 

which they are traveling. Occasionally, the teacher imposes 

additional challenges based on an assessment of the 

students’ learning needs. Students conduct investigations 

to build a car that handles diverse road conditions. These 

investigations align with multiple standards in technology 

(International Technology Education Association, 

2000/2002) and science (National Research Council, 1996) 

(see Figures 5 and 6). 

Visualize the Problem 

The teams start their adventure in California. The path of 

the cross-country trip is posted on a map in the laboratory 

in order to track the travel adventure. As students “drive” 

across the United States, they conduct Internet research on 

the terrain and real-time weather for each part of the trip, 

or the teacher shows PowerPoint® presentations depicting 

the physical environment they are traveling through in each 

geographic region. This way students can determine the 


Standards for Technological Literacy 

This extended project addresses the following STL 

content standards and benchmarks: 

Characteristics and Scope of Technology 

• Usefulness of technology (1F) 

• Development of technology (1G) 

• Human creativity and motivation (1H) 

Connections between Technology and Other 

Fields of Study 

• Interaction of systems (3D) 

• Knowledge from other fields of study and 

technology (3F) 

Cultural, Social, Economic, and Political Effects of 

Technology 

• Attitudes toward development and use (4D) 

• Impacts and consequences (4E) 

Attributes of Design 

• Design leads to useful products and systems 

(8E) 

• There is no perfect design (8F) 

• Requirements (8G) 

Engineering Design 

• Iterative (9F) 

• Brainstorming (9G) 

• Modeling, testing, evaluating, and modifying 

(9H) 

Troubleshooting, Research and Development, 

Invention and Innovation, and Experimentation 

• Troubleshooting (10F) 

• Experimentation (10H) 

Apply the Design Process 

• Apply design process (11H) 

• Identify criteria and constraints (11I) 

• Test and evaluate (11K) 

• Make a product or system (11L) 

Use and Maintain Technological Products and 

Systems 

• Select and safely use tools (12E) 

• Use information to see how things work (12H) 

Select and Use Energy and Power Technologies 

• Energy is the capacity to do work (16E) 

• Energy can be used to do work using many 

processes (16F) 

• Power is the rate at which energy is converted 

from one form to another (16G) 

• Law of Conservation of energy (16J) 

Select and Use Transportation Technologies 

• Transportation system use (18D) 

• Subsystems of transportation system (18G) 

This extended project addresses the following science 

content standards: 

Figure 6 

National Science Education Standards 

Understanding Concepts and Processes 

(NRC 1996, p. 115) 

• Systems, order, and organization 

• Evidence, models, and explanations 

• Constancy, change, and measurement 

• Form and Function 

Science as Inquiry (NRC 1996, p. 173) 

• Abilities to do scientific inquiry 

• Understandings about scientific inquiry 

Physical Science (NRC 1996, p. 176) 

• Motions and forces 

• Transfer of energy 

Science and Technology (NRC 1996, p. 190) 

• Abilities of technological design 

Identify appropriate problems for 

technological design 

Design a solution or product 

Implement a proposed design 

Evaluate completed technological designs or 

products 

Communicate the process of technological 

design 

• Understanding about science and technology 

Science in Personal and Social Perspectives 

(NRC 1996, p. 193) 

• Personal health (accidents/hazards) 

• Risks and benefits 

• Science and technology in society 

History and Nature of Science (NRC 1996, p. 200) 

• Science as a human endeavor 

• Nature of science 

specific roadblocks and detours they will face in that region. 

For example, the students face sandy roads and heat in the 

desert, steep inclines and fog in the mountains, and traffic 

in the cities. The terrain and weather conditions students 

encounter at each geographic locale provide ample ways 

for them to experience the relationship between science 

learning and technological design. To make their cars more 

efficient, students learn the science dictated by the challenge 

in that region. While students become engaged in testing 

their cars at each detour and roadblock, their sense of 

urgency grows as the teams begin to ask, “Cruising Coast to 

Coast: Can we make it to Grand Prix in time?” 

Figure 5 


Design a Prototype Model 

None of the students have previously designed or 

constructed a model car as complex as needed for the 

Grand Prix. When asked to make design diagrams of their 

cars, students focus on the color of the car and naming 

it. Students need a hands-on experience with a prototype 

model of a car before making more advanced design 

diagrams of their cars—diagrams showing designs that 

can overcome particular challenges dictated by a specific 

geographic region. As a result, students should first 

construct the basic structure of a model car that is free of 

battery-operated wiring. 

Construct a Prototype Model 

Each student needs to have his or her own model car, but 

it is important for students to work in teams as they test 

and modify their cars in order to mimic the team approach 

commonly utilized in technological design, construction, 

and testing. Teams consist of four students, and each 

team has its own car. For easier management, students 

are provided a set of identical supplies to work with at 

first. Supplies for a prototype model can be purchased as 

a kit through a science catalog for less than $6 each, but 

the prototypes can easily be constructed from parts less 

expensively. The chassis consists of a 15 cm. plastic ruler. 

Wooden wheels of various diameters are used. The front 

and rear assemblies are primarily plastic straws that have a 

larger diameter straw attached to the chassis with a rubber 

band and a smaller diameter straw inserted inside the larger 

to simulate an axle and its housing. Small plastic caps on the 

ends of the smaller diameter straw hold the wooden wheels 

in place. Materials are selected to minimize safety risks. The 

most expensive component of the cars is the wooden wheels, 

which can be purchased from arts-and-craft stores in bulk 

and saved from year to year for reuse. Straws will need to 

be replaced each year, as they suffer wear and tear through 

repeated use. The school cafeteria and/or local restaurants 

may be willing to donate these in various diameters. The 

small plastic caps can be omitted. Instead, layers of smooth 

electrical tape can be wrapped around the straw ends to 

hold the wheels in place. 

The students are provided time to build a prototype that 

matches their design plans, and they frequently adjust 

their design plans based on their construction experiences. 

Students are encouraged to share ideas with each other 

about different configurations, and the teacher provides 

additional support either by asking teams to send a 

representative to another table to gain ideas or by directly 

sharing ideas with students. For example, the students may 

need direct assistance with attaching the front and rear 

assemblies to their chassis in a manner that still allows the 

wheels to freely move and travel in a straight direction. 

Rubber bands attached to the axle housing are a useful tool 

for this. Students come up with multiple configurations 

of rubber bands to minimize friction while maintaining 

equal balance within their prototypes so that the prototype 

moves in a straight direction. Additionally, students use 

the Internet and texts to explore how prototypes of fourwheeled 

vehicles can be constructed. Through construction 

and experimentation, students learn about the role of 

science in automotive engineering. Once built, students test 

their prototype models. 

Design a Model to Meet a Particular Challenge 

One of the first challenges the teams face is designing a car 

capable of traveling across the parking lot in Los Angeles, 

CA. Teams know that their cars will move if pushed by hand 

or by rolling down an incline, but the challenge of moving 

their cars on a flat surface perplexes them. Teams discuss 

how they can potentially power their cars. One team plans 

to use the force of air released from a balloon connected to 

a straw to push their car. Another team asks about using a 

motor and incorporates this into their plans. Teams share 

their plans, and the idea of using a motor is quite popular 

among the groups. 

Implement, Evaluate, and Redesign 

The teams then build model cars based on their designs 

for moving the cars across the parking lot. As students 

begin to implement their plans, they find that the plans are 

not detailed enough. Students eventually figure out an 

effective design for their cars through several cycles 

of implementation, evaluation, and redesign; but this 

takes time. 

Students are provided with wire, a motor, and a battery. 

From previous experiences, most students know that wire 

has to connect a battery to a motor in order to make the 

motor’s axle spin, but this is where their understanding 

ends, even though all have had a previous experience of 

using a wire and battery to light a lightbulb at an earlier 

grade level. The greater task is figuring out how to connect 

the wire. Through trial and error, students test various ways 

of attaching the wire to the battery and motor. Eventually 

the idea of a complete circuit is constructed through their 

experiences. The students name complete circuits “loops 

of wire” and incomplete circuits “broken loops of wire.” At 

this point, the students correctly explain during “think, pair, 

and whole-class share” that electricity flows from the battery 


into the wire, through the wire to the motor, through the 

motor to the wire, and through the wire to the other end 

of the battery. Now the teacher introduces the ideas of 

complete and incomplete circuits, as well as current. Still 

students struggle with how the battery actually makes the 

motor’s axle move. 

Once students determine how to make the motor’s axle 

move, they have to plan how to best use the motor’s moving 

axle to make the car wheels move. Through trial and error, 

students determine that the most effective design is to 

affix a small electric toy motor to the chassis with rubber 

bands and position the motor’s rotating axle in direct 

contact with a wheel’s tread surface. Students have open 

access to motors, wire, electrical tape, and friction tape. 

They are informed of the risk of cuts from the sharp ends 

of electrical wire, scissors, and wire cutters; are taught how 

to appropriately use wire cutters; and are monitored at 

all times. Additionally, students are informed of the risk 

of burns from hot wire and are taught how to hold their 

models so that their hands will not be exposed to hot wire. 

To further prevent burns, the teacher limits voltage by 

having students only use AA, A, C, and D-size batteries. 

New Challenges and Continued Improvement 

Students make their cars functional and capable of 

overcoming various challenges faced in particular 

geographic regions. For example, students determine that 

fog will be a possible roadblock while traveling through the 

Blue Ridge Mountains. As a result, the students need to 

create both high-beam as well as low-beam lights for use 

specifically in the fog. By adding lights and more wire to 

their cars, students test the various wiring configurations. 

Using experimental design (Cothron, Giese, & Rezba, 

2000), students configure cars with both bright and dim 

lights via simple and parallel circuits. Still students struggle 

with how the battery makes the motor’s axle move and the 

lights shine. Additionally, they learn that wires get hot and 

therefore start keeping as much insulation toward the end of 

the wires as possible. 

Gather More Information 

Students decide they need more information about the 

underlying science concepts related to their cars and more 

understanding of how real cars work. They use the Internet 

to research automotive topics. An auto mechanic who visits 

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the class is influential in helping them better understand 

how their car battery’s chemical energy can be transformed 

in order for a motor to turn, bulbs to light, and wires to heat. 

The auto mechanic takes the students outside to learn 

more about a full-size car with a combustion engine and 

encourages them to bring their own model cars outside 

with them. Learning about the relationship between the 

car’s battery, ignition, and combustion engine, students 

compare and contrast their model cars with full-size cars 

that have combustion engines. Students quickly realize that 

they have created models of cars that are not identical to 

the cars the auto mechanic encounters on a daily basis or 

that they use to get to school. However, the auto mechanic 

relates that the main problems he encounters are electrical, 

which is certainly familiar to the students. With this in 

common, the auto mechanic and students begin a fervent 

conversation on how the smallest error in wiring can result 

in major electrical problems. A female student explains to 

the auto mechanic how she added turn signals to her car, 

beyond the scope of requirements, but cannot get the 

lights to flash yet. He praises her work and then points to 

the parts of the car as he traces how the electrical power 

goes from the car’s battery to the ignition, then to the 

thermal flasher in the fuse box, then to the steering 

column where the turn signal acts just like her switch to 

direct the flow of power to the left or right turn signal 

light. They then brainstorm ways that she can quickly stop 

power flow to create the appearance of a blinking light. 

While the students still have much to learn in the future 

about full-size cars with combustion engines, an indication 

of success from his visit is that students start using more 

authentic vocabulary when referring to parts of their 

model cars. 

Evaluate Products and Understanding of the 

Design Process 

One culminating activity of the Grand Prix Challenge is a 

videotaped interview of the automotive engineering teams to 

find out what science they have learned. Acting as a popular 

television sportscaster, the teacher asks teams questions 

related to the designs of their cars and related science 

concepts. Teams defend the decisions they made in terms 

of their understanding of the science behind the cars and 

the data they collected while testing their cars. For example, 

teams are queried about the choices they made while 

designing, testing, evaluating, and redesigning the wiring of 

their cars to ensure that the power source, motor, switches, 

and lights were wired most efficiently and effectively for 

specific challenges (see Figure 7). This requires the students 

to explain their design decisions in terms of such concepts 

Sample Culminating Assessment Questions for 

Sportscaster Interview 

1. This is quite an exciting day at the track. Which 

competition will this particular racecar be 

entering? Why? (Go through the team’s set of 

cars.) 

2. The energy of the crowd is amazing. Tell us about 

the circuitry you used for your racecar. Prompts: 

Be sure to help the crowd understand the flow of 

current through your car’s system. They have a 

tough time with series and parallel circuits; could 

you tell us what you mean and the difference 

between these? Is the voltage the same in a 

parallel circuit? Now how can that be and why is 

that useful? 

3. Now, now fans, settle down. Wow—it looks like 

some of our spectators in the stands are starting 

to rub each other the wrong way. Hope they calm 

down before security arrives or they’ll be shocked 

as they get an exit ticket out of our grand stadium. 

Ok, I hear the tracks are quite variable today, with 

some sandy conditions out there and others slick 

as glass. Explain how the cars on your team are 

designed to meet these demands. 

4. What do you feel your team has done to set 

your race cars apart from the rest? Prompt: 

Your responses show that you’ve got the science 

background to really set your team apart. Explain 

what science knowledge you found most useful 

while designing, constructing, and testing your 

racers. 

Figure 7 

as simple and parallel circuits, voltage, and current. The 

students use graphs, maps, and charts to communicate the 

results of their testing. 

On the last day, teams of automotive engineers select one 

car from their team to compete in each competition in the 

Grand Prix, with no car competing in more than one event. 

The challenges include speed, inclines, sandy terrain, and 

curves. The Grand Prix provides the ultimate, final test of 

their technological plans, design, and construction of their 

model cars. For speed, students compete to determine 

which car can travel 50 feet the fastest. For inclines, students 

determine which car can most quickly travel a ramp with 

a 25% grade. For sandy terrain, students determine which 


car can travel the farthest across a box filled with sand. In 

these challenges, the car with the straightest pathway was 

more likely to perform the best, but this was problematic 

and frustrating for students at times. Wanting all students 

to have the opportunity to successfully experience testing 

their cars at the Grand Prix, a challenge was added to ease 

students’ anxiety by letting them compete to determine 

which car could make the most loops in one minute. 

Assignment of student grades on this project is based 

on their responses to the sportscaster, not on the actual 

performance of their car in the Grand Prix. 

Impact 

Problem-based learning provides a means for students 

to function as scientists and engineers as they work 

toward solving a specific real-world problem situation 

with a technological solution. Through testing various 

technological solutions to the challenges they face, the 

students learn more about the process of “doing science” 

and the fun and excitement of discovery as it relates to 

technological design. Through this experience, students 

learn about the relationship that exists between science 

and technology as evidenced by their responses to the 

sportscaster. Additionally, their science learning is 

bolstered, as they are motivated to learn about abstract 

science concepts needed during the technological design 

process. Evidence from class supports this notion, with all 

students excitedly engaged in the task from start to finish. 

One female student remarked, “I hated physics and making 

stuff before this.” 

National Research Council. (1996). National science 

education standards. Washington, DC: National 

Academy Press. 

Schack, G.D. (1993). Involving students in authentic 

research. Educational Leadership 50 (7), 8-12. 

Wendy M. Frazier, Ed.D., is an assistant 

professor in the College of Education and 

Human Development at George Mason 

University, Fairfax, VA. She specializes in 

K-12 science teacher education, equity issues 

in science and technology education, and 

integrated science and technology curriculum development to 

support students’ extended investigations. She can be reached 

via email at wfrazier@gmu.edu. 

Donna R. Sterling, Ed.D., is a professor 

in the College of Education and Human 

Development at George Mason University, 

Fairfax, VA. She specializes in teacher 

professional development, effective science 

teaching and learning, assessment, and 

leadership in science education. She can be reached via email 

at dsterlin@gmu.edu. 

This is a refereed article. 

Acknowledgment 

The authors wish to thank the preservice teachers who 

participated in this project. 

References 

Chin, C., & Chia, L. (2004). Problem-based learning: Using 

students’ questions to drive knowledge construction. 

Science Education 88, 707-727. 

Delisle, R. (1997). How to use problem-based learning in the 

classroom. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision 

and Curriculum Development. 

Cothron, J. H., Giese, R. N., & Rezba, R. J. (2000). Students 

and research. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall Hunt. 

Greenwald, N. (2000). Learning from problems. The Science 

Teacher 67 (4), 28-32. 

International Technology Education Association. 

(2000/2002). Standards for technological literacy: Content 

for the study of technology. Reston, VA: Author. 

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Resources in Technology 

Scrap Metal Recycling 

By Vincent W. Childress 

Scrap metal recycling is not very 

glamorous, but it might help save 

the planet. 

Introduction 

If one thinks that an understanding of scrap metal recycling 

is not important, consider the following: Recycling is a 

65 billion dollar-per-year industry. Scrap metal recycling 

saves 74% or more of the energy it takes to smelt metal 

from ore (Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, 2007). 

That represents a significant reduction in greenhouse 

gas emissions. Scrap metal recycling (and other forms of 

recycling) is not very glamorous, but it might help save 

the planet. Recycling has been a significant industry in the 

United States for more than 200 years. For primitive cultures 

in the copper, bronze, and iron ages, recycling existing metal 

was much less labor-intensive than mining and smelting 

metal from ore. That is still the case today. 

Iron ore is a naturally occurring element found in the 

earth’s crust. It is mined by digging it out of large pits with 

Figure 1. Recycling is a 65 billion dollar-per-year industry. Recycling 

is not very glamorous, but it might help save the planet. 

large excavating equipment. In its natural state, iron ore 

is a metallic-looking rock that usually has other types of 

nonmetallic rock clinging to it. When ore is fired or heated 

to its melting point in a blast furnace, a great deal of air 

pollution is created by the burning of coal. Refining ore into 

metal is called smelting. It takes significantly larger volumes 

of coal to smelt ore than it does to simply melt down 

recycled iron and steel. Thus, air pollution can be reduced 

by recycling metals. 

While iron ore is plentiful in the United States and many 

countries around the world, the process of smelting iron 

ore into steel is energy-intensive. Iron ore is placed into a 

huge container that can hold about 20 tons or more of ore. 


A fire melts the ore so that the liquid iron separates from the 

rocky, non-iron materials. Coke is used to more efficiently 

heat the ore in the smelting process. To understand what 

coke is, consider charcoal. Common charcoal is the solid 

char leftover when wood is burned. Charcoal is useful 

because it ignites quickly and burns hot. Coke is like 

charcoal; it is what is left after partially burning coal. It has 

the same advantages of charcoal but has much more energy. 

Steel is most effectively refined when coke is used in blast 

furnaces. So, to fully smelt iron and produce steel with it, 

the manufacturer must fire coal to make coke, and then it 

must fire the coke to make steel. This is an energy-intensive 

process, and in the process, tons of greenhouse gases 

and toxic elements and compounds are released into the 

atmosphere annually. 

Recyclable Materials 

Consumers are aware of some recyclable materials but 

are less familiar with others. Consumers are familiar with 

the recycling of aluminum cans, paper, and some plastics 

because many communities encourage consumer recycling 

through local programs. It is not unusual for some forms 

of glass and steel cans to be accepted in consumer-level 

recycling programs. However, entire automobiles can 

be recycled for steel and aluminum and, in some cases, 

glass and plastics. Building demolitions also produce 

structural steel for recycling. Consumers are less aware 

of automobile recycling and structural steel recycling. 

Lead-acid automobile batteries are also recycled, as are the 

components of electronic hardware. The Institute of Scrap 

Recycling Industries (2007) reports the following statistics 

on recycling volumes in the United States annually. 

(Table 1.) 

Environmental Implications 

Land use is a big issue around the world. Landfills are filling 

to capacity at alarming rates, and consumers do not realize 

the extent to which municipal waste is dumped directly into 

the oceans. Equally alarming is the rate at which municipal 

waste is being incinerated, thus adding to the air pollution 

problem and global warming. The Environmental Protection 

Agency (2007) estimates that in 2005, 79 million tons of 

waste was recycled—an increase of 64 million tons since 

1980. This figure does not include automobile and structural 

steel recycling. Recycling is helping to save landfill space 

and reducing, in turn, the amount of ocean dumping and 

incineration. 

Coal production and consumption around the world and 

in the U.S. increases every year. That means that electrical 

power plants keep producing more electrical power for uses 

related to industry and consumer needs. However, industry’s 

use of coal in smelting has not increased at the same rate as 

it has for power plants (Energy Information Administration, 

2007). This is attributed to recycling metals (Institute of 

Scrap Recycling Industries, 2007). Each year power plants 

dump tons of pollutants into the air. Certainly many tons of 

greenhouse gasses are released as the burning of coal creates 

chemical reactions, but many people do not understand 

that many toxic elements and compounds naturally occur in 

coal that are also simply released into the atmosphere when 

coal is burned. Mercury is an example of such an element. 

Could one imagine being exposed to mercury? It is highly 

toxic to humans and animals, yet coal-fired power plants 

dump literally tons of mercury on the environment every 

year. Table 2 shows emissions from coal-fired electrical 

generators. Many industries use tons of coal each year for 

Quantity of Recycled Material 

Type of Material 

81.4 million tons* iron, steel 

53.5 million tons paper 

4.5 million tons aluminum 

3.5 million tons glass 

1.8 million tons copper 

1.4 million tons stainless steel 

1.4 million tons lead 

957.5 thousand tons plastic 

459 thousand tons zinc 

111 million automobile tires 

*ton = 2,000 lbs. Ton here is not to be confused with a metric ton or a long ton, which are shipping weights. A 2,000 pound 

ton is also referred to as a short ton. 

Table 1. This table shows the tonnage of recycling per year for each type of material. In one year, more than 150 million tons of materials 

were recycled into new products instead of ending up in landfills. 


Polluting element or 

compound 

Selected nationwide HAP* 

emissions (estimated) in 

tons/year for 1990 







Arsenic 60.93 55.81 70.61 

Beryllium 7.13 7.93 8.20 

Cadmium 3.33 3.15 3.82 

Chromium 73.27 61.60 87.43 

Lead 75.47 61.77 86.89 

Manganese 163.97 167.72 219.02 

Mercury 45.80 51.34 59.74 

Hydrogen chloride 143,000 134,000 155,000 

Hydrogen fluoride 19,500 23,100 25,700 

*HAP – Hazardous Air Pollutants 

Table 2. This table shows the tonnage of coal emissions per year by element or compound. 

electricity. Recycling helps to reduce dependence on coal 

for electricity and helps to reduce the rate at which society 

is polluting the environment (Office of Air Quality Planning 

and Standard, 1998). 

Recycling Processes 

When a vehicle has reached the end of its service, it is 

hauled to a recycler. The first process is manual. It requires 

that a person remove the fluids from the vehicle, such as 

gasoline, oil, and coolant. Other harmful 

materials, such as mercury switches, are also 

removed. Lead-acid batteries are removed, 

and in some cases, other parts may be 

salvaged for resale. 

engine blocks, into smaller pieces. The loosened, separated 

mass of materials proceeds to the shredder. The cutters are 

made with a hardened alloy, and the cutting edges of the 

shredder are designed with blunt angles so the edges do not 

dull. Shredding provides a quick way of separating all of the 

vehicle’s parts from one another, but shredding also makes 

the recycled material easy to sort, transport, and smelt. 

Next, the vehicle is flattened by a large 

hydraulic press and moved by crane to a 

holding area. Flattening the vehicle reduces 

its volume and makes it stackable in the 

holding area, where it is stored until the 

vehicle is shredded. In some cases, a recycling 

operation may simply ship compacted 

automobiles to another processor for 

shredding. 

A crane feeds flattened vehicles into the 

shredding operation. This process begins with 

a gang of large hammers that pulverize the 

vehicle in order to break it into loose pieces. 

The hammers shatter large castings, such as 

Figure 2. Flattened vehicles are reduced in volume and are stackable while they await 

further processing. 


Fluff includes thermoset plastics such as polyurethane 

(Brenner, 2007). Thermosets are difficult to recycle because 

they do not readily melt. In highly automated recycling 

operations, fluff is typically discarded to landfills. However, 

research is being conducted to develop a way to automate a 

sorting process for fluff so that it can be reused or recycled. 

For example, most polyurethanes are suitable for use in 

carpet padding (Argonne National Laboratory, 2007). 

Figure 3. Automobile recycling processes include salvaging, 

compacting, hammering, shredding, sorting, transporting, and 

reprocessing. Here metals are being shredded for easier sorting, 

handling, and transporting. A compacted vehicle can be seen 

entering the hammering and shredding machine in the upper left 

of the photo. 

As shreds are conveyed from the shredder, nonmetals, 

called “fines” or “fluff,” and very small metals are vacuumed 

out of the mass. Ferrous metals (iron-based metals) 

are separated from the batch using electromagnets and 

conveyed to a holding area, leaving nonferrous metals to 

be conveyed to another holding area (McDaniel, 2007). 

Metals are often stockpiled and loaded onto rail cars or 

semi tractor trailers that transport shredded, sorted metal 

to smelters. 

Technology, Science, Mathematics Interfaces 

Technology 

The extent to which the following activity addresses 

Standards for Technological Literacy: Content for the Study 

of Technology (ITEA, 2000/2002/2007) really depends on 

what the teacher emphasizes. However, it is safe to say that 

the following medical technology activity could address 

Standard 4, Benchmark D. 

Standard 4: Students will develop an understanding of 

the cultural, social, economic, and political effects of 

technology. (p. 57) 

Benchmark D: The use of technology affects humans in 

various ways, including their safety... (p. 60) 

To address this benchmark, the technology teacher might 

design a geographic information systems assignment. (See 

Figure 5.) The technology teacher will also want to help 

students understand smelting and electrical generation 

so students understand why these two processes produce 

pollution. These understandings will also help students to 

realize the value of recycling. The key here is to make sure 

that students understand that recycling metals reduces 

the amount of coal needed in the smelting process, and 

Figure 4. Semi tractor trailers and rail cars are used to transport 

shredded scrap metal to smelters. 

Figure 5. Students might produce a geographic information systems 

map to represent the findings of their research. 


therefore, reduces air pollution. Work with science and 

mathematics teachers to develop an assignment related to 

pollution, health, and statistics. 

Science 

The National Science Education Standards (National 

Research Council, 1996) helps to highlight a number of 

opportunities that the technology teacher and the science 

teacher may have to teach students about the relationship 

between pollution and diseases. 

Mathematics 

Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (National 

Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2000) may prove 

useful in designing instruction for teaching students about 

statistics. Teaching students about simple statistics will help 

them be able to interpret data that they find during their 

research. 

References 

Argonne National Laboratory. (2007). Green Transportation 

Technologies. Chicago, IL: U.S. Department of Energy. 

Retrieved September 26, 2007 from: www.transportation. 

anl.gov/pdfs/R/253.pdf 

Brenner, F. (2007). Personal communication. 

Energy Information Administration. (2007). Annual coal 

report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Energy. 

Retrieved September 20, 2007 from: www.eia.doe.gov/ 

cneaf/coal/page/acr/acr_sum.html 

Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries. (2007). Scrap 

recycling industry facts. Washington, DC: Author. 

Retrieved September 20, 2007 from: www.isri.org//AM/ 

Template.cfm?Section=Home1 

International Technology Education Association. 

(2000/2002/2007). Standards for technological literacy: 

Content for the study of technology. Reston, VA: Author. 

McDaniel, S. (2007). Personal communication. 

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (2000). 

Principles and standards for school mathematics. Reston, 

VA: Author. 

National Research Council. (1996). National science 

education standards. Washington, DC: National 

Academy Press. 

Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards. (1998). 

Study of hazardous air pollutant emissions from electric 

utility steam generating units: Final report to Congress. 

Washington, DC: Environmental Protection Agency. 

Retrieved September 20, 2007 from: www.epa.gov/ttn/ 

oarpg/t3/reports/eurtc1.pdf 

Office of Solid Waste. (2007). Basic facts: Municipal solid 

waste. Washington, DC: Environmental Protection 

Agency. Retrieved September 20, 2007 from: www.epa. 

gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/facts.htm 

Special thanks to Atlantic Scrap and Processing, Kernersville, 

North Carolina and to Mr. Frank Brenner, President, 

Mr. Roger Ruminski, and Mr. Scott McDaniel for their 

support and interest in this article. 

Vincent W. Childress, Ph.D. is a Professor 

in Technology Education at North Carolina 

A&T State University in Greensboro, North 

Carolina. He can be reached at childres@ 

ncat.edu. 

Design Brief: Medical Technology— 

Health Information Systems 

Background 

Concentrations of diseases are sometimes related to the presence of 

polluting industries. For example, some people suffer from asthma, and 

their asthma can grow worse because of air pollution—air pollution from 

the burning of coal and from the running of engines. 

Context 

Assume that you are a Geographic Information Systems Analyst for the 

Department of Health in your state or province. 

Problem Statement 

Is there a relationship between sources of air pollution in your state and 

the incidences of asthma? 

Challenge 

You must investigate statistics on disease in your state or province to see if 

diseases, such as asthma, are concentrated in certain locations. You must 

investigate where pollution is present in your state. You must develop a 

way to compare the geographic presence of pollution and the geographic 

presence of diseases. 

Requirements 

Develop a map that shows where asthma cases are concentrated in your 

state and a second map showing the sources and extent of air pollution. 

Then overlap the two maps to see if they are related. 

Objectives 

• Provide some evidence that technology may influence the safety of 

humans. 

• Understand basic statistics. 

• Understand why air pollution can cause disease. 

Assessment of the Solution 

Your solution should meet the requirements specified above and should 

help you address the objectives. 

Resources 

• U.S. Department of Energy: www.eia.doe.gov/ 

• Environmental Protection Agency: www.epa.gov/ 

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: www.dhhs.gov/ 


Computational Science as Part of 

Technology Education: 

An Interview with Aaron Clark 

We in North Carolina define 

computational science for 

technology education with a 

true STEM focus. 

As teachers search for the most appropriate form of 

TIDE education for the future, we must consider as 

many alternatives as possible. One such alternative 

is computational science, which is described in 

detail in the following interview with Dr. Aaron Clark of 

North Carolina State University. Dr. Clark recently agreed 

to the interview, with the primary objective of providing 

readers another curriculum and instruction perspective for 

consideration. 

Your department is called Mathematics, Science, 

and Technology Education; please explain how the 

department has come to address all three areas and how 

this is accomplished in your program. 

Dr. Aaron Clark (left) was recently interviewed on the topic of 

computational science as part of technology education. 

In the middle 1990s we were in the Department of 

Occupational Education. The administration within our 

university at this time decided to form new departments 

that represent the changes happening in education, so the 

Department of Mathematics, Science, and Technology 

Education was formed under the direction of a new 

department head. Since that time, like most programs 

within teacher education, we have to deal with areas of 

certification and accreditation that require these three areas 

to remain individualistic, but we work together in areas of 

research and service at state and national levels. Also, our 

graduate programs at both the Masters and Doctorate levels 


are working together to help provide a quality program 

to those who want to study our discipline at NC State 

University. One unique program within this department is 

the Graphic Communications Program that teaches visual 

communication courses for students in the College of 

Engineering and, at the same time, works with technology 

education teacher education. You might say we are truly a 

STEM department. 

You have specifically addressed computational science 

as an important part of your department work. What 

is computational science? Where did the term come 

from, and how does it fit in to the overall mission of your 

department and technology education? 

Computational science is an area that many of my colleagues 

feel should be a part of technology education as we strive 

to equip our students with twenty-first century skills. We 

support new areas within technology education nationally 

and have been leaders in establishing engineering and 

design curricula and materials. But computational science 

is new to many people in education, not just technology 

education. It comes from a report to the President of 

the United States in June of 2005 from the National 

Coordination Office for Information Technology Research 

and Development. The report, titled “Computational 

Science: Ensuring America’s Competitiveness,” addresses 

many areas where we are currently failing (i.e., computing 

and applications, high-end graphics, etc.) that are important 

in keeping America competitive. The areas that are most 

appealing to me and my colleagues are needs in advanced 

computing resulting in students being able to solve complex 

problems. “Computational Science: Ensuring America’s 

Competitiveness” later states that these areas are critical 

to scientific leadership and economic competitiveness. The 

report also goes on to affirm that computational science will 

become one of the most important technical fields for the 


Therefore, we in North Carolina define computational 

science for technology education with a true STEM focus. 

Computational science at the secondary level includes 

the use of a multidisciplinary approach to learning (i.e., 

STEM integration), and uses tools (i.e., computers) and 

techniques (i.e., real-world scenarios) that can attract 

students, especially those deemed at risk of dropping out 

of school. It can best be defined as follows: Computational 

science allows for the integration of science and technological 

literacy to occur through the study of visualization and 

the development of both virtual and physical models. This 

definition was developed so that true STEM integration 

could occur in the technology education classroom and, at 

the same time, allow students taking our courses to develop 

twenty-first century skills. Also, the use of computational 

science in the technology classroom allows for further 

association with engineering education for the secondary 

level. Computational science has appealing components 

to virtually every student and will provide “glue” for 

many state curriculums in STEM education as they try to 

integrate multiple concepts and content from disciplines 

in mathematics, science, and technology education. I, and 

others in the field, feel that this new area will be important 

to technology education as we try to reach out and support 

both state and federal initiatives, while at the same time 

keeping our focus on what we believe in as technology 

educators: technological literacy for all. 

Please describe the curriculum work that has been 

developed in terms of departmental course offerings. 

To date, we are still investigating how we can develop 

curricula that links science and technology together through 

the creation of physical and virtual models and maintain 

our belief in Standards for Technological Literacy (STL) for 

all students in technology education programs. We have 

worked with people in both industry and education to 

formulate a program that highlights true STEM integration 

by developing courses that teach technological literacy, and 

at the same time reinforce students’ understanding in areas 

of science and mathematics. We know that the new Perkins 

legislation requires CTE to take greater responsibility in 

helping students understand and apply academic concepts. 

Therefore, it is our belief that computational science will 

allow us to utilize our way (i.e., visual and “hands-on”) of 

teaching for these academic subject areas, focusing on the 

applied, kinesthetic nature of what we do in technology 

education, and help students, especially those deemed at 

risk of dropping out of school. We believe students can better 

understand mathematics and science content through the 

study of technology, using visualization. Also, computerbased 

applications will include twenty-first century skills 

in multiple ways, teaching students to: 1) communicate 

in a variety of forms and processes, 2) become critical 

thinkers, and 3) be problem solvers, using the most current 

technology to aid in tasks. Computational science relies 

heavily on areas of pedagogy we have been using for years 

in technology education—visualization and kinesthetic. We 

have found in our research that these two pedagogy areas, 

and learning styles of students as well, are the best ways to 

instruct most of our students in technology education as we 

strive to promote technological literacy for all students. 


Courses that we teach at NC State University in our 

technology education program that are reflected practices 

for this new area of computational science include design 

and research, different types of communications courses, 

technical data presentation and animation courses (i.e., 

scientific and technical visualization courses), robotics, and 

beginner to advanced 3D modeling and analysis. As you can 

see, if a student is interested in studying emerging trends in 

technology, our program offers a lot of opportunities. 

Please give us a snapshot of the selected courses so that 

our readers can visualize the course content. 

We feel that linking technology, science, and mathematics 

together through the creation of visualization and 

making physical reproductions is a good model for 

STEM integration and is best suited to be taught through 

technology education. Students taking computational 

science courses in high school would chose between a 

variety of course offerings, but the first two would be 

algebra and biology-based. We know that in most 

states, including North Carolina, if students do not pass 

introductory level algebra and biology courses, their 

chances of completing high school vastly decrease. If 

we offer courses in computational science that will give 

students, especially those at risk, a chance to learn algebra 

and biology through the study of creating both virtual 

and physical models to reinforce what they are learning in 

their academic course, then they have a better chance at 

being successful in school. Other courses to follow would 

be additional computational science courses that reinforce 

the study of geometry, earth and environmental science, 

and physical science. Again, all these courses will have 

students create and communicate through the development 

of both virtual and physical models, and at the same time 

reinforce fundamental knowledge for required mathematics 

and science areas, as well as develop good visual skills and 

technological literacy. 

What research have you completed and what does 

it indicate pertaining to the computational science 

curriculum? 

Our research leading to this new area actually started back 

in the 1990s, with the development and implementation of 

the highly successful Scientific and Technical Visualization 

Curriculum for our state, and was later adapted by others 

in different formats. We must also include the NSF project 

titled VisTE: Visualization in Technology Education, as a 

major contributor to the early stages of research as to why 


we want to bring computational science into the technology 

education classroom. Recent research began about three 

years ago in the development of the North Carolina STEM 

model. This model, including the way we are looking at 

computational science, is different than mainstream points 

of view. We see STEM as a way of integrating subjects 

for kids who are at risk of dropping out of school, not 

to promote more students to become professionals in 

mathematics, science, or engineering, although we may see 

some of these targeted students excel and do so. Current 

research on this new way of looking at STEM education 

and including computational science in the mix includes 

the study of preferred learning styles data, visualization 

abilities, curricula integration and development, and course 

appreciation. Our biggest measure will be students’ grades 

in the computational science courses and comparing these 

to the actual grades made in the academic course they are 

companioned with. Passing grades made in the academic 

course(s) will be our highest indicator of success with the 

at-risk students. We believe that, if students pass their 

required academic courses through helpful courses like 

computational science, then they are more likely to stay 

in school and become high school graduates. We have 

looked at this type of data from our early pilot sites with the 

North Carolina STEM model, and it showed success. With 

our new courses in computational science, we will expect 

much higher gains at our two pilot sites from Fall of 2007 

and Spring of 2008. Our first course, “Virtual and Physical 

Modeling” (i.e., algebra concepts), has its concentration 

in algebra only and is designed to be a companion course. 

Beginning in the new year, we will start the development of 

the biology-based computational science course and refine 

the algebra-based course. Our hope is to have both fully 

piloted by the summer of 2009 and, at that point, look for 

field-testing sites in North Carolina and throughout the 

United States and other countries. 

Please give us a description of what computational 

science will look like at the K-12 level. 

First of all, you have to understand our belief of what 

technology education should be or look like in the coming 

years. We believe that integrated concepts of technology, 

design, and engineering should be in the elementary 

grades, and courses with these areas integrated as standalone 

courses should be in middle and high school (see 

figure on the previous page). At the high school level, we 

see independent courses in engineering and design as 

well as computational science. As for content in the first 

computational science course titled “Virtual and Physical 

Modeling,” you will see topics and activities on real 

North Carolina is a leader in the new and emerging area of gaming, 

and students want to be a part of it. 

numbers, geometric patterns, ratio and slope, quadratics, 

and exponential functions. All topic areas will include 

lab activities that will explain these topics in a visual and 

kinesthetic, “hands-on” way. These topics came from algebra 

teachers in our state and are recognized as areas with which 

students have the most difficulty. Please note that the order 

of presentation of these areas must match the order that 

the mathematics teachers are using in their course since we 

strongly encourage these computational science courses 

to be companioned with their content-specific academic 

courses. This way, you won’t have the virtual and physical 

modeling course discussing real numbers while students 

in the algebra class are studying ratio or slope. This pacing 

strategy will greatly improve the success of both academic 

and computational science classes. 

We will focus on areas of difficulty for the academic 

companion course in computational science. But for 

now, we are starting out with just two courses in algebra 

and biology. Please keep in mind that we must provide 

incentives for students to take courses. One is the unique 

way we offer the academic content and, at the same 

time, offer our pedagogy strategy used for decades in the 

technology education classroom, the “hands-on” tactile 

method. The second incentive for our state is that, at the 

same time we are researching and developing these courses 

in computational science, we are also working with industry 

and the community college system to develop courses in 

game art and design. North Carolina is a leader in this new 

and emerging area of gaming, and students want to be a part 

of it. Therefore, the researchers of computational science, 

including my work in developing this new Game Art and 


Design Curriculum, propose that before a student can take 

this new gaming course, he/she must have completed at 

least one computational science course to meet the gaming 

course prerequisite. This will ensure (for the career technical 

education teachers in the game art and design course) that 

students are coming in with good visual and modeling 

backgrounds needed for the study of gaming, but it also 

gives students an incentive to stay in school and pass their 

subjects, including computational science courses, as they 

study the development and creation of games. 

What successes, in terms of student achievement, can you 

show at this time? (University/K-12) 

As mentioned above, our best data will come once all 

computational science courses have been developed and 

the pilot phase implemented. Data will start to come in as 

of December 2007 and continue for the next year. The NC- 

STEM project that was a hybrid of what we have done with 

computational science did show gains in mathematics (note: 

we only studied mathematics in this early STEM model). 

We look forward to seeing successful gains in biology as the 

computational science curriculum is developed. It will be 

based on the current Scientific and Technical Visualization 

curriculum. Considering the great success of this 

curriculum in content gains in science, we hope for the same 

findings in the computational science version. Since the 

project is so new, we have limited knowledge of its success 

through student, teacher, and administrator interviews using 

qualitative research approaches. In our current two pilot 

sites in North Carolina that are implementing the Virtual 

and Physical Modeling curriculum (i.e., an algebra-based 

computational science course), the teachers and students 

are enjoying the content, new methodologies, and strategies 

to learn algebra. Students are really enjoying the computer 

graphics and the physical model making associated with the 

course. Administrators are looking at this course as well, 

and everyone likes what they see and is excited about its 

potential. Administrators see a new alternative approach 

to working with students at risk and, at the same time, 

have this new STEM approach that lends itself towards 

everyone. Although we are in the beginning stages of this 

project, “so far so good” as we progress forward with new 

and innovative ways of working with students and bringing 

about technological literacy for all. 

science, technology, and mathematics educators work 

together to produce well-educated citizens. As long as the 

accountability movement is in the American educational 

system, Career Technical Education will have an additional 

task as part of its mission, and that is to support academic 

learning. Technology education with computational 

science meets and exceeds that mission and provides a 

technologically literate person who can function in the 


Special thanks to Mr. Tom Shown and Dr. Jeremy Ernst— 

true visionaries in our state of North Carolina and our 

country as well. I’m honored to work with people such as 

these and others as technology education becomes part of 

the new basics of academic education in the twenty-first 

century. 

Aaron C. Clark is an associate professor 

of Graphic Communications at North 

Carolina State University in Raleigh. He 

received his B.S. and M.S. in Technology and 

Technology Education from East Tennessee 

State University and earned his doctoral 

degree from NC State University. His teaching specialty is 

engineering drawing, with emphasis in 3-D modeling and 

animation. Research areas include visualization, graphics 

education, and scientific/technical visualization. He presents 

and publishes in both vocational/technology education 

and engineering education. He can be reached via email at 

Aaron_Clark@ncsu.edu. 

Final Thoughts 

As technology education moves into the twenty-first 

century, change needs to take place to keep our curricula 

relevant and up to date. I and others see a future where 


One Sound is Worth a Thousand 

Words: Using and Understanding 

Audio Files 

By Joseph J. Frantiska, Jr. 

Today’s educator who is adept 

with audio technology as well 

as the tools to harness its power 

is truly at the cutting edge of 

creating meaningful media for a 

variety of subject matter. 

Introduction 

In the past few years, there has been an increased emphasis 

for teachers to become more adept at multimedia-based 

skills. Whether it’s creating PowerPoint® slides, MPEG 

movies, image files, or a host of other tasks, today’s K-12 

teacher needs to have an appropriate level of expertise in 

multimedia development. One aspect of this skill set that 

has not been emphasized is that of understanding and using 

audio files that can capture a wide variety of sounds for the 

benefit of the classroom. 

Imagine how much better a geology class would be if the 

sounds of Old Faithful could be captured and included 

in a website. A music class could record its school band’s 

rendition of the Alma Mater on the school’s website to give 

a more complete experience to a visitor. 

Would a workshop on bird songs be complete without 

hearing some? How about a lecture on life in a bustling city 

without hearing some of the typical city sounds: the clanging 

of the bells on San Francisco’s trolley cars or the tolling 

of Big Ben’s chimes in London? An educational website 

can be just as lacking without associated sounds. Sounds 

can provide an additional dimension to the standard text, 

images, and movies. 

If a picture of Beethoven is worth a thousand words, imagine 

what one of his symphonies can conjure up in a student’s mind. 

This article will explain the various types of audio file 

formats along with where each may be best utilized. 

Teachers will also come away with an understanding of 

how each file type is created and structured so that they can 

make the best possible choice. Software necessary to record 

and play back these files will also be discussed. 


a minute of a symphonic orchestra playing beautifully 

followed by a minute of silence. If the sound were stored 

in an uncompressed format, the same amount of data 

would be used for each half. If data were encoded with 

True Audio (TTA) which is a free, real-time compression 

methodology, the first minute would be a bit smaller than in 

the uncompressed file, and the silent half would take almost 

no disc space at all. However, recording in the TTA format 

would require a lot more processing than the uncompressed 

format. Everything is a trade-off. 

Compressed Audio Formats 

Audio compression is a form of data compression for audio 

files that is designed to compress or reduce their size. 

As with other specific forms of data compression, many 

exist. To achieve the compression effect, either “lossy” or 

“lossless” methods can be used. 

DRM refers to any of several technologies used by publishers 

or copyright owners to control access to and usage of digital 

data or hardware, and to restrictions associated with a specific 

instance of a digital work or device. 

Audio File Formats 

Some file formats are designed to store very particular sorts 

of data. The JPEG image format, for example, is designed 

only to store static images. Other file formats, however, are 

designed for storage of several different types of data: the 

GIF format supports storage of both still images and simple 

animations. 

An audio file format is a format for storing audio data 

(sound) on a computer system or media. There are 

numerous file formats for storing audio files. They can be 

either uncompressed or compressed (to reduce the file size). 

Uncompressed Audio Format 

One major uncompressed audio format is Pulse-Code 

Modulation (PCM). PCM has been used in digital telephone 

systems as well as being the standard form for digital audio 

and video in computers. 

An uncompressed format would require less processing 

than a compressed one for the same time recorded, but 

it would also be less efficient in terms of space used. 

For example, suppose that you have a file that contains 

Lossy 

Lossy compression is a method that, when the file is 

decompressed, the data retrieved may be different from the 

original, but is close enough to be usable. Lossy compression 

typically achieves far greater compression but somewhat 

reduced quality than lossless compression by simplifying 

the complexities of the data. Given that bandwidth and 

storage can be limited, the trade-off of reduced audio quality 

is clearly outweighed for some applications in which users 

wish to transmit or store more information. (For example, 

one can fit more songs on his or her iPod using lossy than 

using lossless compression, and a DVD might hold several 

audio tracks using lossy compression in the space needed for 

one lossless audio track.). This reduction in quality is called 

generation loss. 

Lossless 

Lossless data compression is a type of data compression 

that allows the exact original data to be reconstructed 

from the compressed data. This is in contrast to lossy data 

compression, which does not allow the exact original data 

to be reconstructed from the compressed data. Therefore, 

lossless compression does not suffer from generation loss. 

The primary users of lossless compression are audio 

engineers, audiophiles, and those consumers who want 

to preserve the full quality of their audio files, in contrast 

to the quality loss from lossy compression techniques. Of 

course, virtually every user will use both schemes for some 

files, or maintain both lossy and lossless versions, as their 

needs require. Lossless data compression is used in many 

applications such as in the popular ZIP file format. 


File Types 

Musical Instrument Digital Interface (.midi) is an 

industry-standard electronic communications protocol that 

enables electronic musical instruments, computers, and 

other equipment to communicate, control, and synchronize 

with each other in real time. MIDI does not transmit 

audio—it simply transmits digital data such as the pitch 

and intensity of musical notes to play. Almost all music 

recordings today utilize MIDI as a key enabling technology 

for recording music. 

Waveform (.wav) is the standard audio file format used 

mainly in Windows PCs. It is commonly used for storing 

uncompressed (PCM), CD-quality sound files, which means 

that they can be large in size—around 10 megabytes for 

every minute of music. 

MPEG [Motion Picture Expert Group] Layer-3 (.mp3) is 

the most popular format for downloading and storing music. 

By eliminating portions of the audio file that are essentially 

inaudible, MP3 files are compressed (lossy) to roughly onetenth 

the size of an equivalent PCM file while maintaining 

good audio quality. The MP3 format is recommended for 

music storage, but is not for voice storage. 

Au (.au) is the standard audio file format used by Sun, 

UNIX, and Java. Au is a simple audio file format that 

was introduced by Sun Microsystems. This file format is 

generally considered the de facto standard for audio on the 

Internet, especially for UNIX-based platforms. 

Windows Media Audio (.wma) is a proprietary lossless 

compressed audio file format developed by Microsoft. It 

was initially intended to be a competitor to the MP3 format, 

though in terms of popularity of WMA files versus MP3 

files, this never came close to occurring. 

DRM refers to any of several technologies used by publishers 

or copyright owners to control access to and usage of digital 

data or hardware, and to restrictions associated with a 

specific instance of a digital work or device. 

A large number of consumer devices, ranging from portable 

hand-held music players and handphones to top DVD 

players, support the playback of WMA files. One feature 

that the WMA file format offers exclusively is the ability for 

the files to use DRM (Digital Rights Management) encoding. 

Audio Interchange File Format (.aiff) is an uncompressed 

audio file format standard used for storing sound data on 

One can fit more songs on his or her iPod using lossy than using 

lossless compression. 

personal computers. The format was codeveloped by Apple 

Computer and is most commonly used on Apple Macintosh 

computer systems. AIFF is also used by Silicon Graphics 

Incorporated. 

RealAudio (.rm) is a proprietary compressed (lossy) audio 

format developed by RealNetworks. It can also be used as a 

streaming audio format that is played at the same time as it 

is downloaded. 

RealAudio files were originally identified by a filename 

extension of .ra (for Real Audio). In 1997 RealNetworks 

also began offering a video format called RealVideo. The 

combination of the audio and video formats was called 

RealMedia and used the file extension .rm. 

In conclusion, with even a basic grasp of the usage of 

audio files, a person can infuse their hypermedia 

presentation or website into a true multimedia learning 

experience. If a picture of Beethoven is worth a thousand 

words, imagine what one of his symphonies can conjure up 

in a student’s mind! 

The table on page 26 encapsulates the file types discussed 

along with their parameters. 

Software 

So far, we have discussed what an audio file is and touched 

on various formats that may or may not be appropriate for 

particular uses. The piece of the puzzle that is still missing 

is the type of software that can be used to create, modify, 

and play the various types of files. Just as audio files come 

in different flavors, so do the software packages that can 

manipulate these files… it all depends on your specific needs. 


Comparison of Audio File Types 

File Type 

(extension) 

Compressed? 

Compression 

Type or PCM? 

WIN or 

MAC? 

Pros 

Cons 

MIDI 

(.mid) 

Not 

Applicable 

Not 

Applicable 

Both 

• Wide support in many 

browsers with no plug-in 

needed. 

• Possible for good sound 

quality but depends on 

sound card. 

• Small file size. 

• Instrumental only. 

• Cannot be recorded. 

Must be synthesized on 

a computer with special 

hardware and software. 

waveform 

extension 

(.wav) 

audio 

interchange 

format 

(.aiff) 

Mpeg-3 

motion 

picture 

expert 

group layer 

3 (.mp3) 

real audio 

(.ra, .ram) 

Windows 

Media 

Audio 

(.wma) 

No PCM WIN • Very good quality. 

• Widely supported in 

many browsers with no 

need for a plug-in. 

• Can record your own 

.wav files from a CD, tape, 

microphone, etc. 

No PCM MAC • Very good quality. 

• Widely supported in 

many browsers with no 

need for a plug-in. 

• Can record your own 

.aiff files from a CD, tape, 

microphone, etc. 

Yes Lossy Both • Compressed so file sizes 

are small. 

• Very good quality, on par 

with a CD. 

• Ability to stream the file 

so audience does not 

need to wait for entire file 

to download to hear it. 

Yes Lossy WIN • High degree of 

compression with smaller 

files than MP3. 

• Files can be streamed 

from web server without 

special software so 

listener can hear sound 

before the download has 

finished. Whole songs 

can play after seconds on 

a phone-line connection. 

Yes Lossless WIN • CD tracks ripped to 

WMA with Windows 

Media Player can be 

optionally “protected” 

(DRM-restricted) so they 

can only be used on a 

specific system. 

• Very large file sizes. 

• Very large file sizes. 

• Larger size than 

RealAudio file, slow to 

download a song over 

phone-line connection. 

• Helper app or plugin 

needed to hear the 

sounds. 

• Quality is poorer than 

MP3 files but new G2 

player and encoder 

increase quality. 

• Helper app or plug-in 

is needed to hear the 

sounds under the G2 

standard. Browsers to 

include plug-in for older 

version 5 player with 

browser downloads. 

• Does not seem to live up 

to Microsoft’s claim of 

quality equal to MP3. 


An educator tasked with selecting an appropriate package must 

first reflect on these needs. Do I want to record audio files? 

What format(s)? Do I have any need for employing special 

effects? What source(s) will the audio content come from? 

Keyboard? Microphone? What type(s) of devices do I want to 

send my final product to? iPod? CD? Do I need to convert from 

one format to another? All of these questions serve to help 

select the most appropriate package. Of course, the needs of 

one person or group may vary widely from another. 

The following are a sampling of audio recording/editing 

software packages. While each has a large number of 

capabilities, it is not the purpose of this article to promote 

any one package. 

Black Diamond Sound Systems 

TsunamiPro turns your computer into a professional 

recording studio. This is an award-winning, state-of-the-art, 

professional quality recording and editing program, yet it’s 

very simple to use. TsunamiPro features the following: 

• Supports 24 bits 

• Record/Edit MP3 files 

DirectX plugins 

• Remove Vocals 

• Special Effects 

Echo, flange, fade, more 

• CD Ripper 

• Four-track recording 

Multiple file formats 

• Built-in Mixer 

CD Player and Midi Player 

• Midi Keyboard 

Cakewalk Software 

pyro Audio Creator combines all the essential audio tools 

needed in today’s digital age. With Audio Creator’s virtual 

toolbox, recording and editing, burning and ripping CDs, 

converting and cleaning albums to CD or MP3, encoding, 

tagging and organizing your sound library, and even 

publishing to the Internet are possible. It’s from Cakewalk, 

makers of the world’s most popular music creation software, 

used daily by Grammy®-winning musicians and producers. 

Audio Creator is available direct from Cakewalk.com as a 

download or can be purchased at consumer electronics stores. 

Kazi Software 

Kazi Sound Recorder is a powerful sound recording and 

playing software. You can use it to grab sound from a 

microphone, VCR, Telephone, TV, Radio, Electronic Organ, 

Video Tape, CD Player, DVD Player, or dialogs from movies, 

game sounds, Streaming Audio on Internet, etc. Captured 

sounds can be saved in wav, mp3, and other file formats. 

The program offers direct support for RealPlayer, Winamp, 

Windows Media Player, Power DVD, Flash, Quicktime, and 

many others. It also includes a built-in mini player, so you 

can listen to your recordings immediately after recording. 

Sound Recorder (Windows) 

Sound Recorder can record audio from a microphone 

or headset; many modern sound cards allow their output 

channels to be recorded (the loopback channel is typically 

called “Wave Out Mix” or something similar). The recorded 

audio can be saved in .wav or .mp3 format inside the 

.wav container. Sound Recorder can also open existing 

uncompressed or compressed .wav files. 

Sound Recorder was included in all versions of Windows 

prior to Windows Vista and was based on Audio 

Compression Manager. It could open and save audio in 

uncompressed PCM format (.wav), including CD Quality 

audio. 

Goldwave Inc. 

GoldWave is a top-rated, professional digital audio editor. It 

contains many great features, such as: 

• Play, edit, mix, and analyze audio 

• Record audio from cassettes, vinyl records, radio, etc. 

through your computer’s line-in 

• Record and edit audio for podcasting or telephone 

systems 

• Apply special effects such as fade, equalizer, doppler, 

mechanize, echo, reverse, flanger, and more 

• Digitally remaster and restore old recordings with noise 

reduction and pop/click filters 

• Make digital copies of audio CD tracks using the CD 

Reader tool and save them in wav, wma, or MP3 files 

• Analyze human speech, birdsong, whale song 

• Convert files to/from different formats, such as wav, 

wma, MP3, aiff, au, and even raw binary data 

Freeverse 

Sound Studio 3 is an easy-to-use Mac OS X application 

for recording and editing digital audio on your computer. 

Digitize tapes and vinyl records, record live performances, 

create your own mixes with crossfades, tweak the levels 

and EQ, apply digital effects, and save in all major file 

formats with Sound Studio 3. The Mac’s most popular audio 

program for many years, Sound Studio continues to be 

regularly updated to add new features and to take advantage 

of the very latest Apple technologies. 


With Sound Studio 3, you can record professional-sounding 

Podcasts and other audio dialog. Check out the article on 

Suggested Recording Hardware to find out more about 

how to mic properly and other useful audio information. 

Positioned perfectly between more expensive programs 

with steep learning curves and far less robust apps, Sound 

Studio is for anyone who needs to record or edit audio with 

a professional tool, but at a consumer price. 

Take advantage of your Mac’s built-in audio capabilities. 

• Layer sounds with multiple tracks 

• Apply any of 24 built-in effects filters 

• Open and save in MP3, aiff, wav, and other popular file 

formats 

• Create podcasts with chapter markers 

• Edit iTunes song metadata and ID3 tags 

• Connects to any standard USB audio device or other 

Core Audio device. Batch process files using Automator 

or AppleScript 

Conclusion 

In this article, we have seen how sound can be captured in 

a structured form on electronic media. However, that is 

just the beginning, with a wide variety of formats available 

along with numerous types of software for the manipulation 

of these files. Today’s educator who is adept with this 

technology as well as the tools to harness its power is truly at 

the cutting edge of creating meaningful media for a variety 

of subject matter. That subject matter will be enhanced by 

the addition of this dimension so that students can fully 

experience their new learning environment. 

References 

Fries, B. & and Fries, M. (2005). Digital audio essentials 

(1st ed.). Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly Media. 

Watkinson, J. (2000). The art of digital audio (3rd ed.). 

Oxford: Focal Press. 

Joseph J. Frantiska, Jr. is a visiting 

assistant professor in the computer science 

department at Fitchburg State College in 

Fitchburg, Massachusetts. His research 

interests include hypermedia-based learning 

environments, instructional design, and 

constructivism. Dr. Frantiska received his 

Ed.D. degree with a concentration in educational technology 

from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He can be 

reached via email at Jfrantiska@aol.com. 

TTT Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation 


Avenues to Success—Developing a 

Thriving Technology Education 

Program 

Submitted by Gary Wynn 

Greenfield-Central High School, 

Greenfield, Indiana 

Across the USA, technology education has faced many 

challenges over the past several decades. Educational 

changes and reform at all levels seem to have had 

a positive effect on the required classes or “core” 

courses. As a result, “elective” courses seem to be delegated 

to a secondary role in a student’s education. 

Several years ago a friend asked if I thought it was possible 

to maintain a thriving technology education program with 

all the changes that have been taking place over the last ten 

years. He said that, with outside forces such as NCLB, statemandated 

exit exams, and the push for students to enroll 

in more math and science, technology education was 

becoming an afterthought in some schools. 

At a recent ITEA Conference, fellow teacher 

Trent Taylor and I explained in detail the 

almost 30-year evolution of the technology 

education program at Greenfield-Central 

High School, Greenfield, Indiana. 

Through the years, the curriculum, 

students, teachers, and administrators 

have changed, but one constant 

remains: the positive attitude that 

the community has for technology 

education. 

A student drawing of Greenfield-Central’s PLTW room, which 

will be completed in 2009. 

Our school’s journey to develop a 

thriving technology education program 

has taken many twists and turns. We 

have had numerous challenges that 

have affected both the program and the 

methods we have used to instruct our 

students. The following are some of the 

influences that we have encountered 

and how we adapted to them. 


Change in School Administration—Learning to 

Act as a Team 

In life there are times you can point to the exact moment 

that a movement or change occurs. In our department’s 

case, it was the hiring of a visionary high school principal, 

Mr. Robert Albano. Mr. Albano came to our school after 

being an administrator at one of Indianapolis’s finest 

vocational career high schools. At the time Mr. Albano was 

hired, the GCHS technology education curriculum was a 

disorganized hodgepodge of industrial arts- and industrial 

technology-titled courses. Students enrolled in the courses 

were learning, and good things were taking place but, on the 

whole, the department did not have a vision or direction. 

Getting Organized 

Mr. Albano was a master at organization, and one of the 

very first things he taught us was how to run a department 

meeting, for which he required the following: 

• A detailed meeting agenda 

• A reading of the minutes of the previous department 

meeting 

• Assignment of short- and long-term tasks to be 

completed by members of department 

• Written reports of progress made on short- and longterm 

tasks 

• Rigid department meeting time limits 

At our first department meeting that fall Mr. Albano 

pointed out many of our strengths and deficiencies. He then 

proposed that, before we worry about a new curriculum or 

revamped facilities, we should develop a vision of the future 

by doing the following: 

• Develop a department mission statement 

• Cultivate a department-wide vision built around a new 

mission statement 

• Develop a department 3-5 year plan of improvement 

• Start a school advisory committee for the department 

made up of: 

o Technology department members 

o Guidance staff 

o One administrator 

o One teacher from each of the math, science, and 

language arts departments 

o Two students enrolled in the department 

o Meet at least twice a year 

• Start a community advisory committee for the 

department made up of: 

o Technology department chairperson 

o Technology department member 

o Guidance department chairperson or member 

o One administrator 

o One or two parents with students in the 

technology program 

o At least three community\business members 

o Two students enrolled in the department 

o Meet at least twice a year 

Developing and Enhancing the Curriculum 

Indiana is fortunate to have an articulated technology 

education curriculum model created through the Indiana 

Department of Education’s Technology Education 

Curriculum Committee. This curriculum offered course 

titles and a foundation curriculum that teachers could 

model in their own classrooms. But, while the written guide 

provided a direction, the final course curriculum had to 

be developed by the instructors and then enhanced by the 

resources they used or created. 

Mark Holzhausen works with a student. 

Mr. Albano was a true believer in providing time and monies 

for teachers to have the opportunity to grow professionally. 

As the technology teachers worked on curriculum, they also 

looked at the type of facility they would need to ensure that 

students were free to work and learn to their potential. To 

make this possible, he ensured that teachers were provided: 

• Extra time with pay during the school day and summer 

to write curriculum maps, individual course unit plans, 

department goals, and individual teacher goals. 


• Time for the technology teacher “team” to gain 

professional development by providing monies so they 

could attend state and national technology education 

conferences. 

• Time to visit state universities/colleges and high 

schools that were known for their best practices and 

exemplified quality technology education programs. 

• Monies for the technology education teacher “team” 

to attend a local university to gain expertise in the 

understanding of computer software as well as 

professional development activities that explained best 

practices for teaching to groups and how to develop 

rubrics. 

Mr. Albano also stressed that, to have real change, the 

public and the students had to “see” it. He made teachers 

see that the way they had done things in the past was not the 

way they would be done in the future. As a result, labs and 

classrooms had the old battleship gray and green painted 

over with beige, red, yellow, and blue. Old governmentsurplus 

machines were either repaired and painted or sold 

off for scrap. Then he went to the guidance staff and strongly 

recommended that females be encouraged to enroll in 

technology courses. Over the next few years, people realized 

that technology education was evolving into something 

more than just “shop.” 

Trent Taylor observes a student’s work. 

Making the Connection With the Guidance Staff 

As pointed out earlier, when Mr. Albano arrived he made 

it clear to the entire high school teaching staff that having 

a strong technology education program was important to 

having a complete high school. His vision and leadership 

provided the opportunity for the technology education 

staff to have direct meetings with the guidance staff. At 

these meetings teachers were provided the opportunity to 

explain how the department and curriculum were changing. 

Another benefit of this face-to-face meeting was having 

guidance become partners on the technology education 

“team.” 

It has been several years since Mr. Albano moved on to 

another job, but the connections with guidance remain. To 

this day, guidance staff members are invited to: 

• Join in a working lunch or dinner at which it is 

emphasized how important they are to the success of 

the technology department and program. 

• Attend one of the monthly department meetings. 

• Attend a technology education conference. 

• Serve as a chaperone on student-centered trips such as 

those necessary for the technology student association. 

• Be included on visits to other successful technology 

education programs. 

• Spend a day or period in a technology classroom to 

observe the great things our students create every day. 

• Serve as judges at a student competition or student 

organization function. 

Making the Connection With the Students 

The transition from industrial arts to technology education 

was probably most difficult for students enrolled in the IA 

courses at the time. When the underclassmen left school in 

the spring and then returned that fall, the old shop facility 

and curriculum no longer existed. Many had a difficult 

time understanding that they would no longer be working 

on the same activities as they had the previous year. Those 

first two or three years were an adjustment for the students. 

The teachers finally learned they had to do a better job 

explaining that the new changes were designed to increase 

the rigor and relevance in their classroom. Here are some 

of the steps taken to help the students understand why the 

changes were necessary: 

• Field trips to local industries and businesses where 

students could “see” the skills they were modeling in 

action. 

• Inviting students who previously graduated and were 

working in industry or going to college to speak to the 

students about the skills they needed when they left 

high school. 


• Explaining to the students the need for knowledge 

and skills that will allow them to be successful in 

occupations that may not exist today. 

• Inviting local business leaders to make presentations 

on the attributes they were looking for in prospective 

employees. 

• Showing films and videos of career occupations that 

would be available to them in the twenty-first century. 

• Reminding students that almost 70 percent of their 

time in class was still hands-on in a laboratory. 

• Establishing extracurricular activities such as 

Technology Student Association club events, Super 

Mileage vehicles, and robotics competitions where 

they are exposed to information and activities found 

outside the classroom. 

Connecting With New School Administration, 

Parents, and the Community 

After Mr. Albano’s departure, an administrator with 

reservations concerning the need and importance of 

technology education arrived. In fact, during our first 

meeting in the fall, one of the first challenges he made to our 

department was to say, “I have seen several new technology 

education programs and I have not been that impressed 

with what I have seen.” He continued to say that he felt that, 

if we were going to have a technology education program 

at his high school, our department members would have to 

prove it meets the needs of students. 

After thinking about this administrator’s concerns and 

realizing what the ramifications of his remarks could have 

on the future of our department, we realized that we had to 

develop a plan to promote the good things our students do. 

We did this by first determining who our clients were: 

• Students 

• Parents 

• Other high school staff 

• School board 

• School administration 

• Taxpayers and community members 

• Business\industry leaders 

• Universities and colleges 

o 

materials to be given to all clients at appropriate 

occasions. 

Newspaper, television, and radio 

◊ Technology students’ pictures appeared in 

local newspaper at least once a month. 

◊ Showcase students on local cable outlet at 

least twice a year. 

◊ Invite media to cover construction of 

several after-school student activities. 

◊ Showcase student activities on the school 

radio station or school newspaper. 

The next step was to put our promotion plan into action by 

doing the following: 

• To all clients: 

o Students and technology teachers developed a 

department website. 

o Students and technology teachers developed 

quality handouts and other promotional 

Mark Holzhausen makes a presentation to his class. 


• School board, administration, and guidance 

department 

o Instructors attend school board meetings with 

students. 

o Instructors have students present information 

about their achievements at school board 

meetings. 

o Invite them to be judges at a local student 

competition. 

o Invite them to attend after-school functions. 

o Submit articles to be in administration parents’ 

newsletters. 

• Community connections 

o Technology students should be visible in the 

community: 

◊ At local community festivals 

◊ At annual county fair 

◊ Community service for senior citizens 

◊ Community service project such as 

cleaning up local park 

◊ Participating in school events such as 

Homecoming festivities. 

• Taxpayers\community members\business\industry 

leaders 

o Student presentations about the curriculum and 

program at: 

◊ Service groups 

◊ PTAs 

◊ Incoming freshman orientation 

◊ City council meetings 

◊ Open houses 

◊ Eighth grade guidance counselor’s meetings 

◊ Presentation in ninth grade career course 

• Have students involved in after-school student 

activities 

o Technology Student Association 

o FIRST Robotics 

o Super Mileage vehicle competitions 

o College competitions 

o Vex Robotics 

o Rube Goldberg 

• Other high school staff 

o Start cross-curricular projects: 

◊ Mousetrap car – science and math 

◊ Rockets – science and math 

◊ Portfolios – language arts 

◊ Research papers – language arts 

◊ Manufacturing – family consumer science 

◊ Welding – agriculture sciences 

◊ Manufacturing\transportation – special 

needs 

o Summer enrichment programs 

◊ Robotics\engineering, construction 

◊ Transportation, communications, and 

manufacturing 

• Other community connections 

o Invite local leaders from various professions to 

speak or teach a lesson to your students from 

occupations found in: 

◊ Construction 

◊ Manufacturing 

◊ Amateur radio 

◊ Engineering 

◊ Government officials 

◊ Transportation and logistics 

o Another connection is to solicit donations from 

contractors and businesses 

◊ Scrap metal 

◊ Scrap wood 

◊ Mismixed paint 

◊ Scrap construction materials 

◊ Prepared food (pizza, chicken, Mexican, 

etc.) 

Over the last 20 years, the Greenfield-Central High School 

Technology Education Program has been recognized as 

Indiana’s Program Excellence winner three different times. 

Today GCSC Superintendent, Dr Linda Gellert, G-CHS 

Principal Mr. Steve Bryant, technology education teachers 

Mark Holzhausen, Trent Taylor, and I are continuing to 

develop a thriving technology education program that 

is adapting to the needs of students. Many years ago we 

learned that change will not happen overnight, and that 

nothing can be taken for granted when creating a thriving 

program. We realize that success is not based on the actions 

of an individual, but rather a “team” that remembers where 

they have been and has a vision of where they want to go. 

Gary Wynn, DTE is a technology education 

instructor at Greenfield-Central High 

School, Greenfield, IN. He can be reached 

via email at gwynn50@gmail.com. 


Classroom Challenge 

Wood Pole Alternative Design Challenge 

By Harry T. Roman 

It’s the kind of challenge 

that will completely change 

the way students see such 

a commonplace piece of 

engineering. 

Introduction 

Everyone knows what they are, the wooden utility poles 

that hold up power lines, telephone lines, and cable TV 

wires. They are everywhere and aging rapidly. Probably 

the average life of utility poles now in service is easily over 

40 years. This important resource now requires increasing 

maintenance and care to restore and preserve them in 

place. Wood, like all natural products, has a finite lifetime. 

In this challenge, your students will seek alternatives to 

traditional wood poles. 

The Challenge 

Students will investigate and develop viable alternatives to 

wood poles. They will: 

• Identify new methods to treat the traditional wood 

poles that are environmentally clean and increase their 

average service life. 

• Propose perhaps using completely different kinds of 

natural materials or tree species never used before. 

OR 

• Develop a completely new pole concept using synthetic, 

recycled, or man-made materials. 

This is not a trivial problem, and requires multidimensional 

thinking and interdisciplinary problem-solving skills. 

Getting Underway 

There are probably close to 100 million wood poles in 

service across the country, with various wood species used 

locally depending upon ground conditions and insects 

present. The first thing students need to understand is how 

wood poles today are treated for use. This information is 

available from: 

• Utility companies 

• Libraries 

• The Internet 

• Utility industry regulatory agencies 

• Pole manufacturers 

• Industry experts 

Wooden utility poles are everywhere and aging rapidly. 


improvements over the long term. Engineers pay attention 

to the costs of solving a problem. More and more concern 

with environmental issues and disposal costs for poles is 

creeping into the financial equation for pole budgets at 

companies. 

Utility workers can reach up into the poles and wires in 

one of two ways: 1) bucket trucks provide aerial access, or 

2) poles are climbed using spiked boot attachments. 

Bucket trucks can provide aerial access to utility poles and wires. 

Wood species that are used can vary as well. This needs to 

also be researched and can generally be found from the same 

sources as initially listed above. The electric utility industry, 

which owns most of the poles, has a national research 

arm in California known as the Electric Power Research 

Institute that can be reached at www.epri.com. Here much 

information about wood poles can be gained. There are also 

colleges across the country that have forestry programs, 

and generally within these programs are professors who 

are experts in wood poles used in industry. This is another 

resource that should be pursued. 

Much concern has been expressed in the past about how 

creosote and other petrochemicals have been used to treat 

the poles and preserve them for long life. Other treatment 

processes have been proposed, and new types of poles have 

been experimented with over the last decade or so. Might 

there be another way to treat the poles to preserve them 

without using dangerous oil-based chemicals that could 

leach out of the poles and into the nearby soil? A first order 

of business is a solid understanding about how poles are 

made. This is task number one for the students. 

Another important step is a complete understanding of the 

costs associated with wood poles. Let’s make a list to get 

things started here: 

• Bare cost of the timber 

• Treatment and preservation costs 

• Shipping and stocking the poles at the utility company 

• Installing the poles and attaching equipment 

• Maintaining the poles and repair costs 

• Removal and disposal costs 

Any changes to traditional pole technology by substituting 

new types of poles should be economically better than 

the existing pole technology or promise radically better 

Any changes that are evaluated may have to accommodate 

both methods of gaining access, or there must be reason to 

believe that perhaps traditional pole climbing using spikes 

may eventually be phased out. Changes like this may vary 

from utility to utility and across geographical areas. For 

instance, where poles are not near roads or road access, 

bucket trucks may be useless and workers will climb the 

poles using the old spike method. For urban and suburban 

areas, bucket trucks may be just fine. Local conditions 

may dictate where wood or nonwood poles are used. Nonwood 

poles may be impossible to climb using spikes, and 

this may be a constraint in which nonwood poles can be 

used. Students should be mindful of this and other such 

constraints as they research the area for information and 

experience. 

Don’t hesitate to invite an electric utility company engineer 

in to talk about wood poles, or maybe arrange a visit to a 

company site to see the poles. Maybe your students can 

actually see a wood pole installed or repaired in place, and 

gain perspective about the complexities involved. Nothing 

would beat such an experience and being able to interview 

engineers and technicians who perform this work all the 

time. Utility companies are usually quite amenable to 

working with schools within their community. This is a 

superb source of firsthand information for the challenge. 

There should be lots of latitude given to students in this 

challenge; and they can work in teams or individually 

as conditions justify. It’s the kind of challenge that will 

completely change the way they see such a commonplace 

piece of engineering like wood poles—and give them the 

perspective to see engineering principles and techniques in 

many other mundane, taken-for-granted objects. A pole is a 

whole lot more than simply a dead tree. Have fun! 

Harry T. Roman recently retired from his 

engineering job and is the author of a variety 

of new technology education books. He can 

be reached via email at htroman49@aol. 

com. 



3M Company 

Booths 312, 314 

6801 River Place Blvd. 

Austin, TX 78726 

Phone: 512-984-5483 

Email: grpranke@mmm.com 

Website: www.3m.com/meetings 

3M Projection Systems launches “New” 2008 

All-In-One Projection and Interactive Solutions 

for the Class Room (Cost Effective Installation 

and Security, Built in Stereo Sound System, 3M 

Vikuiti Super Close Projection Technology, and 

Interactive White Board Choices). 

A 

Advanced Technologies / EMCO Maier 

Booth 419 

110 W. Main Street 

Northville, MI 48167 

Phone: 800-348-8447 

Fax: 248-348-3040 

Email: atcmi@aol.com 

Website: www.advancedtechnologies.net 

Nation’s leading distributor of technical 

training curriculum, equipment, and furniture. 

Featuring EMCO MAIER, the world’s leading 

manufacturer of innovative CNC Machine Tool 

training curriculum and equipment. 

Amatrol* 

Booths 400, 402 

2400 Centennial Blvd. 

Jeffersonville, IN 47130 

Phone: 812-288-8285 

Fax: 812-283-1582 

Email: sales@amatrol.com 

Website: www.amatrol.com 

In high schools and beyond, Amatrol’s projectbased 

and pre-engineering labs offer the 

most comprehensive technology curriculum 

available. Exciting multimedia material adds 

success to a variety of learning systems. 

Applied Technologies 

Booths 700, 702 

366 Switch Road SW 

Calhoun, GA 30701 

Phone: 800-334-4943 

Fax: 706-629-6761 

Email: applied.tech@lli.com 

Website: www.applied-technologies.com 

Applied Technologies offers Career 

Connections (Supporting the States’ Career 

Cluster Initiative), Health Science (Foundations 

CONFERENCE EXHIBITORS CONFIRMED AS OF DECEMBER 11, 2007. 

and Career Skills), PACS (Pathways for 

Agriscience Carers), and Information 

Technology (Career Exploration and 

Certification). 

Autodesk® 

Booths 600, 602 

111 McInnis Parkway 

San Rafael, CA 94903 

Phone: 415-507-5000 

Fax: 415-507-5100 

Website: www.autodesk.com/edcommunity 

Autodesk, the world leader in 2D and 3D 

design software, helps the next generation of 

engineers, architects, and designers experience 

their ideas before they are real and is committed 

to making software available inside and outside 

of the classroom. Educators and students can 

use the same software that professionals use 

by downloading free* Autodesk software and 

sample curriculum from our Autodesk Student 

Engineering and Design Community site. Join 

today at www.autodesk.com/edcommunity. For 

more information about Autodesk’s academic 

solutions and the community site, visit us at 

Booths 600 and 602. 

B 

Ball State University 

Booth 100 

Department of Technology, AT 131 

Muncie, IN 47306 

Phone: 765-285-5642 

Fax: 765-285-2162 

Email: rshackelford@bsu.edu 

Website: www.bsu.edu/technology 

BSU offers a bachelors degree in Technology 

Education and master’s degrees in Technology 

Education, and Career and Technical 

Education. Both masters degrees are offered 

100% online. 

C 

The CAD Academy 

Booth 717 

15508 W. Bell Road 

Suite 101, PMB 529 

Surprise, AZ 85374-3436 

Phone: 800-995-8426 

Fax: 623-321-1153 

Email: info@thecadacademy.com 

Website: www.thecadacademy.com 

The CAD Academy is a comprehensive and 

affordable pre-engineering/architecture 

program. Our mission is to inspire a new 

generation of engineers and architects. 

Cadsoft Envisioneer 

Booth 612 

32 Commercial Street 

Concord, NH 03301 

Phone: 800-338-2238 

Fax: 603-225-7766 

Email: info@TECedu.com 

Website: www.TECedu.com 

Cadsoft Envisioneer provides 3D 

Architectural, Interior, and Landscape Design 

Software 

California University of 

Pennsylvania 

Applied Engineering & Technology 

Booth 114 

250 University Avenue 

California, PA 15419-1394 

Phone: 724-938-4085 

Fax: 724-938-4572 

Email: Komacek@cup.edu 

Website: www.cup.edu/eberly/aet/index.jsp 

CareerSafe Online 

Booth 315 

1500 University Drive East, Suite 100 

College Station, Texas 77840 

Phone: 979-260-0030 

Fax: 979-260-0037 

Email: afoster@careersafeonline.com 

Website: www.careersafeonline.com 

The CareerSafe Online OSHA training 

program provides web-based OSHA training to 

students in a unique youth-2-youth format that 

educates your students on OSHA standards and 

regulations, and provides them with an OSHA 

10-Hour card. 

CarveWright WoodWorking Systems* 

LHR Technologies, Inc. 

Booth 720 

4930 Allen Genoa 

Pasadena, TX 77504 

Phone: 713-473-6572 

Fax: 713-473-6545 

Email: info@carvewright.com 

Website: www.carvewright.com 

The CarveWright Woodworking System is 

a computer-controlled woodcarving system 

that is compact, powerful, and easy to use. For 

beginners to experts. 


Chief Architect 

Booth 520 

6500 N. Mineral Drive 

Coeur d’ Alene, ID 83815 

Phone: 800-482-4433 

Fax: 208-292-3420 

Email: info@chiefarchitect.com 

Website: www.chiefarchitect.com 

For 25 years, Chief Architect, Inc. has 

been a leading developer and supporter of 

Home Design Software for the Educational 

Marketplace, Building/Design Professionals, 

and Home Enthusiasts. 

CNC Software/Mastercam* 

Island 607 

5717 Wollochet Drive, 2A 

Gig Harbor, WA 98335 

Phone: 253-858-6677 

Fax: 253-858-6737 

Email: dann@mastercamedu.com 

Website: www.mastercamedu.com 

Allow your students to apply what they learn. 

With Mastercam, your students can bring their 

designs to life, moving their designs from the 

computer screen into their hands. 

D 

Delmar, Cengage Learning* 

Booth 517 

5 Maxwell Drive 

Clifton Park, NY 12065 

Phone: 800-998-7498 

Fax: 518-881-1264 

Email: mark.pierro@cengage.com 

Website: www.delmarcengage.com 

Find learning solutions to boost your career, 

augment your curriculum, improve your 

training courses, or help you master new 

skills. Delmar, Cengage Learning is the leader 

in skills-based solutions for educational 

institutions, businesses, and professionals. With 

a wide variety of innovative learning solutions 

such as books, software, videos, and online 

training materials, including custom-built 

technology solutions, you’ll find solutions that 

best fit your needs today and for the future. 

Denford, Inc. 

Booth 615 

815 W. Liberty Street 

Medina, OH 44256 

Phone: 330-725-3497 

Email: jkeplar@denford.com 

Website: www.denford.com 

Denford offers a full range of “Total Solutions” 

for education/training in CAD/CAM/CNC/ 

CIM and is founder of F1 in Schools, a multidisciplinary 

challenge (STEM). 

DEPCO 

Booths 300, 302, 304 

3305 Airport Drive 

Pittsburg, KS 66762 

Phone: 800-767-1062 

Fax: 620-231-0024 

Email: tgraham@depcollc.com 

Website: www.depcollc.com 

DEPCO’s interactive learning units provide 

students with valuable career, life, and academic 

experiences. Students are challenged with 

exciting, hands-on activities that cover a variety 

of career areas including Technology, Business, 

Industrial Automation Pre-Engineering, 

AgriScience, and FACS. 

Dimension 3D Printing 

Booth 508 

7665 Commerce Way 

Eden Prairie, MN 55344 

Phone: 952-937-3000 

Fax: 952-294-3715 

Email: info@dimensionprinting.com 

Website: www.dimensionprinting.com 

Dimension Printers are classroom-friendly 3D 

modelers. Turn CAD drawings into ARS plastic 

models. 

E 

Energy Concepts, Inc. 

Booth 215 

404 Washington Blvd. 

Mundelein, IL 60060 

Phone: 847-837-8191 

Fax: 847-837-8171 

Email: mrudes@ecimail.com 

Website: www.eci-info.com 

Energy Concepts provides innovative 

contextual-based training systems for 

electronic, pre-engineeering, manufacturing 

technology, and applied chemistry and physics 

that blend science and technology skills. 

F 

F1 in Schools 

Booth 705 

6235 Lafayette Road 

Medina, OH 44256 

Phone: 330-242-0667 

Email: pkoontz@neo.rr.com 

Website: www.f1inschools.us 

Our main objective is to help change 

perceptions of science, technology, engineering 

and math (STEM) by creating a fun and exciting 

learning environment for young people. 

G 

GEARS Educational Systems, LLC* 

Booth 714 

105 Webster Street 

Hanover, MA 02339 

Phone: 781-878-1512 

Fax: 781-878-6708 

Email: mnewby@gearseds.com 

Website: www.gearseds.com 

Design, build, and test mechanisms with 

GEARS Invention & Design System. Use our 

industry grade components to create integrated 

CAD, math, science, and technology lessons 

and activities. Designed to inspire creativity and 

innovation. 

Glencoe/McGraw-Hill* 

Booth 407 

8787 Orion Place 

Columbus, OH 43240-4027 

Phone: 800-334-7344 

Fax: 614-860-1877 

Email: customer.service@mcgraw-hill.com 

Website: www.glencoe.com 

Please visit Glencoe/McGraw-Hill for the 

latest technology education programs for 

Grades 6-12. Glencoe is also the leading 

publisher of high school Trade, Technical, and 

Health Care Sciences titles. 

Goodheart-Willcox Publisher* 

Booths 601, 603 

18604 West Creek Drive 

Tinley Park, IL 60477 

Phone: 800-323-0440 

Fax: 888-409-3900 

Email: jwalsh@g-w.com 

Website: www.g-w.com 

Goodheart-Willcox Publisher products have 

high quality presentation, authoritative content, 

and an abundance of illustrations involving 

pedagogy, real-world examples, and appropriate 

readability that are hallmarks of Goodheart- 

Willcox products. 

Graymark International, Inc. 

Booths 418, 420 

P.O. Box 2015 

Tustin, CA 92781 

Phone: 714-544-1414 

Email: sales@graymarkint.com 

Website: www.graymarkint.com 

High quality electronic kits, projects, and career 

trainers to meet your curriculum objectives, 

ranging from basic kits and robots to home 

technology certification trainers. 


Great Lakes Press Inc. 

Booth 409 

PO Box 550 

Wildwood, MO 63040 

Phone: 800-837-0201 

Fax: 636-273-6086 

Email: service@GLPBOOKS.com 

Website: www.glpbooks.com 

Great Lakes Press/Engineering Your Future 

Publisher of the best-selling introduction to 

the engineering textbooks line “Engineering 

Your Future” for high school and middle school. 

Great introduction to engineering resources for 

K-6 as well. 

Greene Mfg., Inc. 

Booth 405 

3985 S. Fletcher Road 

Chelsea, MI 48118 

Phone: 734-428-8304 

Fax: 734-428-7672 

Email: chriss@greenemfg.com 

Website: www.greenemfg.com 

GMI offers a wide range of quality furniture 

products for the K-12, vocational, and college 

markets. GMI offers a free lab-planning service, 

from floor plans to product specifications. 

H 

Hearlihy* 

Booths 505, 507 

1002 E. Adams 

PO Box 1708 


Phone: 877-680-2700 

Fax: 800-443-2260 

Website: www.hearlihy.com 

Hearlihy offers a complete line of drafting/ 

CAD products, technology education modules, 

whole-classroom activities, family and 

consumer sciences curricula, and supplemental 

education products. 

I 

Illinois State University 

Booth 101 

210 I Turner Hall 

Normal, IL 61790-5100 

Phone: 309-438-2665 

Fax: 309-438-8626 

Email: camckay@ilstu.edu 

Website: tec.ilstu.edu 

Illinois State University offers comprehensive 

degree programs in Technology Education and 

Technology. Bachelor’s and master’s degree 

programs are available as well as research 

positions. 

INSPIRE INNOVATION 

Booths 218, 220 

1420 King St. Suite 405 

Alexandria, VA 22314 

Phone: 703-548-5387 

Fax: 703-548-0769 

Email: lyoder@jets.org 

Website: www.jets.org 

Four organizations collaborating to provide 

engineering lesson plans, hands-on activities, 

career information, workshops, and more. 

intelitek, Inc.* 

Booth 521 

444 E. Industrial Park Drive 

Manchester, NH 03109 

Phone: 603-625-8600 

Fax: 603-625-2137 

Email: sales@intelitek.com 

Website: www.intelitek.com 

intelitek, a world-leading developer of 

engineering and technology training systems, 

will demonstrate LearnMate, the best 

E-Learning product available for Engineering 

Programs, Robotics and Engineering Programs, 

and Automated Manufacturing Training 

Programs. Our blended solutions leverage the 

best Learning Management System (LMS) 

content with simulations and animations for 

an on-screen interactive learning experience 

including virtual 3-D machines and robots, and 

state-of-the-art hardware for hands-on training. 

K 

KELVIN* 

Booths 701, 703 

280 Adams Boulevard 

Farmingdale, NY 11735 

Phone: 631-756-1750 

Fax: 631-756-1763 

Email: Kelvin@kelvin.com 

Website: www.kelvin.com 

KELVIN is the educator’s source for learning 

and problem-solving products for science 

and technology education. We provide for 

schools, teachers, and students a broad array of 

materials and products to help develop research 

and engineering skills. 

L 

Lab-Volt Systems* 

Booths 414, 415, 416, 417 

PO Box 686 

Farmingdale, NJ 07727 

Phone: 1-800-Lab-Volt 

Fax: 732-774-8573 

Email: drodriquez@labvolt.com 

Website: www.labvolt.com 

Lab-Volt’s award-winning technology 

education programs prepare the next 

generation of Tech Savvy students to succeed 

beyond High School and in the workforce. 

Lab-Volt also offers career and technical 

programs in Manufacturing, IT, Electronics, 

Electromechanical Systems, CNC, and other 

high-growth job areas. 

LEGO Education* 

Booths 504, 506 

1005 E. Jefferson 

PO Box 1707 


Phone: 800-362-4308 

Fax: 620-231-4767 

Website: www.legoeducation.com 

LEGO Education provides standards-based, 

hands-on science, math, and technology 

curricula including robotics, simple machines, 

structures, energy, and physical science that 

engage and motivate students. 

M 

MAXNC 

Booth 509 

1025 N. McQueen Rd., #158 

Gilbert, AZ 85233 

Phone: 480-940-9414 

Fax: 480-940-2384 

Email: CJDroz1@cox.net 

Website: www.maxnc.com 

Tabletop CNC machines & motion control 

devices. 

Mimio 

Booth 213 

25 First Street, Suite 301 

Cambridge, MA 02141 

Phone: 617-902-2040 

Fax: 617-902-2041 

Email: Danelle.Baker@mimio.com 

Website: www.mimio.com 

Mimix xi is a portable and affordable device 

that attaches to any whiteboard and turns it into 

an interactive whiteboard. 

MR Board, Inc. 

Booth 515 

11591 Terendale Lane 

Sandy, UT 84092 

Fax: 801-553-9732 

Email: ishan@mrboardnet.com 

Website: www.mrboardnet.com 

MR Board products make it possible for any 

electrical connections in a circuit board to be 

constructed by magnetic connectors. 

N 

NASA Explorer Schools 

Booth 217 

NSTA 1840 Wilson Boulevard 

Arlington, VA 22201-3000 

Phone: 703-312-9388 

Fax: 703-243-3925 

Email: explorerschools@nsta.org 

Website: explorerschools.nasa.gov 

Schools can apply to partner with NASA 

in a program designed to bring engaging 

mathematics, science, and technology learning 

to educators, students, and families. 


National Center for Engineering and 

Technology Education (NCETE) 

Booth 109 

6000 Old Main Hill 

Logan, Utah 84322 

Phone: 435-797-2076 

Fax: 435-797-2567 

Email: kbecker@cc.usu.edu 

Website: www.ncete.org 

National Instruments 

Booth 209 

11500 N Mopac Expy. 

Austin, TX 78759 

Phone: 866-474-2463 

Fax: 512-683-9300 

Email: info@ni.com 

Website: www.ni.com 

National Instruments is committed to 

enhancing education by collaborating with 

leading science, technology, engineering, and 

math (STEM) programs to meet the changing 

needs of today’s students and educators. 

Industry-standard NI products provide 

powerful tools for educators to introduce 

STEM concepts in a fun and engaging way 

through hands-on, project-based learning. 

NComputing, Inc. 

Booth 514 

One Lagoon Drive 

Suite 110 

Redwood City, CA 94065 

Phone: 888-365-1210 

Fax: 714-940-0914 

Email: sales-us@ncomputing.com 

Website: www.ncomputing.com 

NComputing turns everyday computers 

into powerful, energy-efficient, multiuser 

platforms. Reliably share a single PC with up 

to 30 students simultaneously for under $100 

per seat. 

NetOp Tech Inc. 

Booths 301, 303 

737 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1510 

Chicago, IL 60611 

Phone: 312-376-0510 

Fax: 312-376-0601 

Email: ussales@netop.com 

Website: www.netoptech.com 

NetOp’s software enables the swift, secure, and 

seamless transfer of screens, sounds, and data. 

Our products include NetOp School, NetOp 

Netfilter, and NetOp Remote Control. 

North Carolina State University 

College of Education 

Department of Mathematics, 

Science, and Technology Education 

Booth 119 

2310 Stinson Drive 

PO Box 7801 

Raleigh, NC 27695-7801 

Phone: 919-515-1718 

Fax: 919-515-6892 

Email: jim_haynie@ncsu.edu 

Website: www.ncsu.edu 

North Carolina State University offers 

undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs 

in Technology Education. Stop by our display 

and learn more. 

O 

The Ohio State University 

Technology Education 

Booth 110 

1100 Kinnear Road, Room 100 

Columbus, OH 43212-1152 

Phone: 614-292-7471 

Fax: 614-292-2662 

Email: post.1@osu.edu 

Website: www.teched.coe.ohio-state-edu 

The Ohio State University offers initial teaching 

licensure programs at the baccalaureate and 

master’s degree levels, and professional growth 

programs at the masters and doctoral levels. 

Graduate assistantships are available. 

Old Dominion University 

Technology Education 

Booth 103 

Education 228 

Hampton Boulevard 

Norfolk, VA 23529-0498 

Phone: 757-683-4305 

Fax: 757-683-5227 

Email: jritz@odu.edu 

Website: http://education.odu.edu/ots/ 

Learn about graduate study for M.S. and 

Ph.D. degrees. Courses available through 

videostreamed and televised mediums. 

P 

Parallax Inc. 

Booth 608 

599 Menlo Drive 

Rocklin, CA 95765 

Phone: 916-624-8333 

Fax: 916-624-8003 

Email: pbouchard@parallax.com 

Website: www.parallax.com 

Parallax, Inc. is a privately held company 

located in Rocklin, California. Parallax designs 

and manufactures microcontroller development 

tools and small single-board computers that 

are used by electronic engineers, educational 

institutions, and hobbyists. Our current 

product line consists of BASIC Stamp® 

microcontrollers and development software, 

SX chips and programmers/debuggers, project 

boards, sensors, educational tools, robotics kits 

and accessories, and Propeller chips and tools. 

Paxton/Patterson* 

Booths 200-205 

7523 S Sayre Avenue 

Chicago, IL 60638 

Phone: 800-323-8484 

Fax: 708-594-1907 

Email: sales@paxpat.com 

Website: www.paxtonpatterson.com 

Learning Systems for Technology Education, 

Construction Trades, and Family & Consumer 

Sciences that help students determine their 

interests and aptitudes. 12,000 tools and 

supplies. 

Pearson* 

Booth 208 

501 Boylston Street, #900 

Boston, MA 02116 

Phone: 866-326-4259 

Fax: 866-509-7226 

Email: wendy.tschida@pearson.com 

Website: www.pearsonschool.com/careertech 

Pearson publishes market-leading textbooks 

supported by outstanding print and technology 

resources. Visit our booth to see our new titles 

in Computer Application, Computer Literacy, 

and Information Technology. 

Pitsco* 

Booths 500, 502 


PO Box 1708 


Phone: 800-835-0686 

Fax: 620-231-1339 

Website: www.pitsco.com 

Pitsco’s, innovative, hands-on products bring 

excitement and success to math, science, and 

technology classrooms. Our activities make 

learning meaningful for students and rewarding 

for teachers. 

PTC* 

Booths 401, 403 

140 Kendrick Street 

Needham, MA 02494 

Phone: 781-370-5000 

Fax: 781-370-6000 

Email: education@ptc.com 

Website: www.ptc.com/go/schools 

Serving over 50,000 companies worldwide, 

PTC develops and supports superior Product 

Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions. The 

PTC DesignQuest Schools Program provides 

industry-leading 3D CAD and mathematical 

computation software; along with a complete 

curriculum, training, and classroom materials 

to help educators and students succeed in a 

technological world. 

R 

ROBOTIS 

Booth 606 

605 Ace Techno Tower 

55-7 Mullaedong 3Ga Yeongdungpogu 

Seoul Korea 150-992 

Phone: 82-2-2168-8796 

Fax: 82-2-2168-8795 

Email: contactus2@robotis.com 

Website: www.robotis.com 

BIOLOID - an educational robot construction 

kit for building robots using special modular 

DC serve blocks, especially designed for robotic 

application. 


S 

Satco Supply 

Booth 620 

441 Old Hwy. 8 NW, Suite 202 

St. Paul, MN 55112 

Phone: 800-328-4644 

Fax: 651-604-6606 

Email: sales@satcosupply.net 

Website: www.tools4schools.com 

Representing over 500 manufacturers of 

tools, equipment, furniture, and supplies 

for Technology, vocational, and industrial 

education. Request our 2008 Tools-For-Schools 

catalog for great savings. 

SolidWorks Corporation* 

Booths 713, 715 

300 Baker Avenue 

Concord, MA 01742 

Phone: 800-693-9000 

Fax: 978-371-5088 

Email: info@solidworks.com 

Website: www.solidworks.com 

SolidWorks Corporation develops and 

markets software for design, analysis, and 

product data management. 

St. Cloud State University 

Booth 102 

Headley Hall 216 

720 4th Ave. South 

St. Cloud, MN 56301-4498 

St. Cloud State University is the only NCATE 

accredited technology education program 

in Minnesota with an M.S. program offering 

courses online and a graduate certificate in 

Technology Education Standards. 

Synergistic Learning Systems* 

Booths 501, 503 


PO Box 1708 


Phone: 800-728-5787 

Fax: 620-231-2466 

Website: www.synergistic-systems.com 

Synergistic Learning Systems provides 

innovative K-12 solutions that include 

environment, multimedia-delivered curriculum, 

assessments, and hands-on activities. The 

curriculum integrates math, science, and 

technology. 

T 

TECHNO, INC. 

Booths 707, 709 

2101 Jericho Turnpike 

New Hyde Park, NY 11040 

Phone: 516-328-3970 

Fax: 516-358-2576 

Email: technoed1@comcast.net 

Website: www.technoedcnc.com 

Techno DaVinci and LC series computerized 

routers, with over 10,000 installed worldwide 

in industry and education. Techno offers a 

complete range of fifteen (15) work centers, 

starting with work areas ranging from 10” x 12” 

up to 5’ x 12’ and starting at $6,995.00. Techno 

offers industrial CNC equipment at prices 

affordable to the education market. 

Technology Education Concepts, Inc.* 

Booth 614 

32 Commercial Street 

Concord, NH 03301 

Phone: 800-338-2238 

Fax: 603-225-7766 

Email: info@TECedu.com 

Website: www.TECedu.com 

TEC, Inc. provides 3D Academic Engineering 

Software, Hardware, and Curriculum Solutions 

for middle, secondary, and post-secondary 

institutions nationwide. 

Technology Student Association 

(TSA) 

Booth 104 

1914 Association Drive, Suite 203 

Reston, VA 20191 

Phone: 703-860-9000 

Fax: 703-758-4852 

Email: rwhite@tsaweb.org 

Website: www.tsaweb.org 

Visit the Technology Student Association (TSA) 

booth to meet the national student officers. 

Everyone who stops by will receive a small 

token of appreciation for his or her support of 

TSA. 

U 

Universal Laser Systems, Inc. 

Booth 513 

7845 E. Paradise Lane 

Scottsdale, AZ 85260 

Phone: 480-483-1214 

Fax: 480-315-8680 

Website: www.ulsinc.com 

Manufacturer of computer-controlled CO 2 

laser engraving and cutting systems that 

accommodate a wide variety of materials 

including plastic, wood, rubber, paper, glass, 

and more. 

University of Wisconsin, Stout 

Booth 108 

267 Home Economics Building 

Menomonie, WI 54751 

Phone: 715-232-1088 

Fax: 715-232-1244 

Website: www.uwstout.edu 

UW-Stout has a long, rich history preparing 

Technology Education teacher leaders. 

Drop by to learn about their new $10,000 

technology and engineering teacher education 

scholarships. 

Utah State University 

Booth 107 

6000 Old Main Hill 

Logan, Utah 84322 

Phone: 435-797-2076 

Fax: 435-797-2567 

Email: kbecker@cc.usu.edu 

Website: www.ete.usu.edu 

V 

Valley City State University 

Booth 106 

101 College Street, SW 

Valley City, ND 58072 

Phone: 701-845-7444 

Fax: 701-845-7190 

Email: teched@vcsu.edu 

Website: http://teched.vcsu.edu 

Valley City State University is a graduate 

institution that offers standards-based online 

graduate and undergraduate technology teacher 

education programs. Call 800-532-8641 ext 

37444 or visit http://teched.vcsu.edu. 

Vernier Software & Technology 

Booth 604 

13979 SW Millikan Way 

Beaverton, OR 97005 

Phone: 503-277-2299 

Fax: 503-277-2440 

Email: info@vernier.com 

Website: www.vernier.com 

Vernier Software & Technology carries 

over 50 affordable data collection sensors for 

technology education, compatible with LEGO’s 

NXT and our own SensorDAQ USB interface. 

W 

Welsh Products, Inc. 

Booth 308 

1316 Oak Circle 

Box 6120 

Arnold, CA 95223 

Phone: 209-795-3285 

Fax: 866-855-4239 

Email: infoi@WelshProducts.com 

Website: www.WelshProducts.com 

We sell simplified screen printing products for 

schools, artists, and printers. Inkjet transfer, 

color, laser, sublimation, thermal screen, and 

print Gocco. 

WGBH Educational Foundation 

Booth 116 

One Guest Street 

Boston, MA 02135 

Phone: 617-300-3770 

Fax: 617-300-1040 

Email: thea_sahr@wgbh.org 

Website: www.pbs.org/designsquad 

www.EngineerYourLife.org 

WGBH, America’s preeminent public 

broadcasting producer, is also a leading 

producer of educational programs and 

materials designed for educators working 

in formal and informal settings; including 

engineering initiatives such as Design Squad 

and Engineer Your Life. 

* Corporate Members 


What’s Your Secret Ingredient? 

Engineering byDesign is the only comprehensive K–16 Solution for 

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). 

With EbD in the mix, your program standards rise. 

Standards-Based. Comprehensive. Hands-On. EbD 

We have high expectations for students’ futures. 

Learn how we can help you to help your students succeed. 

Visit www.engineeringbydesign.org, or email ebd@iteaconnect.org, 

or call Barry Burke at 301-482-1929. 

States’ Career Clusters Initiative, 2006 

www.careerclusters.org

Don’t Get Left Behind! 

There’s still time to join your colleagues at the ITEA conference in Salt Lake City! 

In case you need a reminder: you need to be there, or you'll miss: 

• Specialized workshops focusing on robotics, automation, animation, and engineering 

• Educational tours focusing on communications, media, mining, aviation, and aerospace technologies 

• Professional Development Learning Sessions offering hands-on information that you can use in your daily 

classroom activities 

• Social events that are also educational, including the Yearbook Dinner, FTE Breakfast, and ITEA Awards 

Luncheon 

• Exhibits, exhibits, and more exhibits for you to explore—and enjoy a free lunch in the exhibit hall on Friday 

• Action labs, where you'll learn specifics from vendor presentations about tools to help you in the classroom 

• Leading-edge keynote presentations from our star keynote speakers, Barbara Morgan and Dr. Robert Ballard 

Although preregistration is now closed, you can still register on-site at the Salt Palace Convention Center 

beginning on Wednesday, February 20. Check the ITEA website at www.iteaconnect.org/Conference/ 

conferenceguide.htm for complete details. If you are not an ITEA member, please take advantage of the 

$35 first-time membership promo and enjoy not only ITEA member benefits, but also the deeply discounted 

conference registration rates. 

Don't miss out on the educational event of the year and the beauty of Salt Lake City—the downtown area 

where you can walk to just about everything; or take some extra time to explore the grandeur of the nearby 

mountains. It all awaits you in Salt Lake City!

AN IMAGINATION IS A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE. 

You’re building the next generation of technology leaders. At PTC, we realize what a huge 

responsibility that is. We’re committed to helping you engage minds and ignite ideas, with 

tools that will have your students asking to stay after school. To learn more, visit us during 

the ITEA Conference in Booths 401 and 403 or online at www.ptc.com/go/schools. 

PROGRAM FEATURES 

DesignQuest Schools Program (K–12): 

• Pro/ENGINEER ® Wildfire ® 3.0 Schools and Schools Advanced 

Edition Software 

• Curriculum – Linked to US Standards and the STEM Initiative 

• Affordable, Teacher-led Training Opportunities 

PRODUCT FEATURES 

– 3D Product Design Software 

– Content and Process Management Software 

– Calculation Software 

21,000 Teachers • 15,000 Schools • 4.0 Million Students • 28 Countries 

© 2007 Parametric Technology Corporation (PTC) – All rights reserved. PTC, the PTC logotype, Pro/ENGINEER, Wildfire, and all PTC product/program names are trademarks or registered trademarks of PTC and/or its subsidiaries.

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