The Infinity Project Newsletter

September 2010: Volume 8 – Issue 1
 

Welcome Back!

By Tammy Richards, P.E.
Executive Director, The Infinity Project
Tammy Richards
Executive Director

The end of the Labor Day weekend marks the start of school for many across the country. In addition to traditional classes at the middle and high school level, more students than ever went back to school this year to new coursework. The Infinity Project’s high tech engineering curriculum is reinforcing concepts students learn in all of their STEM classes--science, technology and math—and transforming theory into something practical and real.

This summer, over 100 teachers attended professional development institutes in preparation for implementing engineering into classrooms this fall. Teachers built robots, prosthetic legs, midi players, and rockets – all in an effort to bring math and science to life through hands-on engineering design projects.

For the first time, high school students in Texas may select engineering to meet fourth year science requirements for graduation credit. The Infinity Project has expanded the high school curriculum to include not only electrical engineering, but also mechanical, environmental and biomedical engineering. Middle school students in 6th – 8th grade are also learning about engineering through the incorporation of thirteen three-week modules into science, technology, and math classes. These programs are better preparing students to succeed in STEM courses and exposing them to the fun and excitement of engineering.

The Infinity Project is continuing its march to build the technology leaders of the future. Over 450 middle schools, high schools, and colleges across 38 states and in 7 countries are utilizing this innovative curriculum to impact students.

The school year is off to great start, full of new and exciting opportunities. We look forward to hearing how The Infinity Project is making a difference in your classroom and the lives of your students!

Infinity Instructor Wins Regional Teacher of Year Award, Competing for State!


Walter Lee
Walter Lee,
McNeil High School
Infinity Project Instructor


The Texas Region XIII Education Service Center has named Walter Lee, Round Rock ISD, Secondary Teacher of the Year for 2011.

Mr. Lee is an engineering and computer teacher at McNeil High School in Round Rock, Texas. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Naval Academy at Annapolis and a master’s degree in business administration from Yale. Mr. Lee worked as an engineer for several years before following his calling to education.

“I personally love what I do as a teacher, but I realize it is a contribution to society as much as it is a joy for me,” Lee said. “My profession’s commitment is an integral part of that joy, and I go about it as a responsibility for the long term. I don’t expect changes in one day, but over time I hope the consistency of what I do will have an impact on my students, other teachers, our community and to our society.”

Mr. Lee was chosen as a campus and district Teacher of the Year before competing for the Region XIII award against teachers from Central Texas school districts. Lee will now compete against other region winners from across the state to be named one of the finalists for the state Teacher of the Year for Secondary. Texas Teacher of the Year is the highest honor that the state of Texas can bestow upon a teacher. Facilitated by the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Teacher of the Year Program annually recognizes and rewards teachers who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and excellence in teaching.

New Classroom Support Materials Available

Utilizing funding provided by the Texas Workforce Commission, The Infinity Project developed professional development extension activities to enhance classroom instruction. Each extension activity will contain the following information:

  • Background information related to the engineering topic
  • Web links to additional information, interactive applets and lessons, educational resources
  • Career information
  • Concept maps highlighting connections between concepts and other knowledge students have learned
  • Possible misconceptions related to the engineering topic
  • Extra support for difficult content
  • Additional example problems

Professional development extension activities are available for the following high school and middle school modules:

High School

  • Audio Engineering
  • Digital Imaging
  • Engineering Earth
  • The Human Machine
  • The Challenge of Roving Callisto

Middle School

  • Climate Change and Environmental Engineering
  • Imaging the Human Body/Engineering the Human Machine
  • Introduction to Engineering Design
  • Machines: Making Things Work
  • Pixel Yourself in the Digital Domain
  • Robots: From Conception to Completion
  • Rocketry: Achieving Liftoff
  • Structures: Building from the Ground Up
  • Watt’s Up in Power

Extension activities will be distributed to current Infinity Project instructors this month. Materials will also be posted under classroom support on the website.

Online Training for Middle School Teachers

Online professional development is available to instructors interested in exposing students to the fun and excitement of environmental and electrical engineering. Each module contains 3-weeks of classroom instruction that may be incorporated into math, science, or technology courses to reinforce key concepts through hands-on engineering design projects.

Online training is available to:

  • Institutions that have been admitted into The Infinity Project
  • Current Infinity Project Instructors that have completed a week-long summer professional development institute

Course Descriptions:

  • Global Climate Change: Engineering our Planet’s Future
    Explore how the Earth’s climate is changing and how new technologies will meet the challenge
  • Watt’s Up in Power
    Uncover the secrets behind electrical power generation and transmission
  • Engineering in the Natural World
    Increase awareness of environmental issues and how technology can be used to develop solutions

Schedule and Cost:

On-line training for each course will be offered for a two-week period during the fall and spring. Each course will take approximately 5 hours to complete on-line. Instructors will receive the following curricular materials for each module selected: Instructor Text with Notes, Activities and Exercises with Solutions, Module Exams, Daily Lesson Plan Guide, and Presentation Slides.

2010/2011 On-line Training for Middle School Teachers (dates subject to change)
Course
Dates
Cost
Global Climate Change
Sept. 20 – Oct. 1, 2010
Feb. 7 – Feb. 18, 2011
$125
Watt’s Up in Power
Oct. 18 – Oct. 29, 2010
Feb. 21 – March 4, 2011
$125
Engineering in the Natural World
Nov. 8 – Nov. 19, 2010
April 4 – April 15, 2011
$125

On-line registration is available here. If you have questions or need additional information, contact Lindsey Weldon by email or 214-768-4038.

Grant for Engineering Education

High schools and middle schools in Region IV are eligible to receive up to $7,500 in funding to implement The Infinity Project’s high-tech engineering curriculum. Funding is provided through the Houston Endowment and covers the cost of week-long professional development for teachers, instructional materials, and classroom technology.

Eighteen Region IV districts have taken advantage of the opportunity to introduce state-of-the-art engineering into their classrooms. Middle school and high school students are developing STEM skills through hands-on design projects focused on electrical, mechanical, environmental, civil, and biomedical engineering. Region IV districts include the following: Aldine, Alief, Brazosport, Channelview, Dickinson, East Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Galena Park, Goose Creek, Hempstead, Houston, Huffman, Liberty, Needville, Pasadena, Spring, and Texas City.

Grants will be available for a limited time on a first-come, first-served basis to applicants that meet the following eligibility requirements:

  • Texas public high school or middle school in Region IV
  • School must have applied and been admitted to The Infinity Project
  • School identifies a qualified math, science, or technology teacher to implement the curriculum


Applications for the 2010-1011 school year are currently being accepted. Schools may apply for funding by completing the application located here. For more information, contact Dianna McAtee, Director of Academic Relations at 214-768-1920 or dmcatee@infinity-project.org.

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