Supported by the National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technological Education (NSF ATE) program, the High Impact Technology Exchange Conference (HI-TEC) is a national conference on advanced technological education where secondary and postsecondary educators, counselors, industry professionals, trade organizations, and technicians can update their knowledge and skills.
Each year, the HI-TEC conference pulls together hundreds of educators and researchers to share the latest methods to help students learn. Although this year’s event, like 2020, was virtual and asynchronous, it brought people and ideas together.
The Micro Nano Technology Education Center (MNT-EC) contributed several recorded sessions for attendees, as well as downloadable materials to be used in classrooms and projects. Here is a list of them, with links and YouTube videos, where available. Don’t miss the two excellent Keynote talks, listed at the end of this post, with Stanley Black and Decker (yes, the toolmaker) and on Day 2, Jessica Gomez, Founder and CEO of Rogue Valley Microdevices.
Working Technicians Tell Their Stories
This session provided an opportunity for working technicians to share their experiences in attending community and technical college programs that prepare them for their positions. Technicians speak from a virtual setting and discuss their journey from pre-college to career. Topics include the role of math and science in their work; the key knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for success; what worked well or not so well in their technician education; what they wished they had learned in college; and barriers to success and strategies for overcoming them. The working technicians interviewed by Greg are recent graduates of ATE programs. A second video is here.
- Greg Kepner, Co-PI, MNT-EC (Micro Nano Technology Education Center), Pasadena City College, Ottumwa, IA;
- Marilyn Barger, Director, Florida Advanced Technological Education Center, FloridaMakes, Tampa, FL;
- Shirley Dobbins, Professor, Hillsborough Community College, Tampa, FL
Journal of Micro Nano Technology Education (JMNT-Ed)
The ATE Micro Nano Technology Education Center has just launched the Journal of Micro Nano Technology Education (Powerpoint presentation download). This journal will serve as a communication platform for people interested in teaching the micro nano technology workforce. This includes two-year college faculty members, STEM instructors for middle school through graduate school, and scientists. The journal will publish articles on topics relevant to teaching and learning micro nano technologies at all levels, including manuscripts that demonstrate new educational micro nano activities and lab experiments that can be adopted in micro nano curriculum at all levels, especially undergraduate.
- Neda Habibi, Assistant Professor, Micro Nano Technology Education Center, Northwest Vista College, San Antonio, TX;
- Atilla Ozgur Cakmak, Assistant Teaching Professor, Nanotechnology Applications and Career Knowledge Resource Center, Center for Nanotechnology Education ad Utilization (CNEU), Engineering Science and Mechanics, College of Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, West University Park, PA;
- Peter Kazarinoff, Assistant Professor, The Micro Nano Technology Education Center, Portland Community College, Portland, OR
Micro Nano Fabrication Research Experience: It’s About Technician Students!
The Micro Nano Technician Research Experience (PDF download) is provided by the Support Center for Microsystems Education (SCME) at the University of New Mexico under NSF Grant 1700678. This project gives technician students an opportunity to research, learn, problem solve, and apply microfabrication principles under the mentorship of subject matter experts and graduate students. An overview of the preparatory online methods and hands-on cleanroom experience is provided. Several students present their work and impressions of their experience. Students are encouraged to document their work through presentations, posters, and paper submissions to the Journal of Micro Nano Technology Education (JMNT-Ed).
- Matthias Pleil, Research Professor, Support Center for Microsystems Education (SCME), University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM;
- Jared Ashcroft, Professor of Chemistry, Micro Nano Technology Education Center, Pasadena City College, Pasadena, CA.
- Student presenters are Sophia Barber, Alfonzo Meraz, and O’Neail Duglin, all from Pasadena City College.
nanoHUB’s Open-Access Cloud-Computing Resources for Nanomanufacturing, Nanobio, and Data Science
This presentation introduces educational resources in nanoHUB that faculty and students can use to learn about cloud manufacturing, simulating biological systems, and data science techniques. Established in 2002 and funded by the National Science Foundation, nanoHUB is the premiere place for computational nanotechnology research, education, and collaboration. nanoHUB hosts a rapidly growing collection of simulation programs for nanoscale phenomena that run in the cloud and are accessible through a web browser. In addition to simulation devices, nanoHUB provides online presentations, courses, teaching materials, and more.
- Tanya Faltens, Educational Content Creation Manager, MNT-EC, Network for Computational Nanotechnology, West Lafayette, IN
Simulation and Visualization Tools for Nanotechnology Curricula
Visualization and simulation (PDF download) promote students’ understanding of phenomena at nanoscale. This presentation explores the application of online visualization and simulation tools for teaching nanotechnology curricula. Utilization of online tools enhances students’ learning of complex concepts at nanoscale without acquiring expensive equipment. These tools include 26 RAIN (Remotely Accessible Instruments in Nanotechnology) nodes for accessing visualization instruments and 500+ simulation tools at nanoHUB; and CompuCell3D, a flexible modeling platform that allows simulations for biology, tissue engineering, and viruses such as COVID-19. Simulation experiences at Penn State University with X-ray characterization by XPS and XRD are also presented.
- Ahmed Khan, Fulbright Specialist Scholar, Fulbright/World Learning Inc, Oak Brook, IL;
- Sala Qazi, Professor Emeritus, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Utica, NY;
- Atilla Ozgur Cakmak, Professor, Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Penn State University, University Park, PA
The July 2021 event has over 80 sessions available on the HI-TEC On-Demand Sessions page on a wide range of topics: Advanced Manufacturing, Biotechnology, Cybersecurity, Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion, Employer Engagement, Energy And Environmental Technologies, Engineering Technologies, Future Of Work, Grant Funding, Information Technology, Internet Of Things, Learning, Evaluation, And Research, and Micro Nanotechnologies.
As mentioned above, these two keynote presentations are excellent:
Day 1: Mark Maybury, Chief Technology Officer, Stanley Black & Decker
Day 2: Jessica Gomez, Founder, President and CEO, Rogue Valley Microdevices
Here is the full list of titles and the On-Demand Session link above is where all the presentations and YouTube links are available.
- Hands-On Workshops in a Virtual World
- Scaling Advanced Manufacturing Technician Education to K-12
- SEMI Works Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Certification Model
- Smart Manufacturing Education and Training Modules
- Sustaining FLATE
- Amazing Team Effort to Create Career Pathways to the Bioscience and Healthcare Industries
- Biotech-Careers.org: A Model Career Website for the Skilled Technical Workforce
- Biotechnology Bench Beyond Mask: Building Communities
- InnovATEBIO.org: A Model for ATE National Center Websites and Education Databases
- Prescience for Distance: The Bioscience Technician Expansion Project
- Creation of an Apprenticeship Program in Cybersecurity Education with Industry
- Cyber Supply Chain Risk Management: Threats and Mitigation Strategies
- Cyberpreneurship
- Developing and Hosting Your Own Cybersecurity Competition
- Development of an Automotive Cybersecurity Course
- Engaging Students with Hands-On Cybersecurity Projects During COVID
- Final Year – Cyber Up! Digital Forensics and Incident Response
- Implementing a Virtual, Low-Cost Industrial Control Cybersecurity Training Environment
- Integrating Project-based Technical and Workplace Skills into Your Virtual Cybersecurity Curriculum
- Adapting to Create Meaningful Connections to Industry
- Best Practices for Building a Diverse Pipeline of Cloud-Ready Talent
- Creating Talent Pipelines for Targeted High-Tech Industries
- Eliminating Denial of Service: One College’s Approach to Increasing Minority Representation in Cyber
- Empowering Students to Recognize and Foster More Inclusive Workplaces
- Exploring Connections with Active Military and Veterans for Technology Programs
- Female Students’ Perceptions of Problem-Solving Through Peer Learning in Introductory Engineering
- Information and Strategies for Guiding Culturally Responsive Education
- Offering Advanced Software Training for Secondary School Students
- Strategies for Innovative K-12 Outreach
- Top Ten Tips for Teaching Student Veterans from the Classroom to Online
- Transforming the Optics Program at Monroe Community College into a National Model
- Common Barriers to Successfully Engaging Employers and How to Overcome Them
- SCADA Modularized Curriculum, Hands-On Labs, and Job Task Analysis for Renewable Energy
- Will Wide-Bandgap (WBG) Semiconductors Replace Silicon? Learn About This Cutting-Edge Technology
- Interdisciplinary Education of 3D Technologies
- Manufacturing PPE During a Pandemic: Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Workforce Readiness
- Microcredentials/Badging for Engineering Technology in Healthcare
- Promoting Your Center/Project to More Than 105,000 Industrial Professionals for Free
- Virtual Reality for MEMS Material in Second Life Using Blender and Solidworks
- Augmented and Virtual Reality and Workforce Training: Promises and Pitfalls
- Learning from Industry: The Future of Work for Technicians
- Preparing Technicians for the Future of Work: Implementing the Cross-Disciplinary STEM Core
- Adviser, Role Model, Friend? Giving Back by Becoming a Mentor-Fellow
- College Collaboration to Create a Grants Program and Portfolio
- Cultivating Employer-Led Innovation Strategies to Fuel Competitive NSF ATE Proposals
- Data-Informed NSF ATE Proposals: Exploring and Using the New ATE Survey Data Dashboard
- Increase Your Funding Success with No-Cost Mentoring for Prospective NSF ATE Grantees
- The Connected Coast Initiative
- Convergence Technology Students Present New Perspectives and Share Projects
- Enhancing Associate Degrees for IT Technicians
- The Evolution of Training for Supply Chain Automation Technicians
- Faculty-Advisor Relationship Impact on Student Decisions on Academic and Career Paths
- Leverage Employer-Led Skill Standards to Strengthen Your IT Program
- Time Sensitive Network Application in Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Systems
- From Hands-on to Virtual: Shifting the Training Demands for IoT and Sensors
- Internet of Things Education Project
- Internet of Things: Preparing the Future Technical Workforce
- The Wild World of Wireless in the 2020s: What Should We Teach?
- Aviation Maintenance Technology (AMT) Programs’ Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Preliminary Results
- Begin With the End in Mind: Formative Assessment and Evaluation in Professional Development
- Coding a Flexible Apprenticeship: Faculty Perspective and Support Relationships
- Creating Career Pathways and Learning Communities
- Cross Collaboration Between ATE Projects and Centers in Developing Interactive Student Activities
- Developing Photonics Education for Secondary Schools: UPDATE to Include Overcoming COVID
- Effective Remote Learning: Virtual PLC and Multi-Technology Simulations and Virtual Machines
- Engaging STEM Students During a Pandemic
- Global Virtual Exchange in Technical Courses
- MNT-EC’s Talking Technicians Podcast
- NC3-Festo National Certification Program: Lessons Learned
- Productivity Toolkit: Three Free Resources for Scheduling, Design, and Project Management
- Silver Linings: How COVID-19 Jump-Started Holistic Student and Employer Engagement
- Software Development Evaluation and Grading Strategies
- Transition From Traditional, Didactic Instructional Delivery to Competency-Based Education Modality
- Transitioning Orientation from Traditional to Digital: Approach, Practice, and Reflection
- Using Alternative Methods to Support Hands-on-Learning (labs)
- Using Virtual Citizen Science Activities to Introduce Students to Careers as Research Technicians
- Working Technicians Tell Their Stories
- Journal of Micro Nano Technology Education (JMNT-Ed)
- Micro Nano Fabrication Research Experience: It’s About Technician Students! (Related presentation from Undergraduate student research project is here.)
- nanoHUB’s Open-Access Cloud-Computing Resources for Nanomanufacturing, Nanobio, and Data Science
- Simulation and Visualization Tools for Nanotechnology Curricula
