The Center for 21st Century Skills @ EDUCATION CONNECTION is proud to announce the establishment of a new 21st-century high school program of study focused on the emerging field of Digital Arts and Sciences. The primary mission of the Digital Arts and Sciences program will be to encourage, engage, facilitate, and support the development of artistic and creative skills in the use of digital media with a focus on applying those skills to the study of science and technology. The program will facilitate the cross-discipline application of academic knowledge, creativity, design, and innovation skills with the integration of the Internet and digital media into the study of cutting-edge topics in science and technology. All courses will feature problem-based learning and comprehensive projects as the primary instructional methodology for all students. The Digital Arts and Sciences program will be a dynamic and exemplary model for 21st-century-focused teaching and learning that will result in increasing the number of students interested in pursuing careers in emerging fields of study such as Bioinformatics, Biotechnology, Digital Design, Digital Media, Nanotechnology, Science Visualization, Virtual Environments, and more.

The time has come for the designation of a new course of study that focuses on the exciting fields of digital arts and new media and their application in the study of science and technology. Current high school academic, career, and technical education programs are bogged down by 100 years of history and practice that prevent the widespread adoption of digital media in existing courses or entirely new courses in emerging topics of science and technology. While students are growing up in a world surrounded by computers, digital media, and the Internet, they are increasingly stifled and stymied in the use of the same in traditional high school courses. As the world relies more and more on science and technology to solve problems and meet human needs, there is an increased demand for workers in related careers and fields of study. Extended effort is exerted to cajole students to enter into the study of science and technology, but most turn away to non-academic fields of study and careers even while increasing their use of digital media and technology for socializing and entertainment. The establishment of the Digital Arts and Sciences program is intended to address these issues and to create a new interdisciplinary program of study for the 21st century that appeals to all high school students in the updated tradition of the Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Over the past three years, our staff has developed and piloted a number of courses and programs in Connecticut that focus on the area of Digital Arts and Sciences. Currently, our Digital Arts and Sciences curriculum sequence includes, Biotechnology R&D, Digital Media and Movie Making, E-Commerce and Entrepreneurship, Information Technology R&D, Computer Game Design and Development, Science and Technology Research Seminar, Virtual Worlds Creation and Construction. Over the next year we will be unveiling a series of new courses and working with selected school districts and clients to further develop, implement, and pilot the courses that will make up this new program of study. For more information or to comment on this proposal, contact: Michael Mino via e-mail: mino at Education Connection dot org.

The Center for 21st Century Skills @ EDUCATION CONNECTION was pleased to host Professor Chen Zhixin, the Dean and faculty member of the Management Teaching-Research Office of the Economics and Management Department, and Professor Ling Xudong, faculty member of the Information Engineering Department, from Ningxia Polytechnic University in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, PRC. The visit by the professors from China marks the beginning of a international education collaboration.

The collaboration between the Center for 21st Century Skills @ EDUCATION CONNECTION, Connecticut Career Choices (CCC), and Ningxia Polytechnic University will result in a unique cross-cultural learning experience for participating students and teachers. During the two-week stay, Prof. Chen and Prof. Ling visited select Connecticut schools and attended meetings at the IBM Southbury Conference Center and Central Connecticut State University. Professors Chen and Ling will also met with Hartford Pathways to Technology Magnet High School seniors and parents in preparation for the Pathways student senior trip to Ningxia Polytechnic University in March 2008.

Prof. Chen and Prof. Ling will interact with students and teachers engaged in project-based learning as they take part in the Connecticut Innovation Academy (CTIA) program and the E-Commerce and Entrepreneurship course. This year, CTIA requires student teams to research, design, develop, and present an innovative computer-based learning game that teaches middle school students a concept in science, technology, engineering, or math. The E-Commerce course fosters the development of academic skills, creative thinking, and problem solving through the completion of a comprehensive e-commerce business project. Connecticut students will exhibit their projects at the Connecticut Innovation Expo, May 9–10, 2008, at the Connecticut Convention Center. A Virtual Exposition will also be conducted online simultaneously so that students in China can present their projects and interact with Connecticut students.

On December 6, 2007, Manchester Community College (MCC) opened its doors to approximately 150 high school students and teachers as part of the Biotechnology course sponsored by Connecticut Career Choices (CCC) and the Center for 21st Century Skills @ EDUCATION CONNECTION. Hamden HS, Wilbur Cross HS (New Haven), and Pathways to Technology (Hartford) were in attendance along with Great Paths School (Manchester) and MCC undergraduates. Students were greeted by Susan Quatrella (Biotechnology Course Coordinator), MCC’s Eli Arzola (speaking to MCC’s process of admission), and Jon Morris (MCC professor, Dept. of Mathematics, Science, and Health Careers). Dan Cogan-Drew from Education Connection gave students a brief overview of Scratch: free, open-source software that may be helpful as Biotechnology students create their projects for presentation at the CT Innovation Expo, May 9-10, 2008.

Students then viewed a live Web cast by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute along with thousands of high school and college students from across the country. The lecture, “AIDS: The Evolution of an Epidemic,” was delivered in front of a participating audience of Washington, DC students. Dr. Bisola Ojikutu and Dr. Bruce Walker shared their expertise on a disease that has troubled doctors, scientists, and the general public for almost 30 years.

During a lunch break, students discussed the fact that the number of AIDS cases continues to grow. 25 million people have died since the first five reported cases in 1981, with 2.1 million people dying during 2007 alone. A majority of cases are currently concentrated in South Africa, although AIDS remains a worldwide concern. The serious discussions prompted by the Web cast may be the impetus that inspires some of our young adults to enter the field of medical research as they begin choosing colleges and careers. Students will participate in a discussion forum in the Moodle environment as a post-activity.

EDUCATION CONNECTION, the regional educational service center in western Connecticut, announces the receipt of a $900,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to support the Connecticut Pathways to Innovation Project (CPI). CPI is a three-year, multi-phased educational opportunity for underrepresented students to develop 21st-century workforce skills in emerging technologies. Participating school districts include Bethel, Brookfield, Danbury, New Fairfield, New Milford, Newtown, Norwalk, Plymouth, Region 1, and Region 15. The goal of this exciting project is to increase the number of youth who pursue technical career programs at the Connecticut College of Technology and Connecticut four-year post secondary institutions. The Center for 21st Century Skills @ EDUCATION CONNECTION will partner with the IBM Corporation, the Connecticut College of Technology, the Connecticut Office for Workforce Competitiveness, and the Connecticut Technology Council to implement the CPI project.

The project provides students with a wide range of articulated courses and real-life learning experiences. Students will be equipped with skill sets to enter the workforce of the 21st-century knowledge economy. Courses are designed with both face-to-face and online components. An extensive online support system is available to high school students and teachers. Throughout the program, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals work directly with students and teachers.

Courses, developed by the Center for 21st Century Skills @ EDUCATION CONNECTION, are disseminated through the Connecticut Career Choices initiative and accessible via Connecticut Education Network (CEN), a high-speed, fiber-optic education network that connects school districts and post-secondary institutions. Proposed courses include: Biotechnology; Information Technology Research & Development; Nanotechnology Research & Development; Rapid Prototyping & Next Generation Manufacturing; and, Robotics Science and Engineering.

via Technology Review.

The cohort of educators came together to assess and identify their needs. The results were used to establish a curriculum for the Summer Institute. Based on the progress made during the week-long workshop, the newly reinforced content is being developed into classroom instructional activities that will be shared with teachers back at their schools this fall. This material, hosted in an online web- based environment, is continually updated and actively used by students and teachers alike. Data will be collected to judge the impact of the developed content and leadership training on student achievement. The content will be evaluated by professors at Yale, Dr. Iona Black, and St Joseph’s Dr. Mark Johnson.

The Institute featured five speakers from Yale: Dr. Mark Saltzman, professor of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering; Dr. Donald Engelman, professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry; Dr. Thomas Pollard, M.D., professor of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, and Cell Biology; Dr. Ann Valentine, assistant professor of Inorganic & Biophysical Chemistry; and Dr. John Tully, professor of Physics and Applied Physics.

19 teachers from Newtown, Farmington, Hamden, Waterford, Danbury, Norwalk, Stamford, New Haven, and Bridgeport participated in the Summer Institute. Science chairs and administration in these districts are currently working together with the teachers to help provide support for the CSTLA agenda.

The participating educators enjoyed the Yale speakers and valued the interaction with teachers from all over the state. Said one teacher, “I think that every teacher, especially science and math [teachers], should experience this every few years throughout their careers.”

Click here to view photos from the workshop.

Click here to view photos from the event via CT Career Choices

The Summer Institute marks the beginning of a year-long school program for students interested in STEM. The long-range goal of CPI is the completion and submission of student research projects to selected state, national, and international STEM competitions. High school students were mentored by enthusiastic UNH Graduate students. They worked together on a DNA amplification lab, studying tissue samples, and running DNA samples from their own cheek cells as well as bacteria isolated from deer ticks. Thanks to Eva Sapi, Ph.D., Coordinator of the Graduate Programs in Cellular and Molecular Biology at UNH, students were able to learn valuable laboratory skills and a vast amount of information on topics ranging from Lyme disease to the health benefits of pomegranate juice in the treatment of ovarian cancer. Students also participated in the National Geographic Genographic Project, which studies ancestry based on mitochondrial DNA. Students also visited New Haven’s Agricultural Experimentation Center where they met scientists studying molecular biology, Lyme disease, West Nile Virus, and use analytical chemistry to evaluate food safety and monitor the environment.
Michael Rossi of the Department of Biology and Environmental Science Department Chair at UNH coordinated the use of the campus and the faculty participation. With the help of research specialist Frank LaBanca and BioBus Educational Program Director Donna Rhoads-Frost of Connecticut United for Research Excellence (CURE), students from Waterbury’s Wilby High School and Waterbury Arts Magnet School, Easton’s Joel Barlow High School, New Haven’s Hill Career Regional High School, Newtown High School, Hartford’s Pathways Magnet High School, and Chaplin’s Parish High School will be able to continue the relationships forged at the Summer Institute throughout the school year by utilizing CPI’s collaborative online learning environment.
Click here to view photos from the event via pathwaystoinnovation.org

The Connecticut Innovation Challenge is designed to engage Connecticut high school students and teachers in a comprehensive Information Technology Research and Design project and challenge them to use technology to think creatively and work collaboratively. The Connecticut Innovation Challenge is open to all students and teachers in Connecticut?Äôs public high schools. To REGISTER go to http://www.ctcareerchoices.org/challenge and sign up your team of at least 1 teacher and 6 students who are representative (i.e., gender/ethnicity) of your school population.

As participants in the Connecticut Innovation Challenge, students will be involved in a collaborative online project unlike anything they have experienced in school. Students and teachers will interact with each other and with business professionals from around the state both online and face-to-face. They will meet at least twice on a Connecticut Community College o University campus to attend seminars and workshops. They will develop valuable creative thinking, problem solving, and project management skills that will help them succeed in school and in 21st century careers. Finally, all participants will present their ideas and solutions both online and at the ?ÄúConnecticut Innovation Exposition?Äù to be held at the Connecticut Convention Center on Saturday May 13, 2006, to compete for awards and honors.

Access the link below for more information and to register your team.
REGISTER @ http://www.ctcareerchoices.org/challenge

Designed as a spin-off of the annual IT Leadership Academy program, created by The Center for 21st Century Skills at Education Connection in Litchfield, the IBM/ITLA ThinkTank allowed participants to work with a diverse group of students and technology professionals. With the help of Albert Schneider, Director of Information Technology for IBM Research and Michael Mino, Director of the ITLA, Ashley was able to make it happen. ?ÄúI thought the program would allow us to demonstrate that we could solve ?Äòreal business problems?Äô while helping us to develop the skills needed to become the next generation of business leaders,?Äù said Gillespie.

So, what exactly is a ?ÄúThink Tank?Äù?

On the first day, students were given a choice of two challenges. The first challenge, proposed by Florence Hudson, IBM Vice President of Strategic Planning to the Society of Women Engineers, involved women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers. Originally an aerospace engineer, Florence wanted to know why girls are choosing not to go into STEM careers, why they are leaving STEM careers, and what the worldwide trend is regarding the aforementioned questions.

Doug Ziemke and Marc Berson, both from IBM, proposed a very different challenge. They wanted a fresh perspective on the design of the finance portal page for the IBM/Lenovo finance website. Ziemke and Berson also had the students write ?Äúuse case scenarios?Äù, research RSS feeds, and search the IBM website for broken links.

The students were successful, but not without a few challenges. At first, both teams found it difficult to communicate with each other. ?ÄúThere was a lack of teamwork and openness at the start of the project,?Äù said Ben Haase, a senior at Pomperaug High School. Sarah Angel, Co-Chair of the IBM Poughkeepsie Diversity Council, hosted a very successful teamwork workshop that helped break the ice. ?ÄúI liked the research and the team collaboration,?Äù said Sarah Schauss, a senior from Terryville.

With assistance from their IBM mentors, the students put together final presentations based on their research. Using PowerPoint, concept maps, and other media the students were able to convey their information and insights in a way that provoked questions and discussion amongst the distinguished members of the audience. The mentors were very pleased with the students?Äô work. ?ÄúThe teams did a great job on the tasks they were given, which were real-world projects on which we’re currently working in my organization,?Äù said Ziemke of the Finance Portal Teams. Hudson, mentor of the STEM team, said, ?ÄúMy expectations were met and exceeded. The ITLA team found information I didn’t know existed.?Äù

The program also received a positive response from its participants. ?ÄúIt was a lot better than I thought it would be. Instead of boring lectures, we were actually doing real work in an IT environment and learning skills that would help us later,?Äù said Kevin Franzman, a senior at Brookfield High School. Julie Emmons, also of Brookfield, said ?Äú[I expected it to be] virtually all guys, quiet, educational?ĶI liked hearing feedback from the different groups.?Äù For many, it changed their perception of STEM careers in general. ?ÄúI [now] want to go into a STEM field mostly because I want to change the way people see women and how they work,?Äù said Chalise Grogan, a senior at Brookfield High School. Victor Borrome, a junior at New Haven?Äôs Hill Career Regional High School, and Matthew Finkel, a sophomore at Academy of Information Technology in Stamford, thought this was a great opportunity to experience the corporate world and meet IBM employees. For these high school students, getting up early this summer was worth it.

Emily Neumann, Education Connection