FLATE
participates in a number of conference venues every October to disseminate our
work, share our
expertise, and celebrate advanced technological education. Part
of our mission is to share the good work of our partners and stakeholders, and
mentor others looking for guidance. The October conferences we participated in
as part of the NSF ATE Centers joint dissemination efforts include the National
Career Pathway Network (NCPN, www.ncpn.info), National Collation of Advanced Technology
Center (NCATC, www.ncatc.org) , the National
Council for Workforce Education NCWE, www.ncwe.org),
the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education Principle
Investigator Conference (NSF ATE PI, www.aacc.nche.edu). Each venue serves a unique collection of
stakeholders and provides valuable opportunities for professional growth,
networking, dissemination, partnership and fellowship. This fall I presented on
various aspects of our Engineering Technology degree program including the
details of its flexible structure and the FLDOE frameworks that define the
program and its alignment to MSSC CPT that provides an accelerated completion
pathway. I also presented a Toothpick Factory workshop to over 50 technical
educators eager to learn new active techniques to help students learn and adopt
the subtle intricacies of teamwork.
In
Washington, at the NSF ATE PI conference, FLATE had its Center showcase display
as well as two
student displays for Mercedes Ramirez from Hillsborough Community
College and Afrad Mahamed from Polk State College. Mercedes’s showcase focused
on her work with our FLATE Summer Robotics Camps and its alignment to our
Engineering Technology technical courses. Afrad shared the story of our Iberian
Partnership program from his student participant point of view and how much the
experience impacted him at many levels. Conference participants were very
impressed by both students. NSF ATE recognized both as outstanding ATE
student/alumni at an awards breakfast, where they networked with 60 other ATE
students and alumni from around the country.
Aside
from the student activities and showcases FLATE co-led a panel on mechatronics
highlighting our
partnership with SCTE, the Supply Chain Technology Education
Center (Dr. Ned Young of Sinclair Community College) with two of our business partners.
The panel discussion focused on comments and questions from our partner and NVC
member, Bill Mazurek, director of continuous improvement at Conmed Linvatec in
Largo and SCTE’s partner, Gary Forger, senior vice president of professional development,
materials handling institute. Our industry partners engaged forty-nine
participants including Dr. Celeste Carter, lead program director for the NSF
ATE program. The common skills supporting manufacturing and supply chain (and
many technologies) epitomized the work that many of our ATE graduates are and
will be engaged in. There is more work to do to better the jobs that support
these technologies. Additionally, FLATE
was highlighted in Dr. Will Tyson’s PathTech presentation about its important
research project studying pathways between high school programs and our ET
degree.
In
Florida, Dr. Boyette was presented a Best Practice Award at the Florida Career
Pathways Network
Symposium (FCPN, http://www.ftpn.org)
for her presentation on FLATE’s strategies for professional development. Earlier
in the month, Nina Stokes, FLATE’s FESC project manager, shared our curriculum
work on the industrial energy efficiency technology with attendees of the
Florida Energy Summit in conjunction with our FESC partners.
Catch up
with more news with November stories that check in with one participant of our
Recruiting Girls for STEM Pathways workshop last June, Christine Danger, who
has already put strategies learned at the event into play; get up to speed with
biotechnology program at Palm Beach State College; make sure you and your
industry partners are signed up for our machining education workshop; step into
the final STEM puzzle of 2013; and, last, but not least, meet our 2013 FLATE
Awardees: Roy Sweatman, Alex Anzalone, and Dale Toney.
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