Tech Directions - April 2008 - (Page 8)

the news report Susanne Peckham susanne@techdirections.com Recycle and Reinvent Students transforming materials from the recycling bin into innovative, useful items have an opportunity to win a $10,000 cash prize. Design Squad, PBS’s popular engineering and design competition show, and Intel have joined forces with the By Kids For Kids company to give young innovators a chance to create and share their ideas through a nationwide Trash to Treasure competition. The competition launches April 1 (to coincide with the television series season premiere) and will run through June 30. The Grand Prize winner will receive the $10,000 prize, provided by the Intel Foundation, and a trip to the development lab at Continuum, an award-winning international design and innovation consultancy, to build a prototype of his or her Trash to Treasure Design. The products students design can fall under a category that moves things or people (Mobility), protects the environment (Environmental), or provides something that kids can play with (Play). Repurposed materials students might use in their design include fabric, paper, plastic, small electronics, wheels, clamps, springs, batteries, hardware, wood, bike parts, string, rubber bands, cardboard, and kitchen gadgets. For information on Design Squad and the Trash to Treasures competition, visit www.pbs.org/designsquad. Vex Robotics World Championship More than 1,000 high school students from across the globe will compete in the inaugural Vex Robotics World Championship competition, playing the game Bridge Battle developed by Innovation First, Inc., at California State University, Northridge, on May 2-3. Winning teams from Vex Robotics Bridge Battle local and state competitions will be invited to participate in the World Championship along with 30 winning teams from the Asian Robotics League (ARL) Bridge Battle competition. In addition, top teams from other competitions using the Vex Robotics Design System, including the FIRST Tech Challenge Quad Quandary and the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Savage Soccer Vex-based competitions will be invited to participate. “The Bridge Battle game provides students with a fun and challenging robotics competition that is easily accessible and extremely affordable to all schools,” said Jason Morrella, senior director of education and competition at Innovation First. “Vex Robotics Competitions have given students a hands-on tool to enhance their science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and learn critical skills such as teamwork, collaboration, critical thinking, professionalism, and problem-solving,” said Tarek Shraibati, a professor at California State University, Northridge, and a member of the committee that organizes local robotics competitions. Participants in the Vex Robotics World Championship will include teams from countries in Asia, Europe, and South America, along with teams from Canada and many states in the U.S., including Michigan, California, Hawaii, and Indiana. Bridge Battle was created by Innovation First at the request of robot competition organizers to engage students in the fun and excitement of science and technology. Bridge Battle is played on a 12' × 12' square field that is divided into two sections with two teams on each side. Each team controls its robots to place tennis balls in sections of a bridge platform and works closely together to accomplish this task. Any organization interested in hosting a robotics event of any scale can download the Bridge Battle game and rules free of charge from www.vexrobotics.com. More information about the Vex Robotics World Championship is available at www.robotevents.com. Corrections Tech Directions incorrectly identified the author of “Technical Studies Lead to Dream Career” in the March issue. The author of that article is Dorothy Wills-Raftery, community relations specialist for Ulster BOCES, New Paltz, NY. Also, our apologizes to Andrew Sahlstrom, our featured Web designer in the March magazine, for misspelling his last name. Sorry, Drew! Electronics Recycling Where can you take your electronics and what should you look for to protect both your identity and the environment? You can find the answers at the Electronics Industry Alliance’s (EIA) newly updated Web site, www.EcyclingCentral.com. The E-Cycling Central Web site contains information on where to find electronics recycling, reuse, and donation programs in every state across the country. The E-Cycling site also includes recommended questions to ask your recycler to ensure the proper handling of used electronics. Events May 1-2. New Jersey Technology Education Association Conference. New Brunswick, NJ. May 8-10. Ontario Council for Technology Education Conference. Alliston, Ont. For information, contact joe.jogan@rogers.com. May 9. Middle Atlantic Career Counseling Association Spring Conference, Lancaster, PA. www.macca.net. May 12. Connecticut Technology Education Association Spring Conference. Central Connecticut State University, New Britain. www.cteaweb.org. Susanne Peckham is managing editor of Tech Directions. 8 techdirections ◆ APRIL 2008 http://www.vexrobotics.com http://www.robotevents.com http://www.EcyclingCentral.com http://www.pbs.org/designsquad http://www.macca.net http://www.cteaweb.org

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Tech Directions - April 2008 Technically Speaking Contents Direct from Washington The News Report Technology's Past Technology Today Mastering Computers A Bridge to the Future Aeronautics Study Takes Off! Glider Design for Beginners Project Engineer in the Heavy Construction Industry for Renewable Energy Annual Buyers' Guide More than Fun

Tech Directions - April 2008

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