tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879078473172298382024-03-12T22:48:52.834-05:00Murray State RacerWerxA STEM-based collaborative community of educators and students to promote science, design, and 21st century technologies at Murray State University, the local community, and the service region, to communicate and share stories, to provide resources, to enhance current learning environments, and engage curious minds from all walks of life.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407189306241362377noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987907847317229838.post-12826384014401993402015-10-27T16:31:00.001-05:002015-10-27T16:35:10.533-05:00Introducing the Murray State University Lightboard<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Rmqeakjllu4" width="640"></iframe>
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Jim Barnett and his lab assistant, with funding from the Faculty Development Center, constructed a fantastic Lightboard for use in course enhancement.<br />
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Made from a large piece of Starphire glass, the Lightboard is illuminated with small, bright LEDs embedded in the frame.<br />
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For text and graphics to appear, Justin is using a set of neon dry-erase markers.<br />
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Graphics and inset videos can be accommodated using the software driving the video-capture. Justin does a great job discussing the benefits of using the Lightboard, especially highlighting the ability of introducing optional videos and static graphics.<br />
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If interested in the Lightboard, contact:<br />
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Faculty Development Center<br />
107 Applied Science<br />
270-809-5000<br />
msu.facdev@murraystate.edu<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407189306241362377noreply@blogger.com0Murray, KY, USA36.6103334 -88.31476099999997636.5083744 -88.476122499999974 36.7122924 -88.153399499999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987907847317229838.post-26326828974883398162015-09-15T14:37:00.001-05:002015-09-15T14:37:47.571-05:00NSF Awakens to Maker MovementMy apologies for the lack of posts over the last few months. Cool stuff is occurring on campus. One bit of news has an embargo placed upon it so I am not at liberty to discuss. However, that bit of news is quite exciting and I am hoping a broad announcement will be forthcoming any week.<br />
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A bit of news I can share is the new LightBoard available through the Faculty Development Center (FDC). If you are not familiar with what a LightBoard is and what a LightBoard can do, here is a short demonstration video from the folks at Stanford University.<br />
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The LightBoard is a cool, innovative technology used for providing and enhancing online course content. The Murray State University LightBoard was made in-house by Jim Barnett (J-CSET) with student assistance, and Justin Patton (Media Support Technician, CHFA). I'll see if I can get my hands on a Murray State demonstration video and post. In the meantime, direct your questions about the use of the LightBoard to Justin Patton.<br />
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I subscribe to the CampusTechnology email newsletter, and find many pertinent items, interesting news, and thought-provoking ideas. In the last email, CT has a story concerning a recent NSF grant awarded to investigators at Indiana University and University of Michigan. These researchers are to study the Maker Movement in the United States and China over the next four years.<br />
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One of the researchers, Shaowen Bardzell is interested in innovation and Maker support in the U.S. Midwest:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: 'Noto Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: -0.5px; line-height: 29.124px;">Similar support exists in the United States, but primarily on the coasts, not in the middle of the country, where, Bardzell observes, "there's a proud tradition of manufacturing." The next generation of products, she said, "from cars and dishwashers to clothing and medical devices" will be tied to manufacturing innovation. "We see potential for everything from prototyping to mass production in the region."</span></blockquote>
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(Source: Dian Schaffhauser; "<a href="http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/09/11/maker-movement-to-get-professional-makeover-in-midwest.aspx" target="_blank">Maker Movement To Get Professional Makeover in Midwest</a>;" CampusTechnology, 9-11-2015) </div>
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I have to say I agree with her. Following many Maker, DIY, and Spark accounts on Twitter, I learn nearly every day the coasts are recipients of most of the attention as far as innovation, fabrication, and technology are concerned. For example, I recently learned the White House is making an investment in wearable technology due to the president's fascination with his Fitbit. The Department of Defense is contributing $75 million dollars to a pool of private funding, bringing the total investment to about $171 million. The site of this new investment is, of course, San Jose, home of Silicon Valley, and on the West Coast, the pinnacle of U.S. technopoles. (White House <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/08/28/fact-sheet-obama-administration-announces-new-flexible-hybrid" target="_blank">Fact Sheet</a>, 8-28-2015)</div>
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I am hoping to learn more from the research findings of the NSF-sponsored investigation. I think I sort of know what the findings will be, but surmising from anecdotes is not the same as having evidence, right?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407189306241362377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987907847317229838.post-46746327919614100662015-03-18T13:25:00.000-05:002015-03-18T13:26:34.386-05:00Aquatic Drones for Environmental ResearchThe United States has long been exemplary of our societies support for innovation and entrepreneurship. Individuals from George Washington Carver, Otis Boyken, Thomas Edison, to Ellen Ochoa and Steve Jobs, the environment of creation has helped establish the United States as having the best climate for developing new technology and for entrepreneurship.<br />
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<a href="https://constantgeography.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/drone-medium-mars-spirit-rover-mer-a-3000x2250.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="drone-medium-Mars-Spirit-Rover-MER-A-3000x2250" class="wp-image-3235 size-medium" height="225" src="https://constantgeography.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/drone-medium-mars-spirit-rover-mer-a-3000x2250.jpg?w=300" width="300" /></a>Now upon us, upon American society, is a new age of "personal makership" to coin a new term, maybe. While the United States has never had a want, a desire to make and improve, the technology has generally been out of the range of all but the most sacrificing of people. Today, though, a host of complementary technologies are now available to Americans of all ages, from 8-year old to 80-year old entrepreneurs. Technologies like 3D printers (Makerbot, Cubify), scanners (Cubify), computer-controlled milling machines and routers are now at price points within the grasp of thousands of people. Internet-based companies offer printing and fabrication services for people who would rather not buy equipment but uses someone else's capital. New companies like Make, Arduino, and Littlebits create opportunities to learn, engage, and create using microcomputers. Old companies, like Intel, now offer new micro-boards for hobbyists to use in various projects.<br />
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All things considered, this is a very exciting time for millions of people. Never has so much been available to so many at such a low cost of entry, perhaps ever in the history of Humanity. And, these opportunities will only get better, not worse.<br />
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Drones, otherwise described as "unmanned aerial systems" or "Unmanned aerial vehicles," are without any doubt an exciting and fascinating component of our environment, from this moment in history forward. Scientists have been using drones for decades. Oceanographers have been using remote vehicles for surveying ocean depths for decades. Meteorologists have been using drones for collecting atmospheric data. Even NASA's space probes are really unmanned drones dispersed through our local solar system neighborhood, really. Curiosity, Spirit, and Opportunity are really terrestrial drones.<br />
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Drones have captured the world's attention through their use as a platform for launching missiles at al-Qaeda, al-Shabab, and ISIS. Our military has used them for spying, for keeping countries honest about military actions, and for blasting people and equipment to smithereens. However, drones, UAVs, UASs, have many more useful and benign uses. Unfortunately, military applications have trashed drone reputation, and redemption of reputation through appropriate drone applications is going to be challenging. When the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) appears to require all drones <i>regardless of size</i> to keep a physical copy of a flight manual aboard the drone [<a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/02/15/proposed-faa-rules-will-open-the-sky-for-some-commercial-drones-but-delivery-drones-remain-grounded/" target="_blank" title="Techcrunch">techcrunch</a>], even people in our own U.S. government may present the biggest challenge to drone use.<br />
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I don't want to focus on the military applications of drones for this post. That is a series of posts into-and-of themselves. For this post, I want to focus upon a very singular application and entreat any interested parties, e.g. Google, Hexagon, or ESRI, to consider these thoughts.<br />
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For most of human history, we have gained knowledge about our environment by sending humans "into the field" to collect "ground truth" or, as my first graduate professor preferred, "ground reference information; because, really, what is Truth?" Scientists ventured out themselves, or sent students, or sent themselves and students, or hired locals with student over-sight; whatever the permutation, people had to venture out. Now, we have the technology, almost but-not-quite ubiquitous, to replace or at the very least, supplement, our information collection efforts for our environment. To be clear, I don't think people will ever be fully replaced. We should always maintain some "hands-on" curiosity of our environment, and always remain a little suspicious of any data collected. Data captured by drones should be never be beyond scrutiny.<br />
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<a href="https://constantgeography.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/small-drone-leica-green.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Leica-Aibotix X6 hexacopter; good for utility line surveys." class="wp-image-3232 size-medium" height="188" src="https://constantgeography.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/small-drone-leica-green.jpg?w=300" width="300" /></a>Many companies have been founded upon the promise of drones and associated technologies. Some companies, particularly those serving economic sectors whose clients need frequent aerial imagery are also getting in on the action. Utility companies, gas and mining companies, agriculture-based corporations, plus government agencies such as the National Parks Service, need recurrent aerial imagery and surveys simply to manage assets. Leica Geo-systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hexagon Group, showcased a nice hexacopter at the ESRI User Conference in 2013. The Aibotix X6 is capable of handling a variety of image sensors, from simple RGB digital cameras, to multispectral sensor cameras, even to supporting some LiDAR systems.</div>
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<a href="https://constantgeography.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/large-drone-liquid-robotics.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Liquid Robotics prototype aquatic drone featured at ESRI UC 2013. (Source: author)" class="size-medium wp-image-3231" height="279" src="https://constantgeography.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/large-drone-liquid-robotics.jpg?w=300" width="300" /></a> <br />
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<a href="https://constantgeography.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/sfbaykeeper-uas-google.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="SFBaykeeper-UAS-Google" class="alignleft wp-image-3229 size-medium" height="193" src="https://constantgeography.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/sfbaykeeper-uas-google.png?w=300" style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" width="300" /></a>What fascinated me at the ESRI International Users Conference, a conference replete with Makers - I mean the place is lousy with cool, innovative people, excited to meet the challenges of our environment head-on - what fascinated me was a couple of fellows from Stanford and their nifty aquatic drone. These two students had just formed their own company, <a href="http://liquidr.com/" target="_blank" title="Liquid Robotics">Liquid Robotics</a>, to develop and build unmanned data collection devices for gathering information on the open ocean. I found their aquatic drone mesmerizing. A simple, surfboard-looking device; no, more like a sealed kayak, maybe. Flat on top, with a keel several inches deep. The flat dorsal surface was covered with solar panels to generate enough power for the communications equipment and sensors. The unit is not self-powered; the drone merely floats along on the waves, broadcasting position via coordinates gathered from the on-board GPS. The drone deploys a series of blades from the keel which catch the current, propelling the drone in the same direction as the current.<br />
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At the time I chatted with the founders of Liquid Robotics, their drone essentially measured current velocity, sea surface temperature (SST), and a longitude, latitude (x,y) coordinate, plus all the ephemeral data coincident with collecting a GPS coordinate. I asked, "But, what about other measurements? Water temperature? Salinity, or other characteristics? Will future versions collect samples?" Yes, they replied, they had plans on providing upgrades and different models to accommodate clients needs. I continued my line of questioning. "What about freshwater? What about developing devices for collecting information about our freshwater bodies of water? What about reservoirs, or the Great Lakes, or the Great Salt Lake? Do you have any plans on developing devices for those bodies of water?"<br />
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Their reply took me aback. "No. Why would we want to develop for reservoirs? Those are just standing bodies of water." OK, so, these guys are engineers at Stanford. They are not stupid. However, clearly they do not understand the hydrodynamics of reservoirs very well. Reservoirs, pretty much by definition, are created by the impoundment of moving water. While the study of ocean water and associated currents is extremely important for climate research, the study of freshwater resources is critical for understanding critical ecosystems directly connected to our food supply, energy, human health, and the geopolitics of water. I think I left an impression upon them, but not sure how deep the impression went.<br />
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Enter Google, and more specifically, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/Google.org" target="_blank" title="Google.org">Google.org</a>. Google.org manages a program which lends a Google StreetView camera to groups or organizations with interesting projects. Recently, I ran across an article showcasing the use of a Google StreetView camera to collect imagery along the San Francisco Bay. The Google StreetView camera was attached to a remotely-controlled motorized platform, operated by people located on a nearby boat. What an amazing prototype, right? However, development cannot stop with merely mounting a Google StreetView camera to essentially what amounts to a modified catamaran.
A lengthy post, as most of mine tend to be, but stay with me as I am going to bring in some other related projects and expose the potential for far more mature endeavors.
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<b>Reservoir Research Using UAVs and Landsat 8 Satellite Imagery</b><br />
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If unfamiliar with Google and Google's own directed research to help environmental causes, I encourage you to watch the YouTube video below. Google's own server farms host USGS Landsat 8 imagery for researchers world-wide. Anyone who has ever used what I consider to be the granddaddy of all Internet applications, Google Earth, has used Landsat 5, 7, and most recently, Landsat 8 satellite imagery. Landsat imagery forms the foundation basemap imagery against which all other imagery is overlaid.<br />
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At Murray State University, the Hancock Biological Station (HBS) monitors the Tennessee River watershed, including the Tennessee Valley Authority's Kentucky Lake. HBS uses a number of different technologies to gather water quality information covering one of the most important and historical waterways in the United States. HBS collects data from fixed locations which also double as osprey nests. Other fixed sources include a small number of buoys. These technologies broadcast data back to HBS using SMS, incorporated with data which has been collected for decades.<br />
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The third data collection method in use at Hancock is a boat. Yes, a boat. On a regular basis, HBS deploys a manned boat to collect all sorts of information. I've been on a couple cruises to observe and help. Water samples are collected, at depth. Turbidity is assessed. Water temperature, wind speed, wind direction, dissolved oxygen are measured. A large number of in situ tests are run, as well as samples collected for later analysis. Each cruise hits 14 to 17 randomly selected sampling sites. At each location the same procedures are duplicated. On November 8th, 2013, Hancock conducted its 500th monitoring cruise.<br />
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Now, I said, "...on a regular basis,..." Specifically, HBS deploys its boat every 16 days. Why every 16 days? The Landsat 8 satellite has a return frequency of 16 days, meaning Landsat 8 can image the same Earth location every 16 days. Thus, knowing the return schedule of Landsat 8, HBS plans its monitoring schedule around the return visit of Landsat 8. In fact, over the course of the program, HBS planned each monitoring mission around Landsat 5 and Landsat 7. HBS skips a mission or two in the winter months; a mission is planned every 32 days. Over 200 students and faculty from around the world have used Murray State University and Hancock Biology Station to advance the progress of water science studies.<br /><br />
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<a href="http://www.murraystate.edu/qacd/cos/hbs/hbs.htm" target="_blank" title="Hancock Biological Station"><span style="color: blue;"><i>Find out more about Hancock Biology Station</i></span></a></div>
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What I envision is a fleet of SFBaykeeper-style aquatic drones for monitoring Kentucky Lake and nearby Lake Barkley. Currently, HBS monitors 17 stations in the middle reach of Kentucky Lake, and no stations on Lake Barkley. Station management and College of Science faculty, staff, and students have long dreamed of expanding data collection for Kentucky Lake / Tennessee River System, and adding the Lake Barkley / Cumberland River System to the research program. A fleet of aquatic drones, each member pre-programmed to hit a precise location, could be deployed to coincide with the Landsat 8 overpass. Each member would be equipped with instruments for collecting samples and running analysis. The members would then return to HBS for staff to retrieve water samples.<br />
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Sure; there are a number of concerns. Some traits of interest of volatile; some chemicals, like those from agricultural pesticides and herbicides do not last long once removed from the lake. Perhaps the fleet collects the data they are best able to measure; some remaining analysis may require a human visit. However, a fleet may allow a "division of labor," allowing human staff to hit more locations to collect the volatile samples, while the fleet members collect the low-hanging fruit.<br />
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My point is: considerable work has been performed already to control automated deployment and dispersal of drones. When coupled to GPS and the cellular network, the drone fleet would bring fantastic growth to a mature and robust monitoring reservoir monitoring program.<br />
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<b>Europa Sensor Platform</b><br />
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<a href="http://i.space.com/images/i/000/035/245/iFF/europa-water-south-pole-image-2.jpg?1386862635" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="" src="http://i.space.com/images/i/000/035/245/iFF/europa-water-south-pole-image-2.jpg?1386862635" height="200" width="300" /></a>Agreed; my next idea is a bit of a reach. However, any sensor platform developed for Planet Earth could be modified for use elsewhere.<br />
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One of the more intriguing locations within our solar system, besides Mars, is Europa. Europa is a moon of Jupiter with a tendency to eject plumes of water, water vapor, or some gaseous fluid closely resembling H2O. The development of an aquatic drone, or an aquatic-capable drone, here on Earth, tested and run through a variety of stress tests, would have at least two positive outcomes. First, the unmanned aquatic vehicle (UAV) technology could be directly applied to any reservoir or other large body of water. Second, the platform could be later adapted for bathymetric surveys, for search-and-rescue, or monitoring of other watershed parameters. Third, the UAV technology could then be modded for other environments, i.e. Europa.<br />
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In this post, I have set forth some arguments to push for development of a mature aquatic drone research product. What Google has done in assisting in the creation of the SFBaykeeper has so many applications, the implications stagger me a bit. So very cool what is going on with people engineering things in their garage, in their homes, with industry support, who often, like Google, provide mentors to guide and oversee use of technology.<br />
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We live in truly innovative times.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407189306241362377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987907847317229838.post-12257904520149563932015-01-28T10:10:00.002-06:002015-01-28T10:10:28.341-06:00FIRST Tech Challenge Robotics Competition at OCTC<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85098); color: #00467f; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;">FIRST Tech Challenge Robotics Competition at OCTC</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85098); color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85098); color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">By Bernie Hale, Owensboro Community and Technical College</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85098); color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85098); color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: white;"></span></span><br />
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Owensboro Community and Technical College is hosting a real-world robotics competition on Saturday, January 31, 2015 for students in grades 7-12. The event will be held in the Advanced Technology Center, on the main campus located at 4800 New Hartford Road, Owensboro.<br />
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FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) is designed for students in grades 7-12 to compete head to head, using a sports model but applying STEM related skills. Teams are responsible for designing, building, and programming their robots to compete in an alliance format against other teams. The robot kit is reusable from year-to-year and is programmed using a variety of languages. Teams, including coaches, mentors and volunteers, are required to develop strategy and build robots based on sound engineering principles. Awards are given for the competition as well as for community outreach, design, and other real-world accomplishments.</div>
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21 teams are scheduled to compete, representing schools and organizations in Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Ohio, and Indiana, including Lexington Christian Academy, Oakdale Christian Academy, St. Henry District High School, Larry A. Ryle High School, Roberson County High School, Christian Educational Consortium, Daviess County High School, Louisville Robotics Institute, Paducah-Tilghman High School, South Spencer High School, Whitefield Academy, Bethlehem High School, Dayton Regional STEM School, John Burroughs School, and neighborhood and homeschool association groups. </div>
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Owensboro Community & Technical College, NASA Kentucky, Domtar, and AMTEC are sponsoring this year’s event. For more information about the OCTC’s FIRST Lego League competition, please contact Shawn Payne at (270) 686-3789 or <a href="mailto:shawn.payne@kctcs.edu" style="color: #663399; text-decoration: none;">shawn.payne@kctcs.edu</a>. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407189306241362377noreply@blogger.com0Murray, KY, USA36.6103334 -88.31476099999997636.5083744 -88.476122499999974 36.7122924 -88.153399499999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987907847317229838.post-25508435576431914992015-01-19T10:51:00.000-06:002015-01-19T10:51:04.863-06:00WKCTC to Host "Mars Explorer" Robotics Competition for Local StudentsWest Kentucky Community and Technical College is hosting the <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Robot Extreme Challenge March 7th, 2015. The competition is open to any student in western Kentucky Three divisions are open to accommodate entrants from elementary, middle, or high school.</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Cost of entry per team is $175, and each team must have a Lego EV3 robotics platform. Teams will develop a robot capable of handling 13 different tasks pertaining to a pre-determined theme. This year's theme is "Mars Adventure." Each task will involve performing some function to assist with or improve the lives of people hypothetically living on Mars.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Registration deadline is January 23rd, 2015.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">More details are available on <a href="http://rcxrobot.org/">rcxrobot.org</a>.</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/1qTPWaQz-jQ?list=PLWf7iYURT1bwhE7Kl10mAf9tGIIw6SAJ4" width="640"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407189306241362377noreply@blogger.com0Murray Murray36.614051 -88.315607tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987907847317229838.post-86417825611265428472015-01-19T10:50:00.002-06:002015-01-19T10:50:47.633-06:00IEEE Students To Meet, Plan for SoutheastCon 2015The Murray State University student chapter of IEEE will have a Spring 2015 Kickoff / planning meeting Wednesday, January 21st, 2015 at 3.30 p.m., 135 Blackburn.<br />
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The meeting will discuss details pertaining to the formation of a Robot Team. The Robot Team will compete at the SoutheastCon 2015 Student Hardware Competition to be held in Fort Lauderdale, FL, April 9th - April 12th, 2015.</div>
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The IEEE Robot Team needs members with the following experience or background:</div>
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1. Electrical engineering</div>
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3. Computer programming</div>
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All interested Engineering Physics students plus IET majors are encouraged to attend.</div>
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Free pizza and drinks will be available.</div>
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For more information, please contact Dr. Leedy at <a href="mailto:aleedy@murraystate.edu">aleedy@murraystate.edu</a><br />
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<a href="http://ewh.ieee.org/reg/3/student.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" IEEE Region 3 Student Information" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJTN5yXQxvzsBaS_bcE7FJaGZEKvZlcBFW1tVYzkKvz8OhUjq0UiRWiDA4-SNAUF4bOUihgN3k_2edxKDAe63pQVhw8-UR4PnV8rIPsACOvqRs5pcOBMDiEqUrMq6GdCxI_s0MsQoQNIZ/s1600/ieee-region-3.jpg" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407189306241362377noreply@blogger.com0Murray, KY, USA36.6103334 -88.31476099999997636.5083744 -88.476122499999974 36.7122924 -88.153399499999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987907847317229838.post-31849559720258366062014-10-22T21:01:00.001-05:002014-10-22T21:04:05.329-05:00Mapping Nobel Prize Winning WomenAfter the recent passing of author Doris Lessing (1919-2013) I became curious how many women have received the Nobel Prize since 1901. Not that many I have come to discover. Of the 851 individual Laureates, 45 have been women, or roughly 5%. According to NobelPrize.org, 25 organizations have been awarded the Nobel Prize, as well. Examples of organizations include Bangladesh's Grameen Bank (2006), Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders, 1999), Amnesty International (1977), and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF, 1965).<br />
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The connection between education for women and girls and economic progress and development is clear. Investments in education for women and girls in developing and underdeveloped countries results in positive economic and social progress. Around the world, from the United States to Africa and Southwest Asia, investment in education, and especially STEM education, improves wages, improves health care, reduces child mortality, and increases political action and commitment.<br />
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My hopes are the map may help inspire people to improve the recognition of the contributions of women throughout all segments of global society. </div>
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="400" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://murraystate.maps.arcgis.com/home/webmap/templates/OnePane/basicviewer/embed.html?webmap=7fa68c7733af497da4af1f91a59c0752&gcsextent=-88.9938,5.7174,61.1234,69.9351&home=true&displayslider=true&displaylegend=true&displaydetails=true&displaybasemaps=true" width="600"></iframe></div>
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Click "Legend" to open the map's legend. The pins are color-coded by the Nobel award, green for chemistry, red for physics, silver for economics, and so forth. Click on a pin and the information for a particular Nobel winner will appear. When the window opens, scroll to the bottom. I added a link to the winner's entry on NobelPrize.org and used a link to their Wikipedia.org entry for a picture, if one was available. I assigned the colors, by the way. The interactive map above was created from a simple spreadsheet.<br />
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The spreadsheet is very simple to create. A little forethought must be given to how the data is organized. As I tell my students, you don't have to be an expert in the topic, but you do have to understand how to organize information. In this case, I mapped the winners by their place of birth. However, in many cases, the winners did not their award in their home country. Before and during World War Two, a mass exodus of people from Western, Central, and Eastern Europe occurred in advance of Nazi Germany influence. In some cases, the location does not note the place of birth but the country of residence at the time of the award. This special circumstance might make for an interesting lesson plan for middle or high school students, by the way. Both men and women Nobel Prize awards for the 1940's exhibited considerably disruption due to the war.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuM9M1CPj3P-9w98oqHVOVLF3sTgeJXZBTQvY6oBJPFNnvyxr2tN3nsGbGVIhDyzNqJNFru22WUEj9ohLlfmifFilVOXnaVs6kDUf5nHNOzhvorn2uoiFmufPSDiTn89RUNGi72XzqGpGT/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-10-22+at+8.25.15+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuM9M1CPj3P-9w98oqHVOVLF3sTgeJXZBTQvY6oBJPFNnvyxr2tN3nsGbGVIhDyzNqJNFru22WUEj9ohLlfmifFilVOXnaVs6kDUf5nHNOzhvorn2uoiFmufPSDiTn89RUNGi72XzqGpGT/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-10-22+at+8.25.15+PM.png" height="217" width="640" /></a></div>
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As the above spreadsheet illustrates, nothing fancy is going on. Year, Winner's Name, City, Country, Prize Category, etc. A couple of special notes; for the data to be mapped, some information about location must be provided. Now, I have provided "city" and "country." I could use a technique called "geocoding," but this process comes at a real cost. Some processes included with ArcGIS Online come with a real dollar amount attached and cost real money. Geocoding is one of those processes. I opted not to charge geocoding against our account and elected to use geographic coordinates instead. Thus, the "x" and "y" are latitude and longitude. The ArcGIS Online dashboard comes equipped to handle data attached to geographic coordinates at no cost to the user. The upload process is also smart enough to identify geographic coordinates in a spreadsheet in the event an unsophisticated user provided unusual field headings, like "peanut_butter" and "jelly." The data within the record is often enough to offset unfortunate headings.</div>
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There are two columns missing from the above graphic. The first missing field is "image_LNK." This is a reserved field name. Use this field to provide a link to an online image. The field must contain the fully qualified URL to the image. The second missing field is "wiki_LINK." This field contains the URL to pertinent Wikipedia page. I believe adding other custom fields is possible, though I have not explored this potential. To provide better coverage, below is the rest of the spreadsheet.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPbzYWHaMkI4kpIapP8_y03ixw5d7LjQIbK-lBtpY1jINLcPD2P5pj_V9zZ7P7M_804SttEI9ORE05sr8PQsnEIhNzs4BkV6kqDuns5hhfNcrSeAiz4aXdNrn3HnSSyyKNAA81BNQ9Bijc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-10-22+at+8.51.08+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPbzYWHaMkI4kpIapP8_y03ixw5d7LjQIbK-lBtpY1jINLcPD2P5pj_V9zZ7P7M_804SttEI9ORE05sr8PQsnEIhNzs4BkV6kqDuns5hhfNcrSeAiz4aXdNrn3HnSSyyKNAA81BNQ9Bijc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-10-22+at+8.51.08+PM.png" height="406" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is not a precise tutorial for putting data online. The process is not more involved than what I have described, though. ArcGIS Online maps can be shared with selected Murray State people or Murray State groups, or can even be made public. And, as you have see above, can even be embedded in a website.</div>
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The same potential for building map applications similar to the two maps I have posted exists for kids in kindergarten through high school in Kentucky. Sponsored by the Kentucky Geographic Alliance, all K-12 schools in Kentucky have at their disposal ArcGIS Online for Education. Check out <a href="http://connected.esri.com/">connected.esri.com</a> for complete details.</div>
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For more information about ESRI's ArcGIS Online for Education at Murray State contact <a href="mailto:mbusby@murraystate.edu" target="_blank">Michael Busby</a> at the Mid-America Remote sensing Center (MARC.)</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407189306241362377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987907847317229838.post-39460025281062169752014-10-22T19:48:00.001-05:002014-10-22T19:48:19.932-05:00Dr Robin Zhang Keeps Up with Geoscience GraduatesIn the 2013-2014 academic year Murray State University charged individual departments with keeping track of graduates. Figuring out geographic distributions, mapping geography, is something geographers tend to be pretty good at. In the Department of Geosciences, Dr. Robin Zhang took on the task of mapping where Geosciences graduates end up soon after graduation.<br />
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Using ArcGIS Online, a free mapping application provided by ESRI courtesy of MSU/MARC, Dr. Zhang decided to give the mapping application a shot. Below, is the GIS-based mapping application created by Dr. Zhang illustrating the distribution of Geosciences graduates.<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="400" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://murraystate.maps.arcgis.com/home/webmap/templates/OnePane/basicviewer/embed.html?webmap=06d1d9187ed74d4d8a59fd4b6e516693&gcsextent=-136.2548,17.4418,-50.122,53.6752&home=true&displayslider=true&displayscalebar=true&displaylegend=true&displaysearch=true" width="650"></iframe><br />
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Interactive maps like the one above are pretty easy to create. To create one of these interactive maps, an ESRI Global Account is required. These accounts are free, created simply by visiting ESRI.com and filling out a short form. An account can also be created by the local ESRI Site License Administrator, <a href="mailto:mbusby@murraystate.edu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Michael Busby</a>. An invitation to join the Murray State University ArcGIS Online community is also necessary. Again, this request goes to the local ESRI Site License Administrator, or can be handled during the ESRI account request.<br />
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The account provides access to ESRI's ArcGIS Online for Education. The next bit of the puzzle is managing the data. In Dr. Zhang's map app, her data were the locations of Geosciences alumni - people. People will gainful employment are typically tied to an employer's address, a building. The building can be located in a number of ways, but most commonly with an address or a set of coordinates. By clicking on one of the colored dots, information on a person is revealed, including the longitude and latitude (x and y) of the employer's location. To put a point on a globe one needs a coordinate, a longitude and latitude. With that important element in a spreadsheet, each row in a spreadsheet then becomes a mappable record.<br />
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In essence, one really only needs a spreadsheet replete with information, tied in some way to a place on the Earth. Then, an interactive map is born. In my next post, I will demonstrate my interactive map and provide an example of my spreadsheet.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407189306241362377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987907847317229838.post-36724970770161935562014-10-22T09:16:00.001-05:002014-10-22T09:16:42.399-05:00GitHub Student Developer PackGitHub recently released a suite of software, programming resources, cloud development tools, and other development resources specifically for students.<br />
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The Education branch of GitHub has partnered with several providers to offer students a nice bundle of free services, software, and opportunities to begin app and service development.<br />
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For complete information, click <a href="https://education.github.com/pack" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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To be eligible, you must be a student aged 13+ and enrolled in a degree or diploma granting course of study. All one needs is a school-issued email address, valid student identification card, or other official proof of enrollment.<br />
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To get access to the pack, GitHub will need to verify your student status. Sign up using the form and GitHub will send you an email once you've been verified.<br />
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<a href="https://education.github.com/" target="_blank"><b>GitHub Education</b></a> is also a great STEM resource for crowdsourcing programming, for software development, for learning to code, for improving code, and for all sorts of activities related to software development.<br />
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<a href="http://archiveteam.org/images/3/3d/GitHub_logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://archiveteam.org/images/3/3d/GitHub_logo.png" height="141" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407189306241362377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987907847317229838.post-32595499974369906632014-09-03T10:23:00.000-05:002014-09-03T10:23:00.351-05:00Archaeology Prints Its First ObjectIn early August, Dr. Kit Wesler was finally able to get his Cubify CubeX Duo up-and-running. Not through any fault of his own; several work orders were stacked up to bring electric and networking to his Terrain Modeling Laboratory.
Once the CubeX Duo had a firmware update, a test file was uploaded to the printer. The CubeX Duo is only connected to computer to receive firmware updates. Print files (.STL) are moved to the 3D printer via a USB drive. The onboard computer and menu system provides access to printing specific print files. The short video below shows the printer in action.
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/vQTBzwUPa64?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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The Cubify CubeX Duo was purchased along with a 3D scanner as part of a long-term project to generate models of archaeological artifacts. A collection of model archaeological artifacts would be assembled into interpretive collections for distribution to local primary and secondary schools to enhance students knowledge of local history and culture. These model artifacts would represent primarily the Mississippian culture which existed throughout much of the southeast United States from about 800 A.D. to approximately 1600 A.D. (<a href="http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/mississippian-period-overview">New Georgia Encyclopedia</a>) <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvtnehKaGiS7sShW7zoQFYdaSToR7Lk-ufocWKi0I0j6MGDL_-TPNOHuC7RmhxjOKM0Bi8pkcH0veus7YfSBsIeUkLmXnR7fbOD1I3cWZwtg1T9eeP0pGAc1N0oaLfzFDS9yhekYEhobmz/s1600/rook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvtnehKaGiS7sShW7zoQFYdaSToR7Lk-ufocWKi0I0j6MGDL_-TPNOHuC7RmhxjOKM0Bi8pkcH0veus7YfSBsIeUkLmXnR7fbOD1I3cWZwtg1T9eeP0pGAc1N0oaLfzFDS9yhekYEhobmz/s1600/rook.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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So, what was printed? A rook, the test file provided by Cubify (above). The Murray State coaster and dime (on the coaster) provide scale. The print job took about 4 hours. The level of detail is pretty cool; not seen in the image is the spiral staircase running from the floor to roof inside the rook. Many of these 3D printers create very impressive levels of details even as seen from the outside. If one were to examine these objects closer, the interiors of most objects also contain high amounts fine details only visible by close scrutiny.<br />
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3D printing and scanning, outrageously expensive a mere 5 years ago, are becoming nearly commonplace. Such vendors as Cubify, Makerbot, and Printrbot provide entry level printers affordable to home enthusiasts. Some models are less than a $1000, putting them within reach of individuals, schools, and small businesses. 3D printing and scanning is rapidly becoming the basis of DIY, entrepreneurial fabrication, and a necessary tool for the Maker movement.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407189306241362377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987907847317229838.post-8198285298564659412014-08-17T11:57:00.000-05:002014-08-17T11:57:15.429-05:00Kentucky Academy of Technology Education at Murray State Brings NAO to Western Kentucky<i>Parts of this post are borrowed from the WKMS coverage of KATE's latest technology endeavor, the NAO programmable robot. I include portions of the interview to ensure continued coverage of innovative and STEM-related topics which promote local efforts to integrate emerging technologies in education and entrepreneurship.</i><br />
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Kate Lochte and WKMS sat down with Dr. Robert Lyons, Ginny Kelly, and Dwayne Buchanan to discuss the introduction of emerging technologies within Primary and Secondary Education. The newest technology promoted by KATE (Kentucky Academy of Technology Education) is the NAO robot. NAO is a French-made programmable robot developed specifically for educating young minds - and perhaps older minds, too - in the field of robotics and programming.<br />
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The NAO, designed and built by <a href="http://www.aldebaran.com/en/robots" target="_blank">Aldebaran</a>, is programmable using a collection of images to move the robot through a set of behaviors. NAO can also be customized by students by learning C++ and create their own set of custom behaviors.<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/07/nao-robot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/07/nao-robot.jpg" height="200" width="152" /></a><object height="360" width="480"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/F8AtC_SgnkY?hl=en_US&version=3"></param>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">"This is the second year the NAO robot is utilized in the Kentucky Academy of Technology Education program. A middle school in Bullitt County was the first to conduct a trial run. Students were selected to already had an interest in computer programming to try the software and the robot. They took their learning experience to a nearby elementary school for a demonstration. Because of the interest in robots, students who were not necessarily leaders in the classroom stepped forward and became leaders in the project. Feedback shows that 80% of the kids in the trial had gone on to take another programming class in STEM." (<i>WKMS; </i></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><i>http://wkms.org/post/how-murray-state-introducing-kids-emerging-world-robotics; August 15th, 2014)</i></span></span></blockquote>
Ginny, Robert, and Dwayne also did a great job of incorporating Make and D-I-Y activities into their discussion.<br />
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Please listen to the entire interview at WKMS <u><a href="http://wkms.org/post/how-murray-state-introducing-kids-emerging-world-robotics" target="_blank">here</a></u>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407189306241362377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987907847317229838.post-80431059601516144262014-08-06T09:18:00.003-05:002014-08-06T09:33:59.054-05:00Nashville Mini Maker Faire<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://makezine.com/2014/07/30/nashville-mini-maker-faire-is-looking-for-makers/" target="_blank">Nashville Mini Maker Faire</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">September 13th, 2014</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Adventure Science Center</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">10 am to 5 pm</span></div>
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The second annual Nashville Mini Maker Faire is coming up soon! September 13 at the Adventure Science Center, over 30 exhibits and 3,000 people will take part in Nashville's Maker Movement.</div>
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This year's <b>Crafter's Challenge</b> theme is "cycle."When you hear “cycle”, what do you see? Recycle? Bicycle? Water cycle? Baseball cycle? Now put your vision into a crafted piece and enter the Nashville Mini Maker Faire Crafters’ Challenge. All types of creative crafted pieces are welcome, from sculptures to paintings to quilts to wearables to designs and more. Entries will be displayed at the Faire and winners will be chosen by celebrity judges and popular votes. Thousands of people will see your creation. There are only two simple rules:</div>
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Rule #1: Your artwork must incorporate your interpretation of the word “cycle”.</blockquote>
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Rule #2: You must fill out a Maker <a href="http://nashvillemakerfaire.com/makers/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0b5394;">application</span></a> and indicate you are entering the <a href="http://nashvillemakerfaire.com/2014/06/04/announcing-the-crafters-challenge/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Crafters’ Challenge</span></a><span style="color: #073763;">.</span></blockquote>
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<i>(From MAKE <a href="http://makezine.com/2014/07/30/nashville-mini-maker-faire-is-looking-for-makers/" target="_blank">Blog</a>, 7/30/2014)</i> </div>
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The first annual Nashville Maker Faire featured the <a href="http://fullscalefalcon.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Full Scale Millennium Falcon Project</span></a>, the Official <a href="http://www.astromech.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0b5394;">R2-D2 Builders Club</span></a>, and Master Builder Chris Lee.<br />
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Here is a YouTube video of Nashville's 2013 Maker Faire, every exhibit in 2 minutes:</div>
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<b>For more information, click the graphic below, or visit</b> <a href="http://nashvillemakerfaire.com/"><span style="color: #0b5394;">NashvilleMakerFaire.com</span></a></div>
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m14!1m8!1m3!1d51548.65791188558!2d-86.78851787129672!3d36.14729887251868!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x0%3A0x208eef02fe513837!2sAdventure+Science+Center!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1407335563521" style="border: 0;" width="600"></iframe>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407189306241362377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987907847317229838.post-32899513657779170242014-07-11T11:11:00.000-05:002014-08-02T09:51:33.908-05:00ESRI's ArcGIS Available for Faculty, Staff, and Students<span style="color: #444444;">ESRI believes geography is at the heart of a more resilient
and sustainable future. Governments, industry leaders, academics, and
nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) trust us to connect them with the
analytic knowledge they need to make these critical decisions that shape
the planet.</span> (<i>from ESRI's <a href="http://www.esri.com/about-esri/vision" target="_blank">Vision Statement</a></i>) <span style="color: #444444;">ESRI offers ArcGIS for designing and managing solutions that comprise ArcGIS
for Desktop software to discover patterns, relationships, and trends in
the data in databases, spreadsheets, or statistical packages.</span> (<i>from Bloomberg BusinessWeek Company <a href="http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=1597564" target="_blank">Snapshot</a>)</i><br />
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Murray State University, through the Mid-America Remote Sensing Center, offers and supports a variety of ESRI's ArcGIS software products for faculty, staff, and student academic use. The ESRI software of primary interest to most users is ArcGIS for Desktop. ArcGIS for Desktop is the cornerstone application for the analysis of spatial patterns throughout a vast assortment of industries and disciplines.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSebzTg5dfCT7ixN2S_xKO24jHFyFsweEJUabSaPBsERtku3sjJBLF57p2z-TKJVC__yiM3Kp33d5xFuMFvunPrL07ve902g_vanaeWvOQTDfk9ILPi8aEHz3xQcUTxxkJFlOAdPWqLiU/s1600/ESRI+Geography.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSebzTg5dfCT7ixN2S_xKO24jHFyFsweEJUabSaPBsERtku3sjJBLF57p2z-TKJVC__yiM3Kp33d5xFuMFvunPrL07ve902g_vanaeWvOQTDfk9ILPi8aEHz3xQcUTxxkJFlOAdPWqLiU/s1600/ESRI+Geography.jpg" /></a></div>
For users not particularly interested in enterprise GIS software, ESRI offers other means for visualizing geographic data, from ArcGIS Explorer to ArcGIS Online for Organizations. These apps allow access to geographic data through a small, downloadable app run from the desktop, to browser-based access to data already available online provided by GIS servers around the world.<br />
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Murray State also has access to ArcGIS Server, allowing for the publishing of GIS data to the general public. ESRI's Collector application allows users to collect field data, such as biology students collecting information about flora or fauna, agriculture students collecting field measurements, or students collecting campus information for building campus map apps.<br />
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Murray State University and the <a href="http://www.murraystate.edu/Academics/ResearchCenters/MARC.aspx" target="_blank">Mid-America Remote Sensing Center</a> are members of the Council for Post-secondary Education Commonwealth of Kentucky Site License Agreement with ESRI. Each year, MARC pays a small fee, along with about 18 other universities in the Commonwealth of Kentucky in order to access the majority of ESRI software products.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><i>Updated**</i></span> The Commonwealth of Kentucky CPE/ESRI Statewide License Agreement covers academic, research, and administration<i> </i>use of ESRI's software products. Academic use includes faculty research, grants, and some contracts.<sup>1</sup> ArcGIS Desktop can also be used for serving the administrative aspects of the University, such as campus mapping projects, Facilities Management, and the research and analysis of service region demographics.<br />
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ESRI software products can be installed on any university-owned computer or laptop.<br />
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Students have access to free, one-year licenses of ArcGIS for Desktop.<br />
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Also available are about 80 free <a href="https://training.esri.com/gateway/index.cfm?fa=aul.gateway" target="_blank">Virtual Campus</a> courses. These ESRI-led courses provide educational and training opportunities for faculty, staff, and currently-enrolled students to learn software, techniques, and analysis methods. The added benefit of these courses is they can lead to software certification, transcripts are managed, certificates are provided, and some courses qualify for continuing education credits for professional certifications, such as Professional Engineers or Professional Geologists, or Licensed Surveyors.<br />
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For more information about the Murray State University/MARC ESRI Site License Agreement, please contact <a href="mailto:mbusby@murraystate.edu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Michael Busby</a>, the MSU/CPE Site License Administrator (SLA).<br />
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<i>I. The HESLA allows for cooperation with non-profit organizations and collaboration with other public institutions as long as the results of the work do not result in any for-profit benefits. For example, engaging in "Memorandum of Agreement/Understanding" with Kentucky Fish & Wildlife for research and analysis of white-nose disease would be an acceptable contract. </i><br />
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<i>During the planning phase of any grant, contract, or MOA proposal, please contact the local SLA to ensure contract compliance.</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407189306241362377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987907847317229838.post-30646592965937865652014-07-01T16:25:00.001-05:002014-07-01T16:25:21.095-05:00Autodesk for Students and Educators<i>Many software companies provide software solutions for colleges and universities. Having some experience with these licenses I can say some companies "don't get it," charging hundreds of dollars to students for trial versions of software which expire after a year. Autodesk, by comparison, does get it.</i><br />
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3D printing and design, 3D scanning technology, and other DIY fabrication devices require software to generate the files used in fabrication. Colleges and universities, after spending money to acquire fabrication technology are often strapped for cash to obtain necessary software. Often, the software arriving with the technology is good, but not "industry-standard." Faculty want to expose students to current software provided by industry leaders.<br />
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Years ago, software companies might provided "low-cost" versions of their software to students for educational use. While "enterprise" licenses might cost tens of thousands of dollar "per seat" (per computer), a student license might run $500-$1,000. Students would scoff at such offering despite the 90% discount from list. Software companies, at the time, didn't really understand that if they simply gave their software to schools to use in teaching, the students would want to use the software after gaining the experience, resulting in a built-in user base.<br />
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Most companies are catching on to the idea of using colleges and universities to develop a ready-made user base and are literally giving away software, or are engaging in very generous licensing agreements which reduce the cost of yearly licensing to pennies per seat. Kudos to those companies, by the way.<br />
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Autodesk has such an offer to colleges and universities. Autodesk offers colleges and universities the chance to enroll in their <a href="http://www.autodesk.com/education/free-software/all" target="_blank">Educational Community</a> program. Once enrolled, nearly all of Autodesk'<br />
s software is available to the entire campus community.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a sample of Autodesk's Educational Community offering</td></tr>
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The Autodesk Educational Community allows disciplines across campus to offer instructional software, teach design and encourage creativity. Autodesk is not paying me for writing this post; over time I have used 3Ds Max, AutoCad, AutoCad Map, SketchBook Express. I know people who use Maya as often as I use my wok (a lot).<br />
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If your campus is into design, creativity, fabrication, then see if you already are part of the Educational Community. If not, make some noise and see if you can get your institution signed-up for this great offering by an industry leader in graphic arts and design.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407189306241362377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987907847317229838.post-23250793907855851112014-06-29T16:03:00.002-05:002014-06-29T16:03:53.480-05:002014-2015 Grant Proposals Now Being Accepted by MSU Office of Regional Outreach<i>Grant-funding opportunities can arise infrequently yet are important sources of funding for getting an important educational activity started. The Murray State University Office of Regional Outreach helps facilitate education grants and grant-funding.</i><br />
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Murray State University’s (MSU) Office of Regional Outreach has announced its 2014-15 grant funding cycle. Now in its seventh year, the Regional Outreach Grant Program provides seed money for new and innovative educational programming for West Kentucky youth and adults. Applications are accepted for review at any time during the fiscal year (June 1, 2014 through July 31, 2015) as long as funds are available.<div>
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Grants are competitive and funding is awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis until funds are depleted. Grant proposal must include a 1:1 match in funding or comparable in-kind support. </div>
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For complete grant details, please visit <a href="http://www.murraystate.edu/outreach">www.murraystate.edu/outreach</a>.<br /><div>
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Examples of internal Murray State University grants funded include: Dr. Renee Fister (mathematics and statistics) and Dr. Dina Byers and Dr. Dana Manley (nursing) for their collaborative “Health in a Box” project; Dr. Pam Matlock and Greg Gierhart (education) for their “Math Out of a Bag” program; and Dr. Aleck Leedy (engineering) for “Mobile Engineering Days.”</div>
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Some projects in the greater Murray State service region have also received important funding. Examples include Junior Achievement of West Kentucky, West Kentucky Educational Cooperative for the Prescription Drug Awareness Symposium, the Associated General Contractors of West Kentucky for Construction Career Day, and the Pennyrile Resource and Development Council for their “Building Bridges to Success” series for school children at Jeffers Bend Environmental Center and Botanical Garden.<br /><br />Complete story by Bentley Utgaard can be found at <a href="http://www.roundaboutmurray.com/?p=6627">http://www.roundaboutmurray.com/?p=6627</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407189306241362377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987907847317229838.post-12117166566169193812014-06-25T17:27:00.001-05:002014-06-25T17:27:30.805-05:00Nation of Makers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTPpRrZ4eWqTvZ4SoVp1JqHdRQLCbljWP2gSaxM2G8AWnjh8MW6CgbKD3RbZrfD-Kr6lgrHZdOYj0Wj53mB4E4wZZfhsd7MNlCwkFTAvbYtug3Wle_kTSQkLAHMlDAWzRb0g94IbQMpF1u/s1600/Screenshot+2014-06-25+16.54.36.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTPpRrZ4eWqTvZ4SoVp1JqHdRQLCbljWP2gSaxM2G8AWnjh8MW6CgbKD3RbZrfD-Kr6lgrHZdOYj0Wj53mB4E4wZZfhsd7MNlCwkFTAvbYtug3Wle_kTSQkLAHMlDAWzRb0g94IbQMpF1u/s1600/Screenshot+2014-06-25+16.54.36.png" height="144" width="400" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"<span style="color: #073763;">I am proud to host the first-ever White House Maker Faire. This event
celebrates every maker — from students learning STEM skills to
entrepreneurs launching new businesses to innovators powering the
renaissance in American manufacturing. I am calling on people across the
country to join us in sparking creativity and encouraging invention in
their communities</span>." <i>President Obama on June 17, 2014</i></blockquote>
The Maker Movement has gained its most prominent supporter, President Barack Obama. On June 17th, 2014, the White House hosted the first (and I am hoping annual) Maker Faire. From this day forward, June 18th will be known nationally as the "National Day of Making." You can read his proclamation <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/06/17/presidential-proclamation-national-day-making-2014" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Hundreds of people participated in the <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/maker-faire" target="_blank">White House Maker Faire.</a> David Perry played his 3D printed violin at the White House, Russell the Electric Giraffe made his debut, and 17-year old Darius demonstrated his hand-built 3D printer. Check out the White House Maker Faire website for more details, videos, and a cameo by Bill Nye!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTqplXTorDA7VYvbQzLZlttwNZ__Yg9jw5UCsZ4k31FCTw3nxzmZWwYxRTWfRVuZjjFfjA-CLXcPJLZHYIw6gu0c7mNE4N3ivBrXtx53AA617S3jlrpJhLhETkBxQPlyAeklAEFPMPWe-4/s1600/Screenshot+2014-06-25+17.13.33.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTqplXTorDA7VYvbQzLZlttwNZ__Yg9jw5UCsZ4k31FCTw3nxzmZWwYxRTWfRVuZjjFfjA-CLXcPJLZHYIw6gu0c7mNE4N3ivBrXtx53AA617S3jlrpJhLhETkBxQPlyAeklAEFPMPWe-4/s1600/Screenshot+2014-06-25+17.13.33.png" height="320" width="304" /></a></div>
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ESRI, the world's leading provider of geographic information systems software, provided a <a href="http://storymaps.esri.com/stories/2014/maker-faire/" target="_blank">storymap</a> helping illustrate the distribution of participants and provide some background information.<br />
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The White House has assumed an important role to help promote innovation and entrepreneurship through the Maker community. Users of Facebook can stay informed by following both Make and Maker Faire Facebook pages. User of Twitter can follow the #NationofMakers hashtag.<br />
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In a future post, I'll cover some methods of funding a Maker community, organizing a local Maker Faire, and share some anecdotes of my own experiences.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407189306241362377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987907847317229838.post-75472041489921629892014-06-13T15:35:00.003-05:002014-06-13T15:35:23.141-05:00Dr. Brandi King Presenting LEGO Robotics Workshop to Regional K-12 Educators.<i>From "Roundabout Murray" for June 12, 2014.</i><br />
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An upcoming opportunity to learn how to integrate LEGO® robotics in the classroom will provide K-12 teachers from Murray State University’s 18-county service region tools to diversify teaching strategies and address Kentucky Common Core STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) standards. The Office of Regional Outreach is partnering with Dr. Brandi King in the College of Education to present a free two-day LEGO® robotics education workshop for K-12 teachers in the region on June 26-27.<br />
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According to King, this training opportunity will “prepare teachers to work with students using LEGO® robotics kits. Participants will be expected to use the kits with students in the classroom, in an after-school club setting or coach a First LEGO® League team, which is for students ages 9-14.”<br />
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King’s passion for robotics prompted her to direct robotics summer camps for kids on Murray State’s campus and, more recently, to provide teachers with more hands-on instruction options. “The more teachers who have this technology at their fingertips, the more children who can be exposed to it in the classroom since not all kids can attend the camps,” King noted.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWpWT-kTi5yxfooLkN_vd8c40eq5FV4HEc3RrpA-wY-y_lGIqzQA8LyBypL7-9Tqy7NJe9q0_jyZy9lOrMtqpA3TgOS1nB5qDN8ogeB9DccB_C5uO97JymKU_ZQnvm1tzks1ZrOZgnnVr6/s1600/tetrix_robotics.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWpWT-kTi5yxfooLkN_vd8c40eq5FV4HEc3RrpA-wY-y_lGIqzQA8LyBypL7-9Tqy7NJe9q0_jyZy9lOrMtqpA3TgOS1nB5qDN8ogeB9DccB_C5uO97JymKU_ZQnvm1tzks1ZrOZgnnVr6/s1600/tetrix_robotics.gif" height="200" title="Tetrix Robotics" width="196" /></a></div>
All participants will be loaned the use of one LEGO® robotics kit for one school year. Homeschool teachers are encouraged to sign up as well.<br />
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To register, contact King at <a href="mailto:bking11@murraystate.edu">bking11@murraystate.edu</a> or call Regional Outreach at 270.809.5888<br />
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And if you have time, check out this LEGO <a href="https://education.lego.com/en-us/lesi/video" target="_blank">video</a> showcasing how LEGO robotics addresses Common Core Science Standards.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407189306241362377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987907847317229838.post-65093675295777231052014-06-12T15:48:00.000-05:002014-06-12T15:48:28.083-05:00Kickstart a Makerspace<i>Adapted from "<a href="http://makezine.com/magazine/make-38-cameras-and-av/kids-makerspace/" target="_blank">Kickstart A Kid's Makerspace</a>," by James Floyd Kelly; Make Magazine; Vol. 38; April/May 2014.</i><br />
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When I run across a good idea I occasionally take exception to parts of the idea's premise. Take this article by Mr. Kelly. He has an awesome idea. He states, "Young makers grow up to become world-changing engineers and leaders." I agree wholeheartedly. So, why would I take exception to his idea?<br />
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Because I don't think it should be limited exclusively to kids. <br />
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Many people have great ideas. Some people are late bloomers, and don't get an original idea until later in life, in their 40s, 50s, or 60s. Why should brilliant technology be provided exclusively to the young? Aren't we really interested in fostering ideas, regardless of age, gender, or race, or religion?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blacktooth laser cutter</td></tr>
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The notion of placing technology in the hands of our youth makes complete sense. After all, we adults want to raise thoughtful adults to take care of us in our old age, after our days of making and creating have been replaced by sipping cool drinks on the beach reading our favorite yarn. But, like I said, placing tech and ideas in the hands of more than our youth seems like a good idea, especially those college-aged youth who never had an opportunity to be creative, and adults back-in-college who may want to be entrepreneurs and create jobs.<br />
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Kelly outlines a couple of paths to follow, a low-cost Makerspace valued at about $11,000; and a higher-cost Makerspace, valued at about $24,000.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjxw_BMskIV4SYxAj-OQyFKomAxlc667jixoAqawjUwwv0M4AfCgMpYUl0Kb4oiokiOP1HSEctr9V2e-Ou5aPP3yBi3vgQKfsnbGgZmyIgiC3YGO7gyh0Hi3penQ7Rp2o1buBtoF4y_HZ/s1600/cnc_router.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjxw_BMskIV4SYxAj-OQyFKomAxlc667jixoAqawjUwwv0M4AfCgMpYUl0Kb4oiokiOP1HSEctr9V2e-Ou5aPP3yBi3vgQKfsnbGgZmyIgiC3YGO7gyh0Hi3penQ7Rp2o1buBtoF4y_HZ/s1600/cnc_router.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CNC router</td></tr>
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I don't want to re-create Kelly's great article here; we can all read and evaluate. We should all consider the long-term value in investing in such technologies from a variety of perspectives. Nothing bad, and much good can from these experiences.<br />
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If you don't read Make magazine, you should.<br />
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Also, check out <a href="http://makezine.com/"><b>makezine.com</b></a> for thousands of ideas for making, creating, building, wiring, and programming.<br />
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<i> </i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407189306241362377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987907847317229838.post-76685234055942115522014-06-06T10:42:00.003-05:002014-06-06T10:45:30.091-05:00Murray State University’s Summer Cyber AcademyThe Summer Cyber Academy, a telecommunications technology camp for high school students, will begin its first session on June 8. The mission of Cyber Academy is to expose high school students to computer technologies through hands-on, interactive activities.<br />
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The camp is sponsored by the Murray State University’s Program of Distinction in Telecommunications Systems Management (TSM). It gives high school students the opportunity to learn about a variety of technologies while introducing them to the college atmosphere through residential housing, campus dining and other on-campus functions.<br />
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Each summer there are two levels of camp offered. The first-year camps are designed for students at any experience level. During first-year camps, students will learn everything from building networks to installing and configuring network applications while earning three hours of college credit at Murray State. The security camp (second-year) is aimed at returning campers and focuses on network and host security. Throughout the security camp, campers will learn network defense techniques, network traffic analysis, how to bridge firewalls and much more.<br />
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Students attending camp stay on Murray State’s campus for five days and are supervised by TSM student counselors as well as TSM staff. Although the majority of the time is spent in the lab, several other activities are planned for the students to enjoy during the week. These activities include movie nights, scavenger hunts around campus, and time at the Bauernfeind Student Recreation and Wellness Center.<br />
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The 2014 Cyber Academy dates are set for June 8-13 and June 22- 27 (first year), and the Security Academy on July 6-11. Visit the website for more information, the academy application, a promotional video, photos, staff information and other important details about Cyber Academy at www.murraystate.edu/tsm/cybercave.
For questions, contact Annie Vandiver at the Center for Telecommunications Systems Management at 270.809.3987.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407189306241362377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987907847317229838.post-75693062600556829702014-06-06T10:35:00.002-05:002014-06-06T10:36:57.849-05:002014 Kentucky Girls STEM Collaborative Conference<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The <b><span style="color: blue;">2014 Kentucky Girls STEM Collaborative Conference Committee</span></b> invites you and your female students to come take part in an extremely exciting and hands-on experience!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The "<b>Health Sciences and Other Interesting Careers for Girls Conference</b>" offers a plethora of educational ideas for educators and counselors, as well as several exciting activities for girls in grades 5 - 12 who are interested in the STEM fields.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dress casually comfortable as Lesha Shumpert gets the day started off with Zumba exercise for everyone!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pre-registration is required and lunch is included.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Adult registration can be completed on <a href="http://www.ngcproject.org/2014-kentucky-girls-stem-collaborative-conference-adults" target="_blank">this page</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For Student Registration, please visit </span><a href="http://www.ngcproject.org/kentucky-girls-stem-collaborative-conference-students" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">this page</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Deadline: 6/9/2014</u>. $30.00 (adults) (No charge for students - Lockheed Martin provided a generous donation covering student registration fees for the 2014 KGSC Conference).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Date</u>: Friday, June 13, 2014 - 8:30am - 3:45pm</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Where</u>: Murray State University Crisp Center, 4430 Sunset Avenue, Paducah, KY 42001</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Phone</u>: (270)534-3111 or (800)669-7654</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Fax</u>: (270) 534-6292</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Websites</u>:</span><br />
<a href="http://www.kygirlsstem.com/about/default.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kentucky Girls STEM Collaborative</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.ngcproject.org/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">National Girls Collaborative Project</span></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407189306241362377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987907847317229838.post-67822639168651595802014-06-05T16:28:00.000-05:002014-06-05T16:29:29.188-05:00Murray State to Host Local "SharkTank"Murray State University is hosting a SharkTank-type entrepreneurial pitch contest this month. The event is scheduled for Tuesday, June 17, 11:00 a.m., inside Heritage Hall. The competition is sponsored by the Office of Entrepreneurship within the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, along with the Kentucky Angels Network and the Kentucky Innovation Network.<br />
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Loretta Daniel, Director of the Innovation and Commercialization Center (ICC) at Heritage Hall, said the competition is open to teams of three-to-four people with the winner in Murray taking home $1,000. The winning team will also advance to a competition this fall in Frankfort, where team members will pitch their idea directly to the entire Kentucky Angel Investors Network (Kentucky Angels).<br />
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The competition is open to the public, and will be a good way for local inventors to mingled, meet, and network.<br />
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Anyone wishing to enter the pitch competition should visit <a href="http://www.kyinnovation.com/">www.kyinnovation.com</a> or contact Daniel at 270-809-6071.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407189306241362377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987907847317229838.post-30062551209706516932014-06-04T16:23:00.000-05:002014-06-04T18:02:01.081-05:00Capturing Bugs and Measuring Nitrogen with Arduino and RaspberryPi<br />
Professor James Hardin's (JCSET) research interests lie at the "intersection of sensors and engineering design." (<a href="https://sites.google.com/a/murraystate.edu/james-hardin/home" target="_blank"><i>Personal website</i></a>) In pursuit of those interests, James is working on a couple projects integrating his research interests with biology and the natural environment.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjapA0rUt_XGv1JElp2VBnHBIaXWwjdeDDVHsVlATp0NbTh3ARcNfZLEFc8wNYYvU04ZVf-yx9RvWNyEOyNuQ4AGMVrihBnSls6R7BfqUAMXvOTSNNcwthd7l0vQc1hB1Nx8q2pvdf2Yr01/s1600/IMG_4379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjapA0rUt_XGv1JElp2VBnHBIaXWwjdeDDVHsVlATp0NbTh3ARcNfZLEFc8wNYYvU04ZVf-yx9RvWNyEOyNuQ4AGMVrihBnSls6R7BfqUAMXvOTSNNcwthd7l0vQc1hB1Nx8q2pvdf2Yr01/s1600/IMG_4379.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
One project (left) is a simple nitrogen sensor. Using an optical contact sensor and some Arduino hardware, James and an undergraduate student created a nitrogen sensor for measuring nitrogen within a leaf. Merely lay the leaf atop the sensor (the small, white cylinder), and the microcomputer will measure and report the nitrogen bound within the leaf.<br />
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The second project is far more complicated. A field biologist needs to conduct an insect inventory of a test site. Perhaps the field biologist is looking for a collection of diagnostic insects, or perhaps, is looking for a certain insect.<br />
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Today, a field biologist would have to spend days upon days in the field, setting traps, shaking bushes, etc., and hope to collect some good samples.<br />
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What if ... <i>what if</i> the biologist could set a number of automated traps? These traps would collect an insect, trap the insect long enough to snap a pic, and release the insect back into the wild. The insect snapshot would be processed digitally, a form of facial recognition image processing technique applied, and the insect species would be identified and the pic classified. The pic and info would be transmitted via MMS/SMS to the biologist comfortably sitting in a field office or lab.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgap_itBkiNNoH9Pdq8IaK9uO83eoDPicrBEB7-0LXtrvhaxPuDAyAFQ0HF8HdSvScHPnCeUfZ_l2inwCtDR5jAX07cs_0Ed8fuT-CWJ3VyVvUgCH9-EHeIKGoHp5ZDULvlh2lS6bxS2dQr/s1600/IMG_4378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgap_itBkiNNoH9Pdq8IaK9uO83eoDPicrBEB7-0LXtrvhaxPuDAyAFQ0HF8HdSvScHPnCeUfZ_l2inwCtDR5jAX07cs_0Ed8fuT-CWJ3VyVvUgCH9-EHeIKGoHp5ZDULvlh2lS6bxS2dQr/s1600/IMG_4378.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikdbZgJVmypgKd7nKP943KBAgXjT4N6ERJqa6vWcBGVm3d011zYHeMSsitGDr-Asxc_kEbP-NJHIzTn_vPiQPXeqXCWE1TrUWxYdjdPqJ5YyOrACNeKTOFH_1Oreft3F-BS47uP24S3v9e/s1600/IMG_2996.JPG" height="240" width="180" /><br />
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Dr. Hardin is working on a prototype of this insect trap. As shown (left), the white PVC Y-joint serves as the basis for mounting trap components. A RaspberryPi controller operates the mechanism for trapping the insect long enough to capture an image. Attached to the trap is an Android phone (right), the brains of the device.<br />
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The phone captures the image, processes and classifies the image, and provides a means to geolocate the insect. Once processed, the data is sent via MMS/SMS to the biologist, wherever that person might be stationed.<br />
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Dr. Hardin research demonstrates the utility in drawing the disciplines of engineering, biology, and geography together in the analysis of the a biological problem. His device captures an insect, performs non-invasive testing and initial interpretation, the results of which are transmitted back to a researcher who can integrate the data into a geographic database for spatial analysis.<br />
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Dr. James Hardin can be reached at jhardin@murraystate.edu (MSU/JCSET).<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407189306241362377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987907847317229838.post-56133855936718922872014-05-27T10:58:00.001-05:002014-05-27T10:58:50.063-05:00President Obama Hosts White House Science FairToday, President Obama hosted the White House Science Fair, bringing students from all across the country to demonstrate a wide variety of science interests and knowledge in our national schools.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Rocket (All-girl) from Maryland</td></tr>
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Innovative students representing 30 states will display their ideas and inventions for the President and the wider viewing public. If you'd like a complete list of presenters, <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2014/05/27/meet-exhibitors-2014-white-house-science-fair" target="_blank">here</a> you go.<br />
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President Obama also released significant details outlining several new education initiatives today. Not all of them will be presented here, and I will refer readers to the full White House <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/05/27/president-obama-host-white-house-science-fair" target="_blank">press release.</a><br />
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The initiatives present continued funding, enhanced funding, or new plans to augment science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Some of the new STEM goals include:<br />
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<li>STEM Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) grants.</li>
<li>Nationwide effort to engage Hispanic youth in STEM.</li>
<li>Global initiative to connect STEM students from around the world.</li>
<li>Expansion of STEM-based AmeriCorps.</li>
<li>Partnership with NASA and Khan Academy to provide free, online STEM education.</li>
<li>ESRI to provide ArcGIS Online for Education accounts to every K-12 school in the United States.</li>
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The President has also issued a "Call To Action" to all existing business partners, including Time/Warner, the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC), and the newly established White House Maker Corps.<br />
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For more details, please check the White House press release <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/05/27/president-obama-host-white-house-science-fair" target="_blank"><i>here</i></a>.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407189306241362377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987907847317229838.post-35105160738165897132014-05-27T10:22:00.000-05:002014-05-27T10:23:33.998-05:00Murray State Receives PICMatch GrantThe Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Jesse D. Jones College of Science, Engineering and Technology (JCSET), was recently awarded a Preparation for Industrial Careers in the Mathematical Sciences (PIC Math) grant by the Mathematical Association of America (MAA). PICMath is a program to prepare "mathematical sciences students for industrial careers by engaging them in research problems that come directly from industry." (<a href="http://www.maa.org/programs/students/undergraduate-research/pic-math-preparation-for-industrial-careers-in-mathematical-sciences" target="_blank">MAA.org</a>)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Renee Fister</td></tr>
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"A strong component of PIC Math involves students working as a group on a semester-long undergraduate research problem from business, industry, or government." (<a href="http://www.maa.org/programs/students/undergraduate-research/pic-math-preparation-for-industrial-careers-in-mathematical-sciences" target="_blank">MAA.org</a>)<br />
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"PIC Math provides faculty with content for a semester-long, credit-bearing course focused on solving industrial problems. Each faculty participant will assemble a team of three to five students and work with them to develop their problem solving, teamwork, and communication skills. Each team will choose from one of five problems that are realistic yet suitable for undergraduate students." (<a href="http://www.maa.org/programs/students/undergraduate-research/pic-math-preparation-for-industrial-careers-in-mathematical-sciences" target="_blank">MAA.org</a>)<br />
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In preparation for administrating the grant, Dr. Renee Fister will travel to an orientation seminar in Salt Lake City, Utah in early June 2014.<br />
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The students will begin working within the PIC Math grant program Spring 2015.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407189306241362377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987907847317229838.post-34701261873486168552014-05-16T08:58:00.003-05:002014-05-16T08:59:29.920-05:00Kristen Garcia: IEEE Student Featured on Murray State's Website<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Kristin Garcia is an Engineering Physics major, Mathematics minor, from Milan, Tennessee. One of Kristin's major accomplishments was helping to reform Murray State's IEEE student chapter in 2011. Ms. Garcia is a junior at Murray State.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407189306241362377noreply@blogger.com0