FIRST Tech Challenge Robotics Competition at OCTC

FIRST Tech Challenge Robotics Competition at OCTC
By Bernie Hale, Owensboro Community and Technical College

​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.

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.

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. 

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 shawn.payne@kctcs.edu. 

Mapping Nobel Prize Winning Women

After 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).

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.

My hopes are the map may help inspire people to improve the recognition of the contributions of women throughout all segments of global society. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 connected.esri.com for complete details.

For more information about ESRI's ArcGIS Online for Education at Murray State contact Michael Busby at the Mid-America Remote sensing Center (MARC.)

Dr Robin Zhang Keeps Up with Geoscience Graduates

In 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.

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.


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, Michael Busby. 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.

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.

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.

Kentucky Academy of Technology Education at Murray State Brings NAO to Western Kentucky

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.

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.

The NAO, designed and built by Aldebaran, 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.

"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." (WKMS; http://wkms.org/post/how-murray-state-introducing-kids-emerging-world-robotics; August 15th, 2014)

Ginny, Robert, and Dwayne also did a great job of incorporating Make and D-I-Y activities into their discussion.

Please listen to the entire interview at WKMS here.

2014-2015 Grant Proposals Now Being Accepted by MSU Office of Regional Outreach

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.

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.

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. 

For complete grant details, please visit www.murraystate.edu/outreach.

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.”

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.

Complete story by Bentley Utgaard can be found at http://www.roundaboutmurray.com/?p=6627

Dr. Brandi King Presenting LEGO Robotics Workshop to Regional K-12 Educators.

From "Roundabout Murray" for June 12, 2014.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

To register, contact King at bking11@murraystate.edu or call Regional Outreach at 270.809.5888

And if you have time, check out this LEGO video showcasing how LEGO robotics addresses Common Core Science Standards.

Kickstart a Makerspace

Adapted from "Kickstart A Kid's Makerspace," by James Floyd Kelly; Make Magazine; Vol. 38; April/May 2014.

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?

Because I don't think it should be limited exclusively to kids.

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?

Blacktooth laser cutter

 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.

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.

CNC router

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.

If you don't read Make magazine, you should.

Also, check out makezine.com for thousands of ideas for making, creating, building, wiring, and programming.





 

Murray State University’s Summer Cyber Academy

The 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Kristen Garcia: IEEE Student Featured on Murray State's Website

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.

Joshua Hutson Conducts STLP Workshop

On March 17th, Joshua Hutson demonstrated his PrintrBot Simple as part of the Student Technology Leadership Program (STLP) at Murray Elementary School. Joshua also led the students through a Code.org programming tutorial.

The teacher-advisor for STLP informed Joshua there is a desire for more workshops like the one he has scheduled. The advisor also expressed interest in more projects similar to Joshua's and may need more Murray State faculty, staff, or students to present their efforts to STLP.

The Printrbot Simple is an affordable, entry-level 3D printer available from Printrbot. Printrbot Simple can be ordered as a kit or pre-assembled and includes only what is needed to get started in the world of 3D printing. (Source: printrbot.com/)

Code.org is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to expanding participation in computer science technology by women and students of color, but believes every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer programming. (Source: Code.org/about)

Update

"We had fun until the internet went down. Kandi Dawson the STLP teacher sponsor and parent volunteers were a great help." (J. Hutson)

 

3D Printing Comes In Handy On Valentine's Day

Two Murray State Engineering Graphics and Design majors, Brooke Jones and Gavin Suver, designed and created custom Murray State-themed chocolate molds for Valentine's Day. Rudy Ottway, IET faculty, supervised their efforts.

Murray State IET Hosts E-Day

Over 400 4th and 5th graders from around western Kentucky descended upon Murray State to experience physics. Faculty and students of the Jesse D. Jones College of Science, Engineering and Technology ran local middle school students through a variety of exercises, experiments, and technologies. 

The variety of stations allowed students hands-on access to simple robots, lighting & controller systems, human-sized Jenga blocks, and an egg-catapult. Each of these stations demonstrated simple and accessible technologies while also presenting the physics at work.