ATE Leader: A.J. Scheetz, Ph.D. Science Teacher

Westport High School

Externship: Curagen

• Students will make a liquid culture of bacteria expressing the protein and will then harvest the bacteria and purify the green fluorescent protein from the rest of the bacterial cell proteins.

"Purification is an essential step in making protein-based drugs, and I will use this as a starting off point for a unit on protein chemistry."

ATE Leader: Lou Wanat, Project Lead the Way

Suffield High School

Externship: Pratt & Whitney

• Students will redesign the functions of our new robot that can be redesigned from a previous robot with similar abilities, working with engineers from Pratt & Whitney

"I used to have my students update drawings by randomly editing parts to be used in similar appolications. Now I am having my students work on presentation drawings that are being refitted for new applications."

Curriculum Project: NSF:

• Study of Protein Synthesis
• Study of Protein Gels
• Study of Proteins
  

ATE Leader: Jonathan Morris, Ph.D. Biology & Biotechnology Professor

Manchester Community College

Externship: Ciencia, Inc.

• Students will perform a simulated Outcherlony experiment that demonstrates how antibody proteins interact with an antigen.
• Students will use an agarose gel to separate proteins by size from samples of seafood.
• Students will visit websites designed to teach them about proteins.

"There is a need in the biology classroom to help students learn and understand the complex ways that proteins are structured and how they function. This externship gave me an opportunity to focus on learning about how proteins work and how the level of understanding of these processes have grown since I last studied proteins."

Curriculum Project: NSF: Math Used in Actuarial Analysis

Externship Summary Results

ATE Leader: Jean Marc Cenet, Math Professor
Tunxis Community College

Externship: Aetna Insurance Company

• Students will develop a mathematical model, based on the data collected, for predicting the number of claims that Alpha-Omega (an insurance company) will process for its customers per year.

Curriculum Project: NSF: Analysis of Staphlococcus Aureus

Externship Results

ATE Teacher Leader: Linda Navitsky, Biology Professor, Tunxis Community College

Externship: Connecticut State Department of Health: Laboratory Division

• Students will isolate Staphylococcus aureus from a food sample. They will allow it to grow on an enrichment agar and then will perform a coagulase test on the resulting isolates.

“I worked in the food microbiology lab and watched the isolation of different species of bacteria from samples of food. “

Curriculum Project: NSF: Genotyping Webquest Activity

Externship Summary Results

ATE Leader: Sharon Gusky, Biology Professor, Northwestern Community College

Externship: Genomas, Inc.

• Students will be able to access scientific articles using PubMed Central “an archive of life sciences journal literature that is developed and managed by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).”Students will understand what genomics is and how a genotype can be determined and be able to discuss how personalized healthcare is being used for disease treatment and prevention in Connecticut.

“When developing this project, I was looking for a way to make the concepts and techniques that I learned accessible to an audience that did not have a strong science background. This related well to my externship because one of the goals of Genomas is to make personalized medicine understandable and accessible to the general public.”

Curriculum Project: NSF: Virtual Instrumentation Using Lab View

Externship Summary Results

ATE Leader: Gerald Gerard, Electrical Engineering Technology Professor, Gateway Community College

Externship: Integrated Industrial Systems

• Students will learn the basics of virtual instrumentation (v.i.) for test and control using National Instruments LabView software. Students will compare the benefits of v.i. to traditional instrumentation and control and recording/analysis techniques to reinforce the value of v.i. applications.

“My experience at Intergrated Industrial Systems where LabView software is used extensively for the production and testing of the company’s final products has reinforced my understanding that virtual instrumentation must be introduced to students entering into the engineering technology workforce.”

Curriculum Project: NSF: Gas Chromatography

Externship Summary Results

ATE Leader: Mark Busa, Asst. Professor, Physics and Physical Sciences, Middlesex Community College

Externship: Loueiro Engineering Associates, Inc.

• Students will be introduced to the science of chromatography, including a historical sketch, some theory of analytical chromatography, and its application in environmental sampling; be exposed to some of the field techniques used to sample soil gas, soil, and groundwater in environmental investigations; learn the different components of the gas chromatograph and how to interpret the output; and prepare and run quality control, soil gas, soil, and groundwater samples.

“The application of gas chromatography in environmental investigation and remediation activities is a good example of how chemical data is extracted from earth materials, and used to help characterize polluted sites. Students will appreciate the interdisciplinary nature of environmental studies and how it affects humans.”

Curriculum Project: NSF: Engineering Experimentation/Evaluation

Externship Summary Results

ATE Leader: Mehrdad Faezi, Engineering Professor, Manchester Community College, Manchester, CT

Externship: Pratt and Whitney Aircraft, East Hartford, Connecticut

• Students will be able to develop, understand and appreciate the importance of a well-organized experimentation and also will be able to keep the required documentation to support their experiments.

“The procedural and methodical nature of this externship helped me to emphasize with my students the importance of proper documentation and the need for appropriate technical support when performing experiments. The project I’ve created should give students a sense of ownership and responsibility as they complete their projects.”

Curriculum Project: NSF: Effect of Pressure on Space Suits

ATE Leader: Skip Clark, Math Professor, Asnuntuck Community College, Enfield, CT

Externship: Hamilton-Sundstrand, Windsor, CT

• Students will be able to use LaPlace’s equation and other equations for pressure, component forces, and circumference, as well as conversion factors in the process of understanding some of the problems that have arisen in the ongoing development of the ‘space activity suit’. This suit is the currently favored source of pressure for the spacesuit to be used in the proposed Mars Mission.

“The externship was a tremendous opportunity for me to actually work on an aspect of the space program. I believe that I will now more convincingly be able to express the importance of mathematics to my students. I expanded my own horizons in the realm of physics, mathematics and computer software as well?

Curriculum Project: NSF: Tick Control and Lyme Disease

Externship Summary Results

ATE Leader: Professor Jonathan Morris, Ph.D., Biology Professor, Manchester Community College, Manchester, CT

Externship: Connecticut Agriculture Experiment Station

• Students will participate in research projects, oral presentations, written reports, and a lab sponsored by the Connecticut Biobus to learn about the latest, most accurate research about Lyme Disease. They will also discuss differing opinions on causes and treatments.

Under the supervision of Dr. Stafford I participated in a wide range of field and laboratory activities that are used to study Lyme disease and tick populations in Connecticut. I was taken to sites around the state where tick populations are monitored. At the sites we collected samples to be brought back to the lab for analysis. We also trapped mice, the primary host for the organism that causes Lyme disease, and collected blood and ticks from these animals. I learned how to use fluorescent microscopy to detect the Lyme Borrelia spirochete in larval ticks. Dr. Stafford spent a considerable amount of time with me discussing the most current views on tick control and Lyme Disease prevention and treatment. I also was able to assist in a field test of an anti-tick fungus that may prove useful in killing tick. This would be an “organic” alternative to chemical controls that are currently recommended for controlling ticks in peoples’ yards.”

Curriculum Project: NSF: Understanding the Spectra of Light

Externship Summary Results

ATE Leader: Peter Poulos, Engineering Professor, Manchester Community College, Manchester, CT

Externship: Trumpf, Inc., Farmington, CT

• From class lectures, discussions, readings, and internet resources, students will understand the relationship between light and lasers. They will gain an understanding of the electromagnetic spectrum and that portion of the spectrum where visible light occurs. Students will be introduced to the dual nature of light and calculate the energy of a photon. The laboratory experiment will provide students an opportunity to view the visible spectrum of light and provide further insight into the relationship between light and lasers.

“The experience at Trumpf was terrific. I have only good things to say about their people, the Trumpf environment and their organization. I learned a great deal about lasers in the manufacturing industry and the important role that computers have with respect to laser operation.”

Curriculum Project: NSF: Robotics for Teacher Preparation

Externship Summary Results

ATE Leader: Dr. James deLaura, Manufacturing Engineering Department Head, Central Connecticut State University

Externship: Jacobs Associations, New Britain, Connecticut

• The Technology Education Dept. at Central Connecticut State University concluded that hands-on project work in engineering was necessary for technology teacher preparation. The projects would particularly support math, science and language arts learning initiatives. To that end, a robotics project has been incorporated into the teacher preparation curriculum that requires students to research and design a robot using principles of engineering.

“The design associates at Jacobs Associates gave me a great job-based experience so that I could provide a "real life" design experience for college students preparing to teach technology at the secondary level. The experience provided me with basic specific course development topics for direct inclusion into a college-level teacher preparation program in engineering design.”

Curriculum Project: NSF: The Use of Physics in Accident Reconstruction

ATE Leader: Robert Tremblay, Physics Professor, Gateway Community College, New Haven, CT

Externship: Hamden Police Department, Traffic Division, Hamden, CT

• Students will be able to use the equations employed in the physics of accident reconstruction. Among the more useful concepts and equations employed are: Conservation of energy, kinetic energy, coefficient of friction, work, and centripetal acceleration.

“ I was impressed by the skill and knowledge of the Hamden police department accident reconstruction team. They interacted with the public and accident victims in a very professional manner. I am hoping that I can continue a part time relationship with the Hamden P.D. through which I can increase my ability to gather and analyze information at the accident scene. I would also like to act as a resource for them. If they are interested, I could conduct an annual training session to review some of the physics concepts employed by their team.”

Curriculum Project: NSF: Online Study of Zellweger Syndrome

Externship Summary Results

ATE Leader: JoAnne Russell, Biology Professor, Manchester Community College, Manchester, CT

Externship: Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, CT

• Using books, diagrams, discussion and internet resources students will gain background in the relationship between DNA, RNA, and protein, and the flow of information in the cell. They will also study basic laboratory techniques in biotechnology.

“The opportunity that I had to carry out molecular research using state-of-the-art techniques was invaluable. In addition to developing the task based curriculum above, I am able to teach the biotechnology content of my course with a greater depth of understanding.”

Curriculum Project: NSF: Hydrogen Bond Distance

ATE Leader: Melissa Conrad, Chemistry Teacher, The Learning Corridor Academy of Math and Science, Hartford, CT

Externship: Bristol Meyers-Squibb, Wallingford, CT

• Each student will be given a molecule to “build” using the CADD software. Once the model has been built, the student will determine using the program, the hydrogen bond distance. From this information, the student will predict what effect (if any) the hydrogen bond has on the properties of that compound.

“I wanted to find another way of explaining the effects of hydrogen bonding (besides just explaining how they effect the properties of water). The use of CADD software allows us to “virtually” measure the H bond distance of various compounds as we do not have much of the equipment and materials needed to actually synthesize the compound.”

Curriculum Project: NSF: Karyotype Analysis of Human Cells

Externship Summary Results

ATE Leader: Shirley Zajdel, Biology Professor, Housatonic Community College, Bridgeport, CT

Externship: Dianon Systems, Stamford, CT

• Students will work independently and in groups to produce and analyze karyotypes from photographs of G-banded chromosomes from normal and abnormal human cells. The disorders studies will include Down Syndrome (47 trisomy 21), Turner’s Syndrome(X0) and Klinefelter’s Syndrome (XXY).

“I would like to thank Dianon Systems for giving me the opportunity for this externship. Everyone was so generous with their time and knowledge, helping me explore the techniques, clinical applications, careers and opportunities in cytogenetics. Producing karyotypes of normal cells each day made me realize that the skills needed to do this task correctly takes time, patience and an excellent mentor to develop. A single laboratory exercise will only introduce students to the technique. I hope however, that it will help students appreciate the role and opportunities in the field of cytogenetics.”

Curriculum Project: NSF: AIDS and Drug Development

ATE Leader: Bridget Berechid, Chemistry teacher, Newtown High School, Newtown, CT

Externship: Boehringer-Ingelheim, Inc., Ridgefield, CT

• This lab activity is designed to adhere to real-life laboratory skills and experiences in drug development. Students will have an opportunity to learn new concepts and techniques, and get a sense of one of the many experiments that scientists within a pharmaceutical/biotech setting perform on a regular basis.

“My overall externship experience at Boehringer-Ingelheim was both educational and enlightening. My only suggestion would be that more time should be devoted to hands-on work rather than observation on the part of the externee.”

Curriculum Project: NSF: A Study in Cystic Fibrosis

Externship Summary Results

ATE Leader: Ingrid Burke, Science Teacher, Northwestern Regional High School No. 7, Winsted, CT

Externship: UCONN Health Center, Farmington, CT

• Students will be given a case study on Cystic Fibrosis involving testing newborns for CF, and will gain an understanding of what CF is, how it is diagnosed and will be able to explain the results of their tests to family members.

“I have a new understanding of Cystic Fibrosis now (since the externship) and I have the equipment available to simulate a similar experience for my students.”

Curriculum Project: NSF: My Dream Music Room

Externship Summary Results

ATE Leader: Helen Elperina, Physics Teacher, Branford High School

Externship: Sonalysts Inc.

• Students in Physics Honors and Advanced Physics will design an ideal music room using sound physics concepts.

“My Dream Music Room project is grounded deeply in my externship work. After spending time at Sonalysts, Inc., I had developed a deeper understanding of physics applications in the area of sound production, video production and music production. I am sure that because of these unique experiences I will be much more efficient in teaching physics of sound and oscillations. The knowledge I acquired is valuable because it will enrich my teaching. With the help of CBIA, I was able to enrich and expand my knowledge.”

Curriculum Project: NSF: Usings Statistics in Marketing

ATE Leader: Paul Freund, Math Teacher, Branford High School, Branford, CT

Externship: Unilever

• Students will analyze various hand lotions, using a questionnaire and statistical analysis.

“During my externship with Unilever, I observed the part of the company that collects data and organizes it to give to the ‘non-math’ people in a form that they can work with. I worked with the process of collecting the data and putting the raw data into different software programs to make sense of the numbers for the chemists and marketing people.”

Curriculum Project: NSF: Applying Math to Electrical Systems

Externship Summary Results

ATE Leader: Regina Cummins, Math Teacher, James Hillhouse High School, New Haven

Externship: United Illuminating Company

• Students will tour an electrical systems plant and observe how an electrical company operates, learn about what math applications are used, and what careers are available.

“I now have some first hand knowledge what skills students need for the jobs I observed that I could refer to, when I’m asked, “When will I ever use this math?” I was very impressed with the UI company’s use of the state of the art technologies and equipment. The latest technology is also used at the plant and my students will love seeing this. I like the fact that the algebra skills we use in class will be reinforced in the lectures during the visit.”

Curriculum Project: NSF: Orthographic Projection Used in the Workplace

ATE Leader: Ken Allsworth, Danbury High School, Danbury, CT, Technology Teacher

Externship: Goodrich, Corp.

• Students will present work or CAD plates/drawings for initial evaluation , using the ECO (engineering change order) modeled at Goodrich as part of the class.

“CAD and PTC programs are the same ones used by our students at Danbury High. My externship at Goodrich allowed me to experience first hand what is happening in the industry, and what knowledge and background is needed to be employed in this type of company.”

Curriculum Project: NSF: Design a Mobile Testing Platform

Externship Summary Results

ATE Leader: John Ouellette, New Britain High School, New Britain, CT, Technology Teacher

Externship: Fuss and O’Neill

• Students will be asked to design a mobile testing platform to deliver the necessary equipment to remote wellheads and transport samples and waste back to a receiving area.

“This project is a direct application of the design process that I teach my high school students. The project will be posed as a design brief and will contain all relevant constraints to focus their activities. Fuss and O’Neill has indicated a willingness to make themselves available to my students in a field trip model or show and tell manner to highlight environmental engineering and perhaps they would be willing to assess the project outcomes. Clearly, my externship provided the inspiration for this activity.”

Curriculum Project: NSF: Programming “Peer Review”

Externship Summary Results

ATE Leader: Laura Gambino, Tunxis Community College, Information Technology Professor

Externship: Computer Science Corporation (CSC), Norwich, CT

• Students will write a piece of code to solve an assigned problem. Students will then work in groups of three or four and perform a review of each students programming solution to the problem.
  
  “One of the tasks performed by application developers at CSC is a “peer review” where they sit down as a team and review the code that one of the developers has written. As a programming teacher, I think it is an excellent idea for students to emulate in the classroom.”

Curriculum Project: NSF: Biotech Ethics, Identifying Fact or Myth

ATE Leader: Alex Pesarik, Biotechnology Teacher, Ella T. Grasso Southeastern Reg. Vocational Technical School

Externship: Monsanto DeKalb

• This project contains ideas for small units in exploring biotechnology and genetic engineering. Students will gain an understanding for ethics and develop the skills of basic techniques that are important to many biotechnology industries.

“Even though we cannot prepare a student directly for the work force with all the skills necessary, we should strive to teach the general workplace competencies that are common in all business and industry areas.”

Curriculum Project: NSF: Genetically Modified Foods – Company Visit

Externship Summary Results

ATE Leader: Jonathan Morris, Ph.D., Biotechnology Professor, Middlesex Community College

Externship; Monsanto DeKalb

• Students will be taken on a tour of Monsanto Company in Mystic CT, where they will have a chance to see first hand how GMO plants are created and hear from the scientists who created them.

Curriculum Project: NSF: Pharmaceutical Structural Activity

Externship Summary Results

ATE Leader: Karen Wosczyna-Birch, Ph.D., Chemistry Professor, Tunxis Community College

Externship: Boehringer-Ingelheim

• Students will be able to demonstrate through written and oral assessment how the molecular structure of a particular drug is related to the efficacy of that drug in vivo.

“The two weeks at Boehringer-Ingelheim were very enjoyable. The first week we visited many labs, some of which we actually were allowed to view experiments in progress. The second week, I was able to actually perform lab experiments. I enjoyed the hands-on aspect of the experience. “

Curriculum Project: NSF: Optical Efficiency/Beam Splitters

ATE Leader: Judy Donnelly, Ph.D., Photonics Professor, Three Rivers Community College

Externship: Zygo Corporation

• This lab will allow students to examine unknown beam splitters to determine splitting ratio and effect (if any) on polarization.
  

Curriculum Project: NSF: Testing Fiber Optic Cable

ATE Leader: Judy Donnelly, Ph.D., Photonics Professor, Three Rivers Community College

Externship: Zygo Corporation

• Students will test fiber optic cables for optical performance, ferrule diameter, connector body integrity and mechanical strength.
  

Curriculum Project: NSF: Laser Beam Alignment

Externship Summary Results

ATE Leader: Judy Donnelly, Ph.D., Photonics Professor, Three Rivers Community College

Externship: Zygo Corporation

“Students in this course (Basic Optics) need more applications based lab experiments to complement the large number of existing “physics lab” experiments. Alignment is a critical skill in the optics industry and one I saw performed in many areas of the company (Zygo) using both a “flag” and a CCD camera.”

Curriculum Project: NSF: Design an Elevator Control Panel

Externship Summary Results

ATE Leader: Rose Givens, CAD Engineering Teacher, A.I. Prince Vocational Technical School

Externship: Otis Elevator

• Students will design a Control Panel for a public use elevator in a high-rise office building. In addition, they will learn about the Americans with Disabilities Act as it relates to design of public elevator use, and will demonstrate prior knowledge of manufacturing methods to design the panel.

“I learned so many ideas to take back to my classroom - ideas from how to arrange my classroom to be more conducive to thinking, to dividing my shop into groups, each responsible for certain things but dependant upon each other for results.”

Curriculum Project: NSF: Design of a Lithium-Ion Battery

ATE Leader: Robert Lantz, Engineering Professor, Three Rivers Community College

Externship; Lithion (Yardney)

• Students will design an assembly part used to create a Lithion-ion battery.

“This experience lends itself well for the introduction of automation into my Computer Aided Engineering class, including learning about the latest graphic and design procedures used in automation. My externship gave me the opportunity to strengthen a relationship with one of the company’s mechanical engineers (and former student of mine) who has promised to keep me abreast of what and how they are using automation to develop their products.”

Curriculum Project: NSF: Removing Radioactive Waste

ATE Leader: Robert Mitchell, Physics Teacher, Wilbur Cross High School

Externship: L & W Research

• 
  In this Curriculum Unit, students will gain an understanding of atomic nuclei, its applications, waste produced, and a possible solution in dealing with this radioactive waste (Note I will also include discussions on High Level Waste).

“The four weeks that I spent at L & W Research allowed me to get a sense of the mechanical and theoretical aspects of linac (portable linear accelerators) development. I performed a variety of tasks from fixing power packs, running tests on coolers to writing a grant. This experience has given me the ability to write and implement the following curriculum unit."

Curriculum Project: NSF: Applying Math to Compliance Testing

ATE Leader: Don Cronan, Engineering Professor, Asnuntuck Community College

Externship: Pratt & Whitney

• Through a series of case studies and a classroom project where students will be required to create and analyze a compliance testing station using specific mathematical applications, students will become better prepared to perform compliance testing in a workplace setting.

“They (at Pratt and Whitney) have a unique ability to analyze problems practically and apply the math in a way that a student just coming out of college wouldn’t be able to do on their own.”

Curriculum Project: NSF: Technical Drafting

Externship Summary Results

ATE Leader: Neil English, Engineering Teacher, Litchfield High School and Tunxis Community College

Externship: Friar Associates, Farmington, CT

• In order to give the students a real world look at the career of architecture, the students will design a complete set of plans for a small community based building. Examples: firehouse, community center, senior center, natatorium, field house. Keeping in mind that the students have a finite amount of time, the scope of the project needs to be tailored to a semester timeline.

“The criteria for creating this project was to involve students in as lifelike a project as possible. The students will be using the same design and production skills I encountered in my externship.”

Curriculum Project: NSF: Producing a Promotional Video

Externship Summary Results

ATE Leader: Tim Krodel, Science Teacher, Norwich Vocational Technical School

Externship: Adelphia Cable

• Students will produce an interdisciplinary video to be aired on public access television.

“During my externship at Adelphia Public Access I became certified to use the equipment available to broadcast and air a program on the Adelphia network. I was trained in camera operation, filming techniques, studio techniques, editing, and voice overs. I also assisted in the broadcast of several programs, as well as, the filming of a City Hall meeting in Norwich.”