Fall 2020

Summer Is For Competitive Advantage

Connecting NISD with 3D Printing

Building Powerful ePortfolios

OSHA Certification

Soldering Irons & Circuits

Beam Me Up, Scotty....

Books You Should Read

STEM Council Officers

Summer Is For Competitive Advantage

This past summer, a opportunity to gain industry based certifications was announced to all CTE students. Several of our STEM students met the challenge and worked on gaining skills and the competitive advantage by certification stacking!

We had students earn certifications in: Autodesk Revit & Inventor, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Technology Associate, & Entrepreneurship & Small Business.

Congratulations to Coco, Michael M, Matthew A, Clark S, Anna M, Katie S, & Hayden N.

Hayden N. rounded up the summer with four certifications: MOS Outlook, MTA -Software Development Fundamentals, MTA- Intro to Programming Python & MTA- Windows Operating System Fundamentals.

What certification will you earn this year? Talk to your teacher about getting started!

It's always time for certifications & skills!

Our Sophomore students have already started preparing for the Microsoft PowerPoint certification exam. Students in the STEM Academy have multiple certification opportunities during each year of high school. We are proud to support our students growth through gaining skills and knowledge.

Ask your STEMer what certifications they are interested in!

Connecting NISD with 3D Printing

With the campuses open to face-to-face learning, NISD provided lots of tools to ensure students and staff were safe and sanitizing our hands. One of the necessary items was a large hand sanitizer bottle for every classroom, shared space, office and entryway.

The "squirt" of sanitizer was just a bit too much so Mrs. Garrett got started on a solution! She designed a "sanitizer limiter" in Fusion 360 and was able to modify and test print on the Dremel 3D printer. The limiter clips around the pump tube and prevents the pump from being pushed all the way down - limiting the amount of sanitizer that is released. #SmallSquirt

Once she had a perfect design, she started printing on multiple 3D printers in STEM to help support classrooms at NHS and beyond our campus. The file was shared with all MS PLTW teachers and teachers across the state and country!

With Garrett & Helmick printing, we were able to support over 10 campuses! Shoutout to OA Peterson, Justin, JCT, Nance, Lance, Sendera Ranch, Prairie View, 7Hills, Roanoke, Beck, & Admin!

#SaveTheSanitizer #SmallSquirt

Are you a NISD campus who needs a set of limiters? Contact us to request.

Video.mov

Printing a set of limiters

3D Print Video.mp4

Printing a "unicorn horn"

Building Powerful ePortfolios

New NISD Resources for Building ePortfolios

NISD has a strong belief in students creating an ePortfolio to showcase their work and passions. STEM builds on that belief at the start of every school year. This year, Mrs. Helmick held virtual meetings with each STEM grade level. During the introductory meeting, students were introduced to the new materials & guide to ePortfolio design. Teams of students worked together to compare/contrast the sample ePortfolios of April May and Stew Dent - comparing the contents, design & visual appeal.

After the lesson, students were given work-time to either start fresh with a new portfolio or continue to edit and improve a current portfolio. All STEM students worked from the "Ultimate Check-list" to ensure that they were including each element of a powerful ePortfolio.

While an ePortfolio is never done, students should have a foundational start with their design & content. As we grow, so do our portfolios.

Ask your student to show you their ePortfolio! Provide feedback and give them advice - having a fresh set of eyes on a product is an important step to ensuring growth. Not sure what you are looking for? Check out our fake student portfolios: https://tinyurl.com/AprilMay2 or https://tinyurl.com/StewDent2

OSHA Certification

Earning an OSHA 10-hour certification has been a must for any STEM student for almost a decade. In STEM, we believe that our students should "start safe, stay safe" both for school workshops and home or work. Understanding the OSHA guidelines and rules will help our students recognize areas that need to be addressed and make better, safe decisions when in work environments. As a STEM rule, all students and staff must be OSHA certified to enter a STEM lab or work area.

Congratulations to the first ten 9th grade students to earn their OSHA 10-hour Certification this year!

Way to "Start Safe, Stay Safe!"

Cooper Mc.

Mikhail M

Guy

Jacob

Joshua S

Bradly H

Matthew P

Lucas L

Alexa P

Jack N

Soldering Irons & Circuits

On of the most popular PLTW courses is Digital Electronics. Students in this course learn a variety of content and skills related to electronics from programming to soldering they are truly hands-on learning.

Our DE students have already been in the shop and working to apply soldering and basic circuitry skills to construct random number generator game boards. Students learn how the importance of good electronics workshop and circuitry skills.

Students were VERY excited to get new soldering irons with stands this fall. Because of the size of the lab, we are able to spread out and have designated spaces for each student. In addition, our students are staying organized with their own bins for supplies and tools.

Beam Me Up, Scotty....

Our Algebra II students are working on absolute value and functions in class. One of their activities is to create the absolute value function with light beam and a mirror.

Check out a few of their functions!

Future Ready

In the STEM Academy, our goal is for students to be future ready. Whether our graduates are heading into a career, the military or further education, it is important that they leave us with the skills, knowledge and certifications to succeed.

Our STEM EDD (Engineering Design & Development) and English IV teamed up this fall to support seniors as they begin planning for their next steps after graduation. Students perused a menu of authentic research and writing opportunities and crafted products that feature their unique identities, interests, skills, and credentials. In addition to the menu, students dove-in to scholarships, college applications and the FAFSA.

After practicing technical and narrative writing skills, our seniors are future-ready with publishable resumes, college essays, and ePortfolios.

Dream Differently

The STEM sophomores read Dream Differently over the summer, and are now answering the questions, "How Can I be Successful in an Ever-Changing World?"

As students tackle this question, they examine how to define success, salary, unemployment rates, internships, and higher education, all while staying focused on how they can help change the world in a positive way.

This helps our STEM Academy students identify their purpose while they are still in high school. Our students build their competitive advantage by identifying their course of studies, identifying internship opportunities while still in high school, complete certifications, and broaden their credentials.

By increasing their research skills, our sophomores design meaningful presentations, create a road-map for their future, and diversify their ePortfolios. Ask your sophomore to share how they are going to "Dream Differently" and change the world.

Habits to Live By

A long standing tradition in the STEM Academy is for our students to start their STEM journey by reading and applying The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey. While this is not a traditional summer reading book, we think that the power lies in gaining the skills to be successful for life. Not only will using the 7 Habits help students during high school but will continue to support their success into adulthood.

Freshmen STEM students engaged in a Pick Your Path choice project to showcase their understanding and application of Covey’s 7 Habits. Students had the opportunity to work independently or collaboratively to create products that ranged from a podcast series to a narrative essay to an inquiry project.

Congratulations to Evan G and Neill S for creating this engaging series featuring one of the most important habits, Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw.

Listen to their four-part podcast "It Takes Time" here.

Learning in 3D

Our new 9th grade students have hit the ground running this fall! In IED (Intro to Engineering Design), the students have started using OnShape, a virtual CAD modeling application. This change has allowed our remote learners to stay on pace with in person due to OnShape being available on a Chromebook. We are excited that this new tool is being used to support all students!

IED students just finished a Choice Board project that allowed for student choice, individual work-time, self-paced learning and the opportunity to exceed expectations by completing all parts. The choice board contained over 385 possible points and 19 drawings - with students choosing their parts up to 100 points. Within this project, students learned how to create isometric and multi-view drawing techniques using CAD. Using OnShape, students learned the basics of sketching, extruding, dimensioning, fillets, holes, chamfers, drafts, slits, and work planes.

We had nine students finish the additional challenge to complete views and dimensioned drawings for all 19 shapes on the choice board. Students names will be added to a plaque that will be posted in the STEM IED Classroom. Congratulations to Xander S., Keaton K., Len I., Gatlin E., Bradly H., Neill S., AJ F., Emily E., & Ryder M.

Ask your student about their OnShape shapes and their choice board!

Books You Should Read

Answering Why

Figuring out your next step on the path to success? This is the book for you!

Discover your passion & purpose by connecting your knowledge & skills. From the creator of the "Career Tree" Mark C. Perna - this is a great book to help focus on your "why."

How to College

Great read for Seniors (juniors!) and their parents!

Transition after graduation to college or career is one that should be faced with skills and knowledge. Start here!

STEM Council Officers

Each spring the STEM Council Officers are named for the upcoming year. We are excited for an awesome 2020-21 school year!

Congratulations to our new officers - We want to welcome our new 9th grade representatives!

Are you interested in being part of STEM Council? We would love for you to join us ... think of STEM Council like a student council but for STEM! Our officers lead meetings, plan events, and work with the booster club to ensure we have a great year in STEM.

President: Niki H.

Vice President: Isabella F. & Mitchell L.

Secretary: Anna M.

Treasurer: Chiamaka A.

Historian: Kalie Sorrells

Public Relations: Anna B. & Alyssa H.

Senior Rep: Michael B. & Katrina H.

Junior Rep: Aubri K. & Austin L.

Sophomore Rep: Ridwan D., Alex E. & Tessie R.

Freshman Rep: Christian C., Gabby F., Evan G., Nikunj G., Logan J., Mikhail M., Matthew P.