Session 4

Straw Rockets: Extreme Edition

Location: Woods Lab 193 Wilber

Presented by Shaun Donegan and Chris Mosher

Come learn how to build and launch Extreme Straw Rockets! These rockets are capable of flying over 200 feet and are powered by compressed air. Created by Shaun Donegan in 2020, Extreme Straw Rockets has quickly become one of his middle school students' favorite units in which they learn about Problem Solving, Design, 3D printing and  Physics. This is a very budget friendly unit with each rocket costing as little as $0.19!  We will cover how the rockets can be made and how to make the rocket launcher we use to fire them. This interdisciplinary unit relates well to other classes such math, science and even social studies.  Notes, blueprints and diagrams will be provided and, of course, we’ll fire off some rockets! 

This session repeats in Session 3: Thursday, 1:15 - 2:00 pm in the Woods Lab 193 Wilber

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Flight, Code, Create: Bringing Drones Into the Middle School Classroom

Location: Transportation Lab 115 Park

Presented by Connor Dickman and Travis Wood

Take a behind-the-scenes look at how our district built and implemented a middle school drone program. From the classroom perspective, we will share what students learned through basic flight controls, coding, hands-on flight challenges, and an obstacle course. Participants will see examples of student work and flight experiences, explore our drone research project, and learn how we assessed the unit as a whole. From the district perspective, we will discuss the process of securing grant funding, acquiring equipment, navigating costs and purchasing, and moving from the initial idea to implementation. We will also share our honest experiences with the program, including successes, challenges, and the pros and cons of the equipment and curriculum. Participants will leave with practical ideas and considerations for developing their own middle school drone program.

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Industrial Arts to Technology Education: How Did We Get Here?

Location: Communications Lab 102 Park

Presented by Emlyn Doell

For over 30 years, Dr. Vincent D’Ambrosio served the SUNY Oswego Department of Technology with unwavering commitment to his students, enhancing the field, and preserving history. Over the years, he collected technology related documents, photographs, and artifacts. With his passing in August 2025, much of his vast collection was donated to SUNY Oswego. The D’Ambrosio Collection explores changes in the greater field of technology, as well as here at SUNY Oswego. This session includes a short presentation on the independent study during which the collection was catalogued, followed by an open house of various collection exhibits for the rest of the afternoon. 

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NYSTEEA | CTE in the Digital Age

Location: CAD Lab 101 Park

Presented by Susan Granata, Matt VanKoughnett, and Nathan Smith

Join leaders from the New York State Technology and Engineering Educators Association (NYSTEEA) for an inside look at how professional organizations support dynamic, hands-on K–12 STEM experiences. This session highlights NYSTEEA’s mission, statewide advocacy efforts, and community-building initiatives designed to help educators adapt in an ever-evolving digital world. Attendees will learn about practical, accessible resources—including online databases, virtual teacher roundtables, and annual professional development events—built by teachers, for teachers. Key takeaways include: understanding the role of technology and engineering education in K–12 project-based learning; accessing free, high-quality teaching resources, including NYSTEEA's resource database and "Tech Ed Teacher Talks;" and discovering opportunities to connect, collaborate, and advocate for STEM education across New York State.

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Creating With Purpose: A Portrait of a Graduate in Action

Location: Design Studio 203 Park

Presented by Mike Wichowski and Corey Munn

This presentation highlights how a high school senior engineering class transformed a real-world challenge into an opportunity for meaningful learning and impact. Students partnered with a fourth-grade viola player to design and develop a customized prosthetic device to support his ability to play the instrument. Through empathy, research, 3D modeling, prototyping, testing, and multiple design iterations, students learned that successful engineering requires persistence, creativity, collaboration, communication, and reflection. The final design emerged through a process of learning from failure and responding to the student's needs and feedback. This authentic project demonstrates the New York State Portrait of a Graduate in action, highlighting students as creative innovators, critical thinkers, effective communicators, and reflective, future-focused learners who use their skills to make a difference.

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Student Teaching Round Table

Location: Methods Lab 213 Park

Presented by Rich Bush

Attention Cooperating Teachers! Please come and share your thoughts on how we can improve our student teaching experience. 

This session repeats in Session 8: Friday, 1:15 - 2:00 pm in the Communications Lab 102 Park

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Keep It Running: Practical Maintenance and Repairs for Classroom Technology (Part 1)

*Note: This is a 90 minute, double session (Sessions 4 & 5)

Location: Metals Lab 163 Wilber

Presented by Matthew Gibbon

Downtime can quickly disrupt hands-on learning, but many common equipment issues can be prevented or resolved with basic maintenance and troubleshooting skills. In this practical workshop, the Allegheny Educational Systems technical team will demonstrate routine maintenance, simple repairs, and troubleshooting techniques for laser cutters, vinyl printer/cutters, and 3D printers commonly used in technology and STEM classrooms. Attendees will learn how to identify common problems, perform preventative maintenance, recognize consumable or wear items, address basic print, cut, and material issues, and determine when professional services are needed. This session is designed for technology educators, STEM teachers, lab managers, and others responsible for keeping classroom equipment operating reliably while minimizing downtime and interruptions to student projects.

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Beyond the Equipment: Designing Technology Education Spaces That Work

Location: Polymer Classroom 191 Wilber

Presented by Robert Link and Gina Scala

Creating an effective technology education space involves much more than selecting equipment. This session will explore how schools can move from early planning and space design through equipment selection, installation, training, and long-term support to create labs that are practical, flexible, and built for sustained classroom use. Drawing on recent technology education projects across New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, presenters will share lessons learned from makerspaces, fabrication labs, wood and metal shops, robotics spaces, and advanced manufacturing environments. Attendees will see how thoughtful layouts, infrastructure planning, furniture, equipment, professional development, and ongoing technical support can work together as part of a complete approach to building successful student learning spaces.