technology

Press Release:

After years of relentless advocacy to bolster Upstate NY’s innovation and manufacturing industries, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer announced the Rochester-Buffalo-Syracuse region have joined forces with a proposal to become a federally-designated Tech Hub in the first-of-its-kind nationwide competition created in his CHIPS & Science Bill. 

The proposal, entitled the New York Semiconductor Manufacturing and Research Technology Innovation Corridor Consortium (NY SMART I-Corridor), would build on the historic investments Schumer delivered that have spurred a boom in semiconductor manufacturing and innovation investments in Upstate NY. 

The three-region proposal would use targeted federal assistance to help attract new companies, strengthen domestic supply chains, launch startups & support innovation, expand workforce training, connect underserved communities to good-paying jobs, and revive this critical industry integral to America’s national security and economic competitiveness. 

Schumer has personally written to Commerce Secretary Raimondo on behalf of Rochester, Buffalo, and Syracuse, making the case that their proposal is best suited to help drive forward stronger semiconductor and broader microelectronics industries for the entire nation.

“From Rochester to Buffalo to Syracuse the I-90 corridor has everything it takes to become America’s semiconductor superhighway. The NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hubs proposal would tap into Upstate NY’s booming microchip industry, training our workforce for tens of thousands of good-paying jobs and supercharging R&D, all while helping attract new major employers in supply chain industries and bringing manufacturing in this critical industry back to America,” said Senator Schumer. 

“Each city has superb academic centers and each brings with it a unique set of assets with Micron’s historic investment in Central NY, Rochester as one of the leading centers in research & innovation, and Buffalo as one of the great manufacturing powerhouses that built America in the last century and is primed to do the same this century. Together they are a killer combination that can make Upstate NY a global leader for semiconductors with targeted federal investment from the Tech Hubs program. I originally proposed the Tech Hubs program years ago as part of my bipartisan Endless Frontier Act with Upstate NY in mind, and was proud to create the Tech Hubs competition in my CHIPS & Science Bill. This proposal is everything I envisioned, ensuring America’s future is being built in the places that helped build our nation as powerhouse manufacturing centers, and nowhere is better primed and more capable than Rochester, Buffalo, and Syracuse to rebuild this critical industry for our nation.”

Schumer explained that the first-of-its-kind nationwide Tech Hubs Competition is an economic development initiative that he originally proposed in his Endless Frontier Act. The senator was able to finally create the competition in his CHIPS & Science Bill, which included a $10 billion authorization for the Tech Hubs program and was signed into law just over a year ago. 

Schumer secured an initial infusion of $500 million in last year’s spending bill to jumpstart the competition. The competition is designed to strengthen a region’s capacity to manufacture, commercialize, and grow technology in 10 key focus areas. The program will invest directly in regions with the potential to transform into globally-competitive innovation centers in the next decade to bring critical industries back from overseas and create good-paying jobs for American workers.

Schumer said the NY SMART I-Corridor proposal would bring together the combined assets of Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse to help the region become a globally-recognized semiconductor manufacturing hub in the next decade, with innovation focused on improving the quality and quantity of semiconductor manufacturing and, along with it, amplifying the region’s microelectronics and microchip supply chain ecosystem.  

Schumer explained that the Tech Hubs program is being rolled out in two phases. The first phase of awards that the NY-SMART I-Corridor has applied for will designate promising Tech Hubs across America and provide strategy development grant awards to accelerate their development— the joint Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse proposal has applied for both types of awards. 

The EDA expects to designate at least 20 Tech Hubs across the country, and only those that receive the Tech Hubs designation in the first phase will be able to apply for Phase 2 implementation awards. These awards are designed to be larger, multi-tens of millions of dollars each for a first infusion, in order to fund several key initiatives to make the Tech Hub a success.

The Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse consortium includes over 80 members from across the public sector, industry, higher-ed, economic and workforce development, and labor communities.  This includes over 22 industry groups and firms, 20 economic development organizations, 8 labor & workforce training organizations, and 10 institutions of higher learning.  

Middle-schoolers from all over the county came to Batavia Middle School on Tuesday for the "MST Explorer Camp" (see June 19 article for more information). The camp involved students in hands-on learning activities using math, science and technology.

A 13-year-old race car driver and Batavia Middle School student Val Stephens -- pictured center -- helps with a demonstration designed to give the kids a lesson in aerodynamics:

Kevin Raymond, a teacher in the Keshequa School District and a hot-air balloon enthusiast, talks to the kids about the type of energy that powers hot-air balloons. He shows them how they work, using an ultra-light balloon as an example (keep in mind that about 10 of these could fit into one of the larger ones):

(Inside the balloon)

Batavia Middle School technology teacher Frank Panepento shows them how to go about designing CO2 cars. 

The students designed their own cars, put them in a wind tunnel (in order to determine how much speed they could handle), weighed them and, when they finally had all the necessary data, raced them. The students whose cars fared poorly in the race were simply asked to modify their designs and see what effect their modifications had on the cars' efficiency. 

Digital signs are nothing new for area schools -- but Robert Morris Elementary, at 80 Union St. in Batavia, is the first school in the Genesee Valley to have a solar-powered digital sign, which was unveiled last month.

The new 3x8 sign, which shares important information with the school community, is fully powered by the sun's energy, collected and converted into electricity by solar panels on the school's roof.

This environmentally friendly and money-saving technology allows the sign to store energy and stay powered up even at night and in overcast weather. 

The sign is part of Robert Morris' "Going Green" project, which is being coordinated by the all-volunteer parent group FORM (Friends of Robert Morris).

The "green" project, in turn, is part of the school's committment to educating students and keeping them informed about renewable energy and environmentally responsible technology.

As the current school year drew to a close, Principal Diane Bonarigo went to each of the classrooms and explained the new solar sign to students -- including how it would turn the sun's energy into electricity, etc.

"Our students are very excited about learning how solar energy is powering this sign," Bonarigo said in a news release. "(It) will engage (them) for years to come."

FORM co-chair Roseann Quinn said that they would like to focus more intensely on "green" education in September. She mentioned the possibility of having professionals come in and speak to the kids about different renewable energy technologies, as well as basic education in the classrooms.

"Now with the solar sign, the kids have something they can see and touch (to go along with lessons)," Quinn said.

Quinn also said that FORM and Bonarigo would like to put the students in charge of the sign when the next school year starts. Right now, Bonarigo controls what words appear on the sign from her laptop computer; in September, they hope to give the kids more input into the way words appear and change.

At Robert Morris, going green also involves lots of landscape planting on school grounds. Here are some pictures of new trees and bushes that have been put in already: 

FORM chair Lorie Reinhart came up with the idea for this project early in the 2008-2009 school year after looking online and reading about an education grant offered by Lowe's.

"We wanted to do something different," Quinn said. "We wanted to actually try to do something that a lot of schools talk about but never get around to doing."

Reinhart and Quinn wrote the grant proposal along with co-secretary Michelle Turnbull. In response to FORM's request, Lowe's granted the school $5,000 for the solar sign.

The project also received funding from the New York State Power Authority -- which was unprecedented, since NYSPA does not, as a rule, give money to schools. But the NYSPA president was so intrigued by the idea that he contributed $5,000 to the project.

Seven or eight local businesses also donated money to the purchase of the sign. Quinn said that the total cost came to about $18,000.

In addition to being a valuable educational venture, Quinn sees the construction of the sign as a grassroots effort to promote renewable energy, which she calls "the way of the future."

FORM wanted to make this as locally focused an effort as possible. The sign was produced by LeRoy-based Unitech Applications, in collaboration with XPress Signs and Agile Displays.

If you would like more information on the solar-powered digital sign or the "Going Green" project, see the FORM webpage for contact information.

The Genesee County Business/Education Alliance (BEA) is holding the first of what they hope will be an annual summer camp this year. It's called the "MST Explorer Camp," and will engage middle-schoolers in hands-on activities related to careers in math, science and technology.

This is a first for BEA, which hosts a "MASH (Medical Academy of Science and Health) Camp" and a "Culinary Camp" every summer (see last month's announcement for more details on these and for pictures).

BEA Coordinator Melinda Chamberlin started planning the MST camp in the spring, along with Debbie Dunlevy, who works with GCC's Tech Prep Program, and Bob Hollwedel, a technology instructor at Alexander Middle School.

Clay Maderer, a technology teacher at Batavia Middle School and a member of the MST camp's development team, said that the idea arose, in part, from the success and popularity of GCC'S Tech Wars.

"We wanted to see that type of activity carry over into the summer," Maderer said.

Current job market trends, both in the Western New York area and in the nation as a whole, were also a factor.

"We hope this brings home to students the relevance of these subjects in the real world," Chamberlin said. "We also hope it shows them that math, science and technology can be cool and interesting."

All of BEA's camps are geared toward middle-schoolers. According to Chamberlin, those students are at a stage of development at which they can start to become passionate about certain subjects and find out what they like.

"They're at an age where you can really start to influence their career interests," she said. "That doesn't mean forcing them into anything, it just means that we can, and should, help them to become more well-informed about career choices (before they spend a lot of money on college)."

Although the MST has not been done before, the MASH and Culinary camps have both gotten great responses from students.

"They love it," Chamberlin said. "Some of them will even go from one camp to another."

The MST camp will include presentations given by professionals in a variety of different fields, exposing the kids to specific math, science and technology-related careers. For instance, representatives from Time Warner Cable will do a session on how the company delivers information to the world.

Additionally, a middle-school-age race car driver (along with others) will be there to help teach them about aerodynamics.

But these "instructors" are not just going to be feeding kids information, like in a stereotypical classroom setting. All of the planned activities are hands-on, so the students will be able to learn by direct, personal engagement.

Charles "Chip" Malone of Cornell Cooperative Extension will be in charge of an energy exhibit where the kids will try to activate various appliances -- including cell phones, lights and kitchen appliances -- by peddling stationary bicycles (thus generating an air current)...

"...which is really cool," Malone said. "They'll have a lot of fun with that."

The idea, according to Hollwedel, is to help them gain an "appreciation of how much energy the things they own use."

The kids will also work at designing their own bridges, modifying/adapting CO2 cars to run more efficiently and racing them to find out whose is the best.

MST is a one-day camp. There will be two sessions -- one on July 20 for boys, and another on July 21 for girls. Both sessions will be at Batavia Middle School, at 96 Ross St. in Batavia, and last from 7:45 a.m. until 4 p.m.

The decision to devote one day to each gender group was based on the observations of middle-school teachers and made for the benefit of the kids.

"Girls tend to be resistant in technology class," Hollwedel said, "because boys are stereotypically more inclined toward technology, tools, etc. So with guys around, the girls can become intimidated and afraid to try things on their own."

"If the camp were co-ed, the girls would be more likely to just go along with what the guys say," said Samantha Lippman, a science teacher at Alexander Middle School and a member of the MST development team. "This way they can work independently, pitch in and come up with their own ideas. And with all the hands-on activities, they'll be able to see that they can do it."

"What we want to do for both boys and girls," Chamberlin said, "is give them an opportunity to excel and to work without having to worry about intimidation or pressure."

The MST Camp is open to all students in Genesee County who will be entering grades 7, 8 and 9 in the fall. There is room for 11 more students, and registrations will be accepted until July 2.

There is a $25 admission fee to cover operating expenses and lunch for the students.

For details, call Chamberlin at 343-7440, ext. 25, or e-mail mchamberlin@mail.geneseeny.com.

All five Batavia City schools are taking learning to a new level using the "bells and whistles" of the modern classroom.

Last night, elementary, middle and high school students got to show their parents -- and others -- what kind of work they've been doing at the district's "Technology Exposition" at Jackson Elementary School:

Joe Rebisz' fifth-grade class at Jackson has been discussing Gary Paulsen's book "Hatchet" using Moodle, an online discussion tool. Each student takes a turn asking a question, and then the class tries to answer it based on the details of the story.

Four students from Andy Reagan's fifth-grade class at John Kennedy man the computers in the Jackson Media Center, each talking about a different internet-based program/resource that all John Kennedy fifth-graders are using.

Examples include:

• "Class Blogmeister"-- Every fifth-grader has a personal blog -- linked to the classroom blog -- where they can keep journals, complete writing assignments and interact with their teachers and classmates (by commenting on postings, etc). All postings are reviewed and approved by the teachers before being published. 
• "Famous Americans Wiki"-- Each student chooses a famous American to research for the fifth-grade Exit Project. They set up their own wiki pages and add pictures, written information, links to other resources and, last but not least, audio interviews in which one student asks questions and another plays the role of the famous person being interviewed.
• "Fish4Info"-- The kids use this interactive site to look for books, review books they've already read, and to see which books their classmates are recommending.

For more information on what the John Kennedy students are up to technology-wise, have a look at this brief article.

Alicia Scroger and Anand Patel are both in Jen Sloan's fourth-grade class at Robert Morris. Sloan's class has been working closely with Sean Krauss' (pictured below, left) 11th-graders at Batavia High on learning to communicate through technology.

Sloan's students submit written work to Krauss' students via an online blog, and then the high-schoolers proofread and offer editorial suggestions.

The following video shows the "Math Review Games on the Promethean" and "Programming and Designing with Technology" exhibits, representing Batavia Middle School and Batavia High, respectively (Bob Mullen was the BHS faculty advisor).

Vist the Batavia City School District website for more info.

When people have flu-like symptoms, or a friend or relative does, the first thing they do is hop on Google to see if they can self-diagnose or learn more about the illness.

Those searches spike when there are a lot of people feeling sick.

Google has found that its search trends correlate to Center for Disease Control reports, but CDC lags Google's real-time results by about two weeks.

The current trends show minimal concern in the Buffalo and Rochester area (they don't break it down for Batavia specifically) about the flu this month. 

Learn more about how this works by clicking here.

The Batavia City School district knows the importance of staying updated with technology. In November the district received the Torchlight Award from Promethean Inc, an international award-winning company which creates interactive learning technology to help teachers develop lessons that engage, educate, assess, and motivate learners.

Now the district has formed a committee to go wireless. Pamela Schunk, Director of Learning for Batavia City School District, said this will hopefully save money.

Schunk said the thing about technology is its expensive and  always changing, but the district is doing its best to meet the state’s standards.

New York State standards look at ways schools are developing their mission statements, and are constantly revising the standards.

Schunk said Batavia City School district develops their technology mission statement from the state’s standards and use it to guide everything they do.

The Technology Mission Statement
The Batavia City School District’s technology mission is to provide students with the technology, on-line resources, and bandwidth necessary to acquire the knowledge, develop the attitudes, and master the skills needed to meet the New York State Standards.

Just over a year teachers have been using a software program called Tech Paths. The program uses curriculum mapping which enables teachers to stay organized and communicate with other teachers and administrators.

All classrooms in the district have at least one computer and most have at least four student computers along with an inkjet or last printer. If the school needs new technology it is up to the teachers to apply for it.

Six technology classes are offered at Batavia High School that include, Desktop Publishing 1 and 2, Communications in the 21st Century, Media Production in the 21st Century, Fundamentals of Web Design, and Fundamentals of Java Programming.

“All students have to be engaged,” said Schunk about the goals of a learner centered classroom, “The information has to be relevant, and have meaning.” She continued saying it must be challenging, and teachers really have to know their students background ability, and interests.