Fall2013

National EAST Open House

Tuesday October 15, 2013

EAST Night Out (ENO) is a nation wide EAST open house hosted in communities that have EAST programs. During ENO, EAST classrooms share with their school, community members, business leaders, media and families the power of student-driven, service-based, technology-infused education. The facilitator and students work together to showcase projects and share their EAST story. In 2012, over 125 EAST programs hosted events to share EAST with their communities and we anticipate even more participation this year. We invite everyone to check out this unique opportunity to see EAST in action. To find one happening near you, visit the ENO website. We hope to see you there!

www.eastnightout.com

CONTENTS Fall 2013

1 2 3 5 7 9 11

EAST In Social Media National Service Project Summer Seminar Training & Events Installations EAST Core Guest Blog Gary Bunn, UCA

12 13 15 16

EAST Quarterly Abroad Phase & Tier Training Conference ASTA

SPOTLIGHTS 17 Staff Member Eric Holt

18 Board Member Julia Sites

19 EAST Alumni Macy Williams

21 Facilitators Kevin Shinn Brittany Smith

22 Sponsor

Arkansas Capital Corporation Group

23 Project Profiles

Searcy High School Green Forest Middle School

EQ Brief Click here for a video summary of EQ Magazine

26 27 29 31

EAST Gear & Sponsors Where EAST Is Geek Speak EAST Staff

EAST In Social Media Twitter & Facebook

PG. 1

Facebook

Twitter

Other

facebook.com/EASTinitiative facebook.com/EAST.Profile facebook.com/theEASTcore facebook.com/theEASTalumni facebook.com/theEASTsupport

@EASTinitiative @theEASTcore @theEASTalumni @EASTsupport @EASTdevelopment

instagram.com/theEASTinitiative youtube.com/user/EASTHQ issuu.com/EASTquarterly foursquare.com/eastinitiative

EAST QUARTERLY

National Service Project Announcement

Making the healthy choice the easy choice

The EAST Initiative is teaming up with Arkansas Center for Health Improvement for the 2013 - 2014 National Service Project along with numerous community health partners

achi.net

EAST QUARTERLY

PG. 2

Summer Seminar

01

3 E AS

T

2

eastinitiative.org/summerseminar2013

SEMINAR Little Rock AR

2013 Summer Seminar Highlights During July, more than 160 EAST educators, presenters and staff gathered at the Little Rock Embassy Suites Hotel for the three-day professional development event known as Summer Seminar.

Over 60 educators attended the optional 4th annual Tech Camp at the EAST Initiative campus.

Throughout the Seminar, EAST educators had the opportunity to attend over 30 presentations, round table discussions and hands-on breakout sessions.

For the first time, EAST Core teachers participated in Summer Seminar, which provided even more opportunity for networking, idea sharing and collaboration.

The 2013-2014 EAST National Service Project was officially announced, and the Arkansas Surgeon General, Dr. Joe Thompson, dropped by to help EAST kick off a year of sophisticated health and wellness projects.

Representatives from over 20 community organizations attended the EAST Partner Expo to connect with and offer project ideas to the EAST facilitators and Core teachers.

The EAST Initiative hosted a dessert reception at Heifer International in downtown Little Rock and a night out at the Arkansas Travelers baseball game for event participants and their families.

This year’s prize collection, valued at over $3,000, included hotel vouchers, gift baskets, Silver Dollar City tickets, lots of Starbucks goodies, EAST gear, a Hot Springs getaway and visits with EAST founder, Tim Stephenson, and Tech Support main man, Reuben Canada.

PG. 3

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PG. 4

Training & Events 2013

September 2013 Student Technical Trainings Finding and Creating Data

Introduction to Adobe Photoshop

24th - 25th Fayetteville

26th - 27th Fayetteville

Training & Events Summer Remix

EAST Administrator Training 4th & 12th 5th 11th 25th 26th

Little Rock Camden Fairview High School Crowley’s Ridge Co-op, Harrisburg Western Arkansas Co-op, Branch Arkansas High School, Texarkana

17th - 18th Little Rock

October 2013 Student Technical Trainings Introduction to Python

Introduction to GIS

1st Fayetteville

2nd - 3rd Little Rock 2nd - 3rd Fayetteville

Web Design with Dreamweaver and Introduction to Content Management Systems 2nd - 3rd Little Rock

Basic Camera Workshop 3rd - 4th

Arkadelphia

System Administration

Final Cut Pro X

Introduction to Unity 3D

7th Little Rock

8th Little Rock

9th - 10th Little Rock

22nd Fayetteville

DSLR Video Techniques

Digital Photography Concepts

24th - 25th Little Rock

29th Little Rock

Podcasting 23rd Fayetteville

Learn Adobe Illustrator 24th - 25th Little Rock

Introduction to Garage Band

Final Cut Pro 7

The Why of When: Health

29th DeQueen/Mena Co-op, Gillham

29th - 30th Fayetteville

Training & Events Phase II 2nd - 3rd Session One 7th - 8th Session Two 9th - 10th Session Three

PG. 5

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National Manufacturing Day 4th

EAST Night Out 15th

November 2013 Student Technical Trainings DSLR Photography

Introduction to Unity 3D

The Why of Where: History

4th Fayetteville Introduction to Adobe Photoshop 7th - 8th Little Rock

5th - 6th Little Rock

7th - 8th Fayetteville

Systems Administrator (Elementary / Middle School) 4th Little Rock

The Why of Where: Health

Fruity Loops

Introduction to Python

20th Little Rock

21st Little Rock

Final Cut Pro X (Elementary / Middle School) 19th Little Rock

13th - 14th Little Rock

Training & Events Veteran’s Day

GIS Day

Phase III

11th

11th

20th Session One

The Why of Where: Disasters

Introduction to GIS

System Administration

2nd - 3rd Little Rock

4th - 5th Little Rock

9th Fayetteville

December 2013 Student Technical Trainings

3D Animation Modeling 9th - 10th Little Rock

Web Design with Dreamweaver and Introduction to Content Management Systems

Final Cut Pro 7 10th Fayetteville

9th - 10th Little Rock

Final Cut Pro X 10th - 12th Fayetteville

Basic Camera Workshop (Elementary / Middle School)

The Why of Where: Water 16th - 17th Fayetteville

9th - 10th Little Rock

Training & Events Phase III 2nd - 3rd Session Two 4th - 5th Session Two

The EAST Initiative Inc. 12th Birthday 5th

EAST QUARTERLY

PG. 6

Installations EAST Program & EAST Core

2013 Summer Installations New EAST Programs in Arkansas: Ashdown Junior High School

Harrison High School

Bentonville High School

Helen Tyson Middle School (Springdale)

Bergman High School

Hot Springs Middle School

Crossett Middle School

Manila High School

Dover Middle School

Pinkston Middle School (Mountain Home)

Hackett High School

Sulphur Rock Magnet Elementary School (Batesville)

New EAST Core Schools: Malvern High School

Monticello High School

Items installed in EAST Classrooms include: Software:

Hardware:

Bentley Build AR Versa Cad Solid Edge ArchiCAD Unity Pro SketchUp Pro ESRI GIS

Adobe Design Premium Autodesk Entertainment Creation Suite Microsoft Office 2013 iWork FL Studio Final Cut Pro X with Motion plug-in Logic Pro Unity

Adobe Web Premium

3D Vista

PG. 7

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Apple iPad Trimble Juno SB GPS Units Printers (large format, color, mono) Virtual & Augmented Reality software and peripherals Audio & video peripherals (DSLR camera, USB MIDI keyboard, Yeti microphone, Green screen kit, USB drum pad controller)

Raspberry Pi Windows server (with Windows Server 2008 OS) Windows desktop workstations HP Pro Book laptops 27” Apple iMacs 21.5” Apple iMacs And More!

An EAST installation is a two-day professional/technical training event at a new EAST program site.

Installations are designed to help facilitators and students take ownership of their EAST classroom.

In EAST, the students are directly involved in all aspects of network installation and configuration, as well as software installation. The EAST computer network is designed to be independent from the rest of the school’s network so that the students can be trained and act as administrators of this network. This event also includes some very basic software proficiency skills in the various software applications found in the EAST classroom.

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PG. 8

EAST Core core.eastinitiative.org

Building a Stronger Core EAST Core Administrative Tier Training is a professional development opportunity for superintendents and principals from participating EAST Core schools. It provides time to come together in a central location (at EAST headquarters in Little Rock) to share information, local needs and questions relating to implementation for the five pioneer schools and the first year of implementation for our new schools in Malvern and Monticello. The purpose of this year’s Administrative Tier is to build a common vision and to collaborate for shared goals among all schools participating in EAST Core.

“The Tier meeting is dynamic and highly beneficial, as each school district comes away with a stronger collective vision for the coming school year,” said Dondi Jackson, Senior Director of Curricular Integration.

During implementation, several things were learned about pilot schools and the EAST Core program.

Over the past year, information was collected by the five pioneer schools to provide feedback for implementation and growth this upcoming year. This information was used as a foundation to create overall alignment of EAST Core principles and action planning. It is important for all EAST Core schools to share in common goals and have the same sense of direction. It was a strong commitment for these administrators to come together and build relationships and continue collaboration throughout the growth of EAST Core.

“It is very important for teachers to see united support from the administration when implementing a new program,” said Lori Andrews, EAST Core Coordinator. “This is extremely exciting to see the rejuvenation from the administration filter into the passion of teachers.”

PG. 9

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Community Service

Vision

Students should be actively engaged in solving problems in their communities.

Students should be actively engaged in relating curriculum to authentic community issues.

Self-Directed Learning

Assessment & Success

Students should, can and will take responsibility for their own learning when given the opportunity.

Students should, can and will take responsibility for their own learning through ongoing opportunities.

Process & Procedures

Technology

Students should be given access to relevant and challenging resources and tools to use in solving identified problems.

Students should be given access to relevant and challenging resources and tools to use in curricular learning.

Communication & Collaboration

Teamwork Students should be allowed (indeed required) to collaborate with each other and with professionals in their communities as they grow and develop their capacity to be positive agents of change.

EAST QUARTERLY

PG. 10

Guest Blog Dr. Gary Bunn

Preparing Future Educators Dr. Gary Bunn

UCA UTeach program co-director On a recent drive to Little Rock to work with a group of teachers participating in the EAST Core program, I realized that I had left my smartphone at home and had no time to return to retrieve it. Immediately, I felt uneasy knowing that I did not have access to my calendar, my email or the ability to search for an answer to a perplexing question. Some might argue that this situation is an example of the importance for simply remembering dates, times, phone numbers and other bits of factual knowledge. Instead, I suggest that it is evidence of how technology has succeeded in storing information for us so that we can focus on more important things.

Consider the importance of a good question. With most answers readily accessible with the click of a few buttons, it is the ability to ask the right questions and the insight to recognize when the responses are reasonable that should be more of our focus. One group of educators explains, “If knowing how to learn is more important than knowing all of the answers, then the greatest realization of a person’s intellectual life must be that good questions are more important than right answers” (Gunter, Estes, & Schwab, 2011, p. 125). I can’t deny that “correctness” is important, but increasingly the capacity to search for a solution deserves more of our attention and effort. This same group of educators explains, “Although it is true that those who succeed in school are often those who can remember the ‘correct’ answer, those who succeed in life are usually those who are willing to ask questions and search for solutions” (p. 126).

The EAST Initiative has long promoted the idea of problem-solving and projectbased learning, giving students the chance to ponder, to ask questions and to persevere. This inquiry approach to learning is also a hallmark of the UTeach model for preparing math and science teachers that is now being implemented at three Arkansas universities. The UTeach model and the EAST Initiative share a common approach to learning – it happens best when students are fully engaged and empowered to interact with the problems presented.

At the University of Central Arkansas, the program is branded as UCA

PG. 11

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STEMteach and, like all UTeach replication sites, uses inquiry-based learning that puts exploration up front to help students recognize the importance of good questions, value the struggles along the way and realize that good answers will naturally follow. Like the EAST Initiative, learning in this program is facilitated in the context of the real world and real problems and places great emphasis on field-based experiences.

UCA STEMteach began in response to Arkansas Governor Beebe’s call for more and better-prepared math and science teachers in an effort to increase the pool of STEM-ready graduates from our high schools and colleges. The Governor and his Workforce Cabinet recognize the importance of STEM education for the economic vitality of Arkansas and know that the teachers in our classrooms have a profound impact on this readiness.

The importance and opportunities of STEM-prepared students are well documented. A recent report by the Brookings Institute (June 2013) revealed that one in five jobs in the United States demands a thorough knowledge of one or more of the STEM disciplines – science, technology, engineering and math. Change the Equation (May 2012), an organization devoted to improving STEM teaching and learning, reports, “Across the STEM fields, job postings outnumbered unemployed people by almost two to one.” And the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2011) notes that the average salaries for 93 of the 97 reported STEM occupations exceeded the national average with an overall average salary of nearly $78,000. Opportunities are abundant, and our students deserve the chance to compete for them.

Working together, programs like UCA STEMteach and organizations like the EAST Initiative can help lead the efforts in preparing students who are prepared for careers or higher education – students who can ask the right questions, engage in problem-solving and accept the challenges. Though likely I will always experience anxiety when I leave my smartphone at home, I will be reminded of the great collection of answers that has already been gathered for me and seek the questions that need to be asked instead. I will know that the greatest importance is not in having all of the answers but in the ability to ask the right questions to get the understanding that I need.

EAST Quarterly Abroad International Readership

Thank You to Our Readers around the World!

Algeria

Denmark

Korea

Slovakia

Argentina

El Salvador

Lithuania

South Africa

Australia

France

Mexico

Spain

Bangladesh

Germany

Netherlands

Sri Lanka

Belarus

Greece

Peru

Thailand

Brazil

India

Philippines

Taiwan

Bulgaria

Indonesia

Poland

Turkey

Canada

Israel

Portugal

United Kingdom

Colombia

Italy

Romania

United States

Cyprus

Japan

Russia

Vietnam

EAST QUARTERLY

PG. 12

Phase & Tier Training Training for EAST Facilitators & Core Teachers

What EAST Facilitators & Core Teachers are saying about Phase and Tier Training: “This is the most valuable professional development that I have ever attended.

I learned a great deal and made new friends. I’m excited to get started!”

“I feel confident about facilitating. I feel confident about helping my students discover community-based projects and giving them a purpose.”

“Not really knowing what to expect, it has at times been overwhelming, insightful and a real learning experience. I really feel that EAST Core is going to be something I grow into and will be so helpful for my students and very beneficial for me. I truly am excited.”

PG. 13

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“Best professional development ever.

Relative. Practical. Applicable.”

“I have learned to be a team player.

The group projects we did made me think about our students. I want each of my students to have a role in the project so their voices will be heard.”

“It has been the most relevant professional development I think I will ever have. It has shown me how to foster student growth.”

“I enjoyed talking and sharing with other facilitators. It helped me know I’m not alone and I can get support from other facilitators and program coordinators.”

“This was by far the best professional development that I have ever gone through in 11 years of teaching!”

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PG. 14

Save The Date

March 19 - 21, 2014 Hot Springs Convention Center

PG. 15

EAST QUARTERLY

ASTA

asta.arkansas.gov

Solar Designers Making it Work Who hasn’t heard Heidi Klum’s catch phrase, “…you’re either in, or you’re out”?

While fashion design can be a VERY competitive field, engineering design can be equally intense. This year we are flipping the ASSET Initiative Solar Design Competition on its head to bring you our spin on Project Runway – Tech Edition.

This is one EAST competition you won’t want to miss!

Each team will submit designs for building a solar-powered device that can benefit the community and potentially be launched as a new commercial product. Teams MUST submit 3D-model designs using software applications like Trimble Sketch Up or AutoCAD. A panel of judges will review all of the designs submitted and select the top three as the competition semi-finalists.

Two EAST students from each semi-finalist team will receive a travel stipend to attend the 2014 EAST Conference in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and will have one day to build their designs, with a little help from our onsite engineers, in our very own fabrication laboratory (FAB LAB).

Wait, we’re not finished!

Just to spice up the competition, the Arkansas Science & Technology Authority and our friends at QU-BD, a Little Rock-based 3D printer company, are donating the use of 3D printers, laser cutters, solar panels and lots of other cool tools for teams to work with in bringing their designs to life in the FAB LAB. (Eat your heart out, Dr. Frankenstein!)

The design team voted best at conference will not only have serious bragging rights but will also win a chance to work with the product development team at QU-BD. So, if you want to earn your seat at Conference and have fun doing it, put on your thinking caps, jump on the web and start researching the community problem that you are going to fix with your new solar-powered device. In the words of Tim Gunn, “Designers, it’s up to you to make it work!”

For the full list of contest rules and to see past ASSET Initiative Solar Design Competition winners, visit the Facebook page by clicking HERE. Applications for this competition will be due on November 1, 2013.

The Arkansas ASSET Initiative is a National Science Foundation EPSCoR project administered by the Arkansas Science & Technology Authority. The annual Solar Design Competition is an outreach activity that provides K-12 students an opportunity to learn about solar energy and how it helps to power our world.

For more information on the ASSET Initiative visit www.arepscor.org or email Marta.Collier@Arkansas.gov. For more information on QU-BD, visit their website at www.qu-bd.com.

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PG. 16

Staff Member Spotlight Eric Holt - Internet Services Manager

Teach a Man to Fish When you step inside Eric Holt’s office, you will find the décor to be very sparse.

When asked about his personal life, he tends not to disclose too many details, but don’t let him fool you: during his free time, Holt can be found performing Irish music on his fiddle or playing with his Maine Coon cat, Moxie. Spend a few moments with Holt and you will quickly discover he is quite the office joker; he is brilliant and an integral part of EAST. As the Internet Services Manager at EAST, Holt is the go-to man managing websites for events, trainings and registrations. He knows the ins-and-outs of all things web related and can navigate through database information and reports with ease.

Unlike most of his coworkers at the EAST Initiative, Holt did not know about EAST before applying for a position with the organization. He learned about EAST two years ago while searching through the classified ads, applied and started working at the organization a few weeks later, knowing only its mission statement.

“EAST’s mission statement stood out to me. I wanted a career somewhere where I could be proud of the work the organization was doing. EAST builds kids’ futures and helps them to create a better world.”

His initial impression was that EAST was involved with innovative technology training for students, but he now understands that EAST means so much more.

PG. 17

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“I found out the program was more innovative than I thought. EAST is not about putting computers in classrooms,” said Holt. “It is more about ‘teaching a man to fish’ and how to solve problems. It is not just about completing projects within the classroom, but learning those skills in general to impact the community.”

Before his EAST career began, Holt studied English at the University of Central Arkansas. From there he headed to Louisiana State University to study Library Science. After receiving his degree, he took a systems librarian position at a local library, working with their computers. It was there that Holt first got involved with computers and found his true calling. He headed back to his home state of Arkansas and began taking Computer Science courses at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. As Holt contemplated working on his Masters in Computer Science, he decided to begin working at a programming company in Little Rock. While many people would be upset that it took them so long to find their calling, Holt wouldn’t change a thing. The long journey to where he is today taught him about the human side of technology. Sitting behind two computer screens each day can be isolating, but Holt recognizes his job impacts people he may never meet.

“As a programmer, I always like getting into interesting problems and finding a solution to them. More than that though, I enjoy finishing a project, putting it out there and seeing it help someone. When it comes down to it, my goal is to make other people’s jobs easier.”

Board Member Spotlight Julia Sites

Passionate Alumni and Advocate

As one of the first EAST graduates in 1996, Julia Sites has been impacted by the EAST Initiative since its beginning. Now, Sites is helping EAST make an impact while she serves on EAST’s board of directors. She hopes that one day, EAST will be available to all kids of any age.

Sites graduated from Greenbrier High School, where the EAST Initiative was born.

The first EAST classroom opened during her senior year, and since she had taken an environmental science class, she decided to join. Little did she know, EAST would open doors she never knew existed; everything within the classroom was new. She discovered her facilitator, EAST’s founder Tim Stephenson, was learning right alongside his students and building the foundation for EAST to grow. Sites quickly became the classroom administrator, responsible for keeping the classroom running.

“The cream always rises to the top, and Julia is an excellent example of that,” said Tim Stephenson. “It was exciting to watch her become aware of her strengths. I am very proud of how she made good use of those skills.”

EAST renewed an interest in education again, Sites explained in reflection. It provided a place where students could be in charge of the work they were doing. The traditional classroom did not work for all the students in that first EAST classroom.

Between Stephenson and EAST, however, they were given the confidence they needed to succeed.

She went on to study Computer Science and Mathematics at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark. Upon graduation in 2000, she took a job as a Client/Server Programmer/ Analyst at Alltel Wireless and stayed there until 2010. Sites has since then taken a position as IT Specialist at Southwest Power Pool in Little Rock, Ark. “EAST gave me a boost in confidence to pursue computer work beyond the things I’d done on my own at home,” said Sites. “Being asked to set up a classroom and perform the administrative duties for the year allowed me to really explore that area of interest for me. Being given the freedom to experiment and learn, and having to learn on my own using whatever resources I could find around me, really gave me the confidence that I could do these things without direct instruction. We had great resources from CAST helping us with the GPS technology, but the classroom itself was quite the challenge. I was very proud of what I accomplished and knew I could learn anything I put my mind to.”

Sites stayed in contact with EAST and was invited to join the Board of Directors as an alumni representative in 2006. She has remained involved with the organization and watched it grow, mature and expand into what it is today. Sites desires to see EAST everywhere! She hopes traditional classes will continue to see the benefits of EAST for students, while also anticipating that EAST Core will continue the development of EAST, so kids can truly benefit from the EAST model in every class.

“I see EAST as the most effective tool in education for preparing students for their futures. It gives them opportunities they may not have had to explore their potential, which might have been overlooked in a traditional setting. Also, they have an opportunity to help their community. Times really have changed, and while technology has the ability to bring areas of the world closer than ever before, it can cause kids to become uninvolved in their communities. Projects completed through EAST renew that sense of community, the true joy of helping others and the opportunity to discover what is right outside their door.” - Julia Inaugural class of EAST students from Greenbrier, Ark heading to the Intergraph Graphics Users Group conference in Huntsville, AL.

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PG. 18

Alumni Spotlight Macy Williams - Join the EAST Alumni

Macy Williams

University of Arkansas at Little Rock & Van Buren High School Alumni

Baggo and Boreholes Macy Williams is no stranger to the EAST Initiative. She is the daughter of an EAST facilitator and is an EAST alumni from Van Buren High School and EAST Scholar from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Williams credits EAST for where she is today. From a hometown cookout playing baggo (a lawn game comparable to cornhole or bean bag toss) to collecting oil field samples, Williams surrounds herself with others who want to make a difference.

“Leadership, teamwork, independence, confidence, positive relationship – I could go on and on about the hard and soft skills I gained from being a part of two different EAST programs,” said Williams. “I believe all of those skills are necessary for a person to make it through high school and college, but most definitely for landing a job and becoming an asset to a company. I would say I’m proof of that.”

After graduating from Van Buren High School, Williams attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where she received her bachelor’s degree in Geology this past May. Upon arriving at UALR, she applied and was admitted to the pre-pharmacy program. However, after two years of coursework, she discovered that was not the route she wanted to take. While talking to a friend studying Geology at another university, Williams changed her major, and she has not looked back since.

After graduation, Williams, like most other graduates, applied for various jobs hoping to find one within her major. She searched for jobs in the oil and gas industry involving Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and environmental quality. After two months of searching, she was hired by the geological service company, Selman & Associates, LTD. in Midland, Texas. As a mud logger, she is responsible for taking mud samples from boreholes and making detailed logs of the lithology data for geologists. Lithology involves gaining information about a rock’s physical characteristics: core, color, texture, grain size or composition.

Today, Williams has a career doing what she enjoys and gets to make a difference. For her, EAST made that possible. Her hope is that others will experience EAST and take advantage of all the program’s benefits.

“EAST prepares you for the workforce with the essential skills you need to be able to learn and succeed in your preferred field,” said Williams. “I believe the skills you gain in EAST are not something you can just get from a book. They are learned from the kind of opportunities and relationships provided through EAST.”

PG. 19

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Register to become an Alumni for FREE today!

www.EASTalumni.org

Who are the EAST Alumni?

Many students do not know that if they were ever a student in an EAST program or EAST Core class at their school they are considered part of the EAST Alumni. It doesn’t matter if you were only in EAST when you were in middle school or all throughout high school; if you were in EAST you are counted as part of the EAST Alumni! Isn’t that cool? We are a collection of former EAST students that still want to be involved in community projects, networking, growing with technology and giving back to EAST Schools. We also join up with the EAST staff to help make things happen at EAST Conference. We are hoping to grow as an association to make a difference in the world. The EAST Alumni website is a common ground for all of the alumni to stay connected with each other, keep up with events, questions, share stories and inspire each other. Sign up today to continue your EAST experience and prove that EAST students can change the world.

/EASTalumni

@theEASTalumni

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PG. 20

Facilitator Spotlight Kevin Shinn - Brittany Smith

Kevin Shinn

EAST Facilitator - Huntsville High School Please tell us your favorite thing about EAST in general: As a 28 year educator, the thing I enjoy most about EAST is the manner in which it empowers students to take charge of their own learning. My first 27 years as a teacher, I was frequently struggling to design my class environment in such a way that I could reach every child in the room in a meaningful way. EAST does that.

Watching students taking their learning outside our classroom and into the community, as well as hearing members of our community bragging on the efforts of my kids is simply awesome.

Why do you think EAST is important to education in the US? It is imperative that our schools produce students capable of solving problems and thinking for themselves. In addition, the collaborations between EAST and the community provide students with invaluable hands-on experience.

How has EAST impacted you?

I am as excited about going to work every day as I was when I started nearly three decades ago. Becoming an EAST facilitator has fired me up and renewed my own desire to do the best I can with the time I have remaining.

Brittany Smith

EAST Core Biology Teacher - Harrisburg High School Please tell us your favorite thing about EAST Core in general: My favorite thing is that I know as we continue to finesse this program our students are no longer going to say “when will we ever use this again,� because they will be answering this question through the projects that they do in class.

What positive changes/outcomes have you seen in students, while actively working with EAST Core: I have seen students learn from each other. I have seen them care about what is going on with their project. I have even seen students I would have never thought would do a thing in class excel at a project, and even do better than my AP students!

Why would you recommend EAST Core to students and other teachers?

It is the reality of the world today. Our children need it to survive in the 21st century.

PG. 21

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Sponsor Spotlight Arkansas Capital Corporation Group

The Arkansas Capital Corporation Group (ACCG) is a long-time friend of the EAST Initiative. ACCG has sponsored the National EAST Conference for numerous years, collaborated on statewide issues like broadband access and, most recently, partnered with EAST to support the 2013 National Service Project focusing on entrepreneurship and opportunity. ACCG affiliate, Connect Arkansas, traveled to EAST programs throughout the state to teach students about entrepreneurship. Over the years, ACCG has sponsored both the business plan and last year’s elevator pitch competitions at conference. Leaders at ACCG have also helped to mentor and inspire EAST students through training and as speakers and presenters at the EAST conference.

“EAST is honored to have such a quality supporter. We recognize ACCG’s extensive network and infrastructure for economic development within the state and beyond,” said Dr. Angela Kremers, Senior Director of Corporate Strategy at the EAST Initiative.

Likewise, ACCG recognizes EAST’s ability to create a pipeline of students who are ready for knowledge-based careers, a critical factor for economic growth. ACCG and its affiliate companies empower entrepreneurs by providing capital to businesses through its capital availability programs and advocating for entrepreneurs through capital, educational and technological improvements. ACCG serves as the platform from which new opportunities are launched and today includes eight affiliates including Arkansas Capital Corporation (ACC), Six Bridges Capital Corporation (6BCC), Arkansas Capital Relending Corporation (ACRC), Arkansas Economic Acceleration Foundation (AEAF), Diamond State Ventures (DSV), Heartland Renaissance Fund (HRF), Connect Arkansas, and Pine State Capital (PSC).

ACCG, then named First Arkansas Development Finance Corporation (FADFC), was formed in 1957 by influential individuals and most of the state’s utility companies. The company was formed to provide a mechanism for financing the state’s transformation from an agricultural economy to an industrial economy.

“As with many of the organizations that support the work EAST is doing, Arkansas Capital Corporation is an important voice for the skills and habits of mind that EAST students need to reach their full potential,” said Matt Dozier, President/CEO of the EAST Initiative. “The relationship between the EAST Initiative and ACCG has been very beneficial for both our organizations and our students. Working together, at both ends of the talent pipeline, we are helping to ensure that our collective hopes for innovative and important business and development become a reality.”

Since its founding, the company has diversified and grown, to include commercial financing needed for the information age.

Along the way, ACCG has made hundreds of loans, representing projects of well over one billion dollars.

“We are eager to partner with the EAST initiative for many years to come,” said Sam Walls III, president of AEAF and senior vice president of the ACCG. “With the Internet, there are virtually endless opportunities for entrepreneurship and more resources than ever to explore and research a dream or idea for starting a business.“

The EAST program is reinforcing the relevancy of the core fundamentals that are the foundation for virtually all business ventures. These are the strong writing, creative thinking and math skills students must have to be successful entrepreneurs and business owners. They have to know how to research to see if there is a need for their product or service and chart a meaningful financial plan to establish and sustain their business, whether it is brick and mortar or online; whether or not they have a payroll of one or 100.

“With programs like EAST and the ACCG’s Arkansas Economic Acceleration Foundation, students will be more empowered and ready to work and earn a living – whether they want to start a business right out of high school or college, start a business on the side, or circumstances later in life lead them to going out on their own. The AEAF and ACCG applaud the EAST initiative and its impact on the future of Arkansas’s people and its economy,” Walls concluded.

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Project Profiles

Searcy High School - Green Forest Middle School

A Walk through History Community members from Searcy have been a huge influence on this project.

At a recent community partner meeting, members were paired off with students based on their expertise to offer more advice.

EAST students from Searcy High School are working with the Searcy Parks and Recreation department to create an interactive fitness trail featuring historic homes, monuments and businesses in Searcy. With the aid of EAST’s Beyond the Bell and BHP Billiton, the students are developing an educational and useful project for the citizens of Searcy.

“A local advertising agency has agreed to help advise when it comes time for the 5K Zombie Fun Run, which is an event to raise funds and awareness for the historic trail, in November. The local agency will help us with design work, to decide where signs should be placed and what type of information should be included on the signs.”

After walking around the town and working with community partners, the students narrowed down 30 places to feature throughout the walking trail. The students searched for locations they found to be interesting and wanted to learn more about.

The trail uses QR (Quick Response) codes, which is a type of barcode with encoded data. This type of technology allows any visitor with a smartphone to snap the QR code and instantly discover history right where they are standing.

“QR codes are a great way to get information easily and quickly,” said Hunter Ingle, current EAST student and project manager. “We also took into account the fact that technology changes so often. We assume that QR codes will be fairly easy to update to whatever technology comes next.”

“We wanted to concentrate on getting solid information about these properties and also didn’t want to overload citizens with too much information,” said Rinda Hall, EAST facilitator at Searcy High School.

Becky Comet, Member Benefits Manager with the Association of Arkansas Counties and a season 12 contestant of “The Biggest Loser,” approached the EAST Initiative and EAST at Searcy High School with the idea for this project. She agreed to participate as a community partner on the Walk Through History project to help promote both exercise and a healthy lifestyle for all Arkansans.

By including the technology, the students hope to attract a younger audience but know everyone will find enjoyment in the trail. Their desire is that it will revive the downtown area and encourage a sense of pride again.

Comet will be supporting students as they create an interactive webpage, which will not only feature the historic properties of downtown Searcy, but will also include the distances covered between properties and the amount of calories burned while walking, biking or running those distances.

This project is also right in line with EAST’s National Service Project theme for this year: Health and Wellness. Hall shared that the downtown area is a key location for local walkers and runners.

Historic Walking Tour of Searcy in Cooperation with Searcy Parks & Recreation The Black House 659 W. Arch Ave.

801 W. Center Ave.



Historical Information Website

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270 W. Center Ave.

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Exercise & Fitness Information

400 E. Center Ave.

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Virtual Geocaching

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Zombie Fun Run

“It will be great that people can exercise and learn something at the same time,” Hall said.

Hall hopes this project shows the Searcy community what EAST is all about. She recalls when her students spoke to community members and told them they had $15,000 in grant money to work with, their ears perked up.

“The BHP Billiton and Beyond the Bell grants have played a huge role in making this project possible. They have facilitated Searcy’s EAST program in bringing in high quality community partners and gaining a lot of exposure.”

EAST’s primary focus is the students and the impact they are making in communities. Hall could not agree more. In her opinion, this job is a privilege. She has the luxury of time and gets to work with students on projects they are actually interested it. She has witnessed student growth and satisfaction in the work they are doing.

“EAST is a great opportunity to get out into the community and learn leadership skills,” said Hunter Ingle, current EAST student and project manager. “This classroom is more much hands-on than a regular classroom. What we do and learn in EAST is long-term.”

Green Forest Middle School students create iPhone app GREEN FOREST, Ark. -- There are hundreds of thousands of mobile apps to choose from. One app in particular has an interesting local tie.

Nick Luebbering, Conner Glassell, Jayce Martin, Colin Stimson and Lexi Diaz have only just become friends at Green Forest Middle School.

“We basically all met each other here in [EAST]. That’s how I met Jayce, Colin and Conner,” Lexi said.

What brought them together is a little unusual for their age. They created an iPhone app. What it does is in the name--Computer Troubleshooting. None of them has any experience creating apps. They used a program through Apple called Xcode.

“I looked at Xcode. I just sat down one day and started looking through it to see what it took,” said Luebbering.

Written by: Jay Scherder

KY3 News

“We’re still going through and polishing it,” Glassell said.

Soon it was available for purchase.

“We posted it all over social networks to get the word out. And we were getting 200 clicks every time we refreshed the page. So that was pretty exciting,” Martin said.

Computer Troubleshooting, or Computer TS for short, costs a mere 99 cents. So far they’ve sold about 100.

According to Nick, most of the sales come from the United States. But you might be surprised at the other countries that are buying the app, such as: the United Kingdom, India, France, Australia, China, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Philippines, Italy and 34 sales in other countries.

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“We were actually pretty surprised that someone was actually focusing on our app,” Diaz said.

They aren’t done yet. The group has another app in the works. They are also looking at creating some educational apps as well.

“A lot of things in life take collaboration. That’s what they’ve learned to do,” said Green Forest Middle School Principal Rebecca Brasel. “I’m so proud of them. I like to brag [about] them wherever I go.”

While their current app only runs on iPhones, they hope to launch a Windows Phone version and an Android version this spring.

UPDATE: After the story.

After the release of the KY3 TV story, interest and attention in the project rose.

This attention caused the app to be downloaded more often from a variety of locations. The attention also generated feedback.

“It is very impressive to see a group of students embody the whole process of self-directed learning,” said Bradley James, an EAST facilitator at GFMS. “From the idea, to communication, implementation, assessment, alterations and finished project these students deserve all the credit and did a fantastic job.”

Students submitted the app for verification and approval from Apple, Inc. Upon crossing the desk of Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, he was surprised to see it was created by Middle School students and reached out with a note of support to the students telling them, “great job and great work.” He followed up with a “like” on EAST’s Facebook page and commented to the students that he loved EAST and their program.

“Tim Cook’s comment was a very important motivation in the developmental process of our app. After we verified the comment, we thanked him for taking his time to recognize us,” said Luebbering. The students added that the comment really amazed them and made them realize what you can do when there is teamwork and cooperation.

“It encourages you to keep doing what you are doing and know that you have support from someone in the business,” said Martin.

The app has progressed, and the students are currently working on the design for version 2.0, optimizing it for iOS 7. The app, along with their developing skills, have matured. They have begun trying to integrate web services. The students have also discussed an idea for a “School Talk” app in the near future.

EAST was honored to receive a social media ‘thumbs up’ from Apple, Inc.’s CEO. EAST students are well prepared for 21st century jobs in technology and STEM fields.

Recognition of these efforts from business and industry is encouraging.

- The EAST Initiative

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EAST Gear Items 1 Hat 2 Lanyard 3 Black Ltd. Edition Shirt 4 EAST Bandz (pkg of 2) 5 PJ Pants 6 Zipper Cinch Bag *Items not pictured

Long Sleeve T-Shirt Boxers Conference Hoodie

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Thank you to all of our sponsors and supporters who make EAST happen for students.

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COLLEGE OF BUSINESS UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK

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y of Ark

Where EAST Is

EAST Prograpm & EAST Core Schools*

Arkansas Annie Camp Jr. High School Arkadelphia High School Arkansas High School Ashdown High School Ashdown Jr. High School Bald Knob Middle School Batesville High School Batesville Jr. High School Bauxite Schools Beebe High School Beebe Jr. High School Beebe Middle School

East Arkansas Community College El Dorado High School England High School eStem Middle School Eureka Springs High School Farmington High School Fayetteville High School Fordyce High School Foreman High School Forest Heights Middle School Fouke Schools Fountain Lake High School

Benton Co. School of the Arts Bentonville High School Bergman High School Berryville High School Bismarck High School Blevins High School Brinkley High School Brinkley Middle School Brookland High School Bryant High School Cabot High School Calico Rock High School Camden Fairview High School Cave City High School Cedar Ridge High School Cedarville High School Centerpoint High School Central High School Central High School (Helena) Clarendon High School Clinton High School Cloverdale Magnet Middle School College Hill Elementary IB World College Hill Middle School Conway High School Cossatot River High School Cross County High School Crossett High School Crossett Middle School Cutter Morning Star High School Dardanelle High School DeQueen High School Dewitt High School Dierks High School Dover High School Dover Middle School Drew Central High School Dumas High School Dumas Jr. High School Dunbar Middle School

Gardner Math, Science, and Technology Magnet School Genoa Central High School Gravette High School Green Forest IS Greenbrier High School Greenbrier Jr. High School Greene County Tech High School Greenland High School Greenland Middle School Greenwood High School Gurdon High School Hackett Schools Hall High School Hamburg High School Hampton High School Har-Ber High School Harrisburg High School Harrisburg Middle School* Harrison High School Harrison Middle School Helen Tyson Middle School Henderson Middle School Hope High School Horatio High School Hot Springs High School* Hot Springs Middle School Huntsville High School Izard Co. Cons. High School J.A. Fair High School Jacksonville High School Jacksonville Middle School JD Leftwich High School Jessieville High School Joe T. Robinson High School Joe T. Robinson Middle School Jonesboro High School Lake Hamilton High School Lakeside High School (HS) Lakeside High School (LV)

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Lamar High School Lincoln High School Lonoke High School Lonoke Middle School M.L. King Elementary School Mabelvale Middle School MacArthur Jr. High School Magnet Cove High School Magnolia High School Magnolia Jr. High School Malvern Elementary School Malvern High School* Malvern Middle School Mammoth Springs High School Manila High School Mann Middle School Mansfield High School Marshall High School Marvell High School Maumelle High School Maumelle Middle School McClellan High School McGehee High School Mena High School Mena Middle School Midland High School Mineral Springs High School Monticello High School* Monticello Intermediate School Monticello Middle School Morrilton High School Mountain Home High School Mountain Pine High School Mountain View High School Mt. Vernon-Enola High School Murfreesboro High School Nashville High School Nettleton High School Nettleton Jr. High School Newport High School North Heights Jr. High School North Little Rock High School - East Campus North Little Rock High School - West Campus North Pulaski High School Northside High School (Fort Smith) Northwest Arkansas Community College (Bentonville) Oak Grove Middle School Oark High School Omaha High School

Osceola High School Ozark Middle School Paragould High School Paragould Jr. High School Paris High School Parkview High School Perryville High School Pinkston Middle School Pottsville High School Pottsville Jr. High School Prairie Grove High School* Prairie Grove Middle School Prescott High School Pulaski Heights Middle School Randall G. Lynch Middle School Rison Schools Robert F. Morehead Middle School Roberts Elementary School Rose Bud High School Russellville High School Russellville Jr. High School SEACBEC Searcy High School Sheridan High School Sonora Elementary School Southside High School (Batesville) Southside High School (Fort Smith) Springdale High School Star City High School* Star City Middle School Strong High School Stuttgart High School Sulpher Rock Magnet Elementary Sylvan Hills High School Trumann High School Two Rivers High School UALR Valley View High School Van Buren High School Vilonia High School Viola High School Watson Chapel High School West Fork High School West Fork Middle School West Memphis High School Westwood Elementary White Hall High School Wilbur D. Mills High School Wilson Intermediate School Wonderview High School Woodlawn High School Wynne High School

California

Louisiana

Iowa

Santa Ynez High School

Southwood High School

Creston High School

Oklahoma Indian Capital Technology Center Kiamichi Technology Centers

Pennsylvania

Northeast Technology Center Tri-County Technology Center

Conwell Egan Catholic High School

Iowa Pennsylvania

California

Oklahoma

Arkansas

Louisiana

Where EAST Is

Click here to view the full list of schools EAST QUARTERLY

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Geek Speak Technical Support Spotlight

Technical Support: Issue Spotlight To: EAST Technical Support From: Student Ticket: I send a job to the plotter and it does not print correctly, or it does not print it all. Please help.

Background Information We receive many calls asking about tips for printing to large-format printers. Various models of plotters have print settings that work best for them; however, following the tips below will help ensure your jobs print satisfactorily the first time using any type of plotter.

Printing Tips 1

First and foremost, you must send the print job from a

For example in Adobe Illustrator, the print preview is shown on the Print

program that supports printing to large-format printers.

Dialog box. In the Print Dialog box below, notice that the preview isn’t

Microsoft Word is not a good option for large-format

showing the entire document, and that the paper size is set incorrectly.

printing. In fact, it has a page size limitation of 22” x

Assume that you must set a paper size EACH and EVERY time you

22” and scaling the documents larger often creates

print to the plotter. To do that, you must edit the print settings under

print quality issues. We recommend that you use

printer preferences. In Illustrator, you can do this by clicking Setup at

products in the Adobe Creative Suite to design your

the bottom of the Adobe Print Dialog Box.

documents for large-format printing. This includes software such as Adobe InDesign and Adobe Illustrator. Adobe Photoshop can also be used, but it’s not a vector-based printing solution, so if you try to scale your documents to make them larger, you’ll lose print quality. Also, if you must use a Microsoft Office product, use Microsoft Publisher as it’s designed for large-format printing.

2

Whenever you send a job to the plotter, make sure that your document page size setting and printer paper size settings match (e.g. Document Setup vs.

Printer Properties in Print Dialog box). Also check the margins and make sure they aren’t set outside of the printable area. Another good indicator of whether your document is going to print correctly is to check the Print Preview. Look at the ruler in the preview window and/or the paper size setting. If the document doesn’t show correctly or shows as printing on tiled pages, your print settings are not correct.

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3

Once you click Setup, click Continue, select the plotter you want to print to, then click Preferences.

Print Quality Tips: Use high-quality, high-resolution graphics in your posters; if you don’t, graphics may appear grainy and/or distorted.

You can often check this in your document by zooming in to pictures and graphics-if they appear fuzzy or pixilated, your document probably won’t print satisfactorily.

Make sure you select the correct paper type on the plotter (e.g. Plain Paper vs. Coated Photo Paper) AND in the Printer Settings on the Print Dialog box. Paper settings affect ink consumption and dry times, so ensure these are set correctly.

4

After you click Preferences, you will be presented with print options that may vary depending on the make/model of your plotter. The concept to understand here is that you must create a custom paper size that matches your document size.

In this case, the poster I’m working with is 40” x 40”, so I’m going to create a custom paper size that is 40” x 40”.

If your document prints but the edges are clipped, check your margin settings. You can also increase the Printer page size by an inch or so each way, which has proven to work in some scenarios.

If your document prints but graphics or fonts are missing, or if the printer displays a “Memory Error” when trying to print, save your document as a PDF and send the PDF to the plotter. Always check the generated PDF for any mistakes or errors before sending it to the plotter.

If your document prints but has lines or missing colors, check your consumable supplies. Most plotters have

5

After you’ve completed setting your preferences, click OK, then

print heads that are separate from the ink cartridges.

Print, to return to the Adobe Print Dialog box. Now, check your

If your ink cartridges are full but colors aren’t printing

print preview and paper size, and note that things look correct.

correctly, the print heads may be dirty and/or misaligned.

If you have print quality issues with all of your documents, refer to your plotter’s user documentation for steps to run print head alignments and cleanings. If print quality doesn’t improve, you may need to replace one of the print heads.

Sometimes the printer’s driver can cause printing issues, such as mismatched colors or documents failing to print. Check the manufacturer’s support website for updated drivers if you experience odd print issues.

Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on upgrading the print drivers. Always upgrade the drivers on one test computer first before installing on the server and deploying out to all computers.

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EAST Staff www.EASTinitiative.org

The staff of the EAST Initiative.

Matt Dozier

Mary Forst

President/ Chief Executive Officer

Chief Financial Officer

Matt@EASTstaff.org @Matt_Dozier

Tami Baker

Calvin Bramlett

Program Coordinator

Graphic & Web Designer

Tami@EASTstaff.org @Tami_EAST

Calvin@EASTstaff.org @CalvinBramlett

Jessica Dunham

Reuben Canada

Event Coordinator

Technical Support Manager

Jessica@EASTstaff.org @JessicaD_EAST

Reuben@EASTstaff.org @cubanreuben88

Adam Clemons

Marisa Damm

Technical Support Group - Lead

Technical Support Group - Member

Adam@EASTstaff.org @adamclmns

Marisa@EASTstaff.org @marisadamm

Phaedra Hawkins

Lisa Cook

Training & Events Coordinator

Program Coordinator

Phaedra@EASTstaff.org

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MaryF@EASTstaff.org

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Lisa@EASTstaff.org @LisaC_EAST

Linsey Horton

Doug Gusewelle

Administrative Assistant

Technical Resource Specialist

Linsey@EASTstaff.org @linseyhorty

Doug@EASTstaff.org @dougTSG

Dondi Jackson

Eric Holt

Senior Director of Curricular Integration

Internet Services Manager

Dondi@EASTstaff.org @theEASTcore

Eric@EASTstaff.org

Jerry Prince

Lori Andrews

Senior Director of Program Services

EAST Core Coordinator

Jerry@EASTstaff.org

Lori@EASTstaff.org @photochick724

Dr. Angela Kremers

Cody Jones

Senior Director of Corporate Strategy

Staff Accountant

Angela@EASTstaff.org @EASTdevelopment

Cody@EASTstaff.org @codyjones20

Erica Riley

Melanie Ridlon

Program Coordinator

Senior Director of Operations

Erica@EASTstaff.org @EricaRiley_EAST

Melanie@EASTstaff.org @Mridlon

Tim Stephenson

Tim Van Dusen

Special Liaison for Program Support

Network Manager

Tim@EASTstaff.org

TimV@EASTstaff.org @trackernation

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www.EASTinitiative.org August 2013