Fall2013

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

TuesdayOctober 15, 2013

National EAST Open House

CONTENTSFall 2013

EAST In Social MediaNational Service ProjectSummer SeminarTraining & EventsInstallationsEAST CoreGuest BlogGary Bunn, UCA

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EQ BriefClick here for a video summary of EQ Magazine

EAST Quarterly AbroadPhase & Tier TrainingConferenceASTA

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SPOTLIGHTSStaff MemberEric HoltBoard MemberJulia Sites

EAST AlumniMacy Williams

FacilitatorsKevin ShinnBrittany Smith

SponsorArkansas Capital Corporation Group

Project ProfilesSearcy High SchoolGreen Forest Middle School

EAST Gear & SponsorsWhere EAST IsGeek SpeakEAST Staff

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EAST In Social MediaTwitter & Facebook

facebook.com/EASTinitiativefacebook.com/EAST.Profilefacebook.com/theEASTcorefacebook.com/theEASTalumnifacebook.com/theEASTsupport

@EASTinitiative@theEASTcore@theEASTalumni@EASTsupport@EASTdevelopment

instagram.com/theEASTinitiativeyoutube.com/user/EASTHQissuu.com/EASTquarterlyfoursquare.com/eastinitiative

Facebook Twitter Other

PG. 1 EAST QUARTERLY

National Service ProjectAnnouncement

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 Seminareastinitiative.org/summerseminar2013

2013 Summer Seminar HighlightsDuring 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.

SEMINAR

2013 EAST

Li�le Rock AR



Training & Events2013

September 2013

October 2013

Student Technical Trainings

Training & Events

EAST Administrator Training

Introduction to Python

Phase II

Introduction to GIS

National Manufacturing Day

Final Cut Pro X Introduction to Unity 3D

Podcasting DSLR Video Techniques

Final Cut Pro 7

Learn Adobe Illustrator Digital Photography Concepts

The Why of When: Health

Introduction to Garage Band

EAST Night Out

Basic Camera Workshop

System Administration

Web Design with Dreamweaver and

Introduction to Content Management Systems

Summer Remix

Little Rock

Fayetteville

Session One

Little Rock

Little Rock Little Rock

Fayetteville Little Rock

DeQueen/Mena Co-op, Gillham


Fayetteville

Fayetteville

Arkadelphia

Little Rock

Little Rock

Session Two

Fayetteville

Session Three

Little Rock4th & 12th

1st

2nd - 3rd

2nd - 3rd

4th

8th 9th - 10th

23rd 24th - 25th

29th

24th - 25th 29th

29th - 30th

22nd

15th

3rd - 4th

7th

2nd - 3rd

7th - 8th

2nd - 3rd

9th - 10th

17th - 18th


Training & Events

Introduction to Adobe PhotoshopFinding and Creating Data

FayettevilleFayetteville 26th - 27th24th - 25th

Camden Fairview High School5thCrowley’s Ridge Co-op, Harrisburg11thWestern Arkansas Co-op, Branch25thArkansas High School, Texarkana26th


November 2013

December 2013


The Why of Where: Disasters

Web Design with Dreamweaver and Introduction to Content

Management Systems

Introduction to GIS

Final Cut Pro 7

The Why of Where: Water

3D Animation Modeling

Basic Camera Workshop(Elementary / Middle School)

System Administration

Final Cut Pro X

Little Rock

Little Rock

Little Rock

Fayetteville

Fayetteville

Little Rock

Little Rock

Fayetteville

Fayetteville

2nd - 3rd

9th - 10th

4th - 5th

10th

16th - 17th

9th - 10th

9th - 10th

9th

10th - 12th


Training & Events

Training & Events

The Why of Where: History Introduction to Unity 3D

The Why of Where: Health

Fruity Loops Introduction to Python

Veteran’s Day GIS Day

The EAST Initiative Inc. 12th Birthday

Phase III

Introduction to Adobe Photoshop

DSLR Photography

Systems Administrator(Elementary / Middle School)

Final Cut Pro X(Elementary / Middle School)

Little Rock Fayetteville

Little Rock


Session One

Little Rock

Fayetteville

Little Rock

Little Rock

5th - 6th 7th - 8th

13th - 14th

20th 21st

11th 11th

5th

20th

7th - 8th

4th

4th

19th

Phase III

Session Two Session Two

2nd - 3rd4th - 5th


InstallationsEAST Program & EAST Core

2013 Summer Installations

New EAST Programs in Arkansas:

New EAST Core Schools:

Ashdown Junior High School Harrison High School

Bergman High School Hot Springs Middle School

Bentonville High School Helen Tyson Middle School (Springdale)

Crossett Middle School Manila High School

Dover Middle School Pinkston Middle School (Mountain Home)

Hackett High School

Malvern High School

Software: Hardware:

Sulphur Rock Magnet Elementary School (Batesville)

Monticello High School

Items installed in EAST Classrooms include:

BentleyBuild ARVersa CadSolid EdgeArchiCADUnity ProSketchUp ProESRI GISAdobe Web Premium

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

Adobe Design PremiumAutodesk Entertainment Creation SuiteMicrosoft Office 2013iWorkFL StudioFinal Cut Pro X with Motion plug-inLogic ProUnity3D Vista

Raspberry PiWindows server (with Windows Server 2008 OS)Windows desktop workstationsHP Pro Book laptops27” Apple iMacs21.5” Apple iMacsAnd 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.


EAST Corecore.eastinitiative.org

Building a Stronger CoreEAST 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.”


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.

Teamwork Communication & Collaboration

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

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

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

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

curricular learning.

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.

Community Service

Vision

Self-Directed Learning

Assessment & Success

Technology Process & Procedures


Dr. Gary BunnGuest Blog

Preparing Future Educators

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.

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 project- based 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

Dr. Gary BunnUCA UTeach program co-director


International ReadershipEAST Quarterly Abroad

Thank You to Our Readers around the World!Algeria

Argentina

Australia

Bangladesh

Belarus

Brazil

Bulgaria

Canada

Colombia

Cyprus

Denmark

El Salvador

France

Germany

Greece

India

Indonesia

Israel

Italy

Japan

Korea

Lithuania

Mexico

Netherlands

Peru

Philippines

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Russia

Slovakia

South Africa

Spain

Sri Lanka

Thailand

Taiwan

Turkey

United Kingdom

United States

Vietnam


Phase & Tier Training

What EAST Facilitators & Core Teachers are saying about Phase and Tier Training:

Training for EAST Facilitators & Core Teachers

“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.”


“Best professional development ever.Relative. Practical. Applicable.”

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

“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.”

“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!”


Save The DateMarch 19 - 21, 2014

Hot Springs Convention Center


ASTA

Solar Designers Making it Work

asta.arkansas.gov

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

[email protected]. For more information on QU-BD, visit their

website at www.qu-bd.com.


Staff Member Spotlight

Teach a Man to Fish

Eric Holt - Internet Services Manager

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.

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.

His initial impression was that EAST was involved with innovative technology

training for students, but he now understands that EAST means so much more.

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”


Passionate Alumni and Advocate

Board Member SpotlightJulia Sites

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. EAST QUARTERLY PG. 18

Alumni Spotlight

Macy Williams

Baggo and Boreholes

Macy Williams - Join the EAST Alumni

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

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.

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.

“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.”

“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.”


www.EASTalumni.orgRegister to become an Alumni for FREE today!

/EASTalumni @theEASTalumni

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.


Brittany SmithEAST Core Biology Teacher - Harrisburg High School

Kevin ShinnEAST Facilitator - Huntsville High School

Facilitator SpotlightKevin Shinn - Brittany Smith

Please tell us your favorite thing about EAST in general:

Please tell us your favorite thing about EAST Core in general:

Why do you think EAST is important to education in the US?

What positive changes/outcomes have you seen in students, while actively working with EAST Core:

How has EAST impacted you?

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

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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


Sponsor SpotlightArkansas 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.


Project Profiles

A Walk through HistorySearcy High School - Green Forest Middle School

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.

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.

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.

The Black House

659 W. Arch Ave.

801 W. Center Ave.

270 W. Center Ave.

400 E. Center Ave.

Historic Walking Tour of Searcy in

Cooperation with Searcy Parks & Recreation

Historical Information Website Exercise & Fitness Information Virtual Geocaching Zombie Fun Run

“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.”

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.”

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.

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.

“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.

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.


Green Forest Middle School students create iPhone app Written by: Jay Scherder

KY3 News

“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, 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.

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.

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

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


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.

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

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.

“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.

UPDATE: After the story.

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

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

- The EAST Initiative


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Annie Camp Jr. High SchoolArkadelphia High SchoolArkansas High SchoolAshdown High SchoolAshdown Jr. High SchoolBald Knob Middle SchoolBatesville High SchoolBatesville Jr. High SchoolBauxite SchoolsBeebe High SchoolBeebe Jr. High SchoolBeebe Middle SchoolBenton Co. School of the ArtsBentonville High SchoolBergman High SchoolBerryville High SchoolBismarck High SchoolBlevins High SchoolBrinkley High SchoolBrinkley Middle SchoolBrookland High SchoolBryant High SchoolCabot High SchoolCalico Rock High SchoolCamden Fairview High SchoolCave City High SchoolCedar Ridge High SchoolCedarville High SchoolCenterpoint High SchoolCentral High School Central High School (Helena)Clarendon High SchoolClinton High SchoolCloverdale Magnet Middle SchoolCollege Hill Elementary IB WorldCollege Hill Middle SchoolConway High SchoolCossatot River High SchoolCross County High SchoolCrossett High SchoolCrossett Middle SchoolCutter Morning Star High SchoolDardanelle High SchoolDeQueen High SchoolDewitt High SchoolDierks High SchoolDover High SchoolDover Middle SchoolDrew Central High SchoolDumas High SchoolDumas Jr. High SchoolDunbar Middle School

East Arkansas Community CollegeEl Dorado High SchoolEngland High SchooleStem Middle SchoolEureka Springs High SchoolFarmington High SchoolFayetteville High SchoolFordyce High SchoolForeman High SchoolForest Heights Middle SchoolFouke SchoolsFountain Lake High SchoolGardner Math, Science, and Technology Magnet SchoolGenoa Central High SchoolGravette High SchoolGreen Forest ISGreenbrier High SchoolGreenbrier Jr. High SchoolGreene County Tech High SchoolGreenland High SchoolGreenland Middle SchoolGreenwood High SchoolGurdon High SchoolHackett SchoolsHall High SchoolHamburg High SchoolHampton High SchoolHar-Ber High SchoolHarrisburg High SchoolHarrisburg Middle School*Harrison High SchoolHarrison Middle SchoolHelen Tyson Middle SchoolHenderson Middle SchoolHope High SchoolHoratio High SchoolHot Springs High School*Hot Springs Middle SchoolHuntsville High SchoolIzard Co. Cons. High SchoolJ.A. Fair High SchoolJacksonville High SchoolJacksonville Middle SchoolJD Leftwich High SchoolJessieville High SchoolJoe T. Robinson High SchoolJoe T. Robinson Middle SchoolJonesboro High SchoolLake Hamilton High SchoolLakeside High School (HS)Lakeside High School (LV)

Lamar High SchoolLincoln High SchoolLonoke High SchoolLonoke Middle SchoolM.L. King Elementary SchoolMabelvale Middle SchoolMacArthur Jr. High SchoolMagnet Cove High SchoolMagnolia High SchoolMagnolia Jr. High SchoolMalvern Elementary SchoolMalvern High School*Malvern Middle SchoolMammoth Springs High SchoolManila High SchoolMann Middle SchoolMansfield High SchoolMarshall High SchoolMarvell High SchoolMaumelle High SchoolMaumelle Middle SchoolMcClellan High SchoolMcGehee High SchoolMena High SchoolMena Middle SchoolMidland High SchoolMineral Springs High SchoolMonticello High School*Monticello Intermediate SchoolMonticello Middle SchoolMorrilton High SchoolMountain Home High SchoolMountain Pine High SchoolMountain View High SchoolMt. Vernon-Enola High SchoolMurfreesboro High SchoolNashville High SchoolNettleton High SchoolNettleton Jr. High SchoolNewport High SchoolNorth Heights Jr. High SchoolNorth Little Rock High School- East CampusNorth Little Rock High School- West CampusNorth Pulaski High SchoolNorthside High School (Fort Smith)Northwest Arkansas Community College (Bentonville)Oak Grove Middle SchoolOark High SchoolOmaha High School

Where EAST Is

ArkansasEAST Prograpm & EAST Core Schools*

Osceola High SchoolOzark Middle SchoolParagould High SchoolParagould Jr. High SchoolParis High SchoolParkview High SchoolPerryville High SchoolPinkston Middle SchoolPottsville High SchoolPottsville Jr. High SchoolPrairie Grove High School*Prairie Grove Middle SchoolPrescott High SchoolPulaski Heights Middle SchoolRandall G. Lynch Middle SchoolRison SchoolsRobert F. Morehead Middle SchoolRoberts Elementary SchoolRose Bud High SchoolRussellville High SchoolRussellville Jr. High SchoolSEACBECSearcy High SchoolSheridan High SchoolSonora Elementary SchoolSouthside High School (Batesville)Southside High School (Fort Smith)Springdale High SchoolStar City High School*Star City Middle SchoolStrong High SchoolStuttgart High SchoolSulpher Rock Magnet ElementarySylvan Hills High SchoolTrumann High SchoolTwo Rivers High SchoolUALRValley View High SchoolVan Buren High SchoolVilonia High SchoolViola High SchoolWatson Chapel High SchoolWest Fork High SchoolWest Fork Middle SchoolWest Memphis High SchoolWestwood ElementaryWhite Hall High SchoolWilbur D. Mills High SchoolWilson Intermediate SchoolWonderview High SchoolWoodlawn High SchoolWynne High School


Santa Ynez High School Southwood High School Creston High School

Indian Capital Technology CenterKiamichi Technology Centers Conwell Egan Catholic High School

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Oklahoma Pennsylvania

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Louisiana

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Iowa

California

Pennsylvania

Where EAST IsClick here to view the full list of schools

Northeast Technology CenterTri-County Technology Center


Geek SpeakTechnical Support Spotlight

Technical Support: Issue Spotlight

2

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 InformationWe 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.

1

Printing Tips

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

program that supports printing to large-format printers.

Microsoft Word is not a good option for large-format

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

22” and scaling the documents larger often creates

print quality issues. We recommend that you use

products in the Adobe Creative Suite to design your

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

the bottom of the Adobe Print Dialog Box.


Once you click Setup, click Continue, select the plotter you

want to print to, then click Preferences.

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”.

3

4

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

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

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

5

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.

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

print heads that are separate from the ink cartridges.

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

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.


Matt Dozier

[email protected]@Matt_Dozier

President/ Chief Executive Officer

Tami Baker

[email protected]@Tami_EAST

Program Coordinator

Jessica Dunham

[email protected]

Event Coordinator

Adam Clemons

[email protected]@adamclmns

Technical Support Group - Lead

Phaedra Hawkins

[email protected]

Training & Events Coordinator

Mary Forst

[email protected]

Chief Financial Officer

Calvin Bramlett

[email protected]@CalvinBramlett

Graphic & Web Designer

Reuben Canada

[email protected]@cubanreuben88

Technical Support Manager

Marisa Damm

[email protected]@marisadamm

Technical Support Group - Member

Lisa Cook

[email protected]@LisaC_EAST

Program Coordinator

EAST Staffwww.EASTinitiative.org

The staff of the EAST Initiative.

@JessicaD_EAST


Dondi Jackson

[email protected]@theEASTcore

Senior Director of Curricular Integration

Linsey Horton

[email protected]@linseyhorty

Administrative Assistant

Jerry Prince

[email protected]

Senior Director of Program Services

Dr. Angela Kremers

[email protected]@EASTdevelopment

Senior Director of Corporate Strategy

Erica Riley

[email protected]@EricaRiley_EAST

Program Coordinator

Tim Stephenson

[email protected]

Special Liaison for Program Support

Eric Holt

[email protected]

Internet Services Manager

Doug Gusewelle

[email protected]@dougTSG

Technical Resource Specialist

Lori Andrews

[email protected]@photochick724

EAST Core Coordinator

Cody Jones

[email protected]@codyjones20

Staff Accountant

Melanie Ridlon

[email protected]@Mridlon

Senior Director of Operations

Tim Van Dusen

[email protected]@trackernation

Network Manager


www.EASTinitiative.orgAugust 2013

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Fall2013