Winter EQ 2013

HOT SPRINGSCONVENTION CENTER

02 27 13 - 03 01 13

Students have taken charge of their own learning and are preparing to showcase

service projects in an exhibition hall featuring over 200 booths.

Come and Be Inspired

#EASTcon2013

CONTENTSWinter 2013

Spotlights

EQ Brief

Staff Member

EAST CORE Site SupportIn The News

Training& Events

NSPSummer STEM @ UALR

ENOConference

Tim Van Dusen

Click here for a video summary of EQ Magazine.

Tevin WootenRyan Springs

Prakash JalihalBoard Member

EAST AlumniFacilitator

AcxiomSponsor

2

16 18 20

Guest Blog10

8

13

5

17 19

12

9

6

12

Project Profiles

SponsorsGeek Speak

EAST GearWhere EAST is

EAST Staff

22

25 3330

28 31

Millicent Sanders - AndersonKim Austin

EAST QUARTERLY PG. 1

EAST COREStudents Lead You - CORE Concerns & Conclusions - Star City

Let the Students Lead You.

Leslie FrewertEAST Core Teacher, Prairie Grove High

It has been almost one year since our journey began transitioning

from traditional teacher-led classrooms to Project Based Learning

(PBL) rooms at Prairie Grove High School. I remember my

ignorance, or the bliss that existed, because I was completely

unaware of how the comfortable, predictable teaching methods used

with precision, were going to take a 180° turn.

When our principal Ron Bond met with all geometry and biology

teachers to assess our interest in becoming an EAST Core startup PBL

classroom, we were all on board. In fact, I vividly remember saying, “Sure, I

do projects all the time. This won’t be anything different than what we’ve

been doing all along. Plus, look at all the technology we’ll be getting!”

Did I mention something about ignorance and bliss going hand in hand?

My cozy little world came crashing down around me during summer

training when it became clear that PBL was NOT students doing projects

that I had given them. Matt Dozier’s opening statement, “The students

will lead you,” delivered with so much conviction that I wanted to believe

but knew in my heart of hearts …“right off a cliff” was the only ending

possible.

Well, August came and school started. My fear and dread of starting PBL

was extremely high. After a few weeks I decided to face my fears and

take the students to the Coordinated Learning Center (CLC) classroom.

Strapping on my invisible parachute for the inevitable falling off a cliff

ending, I unlocked the door and stepped in after the students.

Guess what? The students will lead you if you let them. All I have had

to do is quickly explain what their role would be and they did it. Their

first task was to brainstorm possible problems related to biology and

geometry within our community. Then, they had to work within their

groups to choose one problem to tackle and make it happen. I almost

cried when one of my most challenging students phoned a city council

member and spoke to them like an educated professional. The students

have really stepped up as if they were waiting for a chance to take control

of their own learning. Imagine that, teenagers wanting to take control

of their lives. It all makes perfect sense now. All I had to do was take

the first step, unlock the door. The students will lead you to the top of a

mountain.

It helps to strengthen our skills preparing us for the real world.

core.eastinitiative.org

PG. 2 EAST QUARTERLY

CORE Concerns & ConclusionsAmy BiggersEAST Core Teacher, Harrisburg High

Becoming a part of EAST Core this past

summer has impacted my view of the

use of technology and projects in the

mathematics classroom. When I began

the process of learning about EAST Core and Project

Based Learning (PBL) through the use of technology,

I was very skeptical that it would work in our school.

As we entered the Coordinated Learning Center

(CLC) as a class for the first time, I was quite nervous.

I wondered how things were going to go. How was

I going to deal with the discipline problems we were

going to have? Are my computer skills up to the

challenge? And most importantly, were my students

going to learn and gain an adequate understanding

of the skills being used?

I have always been a hands-on instructor and

worked very hard to make sure that my students

mastered the Arkansas frameworks for Geometry

before going on to their next level of math. When

I began my journey with EAST Core, I was afraid I

wouldn’t be able to cover everything the students

needed to learn. I wondered if I did get it all in,

would I have done it in a way that the students

would have mastered the skills they needed. Letting

go a little and allowing them to learn more on their

own was going to be a learning experience for the

students and me.

Working together, the students and I learned to use

the technology. Technology problems were solved

almost instantly by simply saying to the class, “We

have a problem. Is there anyone who can help?”

We didn’t come across any issues that someone

in the room couldn’t fix. With students having

backgrounds in the traditional EAST program, it’s

hard to find a problem that someone doesn’t know

how to fix or where to find a solution. Students

today are more computer and technology literate

than many of their teachers. I learned quickly that

my students definitely know more than I do about

the computers and the software, and they are very

eager to assist when you need them.

On the first day of our project, I noticed a huge

change in a few students. As we worked together,

students who refused to work in a regular classroom

setting began to work. They participated in the

project and did their share of the work. They were

interested in the success of the project. For one

student in particular, this cooperation and effort

translated easily into the classroom; it was amazing

to see the change in him.

Attendance has always been a big issue at our

school. I was convinced it would be an even bigger

issue while working on projects in groups. I was

wrong. Students made arrangements with the

rest of their group when they knew they would

be absent. When they returned from unexpected

absences, they quickly caught up on the progress

their group made while they were out.

From Day One in the CLC, I saw that all my worries

were unnecessary. Discipline wasn’t an issue,

attendance problems were easily overcome, and my

lack of computer skills wasn’t a problem.

Overall, our first project was a success. I still have

some concerns, simply because it’s a new journey

and I’m not sure exactly what our results will be in

the end, but the further into it I go, the more assured

I am that this can work.

It helps to strengthen our skills preparing us for the real world.

- Dalton

core.eastinitiative.org


Star City High School’s STEM Night Out was a huge success, held on Monday, November 5th at Star

City High School. There were 400 plus visitors who attended and 40 plus student presenters who helped make this event happen.

STEM Night Out was an open house to the community, business leaders, and parents to show them what students in STEM classes (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) are learning and doing to help our community. Visitors to the EAST classroom had the opportunity to view different stations and learn about projects and the technology involved with it. One project that drew a lot of attention was “Healthy Community.” This project is important because the obesity epidemic in America is rapidly growing. It is now being called one of the greatest threats to our National Security because the military will not take individuals who are over a certain weight. Obesity has also reached the very young and is a leading cause of type 2 Diabetes in children.

These students are working with local health officials and The Arkansas Center for Health Improvement in Little Rock. Other projects that are related to the Healthy Community project are Walking Community (installing sidewalks in the city) and Community Garden to allow people to have a space to grown fresh vegetables. Another worthy project is the “Meant For You” program. This project is in its fifth year and involves high school students mentoring elementary students who already show signs of dropping out of school. High school drop-outs are a serious problem for Arkansas. The high school students work with others who show the early signs of behavior problems, absenteeism, and falling academic grades.

Some of the technology shown that night from the EAST classroom included Virtual Reality, ArcView, which is a Geographic Information System program, SketchUp an architectural software, Final Cut Pro video editing software, and Photoshop a graphic design software. Linda Kay Thompson is the EAST Facilitator.

EAST Core geometry students presented transformation videos they made in class to

the many parents and guests that attended STEM night. The videos covered the different transformations of geometric figures and the rules that are used to make those transformations. The students filmed the clips on an iPad and pieced them together using iMovie in the new EAST Core CLC technology Lab.

Parents viewed a slideshow of students working on that project as well as other projects from the class. A variety of technologies were featured in the presentation, including a selection of software and GPS. The students used GPS units to measure speed over a set distance and graphed the slope of the line based on time versus the distance each student ran.

Plans for future projects include allowing students to redesign the parking lots of the school district by redrawing the parking lines to accommodate more spaces. The students will also be designing a new parking lot to accompany the new STEM Center, scheduled for construction in the spring. Lori Brown is the EAST Core geometry teacher.

During the STEM night, EAST Core biology students also presented their biomes project. Each student is a member of a group and assigned a particular biome to research. The students used information from ArcGis to create a map of their biome and show different features such as climate, precipitation, plant, and animal types. Jim Teague is the EAST Core biology teacher.

Visitors to the Project Lead The Way classes on STEM night viewed presentations from

engineering students. The presentations, which were prepared and presented by the students, included Prezi presentations, Autodesk Inventor demonstrations (CAD software), and project board tours. Also, guests were shown various equipment which will be used by the students during the year. The students will learn how to setup the MakerBot Replicator to make 3D models and the laser engraver to produce spectacular images. The PLTW courses have allowed the students to learn about engineering and to gain experience before going to college. The technology is used in many industries today. Ginny Chambliss is the PLTW engineering teacher. At the end of the evening, guest Tammy Ward won an iPad. To be eligible for the drawing, visitors had to have attended at least four of the programs presenting. Out of town visitors to STEM night were Mike Holcomb, State Representative, and a team of administrators/teachers from Crossett and Malvern schools. These schools have applied to implement EAST Core in their schools next year. Ramona Sawyer, of the Crossett School District stated, “It was a great event and we were very impressed with your facilities, labs, and most of all- your students. Their presentations were awesome… and presented with such eloquence!” STEM Night in Star City not only allowed parents and civic leaders to learn more about what students are doing in these innovative classrooms, they also learned more about the STEM areas and their relevance in everyday life. As is true in so many things in life, the more you know, the more you want to learn.

Star City Students Share STEM SuccessSkye MorganStar City EAST student


Training & Events2013

2013 Training Schedule

Community MappingCAST

Learn the Basics of Adobe IllustratorAshley Moore

Introduction to Garage BandReuben Canada

Community MappingCAST

Using Open Source Tools for Web Sites,Wordpress and JoomlaKwasi Boateng

Digital Photography ConceptsAlex Kent

Final Cut Pro “X”Tim Van Dusen

Fruity Loops Doug Gusewelle

Basic Camera WorkshopSteve Taylor

Web Design with Dreamweaver andIntroduction to Content Management SystemsKwasi Boateng

Pre-Production Planning and VisualizationMark Giese

Advanced Adobe Photoshop Ashley Moore

Crowley’s Ridge Educational CooperativeHarrisburg, AR

SAU TECHCamden, AR

EAST Training CenterLittle Rock, AR

Dawson Education CooperativeLittle Rock, AR









Jan 29-30, 2013

Jan 31-Feb 1, 2013

Mon, Feb 4, 2013

Feb 5-6, 2013

Feb 7-8, 2013

Tue, Apr 2, 2013

Tue, Apr 2, 2013

Wed, Apr 3, 2013

Apr 4-5, 2013

Apr 8-9, 2013

Thu, Apr 11, 2013

Apr 18-19, 2013


EAST Night Out

View Photos from these schools 2012 ENO

2012 EAST Night Out Takeaways

Takeaways - Headlines

Vilonia High School

Dardanelle High School

Joe T. Robinson Middle School

Randall G. Lynch Middle School

Mansfield High School

Dover High School

M. L. King Magnet Elementary

School

Roberts Elementary School

College Hill MS Academies

Fayetteville High School

Monticello Intermediate School

Westwood Elementary School

Conway High School

Henderson Magnet Middle School

North Little Rock High School

Wilson Intermediate School

The 5th Annual EAST Night Out was a huge success. Over 60% of EAST programs nationwide celebrated student growth and their individual EAST experiences with communities.

1. Through post-event reflections, facilitators and students provided a true understanding of the benefits to sharing EAST with their communities, families, other teachers and students at their school. It is paying off!

2. Personal phone calls to local media, business leaders and other VIPs helped get them in the door.3. More events are student coordinated from start to finish with encouragement and monitoring from facilitators. And, it is working!4. When you pair standard EAST programs and EAST Core sharing their experiences, magic occurs.5. New creative and useful resources have been uploaded to the Event Kit. Check them out!


EAST Night Out in the News!!

NTC Claremore presents 3rd annual EAST Night Out

Paragould Daily Press: Serving Greene County, Arkansas - Local News

EAST Night Out at Greenland

Take a Closer Look at Russellville Junior High School EAST

PHOTOGALLERY - Stuttgart, AR - Stuttgart Daily Leader - Stuttgart, AR

EAST students reach out to community tonight

Several EAST programs around the country made local headlines with informative sessions organized to showcase their projects before their communities. The following pieces are articles we have captured, or that were sent to us by the schools. Please forward your clips to us to share.

Don’t miss more stories by EAST Initiative

by EAST Initiative

Wonderview High School

Fordyce High School

Wynne High School

Greenbrier High School

Cabot High School

Har-Ber High School

Clinton High School

Ozark Middle School

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EAST Initiative In The NewsThe EAST Initiative garnered positive publicity pieces in Arkansas and Oklahoma during the Fall of 2012

Springdale Students Working to Make a Difference in Northwest Arkansas

Meet the Kids Coming to Take Your Job

PC help in Green Forest? There’s an app for that -- now, thanks to some inventive middle school students

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ARKANSASMATTERS VIA EASTINITIATIVE



Arkansas students are taking charge of their education, learning about science and technology while helping their communities. One of those students is Margaret Justus, a senior at E-Stem charter school in Little Rock. Justus and a dozen other students were at EAST Initiative’s West Little Rock campus Monday, getting some first-rate training in geospatial mapping.

Green Forest -- Four middle school students have successfully developed a new software application for the Apple App Store. Green Forest EAST Initiative students Nick Luebbering, who served as chief developer, 13; assistant developer Conner Glassell, 12; beta tester Jayce Martin, 12; and code compiler Colin Stimson, 14, have developed an application for the iPhone and iPod Touch that troubleshoots computer problems on a Mac or PC.

Students at Springdale’s Har-Ber High School are taking knowledge from the classroom out into the community. “We use advanced technology,...


Summer STEM @ UALRualr.edu/eit/outreach

What areYOU

doing with

YOURsummer?

UALRʼs Donaghey College of Engineering & Information Technology (EIT) offers the cure for the common summer with our residential summer programs for middle and high school students. Our programs are designed to motivate students like you to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics degrees. If you want a summer full of building anything from bridges to robots, researching with top-notch faculty, and making new friends from all over the US, then see how EIT

can give your slow summer months a boost.

GEORGE W. DONAGHEY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

E I TFor more info & applications, visit ualr.edu/eit/outreach

High School Research Program

Engineering Scholars Program

National Summer Transportation Institute

A three-week residential camp that engages students in UALR faculty research projects, allowing high school

students to establish early contact with college students and professors in their specific area of interest. You can choose from several research topics, such as nano-based organic solar cells or implementing artificial intelligence

for the game of RISK.

The objective of the Engineering Scholars Program is to increase the number of students entering engineering programs in Arkansas through exposure to hands-on engineering projects, plant trips, and interaction with

industry engineers. In addition, the one-week residential summer program includes counseling and advising sessions

to assist students in preparing for college. The program features academic and lab sessions on various engineering

disciplines, including robotics and civil engineering.

A two-week residential program for high school students that permit exploration of various transportation fields and careers (land, water, air, and safety). Classes in English, science, math, and technology provide the necessary foundation to understand the concepts that students utilize during field excursions, projects, labs and hands-on

activities that are related to transportation. The program also features college and career preparatory activities.


Guest Blog

Code Literacy: A 21st-Century RequirementEdutopia

Photo from sxc.hu

Douglas RushkoffDigital Literacy Advocate - Codecademy

Republished with permission from Edutopia

Ask kids what Facebook is for, and they’ll tell you it’s there to help them make friends. And, on the surface anyway, that’s what it looks like. Of course, anyone who

has poked a bit deeper or thought a bit longer about it understands that people programming Facebook aren’t sitting around wondering how to foster more

enduring relationships for little Johnny, Janey and their friends, but rather how to monetize their social graphs -- the trail of data the site is busy accumulating

about Johnny and Janey every second of the day and night.

After all, our kids aren’t Facebook’s customers; they’re the product. The real customers are the advertisers and market researchers paying for their attention and user data.

But it’s difficult for them or us to see any of this and respond appropriately if we don’t know anything about the digital environment in which all this is taking place. That’s

why -- as an educator, media theorist and parent -- I have become dedicated to getting kids code literate.

Digital World OwnershipAs I see it, code literacy is a requirement for participation in a digital world.

When we acquired language, we didn’t just learn how to listen, but also how to

speak. When we acquired text, we didn’t just learn how to read, but also how to

write. Now that we have computers, we are learning to use them but not how

to program them. When we are not code literate, we must accept the devices

and software we use with whatever limitations and agendas their creators have

built into them. How many times have you altered the content of a lesson or a

presentation because you couldn’t figure out how to make the technology work

the way you wanted? And have you ever considered that the software’s limitations

may be less a function of the underlying technology than that of the corporation

that developed it? Would you even know where to begin distinguishing between

the two?

This puts us and our kids -- who will be living in a more digital world than our

own -- at a terrible disadvantage. They are spending an increasing amount of

their time in digital environments where the rules have been written by others.

Just being familiar with how code works would help them navigate this terrain,

understand its limitations and determine whether those limits are there because

the technology demands it -- or simply because some company wants it that

way. Code literate kids stop accepting the applications and websites they use at

face value, and begin to engage critically and purposefully with them instead.

Otherwise, they may as well be at the circus or a magic show.

More generally, knowing something about programming makes us competitive

as individuals, companies and a nation. The rest of the world is learning code.

Their schools teach it, their companies are filled with employees who get it,

and their militaries are staffed by programmers -- not just gamers with joysticks.

According to the generals I›ve spoken with, we are less than a generation away

from losing our technological superiority on the cyber battlefield, which should

concern a nation depending so heavily on drones for security and electronic

trading as an industry.

Finally, learning code -- and doing so in a social context -- familiarizes people with

the values of a digital society: the commons, collaboration and sharing. These

are replacing the industrial age values of secrecy or the hoarding of knowledge.

Learning how software is developed and how the ecosystem of computer

technology really works helps us understand the new models through which we’ll

be working and living as a society. It›s a new kind of teamwork, and one that’s

under-emphasized in our testing-based school systems.


“ “

CodecademyTo build my own code literacy, I decided to take free classes through the

online website Codecademy.com, and ended up liking it so much that I’m now

working with them to provide free courses for kids to learn to code. The lessons

I’ve learned along the way are of value to parents and teachers looking to grow

more code literate young people.

1. Learning by DoingOne of Codecademy’s key insights was that programming is best taught by

doing. Where literature might best be taught through books, coding is best

taught in an interactive environment. So instead of just giving students text to

read or videos to watch, Codecademy invites them to learn to code by actually

making code. Every online lesson involves writing lines of code in an interactive

window within the web browser, and then hitting the “run” button and

watching those lines actually work. Instant payoff, and an “intrinsic reward.”

2. A Stake in the OutcomeCode also makes much more sense to people when it is tied to a real project.

People need reasons for learning one skill or another. When students are

working to devise a computer adventure game, all of a sudden abstract

mathematical functions become immediately relevant.

3. Benefits of InteractionFinally, while badges and point scores are great for motivating students in

the short run, social connections to a real group of cohorts probably matter

more for the long haul. Codecademy’s first strides in that direction, simple

forums, allow users to seek out help from others when they’re stuck in a lesson.

Meanwhile, those who are mastering a skill find it really sinks in when they have

the opportunity to explain things to someone encountering it for the first time.

Just as research has shown a heterogeneous classroom benefits those on both

ends of the aptitude spectrum, interaction between more and less experienced

code learners benefits both.

After-School AdventuresThe greatest challenge so far, at least from my end, has been figuring out ways

to get these interactive lessons into the schools that need them. Between

curriculum standards, overworked faculty and legal restrictions on inviting

minors to use websites, it’s an uphill battle. To help with these challenges,

Codecademy has unveiled an after-school program through which any parent

or teacher can teach code to a self-selecting group of interested students.

Codecademy.com/afterschool is basically “Codecademy in a box.” It’s a year

of interactive lesson tracks, specially assembled for an after-school group or

club run by an adult with no programming experience. In the fall semester,

kids make a website by learning HTML and CSS. In the spring, they build an

adventure game by learning Javascript. The beauty of the model is that the

adult supervising all this needn’t know anything about code in advance. The

course materials let you know everything you need to stay a week ahead of the

kids, and the rest of the online community is there to help you out if you get

stuck.

When I learned about the after-school program, I was compelled to tweet, “No

Excuses.” That’s about the best I can say it. The obstacles to code literacy are

getting smaller every day, while the liabilities for ignorance are only getting

more profound.

What steps are you taking to bring code literacy into your classroom?

EAST brings code literacy into classrooms by providing the resources & tools necessary for app &

web development.

- The EAST Initiative


Join An Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Starting Up in Arkansas

Site Support

NSP

Staying the Course with YourSite Support Team

Staying the Course

NSP: Join An Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

At face value, the job of an EAST facilitator can appear simple, but reality shows

it is far from such. The EAST Site Support team works closely with facilitators to

be a trainer and mentor to them and their work, giving them what they might

need, when they need it. Each Site Support team member is primarily responsible

for creating working relationships with EAST programs around the nation.

They are the ones who establish the lines of communication used for ongoing

conversation, celebration and discussion of issues that arise during the year.

Throughout the school year, team members continue this communication as

well as plan on-site visits. We average visiting over 70 percent of our schools each

year with a goal of being in every program at least once every two years. New

programs and new facilitators in existing programs are the priority early in the

school year. Programs that have had issues of one sort or another in the past also

have priority. Others are added to the visit list but take less of a priority.

At an on-site visit, the team member visits with the facilitator and administration

to get a feel of the “how” side of EAST: that is, how things are done and how well

things are going overall. They also visit with the students as this is where EAST

really happens when all of the “how” portions are going well. By taking an interest

in what students are doing, we can be a sounding board (in addition to the

facilitator, peers, etc.) to bounce ideas off of. Often we can give the same feedback

they’ve already received but it’s seen in a different light thereby creating growth

in their projects.

Everyone loves to tell their story, and we love to hear them. We look at projects

the students are working with, their involvement with peers and community

members, the progress in finding solutions to problems with an overall goal to

see if they are adding value to themselves, others and the local program. This

can be uncovered by visiting with them about something that consumes them

in EAST - their project. The experiences of the team members can help give

perspective to the local programs. To the facilitator it can sometimes be not

seeing the forest for the trees. Having the capacity to see many programs gives

many examples and scenarios to turn to when needed.

Not being in the trenches on a daily basis can also enable team members to see

things that can be obscured by the day-to-day grind. The site support team is

also heavily involved in many other areas of EAST, so the information gained in

the field is considered in the decisions surrounding professional development,

technical training, conference, administration training and the overall direction

of EAST. These visits are crucial to students, facilitators and the support systems

of each EAST program. It also is crucial to the entire EAST family. EAST, as an

organization, continues to evolve into something stronger, measured by the

strength of our programs, which are mentored, supported and embraced by the

team members of EAST Site Support.

Friday, March 1, 2013 at Hendrix College in Conway is the official launch of Startup Arkansas and #ThinkBigArkansas, a public discussion by leaders from around the state on how the state can build a strong startup and entrepreneurial ecosystem. This ecosystem has many pieces from education and talent to corporate involvement and funding.

Special guests Brad Feld (the Foundry and TechStars) and Scott Case (ceo Startup America Partnership and co-founder Priceline) and others will be on hand and participate in this discussion.http://www.startuparkansas.com/events/thinkbigarkansas


EASTConference.org

EAST ConferenceFebruary 27th - March 1st

Over 150,000 students have experienced EAST. Each year, thousands from across the country attend the National EAST Conference to share their stories, celebrate their work over the past year and experience a formal banquet and a trade show-like environment. The conference is also the EAST Initiative’s largest training venue of the year. It is a wonderful opportunity for students to meet other students from around the country and share ideas. Join us in Hot Springs, Arkansas to meet these students and experience the excitement of EAST!


The EAST Conference is an annual event that showcases our standard EAST Program and EAST Core achievements. Students and educators from across the country have the opportunity to network, attend key breakout sessions that boost their skills, participate in an Awards Banquet for over 2,300 people, present their EAST experiences to event participants, media, VIPs and much, much, more.

Congratulations to the students who were nominated by their facilitators and completed applications to be members of the three conference leadership teams.

Ambassador TeamThis team consists of EAST students who will solve problems, greet VIPs and assist EAST staff in the countless details of such a huge event. Ambassadors always have a smile on their face and a “can do” attitude.

Team LeaderAssociate Team LeaderSpeakerSpeakerSpeakerSpeakerMemberMemberMemberMemberMemberMemberMemberMemberMemberMemberMemberMemberMemberMemberMemberMember

Social Media ManagerPhotographerPhotographerPhotographer Photographer VideographerVideographerVideographerVideo EditorAudio Technician

Team LeaderMemberMemberMemberMember MemberMemberMember

Molly ChurchwellFaith ThomasKatie Houpt Lauren White Luke Burton Luke Methvin Allyn IrvinAnne PaulArielle Williams Ashlee Johnson Austin Gill Caitlin Cothern Daniel George Elise Fry George Heinemann Jobana Magana Kennedy Langton McKenzie Self Madison Wilson Melanie Jackson Spencer Sagely Wyatt Caldwell

Blayne Cameron-Wyatt Arrington Floyd Jala Patterson Katelyn BlankenshipMadison Weast Bryttani BartlettCristian Zamora Destiny Moore Hannah Jones Whitney Evans

California BuhrmesterAllen HolzhauerHiep NguyenJordan SmithKevin HollinsMontana RuthNishant GokalSam Byrd

Greenbrier High School Star City High SchoolBismarck High School Star City High School Har-Ber High School Hope High School Mountain View High School Malvern High School Springdale High School Monticello High School Sonora Elementary Annie Camp Jr. High Har-Ber High School Batesville High School Valley View High School Star City High School Omaha High School Robinson High School Paragould Junior High School Harrisburg Middle School West Fork Middle School Mountain Pine High School

Greenbrier High School Sonora Elementary Dumas High School Dumas High School Star City High School Hot Springs High SchoolSpringdale High School Indian Capital Technology Center Monticello High School Star City High School

Jonesboro High SchoolNLR High School - East CampusFountain Lake High SchoolWatson Chapel High SchoolBryant High SchoolNorthside High School (Ft. Smith)Russellville High SchoolCutter Morning Star High School

Documentation TeamThe documentation team consists of photographers, videographers and reporters who work together to document the Conference. The video and photos are shared with Conference participants, hosted on the Conference website, and made available to others outside the Initiative. This year we are also opening up a position on the team for a Social Media Manager who will be the voice of EAST throughout Conference on our social media networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram).

Technical Support TeamThese students work closely with the EAST Technical Support Group to solve a variety of technical issues for participating schools, vendors and guest speakers throughout all three days of the Conference.


February 27th - March 1st

conference.eastinitiative.orgHot Springs Convention Center

Members of the general public are invited to visit the exhibits on Thursday, February 28 from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM and on Friday, March 1 from 8:30 AM to Noon.

Public Attendance

Does EAST really = (ME)2?Stay tuned...


Staff Spotlight

Van Dusen Takes Parental Involvement to a Professional Level

Tim Van Dusen - Network Manager

In April of 2007, when Tim Van Dusen interviewed

for the position of Information Technology Manager

for the EAST Initiative, he wasn’t actually looking

for a job. In fact, he loved his job as the network

administrator for Odom’s Tennessee Pride because it

combined two of his greatest loves in life – sausage

and computers. As is true with so many of the

professionals who join the ranks of EAST, Van Dusen

was intrigued by the organization because of his

firsthand contact with an EAST student. In his case, a

very special student: his daughter.

Betsy Van Dusen was in the fifth grade and enrolled

in the EAST program at Martin Luther King Jr.

Elementary School. She loved her EAST class and

talked about the projects they were doing in

the program constantly. It wasn’t long before he

realized that the work she was describing was the

same as the work he was doing with the industrial

engineers at Odom’s. Van Dusen was captivated by

her enthusiasm for EAST and by the transformation

it inspired in her. When EAST’s annual conference

rolled around in the spring, Tim and his wife Susan

attended Parents’ Night. The pair wandered through

the empty Exhibit Hall browsing booths and were

“blown away” by the level of sophistication of the

projects displayed. That night, it occurred to him that

EAST was an organization that profoundly impacted

its students and their communities. Suddenly, the

scent of great sausage slipped a notch on his list of

personal rewards from his profession.

A few weeks after the conference, Van Dusen noticed

a tiny ad in the newspaper for a Network Manager

for the EAST Initiative. He responded to the ad which

led to a very relaxed conversation with Jerry Prince

who directed EAST’s IT department. Prince invited

him to interview for the job. Coincidentally, Van

Dusen had the following Friday, Good Friday, off and

planned to enjoy the day hiking Pinnacle Mountain

just down the road from EAST’s headquarters in

Little Rock. Prince agreed to let him change from his

hiking gear into business attire at the office before

conducting the interview.

As with all things EAST, the interview was atypical.

“I remember Matt Dozier didn’t ask me the typical

questions you hear in an interview,” he recalled.

“Dozier asked me what scared me most about my

current job. I said knives.” Van Dusen joined the

organization in May and the rest, as they say, is

EAST-ory. He still enjoys witnessing the changes in

kids that experience EAST programs. Betsy is now

in high school in North Little Rock and her younger

sister Mary continues the EAST experience at Horace

Mann Junior High. Both girls recognize their father

is mindful of the pillars of the organization. Requests

for parental guidance are now met with a gentle

reminder: “What’s the problem?” The organization

has encouraged him to be more outward-looking

and more willing to act in response to situations.

Working for EAST allowed Van Dusen to “peek

behind the curtain of Oz” and see the inner workings

of the organization that seemed to be trying to

save the world one student at a time. “I was most

surprised by the small number of people who keep

the EAST dream going for so many students,” he said.

“We make more noise with fewer voices than we

should be capable of doing. But I also realize that if

the wheels fall off, EAST kids will keep it going.”

Van Dusen’s ongoing goals for EAST include

providing the technological support necessary

to allow the organization to grow with efficiency

and agility. “I want to help us collaborate more

creatively and smoothly through technology,” he

said. “I also want to make sure that as we procure

new equipment and software for schools that

the technology meets our students’ needs. It is

important to assess the synthesis of technology to

ensure that it is suitable for student projects and

their career development. Students take technology

and do things with it that I didn’t explain how to do.

They continue to blow me away with it.”

EAST’s impact on Van Dusen’s professional evolution

continues to this day. “I don’t like IT for IT’s sake

anymore,” he said. “The geek stuff hooked me, but

EAST showed me that technology is a tool. We don’t

just build a bridge to get a shinier or newer bridge.

We build a bridge because we need to use the

bridge.” While Van Dusen may have sacrificed the

scent of sausage to join the EAST family, he replaced

it with a spicy supplement: he is the reigning Chili

King of EAST Chilipalooza in addition to being

an IT Manager Extraordinaire. He is the Google

equivalent of an Apple sheep, and his musings on

the competition between the two are frequently the

reason for laughter in EAST’s offices. Meanwhile, Van

Dusen’s wife and kids often accompany him to after

hours events on nights and weekends ensuring that

in his household, EAST is a family affair.

Van Dusen pictured above durring his summer trip to Silicon Valley.


Board Member Spotlight

Jalihal’s First Class Seat to the FuturePrakash Jalihal

Education has always been important

to Prakash Jalihal, the current chair

of the EAST Initiative’s Board of

Directors. As a child growing up in

India, there was never any doubt in

his mind that a college degree was his

ticket out of Bombay. Consequently,

Jalihal diligently pursued his formal

education, earning a Bachelor of

Science in Mechanical Engineering

from the University of Bombay and

a Master of Science in Industrial

Engineering from the University of

Arkansas. His efforts served him very

well; he is the senior vice president

and managing director of Fidelity

Information Services for Latin America

and the Caribbean. His company

serves 26 countries in the region.

Jalihal first heard about the EAST

Initiative when Jerry Adams

(President and CEO of Arkansas

Research Alliance) mentioned the

program during meetings of the

Arkansas Academy of Computing.

In September of 2009, Adams

approached him about joining EAST’s

Board of Directors, and set up a

meeting for him with Matt Dozier and

Jerry Prince. “The concept of EAST was

clearer to me following my meeting

with Matt and Jerry,” he recalled, “but

I wanted to see EAST in action, so I

went to Forest Heights Junior High

and talked to the students in their

EAST program. They blew me away.

Students were leading the class. Their

projects were their ideas, with the

facilitator stepping in when asked

to by the students.” But the true

significance of EAST’s impact clicked

into place for him the following

year at the 2010 annual conference.

“The number of students who drew

you in to their booth to talk about

their projects with such confidence,

and their ability to interact with

adults was very impressive. They

were comfortable and able to speak

eloquently on stage. You just know

these students are going to go places

no matter what line of work they

choose. They will be able to find their

way in to a company, which is very

important. You have to be able to find

your way in.”

Student employability is not Jalihal’s

only objective. He believes that

once employed, EAST students

have the skill set to enact positive

change within twenty-first century

corporations. “EAST students are go-

getters. They are not just difference-

makers, they have the ability to

change a company’s direction. Today’s

organizations want employees to

challenge management and ask

questions. They want internal leaders

who ask the company to try new

things.”

Jalihal views his position on the

Board of Directors as a steward of the

organization’s strategic plan, which

in EAST’s case, means expanding

EAST programs and philosophies to

as many schools as possible. As the

Board’s chair, Jalihal’s plan to achieve

this goal includes actively supporting

EAST’s fundraising efforts with his

physical presence and assistance

in soliciting new funders for its

programs. He sees the critical first step

in securing these funds as spending

more time in schools learning about

EAST projects from the students who

conceive and accomplish them. “EAST

is growing now and stepping into

EAST Core. It is not just an elective

class, it will be more universal and

competing with more programs. In

order for us to be successful as we

grow, we need more funds and I want

to help find those funds.” he said. “I

want to become extremely involved

in everything EAST does, not just

support and sponsorship.”

Distinguishing EAST from other

educational programs in place

requires the organization to do a

better job of educating those who

are unfamiliar with its history and

results. “We have a unique approach

to project based learning and it is up

to us to spell it out and promote it,”

Jalihal asserted with confidence. “I

believe once we share our story with

enough people, it simplifies our ability

to grow.”

EAST is an opportunity that Jalihal

also believes would have aided him in

his professional development. “I think

I would have grown as a person faster

if I had been an EAST student,” he said.

“I came out of school with all of the

education I needed, but with little

interaction with the outside world.

I believe I would have progressed

much more quickly if EAST had been

part of my educational experience.”

Jalihal sees his contribution to EAST

as one that serves communities as

well as the students enrolled in its

programs. “EAST is about educating

students, and they are our future.

Educating them makes tomorrow

brighter for all of us. It is the key part

of all systems.”


Facilitator Spotlight

Millicent Sanders - Anderson Kim Austin

Millicent Sanders - Anderson & Kim Austin

Questions forEAST Facilitators:

Henderson Middle School

My favorite projects are the Hawk Fest and

Haven of Rest Cemetery Mapping. Hawk Fest

requires the kids to use every aspect of EAST,

getting sponsors, creating activities, planning

the schedules. The cemetery opened our

kids to the wealth of knowledge.

EAST is a place where “any” student can be

successful.

I love the fact that EAST excites kids about

learning.

The EAST experience prepares students for

careers in the 21st Century.

I love seeing my kids connect with adults

who appreciate their skills and what they can

do for them.

Henderson is EAST. All the kids want to be in

it. They love working on projects.

I hope we have grown to the point of

needing more classes and impacting at least

60% of my school’s student body.

I was recruited by my principal, Mr. Burton.

He said I had a good personality and I could

sell it to the kids. Plus I like technology.

Yes, if they are willing to think outside the

box and let the students fail.

Yes, because it will bring out the strengths of

any and every student.

Please tell us about your favorite EAST project.

Please tell us your favorite thing about EAST in general.

Why do you support EAST?

Why do you think EAST is important to education for Arkansas and the US?

How has EAST impacted you?

What kind of progress have you seen in your students due to EAST?

Where do you see your EAST program in five years?

Why did you decide to become an EAST facilitator?

Would you recommend becoming an EAST facilitator to another Teacher? Why?

Would you recommend enrolling in an EAST class to a student? Why?

Greenbrier School

Annual Veterans Day - Allow student to

plan and create a huge event and see

immediately the difference they made

in their community. Also Mapping the

Cemeteries - Seeing the project evolve and

make a difference in those students’ career

paths.

The family atmosphere - watching social

cliques disappear.

It’s Innovative - An organization that strives

to be current.

Keeps education current. A new way of

thinking. Constantly seeing growth…never

boring.

I love seeing the growth of my students.

They are more confident, leaders, they value

their success.

As a Founders winner.

Needed a challenge.

It’s challenging but more rewarding than

they can imagine.

It’s a confidence builder, challenging, 21st

Century skills they need for better job

opportunities.


Sponsor Spotlight

Connecting EAST to Business and IndustryAcxiom

llison Nicholas is one of a handful of

people who may be counted among the

EAST Initiative’s early adopters. She met

Tim Stephenson in 1999, while helping design the

University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Engineering

and Information Technology program. Formerly

with ALLTEL, Nicholas was new to Acxiom’s College

Recruiting and University Relations division, and she

became curious about the man and the innovative

educational program he championed.

Nicholas sought to satisfy her curiosity by attending

the first EAST student demonstration for legislators

at the Arkansas State Capitol that year and “fell

in love” with the students. She quickly became

a staunch advocate of EAST and her enthusiasm

for students and their projects continues to grow

more than a decade later. “EAST puts students first. I

believed it then, but I believe it even more so now,”

she said in a recent interview. “EAST students are

innovators, free thinkers, and problem solvers. They

are more prepared for the workforce and interacting

with adults. They are respectful and know what to

say. They are the next generation of entrepreneurs,

and as importantly, intrapreneurs.”

When Nicholas returned from the project

demonstration, she immediately requested to be

named Acxiom’s liaison with the EAST Initiative.

“I believed EAST to be the perfect example of

pipelining,” she explained. “We brought EAST

students and facilitators in to Acxiom’s corporate

environment. I made introductions with other

corporations that I believed to be viable potential

partners for EAST, and helped plan the first EAST

conference.”

As with most early adopters, Nicholas considered

EAST’s potential to positively impact students and

communities to be obvious. “Tim (Stephenson) is a

rock star,” she said. “His ability to have a vision and

impart that vision to corporations, communities and

the people he meets is amazing.” Yet, her many years

of experience in a corporate environment provided her with the awareness, if not the patience, to understand

the difficulty in quantifying EAST’s contribution, a necessary step toward its expansion. Nicholas’ eyes well with

tears that convey her passion for the program when she describes her hopes for EAST’s future, “EAST is what

you hope education would be for every child. The staff and facilitators continue to recognize the value of each

student in the program. I would love to see EAST concepts employed in every classroom in the nation, with

every teacher and every student exposed to its pillars and philosophies.”

Nicholas’ many years as an EAST advocate provides her with many examples from which to choose when citing

worthy endeavors accomplished by students. “I remember a group of students from the high school in Alpena

who worked on a project inspired by the number of tourists injured while engaged in outdoor recreation in

their area,” she recalled. “They worked with several state and local agencies, like the Game and Fish Commission

to document the need, and eventually got the grant which built the heliport there that provides valuable life-

saving access to medical services.”

For many students, Nicholas believes that EAST is the vehicle by which they will navigate around obstacles

created inherent in their geographic or economic circumstances. “I have seen such significant contributions

from kids who came from limited rural communities who have gone on to succeed well beyond the traditional

careers available in that community. I believe EAST kids are the future leaders of our country.”

“For EAST, Acxiom provides a strong connection to business and industry by

articulating the skills necessary for a successful bridge to twenty-first century jobs.”

- Dr. Angela Kremers, senior director of corporate strategy at EAST


Alumni SpotlightTevin Wooten - Ryan L. Spring

What have you been up to since high school?I’m currently a sophomore (Broadcast

Journalism Major) at the University of

Arkansas in Fayetteville. I work as an

undergraduate video assistant for the

Arkansas Razorbacks.

Please describe your education background:I was an active student in high school.

I engaged in just about every activity

I could. (Student Council, Band,

Journalism, and, of course, EAST).

Please describe your career path:I plan on getting my masters, if not

more, from the University of Arkansas.

After that I hope to have a full-time

position with the Razorbacks or move

to a high market area in television

broadcasting.

How has EAST impacted your career and life? EAST has done EVERYTHING for my life.

I honestly don’t know where I would

be without it. I can say that everything

that EAST taught me is used daily in

my life. (Everyday choices, technology,

mental thinking processes).

How did EAST teach you about leadership?EAST truly helped me understand

the values of a team and community.

I started a television station as a

sophomore in high school, just as a

project. I led that team through several

award winning years.

Why would you recommend EAST to a friend?I would recommend EAST to a friend

because it only makes you better as a

person and as a member of a global

community.

How does EAST impact the workforce / community?EAST contributes to the workforce/

community through its technological

impact. The technology is used in the

everyday workforce and in professional

jobs. Through EAST, a high school,

middle school, or even an elementary

school student is learning skills that

impact the community and teach

you how to help and better your

community.

What words of wisdom would you share with current EAST students and facilitators?Students: Current EAST students

should know that EAST is at the

forefront of education. However, it’s

an alternative form of education, that

can’t be learned through a textbook or

taught. I would take every opportunity

to grow through whatever comes your

way.

Facilitators: As for facilitators, I

wouldn’t force a project on a student. I

would not rush the student for project

completion. This is how the student

grows; as a person, as a leader, as a

member of society. More importantly,

the student grows within himself/

herself. The personal growth matters

upmost to the student.

What have you been up to since high school?I graduated from the University of

Arkansas in 2011. After graduation, I

was hired by the Choctaw Nation of

Oklahoma as the GIS/GPS Specialist for

the Historic Preservation Department.

Please describe your education background:I earned my degree in Anthropology

with an emphasis in Native American

Studies and Ethnobotany.

Please describe your career path:I was hired by the Choctaw Nation

following graduation, and plan to help

expand their GIS services.

How has EAST impacted your career and life? EAST gave me the skills to succeed in

a higher education environment. It

allowed me to think outside the box

to solve problems and expanded my

cognitive thought in a spatial context. I

believe without my spatial foundation

I would not be as successful as I am

today.

How did EAST teach you about leadership?I was heavily involved in an ArcGIS

project called the Mena 3D

Visualization project. This project

allowed me to work with digital

elevation models and with the

SketchUp extension. I coordinated

with other students who specialized

in creating 3D models in SketchUp. I

was a system administrator in my class.

I had to solve hardware problems and

software issues. I worked with several

students in and out of class to help

raise the efficiency of learning.

Why would you recommend EAST to a friend?EAST provides the cornerstone of

technical learning that many students

today need to succeed.

How does EAST impact the workforce / community?Students are allowed to learn programs

that are valuable in todays society. It

will give the student that extra edge

they need for their job interview or

their college application.

While learning the software, the

students are helping out in projects

with local, state, and federal

governments to benefit their

community.

What words of wisdom would you share with current EAST students and facilitators?Students: High School is a time

of learning and development in a

student’s life. Not everyone will be

able to take something away from

the classes they take. But I believe

everyone can take away something

from EAST.

Facilitators: Every year is different,

there are good times and not so good

times. But always remember, while

you may be struggling, there is always

that one student whose life you will

change. I am that student, I thank you

for working so hard and dedicating so

much time to allow me

to succeed as I do today.

Ryan L. SpringClass of 2006 - Mena High School

Tevin WootenClass of 2010 - Camden Fairview High School


EAST AlumniGet ready. We are calling all

“See you at EAST Conference!”

Join us on Facebook & together we can change the world.

www.facebook.com/EASTalumni

Visit our breakout session or booth to see how you can be a part of the EAST Alumni.


Project Profiles

EAST @ Vilonia Builds a Shelter From the Storm(AR) Storm Shelter - (OK) STAD Project

Photo by: Mark Humphrey, The Associated Press

On April 25, 2011, a tornado ravaged the town of Vilonia, Arkansas. Five people

were killed, and National Guard rescuers estimated the number of missing

persons to locate through a house-to-house search to be between 50 and 60. A

storm damage assessment determined that the tornado was one to two miles

wide at its base, and cut a path through the community that was three miles wide

and 15 miles long. In the process, 60 homes were completely destroyed, with 252

structures sustaining affected damage. Those in the community who survived the

storm suffered an emotional impact that will last for years, if not the rest of their

lives. For students enrolled in EAST, the twister provided an opportunity to be part

of a solution that would protect their loved ones and their community from a

similar fate in the future.

EAST facilitator Erin Rappold was at home with a three-year-old toddler,

10-month-old baby, and one-week-old infant when the tornado barreled through

Vilonia. “It touched down a half-mile from my house. I waited with my children

in a safe room in our house,” she recalled. “My husband watched it pass. Our

home escaped damage, but my husband stayed out into the night helping those

who were not so fortunate.” Rappold was not yet an EAST facilitator at the time,

she took over the position when school resumed in the fall. Once she became

familiar with the pillars of EAST, she realized that the program offered a great

opportunity for her students to be part of a project that would improve safety

for others, and help them heal from the experience in the process. She offered

her suggestion to EAST students and four of them – Kyle, Jake, Ashlin and Noah –


Photo by: Mark Humphrey, The Associated Press

quickly embraced her idea and began the complex

process of learning the design software and FEMA

requirements necessary to build an on-campus

storm shelter for Vilonia.

Kyle was the project manager and “architect” on the

project. He was at home when the storm started.

“My mom told me to head to our family’s landlord

for cover when the weather worsened,” he recalled.

“I experienced and survived hurricanes in Texas.

I watched as the storm blew down trees. It was crazy.” After the tornado passed, he went out to try to help

others. His home near Simpson Road escaped damage, but a neighbor living in a trailer down the road wasn’t

so lucky. “Her trailer was rolled three times, and she was thrown out of it.” Kyle’s family went without power for a

week following the storm. “You couldn’t drive around or ride a bike,” he said. “You had to [walk to] pick up water,

food, and other supplies.”

Ashlin was at her home when the storm hit. “We don’t have a safe room, so I hid in a closet for about an hour.

My dad is a firefighter, so he left to help with rescue efforts.” She lives just outside of Vilonia, so a couple of

anxious days passed before she was allowed to enter the town to check on friends who were surveying damage

to their homes.

Noah was at his home near Conway when the tornado struck. He first became aware of the severity of its

damage by reading his friends’ posts on Facebook. At first, he didn’t think it was that bad; but as hours passed,

he learned just how devastating the damage was in the small, rural community.

Jake was at his home, and went to the home of a family friend with a safe house when the warnings sounded.

While his home escaped damage, he spent several frustrating hours trying to contact a friend on the road.

Landlines were downed by the storm and demands on the town’s cell towers overwhelmed the system,

rendering his cell phone useless for phone calls and texts. Fortunately, Jake’s friend turned up safe the next day.

All four students and their facilitator were inspired by the way the community rallied to assist victims of

the storm, and yet, nearly two years later, remnants of its damage remain to remind them of its terror and

destruction. Brush piles of fallen trees scatter the landscape, presenting a fire hazard during the drought days

of summer. Nightmares and fear of thunder torment survivors quickening their pulse with every threatening

forecast. These physical and emotional reminders inspired Rappold’s students to tackle, and conquer, the

daunting challenge to literally shelter their community from future storms by providing a safe room that can

house up to 1248 people, or nearly 1/3 of the town’s population.

Jake likes to design and build things, and is big brother to a five-year-old sister who is haunted to this day by

her memories of the storm. He assumed the project manager role for the group, tackling the safe room’s precise

design and measurements. His most complex task required him to learn the software for the project, Archicad.

“I worked on the design for 12 weeks before handing it over to my EAST facilitator to evaluate my plan,” he said.

“The rooms had to be exact, and the doors had to be drawn by hand.” Noah assisted Jake throughout the design

process, and found the professional-grade software equally challenging, but also conquerable. The students

wanted a pitched roof for the structure, and Ashlin devoted her time to ensuring its inclusion. Kyle provided the

Internet research to learn the fire codes and specifications dictated by FEMA to guide the group along the way.

Nabholz Construction was the contractor and construction company that implemented the students’ designs,

and on the rainy, cold day in December of 2012 when they handed its keys to the school, they had nothing but

praise for the students and teacher who partnered with them in the project. “They made my job a lot easier,”

said Lance Wright, Nabholz’s project manager. “The end result is that Vilonia now has the Cadillac of safe rooms

in the state.” Perry McGinty, Nabholz’s superintendent for the job, lives in Conway and played baseball on the

field nearby. “The tilt panels on the wall weigh 60,000 lbs. a piece, and the doors are filled with concrete,” he said.

“When the sirens sound, the doors open for 30 minutes to allow the community access to the shelter.”

These EAST students used a frightening experience as inspiration to contribute to a solution that will protect

lives. In the process, they gained valuable knowledge of technology that will enhance the forecast for their

future, too. It looks like blue skies and sunny days for all of them, no matter what the weatherman says.

Video of Tornado DamageClick to view

Video of TornadoClick to view


At the beginning of the school year, Indian Capital Technology

Center EAST student, Morgan Kimble, had a passion to complete

a project that would educate high school students about the

dangers of texting and driving, and she did just that.

Kimble’s project, Stop Texting and Driving (S.T.A.D.), took on a life of its own and

became so much more than even she imagined. “Morgan’s fire for this project was

fueled by the loss of her best friend, Candice, when

an 18-year-old college bound young man hit her

in a head-on collision that killed Candice instantly,”

reports Jodi Keith, facilitator for EAST @ ICTC.

Kimble created a presentation to educate students

about how dangerous texting and driving really

is and to show the impact that these types of

accidents have, not only on the victims and their

families, but also how they affect the lives of those

who choose to text and drive. Kimble and her

partner, Cheyenne Spencer, also created a short

PSA to go along with the presentation.

Kimble presented her project to her EAST class

at Indian Capital, traveled to local area high schools to present to 10th and 11th

graders and presented to local church youth groups. The first week of May,

Central High School, a rural school lying just outside Sallisaw, was going to do

a texting and driving assembly for 7th thru 12th graders at their school. “As part

of the assembly, they had asked Candice’s mom to be their main speaker, but

she had to cancel two days prior and asked Morgan to step up to the plate and

take on the keynote speaker role,” said Keith. Morgan presented her project to

STAD ProjectIndian Capital Technology Center

the largest crowd she had ever faced. It was a little emotional for her, but she

performed like a champ.”

The program also included a memorial slideshow of Candice, her mother’s

account of the last few hours of Candice’s life leading up to the wreck, and other

fond memories of Candice by some of her closest friends. At the close of the

assembly, Central’s Student Council had coordinated with local law enforcement

and emergency personnel to perform a mock

wreck scenario of a texting and driving accident.

EAST @ ICTC student Danielle Reiss, an aspiring

film director, was given the director/producer role

and captured the entire presentation and mock

wreck on video. Back in the EAST classroom, Reiss

worked with EAST assistant facilitator, Joshua Dees,

to put together a very dramatic and moving video

of the day’s events.

Kimble’s S.T.A.D. project was given the award for

EAST Outstanding Community Project at Indian

Capital’s year-end awards ceremony. “This project

really shows what EAST is all about. The students

worked together to tackle a tough subject and to educate not only their peers,

but also themselves about how dangerous texting and driving is,” said Keith.

“Many of our students have pledged not to text and drive after being a part of this

great and far-reaching project. I commend Morgan for her desire to make this

project happen and to do something positive with something very negative in

her life.”


Tech Tips from the EAST Initiative Technical Support Group

Technical Problem in your Classroom?It’s easy to get fast technical support from the EAST Technical Support Group with the help ticket system. Before opening a help ticket, be sure to follow the suggested steps for resolving technical issues in the EAST Classroom.

010101100 0101

0110

0

Help TicketEAST Technical Support Click here to open

a new help ticketEAST QUARTERLY PG. 25

Geek SpeakTechnical Support Spotlight - Leap Motion

Technical Support: Issue Spotlight.

1. Make sure your server is powered on, and that

you can log in to the server. If it’s off, you won’t

be able to log in! Also check to make sure that

any network cables plugged into the server

show a good link/connected status.

2. Check all of your networking equipment. If

applicable, check any routers, switches, and

other networking equipment for power loss or

error lights.

3. If your server is powered on and you still can’t

log in from a workstation, log in to your server,

go to Start / Run /, type in CMD and hit Enter.

Type in ipconfig /all and look for something

called an IP Address or IPv4 Address. Take note

of the IP address listed. Now run the same

command from one of your workstations, and

this time note the first address listed for the DNS

Address. You can still log in to the workstation

by using the local computer’s user account. This

would have been the user account set up when

the computers were first installed. The first

DNS address on the workstation should match

the IP Address of your EAST server. If there are

differences, it may mean you need to assign

Static DNS on all of your workstations. You can

view the tutorial on this on the EAST website:

http://eastinitiative.org/tutorialssupport/

Tutorial.aspx?Id=163. Alternatively, if you have

a router in your setup, you could change the

DHCP network settings in the router to pass

out the correct network settings to all of your

workstations.

4. If there doesn’t seem to be any DNS

configuration issues on your workstations/

network and your server is powered on and

appears to be connected to the network, try to

ping your server from one of your workstations—first by its IP address, then by its Fully Qualified Domain Name

or FQDN. Using the instructions in Tip 3, run an ipconfig /all on your server to determine its IP address. Next,

from a workstation, go to Start - Run, type in CMD and hit Enter, then type in ping 192.168.2.2 where 192.168.2.2

is the IP address of your server. If you get successful replies, it means your server is connected to the network—

see Figure 1.

5. If you don’t get any replies, it means the server at the IP address you specified wasn’t available—see Figure 2. If

this is the case, check the physical connections to the server and swap the network cable just to make sure it

isn’t a bad cable. You might also try a different network jack if one is available. Re-run the ping test by IP to see

if that fixes the issue. You must be able to ping the server by its IP Address before ping testing by FQDN.

To: EAST Technical Support

From: Student

Ticket: We noticed a few months ago that any new user that logged into a workstation took upwards of 5 minutes to login. After they

had logged into that workstation once, the slow login would go away. However, if they logged into a machine that they haven’t logged

into before, the slow login returned. We didn’t think much of it until this morning—now no one can log in. When we attempt to log in, it

says “there are no logon servers to service your logon request.” When we log in with local accounts, we can still access the Internet.

We are running Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 on our server and Windows 7 Professional SP1 x64 on our workstations. Help!!!

6. Once you can ping by IP Address, you need to make sure you can ping the server by its FQDN. You can

determine this from your server by going to Start/Programs/Administrative Tools/Active Directory Domains and

Trusts. In the left pane of the Active Directory Domains and Trusts window, look at the text in brackets next to the

Title. It is highlighted in blue in Figure 3 below. The FQDN in this example is eastserver.east.program.

Troubleshooting Tips for Server Connectivity Issues:


“Leap” into the New Year with Leap Motion.Technology never stops advancing. It seems that every time we turn around,

something new and exciting is being released. Over the last decade, we have seen

smartphones, tablets, and smaller laptops. What’s next? How about something that

you don’t even have to touch? This is the concept of Leap Motion. This new product

focuses on gesture-based interaction. Instead of touching a screen, you simply wave

your hand in front of it. All of this is made possible by the Leap Motion controller.

This controller is a small aluminum device that is about the size of an iPod. Inside

the device, lives sensors, LEDs, and a CPU that allows all of the magic to take place.

Plugging the device into your computer gives you 8 cubic feet of 3D interaction space.

Inside this interaction space, the Leap Motion controller will recognize your 10 fingers as input

devices. However, you can also use other objects in the space such as a paintbrush or a pencil, all without

touching the screen. Imagine being able to scroll through a long documeng with just a flick of the wrist.

Leap Motion has also started the Leap Motion Developer Program for aspiring software developers. You can apply to get a development controller

unit, and start playing with the Software Development Kit (SDK) at www.leapmotion.com/developers. If you enjoy software development, you can even get

your app published in the Leap Motion App Store. This store will contain all of the apps that will work with the Leap Motion controller.

7. After determining this, go to a workstation and get back

to the command prompt, and type ping eastserver.east.

program. You should see replies come back from the

server’s IP Address, which in this case is 192.168.2.2 (see

Figure 4 below for example). If you do not see replies

come back, it means there is a DNS configuration

issue which would require further investigation and

troubleshooting. Contact the TSG for further assistance

as DNS configurations can vary widely by school.

A few things that the Leap Motion controller will

let you do in your EAST classroom are:

• Basic controls for you computer (click, grab, scroll)

• Create artwork without using a stylus

• Interact with 3D modeling software

• Interact with maps and other spatial data

• Develop your own apps for Leap Motion

The Leap Motion is one of the most talked about products unveiled at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) earlier in 2013.

The Leap Motion controller is now available for pre-order at www.leapmotion.com for $69.99. Controllers are expected to start shipping in early 2013.


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HERE’S TO THE GENERATION OF

PROBLEM SOLVERStheTEAM PLAYERS the innovators

the over

AND THEY TRYTO CHANGE THE

WHO TAKE A CHALLENGE HEAD ON

LATEST IN TECHNOLOGY

WHO PUSH THEHUMAN RACE

ACHIEVERSWITH ACCESS TO THE

BUT THATS WHAT THEY’RE ALL ABOUT

FOR WARDthey play

They are the ones

They are asked to make a difference

why

WELL WITH OTHERS

THEY’RE CALLED

BUT THAT’S

WORLDSTUDENTS


HERE’S TO THE GENERATION OF

PROBLEM SOLVERStheTEAM PLAYERS the innovators

the over

AND THEY TRYTO CHANGE THE

WHO TAKE A CHALLENGE HEAD ON

LATEST IN TECHNOLOGY

WHO PUSH THEHUMAN RACE

ACHIEVERSWITH ACCESS TO THE

BUT THATS WHAT THEY’RE ALL ABOUT

FOR WARDthey play

They are the ones

They are asked to make a difference

why

WELL WITH OTHERS

THEY’RE CALLED

BUT THAT’S

WORLDSTUDENTS

2013 EAST Staff.We are here to help you rise to your full potential.


Documents

Winter EQ 2013