ETA T-Shirt Contest

The ETA will be holding a t-shirt design contest! The most inventive and creative design will be on the ETA's new t-shirts and sweatshirts, which will be for sale sometime in 2017. 

The Rules for Designing:

• All school dress code rules must be obeyed in creating your design
• Do not use a copyrighted image
• All logos must have a white background behind them, for dark print shirts
• Design can have up to three colors
• Design can be a t-shirt, a long sleeved shirt, or a sweatshirt
• Design can be on the front, back, sleeve, hood, or pocket of a shirt/sweatshirt
• The Project Lead The Way logo can to be on the t-shirt design somewhere (is provided below). This logo is navy blue and white. 
• Use a t-shirt designing site (i.e.: CustomInk or UberPrints) to create your design (DO NOT PURCHASE YOUR IDEA)
• You can create multiple designs! All will be considered separately
• Be as creative as possible! Think outside the box with your design

The Rules for Submitting Your Design:

• Send it to this site, through etadmhs@gmail.com
• Send a picture of your design, and all of its parts
• Send it from your student email 
• In the "Subject" line write: "Your Name, Grade, Homeroom Teacher, Design #"
• Ex: "Aaron Aaronson, Freshman, Ms. Cochran, Design 1" or "Bob Blair, Junior, Mr. Hankey, Design 25"
• The inbox closes on Tuesday, February 7th, 2017, at 11:59 pm
• Designs submitted after this time will not be accepted
• The person with the best design in each grade will receive a free t-shirt
• The person whose design is chosen will also receive a free sweatshirt

Good luck to all students!

Project Lead the Way Logo:

The Blackstone Canal 2016

Last Thursday, the Engineering and Technology Academy had its eighth annual Blackstone Canal Learning Fair! The night was a resounding success. 
The students showed up around early to set up their projects and the mock canal. After everything was set up they enjoyed pizza and cookies, provided by the teachers.

The mock canal

Mr. Garcia opened the night, giving a basic schedule of how the night should go. He also announced, for those who didn't know, that school was cancelled on Friday the 16th. He also told people about the raffle that both students and parents could participate in, for Barnes and Nobles gift cards. The raffle tickets would have to be signed either by seven students or attendees, to prove that the students were interacting with adults. He then handed the microphone over to the student speaker, Miguel Sosa. Miguel talked about the history of the Blackstone canal and what the project entailed for the students. After Miguel was finished, Mr. Garcia let the learning fair commence.

Miguel Sosa and Mr. Garcia

Parents walked around from project to project, asking the students questions about it. "What was most challenging? ...Most enjoyable? ...Most interesting?" were all common questions. Students, who were standing at their projects, were ready to answer any and all questions, since they have been working on this project since late October. And as they spoke, students got more and more names to put on their raffle cards. 

Below are various pictures of the night:

At 7:30, the raffle was drawn and the students were sent home. Congratulations to the engineering students who worked so hard on this project, and thank you to the teachers who made it happen! 

Blackstone Canal Projects

The teachers of the ETA would like to give credit to some students who went above and beyond with their learning fair projects. 

Ashley Grullon

Candice Darteh

Samantha Torres

Darin Hiraldo

Nikola Grozdani

Mikayla Reuda

De'ziah Griffin

Thank you for all the effort you put into this project!

The Blackstone Canal

The Blackstone Canal

Engineering and Technology Academy Invites You!

The ETA is holding their 8^th annual “Bringing Back the Blackstone” project fair, and welcome the community to see. Those who attend will have the freedom to walk around and talk to the students, parents, and staff about the projects and the future of the Canal District, in a casual environment. Snacks and drinks will be provided.  

Date:
December 15th, 2016

Time: 6:30-7:30 pm.

Location: In the cafeteria of Doherty Memorial High School

Update: The Blackstone Canal

Mr. Garcia has changed the due date for the completed history timeline (with sources). It was due Thursday, December 1st. It is now due Monday, December 5th. Please use this extra weekend to work hard on this project. Thank you.

Redesigning the Canal: All You Need to Know

Zoning Definitions:

• Residential (Blue Paper)- houses, apartments, condominiums, off campus housing, shelters
• Commercial (Pink Paper)- businesses/services(store, pharmacy, bank), malls, resturants, night life, cafes, hotels/motels
• Industrial (White Paper)- manufacturing(factories), warehouses, hospitals
• Cultural (Yellow Paper)- museums, schools, colleges/campus, community centers, libraries, theaters
• Recreational (Green Paper)- parks, memorials, skate parks, botanical gardens, sports complex

DATES

• Oct. 19th- Introduction to Project
• Oct. 20th- Library Research: Industrial Revolution
• Oct. 21st- Library Research: Green Energy
• Oct. 24th- PSATs, Scale Activity and Permit Introduction
• Oct. 25th-31st- Special schedule: All day Engineering Class (Permits Due)
• Nov. 4th- Complete Scaled Drawings for Math
• Nov. 11th- No School (Veteran's Day)
• Nov. 15th- Green Plan for Biology Due
• Nov. 18th- History Timeline Research/Sources Due
• Nov. 21st- English Editorial Due with rough draft attached
• Nov. 23rd-27th- No School (Thanksgiving Vacation)
• Dec 5th- History Timeline Due with sources attached
• Dec. 7th- Inventor Sketches Due
• Dec 9th- Construction of Model AND Poster Board for Engineering Due
• Dec. 15th- The Learning Fair (Snow Date: Dec. 21st)

ALL PARTS OF THIS PROJECT MUST BE TURNED IN AND REVIEWED BY EACH TEACHER BY DEC. 13th FOR LEARNING FAIR EXTRA CREDIT.

How to Download Inventor

If you're new to the Engineering and Technology Academy, you have probably realized the importance of Inventor.
Inventor, to quote the Autodesk site, is a "...mechanical design and 3D CAD software that offers professional-grade 3D mechanical design, documentation, and product simulation tools." Freshmen will use this program for Ms. Cochran's Intro to Engineering Course, and It will be usefull for them to download it at home. 

To Download

1. Go to the Autodesk website
2. Click on the "Menu" in the top-right corner
3. Select "Students and Educators"
4. On the new page, click "Get free software"
5. Select "Inventor Professional"
6. Create an account or sign in
7. In the tabs below, select: Inventor 17 for version, laptop or PC based on what you have, 32-bit for PC or 64-bit for laptop
8. Then the download should be complete!

Congratulations!

     This is the end of the site's first year, and it has been a fantastic experience. Freshmen have learned the basics of engineering, sophomores have finished their MCAS tests, and juniors have started looking at colleges. But praise must be given to the Engineering and Technology Academy's graduating seniors. 
     The seniors have lasted for four years in the ETA, surviving the challenging tests and high standards of teachers yearning to bring out the best in them, and this site would like to honor them.

The ETA's Graduating Class of 2016
Andres Acosta Acevedo
Linda Adarkwah
Jared Aubin
Miles  Bickford
Cooper Blanchard
Dorotea Bruzho
John Campoverde
Lily Carmody
Mousa Chamoun
Marisa Cika
Devlin Courtney
Tyler  Delorge
Nicolas Demauro
Vasiliqi Doko
Kathryn Evasius
Che Gardner
Chaim Gaval
Steven Gjino
Xhino Gjokollari
Andonaq Grozdani
Thuan Ha
Joseph Harrity
Alaa Hassan
Theofilos Hatzopoulos
Patrick Hopkins
Victoria Ishola
Cameron Kasper
Angelo Kristo
Jackie Lam
Caitlin Lamonda
Madeleine Lang
Andi Leka
Tiana Lopez
Nareg Manoukian
Emma Marx
Isabelle McCarthy
Megan McGrath
Alex Micheni
Ada Monteiro
David Moreau
Tuan Nguyen
Esmeralda Noguera
Justin Pearce
Katerina Pela
Kacie Perkins
Priscilla Pham
Vivian Pham
Yousef Plant
David Pratt
Victor Sanchez
Jared Silkman
Enida Sulaj
Dalena Truong
Tavian Vassar
Samuel Vengerik
Dmone Walker
Crystal Zaimi
Mario Zguro
Dhionis Zhidro

     Congratulations on four amazing years, and good luck where ever you go!

Engineering Turn Around Learning Fair

On May 18th, the ETA held its second Engineering Turn Around Learning Fair. 

Mr. Garcia opened the night with a speech highlighting how the evening would go, then he handed the mic over to three student speakers. Rumani Kafle told the parents about the basics of the project; how the students had to select an object, take it apart, and build it on Inventor. Radcliffe Hall spoke about the difficulties that students faced with the project, and Caroline Ober thanked the teachers for their help and support. The student speakers were all wonderful, and their teachers would like to thank them again. 

Mr. Garcia opening the night

From left to right: Rumani Kafle, Radcliffe Hall, and Caroline Ober

After another brief interlude by Mr. Garcia, parents and guests were allowed to see the students' projects. The students and guests were given cards that motivated conversations, with questions such as "What was the most difficult aspect? What was the easiest? What did you enjoy the most about the most?" If students got enough signatures on their cards, they could enter into a raffle that awarded a $25 Barnes and Nobles gift card. 

The night was a resounding success. The teachers were impressed, the parents were delighted, and the students enjoyed themselves. The projects looked fantastic and everyone could see the time and effort that went into them. 

 

The winner of the gift card was Caroline Ober. The students were all given extra credit for attending, and their teachers would again like to congratulate them not only on a fantastic project, but a fantastic year.  

Worcester Art Museum

The freshmen from the ETA went on a trip to the Worcester Art Museum. On Wednesday and on Friday, they enjoyed the culture that is constantly at their fingertips. The ETA would like to thank the Art Museum for having them for another year!

Click to see the Worcester Art Museum's Website

Reverse Engineering Due Dates

• March 18th: Introduction of the project/PowerPoint presentation (Engineering)
• April 1st: Product approval sheet due (Engineering)
• April 4th: Introduction to the Human Connection (Biology)
• April 8th: Research in the Media Center (Biology)
• April 13th & 15th: Field Trip to the Worcester Art Museum/In Class Product Activity (Math)
• April 12th & 14th: Technical writing completed with rough draft attached (English)
• April 25th & 26th: Research in the media center (History)
• April 25th-29th: ALL DAY ENGINEERING SCHEDULE AND ENGINEERING EXTRA HELP AFTER SCHOOL
• April 27th: Research for the history timeline must be completed (History)
• April 29th: Inventor files and working drawings printed (Engineering)
• May 4th: Timeline completed (History)
• May 10th: The Human Connection Completed (Biology)
• May 13th: Surface Area and volume for product completed (Math)
• May 17th: Poster board completed for Learning Fair (Engineering)
• May 18th: Learning Fair

     IMPORTANT: ALL LATE WORK MUST BE BROUGHT PERSONALLY BY THE STUDENT TO THE TEACHER THAT ASSIGNED IT BY MAY 17th. OTHERWISE YOU WILL BE INELIGIBLE FOR THE LEARNING FAIR. 

Reverse Engineering Project

     The ETA's next cross-curriculum project will based around reverse engineering. Students will have to research and reverse engineer a product with a minimum of five pieces. They will need to detail the history, function, design, and how this product is used by the human body. Students will use technical writing, graphics, and Inventor to complete the project.
Each Student Will:

1. Research an existing existing technology/product
2. Complete and submit the "product approval sheet" in Engineering
3. Submit a list of dates of their technology/product and world events timeline in History
4. Submit a paper demonstrating technical writing of their technology/product in English
5. Complete a graphic organizer on how how the technology/product impacts human anatomy in Biology
6. Compute the surface area and volume of the technology/product in Algebra/Geometry
7. Complete and submit Inventor files and working drawings in Engineering
8. Display their work on a poster board in a aesthetically pleasing design

     If students want to, they can attend the learning fair on May 18th for extra credit.

Slater Mill, Pawtucket RI

Ranger Chuck Arning and World History teacher Jesse Garcia presented a slide show that highlighted the lives of workers in the Industrial Revolution. The slide show was a precursor to a field trip to the Slater Mill in Rhode Island.

Students watching the slideshow

With the help of the National Parks Services, rangers and museum guides presented a movie highlighting industrial life along the Blackstone Canal. Students were then led through two museums; Wilkinson Machine and Slater Mill. Students walked along the Blackstone Canal, observing water control methods that powered the factories. Finally, students traced the Blackstone Canal from Worcester to Providence on a giant floor map in the visitor's center.

A side view of Slater Mill

Students said:

• "We took a tour of the former mill and a house that Samuel Slater once stayed in." 
• "We looked at all [the] machines and buildings at Slater Mill." 
• "We learned more about the Industrial Revolution."
• "We looked at the mills, and watched a movie of Slater Mill before and after."
• "We toured Slater Mill and learned about its functions."
• "We walked around the first factory in Rhode Island." 
• "We saw old mills and a presentation." 
• "We followed guides and they explained how certain things are historical."

Students looking at a piece of machinery

What they learned: 

• "...how they made cotton."
• "How [the workers'] food was prepared."
• "How bad of a living [people] had."
• "How long the canal was."
• "One water wheel powered all the machines."
• "Houses were jammed with people."
• "How cotton was packaged and shipped and transported."
• "How cotton was made into thread."
• "How young kids were when they started working in the factories."
• "How young [people] died."
• "People who worked in mills got more money."
• "The Industrial Revolution promoted slavery." 

Learning Fair 2015

December 16th, 2015 was the ETA's 7th annual Blackstone Canal Learning Fair. It was a resounding success. The evening opened with three students, Daria Soto, Kyle Monfredo, and Nicole Canizares. They spoke about the project, highlighting the process, stressing the importance of organization, and what the field trips added to the experience. All three students did a great job presenting.

The student speakers

Mr.Garcia opening the night

Mr. Garcia explained the process for documenting the dialogue between participants and guests, with raffle cards. Students and guests autographed each others raffle cards after each interaction, and once a card was filled they entered their card into the raffle box and they could get another one.

Parents and teachers looking around

A view of the canal

Parents and guests then had an opportunity to view the work from all students. The students' models were arranged in the center of the room as a recreation of a possible future for the canal district. Teachers, administrators and other school staff mingled with parents, learning about the engineering process, and the once and future canal. At the end of the learning fair, a student raffle card and a guest raffle card were drawn by a brave volunteer to award a gift certificate to Barnes and Nobles.

The brave volunteer

Students reported the next morning that the night went better than they could've expected and they were eager to receive their extra credit.

The freshmen ETA teachers, who worked just hard as the students.
A big thank you to them!