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!