Peter Bohlin Archives - 91��Ƶ

New Center Creates Real-Life Simulations for Medical Students

APPLETON, Wis. — The new Health Simulation and Technology Center (HSTC) at Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) offers an array of advanced simulation technology to intricately replicate real-life situations and to prepare health care students and current health professionals.

Designed by Eppstein Uhen Architects of Milwaukee, the three-story, 60,500-square-foot building aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and offer a wide array of instruction for students. Each floor in the building was designed with its own unique purpose and function. However, it is in combining all of these functions to work together that creates a truly unique learning environment for FVTC students.

“You can combine these and create a scenario where you take these ranging entities and create some event that happens on campus,” said Bob Vajgrt, education environments studio director for EUA and project manager on the project.

The first floor was designed as a virtual hospital with eight emergency rooms with state-of-the-art human patient simulators, debriefing rooms in order for students and instructors to discuss their most recent simulation, and a mock ambulance. The dummies used in simulations have the ability to change vital signs or even expel fluids. The school also has a space to simulate an operating room.

The proximity of these simulations allows students and professionals to see the necessary and most effective way to treat patients from the ambulance to the operating room.

“You can go through that entire sequence and understand what happens out in the field — how the patient gets in the ambulance, how the patient gets to the exam room and how the patient gets into the operating room,” Vajgrt said. “I think that’s a pretty unique opportunity for students and for professionals who are already in the community.”

The building is laid out in such a way that the proximity of the simulation stations encourages this flow from ambulance to emergency room. Creating an experience in which students can see the whole story is largely beneficial to their education, Vajgrt said.

“If you don’t bring them together, you don’t understand how the patient got into the ambulance or what information was transferred to the hospital,” he said.

The second floor is geared toward students with an interest in careers as medical assistants, phlebotomists and health information technology technicians. The floor houses a six-room outpatient clinic, mock doctor’s office with reception area, functioning phlebotomy lab and two computer labs.

The third floor is dedicated to rehabilitative and home care with mock home settings, such as kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms and bedrooms, and large breakout areas to practice physical therapy and have class discussions. The home settings can also be used to replicate emergencies in home settings.

Each floor has collaborative spaces with flexible furniture, daylighting and views to the outdoors that all further encourage collaboration.

The HSTC was completed in August 2013.

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powerPerfector Expands to North American Market

LONDON — London-based powerPerfector has announced the expansion of its Voltage Power Optimisation (VPO) technology to the North American market through a partnership with the Enercorr Voltage Optimization Systems, based in Canada.

The system, which reduces voltage across any given site, will allow facilities in North America to acquire cost savings for greater quality voltage. Along with co-owner William Barber, who has more than 30 years experience in industrial fuel savings systems and carbon reduction in large commercial and industrial facilities, EnerCorr CEO Ed Langton has more than 20 years of experience providing services to the correctional facilities market.

“powerPerfector has built an excellent reputation for its savings and reliability and we believe that, with our strong presence in this huge market, we can make an immediate impact," Langton said.

As a leading provider of VPO technology in the UK, powerPerfector has assisted in reducing electricity costs by six to 12 percent, reduces carbon dioxide emissions and improves power quality to protect electrical infrastructure, according to a company press release. These benefits provide a system that is more efficient and long lasting while also allowing for better regulation and control.

“VPO can make a huge difference to any organization’s drive to reduce costs, carbon and carbon taxation. Replicating powerPerfector’s approach to sales, engineering and measurement and verification will help the successful launch of the technology in our market," Langton said.

According to the company, powerPerfector has contributed to a significant reduction in carbon footprints, saving clients millions of pounds in carbon emissions. PowerPerfector has installed their system in more than 4,500 sites throughout the UK, including in Her Majesty’s Prisons.

"We are delighted to finalize the distribution agreement with EnerCorr," said powerPerfector CEO Jamie Buchanan. "They were very keen to take on the powerPerfector brand. We believe the combination of a strong brand and their existing distribution capability provides is an exciting prospect for both parties."

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Technology Teacher Speaks Out on School Design

Teachers and other school faculty members are a good resource for those in the school construction industry because they can provide a first-hand look at what improvements can be made in school design and construction. One such resource is Jim Deitrich, a technology education teacher at Liberty High School in Eldersburg, Md.
In December, Deitrich won the High School Technology Education Excellence Award from Technology & Engineering Education Association of Maryland. Previously, he taught for 12 years at Westminster High School, also in Maryland, before joining Liberty High for the past eight years. Most notably, he has helped improve the state and national curriculum and currently works as a trainer for the International Technology and Engineering Educator’s Association’s Foundations of Technology curriculum. Another one of the key reasons Deitrich was chosen for the award is his hands-on approach in the classroom — engaging students through the engineering design process and problem solving.
Because of Deitrich’s 20-year teaching history and prior experience working in air conditioning and refrigeration, he has some helpful insights on how architects and contractors can improve school design, especially by means of technology. 91��Ƶ speaks with Deitrich about his teaching background and the advice he has to give our audience.

Q: What made you want to become a teacher?
Deitrich: I found that when I was working in the trades, air conditioning and refrigeration, what I enjoyed the most was sharing my skills with the new young helpers I would hire. Both of my parents started their careers in teaching, and I realized that there was a teacher in me as well. I got an opportunity to return to school and get my degree in education.
Q: One of the reasons you won the High School Technology Education Excellence Award is because of your hands-on approach to teaching. What exactly does that entail?
Deitrich: Facts are cheap in the 21st century. Today’s students can find information in seconds on the Internet using their cell phone. Technology Education is about having students use tools, materials and information to solve problems. Things are going really well in my classroom when I can facilitate the independent investigation, design and creation of my students’ solutions.
Q: How can architects, contractors and manufacturers improve their approach to designing for the needs of students, staff and faculty?
Deitrich: The basic philosophic foundation of the Common Core educational movement is that reading and writing should not only be taught in English class. They need to also be taught in science class as students read and write about the science subject matter. In the same way, each subject should be reinforced throughout the school as the common skills students use are incorporated into each different subject’s curriculum.
As we move forward in the 21st century, there is an increased need for teachers to work together in providing lessons. Classes need to be able to communicate with other classes. Buildings need to facilitate this communication somehow. For that matter, education is an information and communication activity. Designing for an increased flow of electronic information in and out of every area of the building is an important consideration. Also, the potential for distance learning — as schools in other states or even countries collaborate — may influence architectural design.
Q: What are some design strategies you have witnessed that seem to be working in schools?
Deitrich: Traditionally, technology education classrooms were located in a remote part of the school near the custodial area and the loading dock. This was done to facilitate the material delivery and handling that the curriculum required as well as power distribution to the machinery. Our current educational emphasis on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) has led to technology education classrooms being placed in the same area of the building as the science and math classrooms in the most modern of school building designs. This is very helpful to the educational process.
Technology education reinforces the lessons of the science classroom by applying them to real-world engineering problems. Mathematics is used throughout the process. As my students are learning physics in the science classroom, I am having them solve mechanical advantage problems as they construct a mechanism in my technology lab. Close proximity allows teachers to collaborate and helps students to be aware of the common foundation of the knowledge used.
Q: What technologies could architects, contractors and manufacturers incorporate into school designs that would help improve learning as a whole?
Deitrich: The optimal technology classroom in the 21st century needs an instruction and research area, with a computer projection capability and a computer with high-speed Internet access for each student to conduct research and data analysis. Adjacent to that room should be a fabrication and experimentation area with workbenches and hand tools and power machinery. Few high schools in our area are adequately designed and equipped.
Q: What kinds of technologies are currently needed to teach your technology curriculum?
Deitrich: Modern computers and connectivity are needed. The fabrication lab tools and equipment are designed to modify wood, metal and plastics.
Q: What kind of technology or equipment would you want in order to improve or advance the technology curriculum?
Deitrich: It would be nice to have access to better drawing and designing software. It would be dream-like to have access to computer-controlled machinery and 3D printers.
Q: What does the perfect classroom look like to you and how can architects, contractors and manufacturers deliver on this concept?
Deitrich: The perfect technology classroom is [made up of] several adjacent areas. It includes a presentation area with projection equipment for the sharing of knowledge. It includes a research area for individual and student team investigation and design. It includes a fabrication and experimentation area with tools and machines for project work. Ideally, instructors would like to be able to monitor all three of these areas at the same time to maintain student safety while fabrication debris is kept out of sensitive electronic equipment.

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Giving Students Power to Succeed

PLANO, Texas — As collaborative learning has become an increasingly popular design concept for schools, technology has been on the forefront of the model.

Technology has integrated its way into our lives and has not toned down its approach since burrowing into schools and replacing textbooks with digital readers and iPads. It is safe to say that technology is here to stay and is only continuing to expand its presence in our everyday lives. Schools have been able to witness this firsthand, with the latest design strategies and state-of-the-art equipment now incorporated in classrooms. A majority of students now come in contact with keyboards more than pencils in any given school day.

Plano, Texas-based Smith System manufactures furniture equipment for education environments and saw the need to expand upon its collection to incorporate technology into its designs.

The company has since developed the I~O Post, which has been on the market for just over a year. The product helps students power up their devices without wasting valuable class time. The product is also used in libraries where students can work together on projects.

“We’ve seen a big shift in the way students are learning,” said Charlie Risdall, CEO of Smith System.

The I~O Post has eight power outlets and eight network/phone jacks that can be supplied from a source on the floor or the ceiling through a six-foot cable. The power and data ports encircle the post at seating height, which enable students to position classroom or library furniture around the source for collaboration, and eliminates access restrictions, according to Smith Systems.

As student collaboration has become more of a standard, design has also shifted to incorporate the needs of the students. As Risdall and his company began designing furniture to fit the new educational paradigm, he noticed there was not enough power in the space to accommodate the students and their technological needs.

“We started to see that there weren’t enough outlets in the rooms. Even if the rooms were only 10 to 15 years old, they didn’t have power coming out of the floors and there wasn’t any way to get power to the spaces where the students needed it for their laptops, iPads and whatever other devices the students are using,” explained Risdall.

Risdall designed the I~O Post to answer the power needs for students working collaboratively in libraries, classrooms and/or social space.

“We devised the I~O Post as a power solution for these collaborative spaces. We came out with it a little over a year ago and it has taken off really well since,” Risdall said.

The I~O Post can be used in a multitude of educational environments, but Risdall has seen the product take off the most in schools that are redesigning their library space to accommodate 21st century learning concepts.

“The areas where we’re seeing the most impact are common areas and library spaces in high schools and in some middle schools. Certainly the colleges are doing the same exact thing, where they are converting their library spaces into more collaborative spaces and more comfortable areas for students to sit around and learn together — and they all need power,” Risdall said.

The units are located in close proximity to desks or collaborative learning spaces so students can work on their devices while engaging with classmates or an instructor.

When researching the concept, Risdall and his team got the idea from a similar design in an airport.

“You see all the plug-ins for laptops and phones at airports; we just adapted that concept to fit desks at schools, and we’ve now come out with a tall, café-height version as well. We’re putting in a lot of desk areas in front entries and hallways of schools where students can congregate and work on assignments before or after school,” said Risdall.

The technology not only helps to power students’ devices when their battery life is about to expire, but also is a safe and accessible solution to an issue that has pressed schools for years.

“All too often, power outlets and data connections are on exterior walls or are hidden behind shelving, making them extremely inconvenient and awkward to access,” said Margaret Sullivan, Smith System library marketing and sales manager in a statement. “By moving power and data to the students, the I~O Post eliminates the need to string cords across the floor or crawl under tables to reach the nearest outlet, and opens up countless possibilities for collaborative learning with technology throughout the school.”

The I~O Post can be used in any collaborative educational setting, whether it is a library or a hallway. The product can also be positioned near or connecting to any brand and/or type of furniture in order to fit the needs of the user. By using the I~O Post, students are able to receive the necessary power they need to continue to thrive in a 21st century learning environment.

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Cell Phones May Soon be Incorporated in the Classroom

TUPELO, Miss. — It is a common rule in classrooms — no cell phones allowed, but now school officials are saying that could all be history soon.

Technology is becoming an ever-popular necessity in schools throughout the world with schools even using things like to make their websites and resources accessible from a students phone, but while technology needs are increasing many school districts find that budgets are decreasing. So how can schools afford all the latest high-tech gear for classrooms? Enter: The cell phone.

“Why do you keep buying technology when people have their pocket phones that are more powerful than computers used to be?” said Gearl Loden, superintendent of Tupelo Public Schools in Tupelo, Miss. in a statement.

The question raises some interesting responses and actions from school districts. In Mississippi for example, some northeast Mississippi school districts, such as New Albany and Tupelo, have recently set up a policy that allows students to operate their cell phones — only when it is related to educational reasons. Districts that are implementing this policy say that the model may be an example for other districts to follow.

“If school districts are not looking at things like that, they are going to fall behind,” said Jackie Ford, superintendent of New Albany School District in a statement.

Bring Your Own Technology, or BYOT, is becoming almost standard practice in schools all over the country as a way to save money on purchasing electronics for every student in the district. Although BYOT is used in many cases, cell phones typically do not fall under that category, but officials say that cell phones and tablets (iPads) can be used for research, interaction and storage for digital textbooks. Including cell phones within the curriculum nationwide may be closer than we know, although it is taking some persuasion.

“We haven’t made policy changes yet, but yes, I do expect it to come,” said Karen Tutor, superintendent for Pontotoc Municipal Schools, in a statement regarding the district’s implementation of cell phones as technology in the classroom.

While the response has been generally positive in the southern state of Mississippi, there are also those who are concerned and see the potential dangers of allowing students to use their cellular devices for educational purposes at school.

“It’s just getting too disruptive to the learning process,” said Michelle Wade, a spokeswoman for the New Haven Public Schools in New Haven, Conn., in a statement.

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Making Room for New Facilities at Chemeketa Community College

SALEM, Ore. — Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Ore., is expanding to provide advanced technology and more space for students at the growing campus.

The college is in the midst of a $24 million multi-phased expansion project for Chemeketa Community College’s Applied Technology Program. The expansion includes two new facilities and several remodels including renovations for automotive, visual communications, welding and drafting/engineering.

The project is expected to begin in summer 2013 and will last two to three years before it is turned over for use.

Each project in the multi-phased expansion will range from $1 million to $16 million. The expansion also includes significant improvements to campus infrastructure and a redevelopment plan for the north portion of campus. Parallel to the building design efforts, the college’s executive leadership will be engaged in a series of workshops to determine the near and far development goals for the campus.

Portland, Ore.-based Yost Grube Hall Architecture (YGH) is working on the design of the project, alongside Carlson Veit. All planning, architecture and interior design was completed by the team.

The project is expected to receive LEED Silver certification, as green building strategies will be implemented throughout the design and construction of the new 60,000-square-foot machining and electronics building, as well as the 14,000-square-foot renovation of the welding building.

The growing population of the school has caused school officials to reexamine building space and facility usage in order to provide for the growing needs of the school and student-body.

A recent program analysis and feasibility study was developed over a one-year period, involving 12 participants from the 12 academic programs at the college, along with industry partners. The academic programs were engaged through workshops and facility tours, while industry partners participated in a series of symposiums on and off campus. To meet the programmatic requirements within the assigned budget, a thorough analysis of building construction types was conducted in conjunction with equipment and material needs assessment by each program.

As technology is becoming more and more a part of daily life, students will soon be learning first-hand the benefits of applied technology in the classroom.

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Technology Allowing Students to Report Bullying

BOSTON — Bullying has bothered students for generations, but a new device might help document and reduce it.

Boston-based education company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) recently launched a digital program that, on multiple platforms, will allow students to anonymously report concerns or incidents of bullying.

The reporting platform helps school districts and local government agencies manage each case consistently and fairly by using a sophisticated analytics and reporting engine, according to HMH.

“When children feel safe, it has an overwhelmingly positive effect on their learning environment,” said Sean Burke, president of the School Safety Advisory Council. “This tool is unique in that it gives students peace of mind in knowing their concerns will be kept confidential, while providing the school district with the ability to track each report. It creates a certain level of accountability, ensuring that cases of bullying and other related incidents will not fall through the cracks.”

Student bullying has grown in recent years, according to national statistics. One in every four students is currently being bullied, and every seven minutes a child is bullied on a playground. In addition, 160,000 students miss school for fear of being bullied. The new device is intended to make it easier for students to report incidents.

“HMH is focused on empowering students to learn, which includes a responsibility to work toward building safer school environments for all students,” said Linda Zecher, president and CEO of HMH. “This particular platform provides districts the ability to report, track, manage and analyze a variety of incidents including bullying, and we are excited to bring this solution to districts across the county.”

Victims of bullying often do not step forward because they fear punishment for reporting the incident. Now, however, victims, educators and parents will be able to anonymously report incidents through the school district’s website, text messaging or a call center. The company is also developing a mobile application for phones and tablets to be used as another reporting vehicle.

Each case is documented in a central repository that helps administrators review, investigate and resolve reported concerns in a consistent and transparent manner, according to the company.

Each step is documented and alerts notify authorities if a case goes astray at any point.

The districts can track data and review district-wide reports, school-level reports and reports from individual schools. They can then cross-analyze the information to locate problem areas.

To prevent false claims, managers would have to cross-check reports with other investigations and data.

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Phone App Brings Payment Options to Campus Housing

PHILADELPHIA — Campus Apartments, a developer, owner and manager of on-campus student housing, has developed a Smartphone application that will allow users of iPhone and Android-based phones to pay their rent and schedule service calls — in-between text messages.

SmartClick Mobile is an extension to the company’s successful SmartClick web portal. This student housing mobile applications was officially went online to residents in November and has already secured early adopters.

“We recognize that residents of student housing, more so than residents of any other sector of the multifamily housing industry, demand the most advanced technology amenities,” says Andrew Marshall, chief information officer at Campus Apartments. “Our goal is to exceed our residents’ expectations, and we do this by pioneering services not yet available in the student housing market.”

In developing the application, Marshall says it was important to offer residents the benefits of function and convenience rather than a static application that supported prospective residents.

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