Natonal Digital Learning Days IV

National Digital Learning Day Pics III

National Digital Learning Days Pics II

 

National Digital Learning Day

On Wednesday, February 6, 2013, we celebrated the second annual National Digital Learning Day in our Globaloria classroom. Digital learning refers to any instructional practice that is effectively using technology to strengthen the student learning experience (personalized learning and blended-learning). Digital Learning Day is a celebration of these practices. We had 13 outside visitors, 9 students, and the principal visit our room. One of the visitors was Jenna Jeffrey, Senator Jay Rockefeller's assistant. Below are some of the great pictures from that event.

Mountaineers and Buckeyes Team Up for Shale Research

                                                                             

Mountaineer researchers from West Virginia University are joining Buckeye students from Ohio State University to determine how both states can receive maximum benefit from shale exploration. With billions of dollars’ worth of economic growth at stake for both states over the next several years, the universities are teaming up to study how to maximize the value of the Marcellus and Utica shale formations underlying West Virginia and Ohio. They have signed a memorandum of understanding creating a shale energy partnership between the two schools. "This singular partnership demonstrates the wisdom of universities collaborating with one another," said Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee. "West Virginia University and Ohio State have complementary research strengths in this area. Working together, our faculty will take a unique leadership role that will advance our shared, scientific understanding of the complex environmental and economic issues in shale energy." The MOU acknowledges that research and education related to shale energy development must be of high value to students, faculty and the public. The two schools will exchange information while jointly exploring funding of shale energy and related environmental studies before, during and after the development of the Utica and Marcellus shale plays. This could include the development of field laboratories. "I am very excited about this partnership between two land-grant, flagship, research universities on an issue that is of great importance," WVU President Jim Clements said. "By working together we will enhance our capacity to do cutting-edge research, high-quality teaching and effective outreach on shale energy. This partnership will also enhance our ability to serve the energy needs of our states, nation and world." WVU and OSU will address the complex issues related to shale development, including the economic implications of natural gas and other hydrocarbons, as well as the possible impacts of such development efforts on the environment, local communities and public health. In Ohio, gas and oil producers like XTO Energy, Gulfport Energy, Hess Corp. and Antero Resources continue fracking wells, while processing companies like MarkWest Energy, Caiman Energy and M3 Midstream build plants across the countryside. In West Virginia, drillers such as Chesapeake Energy, Chevron, Stone Energy, Gastar Exploration, EQT Corp. and others continue developing assets in West Virginia, while processing companies including MarkWest, Williams Partners and Dominion Resources construct increasingly more infrastructure across the northern portion of the state. In Ohio, during a single week last year, one Marcellus and Utica Shale leasing company paid about $60 million in signing bonuses to Belmont County mineral owners. As an example for how the industry is impacting West Virginia, Marshall County property values increased by $577.2 million for the 2013 tax year, largely because of oil and gas drilling. This means the county and its board of education will collect more tax dollars this year. The Gulfport Stuntzman well south of Barnesville is one of the reasons drillers are so active in Belmont County. Based on initial production numbers and the going rates for oil and natural gas, WVU Marshall Miller Professor of Energy Tim Carr said this well could be producing as much as $100,000 worth of revenue per day. Much of the high value for the gas underlying parts of Belmont County can be attributed to the fact that it is wet gas containing ethane, propane, butane, pentane and oil in addition to the dry methane gas. This valuable wet gas is also found in northern West Virginia, particularly in Marshall and Ohio counties.

By CASEY JUNKINS Staff Writer , The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register

University Of Michigan Engineer Says Radar Technology Could Detect Concealed Weapons At School.

A radar-based concept originally developed to detect suicide bombs abroad could be used to find people carrying concealed weapons in a crowd here at home, University of Michigan researcher Kamal Sarabandi says. The Defense Department funded Sarabandi's research for years, because his technology can detect bombs under clothes. But now, after the Newtown school shooting, Sarabandi wants to see if his research could be used to find concealed guns in crowded places, including malls, airports, stadiums, and schools. Sarabandi's technology is a fresh take on existing radar technology, such as the radar police use to trap speeders. Sarabandi's version works by bouncing radar waves off people. Radar signals bounce differently off of skin and metallic objects, so you can identify a gun--or something like a gun--by focusing the radar on a person's torso and comparing the reading to a baseline reflection generated in the lab. A torso with a large concealed metal object reflects the radar back differently, and looks slightly off when compared with a regular torso, as illustrated by the image above. While still not tested on people in crowds, the method was able to distinguish between a mannequin torso wearing a leather jacket, and a mannequin torso concealing a dummy bomb under its leather jacket. In the future, Sarabandi says radar guns based on his method could scan crowds for people concealing bombs or guns under their clothes, and those people could be quickly pulled aside and scanned more rigorously. Right now, he is working on designing a smaller system for an army robot. The most promising peacetime application? Promising a faster alternative to metal detectors. No idea how accurate it is, though.

US engineers unveil transformer-style robotic chimp

Engineers at Carnegie Mellon University’s (CMU) National Robotics Engineering Center (NERC) have developed CHIMP, a highly dexterous robot capable of tackling rough terrain. CHIMP (CMU Highly Intelligent Mobile Platform) has simian resemblance but rubberised tracks on the extremities of its four limbs give it the locomotion of a tracked vehicle. According to CMU, this configuration offers an advantage when moving over debris. CHIMP can, however, move on the treads of two limbs when needed, such as when tasked to use one or more limbs to open a valve, or to operate power tools.

CHIMP will have to perform these and other tasks during the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Robotics Challenge (DRC), in which robots will have human-like capabilities to respond to events such as the 2011 Fukushima nuclear plant disaster. Climbing ladders and driving vehicles are said to be among the obstacles robots will face in environments engineered for people. The NREC entry, Tartan Rescue Team, is one of seven selected by DARPA for DRC Track A, in which each team will develop its own hardware and software. In operation CHIMP will be able to perform complex, physically challenging tasks through supervised autonomy. On-board sensors build a texture-mapped, 3D model of the environment that CHIMP uses to maintain stability and prevent collisions. The same 3D model is said to enable an operator to visualise the location and orientation of CHIMP and evaluate possible actions. The robot will also be pre-programmed to execute tasks such as grasping a tool, stepping on a ladder rung or turning a steering wheel without step-by-step direction from the human controller, circumventing the lag between command and execution. ‘Humans provide high-level control, while the robot provides low-level reflexes and self-protective behaviours,’ said Tony Stentz, NREC director and Tartan Rescue Team leader. ‘This enables CHIMP to be highly capable without the complexity associated with a fully autonomous robot.’ The final DRC event will be held in 2014, with the winner receiving $2m. CHIMP will have to perform these and other tasks during the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Robotics Challenge (DRC), in which robots will have human-like capabilities to respond to events such as the 2011 Fukushima nuclear plant disaster. Climbing ladders and driving vehicles are said to be among the obstacles robots will face in environments engineered for people. The NREC entry, Tartan Rescue Team, is one of seven selected by DARPA for DRC Track A, in which each team will develop its own hardware and software. In operation CHIMP will be able to perform complex, physically challenging tasks through supervised autonomy. On-board sensors build a texture-mapped, 3D model of the environment that CHIMP uses to maintain stability and prevent collisions. The same 3D model is said to enable an operator to visualise the location and orientation of CHIMP and evaluate possible actions. The robot will also be pre-programmed to execute tasks such as grasping a tool, stepping on a ladder rung or turning a steering wheel without step-by-step direction from the human controller, circumventing the lag between command and execution. ‘Humans provide high-level control, while the robot provides low-level reflexes and self-protective behaviours,’ said Tony Stentz, NREC director and Tartan Rescue Team leader. ‘This enables CHIMP to be highly capable without the complexity associated with a fully autonomous robot.’