TechTest2015 Survivors’ Breakfast

May 2015
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
	1	2
3	4	5	6	7	8	9
10	11	12	13	14	15	16
17	18	19	20	21	22	23
24	25	26	27	28	29	30
31

OUR LINKS

YubaNet
White House Blog
Watts Up With That?
The Union
Sierra Thread
RL “Bob” Crabb
Barry Pruett Blog

TechTest2015 Survivors’ Breakfast

15 May 2015

George Rebane

Thought I’d inject a little braggadocio for some of our county’s STEM elite young people. This morning we celebrated the winners of the TechTest2015 at the annual TechTest Survivors’ Breakfast held at Tofanelli’s in Grass Valley. TT2015 was the ninth presentation of this grueling four-hour merit scholarship exam (which you can inspect or try your hand at here) given on 11 April 2015. The test sponsored by the Sierra Economics and Science Foundation with its scholarship fund counting among its contributors Nevada City Rotary Club, Telestream, Riskalyze, Nevada County Republican Women Federated, and various private individuals.

SESF ED Russ Steele opened our little feast attended by test takers and their parents. Director Mike McDaniel was the master of ceremonies, and NUHS physics teacher John McDaniel, who heads the TechTest Academic Committee that administers and grades the test, gave some pithy insights as to how this year’s test takers attacked various problems. As SESF Director of Research, it is my privilege to write the test and conduct the winter preparatory seminars for test takers. The top three scores were earned by Casper Hendrickson, Aaron Van Doren, and Ryan Crenshaw pictured on the right. On the left wearing their Survivors’ t-shirts are the other scholarship winners attending the breakfast (save the chubby old guy on the end). Again it was a lively and festive affair with everyone sharing their plans for further study and careers. Hats go off to the parents for raising this outstanding crop of arrows that we now launch into our country’s future.

And for completeness, TechTestJr2015 will be given tomorrow at NUHS to eighth graders from various county middle schools. This exam intends to motivate the younger students to take STEM subjects in high school. Also sponsored by SESF, it is now in its fourth year. It awards prizes for high scorers consisting of electronics and other technology related kits for assembly and study.

Posted in Critical Thinking & Numeracy, Happenings, Nevada County

132 responses to “TechTest2015 Survivors’ Breakfast”

Gregory

15 May 2015

Congrats to all the kids and old guys who signed on for work and studies no one was requiring of them.
It’s been 8 years since the first tech test… keeping some note of where the kids have gone and what they’re doing could be inspiring.

LikeLike
George Rebane

15 May 2015

Gregory 456pm – Thank you Gregory. Great minds and all that, we are planning a get together of TechTest Survivors of all years past to see who has gone where and done what. For all of us at SESF it has truly been a privilege to work with these young people as they launch their careers. I will report, stay tuned.

LikeLike
Russ Steele

15 May 2015

Gregory@4:56PM
I can tell you something about two winners. The first is a young lady who was a second place winner in the first TechTest, She did not have any plans to attend college. Her parents wanted her to find a boy and get married, she said. A board member mentored her, creating an intership in his office so she could attend Sierra College. She completed two year at SC and enrolled at Sac State in engineering. Last year she gradated as a civil engineer and found a job in the testing lab at a concrete pipe company in Rocklin.
The second winner graduated from Bear River and went to Berkeley and was chosen as a Rhodes Scholar and is currently in England studying micro-biology if I remember correctly.
I would like to know more about all of our winners.

LikeLike
Michael R. Kesti

15 May 2015

Hats off, too, to SESF. Many talk about making a difference but SESF makes a difference. TechTest is easily the most significant contribution to local education made by those outside of the educational establishment.

LikeLike
Ben Emery

16 May 2015

This is the first time I didn’t recognize one of the participants. Kudos for the tech test and giving incentives for young minds to push their limits.

LikeLike
Gregory

16 May 2015

An NU kid who didn’t manage to take the very first techtest is now a Harvard PhD candidate in theoretical chemical physics, and a Bear River kid who didn’t manage to take the tt four years later is now graduating from Mudd in Chemistry and entering MIT this Fall for a PhD program.
A wider techtest net to enrich more of the upper and lower ends might be a good thing and catching the preparatory seminars on youtube videos might be one way to increase the testing pool. Personally, I cringe at the “where the elite compete” tagline, and that could be a turnoff to some of the kiddies. Something like “Where all may compete” is a more egalitarian message, and the creme rising to the top doesn’t have to be stated, all know that’s what tests do.
More kids like that girl who is now a practicing civil engineer rather than just being barefoot and pregnant is a good thing, not that a smart young woman getting married and having kids isn’t also a good thing… it generally takes a smart mom to give birth to and raise smart children. Doing both is even better.

LikeLike
George Rebane

16 May 2015

Gregory 1203pm – thanks for the thoughts. As our scholarship funds grow, we will increase the outreach. Right now we’re operating at about $15K per year.
It’s good to cringe at ‘where the elite compete’. Elitism in various skill domains is a laudable, albeit politically incorrect, goal. TT is a merit scholarship test where only the score counts. It is definitely not an exercise in self-esteem nor is it meant for everyone. Hopefully, it will re-establish the notion of laudatory elitism in the young people’s minds. It most certainly has done that to the students and parents who have attended our Survivors’ Breakfasts over the years.
In my career, I and my peers were considered among the elite in our professions, but we never felt that way ourselves. In fact, all of our lives we were constantly studying when not inventing, always insecure that we knew enough. I understand the Horowitzes, Perlmans, Mas, and Cliburns continued to practice many hours a day in order to remain among the elite of their professions. A humbling dose of self-doubt motivates one to keep working in order to achieve and then remain in the ranks of the elite.
In today’s permissive educational environment that emphasizes ‘Good job!’ self-esteem, TechTest is a bit of early reality that we hope will keep on giving as our young people go on to college and careers.

LikeLike
Gregory

16 May 2015

George, you don’t need more scholarship monies to get more kids to decide to participate, and there is plenty of time after graduating from high school to decide if you’re in the elite, or not.
Ben, that’s because you’re blind.

LikeLike
Gregory

16 May 2015

Perhaps a better counter than my 12:31 harkens back to my 12:03… there’s a couple of the meritorious arguably elites who passed tech test by on their way to the elites of the elites. Why? Bring as many as you can to the lessons, to the test. Let the learning be the reward, the test itself be the sieve. And, not to belabor the obvious, even the best of the best can have a bad day.
This is for Russ… the hard core (dare I say “elite”) in math and the physical sciences tend to see civil engineering as almost engineering, and microbiology (one word) as almost science, but do see both as valuable.

LikeLike
George Rebane

16 May 2015

Gregory 0100pm – “Let the learning be the reward, …” An interesting viewpoint, one that speaks of another kind of elitism. The school from where I and mine come rewards little for the (often painful) learning that one has gone through, but rewards only subsequently demonstrated performance – whether learned or bestowed by an angel of the Lord. And it appears that today’s private sector workplace has now adopted that more broadly and in spades – testing the prospective employee on what they know and can do rather than basing acceptance on certificates of (joyful?) learning. TechTest tests what one can do, and based on that bestows a true feeling of accomplishment.

LikeLike
Gregory

16 May 2015

” TechTest tests what one can do, and based on that bestows a true feeling of accomplishment.”
And it is being taken by a fraction of the kids you are trying to reach.

LikeLike
George Rebane

16 May 2015

Gregory 132pm – While we would like to see more kids taking it, your diagnosis of why that isn’t so misses the mark. There are many factors involved which we continue to work on. For TT2016 we should do better since our academic coordinator will have more time to get the word out. But the size of the scholarship fund, and its scheduled time in the spring of the senior year present challenges. While we want the students to have as much math as possible under their belts, but pushing the date closer to May makes us compete with a full calendar of events that occur at the end of the senior year. But make no mistake about it, the kids are taking the test for the money, and not to demonstrate what joys they may or not have had in learning their stuff. In every school, that has naturally pruned turnout as test takers see who will or not take the test as the date nears. The ten $300 honoraria are a big draw. With more money we would have more award tiers, higher top scholarships, and bigger draw.

LikeLike
Gregory

16 May 2015

With Common Core, expect math skills to be dwindling. Here’s a remarkable admission from Stanford’s Jo Boaler, professor, PhD Math Education:
“Given her childhood was during what she calls the “progressive era”
for math education, Boaler was never forced to even memorize her times
tables—and still does not know them all by heart to this day. “I have
number sense, which we know is much more important,” she explained. “I
have a feel for numbers and can work them out quickly.” For instance,
in computing 7 x 8, she does 80 (or 8 x 10) minus 24 (or 8 x 3).”
One might be encouraged that Common Core has been rejected by State Superintendent Torlakson, except that he isn’t rejecting the Common Core but is now going to call them the California Standards because people get upset by his references to Common Core.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/el/le/yr15ltr0429.asp

LikeLike
George Rebane

16 May 2015

Gregory 206pm – Holy sh!t! what a way to multiply 7×8; and this is what our kids will have to endure for the rest of their lives? Please keep us informed of the Common Core Camouflage Campaign. (Edited at the behest of fellow commenter to improve this comment’s rating to GP-13.)

LikeLike
Gregory

16 May 2015

Mr. Rebane, language, please! 🙂
My remark to my favorite ed listserver was “Absolutely f-ing unbelievable. Pardon my French.”
Ms. Boaler is a major player in the Common Core space, especially the wretchedly misnamed “Smarter Balanced” testing that goes with the territory. Here’s a link to the story:
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2015/05/professor_stop_math_memorization.html

LikeLike
Gregory

16 May 2015

Sorry, the piece with the quote is on a page linked by the edweek story:
http//hechingerreport.org/memorizers-are-the-lowest-achievers-and-other-common-core-math-surprises/

LikeLike
Ben Emery

16 May 2015

Greg G. always has a kind word for everyone. George you should feel lucky to have such a special person participate on your blog.

LikeLike
Gregory

16 May 2015

3:53
What a Ben Emery thing to say! Thank you for sharing that personal dig, Ben.
Ben, when you write a snotty backhanded complement like your first post, you should expect to get the same energy tossed back.

LikeLike
Russ Steele

16 May 2015

TechTestKr2015
TechTest Jr was successfully completed this morning in the NU Science theater. Sixteen 7th and 8th graders participated in the examination and took home some science related prizes. It was an even mix of male and female students. The ladies all arrived early and the young men straggled in at the last minute.
The top two prizes were claimed by young ladies, the Quadcopters being a big hit with number one and number two. They never paused to look at the robots, the electronic snap kits, or the microprocessors. Of the seven prizes awarded five went to young ladies, a mix of robots and microprocessor kits.
Mount St Mary’s won the participation prize again this year with the highest participation rate. Last year was the first time the participation prize was awarded.
The two largest middle schools did not participate in this brain bending contest. The lack of participation continues to baffle David Pistone and I. We advertised the contest in the schools bulletins and posters on the information boards. There were no Seven Hills winners this year, having dominated last three years. They maybe missing Mr Sharp who was a strong promoter of TechTest.
While we were waiting for the young men to arrive I asked the ladies how they like Common Core. The universal response was “I hate it” “STAR testing was much better,” said one young lady.

LikeLike
Jeff Pelline

16 May 2015

Just my two cents, but if I was a working parent in our community with a talented child in school, and I read this blog, I would be leery about participating in this “competition.” Even more so when I read that the students are being “interviewed” about Common Core. It has nothing to do with the supposed “mission.” My concern would be that this is political ideology masquerading as a “good deed.” Might want to back off mixing politics with education.

LikeLike
Jon

16 May 2015

Ben said- “This is the first time I didn’t recognize one of the participants. Kudos for the tech test and giving incentives for young minds to push their limits”.
Gregory, how this was snotty and backhanded? I would think an apology to Ben is in order, for ripping into that sincere commment. Your historical ratio of insults and disdain directed toward Ben is unnatural. Why is he such a target? He is the most honest, sincere people I’ve ever come across.

LikeLike
Jon

16 May 2015

person…

LikeLike
George Rebane

16 May 2015

re JeffP’s 1017pm – Well, I guess it is settled then. Any critique of CC is a critique of progressive education which naturally must come from the Right. Ergo, the Left admits that CC is a seminally politicized educational scheme from the gitgo. However, let the record show that RussS’s “interview” was a non-partisan question IF one still claims that CC is an ideologically neutral approach to education.

LikeLike
Gregory

17 May 2015

“This is the first time I didn’t recognize one of the participants”
Give it some thought, “Jon”.

LikeLike
Gregory

17 May 2015

“While we were waiting for the young men to arrive I asked the ladies how they like Common Core.”
Russ, how could you ask such a hostile question? Thank goodness we have the FUE to keep the hard right in line…

LikeLike
Barry Pruett

17 May 2015

I was amazed by all of the children at TT jr. Well spoken and very, very bright youngsters. One of the kids programs in three languages, but would prefer theoretical physics as a career over computer science. Just listening to him, you could tell that he is incredibly bright. Weimar’s participants are impressively bright also. Good job Dave and Russ. It is a wonderful thing for our local youth to be awarded for intellectual ability.

LikeLike
Barry Pruett

17 May 2015

I had to get to the keyboard for this one. The little one from Weimar that won TT Jr. speaks to languages (English and Swedish). The boy that came in third was very articulate, looked you in the eye, and programmed in three languages. The boy that came in third went straight for the Arduino. I was completely impressed with the children. One child, a seventh grader, cried that she did not place. Afterwards, I spoke with her and her mother and explained that if you take out all of the eighth graders, she would have been in second. I encouraged her to come back when all of the pesky eighth graders are in high school. The glass is always half full. Clearly some of the brightest minds in the county. Again, thanks Russ and Dave.

LikeLike
Jeff Pelline

17 May 2015

Thanks Barry. Of course you’re also a “board member” of this group, which is overt in advancing some pretty extreme political views. It is hardly an apolitical group. I wonder if it’s time for the “Sierra Economics and Science Foundation” to revisit its mission statement.

LikeLike
Russ Steele

17 May 2015

JeffP@10;17PM
It was not an interview, it was a simple straight forward question that I ask my grandkids, and any other young people I meet. I am just interested in how Common Core is being received by students. I did not share my opinion with the students. I also asked the whole group if they watch TED Talk videos? Again, just interested in how young people view our world.

LikeLike
Russ Steele

17 May 2015

Barry,
Thanks for your help on TTJr yesterday. Dave and I appreciate your timely assistance.

LikeLike
fish

17 May 2015

Might want to back off mixing politics with education.
Why….? Oh yeah…that’s the lefts turf….silly me!

LikeLike
George Rebane

17 May 2015

JeffP 801am – Pelline, I am absolutely amazed at your attacks on SESF scholarship works, and your determination to paint these volunteer efforts to motivate and reward young people in their academics as an enterprise to proselytize a political ideology. There apparently is nothing beneath you, including your blatant lies that SESF is a politically motivated organization (present any shred of evidence that SESF overtly, or otherwise, advances any “extreme political views”). I do believe you to be a low-life, and an exemplar of everything that is wrong with America.

LikeLike
Todd Juvinall

17 May 2015

Things must be slow over on the Pelline site. He usually comes to our blogs to stir it up in an attempt to get viewers. He is a troll and that is why no one likes him.

LikeLike
Barry W. Pruett

17 May 2015

I discussed the very partisan and ideologically extreme website “Khan Academy” with one of the students! Only a tool could make a math test ideologically extreme.
Question: “If one side of a triangle has a length of 12 and another side has a length of 10, what is the maximum length of the third side?”
Answer: Global warming…errr…Common Core.
Jeff, you really need to let that hatred go and try to see the good in folks.

LikeLike
fish

17 May 2015

Posted by: Barry W. Pruett | 17 May 2015 at 09:09 AM
Start the countdown to jeffy attempting to live off past “triumphs” by reminding you of your election loss.

LikeLike
Jeff Pelline

17 May 2015

Rebane,
You’re kidding, right? The drumbeat of SESF in our community is all about promoting the hard-right political agenda — anti government, anti global warming, anti Common Core. Some of the “research” has been debunked: http://sierrafoothillsreport.com/2012/03/02/county-cites-erroneous-methodology-in-column-by-a-ses-foundation-board-member/
There have been some unfortunate “bookkeeping” issues too: http://sierrafoothillsreport.com/2012/02/21/state-ag-to-ses-foundation-accounting-dates-were-wrong-for-five-years/
As for “Tech Test”, there are plenty of academic programs/scholarships for our youth that are truly apolitical: from Galileo programs at the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, Academic Talent Search at Sacramento State, to the youth programs in engineering at UNR, etc. I am not aware that any of them are quizzing students (or the “young ladies,” to use Russ’ words) about Common Core during the testing period.
You have a great opportunity to advance academics in our community but need square that with your political messaging.

LikeLike
Gregory

17 May 2015

Jeff, I know a number of “Jewish liberal professors” who are against Common Core and aren’t particularly on board with climate alarmism, either. Your problem, besides your head not being where it can get sunlight, is that being gung ho for Common Core and for climate alarmism pretty much requires being hard core left liberal, so much so as to be litmus tests.
Common Core Math is whole math, take two, and discovery math has failed wherever it has been tried. Now the true believers, with $200 million+ of Bill Gates’ cash, got it rolled out nationwide, after hiring some of the same folks who tanked California math education in the ’90’s. This time, it’s really gonna hurt.

LikeLike
fish

17 May 2015

Posted by: Jeff Pelline | 17 May 2015 at 09:20 AM
So all you can inject into the discussion about a science/academic competition is an issue about pension liabilities from a guy who is interested in both issues?
That’s it?

LikeLike
Jeff Pelline

17 May 2015

Gregory,
Debate the issues, not the people. You’re a grown up now.

LikeLike
fish

17 May 2015

Posted by: Jeff Pelline | 17 May 2015 at 10:05 AM
Great big fat pot meet kettle…….

LikeLike
Todd Juvinall

17 May 2015

So my take away from Pelline’s concerns are that he is for global warming, for big government and for Common Core. Got it. I would appear he is really outside the mainstream.

LikeLike
Jeff Pelline

17 May 2015

As always, no discussion on this blog would be complete without the wisdom of “fish” (David Larsen of Carmichael). The same guy who wrote this: http://www.ncc-1776.org/tle2011/tle603-20110116-02.html
LOL.

LikeLike
Jeff Pelline

17 May 2015

Or Todd Juvinall, who misspelled “breathe” when he created his political blog, but didn’t realize that correcting the title to read “Sierra Dragon’s Breath” still left his “breathe” exposed on the URL: sierradragonsbreathe.blogspot.com/ ROFLOL.

LikeLike
Todd Juvinall

17 May 2015

Wow! Pelline has lost his noggin again. What a hoot! I am headed for some chili cheese fries. LOL!

LikeLike
Jeff Pelline

17 May 2015

I suspect Todd kept trying to delete the letter “e” from blog’s URL, hoping it would somehow disappear. ROFLOL.

LikeLike
Gregory

17 May 2015

Here’s a freshly lost election for a school board in Massachusetts:
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2015/05/wilbraham_1.html
The Common Core loving chairman came in 3rd in a field of 4.
Yes, Jeff, I’m a grown up. Now it’s your turn to get there… those were the issues and you’re the master of the ad hominem here. You choose not to actually discuss climate science (with a bachelors degree in rhetoric and a masters in fooling all of the people some of the time, I can’t blame you for not taking that one on), and you’ve punted every time on Common Core. Let’s give the latter a chance with a simple proposition:
Do you deny that Common Core math is essentially the same as the whole math of the early ’90’s?
That’s easy, Jeff. Honestly answerable yes or no.

LikeLike
George Rebane

17 May 2015

Re JeffP’s 920pm – for the critical reader I draw attention to this pitiful attempt to give evidence that SESF fosters a political ideology. This man sheds new light on what it means to be ‘beyond ignorant’.

LikeLike
Jeff Pelline

17 May 2015

That’s easy, Gregory. No.
But let’s get back to the issue at hand: quizzing the kiddos about Common Core instead of just being a SESF “Tech Test” proctor.

LikeLike
Todd Juvinall

17 May 2015

George there is no ryhme or reason in Pelline’s spewing his venom. He is the reason why “journalism” is so low on the totem pole of trust. But he does supply the “jesters” role here.
Regarding the “e” on the end of the URL on my blog that seems to make Pelline wet his pants. Who cares. When you Google the blog name comes up for all to see and the URL is not important. Anyway, the “e” makes it a plural. What a hoot!

LikeLike
Todd Juvinall

17 May 2015

While SESF is trying to better American education, Pelline and Frisch are discussing “paddle boating” on Tahoe. You just can’t make this stuff up.

LikeLike