Tech Directions

Inside this month's issue:
Digital Portfolios—Powerful Marketing Tool for Communication Students

Choosing the Right CC Welding Unit—
Student Success Depends on It

Think Green—
• Increase Awareness of Garbage and Recycling
• Teach Students Ways to Reduce Home Energy Use

techdirections is a magazine and web site for technology, career/technical, and applied science education. Designed for the involved educator, techdirections brings to life today’s technology and provides a wealth of engaging student activities. We cover automotive, IT, CAD/CAM, electricity/electronics, engineering, manufacturing, woodworking, construction, and much more. We provide information on current industry practices and products that will help you integrate those practices into your classroom.

Project of the Month
Structures and Bridges
After learning about the forces of tension, compression, and shear, students build a simple beam-and-truss bridge to test for its resistance against these forces. This month only, $4.95 Save $2!

Product of the Month
Black Technologists Posters
Celebrate Black History Month in February with posters of African American technologists. Timelines document major life events. Great educational tool. This month only, buy the set of 3 for only $24.95!
Lowest price ever!

December's School Web Site of the Month is www1.mgsd.k12.nc.us/mmstechnologyeducation/, a web site produced by Kim Kulawik and his students from Mooresville (NC) Middle School. For more details, see the article on page 24 in the December issue. To have your school's site considered for Web Site of the Month, send your site address to vanessa@techdirections.com.

Pardon our "dust" as we work to improve the techdirections site. If you have any problems, contact webmaster@techdirections.com
techdirections/Prakken Publications, Inc., PO Box 8623, Ann Arbor, MI 48107-8623; 734-975-2800

Gifts for Geeks
Some cool—and very fun—ideas for gift giving this holiday season.