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MicroSpark

Microelectronics and Semiconductor Conference

Day 1: February 25th, 2025 | ASU Memorial Union Ballroom

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Lisa Molloy

Assistant Director of Strategic Operations

Dr. Jill Loveall

Director of Teacher Development

Megan Hanley

Executive Director of School Design

Rachna Mathur

Senior STEM Strategist�ex-Intel Engineer

Alison Hernandez

Director of Professional Development

✨ASU Prep MicroSpark Committee✨

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Agenda

Welcome
Introduction to Microelectronics
Table Rotations on Careers & Curriculum
Principled Innovation
Micro:Bits Workshop
LUNCH
Semiconductor Day @ Prep
Movement Activity
Robotics in Arizona
Robotics Programs @ Prep
Reflection & Closing

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Our Why

You may be sitting here and wondering how in the world microelectronics and semiconductors fit into your classroom, especially if you teach primary grade levels or a humanities content area. The goal of these two days is to bring awareness to the booming job industry in Phoenix, Arizona, and how we can bring awareness to our students from a young age. Check out the top five jobs that have the highest salaries in microelectronics. Lithography is a printmaking process that uses a flat stone or piece of metal to create an image. In microelectronics, the same skill is used to create patterns on silicon wafers to make microchips and integrated circuits. We live in an interconnected world, and this is your opportunity to make those connections for your students. If a student loves make lithographic art, this passion could potentially turn into one of the highest paying jobs on the engineering market. And this is just one of many opportunities in this rapidly growing industry!

Information technology is one of the six key industries in the Phoenix area: https://azmag.gov/programs/maps-and-data/employment/business-jobs-and-industry-explorer

ASU microelectronics workforce: https://microelectronics.asu.edu/workforce-development/

Jill kicks us off with agenda and learning objectives

8-8:15

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Conference Goals

Enhance teachers' understanding of microelectronics concepts and its importance
Provide practical tools and strategies for incorporating microelectronics into K-12
Inspire teachers to spark student interest in microelectronics careers
Foster connections between educators and the microelectronics industry

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Introduction to Microelectronics

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Welcome

Dr. Binil Starly

School Director and Professor

School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, ASU

Dr. Shawn Jordan

Interim Director and Professor

School of Integrated Engineering, ASU

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Table Rotations

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Welcome

Katie Smith

Business Development Manager

Corporate Engagement & Strategic Partnerships, ASU

Jessica Hauer

Educational Outreach Coordinator

Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering, ASU

Dr. Karishma Patnaik

Postdoctoral Research Scholar

School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, ASU

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Rotation 1

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Rotation 2

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Rotation 3

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Principled Innovation

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Welcome

Lisa Molloy

Assistant Director of Strategic Operations

ASU Prep

Enrique Borges

Program Manager Principled Innovation

ASU - MLFC

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ASU Charter

ASU is a comprehensive public research university, measured not by whom it �excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed; advancing research and discovery of public value; and assuming fundamental responsibility for the �economic, social, cultural and overall �health of the communities it serves.

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Leverage Our Place

ASU embraces its culture, socioeconomic and physical setting.

Transform Society

ASU catalyzes social change by being connected to social needs.

Value Entrepreneurship

ASU uses its knowledge and encourages innovation.

Conduct Use-Inspired Research

ASU research has purpose and impact.

Enable Student Success

ASU is committed to the success of each unique student.

Fuse Intellectual Disciplines

ASU creates knowledge by transcending academic disciplines.

Be Socially Embedded

ASU connects with communities through mutually beneficial partnerships.

Engage Globally

ASU engages with people and issues locally, nationally and internationally.

Practice Principled Innovation

ASU places character and values at the center of decisions and actions

We have already been practicing Principled Innovation– but now is an important time in our university history to name it and provide a shared language to talk about what it is and how we practice it. As such President Crow decided to expand Principled Innovation to the entire university. We are working across the ASU community to make Principled Innovation an explicit part of our culture. Now more than ever, it is important to highlight ASU’s culture of Principled Innovation. Doing so will advance our work in purposeful and thoughtful ways. We want to make PI a reflexive and reflective practice. That it becomes second nature…

Now more than ever, it is important to highlight ASU’s culture of Principled Innovation. Doing so will advance our work in purposeful and thoughtful ways.

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ASU’s 9th Design Aspiration�Practice Principled Innovation

ASU places character and values at the center of decisions and actions

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What is Principled Innovation?

History of PI at ASU – “This is a story that began in 2016 at Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College when Dean Carole Basile started at ASU.

There was a Recognition that education systems were not designed for our current or future world and do not work for all people.

Need to prepare educators and leaders to engage as “intrapreneurs” - to create positive change from within the systems.

She and others Also recognized the need to develop the dispositions that nurtured “intrapreneurial” decisions from a place of empathy, care, and belonging.

The conversation soon evolved into one about nurturing character development in the systems of teacher and leader preparation.

This of course brought up big questions about whose character, whose virtue, whose values, whose morals?

Next two plus years of our work were spent in a collaborative, evolutionary, and iterative process to develop a framework and shared language that, like character itself, is contextual and a way for our faculty, staff, students, and district partners to engage in conversations about character, decision making, change, and how both individuals and environments contribute to our character development and the way we innovate.”

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The ability to imagine new concepts, catalyze ideas, and form new solutions guided by principles that create positive change for humanity.

Principled Innovation

Where we landed was Principled Innovation

We define Principled innovation as the ability to imagine new concepts, catalyze ideas, and form new solutions, guided by principles that create positive change for humanity.

This captured the essence of what we are called to do at ASU - innovate for the wellbeing of our communities - and recognizes the principles, our character assets, virtues, or dispositions, that are at the heart of our decision making.

When we say Humanity, it can feel really big and overwhelming. Sometimes it helps to think of humanity as individuals who might be struggling or suffering. Sometimes those individuals are our students, sometimes they are our colleagues, and sometimes they are ourselves. PI helps us to become aware of the needs of others as well as our own needs, and provides an approach to address these needs in a thoughtful, intentional, equitable, and human centered way.

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Just because we can, should we?

We ask ourselves…

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Practices of Principled Innovation

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Context matters

We created an ecological model of how character assets manifest in the learning and social environments we inhabit.

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This graphic demonstrates the Principled Innovation Approach where we utilize the practices of PI to work through processes of continuous improvement, innovation, and complex decision making. Note that the four phases in the center of this visual are surrounded by Engaging (C2: Engage multiple and diverse perspectives) and Reflecting (I2: Reflect critically and compassionately), meaning that ideally we are practicing both of these while we are in each phase of this approach. ��We usually begin with the Understanding and Identifying phase (practices C1: Understand Culture and Context and M1: Identify and acknowledge fundamental values) where it is important to spend time learning more about the specific culture and context of your community, and analyzing the needs and values of your students, participants, or users before moving forward with systems thinking and designing. Next we consider the systems in which we are or would like to be operating in with Systems Thinking and Designing phase (I1: Develop habits of an informed systems thinker and P1: Design creative solutions). We may now consider our options in the Decision Making phase (M2: Utilize moral and ethical decision making) and then consider the potential outcomes of those options as we move on to the Navigating and Mitigating phase (P2: Navigating uncertainty and mitigate consequences).

Although the approach itself is visualized as linear, this may not be the case for you in your own context of a given situation. It is important to consider your team/community’s needs first, and reflect and engage with what you know. Do you have the information you need? Have you thought about the larger systems at work? Do you know what your options are? Have you thought about how might this play out? This approach can be utilized in part if you find that you have already been through specific phases and are ready to move forward with your decision.

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Toolkit library

Scent of character videos

Intro course

PI card decks

Practice Principled Innovation

Open access, searchable library with over 200 resources and tools to practice Principled Innovation.

Authentic, human stories showcasing character in context through people’s own lived experiences.

A free, self-paced course introducing Principled Innovation in the context of decision making.

A collection of reflective and generative questions for various audience to prompt inquiry and positive decision making.

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Principled Innovation

Question of the Day

Why do we believe that embracing technology is the right decision for our students’ futures?

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Break Time

Example 1

Please, return at 10:45.

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Micro:Bits Workshop

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Welcome

Perla DeBaggis

Sr. Specialist, Career & Industry Awareness Navigator

SEMI Foundation

Nick Irigoyen

Project Manager, Workforce Development & Apprenticeships

SEMI Foundation

Dr. Bia Hamed

Program Manager, Global Education Initiatives

SEMI Foundation

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Lunch & Craft

Example 1

Please, return at 1:15.

Design a Fork	Chair Challenge	Puzzle	Learn about Dreamscape

Take a sneak peek at design thinking challenges for our first annual Semiconductor Adventure Day!

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Upcoming Events

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Why: Create an awareness of microelectronics & semiconductor careers

Date & Time: May 15, 2025 from 9am to 12pm–Event Brief

Locations: K-6 students will learn about the power of circuits in their classrooms as determined by site leadership. 7-12 students from Poly & CG will meet at Poly HS while students from Downtown, PR, South HS will meet at Downtown.

Materials: Semiconductor Adventure Day Toolkit

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Explore Upcoming Events: Teacher PD

Visit Website Upcoming Events

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Explore Upcoming Events: Student Camp

Visit Website Upcoming Events

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Movement Activity

�

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Four Corners

�

Round 1

Which candy is the best?

1.	2.
3.	4.

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Four Corners

�

Round 2

Which movie genre is the best?

1.	2.
3.	4.

These images were generated using OpenAI’s DALL·E through ChatGPT.

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Four Corners

�

Round 3

Which question is the best to spark student curiosity?

1. What if your phone suddenly stopped working every time the temperature changed? How do semiconductors help keep your devices running smoothly?	2. Why are computer chips made from sand? What makes silicon, a material found in beach sand, so special for technology?
3. How can a tiny chip smaller than your fingernail power an entire gaming console? What’s happening inside that makes it process so much information so quickly?	4. What would the world look like without semiconductors? How would life be different if we didn’t have the technology that depends on them?

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Si Se Puede Foundation

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Welcome

Faridodin “Fredi” Lajvardi

President/CEO and Director of STEM Initiatives�(Previously Teacher at Carl Hayden High School)

Speaker Page LinkedIn

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Robotics Programs at ASU Prep

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Welcome

Crystal Funkhouser

7-8 STEM Teacher, Robotics FCF�ASU Prep Poly Middle School

Dr. Kirk R. Biszick

7-12 STEM Teacher, Robotics Class�ASU Prep Downtown

Julia Berg-Hernandez

K-8 STEM Teacher, Robotics Class

ASU Prep PIlgrim Rest

Matt Chicci

9-12 STEM Teacher, Robotics FCF�ASU Prep Poly High School

Wendy Cornacchio

K-6 Resource Teacher, Robotics Club�ASU Prep South Elementary

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Benefits of Robotics Programs in School

Learn more about Robotics Programs @ ASU Prep

Teaches Integrative STEM that is both practical and engaging
Problem-solving, critical thinking, analytical thinking
Creativity and innovation, fosters curiosity, exploration, leadership
AI and Robotics are where future, high-paying, high-demand jobs will be
Teaches engineering design principles, design thinking, and systems thinking
Builds technical skills in computer science, coding, and many students select STEM majors

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Types of Competitive Robotics Programs

There are so many programs, many STEMing from FIRST.

FIRST Robotics

K-12. Middle/High school need large scale arena (10 week build season, Jan through March) Higher cost. Requires engineer help. Elem is FLL

VEX Robotics

K-12. Middle/High school need small arena (12’x12’). Season from June through April. Much lower cost.

BEST Robotics

As old as FIRST. Free program. 6 week build period in Fall. Requires engineer support. Closest events are in NM and CO.

World Robotic Olympiad

Since 2004. Uses LEGO Mindstorm framework. Can be used at any grade level. Low cost.

We Recommend

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POLY STEM HS & SPARK ROBOTICS

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Crystal Funkhouser M.Ed

ASU Polytechnic Middle School

STEM teacher

Robotics Co-leader

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Reflection & Closing

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Principled Innovation

Question of the Day

Why do we believe that embracing technology is the right decision for our students’ futures?

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“

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Parking at NXP

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We look forward to seeing you tomorrow at NXP!

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MicroSpark

Microelectronics and Semiconductor Conference

Day 2: February 26th, 2025 | NXP

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MicroSpark

Microelectronics and Semiconductor Conference

Day 3: April 25th, 2025 | Mesa MIX Center

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Lunch & Chat

Example 1

1:00-1:30

Use the Micro Talk cards to get to know your colleagues!

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Agenda

Lunch & Micro Talks
Warm Up
Human Library
Design Time
Semiconductor Adventure Day Play Time!
Reflection
Optional Happy Hour

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MicroSpark

Follow-Up Goals

Share and reflect on STEM teaching practices to learn from my peers and expand my instructional strategies
Begin designing a STEM-focused lesson plan for next school year that incorporates learning from the MicroSpark conference
Explore and engage with circuit-based learning tools to prepare for facilitating Semiconductor Adventure Day with students

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Warm Up

Take your marker and choose a poster.
Record your response (linguistically or non-linguistically).
When you hear the music, rotate to the next poster.
When you are back to your final poster, synthesize the information with your group.
Nominate one speaker to share a one-minute summary.

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Human Library

Check out a “book!”

Danielle Serna

micro:bits

(MS)

Dr. Mathur

GenAI Ethics, Policy & Tools

Nicholas Williams

micro:bits (HS)

Lisa Molloy

Principled Innovation

Matthew

Chicci

Robotics

Dr. Loveall

Dreamscape Learn

Julia Berg-Hernandez

K-6 STEM

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Design Time

Curricular Resources	Educator Supports
Maricopa County STEM Curriculum Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) K-6 Cracking the Code Teach Engineering STEMFutures ASU STEM Acceleration Project Oregon State STEM Curriculum Grades 4-12 STEMpedia: Three Levels of Curriculum Free K-12 STEM Lesson Plans Free K-6 STEM Lesson Plans STEM Supplies Blog: Classroom Activities	STEM Education Works (blog) Science Explorers (blog) Edutopia STEM (website) Cult of Pedagogy (podcast) Arizona Science Center (PD opportunities) STEM to STEAM Resources Toolkit

Make a copy of this 5E lesson planning template to guide the process.

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Why: Create an awareness of microelectronics & semiconductor careers

Date & Time: May 15, 2025 from 9am to 12pm–Event Brief

Locations: K-6 students will learn about the power of circuits in their classrooms as determined by site leadership. 7-12 students from Poly & CG will meet at Poly HS while students from Downtown, PR, South HS will meet at Downtown.

Materials: Semiconductor Adventure Day Toolkit

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Let’s Play!

Pretend to be a K-3 student…

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Squishy Circuits

Paper

Circuits

K-3 Option

4-6 Option

2:45-3:45

Even if you are a 7-12 teacher, please choose one of the play options and think about how you could extend it for older students:

Real-World Circuit Design Challenge

Grades: 7–10�Extension Idea: After building their paper circuits, students design a functional interactive card or product prototype (e.g., a greeting card, poster, or wearable tech) that uses multiple LEDs, switches, or series/parallel circuits.

Add-ons:

Introduce parallel vs. series circuits
Require students to sketch a circuit diagram before building
Include constraints like a limited budget or size
Have students reflect: How is your circuit similar to or different from those found in actual phones or computers?�

Semiconductor Industry Research & Presentation

Grades: 9–12�Extension Idea: Pair the circuit build with a career exploration research project. Students choose a role in the semiconductor industry (e.g., fab technician, electrical engineer, chip designer) and create a short research presentation answering:

What does this job do?
What skills or education are needed?
How does this job contribute to modern tech?
Why is it important in Arizona?

Build & Code with Microcontrollers (Intro to Micro:bit)

Grades: 9–12�Extension Idea: Once students master basic circuits, take it a step further: introduce programming microcontrollers like Micro:bit.

Students recreate a basic version of their paper circuit using the board.
Code the LED to blink, fade, or respond to a button press or light sensor.

Design Thinking: Tech for Good

Grades: 7–12�Extension Idea: Pose a real-world challenge: “Design a low-cost device using circuits that could help someone with a disability, support emergency response, or solve a global issue.”

Students can:

Ideate and sketch prototypes.
Build a model with paper circuits or virtual tools.
Present their invention to the class as a Shark Tank pitch.

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Reflection

What?

What did you do today that expanded your understanding of circuits or semiconductors?

So what?

Which part of today’s experience would your students find most engaging? Why?

How will you help students understand how circuit design connects to careers in the semiconductor industry?

Now what?

How might you give students choice in what they create using circuits?

Could you turn this into a challenge or showcase for your students?

What cross-curricular or career-focused opportunities could you design around this learning?

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Optional Happy Hour

Join us at 12 West Brewing!

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