December 5th JodyGram

Good morning colleagues!

I hope today finds you well and looking forward to a short break in the next few weeks. It’s hard to believe that it’s already December. This school year is going by so quickly! Here are some opportunities for you and your students. Please check them out and pass them along to those that might be interested.

The End of the Scientific Method?

This article might be useful to you as you go beyond the scientific method and begin to delve into how science ACTUALLY WORKS and what type of thinking scientists engage in as a part of their job.

http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/magazine/16-07/pb_theory

Department of Wildlife Workshops

The Oklahoma Conservation Commission, Rogers County Conservation District and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation are partnering to offer 2 workshops this winter.  “Mammals…From Head to Toe” is a skins, skulls and tracks workshop for formal and non-formal educators.  The first workshop will be held on January 12, 2012 at the Rogers State University Conservation Education Reserve in Claremore, OK.  The second will be held on February 9, 2012 at the Arcadia Conservation Education Area in Edmond, OK.

The registration forms are attached.   January Workshop    February Workshop

Research Science Institute for current 11^th grade students

The Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) co-sponsors of the Research Science Institute (RSI) are looking for talented 11^th Grade STEM Students! Do you know any students who want to work on really exciting cutting-edge summer research?

Have them apply to the (RSI) program to be held on the MIT campus June 24 to August 4, 2012. They will meet some of the world’s most talented students and have an opportunity to conduct research in amazing labs!  If you know any current high school juniors, have them take a look at the CEE web site:   http://www.cee.org/  for RSI application materials, and more information about the program.

If you have any questions, please contact Maite Ballestero, Vice President, Programs,  mailto:maite@cee.org  

http://www.facebook.com/pages/USA-Biology-Olympiad/174800742579037   See us on facebook – look for Center for Excellence in Education!

Computer Science Education Week

This week is Computer Science Education Week! SAS is a sponsor of this exciting event, and we invite you to visit the CS Ed Week web site http://www.csedweek.org  to see the latest news about the crucial impact of computer science.

There are many ways to participate, from engaging students in a computer programming activity to a developing global press release about the importance of computer science.  On the web site, you will see examples of activities in your region, and you may be inspired to use the Event Planning Tool Kit  http://www.csedweek.org/site/page/event-planning-toolkit  to create your own event.

We know there has been a dramatic decline in the number of students taking CS courses.  According to the latest projections, however, by 2018 more than 800,000 high-end computing jobs will be created in the economy, making it one of the fastest growing occupational fields.  This skills gap is sure to have a negative impact on our nation’s ability to innovate.  Please encourage friends and colleagues to explore the ideas on the web site so we can reverse this alarming trend.

If you have a chance to put students into the position of doing any kind of programming, you will certainly be working their problem-solving skills. Please consider some kind of computer science activity on a regular basis as a normal part of your class activities. Technology should not be a special occasion, it should be integrated into your curriculum.  If you want some ideas on how to do that, let me know and we’ll work on it!

Have a wonderful week and a fantastic holiday season.