Science Message: July 2nd– 6th
Hello fellow science educators!
I hope you are all enjoying your summer and finding some time for relaxation and professional growth.
Every summer I always looked forward to finding a workshop or research experience that would allow me to gain valuable information, resources, and opportunities to collaborate with fellow science educators. Some of my most cherished professional relationships developed from summer experiences.
I hope you have had an opportunity to attend some of the many workshops and summer research experiences offered throughout our state. If you are still looking for a few options in July and August, I’ve provided some possibilities under “Professional Development Opportunities for Teachers”.
The summer break also allowed me time to finally check out a few online resources I’d been meaning to get to in the school year as well as read a few books or articles that sounded interesting to me. I wanted to share just a few online resources and books that were shared with me this summer. You can find them under the “Online Resources and Books” section of the weekly message.
Lastly, summer break gave me a chance to look for some much needed funding opportunities for equipment I wanted for my classroom. I’ve provided a few “grant opportunities for educators” that have come across my desk in the last couple of weeks.
I know I’ve only scratched the surface for professional development opportunities, online resources and books, and grants for educators. I’d love to hear about some of the workshops you’ve attended, online resources you’ve explored, books or articles you’ve valued, or grant opportunities you’ve heard of.
Please e-mail me to share any of the topics listed above. I would love to continue to share resources valued by fellow educators in our state and to shine a light on all of the on-going efforts to promote positive science experiences in our classrooms.
Professional Development Opportunities
NSTA New Science Teacher Academy 2012-2013!
The NSTA New Science Teacher Academy provides comprehensive professional development scholarships for new teachers. Benefits include: all expenses paid to the NSTA National Conference, full membership into NSTA, professional development web seminars conducted by leaders in science education, and much more! If you are going to be entering your 2nd or 3rd year of teaching science in a middle school or high school you won’t want to miss out on this opportunity
Oklahoma Science Teachers Association is now taking proposals for their Fall Conference!
OSTA will host their Fall Conference, “Saving the World Through Science”, November 10th at the University of Central Oklahoma.
Share your classroom resources and experiences with other science teachers by submitting a proposal through the link below!
You may view the latest post at
https://www.oklahomascienceteachersassociation.org/?p=4144
Ag in the Classroom State Summer Conference
August 3rd, 2012 at Embassy Suites in Norman 9:00 am-3:00 pm
Register online at: www.agclassroom.org/ok
Oklahoma Green Schools Summer Training
The Oklahoma Green Schools Program provides educators with summer trainings filled with tips, information, and approaches to for “greening schools”.
Please see the attached flyer for more information about this great program for schools! To register for a training, please see the link below:
http://www.okgreenschools.org/okgs-training/
Online Resources and Books:
NAEP Hands On and Computer Interactive Tasks:
In 2009, NAEP administered two types of innovative science assessments, hands-on tasks and interactive computer tasks, that invited students to put their science knowledge into practice.
NAEP released a few examples of each to the public through their website. The link below will allow you to review the examples from 4th, 8th, and 12th grade.
http://nationsreportcard.gov/science_2009/ict_summary.asp
As I went through each example I began to see the possibilities for science assessment in the future. I also found myself excited by their possibilities for present day instruction in science classrooms. I could easily see both types of assessments being utilized for instructional support and assessment.
I encourage every educator in our state to walk through one example of a hands-on assessment and one example of an interactive computer task. You will probably find yourself doing exactly what I did, going through everyone!
Engineering Your Future: Supporting E in STEM
Have you been wondering how to incorporate engineering activities into your existing curriculum or build an engineering course in your school while exposing students to career opportunities in STEM? The following website might just give you the support you need.
The University of Cincinnati’s College of Engineering & Applied Science in collaboration with local high schools developed an Introduction to Engineering course for high school students using the engineering design process to guide the course development.
Through their efforts they established an online portal to share the resources they collected and created to support educators interested in engineering in the classroom.
Project modules/lesson plans are available through the website. When you go to the following linkhttps://sites.google.com/site/eyfcincinnati/home click on “Project Materials” Here you will find a list of websites with engineering projects for a variety of grade levels including elementary. The lessons are designed to incorporate science concepts from physical, life, and earth sciences into engineering projects.
Another valuable resource on the website can be found on the home page by clicking on the “Teaching” tab in the left hand corner. Here you will find videos introducing students to the skills associated with success in engineering including: working in teams, communication, problem-solving and much more. These sort videos provide students with introductions to the skills they will need to have fruitful experiences in the engineering projects they may work on in your class.
There are many more resources available on the website. If you struggle downloading any of the lessons, watching any of the videos, or if you have questions about conducting the activities, please feel free to contact me.
Books I’m Reading:
Picture-Perfect Science Lessons, Expanded 2nd Edition: Using Children’s Books to Guide Inquiry 3-6
- This book is a wonderful resource for literacy in science. The activities provided link 5E science activities to fiction and non-fiction picture books.
The NSTA Reader’s Guide to A Framework for K-12 Science Education
- This short read provides a broad set of learning expectations for students as the study science and engineering throughout the K-12 years.
Both books can be found at the NSTA Bookstore online http://www.nsta.org/store/ or you might check with your local library to see if they have a copy.
A great tip I heard a few weeks ago from a science teacher was that she asks her school librarian to order a few books, like these, each year to keep in the library for check out by teachers.
Grant Opportunities for Educators
Air Force Association Educator Grants $250
The Air Force Association believes that one of the most significant means to affect student learning is to fund grants to meet the unmet and unfunded educational needs of students. Each school year, the Association awards grants of up to $250 to worthy projects that significantly influence student learning.
Please follow the link below for applications, guidelines, and deadlines.
http://www.afa.org/aef/aid/educator.asp
Call for Grant Proposals: Introducing applied chemistry learning modules into course curriculum
The Central State Section of the Combustion Institute (CSS/CI) is issuing a call for grant proposals to high school teachers to submit grant proposals for developing and introducing a combustion science-based (i.e., applied chemistry) learning module into their course curriculum.
Proposals are due October 1, 2012. The award amount is up to $5,000 for up to two awards.
Again, these are just a few of the many opportunities at your fingertips this summer.
As, always contact me with any questions you might have and have a great day!
-Tiffany
Tiffany Neill Director of Science Oklahoma State Department of Education Office of Instruction Tiffany.Neill@sde.ok.gov Phone: 405-522-3524 Fax: 405-521-2971