Greetings Science Educators!
I hope your week is going well! We have many exciting things going on in our state! First, I would like to welcome our new Directors of Mathematics Education at the Oklahoma State Department of Education. Levi Patrick will serve as our Director of Secondary Mathematics and Sara Snodgrass will serve as our Director of Elementary Mathematics. You can read more about Sara and Levi here.
I will be working very closely with both Levi and Sara on our STEM team here at OSDE as we begin to think about the connections between mathematics and science. Please feel free to contact either one with questions you might have concerning mathematics.
1. State Textbook Committee Review of Science Materials
- The State Textbook Committee begins their review of science materials in 2013.
- They are approved in November, 2013 for purchase in the spring of 2014.
- More information is available at: www.oktextbooks.state.ok.us
2. OSTA Fall Conference
- Vanessa Westbrook (NGSS Writer) will be the keynote speaker
- For details and registration go to: https://www.oklahomascienceteachersassociation.org/?p=4307
3. Oklahoma BioBlitz October 5th and 6th
- Foss Lake in Clinton, Oklahoma
- Volunteers around the state work with expert biologists to participate in data collection
- For more information and to register go to: http://www.biosurvey.ou.edu/bioblitz/BioBlitz.html.
4. Blue Thumb Volunteers Training Opportunity September 29th and 30th
- Oxley Nature Center, Sunfish Room, 6700 Mohawk Boulevard, Tulsa, OK 74115
- 8:30-4:30
- To learn more, go to: www.conservation.ok.gov and click Blue Thumb in the upper left corner.
- For more information or to register, contact Cheryl Cheadle, 918-398-1804
5. Air Force Association Classroom Grants for Teachers Due October 17th
- For more information go to: http://www.afa.org/aef/aid/educator.asp
- For questions contact Colonel Jim Putnam at 405-739-4754
6. Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching
- Read about it here.
- Nominations open in November…start considering great 7-12 math teachers now!
7. We’re Revising the Science Website
- If you have ideas about what you’d like to be able to do/find/see/link to/download, please let me know!
Have a great week!
-Tiffany
Tiffany Neill, M.Ed. Director of Science Education Office of Instruction Oklahoma State Department of Education