Greetings Science Educators!
I know it has only been a week since the last science message, but I wanted to share a few exciting opportunities and updates that have come across my desk in the last week!
First, I’m excited to announce that applications are available for this year’s OKMath and OKSci Leadership Program!
The Oklahoma State Department of Education is proud to create and support a dynamic network of Oklahoma Math and Science educators through OKMath and OKSci Leadership. OKMath and OKSci Leadership selects, challenges, develops and educates Oklahoma math and science teachers, instructional coaches, and district curriculum specialists who have demonstrated an interest in leadership skills related to mathematics and science education.
In April 2014, the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) featured OKMath and OKSci Leadership as one of only three state-led innovative Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs of the year. Graduates of OKMath and OKSci Leadership Beta Class and Class 1 include numerous site, district, and state Teachers of the Year, board members of the Oklahoma Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the Oklahoma Science Teachers Association, Presidential Award finalists and winners, and many other teachers who engage in their school and community as leaders. If you are interested in participating in this exciting program, please complete the application by 5:00p.m. on September 14, 2015.
Visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/okmath_oksci_class2 to access the application. Contact Levi Patrick (Levi.Patrick@sde.ok.gov | 405-522-3525) or Tiffany Neill (Tiffany.Neill@sde.ok.gov | 405-522-3524) with questions.
Assessment Update:
The Office of Assessments has been working hard all summer with OKSci teachers to develop new Blueprints and Item Specification Documents for the assessments that will be aligned to the new Oklahoma Academic Standards for Science in 2016-2017. As a reminder, for school year 2015-2016 the science assessments for 5th, 8th, and Biology 1 will continue to be aligned to the PASS standards for Science.
Educator Opportunities:
Announcing: The Biology Teacher Cohort
Are you a Biology teacher who is trying to figure out how to prepare students for assessments this year that are aligned to the PASS standards while trying to look ahead to next year when the assessments will be aligned to the new Oklahoma Academic Standards for science? This is the group for you! I along with a group of Biology teachers will be hosting a few virtual meetings/discussions this fall focused on supporting Oklahoma Biology teachers with strategies for transitioning to the new Oklahoma Academic Standards for Science while continuing to be assessed on PASS this year.
The sessions will be recorded for those that are not able to attend during the live discussions. If you are interested in joining a dynamic professional learning community this fall, go to the following link to indicate which date and time works best for your schedule for the first meeting in September. To join the discussions you will simply need access to a phone and Internet.
Look for a similar opportunity soon for 5th and 8th grade science teachers!
Science Fest 2016!
A day for Oklahoma 4th and 5th grade students filled with exciting hands-on exhibits, presentations and demonstrations, all developed to show the importance of scientific application in the environment.
- Where: Oklahoma State Fairgrounds
- When: April 28th, 2016
- Sign Up: Registration open November 1st, 2015. To register and for more information go to gov.
NSTA Articles:
Articles, Blog Posts and More!
NSTA Article: What does constructing and revising models looks like in the science classroom.
Blog Post: Problem’s with the Scientific Method
Engineering Resource: Link Engineering
Stay Connected:
Social Media:
Twitter: @tiffanyneill
Facebook: #OKSci
Hashtags: #oksde #OKSci #OKSTEM
Sign Up for a Twitter account: https://twitter.com/
Accessing Archived Science Messages:
You can access Archived Science Messages I’ve sent out since March via the Oklahoma Science Teachers Association (OSTA) website. Scroll down to see previous posts. (Ed. Note: you can also find all of the past science messages sent by the State Science Director by clicking the TiffanyGram link in the Categories menu on this page)
Science Listserv:
Please encourage others to register for the science listserv and pass along the following registration link. If you would like to be removed from the listserv you can also do that via the link below.
As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have!
– Tiffany