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E-Blast January 24, 2008
In this E-Blast
- Leadership
- Building a Presence - Point of Contact Wins National Award
- MDE Science
- K-12 Science
- High School Science
- Middle and High School Science
- January Contest Winners
- Tools and Resources
- Upcoming Events and Opportunities
Here are your science education resources and announcements for January 24, 2008 provided by Building a Presence for Science. These science education highlights are emailed to Key Leaders, Points of Contact and State Partners. Please forward them on to other science educators in your school. If you have questions or comments, please forward them to:
David Bydlowski
Michigan Coordinator - Building a Presence
bydlowd@resa.net
http://nsta.org/bap
http://www.msta-mich.org/bap
or
Sue Campbell
MSTA Representative
sue@ucia2.com
http://www.msta-mich.org
1. Leadership
Give your "better" self a chance to grow. Form the habit of positive reaction followed by positive action. We cannot cause the wind to blow the way we want, but we can adjust our sails so that they will take us where we want to go.
John C Maxwell in "Becoming A Person of Influence?""
Thank you to Herm Boatin, Science Consultant and Adjunct Professor of Biology at University of Michigan-Dearborn, for contributing this leadership quote.
Building a Presence - Point of Contact Wins National Award
Each year, USA Today selects 20 teachers from across the nation for a teaching award called the "All-USA Teacher Team". We are proud to announce that the 2007 team includes Michigan native Rebecca Johns of Troy High School in Troy, Michigan. Johns is a Point of Contact in the Michigan Building a Presence Science Network. Johns was nominated by her principal, Mark Dziatczak and teaches both general and AP Biology. A typical day in her classroom could include having students walk through a larger-than-life digestive system named "Hungry Jack" or diagnosing and performing heart surgery on defective animal hearts. Her AP students have a passing rate of over 95% each year and many go on to colleges such as Harvard, Stanford, and Yale. Johns established the Biology Competitions Club at Troy High which has produced winners of the NASA Hyper-Gravity Competition, the International Brain Bee, and Toshiba's Exploravision. Plus, two finalists in the 2007 Science Talent Search named her their "most influential teacher" and MIT named a minor planet after her. She has won spots in selective teacher summer programs, including a week at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Course at Princeton University. Johns has also taught one week AP Biology workshops to educators, published several teacher activities, and won over 18 grants for materials and equipment. Recently, she was contacted by Oprah's School for Girls in South Africa to go teach there for a year and is co-authoring a biology teacher's manual filled with creative biology lessons.
MDE Science
Science MEAP Dates
The MEAP Department has announced 5th and 8th grade science testing dates through 2012. They are:
- 2008--October 23 with the make-up on October 28
- 2009--October 22 with the make-up on October 27
- 2010--October 21 with the make-up on October 26
- 2011--October 20 with the make-up on October 25
- 2012--October 25 with the make-up on October 30
MDE Regional Rollouts, Including Science
The Michigan Department of Education will be holding regional rollouts on the following topics: K-7 Science; MMC Science Companion Documents; Online Experience; Social Studies (K-12); Visual, Performing, and Applied Arts; and World Languages.
During the morning breakout session, 9:45 - 11:45, there will be a session on the K-7 Science Expectations. During the afternoon breakout session, 1:00 - 3:00, there will be a session on the High School Companion Documents for Science, Math and ELA. Sessions may vary, depending on the host site. To register, please register online with the host ISD. For additional information, please contact Joni Lindeman at:
517.373.4213
LindemanJ@michigan.gov
January 30, 2008 -- 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Saginaw ISD - http://www.sisd.cc
February 4, 2008 / February 5, 2008 -- 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
St. Clair County RESA - http://www.sccresa.org
February 22, 2008 -- 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Kalamazoo RESA - http://www.kresa.org
March 4, 2008 -- 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Wayne RESA - http://www.resa.net
The rollout will be held at the Doubletree Hotel Dearborn.
March 28, 2008 -- 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Ingham ISD - http://www.inghamisd.org
K-12 Science
Ice Coring Project
This is an invitation for you and your science education colleagues to visit the new WAIS Divide Ice Coring Project Educational Outreach Program website at: http://www.tufts.edu/as/wright_center/wdop/index.html
WAIS Divide is a United States deep ice coring project in West Antarctica funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and is the second component to the larger WAISCORES initiative. The purpose of the WAIS Divide project is to collect a deep ice core from the flow divide in central West Antarctica in order to develop a unique series of interrelated climate, ice dynamics, and biologic records focused on understanding interactions among global earth systems.
The WAIS Divide ice core will provide Antarctic records of environmental change with the highest possible time resolution for the last ~100,000 years and will be the Southern Hemisphere equivalent of the Greenland GISP2, GRIP, and North GRIP ice cores. The most significant and unique characteristic of the WAIS Divide project will be the development of climate records with an absolute, annual-layer-counted chronology for the most recent ~40,000 years. In addition, due to the high snowfall rate, the WAIS Divide record will have only a small offset between the ages of the ice and the air trapped in the ice. The combination of high-time resolution and this small age offset will allow us to study interactions between climate variations and atmospheric composition with a level of detail previously not possible in deep long Antarctic ice core records. As such, the WAIS Divide ice core will enable detailed comparison of environmental conditions between the northern and southern hemispheres, and the study of greenhouse gas concentrations in the paleo-atmosphere, with a greater level of detail than previously possible.
The main science objectives of the WAIS Divide project are: Develop the most detailed record of greenhouse gases possible for the last 100,000 years Determine if the climate changes that occurred during the last 100,000 years were initiated by changes in the northern or southern hemisphere Investigate the past and future stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Investigate the biology of deep ice
Michigan Joint Education Conference Presenters Deadline Extended
Michigan Joint Education Conference
Making Integrated Education Work for Everyone: Bringing It All Together
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Holt High School
Holt, Michigan
They are currently accepting proposals for speakers. PLEASE NOTE...the application deadline has been extended to February 29, 2008. Applications can be found at:
http://macul.org/site/files/jointed08spea.pdf
Don't miss your chance to be a part of this first ever collaboration!
The Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning (MACUL), Michigan Association of Middle School Educators (MAMSE), Michigan Council for Social Studies (MCSS), Michigan Council for the Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM) and the Michigan Science Teachers Association (MSTA), are pleased to bring your the first ever Michigan Joint Education Conference. The purpose of this conference is to establish widespread use of highly relevant integrated curriculum and instruction in Michigan schools.
For more information on the Michigan Joint Education Conference, please visit:
http://www.mijec.org
MSTA Conference Registration Deadline
In order to receive the Early Registration rate for this year's MSTA Conference, your registration must be faxed, postmarked or done on-line by February 18, 2008. After February 18, 2008, registration must be done on-site at the conference and will be subject to the late registration fees. On-line registration will not be available after February 18, 2008.
ALSO - Don't forget to check out the "extra" activities!!
Two different tours of MSU Cyclotron Laboratory
Michigan Brewing Company
Murder Mystery - Friday, March 7, 6:30 p.m.
Impressions 5 Reception - FREE
For more information, please visit: http://www.msta-mich.org
"Test Drive" Resources in the National Science Digital Library
Project Tomorrow is seeking educators to participate in Project TestDrive, a national research study on the classroom effectiveness of the online K-12 science, technology, engineering, and math resources from the National Science Digital Library (NSDL).
Funded by the National Science Foundation, NSDL is a free, online library with links to 1 million resources from over 500 unique collections. Project TestDrive provides a unique opportunity to use innovative science, math, and technology resources from a trusted source. During this project you will have the opportunity to try out the resources free-of-charge and network with like-minded professionals as you: Engage your students in learning through innovative science, technology, engineering, and math resources; Develop students' critical thinking and problem-solving skills; Share effective teaching practices with peers across the nation.
It's easy to participate. You will:
- Identify, implement, and evaluate 7-10 online resources from the National Science Digital Library;
- Participate in Just-in-Time training on the online resources from the National Science Digital Library;
- Secure Parent/Guardian Permission for your students to participate in the national research study;
- Collaborate with other K-12 educators through threaded discussions, seminars, or conference calls.
For more information, visit Project TestDrive at:
http://www.tomorrow.org/programs/testdrive.html
Job Posting at Oakland University
Science Education: Tenure-track Assistant or Associate Professor, Department of Teacher Development and Educational Studies, School of Education and Human Services, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan.
Responsibilities of this faculty position include: teaching elementary and/or secondary science education courses at undergraduate and graduate levels at the Oakland University main campus and/or the off campus Macomb University Center; establishing or continuing a program of scholarship and publication; acquiring external funding; and serving in leadership roles within and beyond the university. Start date is August 15, 2008.
The position requires an earned doctorate in education, preferably in science education or a closely related field. Candidates should have at least three years of successful K-12 classroom teaching experience; demonstrate potential or proven expertise in researching and publishing; and a record of professional service and/or leadership. Candidates must pass Act 34 (criminal record check) and Act 151 (child abuse record check) clearances.
The University is committed to diversity. Oakland University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Interested persons should send a cover letter, vita, official transcripts, two scholarly writing samples, and three letters of recommendation to the Department of Teacher Development and Educational Studies, Dr. Tim Larrabee, Chair of Search Committee, Oakland University, 470 G Pawley Hall, Rochester, Michigan 48309-4401. (248) 370-4614. larrabee@oakland.edu.
Review of applications to begin February 15, 2008, and will continue until position is filled.
Michigan Science Education Leaders Association at MSTA
Last year in the MSELA pre-conference, An Inconvenient Truth, was the focus. This year, they will continue to explore influences on our classrooms, private lives, and society. Join them as they deepen our content knowledge as well as instructional methods via the inquiry model while dealing with real-world energy issues. They will blend the over-arching process of K-12 Inquiry as seen in the new Content Expectations with the real-world energy of the hydrogen fuel cell. The topic is: 21st Century Energy Issues: Making a Difference in Your Classroom, Your Life, and Our Society
They guarantee you can take this afternoon back to your classroom as well as activities and resources. Please join them for an afternoon of information, sharing, networking and learning together.
This inquiry workshop also includes a dinner meeting. The dinner meeting will include an update from the Michigan Department of Education. The cost is $75 for members and $90 for non-members. The meeting is from 1:00 - 7:00 on March 6 at the Radisson Hotel, Capitol 1 Room, in Lansing. For full registration information, please visit:
http://msta-mich.org/conference/msela.php
High School Science
BSCS Research Study in Multidisciplinary Science
BSCS (Biological Sciences Curriculum Study) in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is collaborating with school districts in Florida to study curriculum materials used for multidisciplinary science in high school. This BSCS research study is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. To participate, schools (and selected science faculty therein) must agree to be in a pool of ?willing participants.? Half of the schools will be randomly assigned to use a new BSCS program for multidisciplinary science in grade 9 - fall, 2008. Schools will receive further instructional materials and professional development for grade 10 in fall, 2009 and grade 11 in fall, 2010.
A key incentive to participate is that schools not randomly assigned to the BSCS program in fall, 2008, will have the choice to receive full benefits of the program for grade 9 the following year (fall, 2009).
INCENTIVES, SCHOOL- AND TEACHER-LEVEL:
- Stipends for survey completion (all teachers in "willing" schools; brief)
- Stipends for logs and interviews (brief!) to record instruction
- Quality PD from BSCS to support program implementation (7 days/yr)
- New instructional materials (SE, TE, etc.) that align closely with FL science standards and have been shown effective in nationwide field tests
- Option for BSCS program in year #2 if not assigned in year #1
- Paid site manager to support program (per school)
RESEARCH REQUIREMENTS:
- By requirement of the U.S. Dept. of Education: Willing schools must be randomly assigned to receive either the treatment (BSCS curriculum materials and professional development) or continue as usual in the comparison group
- Teachers at all willing schools (treatment and comparison) record their science curriculum (e.g., brief logs, interviews, classroom visits, teacher surveys) Willing schools that are not assigned to the BSCS program in year 1 continue as-usual (i.e., the comparison group) for that cohort of grade 9 students (Fall, 2008)
- Grade 9 teachers from these schools have the option for the BSCS program plus incentives one year later (grade 9 students, Fall, 2009)
- All teachers from willing schools will administer a pre-post common assessment
For more information, please contact:
Joseph Taylor, Principal Investigator
719-219-4104
jtaylor@bscs.org
Middle and High School Science
Citizen Science Paper Competition
The deadline for the Citizen Science paper competition has been extended until February 15, 2008. If you are interested in submitting your science, now is the time! Full details about the paper competition can be found on the web site at:
http://www.sustainus.org/citizenscience
Paper Competition Topics: Drought, Africa, Agriculture, Desertification, Land, and Rural Development
Benefits of Submitting:
- Winners and Honorable Mentions will have the opportunity to be published in CITIZEN SCIENTIST, an online publication of Citizen Science
- Winners will have the opportunity to present their work at a side event at the UN Commission on Sustainable Development.
January Contest Winners
Congratulations to our BaP January Contest Winners. They are:
- Bill Dicks - Northville High School, Northville
- Susan Ghysels - Baldwin Street Middle School, Hudsonville
- Dawn Francis - Frost Elementary School, Jackson
- Renee Gilson - Clinton High School, Clinton
Thank you to everyone who participated. Hopefully you may be a winner in the next contest.
Tools and Resources
Free ACT Prep:
http://www.mivhs.org/content.cfm?id=667
Archived Michigan BaP e-Blasts:
http://msta-mich.org/bap
Grants:
http://sciguides.nsta.org/internet/grants.aspx
http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html
http://www.edweek.org/ew/section/grants/index.html
High School Companion Documents:
http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-28753_38684_28760-171474--,00.html
High School Science Expectations:
http://mi.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-42814---,00.html
K-6 Inquiry PD Resources:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/IFI
K-7 Science Content Expectations:
http://mi.gov/documents/mde/Complete_Science_GLCE_12-12-07_218314_7.pdf
K-7 Science Content Expectations Podcasts:
iTunes Music Store then search for K-7.
K-12 Online Science Assessment Tool:
http://www.macombschools.org/scienceassessment
Internet Resources Correlated to the MCF and the MMC:
http://www.svsu.edu/mathsci-center/uploads/science
Michigan Merit High School Graduation Requirements FAQ for Science:
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/faq15_178607_7.pdf
Science Music 24/7 on the Internet:
http://live365.com/stations/trappedinlab
Upcoming Events and Opportunities
- January 25, 2008: Deadline to apply for the science education job position at the Air Zoo in Kalamazoo. For more information, please visit: http://www.airzoo.org/
- January 28, 2008: Michigan's New Content Expectations for K-7 Science Conference at the Kellogg Center at Michigan State University. To register, please visit: http://ed-web3.educ.msu.edu/outreach/k12out/
- January 28, 2008: Deadline for middle and high school students to write essays for the DuPont Challenge 2008 Science Essay Contest. For more information, please visit: http://www.thechallenge.dupont.com
- January 29, 2008: Deadline to apply for the Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision Awards. For more information, please visit: http://www.exploravision.org/
- January 30, 2008: MDE Regional Rollout to be held at the Saginaw ISD. To register, please visit: http://www.sisd.cc
- January 31, 2008: Deadline to apply to become a NASA Explorer School. For more information, please visit: http://explorerschools.nasa.gov/portal/site/nes/menuitem.d601ef1f9fdc2c2d7010ea1051008a0c/
- January 31, 2008: Deadline for the Volvo Adventure Program for Students Ages 13-16 to Share Their Environmental Projects. For more information, please visit: http://www.volvoadventure.org/int_homepage.aspx
- February 2, 2008: World Wetlands Day. For more information, please visit: http://www.ramsar.org/wwd/wwd_index.htm
- February 4, 2008: Deadline for teachers to apply for the ARMADA Project Research opportunity. For more information, please visit: http://www.armadaproject.org
- February 4, 2008 / February 5, 2008: MDE Regional Rollout to be held at the St. Clair County RESA. To register, please visit: http://www.sccresa.org
- February 8, 2008: Deadline to apply for the Walter P. Chrysler Closing the Technology Gap in Education Awards. For more information, please visit: http://www.chryslerteacherawards.com/
- February 8, 2008: Deadline to apply for the American Meteorological Society's Scholarships and Fellowships. For more information, please visit: http://www.ametsoc.org/amsstudentinfo/scholfeldocs/index.html
- February 8, 2008: Early Bird Registration Deadline for the NSTA Conference in Boston. For more information, please visit: http://www.nsta.org/boston
- February 8-10, 2008: Teachers Environmental School Conference at the Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center at Higgins Lake. For more information, please visit: http://www.teacherweb.com/MI/TES/conference/gallery1.stm
- February 12-16, 2008: Fundamentals of Inquiry Workshop for Professional Developers at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, CA. For more information, please visit: http://www.exploratorium.edu/ifi/workshops/attend
- February 14, 2008: Deadline to apply for the Intel Schools of Distinction Award. For more information, please visit: http://www.intel.com/education/schoolsofdistinction/application.htm
- February 15, 2008: Deadline to enter the Citizen Science Paper Competition for 13 - 26 year old citizens. For more information, please visit: http://sustainus.org/content/view/16/128
- February 15, 2008: Entry deadline for the Annual Environmental Poetry and Art contest. For entry information, please visit: http://riverofwords.composing.org/
- February 18, 2008: Online registration and Early Registration Deadline for the MSTA Conference. For more information, please visit: http://msta-mich.org/
- February 22, 2008: MDE Regional Rollout to be held at the Kalamazoo RESA. To register, please visit: http://www.kresa.org
- February 28, 2008: Deadline for the Eco-Hero Award program for students aged 8-16. For more information, please visit: http://www.actionfornature.org/eco-hero/ecoheroawards.html
- February 29, 2008: Deadline for presenter applications for the Michigan Joint Education Conference. Applications are available at: http://macul.org/site/files/jointed08spea.pdf
- March 1, 2008: Deadline to apply for the Problem-Based Learning Project for Teachers Summer Professional Development. For more information, please visit: http://pbl.educ.msu.edu/
- March 4, 2008: MDE Regional Rollout to be held at the Doubletree Hotel Dearborn. To register, please visit: http://www.resa.net
- March 6, 2008: Michigan Science Education Leaders Association at MSTA Preconference Program on 21st Century Energy Issues, MDE Update and Dinner at the MSTA in Lansing. To register, please visit: http://msta-mich.org/conference/msela.php
- March 6-8, 2008: MSTA Annual Conference in Lansing, MI. For more information, please visit: http://msta-mich.org
- March 7, 2008: Deadline to apply for the Michigan Forestry Educator of the Year Award. For more information, please contact Ada Takacs at: takacsa@michigan.gov
- March 10, 2008: Deadline to register for the NSELA Professional Development Institute: Leading Professional Development in Science Education on March 26 in Boston, MA. For more information, please visit: http://www.nsela.org/calendar/calendar1.html
- March 14, 2008: National Pi Day. For more information, please visit: http://www.piacrossamerica.org/
- March 14, 2008: Deadline to become an EARTH HERO (ages 12-17). For more information, please visit: http://www.earth-heroes.org
- March 17, 2008: Deadline to enter the National DNA Day Contest for Middle and High School Students. For more information, please visit: http://www.genednet.org/pages/k12_dnaday08.shtml
- March 27-30, 2008: NSTA National Convention in Boston, MA. For more information, please visit: http://nsta.org/conferences
- March 28, 2008: MDE Regional Rollout to be held at the Ingham ISD. To register, please visit: http://www.inghamisd.org
- April 4, 2008: Deadline to apply for the 2008 Thacher Scholars Award for secondary school students. For more information, please visit: http://www.strategies.org/ThacherScholars
- April 13-19, 2008: National Environmental Education Week. For more information, please visit: http://dev.eeweek.org/
- April 22, 2008: Earth Day. For more information, please visit: http://www.earthday.net/earthday2008.aspx
- April 25, 2008: National DNA Day. For more information, please visit: http://www.genome.gov/dnaday
- April 25, 2008: Michigan High School Math and Science Symposium to be held at the GVSU Eberhard Center in Grand Rapids, MI. For more information, please visit: http://www.gvsu.edu/rmsc/index.cfm?id=8A9198AF-A3E3-6DED-E79756D505F95C17
- May 1, 2008: Deadline for Elementary Teachers to apply for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching Award. For more information, please visit: http://www.paemst.org/controllers/home.cfc?method=view
- June 25, 2008: Curriculum Integration Conference to be held at Holt High School. Registration information will be available soon.
- July 1, 2008: Deadline to apply to become an astronaut. For more information, please visit: http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/recruit.html
- July 14-18, 2008: CSI Lawrence Tech Forensics Workshop. For more information, please visit: http://www.ltu.edu/arts_sciences/master_science_ed/forensic.asp
- October 23, 2008: Science MEAP Test for 5th and 8th Grade Students in Michigan.
- October 28, 2008: Science MEAP Test Make-Up for 5th and 8th Grade Students in Michigan.
- February 12, 2009: Charles Darwin Bicentennial Day. For more information, please visit: http://darwinday.org/englishL/assistevent/index.html
- October 28, 2008: Science MEAP Test for 5th and 8th Grade Students in Michigan.
- October 22, 2009: Science MEAP Test for 5th and 8th Grade Students in Michigan.
- October 21, 2010: Science MEAP Test for 5th and 8th Grade Students in Michigan.
- October 20, 2011: Science MEAP Test for 5th and 8th Grade Students in Michigan.
- October 25, 2012: Science MEAP Test for 5th and 8th Grade Students in Michigan.
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To unsubscribe from the Building a Presence Science e-blast, please contact your Key Leader or email David Bydlowski, Michigan Coordinator for the Building a Presence Science Network, at bydlowd@resa.net.