Updated May 30, 2008
- Physics/Engineering Course offered at WPI this summer. Click here for information. Click here for registration form.
- Grant Competition for High School Teachers
The National Environmental Education Foundation is launching the Classroom Earth National High School Challenge - an opportunity for up to 25 teachers to secure as much as $5,000 to $10,000 in funding to bring innovative environmental themes into their coursework. Visit http://www.neefusa.org/ to learn more and to download the application.
- Integrating Technology/Engineering into The Teaching of Middle School Mathematics -- This course is designed to enable fifth through eighth grade teachers to deepen their knowledge of mathematics and technology/engineering. Participants will develop hands-on classroom activities integrating mathematics and engineering/technology. These activities will incorporate the standards of the NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics), ITEA (International Technology Education Association) and the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for both middle school mathematics and technology/engineering. Link
- Engineering for Classroom Teachers:
Civil and Environmental Engineering in Our Everyday World
Link
- Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (formerly DOE) items of interest including participation in test review for the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) and Science Assistance Coordinator Position. Open this link.
- eMSS is a content focused online mentoring program that can enhance or supplement your current induction program for beginning math and science teachers. Some districts use eMSS as their only mentoring program for beginning science or math teachers. We have an exciting opportunity in which we are accepting open enrollment in eMSS so more districts or educational organizations may provide this service to their beginning math or science teachers.
More information about the programs is available at: http://www.newteachercenterorg/emss . http://emss.nsta.org
- The Aviation Science Technology Associate's Degree program combines academic studies and flight training to prepare graduates for a wide variety of positions within the air transportation industry, including general, airline and military aviation. Graduates of the flight program are eligible to take the Private Pilot, Commercial Pilot, Instrument Pilot, and Flight Instructor certificates. The curriculum provides the flight training necessary to operate in the high-density environment of modern airspace. All flight training courses are taken at an FAA-certified/licensed facility. The program emphasizes critical thinking and analytical skills, as well as oral and written communication skills. Effective resource management, human factors, and safety awareness are constantly emphasized throughout the curriculum. Complementing the intensive flight training is classroom instruction and use of flight simulators.
New England Institute of Technology
- Reminder: ROBOTICS Fundamentals of Information Technology and Engineering
Announcing Professional Development for Massachusetts Middle School Teachers. Northeastern University is pleased to offer a Professional Development opportunity for middle school teachers to participate in an innovative program in pre-engineering concepts. Participating teachers
will be trained to deliver a curriculum unit that teaches students to design and build an assistive device using LEGO Bricks and ROBOLAB. The unit addresses the Massachusetts Technology and Engineering Curriculum Frameworks. Teachers will gain the skills and confidence to teach engineering concepts. For more information
- Call for entries for the 2008 Discovery Education/3M Young Scientist Challenge
Discovery Education and 3M are proud to partner with NASA for the 2008 Young Scientist Challenge. Currently in its 10th year, the YSC encourages the exploration of science among America's youth and promotes the importance of science communication at a critical age when interest in science begins to decline. The challenge sponsors are looking for a few great students and teachers who can inspire others with their enthusiasm for science and their ability to communicate. What does it take to be America's Top Young Scientist or America's Top Science Teacher? Students in grades 5-8 and teachers of grades K-12 are being asked to create a short (1-2 minute) video about one of this year's scientific topics, which all relate to this year's theme, "The Science of Space." Participants should enter their videos online and will become eligible to win a trip to Washington, D.C., in the fall to compete in the YSC finals at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Science teachers who are interested in participating must be members of the Discovery Educator Network. Becoming a member is easy and registration is free.
To become a member, visit http://community.discoveryeducation.com/about/become_discovery_educator .
Video topics and registration information can be found online at www.discoveryeducation.com/youngscientist
Videos will be accepted through June 15, 2008 .
Finalists will be announced this summer, and the competition finals will take place Oct. 4-7, 2008 .
For more information, log-on to www.discoveryeducation.com/youngscientist .
Questions about the competition may be sent to YSC@discovery.com .
- Bring the Solar System to Your Community - Become a MESSENGER Fellow
Take part in the current golden era of Solar System exploration by becoming a MESSENGER Educator Fellow! As an integral part of NASA's MESSENGER mission to Mercury, the Fellows will help bring the excitement of this daring mission to classrooms across the nation.
How would you like to help take the nation along for this thrilling ride as a MESSENGER Educator Fellow? Visit http://MESSENGER.jhuapl.edu for more information; click "Education" for information on the education and public outreach efforts of the mission, including the MESSENGER Educator Fellowship Program.
To receive an application form, contact the MESSENGER program manager
at messenger@usra.edu, and you will receive the application as a PDF file in a return email. Applications are due at NCESSE by April 18, 2008. Fellowship selections will be announced by April 30, 2008. The training workshop is scheduled to take place June 23-27, 2008.
- Engineering for Classroom Teachers Civil and Environmental Engineering in Our World
University of Massachusetts Amherst, College of Engineering, Summer Course 2008
Description: This course enables middle school science teachers to deepen their knowledge of science and engineering concepts and develop hands-on classroom activities with respect to the Massachusetts Science and Engineering/Technology curriculum frameworks. Hands-on activities include labs, field activities, utilizing Internet resources and software, and development and/or review of classroom resources. The areas of focus include: Engineering Design, the Infrastructure, Foundations, Structures, Bridges, Environmental (water quality), Traffic and Transportation Safety, Civil Construction Materials and Technologies and Civil Engineering Measurements.
Date: July 21-25, 2008
Availability: 25 spaces available for middle school science teachers; priority given to teachers in high needs school districts. Spaces fill up quickly, so please register early. Course available for 40 PDP's. Take home materials: Substantial classroom materials for participants
Register: There is no charge for registration if taking the course for PDP's. If taking the course for PDP's, email kstcyrde@educ.umass.edu to be added to the list. You must register no later than Monday July 21, 2008 the first day of the course. Additional information about the course could be found at:
http://www.ecs.umass.edu/ce-engin797c Email Karen St. Cyr, Project Assistant at kstcyrde@educ.umass.edu if you have any questions.
- Paid Summer Workshop at the FDA in Washington, D.C. A Fantastic Summer Opportunity for Teachers.
Thinking about what to do this summer? For professional development? For vacation? Take advantage of a week-long free professional development program for middle and high school science teachers offered jointly by FDA and the Graduate School, USDA in our nation's capital! Consider this: March 3, 2008 a large wholesale company announced that it is voluntarily recalling approximately 10,368 pounds of frozen chicken Entrées that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. On September 17, 2007, a well-known salad producer issued a voluntary recall of one of its products due to possible contamination with E. Coli 0157:H7. Foodborne disease outbreaks and food recalls such as these frequent the news. How do these organisms cause disease? What can an individual do to protect themselves from these diseases? What measures are being taken by the federal government to prevent transmission of these organisms? The science and technology of food safety from the farm to the table continues to change to meet our need for safe food products. New and emerging technologies have enabled scientists to broaden their understandings of these and similar organisms. But you might wonder what do these outbreaks and recalls have to do with your teaching science? What better way of engaging your students in learning science than to do it through food? And it will be easy. Science educators do have an opportunity to provide inquiry-based lessons related to these outbreaks and recalls. These lessons can be found in the curriculum Science and Our Food Supply developed jointly by NSTA and FDA.
And, in order to prepare teachers to use these lessons, FDA and the Graduate School, USDA have joined as partners to provide a free multidimensional professional development program that will take place July 20 - 28. Included in the program are transportation to and from Washington, DC and all housing and meal expenses. During the program, selected teachers will receive a copy of the curriculum and will participate in the following activities: meeting with FDA and USDA scientists to learn about their current research on foodborne diseases; working with teachers at the microbiology lab at the University of Maryland to learn proper techniques to use in doing microbiology labs with their own students; touring the Phillips Seafood Company's processing plant in Baltimore; and, touring USDA's farm in Beltsville, MD. Selected science teachers are asked to implement the curriculum in their classrooms during the 2008 - 2009 school year and to do a workshop on the curriculum for other teachers. All of the teachers will attend an Enhancement Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio on December 6, 2008 - again, all expenses paid. Each teacher will also receive a $1000.00 grant to conduct the workshop. To download a copy of the application - deadline April 23, 2008: http://webserver1.grad.usda.gov/conferences/fda_nsta/etc/FDAWorkshopApplicationSummer2008.pdf
For more information about the program see FAQ: http://webserver1.grad.usda.gov/conferences/fda_nsta/fdafaq.php
To order a free copy of the curriculum: http://webserver1.grad.usda.gov/conferences/fda_nsta/request_form.php
To view the Emmy award video that is part of the curriculum: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~comm/vltdrx.html
- CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES FOR LEARNING ABOUT INFRARED LIGHT
Most students are familiar with the rainbow of colors that make up visible light. They're often less comfortable dealing with light from the other portions of the electromagnetic spectrum - gamma rays, x-rays, ultraviolet light, visible light, infrared light, microwaves, and radio waves. Students may not realize the important role played by non-visible light in their everyday lives. For example, TV remote controls, car-locking systems, and some grocery store check-out scanners use infrared light to signal between devices or read bar-codes. Computers use infrared light to read CD-ROMs. Night-vision goggles register infrared light (also known as heat radiation), as do search-and-rescue monitors that look for the heat given off by someone lost in the wilderness at night. The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) has developed a series of lesson plans and other educational materials to assist middle and high school teachers exploring infrared light with students. The hands-on and demonstration activities are designed to complement instruction on the electromagnetic spectrum for middle and high school students, and is designed to be completed in one or two classroom periods. A poster is also available on request about the electromagnetic spectrum. The front of the poster is a visual-wavelength image of the Whirlpool Galaxy (Messier 51) from the Hubble Space Telescope compared with a row of images of the same galaxy at a range of wavelengths from X-ray to radio. The back of the poster is covered by text containing background information and some classroom activities to teach the properties of electromagnetic waves. NASA and the DLR, German Aerospace Center, are working together to create SOFIA -- a Boeing 747SP aircraft modified by L-3 Communications Integrated Systems to accommodate a 2.5 meter reflecting telescope. SOFIA is an airborne observatory that will study the universe in the infrared spectrum. Besides this contribution to science progress, SOFIA is expected to be a major factor in the development of observational techniques and instruments, and in the education of young scientists and teachers in the discipline of infrared astronomy. Find out more about SOFIA's educational resources at http://www.sofia.usra.edu/Edu/materials/edu_materials.html .
- High School MCAS Science and Technology/Engineering FAQ and Resources Page
Please share the following link with your colleagues and administrators. It includes answers to frequently asked questions about the high school STE MCAS tests, formula sheets for Introductory Physics, Chemistry, and Technology/Engineering, and other related resources. www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/science
- Managing School Chemicals from Cradle to Grave
If there was ever a situation where the adage "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" applies, it would be to chemical safety in schools. Properly managing the chemicals in your school chemistry lab, facilities department, art department (and others) can limit a school's liability, prevent a fire or explosion and help avoid a costly clean-up.
Register today for MassDEP's School Chemical Management Training
For the last several years MassDEP's Municipal Sustainability Grant Program has offered communities assistance in establishing a sustainable chemical management plan for their schools. As part of the grant program we offer a four hour training session on school chemical management which is open to all interested municipalities, regardless of their grant status. If you apply for this grant next year, and are awarded, your municipality will need to form an Environmental Health and Safety team and send at least three people to this training. Applicants who have already fulfilled the training requirement will be favorably evaluated during the grant review and award process.
When we offered this training in February 2008 it filled up in less than four days and we had to turn people away! So, we have scheduled a second training and have partnered with the Department of Fire Services to hold the training at their Public Safety Building in Natick.
Who: Principals or Asst. Principals, Business Managers, Science Department Heads, Science teachers, Art Department Heads, Directors of Vocational Education, Facilities Managers, Head Custodians, Fire Chiefs and Fire Prevention Officers.
When: Wednesday May 7, 2008, 9:00am to 1:00pm
Where: Public Safety Building in Natick at 22 East Central Street
RSVP: Registration is limited to 50 people. To register please send an email to Tina Klein at tina.klein@state.ma.us.
The School Chemical Management grant, valued at $12,200, provides a municipality with up to $5000 toward the cleanout of obsolete and unneeded chemical stock-piles and up to 90 hours of assistance from a consultant specializing in school chemical management. For more information about the grant program, a two-page fact sheet about the program can be found at < http://www.mass.gov/dep/service/compliance/schlchem.htm >
Tina Klein
Bureau of Waste Prevention
Massachusetts Dept of Environmental Protection
Phone: 617-292-5704
Fax: 617-292-5778
- APPLICATIONS TO TEACHER-LEADER PROGRAM, BEST PRACTICES DAY NOW BEING ACCEPTED
Applications are now being accepted to the 2008 National Biotechnology Teacher-Leader Program and Best Practices Day. Teachers from across the United States and around the world participate in the Biotechnology Institute's premier teacher training program during the International Conference on Biotechnology Education. This four-day program, which will be held June 14-17 in San Diego, CA, provides participating teachers professional development, resources and other support materials to spread awareness of biotechnology to their students and to educate their peers to do the same. The program includes sessions that highlight state-of-the-art curriculum, labs, and programs in biotechnology; networking with colleagues, industry leaders, and professionals in the field of biotechnology education; training on how to provide professional development to other teachers; field trips to local biotechnology companies; and a $250 certificate from Invitrogen for supplies and equipment. Applicants are responsible for securing sponsorship. The application deadline is April 1.
The Institute is also accepting applications from presenters who want to share their high-quality educational practices and programs with educators. Educators who have developed exemplary science, math, and technology programs related to biotechnology will help the Institute develop a body of outstanding teaching practices and programs available to all educators of biotechnology. K-16 biotechnology educators from academia, nonprofit, and industry with exemplary programs are invited to submit proposals for Best Practices Day, which will be held June 16, 2008. Deadline for submission is April 30. More details are available at http://www.biotechinstitute.org/programs/t_leader_program.html . Triangle Coalition member, the Biotechnology Institute, is dedicated to educating teachers, students, and the public about the promise and challenges of biotechnology. Through year-round programs, the Institute is creating a base of understanding and awareness about biotechnology among teachers and students, and building the next generation of leaders in the industry.
Institute for P-12 Engineering Research and Learning, INSPIRE at Purdue University
INSPIRE Summer Academy July 27-August 1, 2008
Are you interested in learning how to develop innovative methods for integrating engineering thinking into your classroom?
The 2008 INSPIRE Summer Academy is a week long program for 2nd - 4th grade educator teams. The educator teams must comprise a minimum of seven teachers from up to three buildings in the same school district/corporation. The teams can be created from across disciplines (e.g. math, science, technology, and language arts).
At the end of the summer academy, teachers will be able to:
· Convey a broad perspective of the nature and practice of engineering
· Communicate the difference and similarities between engineering and science thinking
· Discuss what engineers do and how they solve problems with students
· Use engineering problem-solving process such as design and model development to engage students in realistic open-ended problem solving
In addition, each participating educator will receive a $750.00 stipend and the opportunity to obtain 3 graduate credit hours. Summer Academy participants traveling outside a 50 mile radius from Purdue University will receive on-campus housing/food allowance.
Download the application at: https://engineering.purdue.edu/INSPIRE . Application deadline is due May 1st, 2008. For more information contact Dan Somerville, dsomervi@purdue.edu
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Grant Opportunitiy:
Massachusetts Title IIB Mathematics and Science Partnership Program (MMSP)
A new request for proposals for the Massachusetts Mathematics and Science Partnership Program, funded through Title II, Part B, of the federal education act, No Child Left Behind, is available at << http://www.doe.mass.edu/omste/grants.html >> . The purpose of the MMSP program is to improve student achievement in science, technology/engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through intensive, high-quality professional development activities that focus on deepening teachers' content knowledge and improving standards-based practices. For this round of funding, priority will be given to partnerships that focus on middle school STEM, integrate professional development offerings with school or district STEM improvement initiatives, and include inquiry-based learning experiences that help teachers master content. The due date for submission is Monday, May 5, 2008.
An information session, for all interested parties will be held at the Hoagland-Pincus Conference Center on Tuesday, April 8, 2008 , from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. To register for the session, please visit << http://www.doe.mass.edu/conference/?Conference >> . For further information about the Title II-B program contact Lisa Tyrrell, Statewide Science Assistance Specialist, at ltyrrell@doe.mass.edu or 781-338-3514.
- Teaching Ambassador Fellowship
For the information, open this document
- Nominations are open for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). The PAEMST Program was established in 1983 by the White House and is sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The program identifies outstanding mathematics and science teachers, kindergarten through 12 th grade, in each state and the four U.S. jurisdictions. These teachers will serve as models for their colleagues and will be leaders in the improvement of science and mathematics education.
The competition alternates year by year between teachers of grades K-6 and teachers of grades 7-12. Teachers of grades K-6 mathematics and science are eligible for nomination for the 2008 Presidential Awards. Teachers of grades 7-12 will be eligible for the 2009 Presidential Awards. See Announcement
Also the Nomination Form
- Seeking Thinkfinity Science Validation Team Members
Working with Thinkfinity, Inc., Massachusetts has been awarded a grant from the Verizon Foundation to support teachers in Massachusetts in using Thinkfinity's free online portal for teachers: <http://www.marcopolo-education.org/>. More
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CEEO Engineering Education Seminar Series: Spring 2008 (Updated 2/1/08)
The CEEO seminar series highlights innovative engineering education in an effort to increase collaboration between universities and organizations dedicated to improving the way students learn. Most talks will be about 30 min, with time for informal discussion afterwards. Note that two seminars are not on a Monday.
Seminars (4:00 – 5:00 pm in Curtis Hall at the CEEO) Monday, March 3 – Engineering in the Liberal Arts University: Princeton Experiences – Vince Poor, Dean, Princeton University, http://www.ee.princeton.edu/people/Poor.php Monday, March 31 – The Robotic Fly: Innovations in very small robots. – Rob Wood, Harvard University, http://www.eecs.harvard.edu/~rjwood/ Wednesday, April 9 (special time – 1:00 – 2:00 pm) – Supporting Innovation: Engineers and Policy – Bill Wulf, University of Virginia, http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~wulf/ Monday, May 5 – Language in Science Education – Bryan Brown, Stanford University, http://ed.stanford.edu/suse/faculty/displayRecord.php?suid=brbrown Monday, May 12 – LEGO Americas – What does the future bring?- Soren Torp Laursen, President, LEGO Systems –- http://www.lego.com/eng/info/default.asp?page=development Directions to the Center for Engineering Education Outreach (CEEO) can be found at http://www.ceeo.tufts.edu/
Free Lab Safety Workshops
The Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents (MA DIA) has awarded The Laboratory Safety Institute (LSI) a grant to support the offering of a limited number of one-day lab safety training programs for science, art and technology teachers, department heads and curriculum supervisors. More
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The Museum of Science Boston has a web page specifically for teachers, click here to learn more about there resources http://mos.org/educators. If you do not see this information on our what's new page we will have a permanent on our MassTEC Technology/Engineering classroom resource page, click here to see the link.
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Museum of Science Boston Teacher Partner Program
Monthly issues of ENews for Educators More
http://mos.org/educators/classroom_resources/teacher_partner_program
Click here for the permanent link to the Museum of Science Boston Teacher Partner Program on the MassTEC Technology/Engineering classroom resource page
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Educator Resource Center at the Lyman Library
Teachers are welcome to the Educator Resource Center (ERC) for individual or small-group professional development work. Overlooking the Charles River, the ERC is a bright, open space located in the Lyman Library at the Museum of Science, Level 3. The vast resources of the Lyman Library and the Technology and Engineering Curriculum Review are readily available, along with our knowledgeable staff librarians, wireless access, and copying facilities. Teachers and curriculum planners are welcome to borrow materials from the library, and the majority of the materials in the collection do circulate. Included in the collection are science books, videos, DVDs and over 200 standards-based science, technology, math, and engineering curriculum resources -- the most comprehensive collection available in the region. The center is open seven days a week and can be reserved for groups of teachers for research, curriculum, and development projects.
To go to the Lyman Library web site click here http://mos.org/events_activities/lyman_library/educator_resource_center
To view the permanent link on the MassTEC Technology/Engineering classroom resource page click here.
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From the Science, Mathematics, And Research For Transformation Defense Scholarship for Service Program (SMART)
The Department of Defense (DoD) is proud to offer scholarships to undergraduate, master's and doctoral students who have demonstrated ability and special aptitude for training in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) fields. The DoD also offers them career opportunities to continue their research as civilian employees of a DoD laboratory after graduation.
The Science, Mathematics, And Research for Transformation (SMART) Defense Scholarship for Service Program offers our nation's research leaders of tomorrow not only an education but rewarding career opportunities. Click here for a link to there web page https://www.asee.org/smart/
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Help Wanted: Astronauts
America needs YOU at the frontiers of space and technology!
NASA is now accepting applications for its 2009 astronaut class. The agency is looking for a few men and women who want to fulfill their dreams and be a part of the next generation of explorers.
The open positions are for astronaut candidates to train for tours of duty on the International Space Station, the largest human spacecraft ever built. It is also the site for research that will prepare NASA for future long-duration human missions to the moon and other destinations. The Constellation Program is responsible for building and operating the next-generation vehicles that will carry astronauts to the space station and the moon. Click here to learn more about the opportunity http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/recruit.html
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The NASA Undergraduate Student Research Project
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is seeking undergraduate students from diverse communities across the United States interested in unique hands-on experiences with NASA scientists and engineers. USRP internships are available year-round at all NASA facilities. Selected students receive a stipend and round-trip travel allowance. Students may apply for 15 week spring session, 10-week summer session, or 15-week fall session. USRP seeks applications from undergraduates who are U.S. citizens enrolled full-time in accredited U.S. colleges or universities. Applicants must be classified as sophomores, juniors, or seniors by the start of their internship. Eligible applicants must be U.S. citizens with academic majors or course concentration in engineering, mathematics, computer science, or physical and life sciences. NASA-USRP provides students with hands-on, real-life, career-related internships that challenge, inspire, and provide practical application that complements students' academic education. Click here for more information
What's New Archive
Did you see something on the what's new page and the dates passed? Look for it in the What's New Archive.
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