Triangle Coalition Electronic Bulletin

Triangle Coalition Electronic Bulletin

October 9, 2008

Volume 14, Number 38

Published by the
Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology Education

This Week's Topics:

JUNIOR ACADEMY OF SCIENCE MEMBER WINS DISCOVERY EDUCATION 3M YOUNG SCIENTIST CHALLENGE
IMPROVING STUDENTS' UNDERSTANDING OF GEOMETRY
ENGINEERING IS ELEMENTARY CONTENT CONNECTIONS
NEW UALBANY CENTER CONFRONTS NATIONAL WORKFORCE SHORTAGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY GRADUATES
INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING VISUALIZATION CHALLENGE WINNERS ANNOUNCED
ALL STUDENTS PROFICIENT ON STATE TESTS BY 2014?
NEXT WEEK IS EARTH SCIENCE WEEK
PREVIOUS ISSUES

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JUNIOR ACADEMY OF SCIENCE MEMBER
WINS DISCOVERY EDUCATION 3M YOUNG SCIENTIST CHALLENGE

Triangle Coalition member, the Academy of Science of St. Louis, has announced that Melissa Rey, a Junior Academy of Science member, has taken first place in the 2008 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge (YSC). The YSC is designed to encourage the exploration of science among students in grades 5 through 8 and to promote the importance of science communication. Melissa won with her project titled The Doppler Effect and spent three days at the world-renowned Goddard Space Flight Center, located near Washington, D.C. competing in eight additional science challenges. Upon receiving the award, an excited Melissa was effusive in her appreciation to the Academy of Science-St. Louis and her membership in the Jr. Academy of Science. Prior to her trek to NASA in Washington, D.C. for the rigorous hands-on science competition, Academy corporate friend, Boeing, recognized Melissa with a special tour, lunch, and simulation experience. In its 10th year, the YSC introduced a new entry mechanism for students, challenging their ability to innovatively use everyday technology to communicate basic scientific concepts. From camcorders to cell phones, YSC competitors chose any technology available to create two-minute videos demonstrating their understanding of scientific concepts surrounding "The Science of Space" theme. Find out more about the YSC online. Since 1856, the Academy of Science of St. Louis has been a leader in the advancement and integration of science and technology into contemporary society. Academy resources are entirely mission focused, on expanded scientific outreach, education, resource sharing, and the recognition of scientific accomplishment. Academy partners include every scientific sector -- academic, public, corporate and private -- from a broad range of science, medicine, engineering and technology concerns. More details are at www.academyofsciencestl.org. 3M and Triangle Coalition member, the 3M Foundation, are committed to supporting innovative and practical initiatives which enhance the quality of life in 3M communities around the world. With the goal of helping to develop productive, educated and involved citizens, 3M targets programs that address related education, family, and community issues. Science and math education and youth development are top priorities. More details are online.

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IMPROVING STUDENTS' UNDERSTANDING OF GEOMETRY

Triangle Coalition member, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) is currently seeking applicants for its "Improving Students' Understanding of Geometry Grants for Grades K-8 Teachers." The purpose of this grant is to develop activities that will enable students to better appreciate and understand some aspect of geometry that is consistent with the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics of NCTM. For 2009-2010, grants with a maximum of $3,000 each will be awarded to persons currently teaching at the grades K-8 level. The project should include applications of geometry to, for example, art, literature, music, architecture, nature, or some other relevant area and may integrate the use of technology into the teaching of geometry. The activities may use published materials. Any published sources must be documented. Any acquisition of equipment or payment of personal stipends must be critical to the grant proposal and may not be a major portion of the proposed budget. Proposals must address the following: geometry content, the appropriateness of the application, the link between the Geometry Standard and the project's activities, and the anticipated impact on students' learning. Applications must be postmarked by November 14, 2008. Find out more online.

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ENGINEERING IS ELEMENTARY CONTENT CONNECTIONS

Teachers are adaptive and innovative. Many users of the Museum of Science, Boston's Engineering is Elementary (EiE) curriculum have found creative ways to tie EiE units to math, language arts, social studies, and the fine arts. Recognizing that while teachers are creative, they are also extremely crunched for time, EiE has recently created an online lesson plan sharing community called Content Connections. Here, teachers can upload and share lesson plans they have developed to go along with EiE curriculum units. EiE is creating a research-based, standards-based, and classroom-tested curriculum that integrates engineering and technology concepts and skills with elementary science topics. Content Connections is housed within the Educator Resources section of the EiE website. In addition to the Content Connections lesson plan sharing tool, Educator Resources contains documents that may be helpful to educators and professional development providers that are integrating engineering and technology into their curriculum.

Triangle Coalition member, The National Center for Technological Literacy (NCTL) is also an initiative of the Museum of Science, Boston. NCTL's goal is to integrate engineering as a new discipline in schools nationwide and to inspire the next generation of engineers and innovators. NCTL fosters learning about how technologies are created and used. It offers educational products and programs for pre-K-12 students and teachers, creates curricula, supports an online resource center, and engages in partnership and outreach with other institutions. NCTL works with state departments of education and teacher organizations to facilitate the re-engineering of curricula and learning standards. Find out more at www.nctl.org.

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NEW UALBANY CENTER CONFRONTS NATIONAL WORKFORCE SHORTAGE
OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY GRADUATES

The University at Albany recently established an NSF funded center committed to addressing dramatic nationwide workforce shortfalls in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The Center for Achievement, Retention and Student Success (CARSS) aims to strengthen the U.S. workforce and research sectors and to provide a model program for the nation's higher education institutions to reverse the problem of low enrollment in STEM majors. The Center is supported by a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation. According to the U.S. Government Accounting Office the number of degrees obtained in U.S. universities in engineering, biological sciences, and technical fields has declined from 32 percent of all college students in the mid-1990s to 27 percent by 2004. "We designed the CARSS program to curb defections to non-STEM fields of our science and math majors," said Center director and associate professor of organic chemistry Rabi Musah. "We've identified and designed intervention strategies tailor-made to address the issues associated with poor performance in gateway science and math courses, which our data showed were the single most important reason for our decreasing numbers of science and math majors."

The Center's goals include an assessment process to provide information through published work for other academic institutions to increase STEM graduation rates. The Center specializes in tutoring and mentoring services for all STEM majors. It includes career counseling, faculty mentoring, and a recruitment component that involves consultation with student families, and various financial incentives. More details are at www.albany.edu.

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INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
VISUALIZATION CHALLENGE WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Seeing the world of science through a photographer's lens or through other forms of media can dazzle the creative mind. In the winning entries of the 2008 International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge, sponsored jointly by the journal "Science" and the National Science Foundation (NSF), breathtaking photographs and graphics often reveal intricate details of our world -- the three-dimensional path made by a rapidly spinning string cutting through space and the unique anatomy of the half-meter-long "Loligo pealei" squid whose tiny suckers are 400-micrometers in diameter. "I wanted to reveal the tiny world we trample through, creating scenes that at first glance parallel to our macroscopic world, until you look a little closer," said Colleen Champ, a first-place winner with Dennis Kunkel in the Informational Graphics category. "The 'Mad Hatter's Tea' is one scene from many, depicting a quote from the fanciful mind of Lewis Carroll," she added.

Currently in its sixth year, the international competition honors artists who use visual media to promote our understanding of scientific research. The criteria for judging the entries included visual impact, effective communications, freshness, and originality. The winning entries communicate information about the creation of spontaneous buckling of a poly(ethylene glycol) layer resembling wrinkles that appear on flowers' petals and leaves' edges, the 3D rendering at nanometer resolution of a melanoma cell through ion abrasion electron microscopy, the display of microbial biofilm from a stream, and more. Find out more on the NSF website.

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ALL STUDENTS PROFICIENT ON STATE TESTS BY 2014?

The law known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), enacted in 2002, set an ambitious goal: that across the nation, every state would test students annually in reading and math, and that the number of students scoring at the level of "proficient" or higher would rise each year, until all students reached proficiency in the year 2014. Towards that end, each state developed its own assessment tests and identified a rate of adequate yearly progress (AYP) towards full proficiency by 2014. Schools that do not meet AYP can face sanctions ranging from being identified as a school needing improvement to (after five years) being subject to corrective action and restructuring -- even a complete reorganization or takeover of the school. One of the challenges of meeting AYP is that schools, districts, and states must report not only a rise in total scores, but also progress in the scores of subgroups of students including minority students, English language learners (ELL), and students with disabilities.

"The result is that the lowest-performing subgroup will ultimately determine the proficiency of a school, district, or state," says Rich Cardullo, one of the authors of a paper published in the Sept. 26 issue of Science magazine, which analyzes testing data from California's elementary schools. Cardullo, who chairs the biology department at the University of California, Riverside (UCR), led a team of researchers in a study that projected California's ability to meet the 2014 proficiency goal. With funding from the National Science Foundation through the Math and Science Partnership (MSP) program, the researchers analyzed state assessment data from more than 4,900 elementary schools in the school years 2002-2003 through 2006-2007, then made projections of future proficiency scores using three different mathematical models. Even using the most optimistic model, the analysis found that nearly 100 percent of California elementary schools failed to meet AYP by 2014. In fact, average proficiency in English Language Arts fell short of AYP by the year 2011, and math proficiency fell short by 2012. With each state having been given the authority to determine its own path to proficiency, 22 other states have chosen the same path as California: to set a low rate of growth for the first few years, then raise the rate dramatically from 2008 to 2014. The projected performance of schools is on a collision course with the steep rise in California's annual AYP thresholds.

NEXT WEEK IS EARTH SCIENCE WEEK

During Earth Science Week 2008 (Oct. 12-18), students will explore mines and caves, sample groundwater, monitor the weather, visit museums and science centers, prepare science projects, and conduct investigations. Leading them will be teachers who are conducting an Earth science lab activity or using one of the many activities on the Earth Science Week website at www.earthsciweek.org. In addition to other resources on the Earth Science Week website, you can download an educators guide from the makers of the movie, "Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D." Earth Science Week begins again this year with International EarthCache Day on October 12. Whether you're a teacher, a student, or just someone who enjoys Earth science firsthand, EarthCaching provides a great way to kick off the celebration. EarthCaching is a variation of a recreational activity known as geocaching. Typically, a geocache organizer posts latitude and longitude coordinates on the Internet to advertise a “cache,” or scavenger-hunt destination, which geocachers locate by using GPS devices. Today, more than 270,000 caches are active in over 200 countries, according to Geocaching.com. The activity has attracted over one million participants worldwide.

Triangle Coalition member, the American Geological Association (AGI) hosts Earth Science Week in cooperation with sponsors as a service to the public and the geoscience community. Each year, local groups, educators, and interested individuals organize celebratory events. Earth Science Week offers opportunities to discover the Earth sciences and engage in responsible stewardship of the Earth. The program is supported by the U.S. Geological Survey, NASA, the National Park Service, the AAPG Foundation, and other geoscience groups.

TCEB Sponsors

3M
3M is a diversified technology company committed to providing practical
and ingenious solutions to help customers succeed.

Ford Motor Company Fund
Ford Motor Company Fund continues the legacy of Henry Ford's commitment
to innovative education at all levels. They remain dedicated to creating and enriching
educational opportunities, especially in the areas of science, engineering, math, and business.

To find out how your organization can sponsor the TCEB or support the Triangle Coalition in other ways, visit www.trianglecoalition.org/support.htm __________________________________________________________________________

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