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Triangle Coalition Electronic Bulletin
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This Week's Topics:
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| The Museum of Science, Boston and Key Curriculum Press recently released a high school science and engineering curriculum, entitled, "Engineering the Future: Science, Technology, and the Design Process." The curriculum was developed by Triangle Coalition member, the National Center for Technological Literacy (NCTL), based at the Museum. It immerses students in hands-on design and building challenges reflecting engineering problems -- from designing and testing a boat model to constructing a building prototype. With Key Curriculum Press, the Museum launched its first school textbook publishing partnership. The Museum of Science, Boston also recently released a middle school math curriculum to be published by Walch Publishing. "Building Math" inspires students to learn algebra by solving engineering challenges on adventures to Mount Everest, the Amazon, and a deserted South Pacific island. The series was developed in conjunction with Tufts University, and was piloted with hundreds of students in Massachusetts schools. The series involves math students in collecting and analyzing their own data in hands-on investigations integrated with engineering design activities. On each adventure, students apply math to their investigations and use the engineering design process to meet challenges. The Museum and the NCTL are also developing "Engineering is Elementary: Engineering and Technology Lessons for Children" that integrates technology and engineering concepts and skills into elementary school science lessons. Connections are also made with literacy, social studies, and mathematics. When completed, the curriculum will include 20 units. Each unit is set in a different country and includes four lessons that reinforce one elementary science topic, focus on one field of engineering, and highlight one technology. The curriculum is designed to engage all students in the engineering design process and includes teacher lesson plans, student duplication masters, and assessments. All student curricular materials are available in English and Spanish and meet the Massachusetts K-12 Technology/Engineering Frameworks and the national Standards for Technological Literacy. For more information on the NCTL, visit www.nctl.org. . |
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Applications are now being accepted to the 2008 National Biotechnology Teacher–Leader Program. Teachers from across the United States and around the world participate in the Institute's intensive premier teacher training program during the International Conference on Biotechnology Education. This five-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. 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 corporate rate of sponsorship is $10,000 per teacher and the government, non-profit, and school district rate is $5,500 per teacher. The application deadline is April 1; more details are online. . |
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| NASA has selected South Plantation High School of Plantation, FL, to fly a student-designed experiment aboard the agency's reduced-gravity aircraft, the "Weightless Wonder." South Plantation will join 13 other NASA Explorer School teams selected for this unique learning experience to test science and math concepts in a weightless laboratory aboard the Weightless Wonder this month. The modified McDonnell Douglas DC-9 jetliner will fly a series of parabolic maneuvers -- steep climbs followed by sharp descents. Each climb will produce about 30 seconds of hyper gravity, ranging from 1.8 to 2 G's. When the C-9 "noses over," each free fall will produce 18 to 25 seconds of weightlessness. The teams will fly about 32 parabolas. "The goal of the NASA Explorer School Program is to equip the next generation of explorers. These flights are an illustration of how NASA can connect space, math, and science to classrooms on Earth," said Rob Lasalvia, program manager. South Plantation was selected as a NASA Explorer School in 2005, giving the school an opportunity to propose a reduced-gravity experiment. The program enables schools and their communities to work with NASA in a three-year partnership to develop the nation's future science, technology, engineering, and mathematics work force. There are now 200 teams, representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. With this program, NASA continues the agency's tradition of investing in the nation's education programs. It is directly tied to the agency's major education goal of attracting and retaining students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, disciplines. To compete effectively for the minds, imaginations, and career ambitions of America's young people, NASA is focused on engaging and retaining students in STEM education programs to encourage their pursuit of educational disciplines critical to NASA's future engineering, scientific, and technical missions. For more information on NASA Explorer Schools, click here. For more information on other NASA reduced-gravity programs, click here. . |
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Each year, thousands of schools across the nation are transitioning to the research-based National Science Foundation (NSF) Grant Math programs -- a different method of teaching and learning mathematics. To help parents understand the inquiry-based approach to developing the mathematical thinking skills that are at the core of the NSF-funded programs, Pearson School educational publishers and the Family Education Network have launched www.MathSupportforParents.com. The website provides a wealth of material to help parents understand the concepts behind Pearson's Investigations in Number, Data, and Space and Connected Mathematics programs. It also includes videos from teachers and students addressing the questions that are on many parents' minds, including a section on ways to help their children at home. . |
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| Teachers, students, and lifelong learners now have a new source for free, educational multimedia, as PBS and local PBS stations KQED (San Francisco), WETA (Washington, D.C.), WGBH (Boston), and WNET (New York) recently begin offering high-quality video clips and other educational resources on "iTunes U," a dedicated area of the iTunes Store showcasing educational content. Available in the Beyond Campus section of "iTunes U," the initial online offerings from these local PBS stations include a wealth of educational video clips, lectures, interviews, teacher's guides, and a variety of other materials. PBS' new area on "iTunes U" links to extensive and wide-ranging PBS station content, from an underwater journey through a coral reef to video clips of a solar eclipse. "'iTunes U' presents a tremendous opportunity for WGBH to expand the reach of our educational TV, radio, and web content to a global audience," said Jon Abbott, President, WGBH. "We look forward to making even more of our programming available in the future by regularly adding new video clips and lectures to our presence on iTunes U." "KQED has long been committed to providing powerful tools for learning, whether teacher training, online maps, or rich media. Our presence on 'iTunes U' has enabled us to reach audiences beyond our normal geographic boundaries," said Tim Olson, KQED's Executive Director, Interactive. . |
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| Each year, the President of the United States recognizes outstanding kindergarten-6th grade or 7th-12th grade mathematics and science teachers by bestowing upon them the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). Awards are given to teachers in each state and four U.S. jurisdictions, including Washington, DC; Puerto Rico; Department of Defense Schools; and the U.S. territories (American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands). The PAEMST program is administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on behalf of the White House. In 2008 the PAEMST program will receive applications from kindergarten through 6th grade mathematics and science teachers. In 2009 the PAEMST program will receive applications from 7th through 12th grade mathematics and science teachers. PAEMST winners are honored the year following receipt of the application. Each award recipient will be provided a $10,000 award from NSF and gifts from a broad range of donors. Awardees and their guests are honored during events that take place in Washington, DC over the course of a week-long celebration. These events include an awards ceremony, celebratory receptions and banquets, and professional development programs. Since this is the first year that the nomination and application will be completed online, the nomination deadline has been extended to March 1. Nominated kindergarten through sixth grade teachers must submit their applications by May 1, 2008. . |
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TCEB Sponsors
This issue of the TCEB is made possible by grants from: 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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