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Triangle Coalition Electronic Bulletin
February 28, 2008
Volume 14, Number 8

Published by the
Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology Education

Issue Sponsor:
ADC Foundation

This Week's Topics:

  1. STEM EDUCATION GOES TO WASHINGTON WITH THE TRIANGLE COALITION ANNUAL CONFERENCE
  2. DUPONT PROVIDES TECHNOLOGY STUDENTS A CHANCE TO UPGRADE THEIR SKILLS
  3. NCTM TO INAUGURATE IRIS M. CARL EQUITY ADDRESS
  4. APPLICATIONS TO TEACHER-LEADER PROGRAM, BEST PRACTICES DAY NOW BEING ACCEPTED
  5. TEACHING AMBASSADOR FELLOWSHIPS
  6. TI FOUNDATION GRANT EXPANDS MATH AND SCIENCE MENTORING INITIATIVES
  7. MATHEMATICS TEACHING IN THE 21ST CENTURY
  8. PREVIOUS ISSUES

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STEM EDUCATION GOES TO WASHINGTON
WITH THE TRIANGLE COALITION ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology Education held its Annual Conference on STEM education policy this week in Alexandria, VA. Hans Meeder, President of Meeder Consulting Group and former Deputy Secretary of Education for Vocational and Adult Education, opened the conference with a keynote address in which he discussed the convergence of education, employment and economic development, and the related implications for STEM education and the STEM workforce. The attendees later had the opportunity to hear the Deputy Secretary of Education, Raymond Simon, deliver a keynote address on the results of the National Math Panel. In addition to these keynote topics, the conference also featured a number of panel discussions, starting out in the morning with an overview of major STEM education bills that are currently being considered in Congress. These panelists, all from Capitol Hill, discussed issues surrounding the America COMPETES Act, the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA), and the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. The focus then changed from federal issues to state, with a pre-lunch panel discussion on some STEM education initiatives that are working at the state level.

Attendees also participated in three breakout sessions: "The STEM Pipeline… Futures and Careers in Innovation," which brought the perspective of industry and professional societies into the picture; "Ready, Set, Science - The National Research Council/Board on Science Education," which discussed "Ready, Set, Science," the National Research Council’s report on learning and teaching science in grades K-8; and "STEM Education - An Educator's Perspective," which featured teachers from the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship program. A panel on the "STEM Education Agenda for 2008" also discussed important STEM education-related initiatives in 2008. On the second day of the conference, attendees, representing 18 different states, made a total of 59 visits to their respective Congressional offices. Visitors were able to put a face on STEM education and provide staffers with additional insight into the need for, and benefits of, continued investment in the critical fields of science, technology/engineering, and mathematics.  

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DUPONT PROVIDES TECHNOLOGY STUDENTS
A CHANCE TO UPGRADE THEIR SKILLS
Success in any technology industry, present or future, requires more than an understanding of technology. Students will need to have the skills to engage and motivate teams, communicate ideas effectively, and deal with conflict and challenge. Through a donation from DuPont, Technology Student Association (TSA) members from across the country will be able to participate in hands-on leadership development at the National TSA Conference in Orlando, FL this June. The conference will provide 5,000 middle and high school students and their advisors a program packed with competitive events and challenging activities that foster personal growth and leadership development.

The leadership development program will be facilitated by FOCUS Training, a leadership development company that provides interactive training to youth, collegiate, and corporate groups. Working under the theme "Achieving Excellence through Understanding and Action," FOCUS Training facilitates experiential activities and insightful explanations that guide participants to a greater understanding of themselves, others, and their organizations. Triangle Coalition member, the Technology Student Association, is a national non-profit organization devoted exclusively to the needs of elementary, middle, and high school students with a dedicated interest in technology. Assisting TSA's 150,000 plus student members is a strong support system of educators, alumni, parents, and business leaders who believe in the importance of a technologically literate society. Find out more about TSA and the upcoming conference online. The DuPont Office of Education (OOE) works with educators, university faculty, the business community, and local DuPont sites to prepare today's children for tomorrow's world. DuPont's goal is to ensure that the next generation of citizens has a working knowledge of the unique method of science and a reasoned understanding of science as a domain of human knowledge. Click here to find out more about Triangle Coalition member, DuPont, and its educational initiatives.  

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NCTM TO INAUGURATE IRIS M. CARL EQUITY ADDRESS

Triangle Coalition member, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), has announced the establishment of the Iris M. Carl Equity Address in honor of Iris Carl, a past president who championed mathematics literacy for all. Beginning in 2008, the address will feature a selected speaker at the NCTM Annual Meeting and Exposition. Each year a distinguished mathematics educator, noted for making significant contributions to research in education equality, will be invited to give the address. For 2008, Carol E. Malloy has been selected to give the inaugural Iris M. Carl Equity Address. She will deliver the featured session, "Celebrating the Legacy of Iris Carl through Our Practice," in April at the NCTM Annual Meeting and Exposition in Salt Lake City, UT. Malloy, an associate professor in mathematics education at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, has focused her research on equity and reform in education, with particular emphasis on the role that culture plays in the learning of mathematics. Throughout her career she has sought to identify ways in which educators can help students who have difficulty learning mathematics. She has specifically focused her efforts on assisting African-American, Latino, and Native American students, who often lack opportunities to study rigorous mathematics that can lead to a full range of career opportunities.

The newly established Iris M. Carl Equity Address posthumously recognizes Carl's work in placing NCTM at the forefront of the public debate on the importance of curricular standards. She was also a well-respected public voice in support of mathematics education through testimony before Congress and in the news media. Carl, who died in 2004, served as NCTM president from 1990 to 1992. In 1997, she received the Mathematics Education Trust Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her lifelong commitment to mathematics education. Nominations of candidates to deliver the Iris M. Carl Equity Address in future years will be solicited from the Council's membership. The selection will be made by a panel headed by the NCTM president. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is a public voice of mathematics education, providing vision, leadership, and professional development to support teachers in ensuring mathematics learning of the highest quality for all students. Find out more at www.nctm.org.

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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 online. 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.

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TEACHING AMBASSADOR FELLOWSHIPS

Secretary Spellings recently announced the creation of "Teaching Ambassador Fellowship" positions for currently practicing, K-12 public school teachers at the U.S. Department of Education for the 2008-2009 school year. These positions will offer highly motivated, innovative teachers the opportunity to contribute their knowledge and experience to the national dialogue on public education. The Fellowship includes two kinds of opportunities for teachers across the U.S.:

1. Up to 20 Classroom Fellows will remain at their schools under their regular teaching contracts and will be paid to participate in additional Department discussions and projects throughout the school year on a part-time basis.

2. Up to five Washington Fellows will be chosen to become full-time, paid federal employees in Washington, D.C. for the school year, working on education programs and participating in policy discussions.

"Teaching Ambassador Fellows" will be selected based upon their record of leadership, impact on student achievement, and potential for contribution to the field. Highly qualified K-12 public school teachers who have spent at least three years in the classroom are eligible to apply. Teachers must be currently practicing in and employed by a public school district to be eligible. To ensure collaboration at the school and district levels, teacher applicants must have the full support of their school principals. Applications are due by April 7, 2008; Fellows will be named by early summer for the 2008-2009 school year. More details are online

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TI FOUNDATION GRANT EXPANDS MATH AND SCIENCE MENTORING INITIATIVES
The Texas Instruments (TI) Foundation is granting $50,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of North Texas to fund programs for 40 seventh and eighth grade students in the Dallas Independent School District (ISD) who are enrolled in the Math and Science Mentoring Initiatives pilot program. Each student will receive scholarships for math/science initiatives including tutoring, fair or camp fees. The funding will also provide year-long support and training for each student's mentor. Big Brothers Big Sisters created the program in 2007 to promote greater appreciation for math and science among seventh and eighth graders in Dallas ISD through one-to-one mentoring. By heightening the interest of students who share a propensity for math and science and encouraging math and science professionals' involvement as mentors, the initiative aims to increase the likelihood of these students achieving success in these subjects and reaching beyond high school graduation to the exploration of careers related to those fields. TI has a longtime and significant partnership with BBBS with 65 TI employees volunteering as mentors with the organization over the past three years.

With investments at all points in the education continuum, the TI Foundation's primary focus is the development of programs that help prepare students for studies in science, technology, engineering, and math. Find out more about Triangle Coalition member, Texas Instruments, at http://education.ti.com.  

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MATHEMATICS TEACHING IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Mathematics Teaching in the 21st Century (MT21) is the first report to come from a small-scale international study funded by the National Science Foundation. The goal was to examine how the preparation of middle school (lower secondary school internationally) mathematics teachers is accomplished across several countries exhibiting a range of student achievement on the 1995 Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). The TIMSS data revealed that countries with higher achievement gains had teachers who taught substantially different content than that of their less accomplished counterparts. MT21 reports on the final research conducted in six countries: Bulgaria, Germany, Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United States.

MT21 sought to leverage the potential of an international comparative study to elucidate key important aspects of teacher preparation. Three types of surveys were developed: a teacher preparation institution (program) survey, a survey for future teachers of middle school mathematics, and brief faculty surveys. This first report focuses on findings from the survey of Future Middle School Mathematics Teachers in their final year of teacher preparation. The full report is online.   

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TCEB Sponsors

This issue of the TCEB is made possible by grants from:

ADC Foundation

ADC Telecommunications provides network infrastructure products and services to businesses around the world. Connecting industry and community needs, the ADC Foundation focuses its charitable grants on science and mathematics education, and also on nonprofit technology assistance.

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

The TCEB is a newsletter provided to members of the Triangle Coalition. Triangle Coalition members may forward individual articles or the issue in its entirety to internal member lists, providing that credit is given to the Triangle Coalition, and contact information is included in any republication.
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Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology Education
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