SAMEC E-News: Week of 03-17-06
1) Upcoming Professional Development
for K-12 Science Teachers
2) Upcoming Courses for Teachers
Spring 2006
3) Available Resources for K-12
Science and Mathematics Teachers
4) Available Positions for K-12
Science and Mathematics Teachers
5) Opportunities for K-12
Science and Mathematics Teachers
6) Opportunities for K-12 Students
7) Grant Opportunities for Faculty,
Staff and College Students
8) Mathematics and Science Teaching
Awards
________________________________________________________________________________________________
1) Upcoming Professional Development
for K-12 Science Teachers
Changes
in Altitudes Program opportunity for Teachers. Applications for
the Changes in Altitudes Program for 2006 are now being taken and are
due April 7! During the course of 2005, the Arizona Space Grant
Consortium (AZSGC) began a new program, Changes in Altitudes, to
provide the opportunity for teachers and students to fly atmospheric
experiments on high altitude weather balloons. We are now entering our
2nd year and once again are seeking interested teachers, who would like
to apply for this great opportunity. The program, which is administered
by the Northern Arizona University NASA Space Grant program, is made
possible by the Education and Public Outreach program of The University
of Arizona’s Phoenix Mars Lander 2007 mission. Each year of the 4-year
program, the AZSGC will select five teachers from across Arizona who
will be provided with hands-on training, building and launching of
small balloon satellites to become part of a state-wide balloon
satellite program. The program will support these teachers to develop
four small student teams at their home schools to design, build, and
launch four small payloads spaced over a two-year period. We look
forward to hearing from you and reading about how this type of program
would benefit your students. If you have any questions, please feel
free to contact us at 928/523-8067 or via email at spacegrant@nau.edu.
Applications
will be accepted until Friday, April 7th. Visit our website for the
application and further information about this program, which you can
access by clicking on the “Changes in Altitudes” button on the homepage
at http://www.spacegrant.nau.edu
___________________________________
Mars
Mania II,
Saturday, April 8, 2006. HiRISE Arrives at the Red Planet! Come and
learn about the High Resolution Imaging Science camera on the Mars
Reconnaissance Orbiter which arrives at Mars in early March. HiRISE
will be able to see objects less than a meter across on Mars! This
next-generation camera will revolutionize the study of the geology of
the Red Planet, the mysterious water cycle on Mars, and will locate
future robotic and human landing sites! For additional information,
contact Loretta at 626-7432 (loretta@lpl.arizona.edu)
or visit: http://hiroc.lpl.arizona.edu/marsmania
___________________________________
A NEW
Fully-funded professional development program for secondary school
teachers in the legendary Galapagos Islands is being launched byToyota Motor Sales,
U.S.A., Inc.This is a special chance for educators to visit these
remote islands; the inspiration for Darwin and home to a unique
ecosystem found no where else on Earth! This year, the program is open
to twenty secondary school classroom teachers, of all disciplines, who
teach full time in Arizona, California, D.C., Florida, Georgia,
Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and Texas. If you
have any questions or would like more information, please do not
hesitate to contact me by email at toyotateach@iie.org
or by phone at (toll-free) 877-832-2457. The deadline for the
application is April 21, 2006. To find out complete details, get a
timeline, and access the official online application, visit http://www.iie.org/programs/toyota
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Arizona
Project WET, located at the University of Arizona, is a
comprehensive water education program, correlated to the Arizona
Standards, and offers terrific resources for teachers. It is an
educational program at the UofA that educates educators about
WATER. The classes cover the water cycle, groundwater, water
quality, water rights, the water cycle, and an overall comprehensive
study of the importance of water to all water users, regardless of age,
promoting awareness of Arizona water resources through effective
educational opportunities and classroom-ready teaching activities and
tools. How can you get involved? Workshops offer engaging, interactive
classroom activities, developed and tested by teachers to create
critical thinking and build an understanding of concepts by
experiential learning. For participating in a workshop each teacher
receives a nationally acclaimed teaching guide they can utilize in
their own classroom. A Facilitator for Arizona Project WET is an
individual interested in conducting workshops for teachers and
educators. If you are interested in facilitating or. These workshops
are approved for professional development hours and state
recertification credits too! Questions? Contact josie@cals.arizona.edu,
520/792-9591 x27. The schedule of workshops is available at: http://www.ag.arizona.edu/azwater/wet
___________________________________
The
Archaeology Summer Institute for Educators is a two week
program intended to give educators an introduction to the prehistory of
Arizona, to the archaeological sciences, as well as time to develop and
evaluate curriculum focused on archaeology. The program is open to all
K-12 educators, but is designed for classroom teachers who are already
teaching curriculum centered on archaeology/prehistory or for those who
intend to do so in the near future. Participants will receive a
stipend, re-certification hours, and a certificate of completion.
University of Arizona credit will be available. For more information,
contact: Sara Chavarria at 327-6427 (sara.chavarria@arczip.com)
or Elliott Lax at 623-7223 (elax@cityhighschool.org).
For an application, access our webpage at: http://datamonster.sbs.arizona.ed/IGERT/summer.php
________________________________________________________________________________________________
2) Science and Mathematics Courses for
Teachers
Spring and Summer 2006
Oceans:
Ecology, Human Impact and Sustainability, A Free 8-Hour Workshop
for Teachers, Sunday, April
23, 2006, 8 am-5 pm, Green Fields Country Day School, 6000 N Camino de
la Tierra in
Tucson, Traci Holstein (Green Fields
Country Day School). This free, non-credit workshop will cover the
basics of marine biology and ecology. We will begin with an overview of
marine species, including performing some interesting dissections. Once
you have fallen in love with these creatures, we will cover human
impact on the ocean. A focus area will include an overview of the
history of commercial fishing and the impact of that practice. We will
also discuss other issues, such as habitat destruction, aquaculture,
and pollution. Breakfast munchies and beverages will be
provided. There will be a break for lunch; surrounding food
venues include Sonic, Wendy's, Rubios, Eegees, Taco Bell, and Nico's
Mexican Food. Please bring a notebook and an open mind! To register for
this workshop, please email Traci Holstein at undrthc@cox.net.
___________________________________
New UA
Course Offering: "Indigenous Education in a 21st Century World:
Creating Consciousness, Theory and Praxis Where It Counts?" (LRC
595a-031, May 13 - 26, 2006, 8 am - 12:30 pm. Instructor: Professor
Greg Cajete, University of New Mexico. This course will explore the
instructor's personal synthesis of the "shared metaphors" which
American Indians hold in common with regard to Tribal education
and the nature of Indigenous education. The lectures,
discussions, assignments and readings will examine the creative
possibilities inherent in the introduction of an Indigenous frame
of reference toward the development of a contemporary philosophy
of American Indian education and orientations to learning and
teaching. The class will explore a "culturally-informed alternative" to
curriculum and instruction, which advocates the development of a
contemporary, community-based education process, which is founded upon
traditional Tribal values, orientations and principles, but
simultaneously utilizes the most appropriate concepts and technologies
of modern education. Indigenous education offers a highly creative
vehicle for thinking about the evolving expressions of American Indian
cultures as they enter the 21st century. Contact: Tracy Williams
at tmw@email.arizona.edu
___________________________________
Galapagos Marine Ecology (UA ECOL
596O) still has openings for this Summer 2006. Course
takes place July 2-28 in the Galapagos, Ecuador and is designed for
secondary school science teachers. This will be our fourth year
offering this exciting and unique opportunity. Spend almost one month
doing your own individual research project in the Galapagos and working
with a local school teaching English through Biology. Contact Dr.
Katrina Mangin at the UA at mangin@u.arizona.edu
or Tom Lutz in Phoenix at tomvlutz@hotmail.com
or visit our website at http://geocities.com/galapagosislands2005/principal.html
___________________________________
ASSET/PBS
TeacherLine geared for High School Mathematics Educators is
currently underway. Seeing Math: Linear Equations Grades 6-8, 9-12
(Algebra Strand of AZ Standards). Develop strategies for teaching
students to represent and manipulate linear equations. Examine the
rationale behind symbol manipulation that maintains an equality
or corresponding inequality, use symbolic and graphic techniques to
solve equations; try activities for your students. Special Offer: Each
participant who registers for a TeacherLine course will be entered into
a drawing for 1 of 2 iPod Shuffles™ to be given away on April 3rd. If
you register for two courses, you will have two chances! Registration
is easy: 1. Log in to the ASSET Portal at http://www.asset.asu.edu 2.
Choose the Current Course Offerings from Shortcuts and click on View
All Courses 3. Click on the Course Title for more information and
registration (Registration fee $21) If you need additional assistance
or have questions, please feel free to contact us. asset@asu.edu 480-965-1004 http://www.asset.asu.edu/
___________________________________
Genes,
Biotechnology & the Environment. In recent years, the study
of biology has been transformed by the development of new laboratory
techniques in biotechnology: controlled reactions using enzymes and
processes that occur in living cells. By using these techniques to
reveal the information encoded in DNA, researchers have gained amazing
insights into disease processes, human history, and never-before-seen
microbial diversity in soils, water, and even our own bodies. These
same techniques are now also being applied to criminal forensic
investigations and the development of many new medical, agricultural,
and industrial products. In this intensive short course, students will
have the opportunity to learn some of these laboratory techniques and
be introduced to the areas of genetics and gene function, molecular
biology, evolutionary genetics, bioinformatics, and computational
biology. High school students, teachers, and teachers-in-training will
work in small groups using state-of-the-art equipment and methods to
learn and apply basic molecular biology skills, in the context of
research questions developed within the class. Teachers: weekdays,
8:30-3:30, July 17 - August 3. HS Students: weekdays,
8:30-3:30, July 18 - August 1. Application deadline is May 31.
Registration deadline is July 13. Class size is limited. For more
information visit: http://eebweb.arizona.edu/courses/biotech
________________________________________________________________________________________________
3) Available Resources for K-12
Science and Mathematics Teachers
Pima
College Physics Phun Nite, Friday, March 31, 2006, 6:00-8:00 pm,
Pima Community College Center for the Arts Proscenium Theatre, 2202 W.
Anklam Road, Tucson, AZ, 85709. A gang of mad scientists battles the
forces of nature at
Pima Community College's physics night, along with other "phun"
demonstrations. Seating is limited; early arrival recommended. Free.
520/206-6932.
___________________________________
GLOBE at
Night Program, an international event designed to observe and
record the visible starsinvites you to join the GLOBE at Night Program
for the Ultimate Star-Hunting Party. Participation is open to anyone –
anywhere in the world – who can get outside and look skyward during the
week of March 22-29, 2006! There is no cost to participate. Help
us reach our goal of 5000 observations from around the world! The
quality of the night sky for stellar observations is impacted by
several factors including human activities. By locating specific
constellations in the sky, students from around the world will learn
how the lights in their community contribute to light pollution.
Students will explore the different light sources in their community
learning the relationship between science, technology and society, and
they will report their observations online through a central database
allowing for authentic worldwide research and analysis. The
observations made during GLOBE at Night will help students and
scientists together assess how the quality of the night sky varies
around the world. To participate in GLOBE at Night!visit http://www.globe.gov/globeatnight
Download the GLOBE at Night Activity Packet (available in Spanish as
well). Choose a clear night during the week of March 22-29, 2006. Find
the constellation Orion. Compare what you see to the Magnitude Charts.
Report your observations on the Web site. Sign up for the GLOBE at
Night mailing list to receive the results of this international event!
What Students Will Learn: How to locate and identify constellations in
the night sky; How their view of the night sky is impacted by light
pollution; How science and technology have produced local and global
challenges; How light energy is distributed at local and global scales
How effective and efficient different light sources are in their
environment; Some of the economic factors involved in light pollution
in their community; How to understand patterns of human population
distribution. GLOBE at Night is a collaboration between The GLOBE
Program; the
National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) in Tucson, AZ; Centro de
Apoyo a la Didactica de la Astronomia (CADIAS) in Chile; Windows to the
Universe; and Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI).
For more information, educators can contact globeatnight@globe.gov.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
4) Available Positions for K-12
Science and Mathematics Teachers
Arizona
Science Center is looking for instructors to develop and/or
teach a variety of
content and pedagogical workshops for teachers. Selected instructors
will receive $250.00 for the development of a workshop, and $120.00 per
workshop taught. Each four-hour, professional development workshop will
be offered three times over the summer: at an east and west valley
location, and at the Center. Tentative topics include:
Organisms and Environments, Forces, Motion, and Magnets, Earth’s
Processes and Systems, Weather, Integrating Math and Science in The
Elementary Classroom, Teaching Science in The Elementary
Classroom. To be considered, you must have: A master’s
degree in the subject area, or a bachelor’s degree in the subject area
and demonstrated proficiency, and classroom teaching
experience. Interviews will begin in February and continue
until positions are filled. If you are interested, please submit a
letter of intent detailing your experience and education to: Dianne
McKee Educational Services Manager Arizona Science Center 600 E.
Washington Street Phoenix, Arizona 85004 (602) 716-2000, ext. 2564
________________________________________________________________________________________________
5) Opportunities for K-12 Science and
Mathematics Teachers
Do you
have an A+ project? It could be worth $27,000! Over the past 10
years, ING has honored excellence and innovation in teaching through
the ING Unsung Heroes awards program. Each year, 100 K-12 educators
with innovative projects are selected to receive grants of $2,000.
Three of those are chosen to receive an additional $25,000,
$10,000 or $5,000. Applications are due by May 1, 2006. For more
information about this program, visit: http://www.ing.com/us/unsungheroes
________________________________________________________________________________________________
6) Opportunities for K-12 Students
Biotechnology
Summer Institute for High School Students. JobPath, Inc. in
collaboration with Pima Community College West will offer a High School
Biotechnology Institute this summer. It is a four credit Introduction
to Biotechnology course that will be taught to high school students.
Students will gain hands on lab experience and visit
biotechnology employers. They will attend class for 4 hours per day for
5 weeks and will receive an $800 stipend for completing the course.
Dates are not yet available. Deadline to apply is March 31, 2006.
For more information contact JobPath at 520/324-0402 x 207 or Lisa
Werner at PCC at 520/206-6002
lwerner@pima.edu. The application is available at http://www.jobpath.net
___________________________________
CATALYST
and CURIE Summer Programs
at Cornell University's College of Engineering. The one-week programs
are designed for African American, Native American, and Latino high
school students who excel in math, science, and have a desire to learn
more about careers in engineering. The CATALYST Program requires that
applicants have completed at least algebra I and advanced in science
through the tenth-grade level. The CURIE Program, designed specifically
for high school girls, requires that qualified applicants have
completed at least algebra II and advanced in science through the
eleventh-grade level. Both programs require that the applicant have at
least a 3.5 on a 4.0 grading scale. Selection will also be based on the
quality of a written essay, extra curricular experience, and interests.
The CATALYST Program is open to all students who will be sophomores,
juniors, or seniors in the fall and the CURIE program is open to all
girls who will be juniors or seniors in the fall. Both programs have a
size limit of 25 students, a tuition of $450, and a starting date of
July 22-29, 2006. Room, board, and other expenses will be paid by
Cornell University. Full travel and tuition stipends are available for
the CATALYST Program based on need. If you have any questions about the
programs or site access problems,
please contact Cornell's Office of Diversity Programs in Engineering at
607/255-0735. Applications must be postmarked by April 15, 2006. For
more information and application forms for the CATALYST Program click
on http://www.engineering.cornell.edu/cataylst
For more information and application forms for the CURIE Program click
on http://www.engineering.cornell.edu/curie
___________________________________
Genes,
Biotechnology & the Environment.
In recent years, the study of biology has been transformed by the
development of new laboratory techniques in biotechnology: controlled
reactions using enzymes and processes that occur in living cells. By
using these techniques to reveal the information encoded in DNA,
researchers have gained amazing insights into disease processes, human
history, and never-before-seen microbial diversity in soils, water, and
even our own bodies. These same techniques are now also being applied
to criminal forensic investigations and the development of many new
medical, agricultural, and industrial products. In this intensive short
course, students will have the opportunity to learn some of these
laboratory techniques and be introduced to the areas of genetics and
gene function, molecular biology, evolutionary genetics,
bioinformatics, and computational biology. High school students,
teachers, and teachers-in-training will work in small groups using
state-of-the-art equipment and methods to learn and apply basic
molecular biology skills, in the context of research questions
developed within the class. Teachers:
weekdays, 8:30-3:30, July 17 - August 3. HS Students:
weekdays, 8:30-3:30, July 18 - August 1. Application deadline is May
31. Registration deadline is July 13. Class size is limited. For more
information visit: http://eebweb.arizona.edu/courses/biotech
________________________________________________________________________________________________
7) Grant Opportunities for Faculty,
Staff and College Students
Turning
Information into Knowledge Curriculum Development grant is
available for Faculty, Graduate Students, and Staff. The Einstein’s
Protégés and Teaching Teams Programs are pleased to
invite instructors to submit curriculum development proposals to
support the creation of learner centered environments in which course
design includes the use and development of skills essential for student
success (study skills and information literacy). The grant is designed
to help you help your students become more able and
responsible learners, rethink the traditional faculty and student
roles, and explore alternative delivery methods. Maximum grant awards
will be $3,000. Turning Information into Knowledge is sponsored by the
Teaching Teams Program, University Learning Center, University
Libraries, University Teaching Center, and The Writing Program.
Deadline for proposals is Friday, March 24, 2006. For the complete Call
For Proposals, visit the Grants Program website: http://teachingteams.arizona.edu/ep/grants.htm
___________________________________
Improving
Teaching Quality (ITQ), Higher Education Professional
Development Program, request for proposals (RFP) is now available. This
is the fourth year of the ITQ grant, and there are some significant
changes in this RFP from previous years. The key changes are mentioned
below; please read the RFP for details of each.
Eligible Partnerships: The provisions of the No Child Left Behind
legislation which funds this grant require that all projects have three
partner participants: • One institution of higher education (IHE),
including its division that prepares teacher and principals; • One
school or division of arts and sciences in an IHE; • One high-need
local education agency (LEA); All projects will need to clearly address
the partnerships. A web link for the list of high-need LEA’s (school
districts) is included in the RFP. Funding Levels: The maximum funding
level for projects has been raised from $60,000 to $200,000. Multi-Year
Projects: Multi-year projects currently funded under the previous
guidelines will need to complete this RFP. Progress on the project and
changes made to meet the new guidelines should be
addressed in the narrative. The deadline for submission of 2006 ITG
grant proposals is March 31, 2006. Grant awards will be announced
in April 2006. The RFP and Application Guidelines may be accessed
via the Board of Regents http://www.abor.azregents.edu
________________________________________________________________________________________________
8) Mathematics and Science Teaching
Awards
Call for
Nominations for The Southern Arizona Section of the American Chemical
Society announces its 2006 Southern Arizona ACS High School
Chemistry Teaching Award. The purpose is to recognize, encourage, and
stimulate outstanding teachers of high school chemistry in
Southern Arizona. The nature of the award consists of a plaque, a cash
prize of $500 for the teacher, and a $500 donation to the teacher’s
school for use by the awardee for educational supplies. The winner will
automatically be nominated by the section for the American Chemical
Society's annual Regional Award in High School Chemistry Teaching. The
award will be presented at the Southern Arizona Section's April awards
reception. The awardee, the nominator, and selected students will
be invited to attend. The award, originally funded by Research
Corporation of Tucson, is made possible due to the generosity of the
members of the local section. Past Recipients include: Ms.
Brenda Wolpa, Canyon del Oro High School. Ms. Ann Marie Condes,
Catalina Foothills High School Ms. Teresa Potter, Rio Rico High School
Ms. Ellen Caldwell, Palo Verde High School Ms. Gayle
Brickert-Albreicht, Tucson High School Ms. Elyse Wexler, Sabino High
School Ms. Patricia Merha, Amphitheater High School
Eligibility: Any high school chemistry teacher in the Southern Arizona
Section geographic area (Pima, Pinal, Greenlee, Graham and Santa Cruz
counties) may be nominated for the award. How to Nominate: If you know
a teacher deserving of this award, please send the name of the teacher,
the school and a brief statement describing why you believe the teacher
is deserving of this award to Steven Brown, Department of Chemistry,
University of Arizona P. O. Box 210041 Tucson, AZ 85721 0041
Nominations received by March 24 will be considered for this year’s
award. Nominations received after March 24 will be considered for next
year’s award. For additional information please contact Steve Brown at:
520/621 9980 or sbrown@u.arizona.edu