SAMEC E-news 08-10-07
You can also view an online version of the newsletter at: http://samec.lpl.arizona.edu/pdf/SAMEC%20E-news08-10-07.pdf
Environmental Outreach Presenters Needed
Polymer Science of Everyday Things Workshop
Urban Ecology Project
The Toyota International Teacher Program to Costa Rica
Issues in Education of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students
Desert Museum Teacher Appreciation Night
Using Technology in the Classroom: It's a WISE Idea
On-Line Genetics for Teachers Course in Fall 2007
NIEA 38th Annual Convention
Students Help Save Native Language
Educational E-Journal Links
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Environmental Outreach Presenters Needed
Local environmental education program seeks dynamic, responsible classroom presenters who work well with children. Flexible schedule and own vehicle required. Great pay. Email resume or questions to outreach@eeexchange.org.
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Polymer Science of Everyday Things Workshop . . . a hands-on workshop for middle school and high school science teachers Saturday, August 18, 2007 10:00 am – 1:00 pm LONG DISTANCE LEARNING IN ACTION Massachusetts Institute of Technology, long-distance classroom Satellite sites: University of Akron and University of Arizona Simulcast at the University of Arizona, Harvill Bldg, Room 205 REGISRATION: Free to middle school and high school science teachers. To register, email Dr. Anne Padias, Chemistry Department, anne@u.arizona.edu, with your name, school name, preferred contact address, email address (very important), phone number. Registration is limited by the room size, so please register as soon as possible. Workshop Description: The goal of the "The Polymer Science of Everyday Things" workshop is to explain how things that people encounter and use everyday depend on polymer science. This workshop will focus on three topics: relieving knee pain, adhesive bandages, and hydrogels for wound dressings. Three IPEC Polymer Ambassadors and three industrial experts will share their ideas and research to provide hands-on activities for teachers in Boston, Akron and Tucson through long-distance learning technologies. These activities will focus on the National Science Education Standards: Properties of Matter, Physical Science Content, Science and Technology, and Science in Personal and Social Perspectives. Appropriate materials and lunch will be provided during this workshop. The “take away” benefit of this workshop is information and experiment kits that are readily incorporated in the classroom. This workshop is run in conjunction with a symposium at the ACS National Meeting in Boston, POLYMER SCIENCE OF EVERYDAY THINGS. SPONSORS: ACS Polymer Division, Intersociety Polymer Education Council, Royal Society of Chemistry, SPE, University of Akron Global Polymer Academy, Department of Chemistry – University of Arizona, MIT
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Urban Ecology Project
Would you like to be part of the next generation of science education researchers? A new opportunity for area high school teachers to collaborate with University researchers. The Teaching and Teacher Education Department of the College of Education at the University of Arizona is seeking highly motivated high school teachers to participate in field tests of a new curriculum: Urban Environmental Science for Sustainable Cities.
We are currently recruiting teachers for fall 2007. We are looking for candidates who will be teaching a high school science class that meets daily throughout the 2007-2008 academic year. Candidates should have an interest in environmental sciences. In fall 2007, teachers will work with university researchers in the selection of regionally appropriate materials, and in the refinement of pilot materials. Piloting of the urban ecology curriculum materials will begin in spring 2008. University support will be provided throughout the project, and participating teachers will receive a stipend.
If you would like to learn more about the Urban Ecology Project, please contact Dr. Christopher Harris at harriscj@email.arizona.eduor Deborah L. Rooks at dlrooks@email.arizona.edu
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The Toyota International Teacher Program to Costa Rica
The Toyota International Teacher Program to Costa Rica is a hands-on international professional development opportunity for US educators. This 10-day, fully funded study tour to Central America will provide classroom teachers of grades 7-12 the opportunity to interact with Costa Rican community leaders and learn about tropical diversity and cultural conservation. The Program will benefit the teachers, their classrooms and communities through exposure to practical ideas that can be incorporated into interdisciplinary classroom curricula and community projects.
Comments from past participants in the Toyota International Teacher Program highlight the benefits of these experiences:
This program is invaluable to participants because it serves as a vehicle to bring cross-cultural aspects to curriculum and teaching methodologies that may otherwise not be realized. --Tracey Etheredge, TX ‘04
There is no limit to the value of these programs. Education is about expanding the mind and the heart; this program has done that in innumerable ways that will play out over the career of a teacher.
-- Andrew Harris, CA ‘05
Full-time classroom teachers of grades 7-12 in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia are encouraged to submit applications for the Toyota International Teacher Program by September 7, 2007.
· Apply online at http://www.iie.org/toyota
· Program brochures may also be requested by visiting the Toyota International Teacher Program website or by calling the Institute of International Education at 1-877-832-2457.
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Issues in Education of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students
Fostering Auditory Development and Spoken Language in Young Children with Cochlear Implants and Hearing Aids
SERP 597n [2 units], Fall 2007 – Online Course, September 8 – December 14, 2007
A must course for certified teachers of hard-of-hearing and deaf children who need to update knowledge and skills to
• take advantage of the latest technologies in amplification and cochlear implantation • promote audition and speech, supporting communication, academics, and social development
In- and pre-service graduate students not currently certified teachers may take this course if they’ve taken the following prerequisites or equivalent courses at other universities:
• Principles of Audiology (SpH 583 at UA) and • Development and Assessment of Speech and Auditory Skills in Students with Hearing Loss (SERP 532 at UA)
All students should have the following competencies:
• Basic knowledge and skills in speech theory • Anatomy and physiology of the auditory and speech mechanisms • Classroom acoustics • Domains of auditory and speech development, and related assessment and habilitation approaches • Basic knowledge of IPA phonetic transcription notations • Basic knowledge of hearing aid and cochlear implant technological features
Course Faculty Julie Reichman, Ph.D., Adjunct Assistant Professor at The University of Arizona
Course Consultant Catherine Creamer, M.Ed., Supervisor for the Center for Hearing Impaired Children at the Arizona Schools for the Deaf and Blind
To register or for more information: 520.626.2079, http://www.ceao.arizona.edu/dist
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Desert Museum Teacher Appreciation Night, August 25, 2007, 5:00p.m. - 10:00p.m.
(Sponsored by Tucson Electric Power Company)
Join the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and the Sonoran Sea Aquarium as they preview educational program offerings for the 2007-08 school year. In a night dedicated especially to educators, Museum and Aquarium staff will showcase their most popular K-8 grade programs as well as debut several new programs. This event will take place in the Desert Museum's new Baldwin Education Building. Free admission for registered teachers and one guest Program Showcase 5-7 pm Light Dinner 5-7 pm Gift shop discounts Enter a drawing for a free program 10% discount for all classes booked that night for the upcoming school year Free poster-sized Sonoran Desert map! Optional Professional Development Workshop: Pollinator Habitat Kit 3:45-4:45 pm Teachers and their guests are invited to stay and enjoy the museum grounds during the ASDM Saturday Summer Evening program. Advanced registration is required as space is limited. Please go to: http://www.desertmuseum.org and follow the links to Teacher Appreciation Night. Additional guests can pay the regular Saturday Summer Evening admission of $5 adults and $2 children, after 5:00 p.m.
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Using Technology in the Classroom: It's a WISE Idea
A Free 4-hour Non-Credit Workshop for Teachers Date: Saturday, October 6, 2007 OR Saturday, October 27, 2007 Time: 9 am to 1 pm Location: Challenger Middle School Learning Resource Center (LRC) 100 E Elvira Rd, Tucson AZ 85706 Presenter: Vanessa Friedman, M.S. candidate at The University of Arizona Come learn about an exciting and interactive program that will get your students learning in an instant, and having fun while they are doing it. As explained by the WISE website, "Harness the power of the Internet...wisely. WISE is a simple yet powerful learning environment where students examine real-world evidence and analyze current scientific controversies. Our curriculum projects are designed to meet standards and complement your current science curriculum, and your grade 5-12 students will find them exciting and engaging. A web browser is all they need to take notes, discuss theories, and organize their arguments... they can even work from home! Our Teacher Area lets you explore new projects and grade your students' work on the Web. Best of all, everything in WISE is completely free. During this workshop, you will be able to complete a project, just like your students would, and then practice using the teacher parts of the program. You will leave the workshop with a valuable way to add interaction and technology in to your curriculum. You only need to attend one of the 4-hour sessions to be fully trained in this exciting web based program. It will be 4 hours well spent! Courtesy of a grant from the Science Foundation Arizona, in-service Arizona science teachers who attend one workshop session will receive a $50 stipend. Each workshop will be limited to a maximum of 16 teachers. To register, please email Ellie Warder at warder@u.arizona.eduor call (520) 621-5903 and indicate which Saturday you prefer.
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On-Line Genetics for Teachers Course in Fall 2007
Genetics for Teachers
An on-line course for secondary school science teachers
BIOC 650, 3-units of graduate credit
Starts: October 1, 2007
Instructor: Lisa Elfring, Ph.D.
Recent discoveries in genetics and new molecular technologies stand to impact our lives and the world. To help you understand how, this course begins by considering genetics at the molecular level. Assuming no prior knowledge of molecular structure, we will introduce the properties that make the key molecules involved in storing and disseminating genetic information ideal for their roles. Building upon this molecular understanding of the gene, we will discuss patterns of heredity, learn how to make and interpret pedigrees, and describe how genetic errors impact human health. Where appropriate, we will connect this basic science with applications that have the potential to affect our lives.
This online course will begin October 1, 2007, with new units beginning each Monday. This will be an intensive course, taking place over eight weeks. Online assignments will include weekly discussions, activities, and quizzes, as well as a variety of written assignments. The class is designed for in-service secondary school teachers who have taken Introductory Biology or the equivalent. Instructor: Lisa Elfring, Ph.D.
Courtesy of the AZ-Start grant funded by Science Foundation Arizona, in-service Arizona middle and high school teachers who enroll in this on-line course will receive a $440 scholarship towards the cost of the course. You would be responsible for $593.50 plus a $25 application fee (if necessary). Sorry, out-of-state teachers are not eligible for the scholarship. To register, contact Ellie Warder at warder@u.arizona.edu or (520) 621-5903.
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NIEA 38th Annual Convention
October 25-28, 2007 Honolulu, Hawaii
Deadline for pre-registration is September 28, 2007, 5pm EST. Visit our website at www.niea.org.
All workshop and forum proposals for the NIEA 38th Annual Convention must be postmarked by August 24, 2007.
Join over 300 Exhibitors! Reserve your space now, deadline is September 10, 2007. Networking opportunities to reach the educational leaders who
attend our convention. Create your ads and reserve your spot, deadline is September 17, 2007. Become a proud sponsor, deadline is September 25, 2007. For detailed convention forms and instructions, please visit our convention link at: http://www.niea.org.
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Students Help Save Native Language
Students in a University of Wyoming Northern Arapaho language class
are working to preserve the native language for future generations.
Aware that tribal elders estimate there are only 10 years to save Northern Arapaho
language, the class submitted grant proposals to improve the native language's
teaching tools. The students, collaborating with the UW American Indian Studies Program, received money from UW's President's Advisory Council on Minorities' and Women's Affairs, and a private nonprofit foundation, The Heart of the Healer.
Judy Antell, director of American Indian Studies, says the funds will be used to improve DVDs containing lessons from elders, create a student workbook, and hire native artists to design culturally- appropriate line drawings for a coloring book. Robyn Lopez of Rawlins, who in May graduated with a B.A. degree from UW, has been named grant director. The first project will be to develop the DVDs. "Northern Arapaho is not just a language, it's a way of being and a way of living that couldn't be needed more than it is now," Antell says. For more information, please contact the University of Wyoming at: http://www.uwyo.edu
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Educational E-Journal Links
Carolina Biological online tips: http://www.carolina.com/tips/
CONTINUUM (The first edition of the Governor's P-20 Council newsletter): http://www.governor.state.az.us/P20/
Education News and Research Reports: http://www.queuenews.com/AZnews
Education Week: http://www.edweek.orgNo Child Left Behind: http://www.ed.gov/nclb/
NSTA Express: http://science.nsta.org/nstaexpress/nstaexpress_2006_10_23.htm
NSTA Science Class (High School Edition): http://science.nsta.org/ enewsletter/2006-11/member_high.htm
NSTA Web Seminars:http://institute.nsta.org/web_seminars.asp
Physics Teacher Online: http://phy.ilstu.edu/jpteo/
SACNAS e-nouncements (Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science): http://www.sacnas.org/enouncements.cfm
Teacher Magazine: http://www.teachermagazine.org
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