Blogs, Wikis, Forums...aaptwebtoolsforteaching Workshop, University of Michigan, July 26, 2008

Please check the web resources and help with web-based tools from this workshop blog - here:
http://aaptwebtoolsforteaching.blogspot.org

Neutrino Day July 11, 2009

Mike Rounds has declared that Saturday, July 11, is Neutrino Day in South Dakota, and the event will be celebrated in Lead with a free science festival at the Homestake mine in Lead. Activities will be held from 8:30 am until 1 pm.
Neutrino Day features:

Hands-on science activities.
Science lectures for general audiences. (9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and noon)
Q&A’s with scientists. (After the science talks)
Walking tours of the Yates Shaft hoist room. (All morning. Wear sturdy shoes.)
“The Ghost Particle,” a PBS documentary revealing the connection between a subatomic particle called a neutrino, the Nobel Prize and the former Homestake gold mine. (9 a.m., 10:45 a.m. and 11:45 a.m.)
“Fly Me to the Moon,” a feature-length 3-D animated movie for kids of all ages. (9 a.m. and 11 a.m.)
The announcement of the winners of the Neutrino Day Art Contest. (12:45 p.m.). Read more about the Sanford Lab at Homestake http://www.sanfordundergroundlaboratoryathomestake.org/

Science Teacher Short Courses for July 6-10 and July 13-17,

“Science and Mathematics Instruction for SD in the 21st Century”




Attention South Dakota Science and Math Teachers!!!


The University of South Dakota will sponsor two short courses this summer through its “Science and Mathematics Instruction for South Dakota in the 21st Century”, a program sponsored through a No Child Left Behind Title II, Part A Partnership Grants program administered through the South Dakota Board of Regents.

The first course entitled 'The Horse before the Cart: Science Problems Driving Mathematical Understanding" will run from July 6 -10 and will provide depth of knowledge enhancement in mathematics by directing that science experimentation illustrate the need for mathematical modeling and understanding of the scientific phenomenon. This course is designed for middle and secondary science teachers.

The second course entitled "One Room Science Schoolhouse: Big Kids teach Little Kids" will run from July 13-17 and is designed to partner a high school science teacher and a science teacher at the upper elementary grade level in order to provide innovative “hands on” science experiences to elementary students (little kids). These activities will be implemented in the home schools of the partnering teachers such that the hands on work will be delivered by high school students (big kids), guided by their teachers and performed in a safe and effective manner.

Each short course provides the opportunity for participating teachers to earn two credits of graduate science content coursework, which can be applied toward a Masters of Natural Science degree program available through The University of South Dakota.

It is not necessary to be accepted into the MNS program to receive graduate credit for the short courses. But, ask us about that program if you are interested. Credit can be earned with special student status. Graduate credit is optional and will be available for a nominal processing fee. Continuing education credit is available for both short courses.

The cost of each short course is free. Participating teachers will receive a stipend of $400 per short course in addition to travel, housing and board expenses. In addition, participating teachers will be provided data acquisition probes they can bring back to their home schools.

The “Science and Mathematics Instruction for South Dakota in the 21st Century” represents a teacher development partnership between the University of South Dakota’s College of Arts and Sciences and School of Education, Avon School District, and the 21 SI Century Rural Schools Consortium (a group of participating high-needs schools in ESA Region 3).

For further information or to register for the course, please email Dr. Miles Koppang, Professor of Chemistry at Miles.Koppang@usd.edu

Information needed for registration includes:
Name
Mailing address
School affiliation
Teaching assignment
Social Security Number
Email contact and telephone contact

Acceptance into the courses will be on a first come, first served basis following this order of priority:

1st Priority: Teachers from Region 3 High Need School Districts
2nd Priority: South Dakota Teachers from High Need SD districts
3rd Priority: South Dakota Teachers

Teachers from other states will be considered if space allows. Priority would be given to teachers from high need districts. Non SD teachers will not be eligible for stipend or expense reimbursements.
What is a high need district? Defined here: (http://www.noyce.education.indiana.edu/0
The National Science Foundation defines a high needs district as one that meets at least one of the following criteria:
1. It has many out-of-field teachers. In particular, the district has at least one school in which: (i) more than 34% of the academic classroom teachers at the secondary level (across all academic subjects) do not have an undergraduate degree with a major or minor in, or a graduate degree in, the academic field in which they teach the majority of their classes; or (ii) more than 34% of the teachers in two of the academic departments do not have an undergraduate degree with a major or minor in, or a graduate degree in, the academic field in which they teach the largest percentage of their classes.
2. It has at least one school whose teacher attrition rate has been 15% or more over the past three years.
3. It has at least one school in which 50% or more of the enrolled students are eligible for participation in the free and reduced lunch program.

Science and Mathematics Instruction for South Dakota in the 21st Century (S/MISD)

Summer Short Courses at the University of South Dakota
The College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Education at The University of South Dakota, Region 3 ESA and the Avon school district will offer professional development opportunities for South Dakota science and mathematics teachers this summer by offering two workshops, each one week long. From July 6-10 “The Horse before the Cart: Science Problems Driving Mathematical Understanding” will be presented and is open to teachers who presently teach secondary school science and mathematics in grades 6 through 12) and from July 13-17 “One Room Science Schoolhouse: Big Kids Teach Little Kids” will be presented and is designed for a secondary science instructor partnering with a grade 5-6 elementary teachers in the same district. The first course will build on the synergistic relationship between science and mathematical understanding. The second course offers an innovative learning model which is driven by recognition of the challenges presented for elementary science instruction, particularly in the area of hands-on learning.

Short course stipends, room, board and travel reimbursements are available for eligible teachers. In addition to the professional development, both short courses provide participating teachers the opportunity to earn two credits of graduate science content coursework per short course which can be applied to the Masters of Natural Science degree program available at a reduced cost through The University of South Dakota. If interested in either short course, please contact Dr. Miles Koppang (Miles.Koppang@usd.edu).

Support for this program is thorough an NCLB Title II, Part A Partnership Grant administered by the South Dakota Board of Regents.

Watch for updates here.

Celebrate the Year of Science with a Scientific Pizza

See the Scientific Pizza Parlor and much more at the Year of Science Web Site
http://www.myyoscience.org/group/scientificpizzaparlor