December 17th, 2008 Bob
KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
Oklahoman, Shannon W. Lucid, Ph.D., Astronaut, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
WHEN: Tuesday, February 3, 2009
WHERE: Science Museum Oklahoma (formerly Omniplex), Oklahoma City, OK
WHO: 6th-12th grade students, science and math teachers, and counselors from schools in Oklahoma
COST: Absolutely FREE!!! No cost to participants; Although, pre-registration is required. Breakfast, lunch and entrance fees into the museum are included.
ONLINE APPLICATION: www.okepscor.org/events.asp
Schools can bring up to 12 students & two adults (teachers/counselors encouraged to attend).
SEATING IS LIMITED!!!
Apply soon. Confirmations will be sent to applying schools.
During this half-day conference, students will learn about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields (STEM), engage in hands-on science activities, and learn about ways to prepare for college. Teachers/counselors are invited to participate in a special teachers’ lounge breakout session to find out about summer research opportunities and resources for the classroom.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Ms. Shelley D. Wear, Oklahoma EPSCoR Outreach Coordinator at (405) 225-9287 or swear@osrhe.edu or visit the event website at www.okepscor.org/events.asp
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December 12th, 2008 Bob
The Sutton Avian Research Center, is partnering again with NatureWorks to offer the Sutton Awards for Conservation Communicators! They are looking forward awarding up to $15,000 to talented 10th, 11th and 12th grade students here in Oklahoma!
The competition consists of two parts: the first is a presentation piece (fine arts, video, photo essay, advertisement) that tells a compelling story of a current conservation issue. This piece will count as 2/3 of the scoring. The second part is a short (no more than two pages), but detailed essay that describes the project, explains how the project impacts conservation efforts, and tells why it was chosen. This essay will count as 1/3 of the scoring.
The Center notes that they have been making a special effort in the past few years to include science and environmental students as well as arts students in their outreach. In fact, some of they winners this past year came from a science class that had used the Sutton Award guidelines as an assignment! Once again, the winning entries from this contest will be displayed among the works of professional artists from around the country at the NatureWorks Art Show and Sale! This show takes place Friday, February 27 through Sunday, March 1. Winners, their parents and teachers will also be invited to the opening gala on Friday evening and for the NatureWorks’ breakfast on Sunday morning where they will receive their awards.
Applications and flyers can be obtained by contacting Margie Nolan via email or by phoneat 918-595-0005 You can also visit our website at www.suttoncenter.org for more information You can download the application here and download the award flier here.
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December 9th, 2008 Bob
The Board of Directors of the Oklahoma Science Teachers Association will meet Saturday, December 13th in the Curriculum Center adjacent to the Administration Building at Norman Public Schools. The address is 131 S. Flood. View Larger Map The meeting begins at 9 AM and will end at 1 PM. OSTA President Jeff Patterson will e-mail the agenda to Board members but wants them to remember that the main focus of this meeting “is to focus on OSTA’s Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals.”
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December 8th, 2008 Bob
The Oklahoma NASA Space Grant Consortium at the University of Oklahoma and is hosting their annual Mission To Planet Earth Education Workshop this year from June 3rd to June 13th, 2009. This summer course is available to teachers that are pre‑service and in‑service that are involved any subject area that teach 2nd through 8th grades. The institute will be held in Norman, Oklahoma at the University of Oklahoma campus.
This program is a wonderful opportunity for educators as they are able to learn about topics in aerospace, geography, and science that they can use for themselves and take back to the classroom. If you have any questions at all, please contact Adam Gentis, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma NASA Space Grant Consortium
The teacher workshop application can be found here .
A program flier can be downloaded here.
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December 8th, 2008 Bob
Register today for National Environmental Education Week April 12-18, 2009 and Be Water Wise!
National Environmental Education Week (EE Week) is the nation’s largest organized environmental education event. Held each April, EE Week promotes understanding and protection of the natural world by actively engaging K-12th grade students and educators of all subjects in an inspired week of environmental learning and service before Earth Day. Join the thousands of schools, nature centers, zoos, museums, and aquariums nationwide who have made a commitment to engage students in environmental learning through participation in EE Week!
This year’s EE Week theme is Be Water Wise!
Registered partners will have access to a wide variety of FREE environmental education resources, including:
Standards-based environmental education lessons and activities, including water conservation, watershed, and water quality curricula
Access to EE Week’s school water audit tool in which students “find the leaks” in water usage at school,
Opportunities for online communication and knowledge-sharing with educators from across the country, including participation in the EE Week Photo Blog contest.
Monthly electronic newsletters highlighting the latest EE curricula, professional development, and funding opportunities.
Certificates of participation for themselves and their students, and A free issue of National Geographic Explorer magazine for those registering before January 30, 2009!
You can join a national network of educators dedicated to increasing environmental literacy, promote environmental learning, and gain national exposure for your school or organization by registering today at www.EEWeek.org.
Questions? Contact Jessica Culverhouse
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December 2nd, 2008 Bob
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce strongly supports American industry dedicated to protecting human health through the testing, manufacturing and marketing of biomedical products. As scientific innovation of biomedical products begins at the lab bench, the Chamber has partnered with the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation, a Federal government agency with the mission of promoting and encouraging new discoveries.
The mission of this partnership is to present the Second Annual Life Sciences Awards to recognize, through four monetary awards, one adult scientist or researcher; one current secondary school educator; and two current secondary school students who are judged to exemplify excellence in life sciences.
The $25,000 Chairmen’s Distinguished Life Sciences Award will be presented to a scientist or researcher who is making or has recently made a significant and positive contribution toward the development of a “cutting edge” innovation in the field of life sciences. The Chairmen’s Award will provide incentive for continuing the research.
The $10,000 Life Sciences Educator Award will be presented to a current secondary school educator, with at least five years of teaching experience, who demonstrates an ongoing teaching strategy that evidences proficiency in instructing students in the College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) Biology and/or Chemistry courses.
The $5,000 Biology Student Award will be presented to a current secondary school student who is making or has recently made a significant and positive contribution related to the study of biology.
The $5,000 Chemistry Student Award will be presented to a current secondary school student who is making or has recently made a significant and positive contribution related to promoting the study of chemistry.
All nominations are accepted online at: www.ccolumbusfoundationawards.org. Please visit this website for information on the competition rules and regulations. The deadline for 2009 Nominations is January 12, 2009. Any questions related to the competition may be directed to Judi Shellenberger, Executive Director of the Foundation via e-mail or by phone: (315) 258-0090.
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December 2nd, 2008 Bob
Representative Sally Kern (R-OKC) has pre-filed HB 1001, “The Religious Viewpoints Antidiscrimination Act”. The bill is essentially identical to the bill she filed last year (HB 2211) that failed in it’s assigned Senate committee, but made it out of the legislature as an amendment to another education bill. That bill received a veto from Governor Henry.
Of particular interest to science teachers is section four of the proposed law that states:
“Students may express their beliefs about religion in homework, artwork, and other written and oral assignments free from discrimination based on the religious content of their submissions. Homework and classroom assignments shall be judged by ordinary academic standards of substance and relevance and against other legitimate pedagogical concerns identified by the school district. Students shall not be penalized or rewarded on account of the religious content of their work.”
In light of that section, which would require full classroom credit to be given to religious explanations of scientific phenomena, the OSTA Board of Directors issued the following statement during last year’s legislative session concerning Rep. Kern’s then HB 2211:
“The Board of Directors of the Oklahoma Science Teachers Association has issued the following statement concerning HB 2211, “The Religious Viewpoints Antidiscrimination Act”, by Representative Sally Kern, which is under consideration by the Legislature.“The Oklahoma Science Teachers Association (OSTA) is dedicated to the promotion and development of high quality science education for all students in Oklahoma. The development of a scientifically literate citizenry, conversant in principles and processes of science, is essential for any state or nation to be competitive in a global economy. The effort to grow 21st century industry and agriculture, including Oklahoma’s burgeoning research in nanotechnology and biotechnology, depends on the availability of a scientifically literate workforce that understands the process of posing and testing hypotheses, logically evaluating the results, and expanding our understanding of the natural world. OSTA believes the provisions of HB 2211 hold great potential for harm to the development of scientifically literate citizens in this state. Teachers will be shackled in their efforts to guide students to explore scientific data and explanation and will be forced to give full credence and course credit to viewpoints that have no scientific data or basis. The damage to the credibility of an Oklahoma high school diploma cannot be overstated. While some might posit that examination and exploration of alternative viewpoints is appropriate in a classroom, those ideas that are not scientific and cannot be tested have no place in a science classroom. Under the provisions of this bill, teachers will be required to give full forum to non-scientific viewpoints and will be prevented from explaining that such ideas have no scientific support. Provisions currently in law and expressed in the Constitution give ample protection for religious expression within schools. The Oklahoma Science Teachers Association believes the late Harvard Paleontologist Steven J. Gould’s concept of “Nonoverlapping Magisteria” accurately reflects the interaction of science and religion; both having important, but non-interacting roles in helping us make sense of our place in the physical and spiritual world. HB 2211 actively violates that concept in a direct effort to inject religious viewpoints into public school classrooms and should not be enacted.”
The full text of HB 1001 as pre-filed is found here.
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December 2nd, 2008 Bob
The Board of Directors of the Oklahoma Science Teachers Association will meet Saturday, December 13th in Howell Hall on the campus of the University of Central Oklahoma. The meeting begins at 9 AM and will end at 1 PM. OSTA President Jeff Patterson will e-mail the agenda to Board members but wants them to remember that the main focus of this meeting “is to focus on OSTA’s Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals.”
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December 1st, 2008 Bob
The WILD ABOUT READING workshop is coming January 17th to Oklahoma City University from 9 AM to 3 PM. WaR focuses on using children’s literature to integrate, science, math, social studies and language arts. The cost is $15 (includes Project WILD guides and WILD about READING supplement) and the facilitators are Dr. Adeana Sallee, Dr. Suzanne Spradling and Dr. Liz Willner. Who Should Attend? Anyone who wants to receive the Project WILD guides or anyone who has already attended a Project WILD workshop but wants to learn to make a literature connection with WILD activities. Find further information and a registration form here.
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