It’s TIME!

The OSTA Fall Conference is THIS Saturday, October 1st in Howell Hall on the Campus of the University of Central Oklahoma.

You can still register on-line and at the door on Saturday.

Continental Breakfast (and Coffee!) at 7:45 as On-site registration starts.

First Session begins at 8:30.

SEE – Nearly 50 Workshops and Presentations!

VISIT – booths from 30 commercial vendors and science-related non-profits!

CELEBRATE – The accomplishments of this year’s OSTA Awards recipients!

NETWORK – With colleagues from across Oklahoma!

MEET – Oklahoma State Department of Education Science Director Jody Bowie!

LEARN – About STEM, The 2011 edition of PASS, and pathways to impliment the Common Core State Standards.

VOTE – For your fellow science educators who have volunteered to serve o the OSTA Board of Directors.

SCHEME and PLOT – Ways and means to deliver high quality science education to the school children of Oklahoma.

RENEW – Your spirits, your commitment to science education, and your affiliation in YOUR professional organization – OSTA

*****See you Saturday!*****

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Changing Humans in a Changing Environment

Symposium on Human Evolution to be Webcast Live from NABT Conference in Anaheim on Friday, Oct. 14^th, 2011

Are you interested in evolution, but unable to attend this year’s National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) conference in Anaheim, CA?  Would you and your students like to learn more about the dynamic interplay between the ecological forces that shaped the distinctive traits that make us human, and human actions that are changing the environment around us?  If so, you will be excited to learn that the annual NABT Evolution Symposium will be accessible via a free, live webcast on Friday, October 14^th from 1:30 pm to 5:30 pm, Pacific time.

Teachers and students are encouraged to tune in to all or part of the free webcast for an opportunity to hear internationally renowned researchers discuss their fascinating, cutting-edge work in human evolution.  Classrooms all over the world will even be able to submit their questions online and have the speakers respond in real time!

For more information, including speaker names, talk titles and times, please see https://www.nescent.org/media/NABTSymposium2011.php or contact eog@nescent.org.

To view the live, free webcast, simply go to http://dukeuniversity.acrobat.com/nabt2011 at 1:30 pm Pacific/4:30 pm Eastern and log in as a guest.  (Note: We suggest you do this in advance to test the connection and make sure you can access the site without problems.  When you log in successfully you’ll see a “Congratulations” message.  If you have problems, please contact eog@nescent.org.)

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OSTA Board Elections This Saturday, October 1st

The annual OSTA Fall Conference is the venue for the election of members to the OSTA Board of Directors.  The OSTA Nominations Committee has recommended the following slate of candidates for consideration be the membership.  In some cases, there is a contested election, in others, there is but a single candidate.  Here we include a brief synopsis of biographical information provided about each candidate as provided by their nominator…

Vice-President/President-Elect (to serve as 2013 OSTA President)

Tina Rogers – Canton High School. BS.Ed., SWOSU. Named the 2009 District III as well as the Regional OACD Conservation Education Teacher of the Year.  Mrs. Rogers has also received several awards within Project WILD, an environmental curriculum based on conservation issues from the Department of Wildlife Conservation. She has been a facilitator for Project Wild for the past 19 years. She has been a teacher in the State of Oklahoma for 15 years from which she has served 3 elected terms on the Oklahoma Science Teachers Association’s Board of Directors:  2 as the Northwest District Representative and 1 as the High School Division Director.  Tina has also worked closely with testing and assessment coordinators as a member of the OCCT test items review committee.  Teaching in a small rural environment and serving as Master Teacher/Presenter for various Professional Development opportunities, Tina is aware of the day to day struggles of science educators statewide and wishes to serve Oklahoma as a whole, not only by offering quality professional development, but also venues for networking among quality science educators.

Secretary

Ava Wilhelm – Briarwood Elementary, Moore. M.Ed., National Board Certified, MC Gen Fund for Teacher Fellow, Chair (3 years) for Moore Professional Development Committee.

High School Division Director

Deborah Hill – Norman, High School. B.S. Ed., University of Oklahoma, National Board Certified, past service on the OSTA Board as High School Division Director and SE Director.

Jim Jenkins – Bethel Public Schools. M.S., Oklahoma State University, Master Teacher of Science State Department of Education, Shawnee Conservation District Outstanding Educator, Honorary American FFA Degree, Oklahoma FFA Honorary Degree, Southeast District Vice President of Oklahoma FFA Association, Past President of Bethel Teachers Organization, Director of Bethel School Science Fair. Has served on numerous organizations in community, church and state organizations. “Has a burning desire to advance science education in Oklahoma”.

Elementary Division Director

Annette Huett – Kelley Elementary, Norman. B.S.Ed., University of Oklahoma, Teacher of the year for my school in 2008, OSTA elementary science teacher of the year 2009, 21 years as a classroom teacher in 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th grade levels with two of those years spent as a MAGNET (multi-age group networking) teacher.

Randy Utt – James L. Dennis Elementary, Putnam City Schools. Degrees from Oklahoma Baptist University, Arizona State University. National Board Certified. A classroom teacher for 27 years. 2009 Putnam City Schools District Teacher of the Year, 2010 Oklahoma Council of Social Studies Elementary Teacher of the Year. Recipient of several NSF Professional Development grants affording opportunities to study the geology and marine ecology in Hawaii, the whales and the marine ecology off of the Pacific Northwest, fossils on Colorado’s Western Slope, and the flora, fauna, and geology of the Galapagos Island ecosystem and develop lessons based upon these experiences.  Recipient of grants to attend Colonial Williamsburg teacher professional development institutes. participant in Infusing Inquiry into Elementary School Science summer Institute at SNOMNH. OKC Thunder Teacher of the Game (March 24, 2010). In 2008, Randy and a colleague were named two of the state’s “Top 20 Sparks” by Oklahoma A+ Schools and Creativity Oklahoma for their innovative unit design. 2002 Barbara Spriesterbach Excellence in Education Award Winner

District 1 (NE Region)

Becky Hammack – Stillwater Middle School. National Board Certification/Early Adolescent Science. Currently working on PhD in Science Education. 2011 Vernier Technology Award. 2008 Maitland P. Simmons Award for New Science Teachers. OSTA Board of Directors for the last 4 years and currently serving on the committee that is redefining the roles and responsibilities of Board members.

District 3 (SW Region)

Brandi Williams – Westmoore HS, Moore. Master’s- Science Education, AFA Gerrity Chapter Teacher of the Year, 2011.

District 5 (Tulsa)

Sally Fenska – Cascia Hall, Tulsa. MS instructional Strategies, NSU, PhD-student, OSU. Miami Public Schools District Teacher of the year, 2007. National Association of Biology Teachers, Outstanding Biology Teacher Award – 2000.  NABT Region VII Coordinator. Current member of the OSTA Board.

Remember to Vote Saturday, October 1st at the OSTA Fall Conference, Howell Hall, University of Central Oklahoma.  Register online today or at the door Register Securely Online.  On-site registration begins at 7:45.

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2012 Academic All-State Scholarships and Medal for Excellence Awards

The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, a nonprofit organization that recognizes and encourages academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools, is seeking nominations for its 2012 Academic All-State Scholarships and Medal for Excellence Awards.

Scholarships and educator awards totaling $125,000 will be presented at the foundation’s annual Academic Awards Banquet on May 19, 2012, at the Tulsa Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center.The event, which is attended by nearly 1,000 public education supporters, is broadcast statewide on public television.

“We know that education is the best investment our society can make for the future,” said David L. Boren, founder and chairman of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. “If we make all of the right policy decisions in every other area but fail to adequately educate the next generation, we will imperil the future of our society. By working together to give outstanding students and educators the recognition they deserve, we send a strong message to our state and to the nation that Oklahomans value academic excellence.”

 Academic Awards Program nomination forms are available in the Academic Awards section of the foundation’s website at www.ofe.org. Nominations are being accepted in the following categories: 

• Academic All-State, which honors 100 public high school seniors with a $1,000 scholarship. Students must be nominated by their superintendents or principals. Schools are encouraged to nominate all eligible students. To qualify, students must meet at least one of the following requirements: a composite ACT score of at least 30; a combined SAT critical reading and math score of at least 1340; or be selected as a semi-finalist for a National Merit, National Achievement or National Hispanic Scholarship. Academic All-State nominations must be postmarked on or before Dec. 2.
• The Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in Elementary/Secondary Teaching and Administration, which honors three educators (a public school elementary teacher, a secondary teacher, and an elementary/secondary administrator) with $5,000 cash awards and glass sculptures.
• The Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in Teaching at a Regional University or Community College, which honors an outstanding teacher at a public regional university or community college with a $5,000 cash prize and glass sculpture.
• The Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in Teaching at a Research University. A $5,000 cash award and glass sculpture will be awarded to one educator at a public research university.

Anyone may nominate an educator for a Medal for Excellence Award. All Medal for Excellence nominations must be postmarked on or before Nov. 29. Scholarship and award recipients are chosen by an independent selection committee,chaired by Tulsa attorney Teresa B. Adwan, and comprised of business, education and civic leaders, as well as former All-Staters and Medal for Excellence winners. Since 1987, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence has awarded more than $3.9 million in academic awards and scholarships.

For more information, visit the foundation’s website at www.ofe.org or call (405) 236-0006.

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September 23 JodyGram

Good day and I hope that each of you have had a productive instructional week. If not, no problem. Do some reflection and tweak it for next year!

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking this week about the Next Generation Science Standards. I’ve had many emails from folks across the state full of questions about the revised PASS, the Common Core, and how those are related to what’s going on in science (Next Generation Science Standards – NGSS).

Here we go:

• The Common Core Standards (CC) are only for Mathematics and English/Langauge Arts. The CC does not give any content concerning science. There are some literacy standards for interacting with science and tecnological texts, but those are not content standards. Those are standards for having students read and interact with the type of texts we encounter in the science disciplines.
• The PASS (specific to Oklahoma) have been revised and should be used when planning science lessons. It might be helpful to refer to the CC to make those critical connections to mathematics and literacy, but the only document that contains content for science is the PASS. The Pocket PASS for science is at the printer and should be ready to be mailed soon, so consider checking the website to order. We’ll be on overload getting those out when they arrive, so please be patient! You can download a current version of the revised PASS for science from the website, as well.
• The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are in the process of development right now. When standards are developed, there must first be a framework to guide the standard writing process. This document has been written and can be found by going to http://www.nextgenscience.org. In 2009, the National Research Council brought together a panel of scientists and science educators. This makeup of this panel was split about in half between scientists and educators. The educator side of the panel had K-12 strongly represented. The panel wrote the framework and it will now guide the standard-writing process. I’ll give you more information as I get it.

I’ll not bore you with the details, but the framework basically splits into 3 dimensions: Scientific and Engineering practices, Crosscutting concepts, and the disciplinary core ideas (including Physical, Life, Earth and Space, and Engineering and Technology). Most of those are probably self-explanatory except the crosscutting concepts. These are the ideas that are not discipline specific and are not skills or practices. They are Patterns, Cause and Effect, Scale Proportion and Quantity, Systems and System Models, Energy and Matter, Structure and Function, and (finally) Stability and Change. These 7 concepts can be applied to all fo the scientific disciplines.

Okay. I lied. I bored you some details. Here’s the abbreviated version:

The Framework will drive what is in the standards and the organization of them. It is not a standards document. It is the shell of the house around which the standards will be built.

So where does Oklahoma fit into this process, you ask? Well, we could sit idly by and let other states decide what we should be teaching or we can work toward getting into the Leadership Consortium of states and help write the standards. I’m kinda leaning toward the latter!

Achieve.org (the bi-partisan education reform organization) sent out a press release last week a list of the states that would be leading the standards development and Oklahoma was not listed. I’ll take the heat on that one. I was not aware of the process to get us into the leadership consortium. However, the news isn’t all bad. I’m now aware and in contact with Achieve to get this fixed. They still want us to be a part of the leadership (Jana worked really hard in this area) and we want to be a part.

I’m not sure about the rest of you, but I’m excited to be a part education in Oklahoma. Yes, there are a lot of changes. However, I think we are on the cusp of some exciting times and I’m glad to be a part of it! Please keep sending me your questions about standards. I know it can be overwhelming at times, especially when you get information from federal sources, state sources, and district sources.

Check out the information below and enjoy your weekend! The weather is awesome, there’s plenty of HS and college football to keep us occupied, so enjoy it!

~jb

Announcements:

Oklahoma Specific:

***This one is important folks. If you don’t go and take the survey, when the new evaluation system goes into effect, you won’t have any room to complain.

You know how annoying it is to hear people complain about those in public office, when they didn’t vote? Well here’s your chance to have your voice heard! Every teacher who cares about how they are evaluated should be letting someone know what they think. I’d say that’s every one of us!***

Request for Public Comment

Oklahoma Teacher and Leader Effectiveness Evaluation System (TLE) Preliminary Recommendations of the TLE Commission

The TLE Commission is requesting public comment on their first set of preliminary recommendations (September 12, 2011).  Additional preliminary recommendations will be made available in coming weeks for public comment.  Final recommendations of the TLE Commission will be submitted to the Oklahoma State Board of Education prior to December 15, 2011, based on feedback received from a wide representation of stakeholders, including teachers, administrators, students, parents, community members, and policymakers.

You may submit public comments via an online survey, email, or written communication.  These comments will be reviewed by the TLE Commission at their regularly scheduled meetings on October 10, November 7, and December 5, 2011, as well as at any special meetings that might be called between October 11 and December 15, 2011.

Online Survey Link:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TLErecommendations1 

OK-ARK-KS American Association of Physics Teachers

It’s not too late to register!

The AR-OK-KS Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers is having their 3 state section meeting in Bentonville, AR Oct. 14-15.  It is being held at the same time as the popular War Eagle Craft Fair so you (or your spouse) might get some sightseeing and shopping in while attending.

The website is:

https://api.nwacc.edu/AAPTAOK/index.php

OSTA

You can still register for the OSTA conference which takes place one week from tomorrow at Howell Hall on the campus of the University of Central Oklahoma. Find more information by going to the website:

http://www.oklahomascienceteachersassociation.org/

There will be a plethora of good Professional Development, plus some great conversations with other science teachers. Vendors will undoubtedly be giving away conference goodies and the best part is that I’ll be there so you can put a face with a name! I can’t wait to see you!

Nationwide: America’s Home Energy Education Challenge

America’s Home Energy Education Challenge (AHEEC) is a new nationwide student competition to help families save money by saving energy at home.  AHEEC engages students in elementary and middle schools to make smarter energy choices that reduce U.S. reliance on fossil fuels and put money back in their parents’ pockets. This initiative aims to educate America’s youth about the benefits of energy efficiency, motivate students to play a more active role in how their families use energy, and help families across the country reduce their energy bills. Participating schools compete for more than $200,000 in prizes distributed at the regional and national levels of the competition. Official registration for the Challenge ends October 7, 2011. Students, teachers, and principals are encouraged to register to participate at  http://homeenergychallenge.org/ . Participation in AHEEC is broken into two parts, the  http://homeenergychallenge.org/Registration/RulesHEC.aspx Home Energy Challenge and the http://homeenergychallenge.org/Registration/RulesEFA.aspx Energy Fitness Award. Each is designed to encourage students to learn about science and home energy savings. Visit the website for more details and updates.

Disney’s Planet Challenge

Disney’s Planet Challenge is a project-based environmental competition for elementary and middle school (grades 3-8) classrooms developed in collaboration with NSTA and the WestEd K-12 Alliance. Classrooms are empowered to make a difference in their homes, schools, or communities and compete for a trip to Disneyland, classroom grants, Disney DVDs, student eco-friendly prize packs and more. Disney’s Planet Challenge also provides matching grants through Donors Choose for classrooms participating in this program. Disney’s Planet Challenge is a great way to get students involved with their environment in a fun and creative way. Visit the competition  http://dpcproject.com/ website to register now. Registration closes December 23.

The DuPont Challenge© Science Essay Competition

The DuPont Challenge Science Essay Competition is a student competition that invites seventh through 12^th grade students to write a 700 to 1,000-word essay about a scientific discovery, theory, event or technological application that has captured their interest. Developed incollaboration with The Walt Disney World Resort, NASA and NSTA, the competition offers young students the opportunity to explore science, develop new skills and gain confidence in communicating scientific ideas.  Created to honor theChallenger astronauts, students can win savings bonds up to $5,000, and a trip to Walt Disney World and to the Kennedy Space Center. Teachers win too! Along with the trips with their students, teachers can also win $500 grants. To learn more about the competition, check out the  http://thechallenge.dupont.com/ website. Entries will be accepted from October 15 until January 31.

Mars Education Challenge

The Mars Education Challenge is a nationwide competition that calls on high school science educators to develop new and innovative curricula that focuses on Mars science and exploration. $17,500 in cash prizes are awarded annually, including a $5,000 grand prize. Registration closes December 16, 2011 and curricula support materials submissions are due January 16,2012. More information, including entry details, curricula requirements, and detailed prizing information for the Mars Education Challenge, can be found on the competition  http://www.exploremars.org/page/mars-education-challenge/ website.

Shell Science Lab Challenge

The Shell Science Lab Challenge, a program of NSTA, encourages teachers (grades 6-12) in the U.S. and Canada, who have found innovative ways to deliver quality lab experiences with limited school and laboratory resources, to share their approaches for a chance to win a school science lab makeover support package valued at $20,000. Teachers and schools submitting top entries will receive additional laboratory tools, resources and rich professional development opportunities. $93,000 in prizes are awarded annually. Applications are due October 21, 2011. For more information about the Challenge, visit the program  http://www.nsta.org/shellsciencelab/?lid=tnavhp website.

Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge

K-12 students have the opportunity to become “Agents of Change” as they team up with their classmates to create replicable solutions to environmental issues in their classroom, school and community. Student and teacher/mentor prizes, which vary according to gradelevel, include savings bonds, school grants, exciting trips, and much more.Applications are now being accepted. The deadline for entries is March 15, 2012 (finalists and winners will be announced in April 2012). For more information about the Challenge or toregister for the competition, visit the  http://www.wecanchange.com/ website.

Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision

ExploraVision is a competition that encourages K-12 students of all interest, skill and ability levels to create and explore a vision of a future technology by combining their imaginations with the tools of science. Teams of two to four students research scientific principles and current technologies as the basis for deigning innovative technologies thatcould exist in 20 years. Students compete for up to $240,000 in savings bonds for college and cool gifts from Toshiba. First- and second-place teams alsoreceive an expenses-paid trip with their families, mentor and coach to Washington, D.C. for a gala awards weekend in June 2012. Applications are now being accepted; the deadline for applications is February 1. In an ExploraVision first, the teachers who submit the largest number of qualified student projects this year will receive a Toshiba tablet PC. For more information about the program or to learn how to apply, visit the competition http://www.exploravision.org/ website.

OKC Zoo Education Grants Available:

Deadline Oct. 1st. Applications are available online at http://www.okczooed.com/grants Grants can be applied towards Spring and Summer on-grounds zoo classes, outreach classes & there is even money available to offset transportation costs.

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States to Lead Effort to Write New Science Standards

WASHINGTON, D.C. September 20, 2011 – A group of 20 states has been selected to lead an important effort to improve science education for all students.

The 20 states will lead the development of Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), a state-led effort that will clearly define the content and practices all students will need to learn from kindergarten through high school graduation. The NGSS process is being managed by Achieve, a non-partisan education non-profit.

”The Lead State Partners will provide important leadership and guidance throughout the development of the Next Generation Science Standards and are to be congratulated for making a strong commitment to science education,” said Michael Cohen, president of Achieve. “This will be a collaborative process that will lead to a set of standards that provides America’s students a strong foundation in science for the 21st century and supports college and career readiness for all.”

The Lead State Partners are Arizona, California, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia.

The development of the Next Generation Science Standards is a two-step process. The first step was the building of a framework that identified the core ideas and practices in natural sciences and engineering that all students should be familiar with by the time they graduate. In July, the National Research Council released A Framework for K-12 Science Education, developed by a committee representing expertise in science, teaching and learning, curriculum, assessment and education policy.

The second step is the development of science standards based on the Framework. The 20 Lead State Partners will guide the standard writing process, gather and deliver feedback from state-level committees and come together to address common issues and challenges. The Lead State Partners also agree to commit staff time to the initiative and, upon completion, give serious consideration to adopting the Next Generation Science Standards. In order to be considered, states had to submit a letter with the signature of the Chief State School Officer and the chair of the State Board of Education.

Drafts of the science standards will be made available for public input at least two times during the NGSS development process. The NGSS should be completed by the end of 2012.

American students continue to lag internationally in science education, making them less competitive for the jobs of the present and the future. A recent U.S. Department of Commerce study shows that over the past 10 years, growth in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) jobs was three times greater than that of non-STEM jobs. The report also shows that STEM jobs are expected to continue to grow at a faster rate than other jobs in the coming decade.

“There is a clear benefit to providing our students with the strong science education they need to compete in college and the workplace,” said Dr. Stephen Pruitt, Vice President of Content, Research and Development at Achieve, who is coordinating the NGSS effort. “A strong science education provides all students with opportunities to be successful in the 21st century.”

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Countdown to Fall Conference Continues – BRING CASH!

Xena makes an appearance at the OSTA Silent Auction

One of the annual side events of the OSTA Fall Conference is the SILENT AUCTION.  This is a fund raiser for an important aspect of the OSTA mission to promote quality science education.  Each year OSTA recognizes deserving students through awards presented to them at the Oklahoma State Science Fair  held annually at East Central University.  Those cash awards are funded entirely through the Fall Conference silent auction.  All items in the silent auction are donated from supportive textbook and science equipment vendors or from individual OSTA members. Donated items are often science-related, but they don’t have to be (remember the Xena the Warrior Princess collectable?).  So bring cash or checkbook and use the time between sessions to look through the silent auction and make some bids.  Not only are you helping recognize some of the best science students in the state, but you may be getting the item you’ll take to the convention center the next time Antiques Roadshow comes to town…

The OSTA Fall Conference will be held Saturday, October 1st in Howell Hall on the campus of the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond. Registration begins at 7:45, the first session starts at 8:30.  Early-Bird Registration is $45 and includes Continental Breakfast, Lunch, and 2012 membership in OSTA.  Registration for College/University students is $25. EARLY-BIRD REGISTRATION ENDS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23RD AT WHICH TIME THE ON-SITE RATE OF $55 GOES IN TO EFFECT. 

Register Securely Online

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Sessions-At-A-Glance

The Countdown to the OSTA Fall Staff Development Conference Continues.  The complete listing of conference Sessions and Presenters can be downloaded HERE.

This Sessions-At-A-Glance matrix will also allow you to plan your day, determine your schedule, find that all the sessions you want to see are at the same time…

You can also download the matrix HERE.

Remember, October 1st, Howell Hall on the Campus of UCO in Edmond. Registration/Check-in and Breakfast begins at 7:45 am and sessions start at 8:30 and continue until 4:00 pm.

And don’t forget to register this week.  The cost goes up to $55 this week-end to the on-site rate.  LUNCH CAN ONLY BE PROVIDED TO THOSE WHO HAVE PRE-REGISTERED. Register Securely Online

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Countdown to Fall Conference

Less than 2 weeks remain before the OSTA Fall Conference at UCO!  Have you registered? Register Securely Online Be sure to take advantage of the  Early-Bird Registration which has been extended until Friday, September 23rd (wow, what a busy week-end).

Speaking of which, October 1st is a HUGE Saturday at UCO.  Not only are several hundred of your favorite science friends attending the OSTA Conference in Howell Hall, but Student OEA has a conference on campus, AND it is UCO Football Homecoming!  Festivities include the Homecoming parade through Edmond which stages floats and marchers in the the parking lots located most closely to Howell Hall.  You shouldn’t have any trouble getting to parking or conflicting with other events since the conference starts earlier in the day, but please note that WE WILL NOT BE ALONE

You can also download the map here: UCOParkingMap10-01

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Shell Lab Challenge

Middle and high schools with limited laboratory resources are invited to apply for a chance to win a $20,000 lab makeover through the Shell Science Lab Challenge.  If this is of interest to you and your audience, we ask that you kindly distribute this information through your networks as soon as possible.  The deadline this year is October 21, 2011.  The new streamlined application makes it easy to enter!

A copy of the application is attached and can also be found at http://shellsciencelab.nsta.org along with the prize structure for 18 winners and more information.

Applicants are asked to submit their ideas for innovative, replicable strategies to deliver quality lab experiences with limited equipment/resources.  The program will award teachers/schools submitting top entries with additional tools, resources, and rich professional development opportunities needed to support high-quality science teaching and strengthen their existing capabilities.

In addition to the grand prize $20,000 package that includes a cash grant for the school, laboratory equipment and expense-paid trips for winning teachers to attend NSTA conferences, 18 schools will win a $3,000 prize package at the regional level before competing to become a national finalist ($8,500 prize package) or the grand prize winner ($20,000 prize package).   The program encourages urban and rural schools, as well as schools with underrepresented populations, to apply.  A school may enter multiple applications via submission by various teachers on staff; however, a teacher may only be listed on one application per year.   Download or request an application soon—the deadline for applications is October 21, 2011.

You are also invited to participate in a Web Seminar on September 22, 2011, 8:15 p.m. – 9:45 p.m. Eastern time to learn more about the streamlined 2011-12 Shell Science Lab Challenge application process and how you can win a $20,000 lab makeover for your school. The web seminar will feature presenter Ruth Ruud, a past- and present chair of a number of awards and recognition committees, who will share insight into completing your application and provide tips for strengthening your submission for a chance to win one of 18 lab makeover and professional development support packages.

Register for the web seminar now at http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSShell11_Sep22

Please contact me if you have any questions.

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