Greetings Science Educators!
I hope the week finds you well and that you were able to withstand the weekend weather. Below you will find a few updates, professional development opportunities and resources. The first update I’d like to share is that the Oklahoma Science Framework Project is off to a great start. There are nineteen Oklahoma science educators who are working diligently to develop resources for Oklahoma science teachers that will assist them in transitioning to the new Oklahoma Academic Standards for Science. We hope to be able to share some examples of the resources in April. Keep in mind the project is modeled off of the Minnesota STEM Frameworks. http://www.scimathmn.org/stemtc/frameworks
Due to inclement weather, we had to cancel the Science Standards Regional Workshop in Tahlequah, but we are in the process of rescheduling that workshop and will send out details soon.
Assessment Update:
Parent, Student, and Teacher Guides
Parent, Student, and Teacher Guides are available for download. See link for access http://www.measuredprogress.org/static/OK/occtPSTGs.html
Science Assessment Coordinator Contact Information:
In the previous Science Listserv Message I believe I may have given out the wrong contact information for the new Science Assessment Coordinator, Tony Cortez.
His contact information is:
- Cortez@sde.ok.gov
- Phone: Call the main assessment line at (405) 521-3341 and ask to speak to Tony.
Resources Shared on #OKSci Facebook:
Check out the responses by other science educators to the questions below by joining the OKSci Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/118400268320217/
- Take a glimpse at the new blog post on oksciteachers.com. Megan Veldhuizen shares a science activity she conducts with her transitional first grade class that can help other Oklahoma science teachers better understand how to read the new Oklahoma Academic Standards for Science.
http://www.oksciteachers.com/2015/02/15/melting-ice-investigation/
- Argument-Driven Inquiry in Chemistry (High School)
- SAMPLE CHAPTER – Characteristics of Acids and Bases: How Can the Chemical Properties of an Aqueous Solution Be Used to Identify It as an Acid or a Base? http://static.nsta.org/files/PB349X2web.pdf
- ONLINE EXTRAS –Lab Handouts http://www.nsta.org/publications/press/extras/adi-chem.aspx
- Even More Picture Perfect Science (Elementary)
- SAMPLE CHAPTER – The Wind Blew http://static.nsta.org/files/PB186X3web.pdf
- What Are They Thinking? Promoting Elementary Learning through Formative Assessment (Elementary)
- SAMPLE CHAPTR – Pushes and Pulls http://static.nsta.org/files/PB348Xweb.pdf
Educator Opportunities:
Oklahoma Education and Industry Partnership Program:
The Oklahoma Education and Industry Partnership Program for 5th- through 12th-grade STEM teachers in Oklahoma will be July 28-30 at Rose State College in Midwest City. The event will focus on aerospace and defense, agriculture and bioscience and energy and will include site visits for each industry, along with breakout sessions and discussion groups. Attendees will also have the opportunity to talk to senior members of education and industry about how to gain the most from this partnership with industry.
Registration is free and includes hotel and all meals, along with a $100 stipend gift card and a $125 gift certificate from Pitsco Scientific Equipment Co. Attendees will also have the opportunity to apply for a $1,000 grant for shopping in the Pitsco catalog. Grant applications will be accepted at registration desk on Tuesday, July 28. Bring yours ready to go. Additional guidance will be provided. Winning applications will be determined by Thursday, July 30.
Registration is limited to 100 teachers determined by date and time of registration. A standby list of 30 teachers will also be established. Registration will be open March 1-June 30 on the Rose State College website at http://rose.formstack.com/forms/oeip_registration__2015 .
For more information about the program, contact Ben Robinson, chairman, sentryonellc@aol.com. Other planning members include Gaile Loving, Mustang School District, Jana Rowland, Western Technology Center (retired), Rachel Langley, Jenks High School, Kelly Wardlaw, Stillwater Middle School,Teresa Potter, Fisher Elementary School, and many others.
OEIP is a partnership among educators, counselors, administrators, parents, students, industry leaders, government policy makers and members of the economic development community. It focuses on providing relevance and rigor to STEM education, training and workforce development; introducing rewarding STEM careers; closing the knowledge and skills gap; motivating students to develop and maintain career pathways; and providing professional development for Oklahoma educators.
Advance Placement Summer Institutes: Registration Open
See link for details: http://www.ok.gov/sde/advanced-placement-professional-development
Fueling Futures
The OERB is now offering Oklahoma high schools a new after school program aimed at providing students with a series of activities to enhance their learning about Oklahoma’s oil and natural gas industry. Fueling Futures is intended to educate students on petroleum-related subjects, including earth science, engineering, environmental science, economics, current events and others subjects to be determined. Fueling Futures will also provide the students with information on energy-related careers paths and higher education opportunities.
During the 2015-2016 school year, Fueling Futures will be piloted in three Oklahoma Schools. Each lead educator will receive a $3,000 stipend, along with $5,000 to be used for the program materials. Applications are due April 20, 2015 and the award notification will be announced on or before May 8, 2015. See attached Fueling Futures Application.
NSTA Free Articles:
- Science and Children – Elementary Journal
- Looking Through the Energy Lens: A Strategy Helps Students Develop a Fuller View of Energy’s Role in a Variety of Phenomena (Link)
- Science Scope – Middle School Journal
- Reading and Writing Alignment Across Content Areas (Link)
- The Science Teacher – High School Journal
- Sinking In: Developing a Model for Understanding Density (Link)