May 15th, 2013 Bob
This week: (1) Greetings (2) #OKSci Leadership (3) Vision 2020 Conference (4) Professional Development Opportunities (5) Student Opportunities
“In teaching you cannot see the fruit of a day’s work. It is invisible and remains so, maybe for twenty years.” – Unknown
This is one of my favorite quotes as an educator and so true! Many of my former students are graduating, some from high school and some from college, and I am thrilled to see them wear their caps and gowns. I wonder what paths their lives will take in the coming years and how they will grow as individuals. As your school year comes to a close, I hope you have time to reflect on the many lives you have impacted this year. You may not be able to see the fruit yet, because some fruit takes many years to develop, but I hope you know that the long hours you’ve put in planning, grading, and mentoring will certainly produce an abundance of it!
I am so proud to be a part of this profession and even prouder to be a member of the science education community in Oklahoma! I’ve had numerous opportunities this year to meet so many of you and I have had the great honor of working with the outstanding members of the Oklahoma C3 Science Standards Writing Team this spring. We are so fortunate to have such expertise in our state!
With that in mind, we have an exciting opportunity for those who might be interested in a science leadership opportunity in our state.
#OKSci Leadership:
Recognizing the extreme need around recruiting and retaining highly effective mathematics and science teachers, the OSDE seeks to create a cadre of highly motivated and innovative educators who will actively contribute to the statewide effort to improve mathematics and science education. Recognizing lack of opportunities for leadership, innovation, and autonomy as key factors leading to the low retention rates of our best educators, the OSDE will bring together 30 math and 30 science educators to be empowered leaders within a highly competitive and prestigious professional learning network called #OKMath Leadership and #OKSci Leadership. Each class will last for one year, consist of quarterly meetings, and culminate with a Class Project.
At the 2013 Vision 2020 Conference, 60 educators will join together as Class 0, the pilot classes of the #OKMath and #OKSci Leadership effort. It is imperative that members of this first class are highly motivated, invested in mathematics education, desire to refine their educational leadership perspective and capacity, and committed to helping shape the future structure and vision for leadership classes to come.
Selection for Class 0
The pilot class, Class 0, will be hand selected from each of 30 REAC3H Coach Regions and must be currently teaching mathematics or science students at a PK through 12 level.
Selection for Subsequent Classes
Membership for subsequent classes will be the result of an application and blind review process. Further communication around the official selection procedures will be determined to a greater degree by members of Class 0.
Responsibilities
· Attend each quarterly meeting (all meetings are 2 days):
o Alpha Meeting – Vision 2020, July 9-10, 2013
o Beta Meeting – TBA (Sept-Oct)
o Gamma Meeting – TBA (Jan)
o Delta Meeting – TBA (May)
· Contribute a Class Project to Oklahoma Education based on Class expertise and experiences over the course of the four meetings.
· Class 0 Members will contribute to the vision and procedures to guide future #OKMath and #OKSci Leadership Classes.
Requirements
· Must teach math or science during application process and during membership.
Inquiries?
· #OKMath – Levi Patrick (levi.patrick@sde.ok.gov)
· #OKMath – Sara Snodgrass (sara.snodgrass@sde.ok.gov)
· #OKSci – Tiffany Neill (tiffany.neill@sde.ok.gov)
Applications will be going out later this week through the science and math listservs and on the #OKSci and #OKMath Facebook pages.
If you would like to have an applications mailed to your summer e-mail account please e-mail me with that information.
Vision 2020 Conference:
Registration is now open for the 2013 OSDE VISION 2020 Summer Conference!
The Oklahoma State Department of Education’s VISION 2020 conference will be held July 9-11, 2013 at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City. Online registration for attendees and exhibitors, and proposals to present are now available on our website along with other conference information such as hotel accommodations.
Science Sessions: Tuesday July 9th
The science sessions scheduled for July 9th at Vision 2020 will provide participants with a wide variety of opportunities to engage in interactive professional development in science! Topics of focus include: exploring scientific practices, literacy in science, lesson designing. Several members of the Oklahoma C3 Science Standards Writing Team will be presenting at the conference and I will also be giving an update on the Oklahoma C3 Science Standards. I hope to see all of you there!
For general conference information and to register, please visit: http://ok.gov/sde/vision2020
Professional Development Opportunities for Teachers:
NASA Eclipse Professional Development Institute:
The ECLIPSE project is a STEM Education grant awarded by NASA to Seminole Public Schools and Oklahoma State University. It promotes problem-based learning in science and mathematics education and provides an online learning environment that helps students develop individual and collaborative problem solving skills. ECLIPSE (Environment for Cyber Learning Integrating Problem Solving Experiences) provides instructional design and assessment tools for the teacher to create an authentic problem solving activity and implement it effectively in the classroom, together with providing scaffolding for students to engage in real-life problem solving.
When: June 26-28, 2013
Where: Seminole State College, Seminole OK
Contacts: Pasha Antonenko (p.antonenko@coe.ufl.edu) Ronda Townsend (rtownsend@sps.k12.ok.us)document
See attached document for more details.
Oklahoma State & Haliburton Geosciences Ambassador Program:
Enrich your geosciences classroom and link with OSU scientists. The OSHGA-GAP includes workshops, labs, field trips and accommodations.
When: June 9th-15th
Where: Oklahoma State University in Stillwater
See attached flyer for more details
Environmental Blast:
Please see the attached document for details on free programs, awards, and grant opportunities related to environmental education.
Oklahoma Environmental Education Guide:
Link to download: http://www.deq.state.ok.us/pubs/lpd/EnvResourceGuide_Web.pdf
First Robotics:
Interested in starting a FIRST Robotics team [First Lego League (FLL), FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) in your school? Sign up to attend a FIRST Robotics training.
See attached memo for details.
Opportunities for Students:
Cyber Patriot:
A high school level computer network skills competition. Teams may register now but won’t start the learning and competition until next fall’s semester. We have teamed with Rose State College to offer free classes to teams on Saturdays if they wish to learn more and successfully complete.
http://www.uscyberpatriot.org/Pages/default.aspx
Summer Academy for Chemistry:
The UCO Department of Chemistry is holding a summer academy for 8th-10th graders. Students will participate in lab activities that show the many ways chemistry impacts human health. If you would like more information please contact Dr. Dana Rundle at drundle@uco.edu.
See attached document for details.
Stay Connected:
Follow me on Twitter: @tiffanyneill
Facebook: #OKSci
Hashtags: #oksde #OKSci #OKSTEM
Sign Up for a Twitter account: https://twitter.com/
OKSci Recources:
Classroom Strategies: http://www.scoop.it/t/oksci-classroom-strategies
Website Resources Elementary: http://bit.ly/OSDE-SciElemLinks
Website Resources Secondary: http://bit.ly/OSDE-SecScienceLinks
Accessing Archived Science Messages:
You can access Archived Science Messages I’ve sent out since March via the Oklahoma Science Teachers Association (OSTA) website. Scroll down to see previous posts.
Science Listserv:
Please encourage others to register for the science listserv and pass along the following registration link:
Register for Science Listserv
As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have!
-Tiffany
Tiffany Neill, M.Ed.
Director of Science Education
Office of Instruction
Oklahoma State Department of Education
P: 405.522.3524
Tiffany.Neill@sde.ok.gov
@tiffanyneill
Science Webpage
PE & Health Webpage
Posted in TiffanyGram | No Comments »
April 22nd, 2013 Bob
By Janet Barresi, State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Monday, April 22, 2013
As I meet with teachers from across the state, I hear a common theme. I talk with working groups of teachers here at the state department. I’ve had the opportunity to visit with past and present teachers of the year. I also have roundtable discussions with teachers at the school districts I visit on my Raise the Grade Together tours. I listen to superintendents in my leadership advisory group. These educators tell me they are frustrated with “teaching to the test.” Parents and community members often mirror these sentiments. I agree!
The time has come to have a serious discussion about this. I want teachers to know I am committed to working with them and the rest of the education community. This summer and in the fall, together with these groups, we will conduct an audit of all the different assessments given across the state, including federal, state and district level assessments.
I am proposing this study to help identify the best assessments that will provide feedback regarding instructional strategies so teachers can better meet the needs of their students. As we move to new assessments in the next few years, educators will use some familiar tools, including data, technology and texts. They will also use new instructional strategies that are a critical component of all our new Oklahoma C3 Standards. These include strategies to promote critical thinking and problem solving as well as practical application of securely held foundational knowledge. Working together, we can identify areas of duplication and unproductive assessments. Perhaps, we may even find places where we can save money and put dollars back into the classroom.
Through my advocacy and policy work over the past 17 years, and now serving as your state superintendent, there is one thing I know for sure. Our current state tests are by and large memory tests. (emphasis added) Every educator knows that tests that rely more on rote memory of facts yield very little in retained knowledge. Our current OCCT tests are aligned to the Oklahoma PASS standards. The state is currently transitioning to the new Oklahoma C3 Standards through the rewrite, revision or replacement process. The PASS Standards are a “mile wide and an inch deep.” The new Oklahoma C3 Standards are characterized as “narrower, deeper, higher.” They are narrower in focus to allow teachers to develop foundational knowledge in their students. They are deeper so teachers are able to spend more time on content to assure mastery of subject matter and higher because they focus on developing critical thinking skills that are a must for success in the 21st Century. In other words, we are teaching children to master information that is critical to their success and also teaching them how to think.
A close comparison of the two sets of standards explains why. With the old PASS Standards, teachers tend to be boxed into a system of teaching that reduces itself to drill work of students. That helps no one. It is not engaging to students, does not lend itself to mastery of subject matter and does not allow the teachers to develop thinking skills in their students. In other words, the old system makes the teacher work to “get the kids through the test.” Very little information is provided to the teacher and all that is really known is whether or not the student passed and did they improve?
Teachers need more detailed information about what a student should know and be able to do. A math teacher needs to know more than whether or not the student got the right or wrong answer on a test item. That educator needs actionable information on whether or not the student set up the formulae correctly to answer the question. They need to know if they arrived at the correct answer, and if the variables in the problem are changed, how well does the student understand the principle being taught in order to adjust the formulae to arrive at a correct answer for the new variables. The assessment yields better information more precisely targeted to what is being taught and will yield information that is actionable. In other words, instead of the teacher working for the test, the test must work for the teacher. The new academic assessments being developed for social studies, science, for English language arts and mathematics are academic tools for teachers because they evaluate students’ knowledge base across all domains of knowledge.
These should provide teachers with critical information about the strengths and weaknesses of each of their students. They will help teachers know how to adjust instruction. The information derived from them will provide the entire education team including principals and superintendents the valuable information they need to work together as a team to provide the most optimal opportunities for each child. Our state’s new academic assessments are being designed to do just that. If you think about it, we are promoting effective teaching practices, assuring mastery of subject matter, developing cognitive skills and are developing an academic assessment for students that measures all of those skills and informs future practice by educators.
We have engaged teachers and principals in a comprehensive effort of professional development to prepare educators for the new system. Our goal is to create an environment of continuous learning spurred on by innovations in instructional strategies that are student centered, research based and data driven.
My next column will be about how we’re communicating with educators and the public and the training we’re providing to support educators throughout the state.
Posted in News | No Comments »
March 15th, 2013 Bob
VISION 2020 2nd Annual Summer Conference is hosted by the Oklahoma State Department of Education.
This July event downtown Oklahoma City offers learning opportunities, professional development and training for everyone from the engaged parent, the classroom teacher, counselor, librarian, technology instructor, treasurer, central office personnel, principal, school board member, district superintendent, and others.
Attendee Registration (no charge) includes all professional development sessions at the conference.
Dates of Note
| Session Request for Proposals (request here) |
February 4, 2013 – March 25, 2013 |
| Attendee Registration (register here) |
March 1, 2013 |
| Conference |
July 9-11, 2013 |
Vision 2020 Summer Conference 2013 will be held in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, July 9 through Thursday, July 11, 2013.
Tentative Programs Schedule Draft
Below you will find the preliminary schedule outline.
| Tuesday, July 9, 2013 |
| 9:00 - 10:30a.m. |
General Sessions |
| 9:00 am - 4:00 pm |
Exhibit Hall Open |
| 10:30 - 11:00 a.m. |
Exhibit Hall Option |
| 11:00 - 11:45 a.m. |
Breakout Sessions |
| 12:00 - 1:15 p.m. |
Lunch |
| 1:30 - 2:15 p.m. |
Breakout Sessions |
| 2:45 – 3:15 p.m. |
Breakout Sessions |
| 3:30 – 4:15 p.m. |
Breakout Sessions |
| 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. |
Parent Power Night |
| |
|
| Wednesday, July 10, 2013 |
| 8:00 - 8:45 a.m. |
Early Bird Sessions |
| 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. |
General Sessions |
| 9:00a.m. - 4:00p.m. |
Exhibit Hall Open |
| 10:30 - 11:00 a.m. |
Exhibit Hall Option |
| 11:00 - 11:45 a.m. |
Breakout Sessions |
| 12:00 - 1:15 p.m. |
Lunch |
| 1:30 - 2:15 p.m. |
Breakout Sessions |
| 2:30 – 3:15 p.m. |
Breakout Sessions |
| 3:30 – 4:15 p.m. |
Breakout Sessions |
| |
|
| Thursday, July 11, 2013 |
| 8:00 - 8:45 a.m. |
Early Bird Sessions |
| 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. |
General Sessions |
| 9:00a.m. - 4:00p.m. |
Exhibit Hall Open |
| 10:30 - 11:00 a.m. |
Exhibit Hall Option |
| 11:00 - 11:45 a.m. |
Breakout Sessions |
| 12:00 - 1:15 p.m. |
Lunch |
| 1:30 – 2:15 p.m. |
Breakout Sessions |
| 2:30 – 3:15 p.m. |
Breakout Sessions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted in Conference, Opportunities | No Comments »
January 31st, 2013 Bob
Application Deadline Extended to February 4th, 2013
The deadline for applications for the Oklahoma C3 Science Standards Review Committee is fast approaching! Thank you to everyone who has already submitted an application, I have received several to date.
Applications can be downloaded from the Science Webpage.
The Oklahoma C3 Science Standards Review Committee will consist of two teams:
(1) Writing Team: As a participant of the Writing Team, individuals will be required to attend on-site meetings and will participate in the writing of the revised Oklahoma C3 Science Standards.
(2) Draft Team: As a member of the Draft Team, participants will be asked to review drafts of the standards developed by the Writing Team and provide feedback. Reviews will be conducted electronically and will not require on-site meetings.
You will find a copy of the application attached to this message. You may complete the application digitally and submit it to me by e-mail by clicking on the submit button on page 4 of the application.
You will need to attach the application as a document to the e-mail as the submit button just provides a direct link to my e-mail.
The committee will be composed of science educators, scientists and engineers, and business, industry, and community members.
If you have any questions about the process, please feel free to contact me.
Teaching Current Events in Science: Strategies and Resources
Bringing current events into the science classroom can be an engaging way to expand upon students’ interests in science. Current events can also be utilized to reinforce concepts students gain through explorations in the science classroom.
I often watch videos on The Teaching Channel to see what strategies teachers are using in their classrooms and I stumbled upon the video below. The video showcases a science teacher’s use of current events in science in his classroom.
The Teaching Channel: Making Science Relevant with Current Events
· Documents utilized in the video can be accessed on the sidebar of the webpage under supporting materials.
- Current Science Events-Science Events Lesson Plan (includes a document that can be utilized for citations and document analysis)
- Science Tweets Worksheet
Websites for Current Events in Science:
· http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/
· http://www.sciencenews.org/
· http://www.sciencedaily.com/
· http://news.discovery.com/
· http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
· http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/
· http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2013/01/cool-jobs-delving-into-dung/
Accountability & Assessment Resources:
Accountability & Assessment Resources page for the SDE website has been updated.
Science Teachers will find the resources listed below on the SDE website by clicking on this link.
· http://www.ok.gov/sde/accountability-assessment-resources
- Science Standard Flip Charts | Grade 5 (pdf) | Grade 8 (pdf)| EOI Biology I Content and Process (pdf)
- Science Depth-of-Knowledge Transition Chart, 2010-2013 (pdf)
- Science Formula pages | Grade 8 (pdf) |
Educator Opportunities:
Oklahoma State Department of Education Common Core Regional Meetings:
· Union for Elementary Teachers (February 20) 12:30-4:00 pm
· Union for Secondary Teachers (February 20) 8:00-11:30 am
· Hugo for Elementary Teachers (February 22) 12:30-4:00 pm
· Hugo for Secondary Teachers (February 22) 8:00-11:30 am
· Weatherford for Elementary Teachers (March 29) 12:30-4:00 pm
· Weatherford for Secondary Teachers (March 29) 8:00-11:30 am
Register for all Regional Meetings at: http://osde-regionalmeetings.eventbrite.com/
Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching
Read about it here .
Nominations period is open! Nomination Deadline is April 1, 2013.
Start considering great 7-12 science teachers now!
Oklahoma Environmental Education Expo: February 1st
The Oklahoma Environmental Education Expo is being held at Rosser Conservation Education Center, at the Oklahoma City Zoological Park from 8:00 am -4:00 pm.
Mammals from Head to Toe: A Skins, Skulls, and Tracks Workshop February 12th, 2013
Join the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, the Oklahoma Conservation Commission and the Rogers County Conservation District for a one-day workshop to learn how to identify some of Oklahoma’s most common mammals from clues they leave behind.
Registration Deadline: Friday February 8th, 2013 Location: Hackberry Flat Center, Frederick, OK Time: 9:00 am to 3:30 pm See attached flyer here for details.
Deadline for Reviewing the Next Generation Science Standards: January 31st
Last week Achieve released the second (and final) public draft of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). All science educators, administrators, and other stakeholders are strongly encouraged to review the draft and provide feedback online to Achieve during the comment period, which ends January 29. Review the draft here.
NSTA has a vast collection of materials organized by topic and disciplinary core ideas to help you study the second public draft of NGSS. Find them here.
Take a look at the short video developed by Matt Krehbiel, Science Education Program Consultant for the Kansas State Department of Education, that will help you to navigate the Next Generation Science Standards website and the Achieve survey.
Learn more and sign up for one of these upcoming NSTA webinars on Engineering Practices in NGSS (1/15); Using the NGSS Practices in the Elementary Grades (1/29); or Making Connections Between NGSS and Common Core Math and ELA (2/12).
Watch Montana teacher of the year Paul Anderson’s comprehensive video series on NGSS.
Take a peek at one of the eight webinars presented earlier this fall that focused on the Scientific and Engineering Practices described in A Framework for K–12 Science Education.
Read and download NSTA’s growing collection of monthly journal articles exploring the Framework. Articles examine the practices, crosscutting concepts, connections to common core, and more. Watch for upcoming articles on the core ideas by Rodger Bybee, Joe Krajcik, and Michael Wysession.
Stay Connected:
Follow me on Twitter: @tiffanyneill
Facebook: #OKSci
Hashtags: #oksde #OKSci #OKSTEM
Sign Up for a Twitter account: https://twitter.com/
OKSci Recources:
Classroom Strategies: http://www.scoop.it/t/oksci-classroom-strategies
Website Resources Elementary: http://bit.ly/OSDE-SciElemLinks
Website Resources Secondary: http://bit.ly/OSDE-SecScienceLinks
Accessing Archived Science Messages:
You can access Archived Science Messages I’ve sent out since March via the Oklahoma Science Teachers Association (OSTA) website. Scroll down to see previous posts.
Science Listserv:
Please encourage others to register for the science listserv and pass along the following registration link:
As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have!
Tiffany Neill, M.Ed.
Director of Science Education
Office of Instruction
Oklahoma State Department of Education
P: 405.522.3524
Tiffany.Neill@sde.ok.gov
@tiffanyneill
Science Webpage
PE & Health Webpage
Posted in TiffanyGram | No Comments »
January 15th, 2013 Bob
Greetings Fellow Science Educators!
I hope you all enjoyed your time with friends and family over the holidays! With the start of a new year I have numerous exciting opportunities to share with you, including the kick off to our process for revising the Oklahoma C3 Science Standards.
We are now accepting applications for those that are interested in serving on the Oklahoma C3 Science Standards Revision Committee.
The Oklahoma C3 Science Standards Review Committee will consist of two teams:
(1) Writing Team: As a participant of the Writing Team, individuals will be required to attend on-site meetings and will participate in the writing of the revised Oklahoma C3 Science Standards.
(2) Draft Team: As a member of the Draft Team, participants will be asked to review drafts of the standards developed by the Writing Team and provide feedback. Reviews will be conducted electronically and will not require on-site meetings.
You will find a copy of the application HERE. You may complete the application digitally and submit it to me by e-mail by clicking on the submit button on page 4 of the application.
You will need to attach the application as a document to the e-mail as the submit button just provides a direct link to my e-mail.
The committee will be composed of science educators, scientists and engineers, and business, industry, and community members.
If you have any questions about the process or if you have issues with the pdf document, please feel free to contact me.
Tiffany Neill at 405-522-3524 or Tiffany.Neill@sde.ok.gov
2nd Draft of the Next Generation Science Standards Just Released:
Last week Achieve released the second (and final) public draft of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). All science educators, administrators, and other stakeholders are strongly encouraged to review the draft and provide feedback online to Achieve during the comment period, which ends January 29. Review the draft here.
NSTA has a vast collection of materials organized by topic and disciplinary core ideas to help you study the second public draft of NGSS. Find them here.
Take a look at the short video developed by Matt Krehbiel, Science Education Program Consultant for the Kansas State Department of Education, that will help you to navigate the Next Generation Science Standards website and the Achieve survey.
Learn more and sign up for one of these upcoming NSTA webinars on Engineering Practices in NGSS (1/15); Using the NGSS Practices in the Elementary Grades (1/29); or Making Connections Between NGSS and Common Core Math and ELA (2/12).
Watch Montana teacher of the year Paul Anderson’s comprehensive video series on NGSS.
Take a peek at one of the eight webinars presented earlier this fall that focused on the Scientific and Engineering Practices described in A Framework for K–12 Science Education.
Read and download NSTA’s growing collection of monthly journal articles exploring the Framework. Articles examine the practices, crosscutting concepts, connections to common core, and more. Watch for upcoming articles on the core ideas by Rodger Bybee, Joe Krajcik, and Michael Wysession.
Resources:
Lesson Idea using Virtual Lab for Measuring the Rate of Photosynthesis in Elodea
If I still had students I think I would do the following 5e lesson with this resource:
Engage: If you increase the light intensity for elodea will the rate of photosynthesis increase? Let students answer this question on a sheet of paper and commit and toss their responses making sure they explain the reasoning behind their response.
Explore: Then let students decide in small groups how they want to plan the investigation, collect data, and report out data.
Explain: Lead a class discussion around the class findings and assist in explaining why they got the results they got.
Evaluate: Return to the engagement question and let students redo their responses or back up their original response with evidence from data they collected or information gained from the lesson.
Elaborate: Have students predict which areas of the world would have the greatest plant biomass, and explain the impacts that destruction of those areas could have. (Thanks Brandi Parson Williams for the elaborate idea from the #OKSci Facebook page). There also might be some great articles for students to explore in this elaboration.
NAE, AFT Partner to Build Common Core Tools:
The two national teachers’ unions have won $11 million to build an online warehouse of instructional tools for the Common Core State Standards. Student Achievement Partners, whose founders led the writing of the standards, is also a grantee. It will work with the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association and their teachers to build the tools and post them on Student Achievement Partners’ website. Read more about it!
Educator Opportunities:
Oklahoma State Department of Education Common Core Regional Meetings:
· Bartlesville for Elementary Teachers (January 18) 12:30-4:00 pm
· Bartlesville for Secondary Teachers (January 18) 8:00-11:30 am
· Hugo for Elementary Teachers (February 22) 12:30-4:00 pm
· Hugo for Secondary Teachers (February 22) 8:00-11:30 am
· Weatherford for Elementary Teachers (March 29) 12:30-4:00 pm
· Weatherford for Secondary Teachers (March 29) 8:00-11:30 am
Register for all Regional Meetings at: http://osde-regionalmeetings.eventbrite.com/
Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching
Read about it here .
Nominations period is open! Nomination Deadline is April 1, 2013.
Start considering great 7-12 science teachers now!
Geoscience Education Teachers’ Retreat: February 8th (evening – February 10th (morning)
The geosciences are the most underrepresented area of all science fields! Come work with geologist, Dr. Jim Puckette, and science educators Drs. Toni Ivey and Julie Thomas to learn more about geology and how it connects to your biology, chemistry, and physics classroom!
The retreat will take place at Roman Nose State Park. Participants will receive a $50 travel stipend, $150 participant stipend, and room and board while at Roman Nose State Park.
Space is limited! Please CLICK HERE TO REGISTER! Register by January 31, 2013.
Earth and Space Science Education in Oklahoma Stakeholder’s Summit: February 15th
On February 15, 2013, I Toni Ivey will chair an Earth and Space Science Education Stakeholder’s Summit on the Oklahoma State University campus. This event will focus on three main questions with regard to Earth and space science education in Oklahoma: Where are we? Where do we need to be? and How do we get there? Please see below for more information on how to register.
Also, If you have colleagues that you fell would be interested in taking place in the conversation, please forward this message to them. The summit hopes to have representation from across business, industry, and education in Oklahoma.
Register at: http://education.okstate.edu/stakeholders-summit
Student Opportunities:
OSU-National Lab Day (NLD): May 7th
High School teachers are eligible to bring up to 7 students(sophomores and/or juniors)to NLD. Teacher/student teams will visit labs of three OSU STEM Labs and engage in activities related to faculty research.
Space is limited so register today! Teachers can register at:
http://osu-crstl.org/national-lab-day/teacher_registration/
Oklahoma Environmental Education Expo: February 1st
The Oklahoma Environmental Education Expo is being held at Rosser Conservation Education Center, at the Oklahoma City Zoological Park from 8:00 am -4:00 pm. Register at http://oklahomaenvironmentaleducationexpo.com/
11th Annual Regional JSHA Competition: March 1st-2nd
Oklahoma State University is hosting the 11th Annual Regional JSHA Competition. High School students present original research and compete for cash scholarships (up to $200, regionally and $12,000 nationally).
OSU covers travel and lodging expenses and there is a $500 award for the teacher who brings the most high school (10th-12th grade) student presenters. See this Flier for details!
Fleming Scholar Program: Application Deadline February 1st
The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation is now accepting applications for the Fleming Scholar Program. If you know any scientifically passionate students, will you please encourage them to apply?
This program grants selected students an opportunity to work side-by-side with real life, biomedical research scientists for eight weeks during the summer. Scholars also get paid and housing is provided for those who qualify. Applicants do NOT need to have any prior science or research experience. We seek students with passion, curiosity, diligence and enthusiasm.
Requirements:
- Submit online application by February 1
- Send (or have sent) up to three recommendation letters by (or postmarked by) February 1 deadline
- Possess strong enthusiasm for science
- Be a high school senior or college freshman, sophomore or junior
- Be a graduate or soon-to-be graduate from an Oklahoma high school
The application deadline is February 1, and more information is available at http://omrf.org/fleming.
If you have any questions, please contact Courtney Stevens at 405-271-7434 or courtney-stevens@omrf.org
Stay Connected:
Follow me on Twitter: @tiffanyneill
Facebook:#OKSci
Hashtags: #oksde #OKSci #OKSTEM
Sign Up for a Twitter account: https://twitter.com/
OKSci Recources:
Classroom Strategies: http://www.scoop.it/t/oksci-classroom-strategies
Website Resources Elementary: http://bit.ly/OSDE-SciElemLinks
Website Resources Secondary: http://bit.ly/OSDE-SecScienceLinks
Accessing Archived Science Messages:
You can access Archived Science Messages I’ve sent out since March via the Oklahoma Science Teachers Association (OSTA) website. Scroll down to see previous posts.
Science Listserv:
Please encourage others to register for the science listserv and pass along the following registration link:
Register for Science Listserv
As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have!
-Tiffany
Tiffany Neill, M.Ed.
Director of Science Education
Office of Instruction
Oklahoma State Department of Education
P: 405.522.3524
Tiffany.Neill@sde.ok.gov
@tiffanyneill
Science Webpage
PE & Health Webpage
Posted in TiffanyGram | No Comments »
December 7th, 2012 Bob
Greetings Fellow Science Educators!
I have an exciting networking opportunity to share with you this month! In an effort to provide opportunities for science educators to connect, we’ve set up a Facebook page for Oklahoma Science Teachers called #OKSCi.
Link: http://on.fb.me/VoIoIx
#OKSci is the Oklahoma Science Education Professional Learning Network. You can be part of the conversation on Facebook or on Twitter. It is a place to grow, to explore, to share, to learn, to mentor, and to be mentored. Although all posts are welcome, we ask that members help to moderate the discussions to keep them positive, fact-based when appropriate, and never vulgar.
Conversations and resources are already being shared by science teachers around the state! I also post the science messages, resources and events on the page as well as answer questions.
I hope you will take the time to join today and become a contributing member to this exciting Professional Learning Network
Standards Update:
Oklahoma C3 Standards Revision Update:
I’ve created an Oklahoma C3 Science Standards FAQ & Timeline to provide educators with the most recent information related to the upcoming Oklahoma C3 Science Standards Revision. See attached flyer
Applications for the Oklahoma C3 Science Standards Committees are still being finalized. Applications out via the science listserv when they are completed.
Next Generation Science Standards Draft to Be Released in January:
The second draft of the Next Generation Science Standards are scheduled to be released the first week of January. The draft can be accessed via the following website:
http://www.nextgenscience.org/next-generation-science-standards
Exemplar Lesson:
Math and Science Integrated Lesson:
Wingn’ It: In this lesson, students will experiment with paper helicopters to explore the concept that organisms have a variety of internal and external structures that enable them to survive in a specific habitat. Students analyze data by creating a class scatter plot graph. Students also utilize a line of best fit to develop a Wing length to weight ratio to predict the optimum wing length for any given body weight. Students will then apply this concept to various bird species.
You can access the lesson on K20alt: http://k20alt.ou.edu/groups/wingin-it
Upcoming Events:
Oklahoma State Department of Education Regional Meetings
We are currently scheduling Regional Meetings in the Tulsa, Bartlesville, Weatherford, and Hugo areas. I will send registration information out as soon as the events are finalized.
Educator Award Opportunities:
Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching
Application Due: 12/15/12
http://www.fulbrightteacherexchange.org/distinguished-fulbright-awards-in-teaching-program/application
Stay Connected:
Follow me on Twitter: @tiffanyneill
Facebook: #OKSci
Hashtags: #oksde #OKSci #KnowC3 #OKSTEM
Sign Up for a Twitter account: https://twitter.com/
OKSci Recources:
Classroom Strategies: http://www.scoop.it/t/oksci-classroom-strategies
Website Resources Elementary: http://bit.ly/OSDE-SciElemLinks
Website Resources Secondary: http://bit.ly/OSDE-SecScienceLinks
Accessing Archived Science Messages:
You can access Archived Science Messages I’ve sent out since March via the Oklahoma Science Teachers Association (OSTA) website. Scroll down to see previous posts.
Science Listserv:
Please encourage others to register for the science listserv and pass along the following registration link:
Register for Science Listserv
As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have!
-Tiffany
Tiffany Neill, M.Ed.
Director of Science Education
Office of Instruction
Oklahoma State Department of Education
P: 405.522.3524
Tiffany.Neill@sde.ok.gov
@tiffanyneill
Science Webpage
PE & Health Webpage
Posted in Events, TiffanyGram | No Comments »
November 19th, 2012 Bob
Greetings Fellow Science Educators!
As I traveled to Tahlequah last Monday for a regional meeting, I couldn’t help but notice nature’s beautiful foliage. The trees were a myriad of bright fall colors, which reminded me of a question my students used to ask, “Why do leaves change color in the fall?”
This question exemplifies the scientific practice of Asking Questions, introduced by the National Research Council (NRC) in A Framework for K-12 Science Education. According to the NRC, science begins with a question about a phenomenon such as, “Why do leaves change color in the fall?
A basic practice of the scientist is to make observations about a phenomenon, ask questions about it, determine what is already known about the phenomenon and determine what questions have to yet to be satisfactorily answered.
With this in mind, I’ve provided a couple of options for your own “Changing Leaves” investigations. The key to both activities is giving students an opportunity to ask the question, “Why do leaves change colors in the fall?” Once they have asked the question, then they can begin to explore what is already known about the phenomenon and they might even end up with questions that are yet unanswered.
Elementary:
- Have students collect leaves and bring them into the classroom
- Ask students (3-4 students in a group) to group leaves based on similarities and differences.
- Ask student groups to share the ways in which they choose to group their leaves.
- Explore the concept that objects have properties that can be observed described and measured.
Leaves (shape, size, texture, color)
- One group will probably group the leaves based on color.
- Then ask all students, “Why do you think leaves change color in the fall?”
- Explain with a Book: Why Do Leaves Change Color? http://bit.ly/WhyDoLeavesChangeColor (This can be purchased via Google books and displayed on a SmartBoard)
- Check out a non-fiction book from the school or local library to explain the concept of leaves changing color.
- Explain with a Video found on the Internet
Secondary:
- Conduct the “Chemistry of Changing Leaves” Lesson Plan from NBC
See attached document
- Once students have completed the chromatography activity, provide them with non-fiction text that will explain the phenomenon of leaves changing color.
A few links to non-fiction text website about the topic are provided in the lesson.
Good luck with the practice of asking questions and please feel free to send me pictures and comments about the investigations you conduct!
A New Way to Share Resources:
Scoop It: OKSci Classroom Strategies
http://www.scoop.it/t/oksci-classroom-strategies
- In an effort to share classroom strategies, I’ve developed a “Scoop It” page where I will add videos, articles, and much more as I run across them.
- I would be happy to add any resources you find as well.
Feel free to e-mail me links as you find them.
Upcoming Events:
Oklahoma State Department of Education Regional Meetings
· Ardmore for Elementary (K-5) Teachers (Dec 6) – http://ardmore-elementary2012.eventbrite.com
· Ardmore for Secondary (6-12) Teachers (Dec 6)– http://ardmore-secondary2012.eventbrite.com
· Stillwater for Elementary (K-5) Teachers (Dec 10) – http://stillwaterk5-2012.eventbrite.com
· Stillwater for Secondary (6-12) Teachers (Dec 10) – http://stillwater612-2012.eventbrite.com
- Follow our discussions on Twitter by searching #KnowC3
Register for ScienceFest:
Registration for ScienceFest Oklahoma, Oklahoma’s one-of-a-kind science education event http://www.sciencefestok.com/ .
ScienceFest is a free event for Oklahoma fourth and fifth graders to attend, and is set to take place on Thursday, April 18, 2013 at the Oklahoma City Zoo. Registration is first-come, first-serve.
Outdoor Classroom Inventory
Join a statewide project to gather information about outdoor classrooms in Oklahoma! We are building a clickable website resource for teachers – mapping outdoor classroom resources to enhance science learning.
Access the outdoor classroom survey at: http://www.quia.com/sv/594590.html
Email questions to: Luke Weinbrecht weinbre@okstate.edu or Julie Thomas julie.thomas@okstate.edu
BotBall Grants:
The Oklahoma State Department of Education in partnership with Botball will provide grants up to $2,200 per school to facilitate recent start-up and existing Botball team opportunities. Click the application link to get to the grant application form.
http://www.oklahomascienceteachersassociation.org/?p=4553
The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality is currently accepting applications for the 2012 Environmental License Tag Grant.
The deadline is December 1, 2012
http://www.deq.state.ok.us/pubs/lpd/eegrant2012.pdf
For questions or more information, contact:
Sara Ivey, (405) 702-7122
sara.ivey@deq.ok.gov
Northeastern State University (NSU) Chemistry and Physics Academy:
The NSU Chemistry and Physics Academy (NSU-CAPA) will provide research-based professional development for certified science teachers who want to become certified to teach Chemistry and Physics. The two-year program will focus on teacher knowledge, teacher practice, and student achievement in Chemistry and Physics.
See attached flyer
Educator Award Opportunities:
Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching
Read about it here .
Nominations open in November…start considering great 7-12 science teachers now!
Einstein Educator Fellow
Application Due: 12/5/12
http://science.energy.gov/wdts/einstein/
Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching
Application Due: 12/15/12
http://www.fulbrightteacherexchange.org/distinguished-fulbright-awards-in-teaching-program/application
Opportunities for Students:
Space Camp
Scholarships for summer 2013 are now open! Trainees ages 9-18 can apply here for a weeklong adventure training to be an astronaut at Space Camp®, a fighter pilot at Aviation Challenge® or design robotics on land, in the air and underwater in the ALL NEW Robotics Camp.
Applications are being accepted now through December 14, 2012. Apply today at www.spacecamp.com/scholarships.
Stay Connected:
Follow me on Twitter: @tiffanyneill
Hashtags: #oksde #OKSci #KnowC3 #OKSTEM
Sign Up for a Twitter account: https://twitter.com/
Accessing Archived Science Messages:
You can access Archived Science Messages I’ve sent out since March via the Oklahoma Science Teachers Association (OSTA) website. Scroll down to see previous posts.
Science Listserv:
Please encourage others to register for the science listserv and pass along the following registration link:
Register for Science Listserv
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday! And as always, please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have!
-Tiffany
Tiffany Neill, M.Ed.
Director of Science Education
Office of Instruction
Oklahoma State Department of Education
P: 405.522.3524
Tiffany.Neill@sde.ok.gov
@tiffanyneill
Science Webpage
PE & Health Webpage
Posted in TiffanyGram | No Comments »
November 13th, 2012 Bob
The Oklahoma State Department of Education in partnership with Botball will provide grants up to $2,200 per school to facilitate recent start-up and existing Botball team opportunities. Click the application link to get to the grant application form.
Eligible recipients:
Oklahoma public schools including charter schools
Grant funds may be used for:
- Botball Educational Robotics Program(Botball)
- Ages-Middle School thru High School
Allowable uses of grant awards:
- Botball registration fees
Funds available:
The number of grants awarded will depend upon the number and type of applications received. Applicants are eligible to apply for grants in the following amounts:
- Rookie Teams (1st year teams)
Botball – up to $2,200
- New Teams (2nd- thru 5th-year teams)
Botball – up to $1,500
- Veteran Teams (6 years plus)
Botball – up to $1,000
Successful applications will address:
- A diverse socio-economic school environment that represents the percent of students receiving free and reduced lunch and includes race and gender as defining points.
- Increased student engagement in STEM education through Botball Robotics and the Global Conference on Educational Robotics
- Commitment to the development of student teams, recruitment of volunteer mentors, designing and building of remote-controlled robots.
- Participation in the Oklahoma Botball Regional Competitions. Information on competitions and registration can be found in the resources section of this application.
- Complete a grant application form for each team.
- Submit application(s) and signed assurance.
- Grants will be evaluated by OSDE and Botball partnership committee members.
- Grant awards will be announced by the committee.
Links to follow for assistance with Botball:
- Botball Registration information:
Due Date:
- Completed applications are DUE 5:00 p.m. Friday, December 7, 2012
- Applications received AFTER Friday, December 7, 2012 will not be considered.
- ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY:
http://kipr.org/ok-botball-grant-application
Contacts
For qu Questions regarding the grant application, please contact:
Jeff Downs
Executive Director of STEM
Oklahoma State Department of Education
2500 North Lincoln Boulevard, Suite 315
Oklahoma City OK 73105
405-521-2107
Jeff.Downs@sde.ok.gov |
OR |
Tiffany Neill
Director of Science Education
Oklahoma State Department of Education
2500 North Lincoln Boulevard, Suite 315
Oklahoma City OK 73105
405-522-3524
Tiffany.Neill@sde.ok.gov |
For Questions regarding Botball programs, please contact:
Steve Goodgame
Executive Director KISS Institute
(405)579-4609 —direct
(405)830-6685—-cell
sgoodgame@kipr.org |
Marci Corey
Program Manager
(405) 579-4609
mcorey@kipr.org |
Timeline of Botball Events
|
Botball
|
Global Conference on Educational Robotics
|
Team Size
|
No limit-middle and high school aged |
No limit-middle and high school, undergraduate, graduate |
Training Opportunities
|
2-day professional development workshop
Jan. 12-13, 2013
University of Oklahoma
Norman, OK |
GCER Preconference workshops
July 5, 2013
Embassy Suites, Norman, OK |
Registration Deadline
|
Jan 1, 2013 |
Online and Onsite registration available |
Oklahoma Regional Competitions
|
March 9, 2013 – NCED Norman, OK |
Not Applicable |
International Botball Tournament
(open to all teams)
|
July 6-10, 2013 – Norman, OK |
July 6-10, 2013 – Norman, OK |
Posted in Opportunities | 1 Comment »
October 31st, 2012 Bob
Greetings Fellow Science Educators!
The day after Halloween is always a challenging one when working with students (and maybe teachers) who have eaten WAY too much sugar. Why not use that to your advantage? Here are a couple of ideas for science activities the day-after Halloween.
Elementary or Middle School: Use Halloween Candy for Classification and Measurement
- Sort and group Halloween candy based on like characteristics. Have students represent their groups in graphs (bar or pie work well).
- Compute the amount of sugar in candy, convert grams to milligrams or even kilograms.
(This idea came from Sara Snodgrass our Elementary Mathematics Director)
Middle School or High School: Use Pumpkins for Claims and Evidence
- Use various tools (hammer, screwdriver,ect.) to puncture pumpkins. Ask students to make claims about which tools made which marks on each of the pumpkins.
- Have students make a claims/evidence T-chart (Example below)
| Claim |
Evidence |
| I claim that Pumpkin A was punctured with the blunt end of the hammer. |
I claim this because the blunt end of the hammer is 3.4 cm in width and 9 out of 10 of the marks on pumpkin A are approximately 3.4 cm in width. |
Tips for conducting:
- Ask local grocery stores or pumpkin patches to donate left over pumpkins.
- Gather unusual tool and place them all in a tool box for students to check out for analysis.
- Name pumpkins: Use historical figures in science
- Allow students to practice making tool marks on pumpkins that you haven’t punctured.
- They can measure tools mark impressions on practice pumpkins and use comparison data for claims and evidence.
Common Core Literacy for Science Connection: Having students focus on making claims and supporting claims with evidence helps students practice argumentative writing skills.
§ WHST. 6-12. 1.b “Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence that demonstrates and understanding of the topic or text, using credible sources.”
- The source is the evidence they collect through scientific processes.
Oklahoma State Department of Education Regional Meetings
Fredrick – (November 7th)- Great Plains Technology Center, 2001 East Gladstone Avenue
· Elementary Teachers (Nov 7) – http://frederick-elementary2012.eventbrite.com
· Secondary Teachers (Nov 7) – http://frederick-secondary2012.eventbrite.com
Tahlequah – (November 12th)- Northeastern State University, 612 N. Grand Ave
· Elementary Teachers – http://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080C4CAEA72BA46-what
· Secondary Teachers -http://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080C4CAEA72BA46-osde
Ardmore – (December 6th)- Southern Oklahoma Technology Center, 2610 Sam Noble Parkway
· Elementary Teachers – http://ardmore-elementary2012.eventbrite.com
· Secondary Teachers – http://ardmore-secondary2012.eventbrite.com
- Follow our discussions on Twitter by searching #KnowC3
Resources for Teachers:
Strategies for Common Core Literacy in Science 6-12: Reading in Science/Technology (RST Standard 2)
http://www.biologycorner.com/2011/11/08/common-core-tips-literacy-in-science/
NSTA’s Scientific and Engineering Practices Series:
The archive recording of the Developing and Using Models web seminar is available here: http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NGSS/webseminar6.aspx
Upcoming Events:
Register for the Oklahoma Science Teachers Association’s Fall Conference November 10th.
· http://bit.ly/OklahomaScienceTeachersAssociation
Science Fest Registration Opens November 1st:
Registration for ScienceFest Oklahoma, Oklahoma’s one-of-a-kind science education event, opens Thursday, November 1, 2012. ScienceFest is a free event for Oklahoma fourth and fifth graders to attend, and is set to take place on Thursday, April 18, 2013 at the Oklahoma City Zoo. Registration is first-come, first-serve.
Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching
- Read about it here .
- Nominations open in November…start considering great 7-12 science teachers now!
Stay Connected:
Follow me on Twitter: @tiffanyneill
Hashtags: #oksde #OKSci #KnowC3 #OKSTEM
Sign Up for a Twitter account: https://twitter.com/
Accessing Archived Science Messages:
You can access Archived Science Messages I’ve sent out since March via the Oklahoma Science Teachers Association (OSTA) website. Scroll down to see previous posts.
Science Listserv:
Please encourage others to register for the science listserv and pass along the following registration link:
Register for Science Listserv
Have a wonderful week! And as always, please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have!
-Tiffany
_________________________________________________________________
Tiffany Neill, M.Ed.
Director of Science Education
Office of Instruction
Oklahoma State Department of Education
P: 405.522.3524
Tiffany.Neill@sde.ok.gov
@tiffanyneill
Science Webpage
PE & Health Webpage
Posted in TiffanyGram | No Comments »
October 12th, 2012 Bob
By Janet Barresi, State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Friday, Oct. 12, 2012
When my twin sons had finished their freshman year of college, I had them and a group of their friends over doing something I was always doing in those days – feeding them.
That particular day, I asked them if now that they had finished their first year of college they wished they had taken more math and more rigorous courses in high school. Every single one of them said yes. It was one of those I told you so moments that every parent knows.
That conversation came to mind this week as I read through The National School Boards Association’s Center for Public Education’s report “High School Rigor and Good Advice: Setting Up Students to Succeed.”
The study reinforces several of my long-held beliefs –that higher level math in high school and more Advanced Placement Coursework will help students succeed in college and career.
One of the things the study shows is that the rigor of high school courses is a strong predictor of student success in college.
Among the findings:
- The highest level of math in high school can be one of the largest predictors of college success. Students who took pre-Calculus or Calculus or math above Algebra II, for instance, were more likely to return for the sophomore year of college. Even students labeled low socioeconomic status were 22 percent more likely to persist if they took high-level math in high school.
- Taking Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses had a dramatic effect on students’ chance of persisting. Even low achieving and low socioeconomic status students who took an AP/IB course were 18 percent more likely to persist in four-year colleges and 30 percent more likely to persist in two-year institutions. The more of these courses a student took, the higher their persistence rates were.
These are compelling reasons to consider making a fourth year of math a requirement and for schools to embrace the idea of adding more AP coursework.
Another thing the study mentions is that the demand for workers with a college education is growing faster than the supply of graduates. The authors cite research that claims, “By 2018, we will have produced 3 million fewer college graduates than the labor market demands.”
In Oklahoma, we’re fortunate to have burgeoning industries in the state such as oil and natural gas producers, aerospace, and medical technology, but I’ve been told directly by leaders in these industries that they will need an educated and a skilled workforce, particularly with an emphasis on subjects such as high level math.
I know my sons and their friends wished they’d listened to me and the other parents and taken more of these subjects in high school. It’s not too late for parents and guidance counselors to encourage this among our current crop of high school students.
Posted in News | No Comments »
