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Beth
Henry (right) and Terese Volkmann (second
from right) from Saegert Sixth Grade Center
in Seguin, Texas, recently received a $2,795
grant from the Seguin Education Foundation
to purchase HOBO data loggers that will
enable their students to collect temperature,
light, relative humidity and voltage information
during their science experiments. Both were
participants in a yearlong professional
development program for middle school science
teachers funded by The Texas Higher Education
Board and administered by the Center for
Mathematics and Science Education.
Congratulations to these outstanding teachers
for their dedication to science education
at the middle school level! |
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Educational
Opportunities
| Curriculum
Resources
|
Advanced
Placement Institutes
|
Led
by experienced AP consultants and Texas
A&M faculty, one-week workshops in
chemistry, mathematics, biology, physics
and statistics bring teachers up to date
in their subjects and introduce them to
new ways to present the material in the
classroom. Some of the workshops also
offer graduate academic credit to teachers
who complete them. |
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| Future
Scientists Initiative |
This
multi-year project invites middle school
teachers, students and their parents
to become directly involved in the research
being conducted by U.S. Department of
Agriculture laboratories in their local
communities. Using hands-on, inquiry-based
activities as part of mini-summer institutes,
the initiative seeks to illustrate the
societal benefits of research as it
inspires the next generation of research
scientists. The three-fold opportunity
results in stipends for the teachers,
free educational materials for the students
and potential future employees for the
labs.
You can learn more about this program at http://futurescientists.tamu.edu.
If you are a teacher interested in the program or if you have question, please send questions to cornearworm@sparc.usda.gov. |
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| Information
Technology in Science Center for Teaching
and Learning (ITS) |
The
Information Technology in Science (ITS)
Center for Teaching and Learning is an
interdisciplinary graduate program that
seeks to replenish the nation's supply
of science and mathematics education specialists
through team-led, learner-centered opportunities
involving scientists, mathematicians,
education researchers and education practitioners.
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| Type B Teacher Quality Grant |
The
fundamental goal of these Teacher Quality
Grants is to provide content and pedagogical
instruction to uncertified, novice, and/or
otherwise “under-qualified” science instructors in order to raise them “highly qualified” status. Teachers of all backgrounds, experience, and qualifications can benefit from participation in these professional development sessions and are invited to participate.
Participants are required to attend monthly training sessions as well as an intensive two-week training session in the summer of 2005. Each teacher participant will receive $1000 to cover expenses (i.e. travel, child care, parking, etc) for their participation. Further, we expect to offer approximately $200 in classroom instructional materials per teacher. |
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| Texas A&M University -College Station Regional Collaborative for Excellence in Science Teaching |
In the fall of 2005, CMSE received a grant to become a part of the Texas Regional Collaboratives (TRC) for Excellence in Science Teaching, a statewide network of partnerships between institutions of higher education, the Texas Education Agency, regional education service ceters, school districts, and business partners. Its purpose is to provide sustained, high-intensity professional development and mentoring to K-12 teachers across the state and equip them with the knowledge and skills to engage their students in meaningful science learning experiences and inspire them to pursue careers in science, technology, mathematics, and engineering.
Our first year concentrated on training elementary teachers from across Region VI to be science teacher metnors who will be leaders in science instruction on their campuses.
To learn more about this program at the statewide level, please visit http://www.thetrc.org/trc
GRANT SUPPORT - Texas Regional Collaboratives
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|
Low-Cost Physics Activities |
Discover
45 introductory physics laboratory experiments/activities
that may be performed using common materials
and inexpensive laboratory equipment.
Also linked to each activity are other
web sites providing related simulations
and/or activities.
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| Physics Activities for Family Science Nights |
A Family
Science Night (FSN) or Family
Math & Science Night (FMSN)
at a local elementary school provides
excellent opportunities for physicists
and physics educators to promote interest
in physics and for future science teachers
to receive practical experience in conducting
laboratory activities and demonstrations.
Physics Activities for Family Math and Science Nights by Joel Bryan, featured in The Journal of Physics Teacher Education Online, 3(2), 2005. |
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| Powerpoint
Physics |
Links
to 19 powerpoint presentations covering
topics typically contained in introductory
high school and undergraduate physics
courses. Scattered among the notes and
concepts contained in the slides are links
to interactive simulations and web pages
designed to aid in instruction. |
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Pre-Calculus – Practices of Good Teaching through Content, Technology, and Interaction |
This project is focused on the development and implementation of a comprehensive teacher training module for Pre-calculus that is aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills and can be used for professional development of teachers in Texas . The development of this module is a collaborative effort between Texas A&M University , Aldine, Channelview , and Pasadena Independent School District personnel in the areas of mathematics and science. For additional information please contact Dr. G. Donald Allen. (dallen@math.tamu.edu)
Grant Support: Teacher Quality Grants Program, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
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| Video Analysis Investigations for Physics and Mathematics |
Mathematics
and physics instructors at all levels
can benefit from video analysis studies
of motion. Linked to this site are 19
video clips and suggestions for the use
of the videos with several commercially
available and/or free video analysis programs.
Also linked to this site are instructional
videos demonstrating the use of these
programs.
Video Analysis Software and the Investigation of the Conservation of Mechanical Injury by Joel Bryan, featured in Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 4(3), 2004.
Video Analysis: Real-World Explorations for Secondary Mathematics by Joel A. Bryan, featured in Learning & Leading with Technology, 32(6), 2005.
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