header

  updated on June 4, 2008

ASTA News!
------------------

6-2-08-08 -->    Here are 14 Summer opportunities for you (professionally & personally!)

---->>>  Opportunity #1

Two exhibits at the Anchorage Museum:
•uungnaqpiallerput (The Way We Genuinely Live)
Masterworks of Yup'ik Science and Survival
Continues through Oct. 26, 2008
The Way We Genuinely Live is a joint project of the Anchorage Museum and the Calista Elders Council, developed with the guidance of Yup'ik elders and educators and with major support from the National Science Foundation.

This exhibition presents more than 200 remarkable 19th and early 20th century tools, containers, weapons, watercraft and clothing in an exploration of the scientific principles and processes that allowed these people to survive in the sub-arctic tundra of the Bering Sea coast.

Sponsors of this exhibition include the National Science Foundation, Totem Ocean Trailer Express, Northern Air Cargo, Alaska Airlines, BP, ConocoPhillips Alaska, Calista Corporation and the Anchorage Museum Association.

•Circannual Rhythm:
Video Installation by Michael Joo
On view May 2 through Sept. 21
Opening reception 5 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, May 2
New York installation artist Michael Joo combines art with science to examine the complex relationship between technology, nature and spirituality. Joo was an artist-in-residence at the Anchorage Museum in 2007 and will install an exhibition featuring sculpture and video he created in Alaska in 2002.

The exhibition includes Circannual Rhythm, a video installation with imagery filmed in several locations across Alaska, which will occupy a 30-foot wall in Galleries 5 and 6. Admission to the opening reception of this exhibition is free.

---->>>  Opportunity #2

25th Anniversary of Sally Ride’s First Space Shuttle Mission

You are invited to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Sally Ride’s first space shuttle mission at a summer Educator Conference. The conference, presented by Sally Ride Science, NSTA, and NOAA, will provide educators an opportunity to learn more about Earth’s changing climate and hear from Sally about how Earth has changed in the 25 years since her first flight.

Earth Then, Earth Now: Our Changing Climate
July 23 – 24
NOAA Science Center
Silver Spring, MD
http://www.sallyridescience.com/conferences
The cost of the conference is $60.

---->>>  Opportunity #3

New NASA Website

NASA's Science Mission Directorate has launched a new Web site that provides enhanced and engaging information about NASA's vast scope of scientific endeavors and achievements. The site will provide in-depth coverage of NASA's past, present and future science missions with features that include:

Expanded "For Educators" and "For Kids" pages to provide access to a broader range of resources for learning the science behind NASA missions. Interactive tables and searches for Earth, heliophysics, planetary and astrophysics missions. Insight into dark matter and dark energy, planets around other stars, climate change, Mars and space weather. Resources for researchers including links to upcoming science solicitations and opportunities. A mapping of science questions for NASA science missions and the data they produce. A citizen-scientist page with access to resources that equip the public to engage in scientific investigation. Easy-to-navigate de! sign and an improved search engine to help find information.

Visit the new NASA science Web site at http://nasascience.nasa.gov

---->>>  Opportunity #4

Send My Teacher to the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy

The Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy recently announced a new way for elementary school teachers to get a chance to attend the 2009 Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy and improve their math and science teaching skills. Students can nominate teachers from Grades 3, 4, and 5 or urge them to apply for an all-expense paid trip to the Academy’s math and science professional development program by logging on to http://www.sendmyteacher.com, an interactive website. Developed in conjunction with the National Science Teachers Association and Math Solutions, the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy enables teachers to hone their science and math-teaching skills, enhance their curricula, and discover innovative new ways to inspire students. The teachers will spend five days next July at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, NJ, deepening their understanding of mathematics and science content, building expertise in facilitating student learning through problem solving and inquiry, and using links between math and science that support student learning and understanding in the classroom. Teacher applications are due by October 31, 2008.

The National Science Teachers Association and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics will convene a panel of math and science experts to evaluate t! he entries and announce the selections in February 2009. The 2008 Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy will host more than 600 teachers in Houston, Texas; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Jersey City, New Jersey. To date, nearly 1000 teachers have attended the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy. To nominate a teacher or to learn more about the program, visit www.sendmyteacher.com

---->>>  Opportunity #5

Still looking for graduate/PD credits this summer? Take an online course from the American Museum of Natural History.

Seminars on Science http://learn.amnh.org/welcome.php?=BAP offers award-winning online graduate courses in the life, earth, and physical sciences. Designed for K-12 educators, each six-week course is led by an experienced classroom teacher and a research scientist. In-depth readings and assignments paired with rich web-based discussions assure that educators come away from each class with a deeper understanding of both the science and the tools of scientific inquiry.

Courses may meet your local professional development needs, including degree, certification, NCLB and salary gradation requirements.  Check out the Seminars on Science website for complete information, including free sample resources—essays, videos, and interactives—from all of our online courses.

All ten courses are available this summer including: The Solar System; Evolution; Earth: Inside and Out; The Ocean System; Genetics, Genomics, Genethics; and Space, Time and Motion.  Free sample resources are available for each course on the Seminars website.

Summer sessions run June 9 – July 20 AND June 30 – August 10. Register early for a $50 discount.  For more information, go to learn.amnh.org http://learn.amnh.org/welcome.php?=BAP  or call direct at 800-649-6715.”

J. Katie Rasmussen
Outreach Coordinator, Seminars on Science
National Center for Science, Literacy, and Technology
American Museum of Natural History
Central Park West at 79th St.
New York, NY  10024
P: 212-496-3628
F: 212-496-4231
jrasmussen@amnh.org

---->>>  Opportunity #6

2008 NSRC National Science Education Strategic Planning Institute July 20–25, 2008

The National Science Resources Center (NSRC) invites you to participate in this year's National Science Education Strategic Planning Institute.

More than 800 forward-thinking school districts at the cutting edge of science education reform have participated in one or more of the 60 previous NSRC planning events, and are at various stages of implementing the strategic plans they developed there. Be part of this growing national movement: Participate in the National Science Education Strategic Planning Institute this year.

During the Institute a team of expert practitioners will guide your school district leadership team through the rigorous process of developing a tailored strategic plan—a plan for initiating and implementing an effective research-based science program. You will—

Explore current research on how students learn and develop. Examine exemplary research-based science curricula. Address the five elements of reform;curriculum, professional development, materials support, assessment, and administrative and community support. Receive technical assistance in the strategic planning process and network with others involved in science education reform.

---->>>  Opportunity #7

National LASER K–8 Science Education Strategic Planning Institute

Where: Alexandria, Virginia

When: July 20–25, 2008

Who Should Attend: A five-person team of teachers, school administrators, community leaders, and a scientist or engineer representing a corporation, academic institution, museum, science technology center, foundation, government, or other nonprofit organization working to reform science education.  Details: The brochure, sample program, registration information and frequently asked questions may be found at http://www.nsrconline.org/pdf/2008_SPI_main.pdf

Additional Information: Contact: Mary Raucci, NSRC, 202.633.2971 laser@si.edu.

---->>>  Opportunity #8

The Education Development Center’s Center for Children & Technology is working in partnership with PBS TeacherLine New York and the Buffalo PBS affiliate WNED to conduct this National Science Foundation funded study to learn more about what teachers gain from online professional development and whether it impacts student learning.

They are looking for high school biology teachers with knowledge of genetics and evolution to pilot an assessment.  Interested teachers will:
Receive the assessment electronically
Complete the 60-75 minute assessment which includes content and pedagogy items as well as questions about a lesson plan
Electronically submit the assessment along with the lesson plan
Receive $50 as compensation

If you are interested, please contact Kristen Griffiths at KGriffiths@edc.org  or call 212-807-4267.  

---->>>  Opportunity #9

Space Agriculture in the Classroom would like to inform you about the Growing Space magazine series, written especially for science and agriscience students and teachers.  Three volumes of Growing Space have been developed by researchers from the University of Florida, along with Scientists and Professionals from USDA and NASA. I encourage you to take the time to browse our website http://www.spaceag.org/ and consider requesting free copies to distribute to educators. Lesson plans, Spanish versions, and other educational resources are also available at this website.

Space Agriculture in the Classroom is a joint project of USDA, NASA, and the University of Florida that is designed to boost student awareness of the space program and the role of agriculture in our economy and society.   Growing Space Vol. 1-3 will help students see the connection between agricultural practices on Earth that relate to space-based research, particularly in the plant sciences.

To request your free copies of Growing Space, obtain lesson plans, and learn about other space education materials, please visit our website at
http://www.spaceag.org/

---->>>  Opportunity #10

Check out the latest Space Place news from NASA

http://spaceplace.jpl.nasa.gov/en/educators/

Read the NASA Space Place newsletter, download and print images from Earth and space and find science and math activities ready to download, print and use in your classroom. ENJOY!

---->>>  Opportunity #11

SEND YOUR NAME TO THE MOON WITH NEW LUNAR MISSION

WASHINGTON -- NASA invites people of all ages to join the lunar exploration journey with an opportunity to send their names to the moon aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, spacecraft.

The Send Your Name to the Moon Web site enables everyone to participate in the lunar adventure and place their names in orbit around the moon for years to come. Participants can submit their information at http://www.nasa.gov/lro, print a certificate and have their name entered into a database. The database will be placed on a microchip that will be integrated onto the spacecraft. The deadline for submitting names is June 27, 2008.

"Everyone who sends their name to the moon, like I'm doing, becomes part of the next wave of lunar explorers," said Cathy Peddie, deputy project manager for LRO at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "The LRO mission is the first step in NASA's plans to return humans to the moon by 2020, and your name can reach there first. How cool is that?"

The orbiter, comprised of six instruments and one technology demonstration, will provide the most comprehensive data set ever returned from the moon. The mission will focus on the selection of safe landing sites and identification of lunar resources. It also will study how the lunar radiation environment could affect humans.

LRO will also create a comprehensive atlas of the moon's features and resources that will be needed as NASA designs and builds a planned lunar outpost. The mission will support future human exploration while providing a foundation for upcoming science missions. LRO is scheduled for launch in late 2008.

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is being built at Goddard. The mission also will be managed at the center for NASA's Explorations Systems Mission Directorate in Washington.

Send Your Name to the Moon is a collaborative effort among NASA, the Planetary Society in Pasadena, Calif., and the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md.

To send your name to the moon, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/lro

---->>>  Opportunity #12

INSPIRE Counselors Needed

The Interdisciplinary National Science Project Incorporating Research and Education Experience, also known as INSPIRE, is seeking educators to supervise high school students during eight-week summer internships. Positions are available at several locations across the U.S. One counselor will be selected for each of the ten NASA Field Centers.

The position requires a professional educator to coordinate NASA INSPIRE activities within the NASA Center region. The INSPIRE Counselor will be the designated point of contact for INSPIRE participants at the assigned NASA Center. Training will be provided prior to the assignment.

The position requires a minimum of a four-year degree in science, mathematics and/or technology education, a valid teaching certificate, and a minimum of three years teaching experience in grades 6-12. A combination of teaching experience and NASA education experience is also acceptable. U.S. citizenship is required.

Counselors who are chosen will receive lodging and meals during the eight-week event, travel to and from the NASA field center, and a stipend of $5,800. Oklahoma State University graduate credit is also available to those who are interested.

Applications are due May 30, 2008.

To learn more about this opportunity and how to apply, visit https://opportunities.nasa.okstate.edu/index.cfm?liftoff=applications.PositionDetails&JobPostingID=20. If you have any questions about this opportunity, please e-mail them to Richard Adams at richard.adams@okstate.edu.

---->>>  Opportunity #13

NASA' s Office of Education Announces Opportunity to Partner With NASA on the Development of a Massively Multiplayer Online Game

NASA's Office of Education is seeking proposals for collaboration with an organization to enhance NASA's ability to achieve its educational goals by creating and managing a Massively Multiplayer Online game. The goal of this game is to enhance science, technology, engineering and mathematics education by combining NASA-based content that draws and holds young people's attention with fun and challenging game play. The primary audience for this MMO game will be students from the middle school level through college.

This request will result in the establishment of a non-reimbursable Space Act Agreement (defined as one with no exchange of funds) that will define the full roles and responsibilities of NASA and the proposing organization. A follow on call for education experts to work with the project is expected in June 2008.

Proposals are due June 18, 2008.

For more information about this opportunity, visit http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eps/synopsis.cgi?acqid=129682. If you have any questions about this opportunity, please direct your questions to the Daniel Laughlin, daniel.d.laughlin@nasa.gov.

---->>>  Opportunity #14

Alaska K-12 Teachers Your Insights are Needed!

(and completing a survey makes you eligible for a chance to win an ipod nano). The survey will be open for a bit longer. Please take the time to fill this out if you are a teacher in grades K-12. You do not have to be a full time science teacher to do this survey.

Please take a moment to share your thoughts on teaching and learning science.  Your insights are critical in understanding what can be done to improve science education across Alaska.

Please find more information and complete the survey at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=ohSKTmUgUTRLe1ywvyPlTQ_3d_3d

5-20-08-08 --> Here's volume 20 of Science Bytes!

5-13-08 --> You can download the Spring ASTA Newsletter here! (PDF)

5-12-08-08 --> Here's volume 19 of Science Bytes!

5-5-08-08 --> Here's volume 18 of Science Bytes!

5-6-08 --> Alaska Ag Day(download PDF)

4-29-08 --> 5-1-08     BLM eField Trip "Keeping Habitats Healthy" (download PDF)

4-28-08 --> You can grab volume 17 of Science Bytes here!

4-27-08 -->POLAR PALOOZA Climate Change Workshop for K-12 teachers (download the PDF file) - UAF Museum (Fairbanks)May 8-9 9:00 am to 4:30 pm, public presenbtation May 9 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm West Valley High School, Fairbanks        call 474-6948 for more info

4-23-08 --> You can grab volume 16 of Science Bytes here!

4-15-08 --> You can grab volume 15 of Science Bytes here!

4-11-08 --> The Alaska Science & Engineering Fair is fast approaching. This year's theme is "Cool Science" in recognition of the International Polar Year. This year, the fair is being held at Begich Middle School. Registration and set-up is April 11 beginning at 5 pm, Fair judging is all day on April 12, and the Awards Ceremony is from 1 – 3pm on April 13. Preregistration and schedules are available online at http://www.alaskasciencefair.org
Enclosed is the 2008 Poster. Please distribute it to teachers, parents and students. Contact Texas Gail Raymond at raymond_gail@asdk12.org or at 742-4854 for questions. Thank you and hope to see you there!

4-8-08 --> You can grab volume 14 of Science Bytes here!

4-2-08 --> You can grab volume 13 of Science Bytes here!

3-25-08 --> You can grab volume 12 of Science Bytes here!

3-9-08 --> The latest grab bag of science opportunities courtesy of Cheryl and Jeff is on the Professional Development page

3-6-08 --> You can grab volume 11 of Science Bytes here!

2-14-08 --> Take a look at the Elementary PA Award information on the Awards page

2-2-08 --> You can download the Winter ASTA Newsletter here! (PDF - BIG!!!)

1-18-08 --> Southeast Science Fair information missed the newsletter.
                      It is March 28-29 and for more information take a look at http://www.ptialaska.net/~gennie/SEASF.htm

1-12-08 --> Newsletter errata - the Anchorage Science Fair is April 11-12-13, 2008

1-10-08 --> The mini-grant application deadline was February 11