Massachusetts Girls Connect: LEGO Robots
We're looking for adult chaperones to bring teams of 5 girls to be part of the western Massachusetts Girls Connect events. Extremely popular last year, this cool all-girl introduction to FIRST LEGO League matches you up with coaches and professional computer scientists & engineers to learn how to build and program LEGO robots to do real-world tasks. At the end of the day, we'll show off our robots in a friendly competition, and teams will receive awards for their hard work. Well also tell you more about FIRST LEGO League and how you might join the fun for the 2012 season. The event will take place at the Picknelly Center in Holyoke on February 23rd and at UMass Amherst on April 28th. Teams may attend either date, but not both. In order to receive registration materials, one adult member of your team must join one of two brief informational conference calls on either Wednesday, January 4th at 8:30pm or Thursday, January 5th at 3:30pm .Join the call by dialing 1-(218)-339-2699, access code 354432
For more information visit: http://www.firstlegoleague.org
Or contact Karen Sullivan at ksullivan@usfirst.org
UMASS STEM Digital Summer Institute
STEM Digital Images in Geoscience Investigations: Teaching Analysis with Light
STEM DIGITAL will show how digital image analysis can be applied to environmental quality issues in ways that can readily be introduced into STEM courses, engaging students and encouraging them to think about related careers. The air quality theme will focus on the three components of the atmosphere that primarily affect visible, infrared and ultraviolet light, respectively: particulates and aerosols, carbon dioxide, and ozone. The water quality theme will look at the role of plant biomass on drinking water quality and on global carbon cycling. Arsenic is listed as number one in the US in terms of environmental contaminants that pose a potential threat to human health; research topics will include the identification and mapping of local arsenic contaminated sites and bioremediation possibilities. You may choose to also participate in an academic year follow up and work on approximately six projects spread over the fall and spring semesters. These will be a combination of new projects, extensions from summer projects, and data sharing projects. Three graduate credits will be available for the institute; the program cost will be $ 300 plus a $ 45 registration fee. PDP's will be available at no cost. The program will be held from Monday, June 25th to Friday, June 29th at UMASS Amherst. For more information and to apply visit: http://www.umassk12.net/digital/
Or contact the institute at msilver@umassk12.net (413) 545-0734
The application deadline is April 1, 2012
Mammal Tracking and Mammal Sounds: Project Wild Workshop for Educators
Educators of students in grades k-12 are invited to a special Project WILD workshop at Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental Center. Project WILD is an award winning interdisciplinary, conservation, and environmental education program that emphasizes wildlife, people and the environment. The program guide contains over 100 activities for K-12 educators. This workshop will explore wildlife in winter, including a variety of Massachusetts mammals, as well as highlighting both the animal tracks and sounds unique to those species. Taking place both indoors and outdoors, we'll track animals in the field and learn different track patterns as well as activities to teach about tracking. The Workshop provides participants 6 hours towards their PDP's as well as a certificate of completion. The workshop will be taught by Kim Noyes, Education Coordinator at Northfield Mountain and Patti Steinman, Education Coordinator for Massachusetts Audubon's Connecticut River Valley Sanctuaries. The program will be held on Saturday, February 11th from 9:30am-3:30pm
For more information and to register contact Kim Noyes at kim.noyes@gdfsuezna.com or call at (413) 659-4462
Great Science for Girls
Funded by the National Science Foundation, Great Science for Girls has seven programs operated by intermediary organizations to provide informal opportunities for elementary to high school grade girls to explore science. Some of the programs focus specifically on astronomy, women scientists, engineering, and scientific inquiry. The website provides program information as well as information on "Status and Participation of Women in STEM", "Effective Practices in STEM", and "Afterschool Program Effectiveness". For any educator looking to encourage young women to discover STEM disciplines, this site is well worth a visit at
GreatScienceforGirls.org
UMASS Nanotechnology 2012 Summer Institute
Nanotechnology deals with materials on the scale of nanometers. Applications of this rapidly growing field include regenerative medicine, fabrics and construction materials of unprecedented strength and much more. The UMass Nanotechnology Summer Institute will explore the basic science and engineering concepts of this exciting new field, and will illustrate how they may be integrated into the usual math, science and technology courses in middle schools and high schools. The content and pedagogy will be aligned with the Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Framework. During the institute, participants will begin to develop curriculum units for their own classes. Three graduate credits will be available for the institute and curriculum unit; the cost will be $ 300 plus a $ 45 registration fee. PDP's will be available at no cost.
To apply and for additional information visit:http://www.umassk12.net/nano/
Or contact STEM ed Institute at msilver@umassk12.net, (413) 545-0734
Applications are due on April 1, 2012
Science and Engineering Saturday Seminars for Spring 2012
These Saturday seminars are designed for science teachers and new teachers and take place over five Saturdays at UMASS Amherst Lederle Grad Tower 1033. Education materials, refreshments, parking and PDP's included. Some of the seminars taking place are Strategies for Teaching Atomic Structure and Quantum Mechanics on January 28th and Solar Learning Laboratory on February 4th.
The seminars are $ 30 each or $ 120 for all five. Registration is required and space is limited. For more information contact Mort Sternheim at mort@umassk12.net or call at (413) 545-1908
For more information online visit: http://www.umassk12.net/sess/
The Wisconsin Program for Scientific Teaching Digital Library
Sponsored by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professors Program, the Wisconsin Program for Scientific Teaching is designed to "enhance undergraduate biology education by training a new generation of 'scientific teachers." The hope is that these new instructors will bring the rigor and spirit of science research to teaching. The program is based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and partners have worked to create the materials for this very nice digital library. On this site, users will find twenty different units designed to get young people excited about science. Visitors can scroll through the offerings here, including "Going Viral!" and "Microbial Ecology, Evolution, and Symbiosis". Each unit includes a teacher's guide, along with a listing of primary goals and supplemental materials.
Visit the website at: http://scientificteaching.wisc.edu/library/
NOVA:scienceNOW: Explore Teacher's Guides
The vast and fascinating world of science and technology is made accessible and interesting via NOVA's fine programs. This particular website was designed by NOVA's scienceNOW group, and it offers a wide range of teacher's guides designed to be used in conjunction with the scienceNOW programs. The guides are divided into thirteen topical areas, including "Mathematics", "Physics" and "space Science". The activities within each area are designed to be used before and after viewing the scienceNOW programs, and they include activities around primate evolution, the 1918 flu epidemic, and mass extinctions. Visitors can also look over science news updates, as well as research projects like Einsten@home, which deals with looking into waves from space.
Visit the website at : http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/educators/subject-anth.html
45th Annual NEEA Conference:"Navigating New England Environmental Education: Charting a Course to Environmentally Literate Future"
The Massachusetts Environmental Education Society (MEES) and the 2011 NEEEA Conference Committee are pleased to announce the opening of registration for this year's conference. Join us for a dynamic weekend full of enriching workshops, adventurous field trips and excellent entertainment. Enjoy networking, learning, and revitalizing yourself and your teaching skills and return home with resources and materials to do the same for your classroom. This weekend features Keynote speakers Julian Agyeman and Coleen O'Connell, world music entertainment by Gaia Roots and Closing Ceremony with Troy Phillips of the Nipmuc Tribe. The Conference will be held from October 21-23,2011 at Prindle Pond in Charlton, Massachusetts.
For more information visit: http://neeea.org/conference/index.html
Solar Energy Workshops
Are you an educator living or working in a town served by Western Massachusetts Electric Company (WMECo)? Interested in learning the basics in solar energy including how a photovoltaic solar panel works and have an opportunity to sample a variety of educational activities to offer your students about aspects of solar energy? Then register for one of NESEA's free educator workshops! Through the Clean Energy for a Clean Environment program (CECE) educators and youth gain an introduction to renewable energy choices and energy efficiency, and are empowered to take action toward sustainable living practices through community-based projects.
To register, choose your workshop at this site : http://www.nesea.org/k-12/events/ send the application by email to agrindrod@nesea.org or by fax to (413)774-6053
For more information call the Education Department at (413)774-6051 or contact agrindrod@nesea.org
LEMELSON-MIT INVENTEAMS
The InvenTeam initiative, created by the Lemelson-MIT Program, offers an unparalleled opportunity for high school students to cultivate their creativity and experience invention. InvenTeams are teams of high school students, teachers, and mentors that receive grants up to 10,000 each to invent technological solutions to real-world problems.Each InvenTeam chooses its own problem to solve.
Applications must be submitted online by April 22,2011. Finalists will be notified by May 6,2011 and final applications wil be due by September 9th,2011.
Applications are available at : http://web.mit.edu/inventeams/apply.html
For more information visit:http://web.mit.edu/inventeams/index.html
Email: ellen83@mit.edu(617)253 7301
Computer Simulations for Teachers (ITOP)
The Department of Physics and the School of Education at Boston University are continuing their offering of graduate courses for physics teachers. Chemistry and Mathematics teachers are welcome as well. The courses are part of the sequence Improving the Teaching of Physics (Project ITOP)NS 548 Computer Modeling Section A1 (2 credits). Learn Easy Java and create your own simulations for teaching. Meets at Boston University on Wednesdays from 4:30 to 7:30.
For more information visit: http://physics.bu.edu/teachers
Contact Andrew Duffy (617)353-9089 at aduffy@bu.edu or
Peter Garik (617)353-4735 at 
