'eDillo Press
| Online Volume 9 | October 2009 |
CONFERENCE
FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE TEACHING (CAST)
Set Sail for CRUISING THE CURRENTS OF SCIENCE in Galveston, November
5-7!
Again, science teachers from across the state will gather for a week-end
of science -- keynote speakers, field experiences, workshops, short courses,
and an exhibit hall filled with the latest science materials. http://www.statweb.org/index.php
Click here for
a list of workshops and short courses.
Early bird registration (August to September 26): $11
Advance
Registration (September 27 to October 22): $140
Regular Registration (October 22 to end of conference): $155
Student Registration: $25
During CAST, TCES has planned the best strand for elementary
teachers. Don't miss the annual Share-a-Thon where you can make
and take teacher-tested
science lessons. You'll find a great speaker and the best door prizes
at the TCES annual luncheon.
TEXAS COUNCIL OF ELEMENTARY SCIENCE
presents
WORKSHOPS FOR ELEMENTARY SCIENCE
San Luis Hotel– Windjammer Room
THURSDAY
8:00 a.m. Catching TEKS in 5th Grade Science Camp -- Mary K Seifert
9:45 a.m. Spicing up Your Delivery of Science Instruction
11:30 a.m. Writing Grants with Students to Enhance the Science Curriculum --
L’Tunya Bernard
2:00 p.m. S^5 Super Strategies for Success in Science…Part 2 -- Deborah
Rang
3:45 p.m. Accessing Mercury via MESSENGER -- Carol Lutsinger
FRIDAY
8:00 a.m. What is Visible Light -- D’Ann Douglas
9:45 a.m. The Littlest Scientists
11:30 a.m. Making Science Jump Off the Page -- Michael Vu
2:00 p.m. Catch the Tech Excitement! Add Technology to Science Activities
3:45 p.m. Armand Bayou Watershed and Water Quality -- Heather A. Millar
SATURDAY
9:00 a.m. Flying Wild with Birds -- Mary Anne Weber
SHARE-A-THON
Saturday, 10:30-11:30
San Luis Hotel - Squarerigger Room
Come join elementary teachers as they share great classroom ideas.
TCES LUNCHEON
Saturday, 12:30-2:00
San Luis Hotel - Squarerigger Room
* * * * * * * * * *
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
The 13th Annual Science Leadership Symposium will
be held January 15-17, 2010. Join teachers from across Texas at the
YO Resort and Conference Center in Kerrville, Texas, for a week-end
of great science. Watch the TCES website for more information.
IT'S A FACT!
When was the last time you took at look at facts about TCES? Did you know we are an affiliate of the Science Teachers Association of Texas (STAT) and Council of Elementary Science International (CESI). TCES is an associated group of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), one on only 29 groups nationwide. One of the benefits of membership in NSTA is the publication Science and Children, the elementary journal of NSTA. Click here for a free article, "Becoming Wildlife Investigators". Read online sample from the latest edition of Science and Children. Marilyn Cook, a member of TCES, reviews manuscripts for this prestigeous journal.
TCES FACTS
Founded: November, 1984
Incorporated: February, 1993
Tax-exempt Status: October, 1994
Affiliations
Science Teachers Association of Texas, since 1986
National Science Teachers Association, since 1990
Council for Elementary Science International, since 1990
Texas Academy of Science, since 1992
Take a look at our links for resources. If you have websites or
exciting educational opportunities that you are willing to share just
email: mjcook@paisd.net
FROM YOUR AREA DIRECTORS
From Region One,
Carol Lutsinger, Regional Director
TCES is off to a great start.
Our mini-CAST will be held on October 9-10, in Mercedes, Texas at the
Med High
campus.
The
guest
speaker is to be Dr. David Dilcher, a paleobotanist from the Florida
Museum of Natural History. This promises to be a great conference once
again.
in
August, many Brownsville teachers were offered an opportunity to hear
a Solar System Educator present information about the GRACE and MESSENGER
NASA
missions and participate in appropriate classroom activities to enhance
their students knowledge of many facets of science and technology .
Both missions are ongoing and reflect interest in Earth as a planet in
the solar system.
New teachers need the support of colleagues, and even experienced teachers
who move to a radically different grade level can use a friendly helping
hand. So reach out to them with TCES support and keep them in the classroom.
This year is the International Year of Astronomy and if there is no
Solar System Educator in your area, go online to find one and add some
stars
to your life. This is a perfect time to do it. Galileo improved the
telescope and turned it on the heavens four hundred years ago. Isn't
it time you
did too.
From the North Texas Regions 9,10 and 11, Laura Meurin, Regional Director
TAKS news: out of the 246 school districts tested in these 3 regions:105
districts were recognized and 32 districts were given an Exemplary rating.
Summer was great. Dr. Marcia Tate spoke in Mesquite in June at an
awe-inspiring workshop. Her book "Worksheets Don’t Grow Dendrites:
20 Instructional Strategies that Engage the Brain" is a great reference
for any teacher. She has 26 books out right now and is currently working
on a Science edition for elementary teachers.
I personally spent a week at Seacamp at TAMUG for the second year. This
was an awesome way to learn about marine life and coastal ecology. I recommend
this 'no cost to teachers' experience to all Science teachers with a free
week in the summer.
I also attended the TMRA (Texas Mining and Reclamation Association) week
long workshop on uranium mining in Texas. They have been sponsoring a
coal workshop
for
years, which I attended last summer.This is an excellent
opportunity to learn about fossil fuels and energy resources in Texas.
Having firsthand
knowledge of things helps me get my students more interested. I recommend
all teachers
look into summer opportunities for learning. There are so many different
things to choose from. Plan ahead for next summer.
Dear Teacher Educator:
We’re seeking qualified candidates to serve a two-year term on the NSTA Pre-Service Teacher Preparation Committee, which is a standing committee of the National Science Teachers Association. The nomination will be a highly competitive honor for pre-service nominees. For the student selected, the appointment will provide opportunity for early professional growth as a science teacher. The NSTA Division Director, Preservice Teacher Preparation and the NSTA staff liaison will identify the appointed student1s responsibilities.
Any active NSTA member may submit nominations for the 2010-2012 appointment. Nominators should submit completed nomination forms and all accompanying materials by November 20th, 2009.
Materials should be addressed to: NSTA Pre-service Teacher Nomination,
Attn.: Membership and Chapter Relations, National Science Teachers
Association,1840 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201-3000.
Questions and nomination form? Contact Theresa Nicely with NSTA Chapter Relations at (800)722-6782, ext. 364 or e-mail chapters@nsta.org.
Every teacher should be concerned about safety at school, especially in the science classroom. Students don't always know about safety procedures unless they have been taught. Click here for a lesson designed by Carol Lutsinger on safety.
RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES
SPACE PLACE
The latest issue of a bi-monthly newsletter for formal and informal educators
has been published. The newsletter is all about the many useful and--it
goes without saying--free resources on The Space Place website that can
be helpful to classroom and home school teachers, after-school program
directors, museum and library program directors, and other informal educators.
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/educators is an excellent resource.
LOOK UP!
Don’t forget cloud observations that can be made with
your students and posted on the web site. SCOOL is really cool!http://science-edu.larc.nasa.gov/SCOOL/index.php
LCRA! GO THERE!
There are many programs at the Lower Colorado River Authority facilities.
Click
here for an interactive map of the LCRA’s park system,
beginning north of Austin and going south to Matagorda Bay Nature Park.
McKINNEY ROUGHS
Click here for information on the outdoor programs usually held at McKinney
Roughs where TCES has had the symposium several times.
TAKE CARE OF TEXAS: Resources for Teachers and Educators
The Texas Natural
Resource Conservation Commission will help you and your students take
care of Texas
http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/assistance/education/k-12education/k12pubs.html
http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/assistance/education/k-12education/K12education.htmlTCES
NASA INFORMATION
Flash to TCES members:
If you are interested in space missions, especially to Mars, CLICK
HERE to check out the latest Mars Reconnaissance
Orbiter images online.The MRO has been studying Mars with an
advanced set of instruments known as HiRISE that covers a strip of Martian
ground 6 k wide
and between
2 and 4 times that long and they show details as small as a meter
across. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, of Pasadena, CA, manages
the mission. It is highly probably that we have the first manned mission
to Mars team in our classrooms right now.
ADDING SPACE TO YOUR CLASSROOM (from Carol Lutsinger)
Consider adding a little
space to your class. NASA offers educational
resources for use with kindergarten through college, as well
as resources for the informal education community. Many of NASA's
educational products are quick and easy to find on the NASA
Web site.
BLAST BACK TO SCHOOL
Visit the NASA Blast Back to School page to find
educational resources and NASA events taking place in your area. From
the
site, you can find information relating to the following topics:
-- Bring NASA Missions Into Your Classroom
-- Bring NASA to Your School and Neighborhood
-- Attend a NASA Educator Workshop
-- Current Opportunities for Educators and Students
-- NASA Resources for Your Classroom
-- Especially for Students
For more information, visit the Blast Back to School page:
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/blast-back-to-school.html