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Come on in, The Water’s Fine How to Stay Afloat in Project Based Learning p.19 Margaret Baguio LiftOff 2016: EXPLORATION Past, Present and Future George Hademenos & Norma Neeley Making STEM Affordable in the Classroom Amy Russell Early Science Writing Stages 2016 Spring issue Volume 60 Issue 1 8 11 29 The STATellite The Official Publication of the Science Teachers Association of Texas Kylie Murry

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Transcript of April 2016 statellite

Page 1: April 2016 statellite

Come on in, The Water’s FineHow to Stay Afloat in Project Based Learningp.19

Margaret BaguioLiftOff 2016: EXPLORATIONPast, Present and Future

George Hademenos & Norma NeeleyMaking STEM Affordable in the Classroom

Amy RussellEarly Science Writing Stages

2016 Spring issueVolume 60 Issue 1

8 11 29

T h e STATe l l i te

The Official Publication of the Science Teachers Association of Texas

Kylie Murry

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RETEKS

ReTEKS for 5th grade, 8th grade, and Biology is more than an intervention program—it’s an intense support curriculum for your struggling learners. Innovatively reteach challenging concepts and directly increase STAAR™ scores with ReTEKS.

learn more at acceleratelearning.com | 800-531-0864

PREVIEW ALL RETEKS ATacceleratelearning.com/reteks

Master theBIO EOC

Intervention Labs

Concept Exploration Activities

Focused Vocabulary Development

Ideal for Test Prep, Small Group Intervention, andSummer School

Aligned Assessments

Help with Unwrappingthe TEKS

Available in digital and print editions.

Now introducingBiology ReTEKS

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President’s Column................................

Measuring Elbow Carrying Angle.....

LiftOff 2016: EXPLORATION - Past, Present, and Future................................

Making STEM Affordable in the Classroom: The ABC’s of Grantwriting.............................................

Come on in, The Water’s Fine - How to Stay Afloat in Project Based Learning.....................................................

Connecting Students Globally to Investigate How Humans Impact the Environment.....................................

Early Science Writing Stages...............

Science TEKS Streamlining: An Opportunity for the Science Education Community..........................

STAT Contacts...........................................

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RETEKS

ReTEKS for 5th grade, 8th grade, and Biology is more than an intervention program—it’s an intense support curriculum for your struggling learners. Innovatively reteach challenging concepts and directly increase STAAR™ scores with ReTEKS.

learn more at acceleratelearning.com | 800-531-0864

PREVIEW ALL RETEKS ATacceleratelearning.com/reteks

Master theBIO EOC

Intervention Labs

Concept Exploration Activities

Focused Vocabulary Development

Ideal for Test Prep, Small Group Intervention, andSummer School

Aligned Assessments

Help with Unwrappingthe TEKS

Available in digital and print editions.

Now introducingBiology ReTEKS

FRIDAY, MAY 20Mini-CAST:

Powering Minds with STEAMHuntsville, TX

THURSDAY, JULY 14Summer Leadership Institute

San Antonio, TX

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10CAST 2016:

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

San Antonio, TX

THURSDAY, March 30NSTA Annual Convention

Los Angeles, CA

For more information and events visit us online at:

www.statweb.org

Upcoming Events 2016

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President’s ColumnMatt WellsSTAT PresidentWelcome to the Spring

STATellite!

It has been a long school year, and the testing season is now upon us. Our students, schools and even our own classrooms will be under the spotlight as the ac-countability calculation looms on the horizon. Fortunately, we are living in a season of change. The new federal ESSA law affords the states more freedom to both ed-ucate and assess their students, and also to evaluate their teach-ers and schools, and this means the “one-size-fits-all” accountabil-ity model might at last become a thing of the past. I am sure we are all breathing a sigh of relief as we look forward to more flexible measures of student learning and school success!

STAT has been busy during this season of change. We have met with legislators to inform them about the challenges being ex-perienced in science classrooms across the state, and are pre-paring to provide testimony on everything from middle school science and math misalignment to recommendations for STEM teacher preparation programs. Perhaps most importantly, as our State Board of Education meets over the coming weeks to “Streamline” our Science TEKS, they will do so armed with the re-sults of our recent TEKS Member Survey. A huge thank you goes out to everyone that helped with this process – we are disaggregat-

ing the data and consolidating the results. Please understand that you have shaped the future of science education in Texas! Keep your eyes peeled for addi-tional emails about how you can stay engaged in these vital legis-lative processes.

As you are preparing for STAAR tests, and thinking about what the next school year might hold, please take a moment to think about how you might share your great ideas with your fellow col-leagues around Texas. The dead-line for submitting workshop and short course proposals for CAST 2016 is TODAY! You can still fol-low the link below to submit your wonderful lesson ideas and best practices: cast2016.exordo.com

While you’re at it, please sign up to grade some of the proposal submissions. The more scor-ers we have, the better we will be able to identify the strongest session proposals, and provide the kinds of high quality profes-sional development that we have become accustomed to at CAST. Here’s the link for signing up: CLICK HERE

Finally, the Executive Commit-tee officer election results are in, and we will be welcoming a new group of officers to the board on June 1st. Congratulations to Kayla Pearce, Linda Schaake, Kara Swin-dell, Ann Mulvihill, Terry White, Laura Lee McCleod and Melissa Gable. A big thank you to those

who applied to serve, and to those who voted! We did receive a couple of questions about how our “slate-based” election pro-cess works, so we will be posting an “FAQ” style document on our website that should provide an-swers to any questions you might have! Please visit the STAT web-site (www.statweb.org) for more information.

Plans for CAST 2016 are rapidly taking shape, and the conference will be upon us before we know it. Checkout the STAT website to learn more about what lies in store, and make plans to attend. We are looking forward to a re-cord gathering of science educa-tors when we all descend upon San Antonio Nov. 10-12.

This year has passed by in the blink of an eye, and as I reflect on all the people I have met, the teachers and administrators I have worked with, and the wonderful things I have seen happening around our state, I am reminded how dedi-cated, hardworking and AMAZ-ING Texas science teachers are. Our children are in good hands. It has been a privilege and an honor to serve you this year, and I look forward to seeing you down by the river in the Fall!

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Measuring Elbow Carrying Angle

An educational and highly in-teresting mixed science and math investigation – most suit-able for students in grades 5-8 – is measuring elbow carrying angle in each member of the class, and computing averages (means) and ranges for the class as a whole, and by gender. This simple-to-calculate anthropo-logical measurement is useful to teach students about human anatomic variability and adap-tation, and as an introduction to biostatistics.

Elbow carrying angle is impor-tant on an everyday basis to select bioscience profession-als – forensic scientists, occu-pational therapists, orthopedic surgeons, physical anthropolo-gists and physical therapists, among others. For students, measuring and analyzing elbow carrying angle is a unique way to advance their knowledge of science and math; to compare and contrast subtle gender dif-ferences in the human species; and to advance respect for one another as classmates and re-search subjects.

Elbow carrying angle typically ranges from 5-15 degrees, and is designed to allow one’s fore-arms to clear the hips during arm-swing while walking or running. Different within-range variants of elbow carrying angle also afford relative greater or lesser mechanical advantage during lifting tasks. Students

By Ron Scott PT, EdD, MA

can be tasked to analyze why women typically have greater elbow carrying angles than men (a wider pelvis to accommodate a developing fetus or fetuses), and whether narrower or wider elbow carrying angle facilitates better mechanical advantage during lifting (narrower more advantageous, due to a more linear force vector).

To measure elbow carrying an-gle, subjects stand erect, with arms at sides, palms facing for-ward, feet shoulder-width apart

(“anatomical position”). Using an inexpensive plastic goniom-eter [Greek origin: gonia (angle), metron (measurement)], place the axis at the center of the an-terior elbow crease, and place the long arms of the goniome-ter along the center of the ante-rior upper arm and forearm, and measure and record the angula-tion. Analyze and report results.

Extension question: What kinds of conditions might render a

subject atypical in terms of el-bow carrying angle? (Elbow fracture, e.g. from a skateboard mishap)

Extension activities: Aggregate, analyze and create a poster de-picting results from multiple class sections, exercising the ethical responsibility to shield individual student identities. Present processes and findings at a school, district or regional science fair – maybe even at CAST.

Reference: Rajesh B, Reshma V, Jaene R, Somasekhar I, Vaithilingam A. An evaluation of the carrying angle of the elbow joint in adolescents. Int J Med Biomed Res, 2013;2(3):221-225 (60 subjects, ages 17-20, aver-age elbow carrying angles: 13.6 for females, 6.7 for males).

Ron Scott, PT, EdD, MA, is a retired Associate Professor of Physical Ther-apy, UTHSCSA. Ron served under Troops-to-Teachers as the 5th-grade bilingual science teacher at Comal Elementary School, New Braunfels, Texas, from 2006-8.

Figure: Baseline goniometer, Courtesy: Google Search, Aug. 25, 2015.

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Beginning in the summer of 1990, the NASA’s Texas Space Grant Consortium initiated weeklong professional devel-opment training for teachers. This aerospace workshop, called LiftOff, emphasizes science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning experiences by incorporating a space science theme support-ed by NASA missions. Teacher participants are provided with information and experiences through speakers, hands-on activities and field investiga-tions that promote space sci-ence and enrichment activi-ties for themselves and others.

Humanity’s interest in the heav-ens has been universal and en-during. Humans are driven to explore the unknown, discover new worlds, push the boundar-ies of our scientific and techni-cal limits, and then push further.

The intangible desire to explore and challenge the boundaries of what we know and where we have been has provided ben-efits to our society for centuries.

While robotic explorers have

LiftOff 2016: EXPLORATION - Past, Present, and Future

studied Mars for more than 40 years, NASA’s path for the hu-man exploration of Mars be-gins in low-Earth orbit aboard the International Space Sta-tion. Astronauts on the orbit-ing laboratory are helping us prove many of the technologies and communications systems needed for human missions to deep space, including Mars. The space station also advanc-es our understanding of how the body changes in space and how to protect astronaut health.

Our next step is deep space, where NASA will send a robotic mission to capture and redirect an asteroid to orbit the moon. Astronauts aboard the Orion

By Margaret BaguioNASA’s Texas Space Grant Consortium, The University of Texas at Austin

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spacecraft will explore the aster-oid, returning to Earth with sam-ples. This experience in human spaceflight beyond low-Earth orbit will help NASA test new systems and capabilities, such as Solar Electric Propulsion, which we’ll need to send cargo as part of human missions to Mars. NASA’s powerful Space Launch System rocket will enable these “proving ground” missions to test new capabilities. Human missions to Mars will rely on Orion and an evolved version of SLS that will be the most pow-erful launch vehicle ever flown.

Engineers and scientists around the country are working hard to develop the technologies as-tronauts will use to one day live and work on Mars, and safely re-turn home from the next giant leap for humanity. NASA also is a leader in a Global Exploration Roadmap, working with interna-tional partners and the U.S. com-mercial space industry on a co-ordinated expansion of human presence into the solar system, with human missions to the sur-face of Mars as the driving goal.

This is the beginning of a new era in space exploration in which NASA has been chal-lenged to develop systems and capabilities required to explore beyond low-Earth or-bit, including destinations such as translunar space, near-Earth asteroids and eventually

Mars. Exploration – Past, Pres-ent, and Future – Liftoff 2016!Liftoff is open to any Grade 4 – 12 teacher. Any Texas teacher that is accepted into the workshop will receive all expenses paid – hotel, meals, transportation and tours. The program highlights include:

• Presentations by NASA scien-tists and engineers

• Tours of NASA and Space Center Houston

• Hands-on, inquiry based classroom activities aligned to educational standards

• Career Exploration

• Teacher Feature (sharing of classroom lessons and activities matched to education stan-dards)

• Opportunity to interact with researchers dedicated to space missions

Former participants rate LiftOff as one of the best professional development programs they have ever attended. The dead-line for receiving applications is April 15 for LiftOff 2016 and should be submitted through the online system: http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/liftoff/

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Introduction

STEM-based instruction pro-vides unique opportunities to foster cross-curricular collabo-ration among teachers and students of different subjects and backgrounds; lays the groundwork for team-driven, hands-on learning experienc-es through projects; promotes higher-order thinking, reason-ing and inquiry skills; and ade-quately prepares students for active participation in STEM-related careers necessary to actively compete and succeed in the 21st century workforce. However, a school’s decision to engage students in STEM-based instruction comes at a cost…literally.

The mere inclusion of technol-ogy in a STEM classroom dic-tates the need for financial re-sources which, in most cases, arise from support at the state or district level. However, be-cause the funds allocated to each campus are contingent upon curricular and instruc-tional needs from a multitude of competing audiences and discipline areas, the financial support made available to STEM teachers is limited, at best. Thus, teachers who are committed to STEM-based instruction are relegated to

Making STEM Affordable in the Classroom:The ABC’s of Grantwriting

funds from grants that they themselves must actively pursue. This article provides teachers with tips and sug-gestions for writing success-ful grants to obtain funds to enhance STEM-related lessons and activities.

Before you Begin Writing the Grant

The first, and probably most important, step in the grant-writing process begins with an idea. The idea should be novel, unique, and applicable to at least one if not more of the STEM disciplines. As one assesses the viability of an idea for potential funding, the following questions should be considered:

Is my idea out of the box?

Is your idea novel and unique or is it a minor tweak or two from a commonly accepted idea? The chances of gain-ing the reviewer’s attention and, thus, potential success in funding are increased for an idea that sets itself apart from mainstream ideas. Funding agencies are not likely to sup-port an idea which, in essence, is a minor iteration of a proven concept. Although original-ity is important, the project

By George Hademenos, Physics TeacherRichardson High School

should also be an appropriate use of class time and easily im-plemented by other teachers.

Is my idea based on a “hot topic?”

While STEM is an instruction-al approach that focuses on what content is presented in a classroom, there are other in-structional strategies that fo-cus on how content is present-ed. Several examples of these instructional strategies that are research-based and class-room-tested include project-based learning, differentiated instruction, and flipped class-room. Any proposed STEM-based idea that incorporates these types of instructional strategies further strengthens probability of funding success.

Have I tried out my idea in class?

An idea always sounds good in the thinking stage and be-comes even more solid once the idea is sketched out in a proposal. But nothing replaces experience. Has the idea been tried out in the classroom? Prior trials of a proposed idea helps the teacher to better un-derstand its practical imple-mentation as well as identify potential pitfalls which should

Norma J. Neely, Ed.D., DirectorAmerican Indian Institute University of Oklahoma &

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first be recognized by the teacher as opposed to being brought up by the reviewer.

How will my idea impact sci-ence instruction?

A major guiding principle of any funding agency is to fund projects that yield the “biggest bang for the buck.” Agencies have limited funds earmarked for a specific purpose and thus are motivated to fund propos-als that will produce the wid-est impact to STEM educa-tion and promote potential growth for other teachers at other schools. A teacher must convince reviewers that the proposed idea provides the loudest bang.

Once the idea has been estab-lished, the teacher’s next step is to pursue appropriate grant opportunities. Which fund-ing agency provides the best fit for the proposed project? On the federal level, one can explore the websites of the US Department of Education and/or the National Science Foundation and peruse the list of RFPs (request for pro-posals) that best align with the idea. Additional opportunities for funding include: Donors Choose, Toshiba/NSTA Ex-ploravision, Toshiba America Foundation, and Toyota Tap-estry Grant. In addition, some

agencies promote underrep-resented groups of teachers. The question then becomes which grant source is the best fit for a teacher’s project. The answer depends upon many factors including the extent of the proposed idea, number of students served, time interval required for the project, and type of materials requested. Most grants require proof that teachers have the ability to implement the program. There is no clear-cut formula to identify a suitable funding source. However, three ques-tions that can help streamline the process are:

Is my idea aligned with the funding agency priorities?

When a funding agency pub-licizes an opportunity and solicits the submission of pro-posals, it is typically within the agency’s priorities and spe-cific scope of interest. If the proposed topic is aligned with the agency’s scope of interest, then it is worthwhile to sub-mit a grant proposal. If not, a teacher must carefully evalu-ate the agency’s priorities balanced against the topics covered within the proposed project to gauge a grant’s po-tential chance of success.

Are my needs small-scale or long-term?

Will the grant be used to fund a one-time project for one class or will it be used to fund a long-running program in-volving several classes over several years? Either scenario is appropriate for grants but the latter will require a larger dollar amount. As a result, the work required to complete the paperwork will be more involved, more extensive and will often involve the assis-tance of district officials to help coordinate the applica-tion for this amount of fund-ing.

Will the grant provide ade-quate funding?

A proposal is typically devel-oped with a clear indication of the materials and resources re-quired for the proposed idea as well as the overall costs. The overall costs should fall within the funding window provided by the grant opportunity. If not, it is incumbent upon the teacher to explain what addi-tional sources of funding will be sought to completely fund the project. Although it is pos-sible to fund a project through multiple grants, the amount of work, time and effort is multi-plied as well.

A major frustration of teach-ers involves students who do not read the instructions pre-

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sented at the beginning of the assignment. That same frus-tration is experienced by grant reviewers who are confronted with reading a proposal that was not prepared according to the clearly established instruc-tions and guidelines. Several questions to keep in mind as a teacher reviews the instruc-tions for a particular grant op-portunity include:

What are the page limits, font type and size, and page mar-gins?

Be sure to follow instructions regarding page limits, font type and size, and page mar-gins. Yes, it is possible to dis-tinguish between 12 pt and 11 pt font size and reviewers typically have a ruler on hand to physically measure the page margins. Failure to ad-here to these rules decreases

a reviewer’s workload by one proposal and increases the number of rejection notifica-tions by one.

Can tables, diagrams, or pho-tos be included?

It has often been said that, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” This is true and can be very beneficial particularly when a grant application im-poses strict guidelines with

regard to word count and page length. The picture in this case is any demonstration of support for the proposed idea such as tables, diagrams, or photos that serves to break the monotony of the applica-tion text and illustrate how the students will benefit from the proposed project. If the funding agency permits alter-native sources of information in support of the proposed idea, the teacher should take full advantage.

Can supplementary materials be included?

Instructions for grant propos-als are very clear and specific as to the requirements or ex-pectations of the applicant. Some proposals are limited only to the information re-quested on the application form while others allow the applicant to submit supple-mentary materials to support the proposed idea, generally on an optional basis. Exam-ples of supplementary mate-rials can include, but are not limited to lesson plans; stu-dent work; recommendation letters from students, parents, colleagues and/or administra-tors knowledgeable about the teacher’s work; and authored publications relating to the proposed idea. Recommenda-tion letters, particularly those written by students, provide powerful testimony to your classroom abilities and lend strong credibility to the pro-posed idea.

What are the timelines and due dates?

At the beginning of the appli-cation process, a teacher must locate and adhere to the due date. It is the date established by the funding agency that all applications must be received in order to receive full consid-eration. Submitting an appli-cation even one day after this date will be a waste of time

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and a lesson in futility.

All of these questions and sug-gestions might seem petty and insignificant. However, one should keep in mind that many teachers across the city, state, or nation are applying for the same limited amount of dollars to conduct STEM-based instruction in their classroom. Funding agencies are not lacking for prospective applicants seeking financial support. Failure to understand and abide by the directions generally is grounds for im-mediate elimination from the review process.

During the Grant Writing Process

The hardest part of the pro-cess is about to begin and the suggestions that follow are designed to assist the teacher during the grant writing pro-cess.

• Write to an audience of gen-eralists, not specialists.

A teacher brings a wealth of experience and interest of a topic into a grant proposal. Although this background demonstrates a mastery of the subject matter, the review-ers will most likely not have a similar background. It is im-perative that the teacher com-

municate their proposed idea to any reviewer.

• Check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

After spending a significant amount of time drafting the proposal, rewording sentenc-es, restructuring paragraphs and reviewing the resultant product a multitude of times during the process, a teacher finds it fairly easy to be satis-fied with the final product. After all, a teacher always uses a word processing program that has spell check, and thus, any and all inadvertently mis-spelled words or grammatical errors will be caught. Please note that no spell check pro-gram, feature or frequency of operation replaces the accura-cy of the author’s eyes. If one misspelled word, grammatical inconsistency or punctuation misplacement is recognized, a reviewer is likely to let the error pass and attribute it to author oversight. If these errors be-come a frequent occurrence, the reviewer is likely to let the proposal pass and attribute it to author incompetence.

• How will you use the re-quested funds?

Just as the words of a grant proposal are vital in explain-ing the what of a project,

equally as important are the numbers within the budget of a proposal that explain how much the project will require. The budget is a mandatory part of a proposal in which the teacher lists the equipment, materials and resources re-quired to bring the proposed idea to fruition, the approxi-mate cost for each of the re-quested items, and a justifica-tion of how the item will be used in the project.

Create your budget in table form.

When it comes to the budget, presentation is everything. If given the opportunity as dic-tated by the guidelines, the teacher should prepare the budget in table form, with well-defined columns for the item requested, justification of the item, cost per unit item, number of items needed, and the total amount for the item. At the bottom of the table, an additional entry under the col-umn for total amount for the item should be available for the teacher to indicate the to-tal amount of funds requested. A budget in table form makes it easier on the reviewer’s eyes and more likely to warrant a positive response.

Is the total requested dollar amount within the scope of

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the funding opportunity?

All grant opportunities have well-defined funding win-dows for submitted proposals. The total amount of funds re-quested for the proposed idea should be within that window. Although it is possible that a proposal that exceeds the up-per limit of the funding win-dow might be considered, the funding agency will be more likely to apply their limited funds to proposals that are within the funding window, as clearly stated in the instruc-tions. This is another example of why it is important to read the instructions.

Is the requested cost for each item reasonably priced?

A grant proposal presents an opportunity for a teacher to integrate a learning experi-ence in the classroom using specific resources critical to its successful implementation. Although a teacher is always looking for the best resourc-es to bring to the classroom, it is important to realize that best usually means expensive. While it is noble for a teacher to want the best for his/her students, each proposal has a limited funding window and the more that costs are taken up by a single resource, the number and cost of addition-

al supplies required for the project is reduced. All proj-ect items should be selected such that their total combined cost fits well into the agency’s funding window.

Are all requested items rea-sonably justified?

Each item in the proposal should be vital to the project’s success and be easily justi-fied in support of its role. The teacher should refrain from the inclusion of items which could be useful to the proj-ect and instead focus only on those items that will be useful to the project.

Does the arithmetic add up?

The most pertinent aspect of the budget refers to the total amount of funds requested by the teacher. Simply put, do the numbers add up? It is in-cumbent upon the teacher to perform the budget calcula-tions several times and, to be sure, invite several colleagues to perform the same calcula-tions to back up the final re-sult. Just as you pore over the numbers with a calculator to ensure the total amount re-quested is correct, so too will the proposal reviewers. This is one area where agreement is mandatory.

• Ask at least one other person to proofread your grant.

Given the time and effort in-vested by the teacher to de-velop the proposal, it is always beneficial to have respected colleagues review the propos-al and offer their comments. Although these colleagues could be educators of the same background or teach-ing field, the teacher would be better served to seek com-ments from colleagues who are far removed from the teacher’s background – an English teacher, a principal, an instructional specialist, or a coach. They will not be as informed and knowledgeable about the idea, related topics and inherent content as the author. However, their com-ments provide an opportunity for the teacher to address gaps which might not have been ev-ident to the author but would beg an explanation to ensure that the reviewers, regardless of their background, are able to understand the proposed project and be able to render a thoughtful decision.

• Respond to critiques and crit-icism in the spirit it was given.

If you are thin-skinned and sen-sitive to criticism, then writing grants is probably not for you. Every person who decides to

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Making STEM Affordable in the Classroom:The ABC’s of Grantwriting

write a grant does so thinking (and in most cases knowing) that they are the most quali-fied to write the grant, their idea is the best conceived, and their proposal is exceptionally written. Any criticism strikes to the heart of these feelings and can evoke a veiled response driven in anger, confusion, or frustration. The absolute last thing a teacher should wel-come is a proposal returned by a colleague reviewer that is unmarked. If it is unmarked, it could imply one of two sce-narios: (1) it a perfectly written proposal or (2) the colleague chose not to voice any cor-rections of the proposed idea. If the former scenario is the explanation behind the un-marked proposal, then one can only hope that the review-ers feel the same way.

After the Grant Has Been Submitted

The grant proposal has been drafted, undergone revisions, scrutinized by colleagues and submitted by the proposal deadline. The majority of the work has been done but now comes the toughest part − waiting for a response. Every funding agency typically re-sponds to an applicant with a receipt of confirmation, in-forming the teacher that the proposal has been received,

explaining a brief overview of the review process, and a timeline through which deci-sions will be made and com-municated to the applicants. The receipt of confirmation typically follows within several days of the proposal submis-sion. If no response is received within one week of submis-sion, the teacher should fol-low up with the agency to check on the proposal’s status.If a teacher is successful in get-ting the grant, then congratu-lations are in order for a job well done. Plans can be made to purchase the equipment/supplies, and instructional materials can be developed to implement the project in the classroom. The teacher should keep an organized and detailed account of all expen-ditures which will most likely be required in a completion report. If a teacher is not suc-

cessful, then it is perfectly ac-ceptable to be disappointed. The teacher should reflect on areas of improvement, revise if needed, and then resubmit the proposal to a different agency offering a similar op-portunity for funding.

Closing Thoughts

A teacher’s decision to write a proposal is not an easy one. It is a major commitment of time, energy, and effort that acts concurrent to the daily and weekly responsibilities of creating lesson plans, teach-ing, faculty meetings, and tu-torial sessions. A teacher might wonder many times through the process: “Is all of this work to develop a grant proposal worth it?” The answer to this question can be found by sim-ply asking the students who will benefit from the grant.

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JUNE 27-30, 2016 ACT2 BIENNIAL CONFERENCE

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Come On In, The Water’s Fine - How to Stay Afloat in Project Based LearningBy Kylie Murry, M.Ed.GHS Physics and Chemistry

Project Based Learning is the catch phrase on every admin-istrator and curriculum direc-tor’s tongue; easy to say, a little harder to do. Here’s my advice from the deep end of the proj-ect based learning pool if you are just dipping your toe in the shallow end and considering wading in further.

Why Take the Plunge?

Why project based learning? Be-fore I dive into the details, many teachers question the effective-ness of project-based learning. Research reflects that student retention increases when they are given a problem-solving task that requires all of their senses and encompasses all of the learning styles (visual, au-ditory, and kinesthetic). In ad-dition, project based learning takes place in the portion of the learning pyramid where reten-tion ranges from 50% up to 90% (compared to only 10% reten-tion from lecture and reading). All levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Synthesis, and Evaluation) are at play when students are involved in project-based learning. Finally, if a proj-ect is framed and scaffolded in a way that students are interested, given clear goals, and confident that they can be successful, their

engagement will be at the high-est level. It encompasses all of the learning styles, it fluidly al-lows for differentiation, it teach-es at the most effective level, it engages students, and if done properly will meet all of your learning objectives. Given the effectiveness of this method of learning, many still balk because of three main concerns: 1) Noise and mess (i.e. students not on task), 2) Not enough time, and 3) Stress about student mastery of TEKS. If you venture into the world of project based learning you’ll have to loosen the reins a bit and accept that it will be a little noisier and messier than you may be comfortable with at first, but there are ways to man-age your classroom to increase engagement and on-task be-havior. And yes, at first project based learning is more time intensive for you to set up and plan than copying worksheets or assigning book work, howev-er, once you’ve established the framework and rubrics, the rest of the time will run smoothly and involve students doing the work while you guide the pro-cess. As far as meeting learn-ing objectives, if you establish guidelines with clear task goals aligned with your TEKS’ key terms and concepts and include a unit test at the end, you will also be sure that your students

have mastered the intended ob-jectives.

Begin With the End in Mind

The first step of planning an en-gaging and successful project is to begin with the end in mind. First, look at your TEKS. Many TEKS can be taught as a group instead of individually. Identify a manageable number of TEKS for your time frame. Starting with one TEK and having a short project may be a good way to get your feet wet. Next, list the key terms associated with the TEKS. Third, write 3-5 questions that address the key concepts. I

like to call these “driving ques-tions”. When students answer these questions, they drive their own learning. The fourth step is the most difficult step for some teachers. An authentic learning experience needs to be brain-stormed. If you need help get-ting your creative juices flowing,

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Come On In, The Water’s Fine - How to Stay Afloat in Project Based Learning

there are many resources online. Some of my favorites are edu-topia.org, tryengineering.org, teachengineering.org, and bie.org. Students engage best with an experience that relates to “real life” or is set up as a compe-tition. Fifth, lay out a schedule for how many days you predict your students will need to com-plete the task and set up a task goal for each day. Use the task goals to identify formative and summative grades that you will take during the project and go ahead and identify those on the first day to establish account-ability and clear expectations. Establish a date for the compe-tition or product to be due. It’s helpful to put a breakdown of what needs to be done each day on a blank calendar form as well. This helps teach them to man-age their time and set long and short-term goals. Design rubrics for the product and summative paper and pass these out at the beginning of the unit. I’ve found that if I have my product as a formative grade and a summary paper as a summative grade, no one fails from not completing a project on time or having an un-successful end product. It gives students practice writing, allows them to connect their learning, and allows me to assess their knowledge individually. I also frame my project based learn-ing with a pre-test and a post-test to ensure the learning ob-

jectives were mastered.

Some May Need Floaties

Expect an initial lag time when a design challenge is first pre-sented. The planning part is a good way to scaffold them into ideas, but when it comes to actually putting their ideas into practice I’ve noticed most students have a “pause” period. This is the point that requires the most patience as a teach-er. The natural inclination is to jump in and start giving them directions and your own ideas; to start pulling out boxes of ma-terials and suggesting what to use. Be patient! After the pause period, the students will begin to put things together that you would never have thought of. Their innovation and creativity will amaze you. So wait for it and let it happen. Control the urge to jump in and do the work for them. There are some during the pause period, however, that are not just thinking, but also genuinely struggling. For those groups, individually conferenc-ing with them and asking lead-ing questions is a good way to get them moving.

In order to ensure that everyone has a role and is a contributing member of the group, I assign jobs or have the groups divide the tasks themselves. Ideally I gravitate towards groups of

three. I’ve found this number allows for maximum efficiency in dividing a task into manage-able chunks without having an observer who isn’t doing any-thing. To make sure everyone participates equally it helps to rotate jobs daily or with the be-ginning of a new project. I usu-ally assign three roles: project manager, materials manager, and recorder.

On projects that require stu-dents to bring materials from home to build with, there are sometimes groups on build days that will bring nothing. The point of the project is for them to learn the unit concepts, so have alternate assignments for them to do which will accomplish the same end. In this way they are still learning the concepts, and still receiving a grade. After one day of working on a packet and watching other groups working on their projects their motiva-tion returns and they will redou-ble their efforts the next day to catch up. It works like a charm!

If you want quality projects and quality learning to be taking place it is important to rotate around the room offering en-couragement and praise, as well as keeping them on task. Keep your ears open for problems that arise on concepts or group dynamics. These are prime teaching moments for students

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to understand how concepts apply to their project and how to work in a group. Much of my joy in teaching comes from the project days when the kids are asking me for information in-stead of listening in boredom as I try to “teach” them.

Swimming Lessons

Sprinkled throughout the proj-ect time frame I suggest doing “mini-lessons.” For example, on the project build days I will start the class period by having the students watch a short video tu-torial on one of the key concepts of the units and write down brief notes. Then we will discuss how the key concept relates to the project design. When you cou-ple what you want the students to know to what they want to know to make their project suc-cessful, it’s a great way to give meaning and relevance to what you are teaching. I’ll also assign practice worksheet packets at the beginning of the unit and as-sign due dates to certain pages throughout the project timeline that we grade/go over in class to reinforce the concepts and what the students are expected to know for the unit test.

Just Keep Swimming

Be warned, the first project of the year is usually not as suc-cessful as you would hope.

Come On In, The Water’s Fine - How to Stay Afloat in Project Based Learning

Students learn new skills when doing projects related to work-ing in a group, time manage-ment, meeting deadlines, and other social soft skills. As the year progresses they become much quicker and more adept at assigning tasks within the group, working effectively with their group, keeping on task to meet their daily task goals, thinking creatively, and physi-cally bringing mental ideas into being. These are not skills that most of our students possess, which is one of the reasons proj-ect based learning is so impor-tant. Corporations are saying repeatedly that students com-ing into the work force are lack-ing creative thinking, problem solving, and social skills. To be competitive in the world market we need to be teaching our stu-dents these skills just as much as the academic content. The

pride in their eyes when they build or create something, the joy when they compete with each other, and the spark of in-terest and questions that come during a project are what make my job as a teacher memorable, rewarding, and fun.

Key Steps for Meet-ing Learning Objectives Through A Project Based

Learning Experience:

1) Start by listing key terms for the unit

2) Develop “driving ques-tions”

3) Identify an authentic learn-ing goal (challenge or product)

4) Develop rubrics for the final product and summary paper

5) Administer a pre-test over unit concepts and key terms

6) Assign roles and daily task goals

7) Scaffold learning during the work phase through one-on-one conferencing and mini-lessons

8) Have students write a sum-mary paper after the product is complete and administer a unit test to assess learning

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Engage Students withInteractive Science Lessons

Edusmart is a digital multimedia Science resource built from the TEKS and adopted by the state under Proclamation 2014. A rich array of lesson components on a user-friendly online technology platform makes it easy to build effective and engaging lessons for all learner types. Edusmart Science is available for Grades K–8 and High School Biology, and has built-in support for ELLs. For districts with bilingual programs, Edusmart Grades K–5 is also available in a transadapted Spanish version.Our latest offering STAARSmart helps teachers build high quality STAAR-formatted customized assessments with just a few clicks.Sign up for a free trialSign up for a free trial at www.edusmart.com/freetrial and see why over 2000 schools supplement their Science instruction with Edusmart.

www.edusmart.com(800) [email protected]

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Connecting Students Globally to Investigate How Humans Impact the Environment

Project Overview

During the 2014-2015 school year, students from a fifth grade class in Houston, Texas took their learning global when they engaged in a proj-ect based learning activity with a cooperating fifth grade class in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Students from each class were placed in small groups and worked together both synchronously and asynchro-nously to learn about human impact on the environment.

Step 1: Planning

Many things were considered during our initial planning stage:

• Time zone differences

• Available Technology

• Best technology platforms to use for all steps of the project

• Student permission slips for video, Internet and photogra-phy

• Identifying content objec-tives including layout and timeline of the project

By Rhoda GoldbergCypress-Fairbanks ISD

Step 2: Introduce the Stu-dents to the Project

As the classroom teacher in Houston began talking about the project with her students it became apparent that stu-dents did not know anything about Ecuador. To ignite their interest and make the experi-ence more relevant, we creat-ed a QR code scavenger hunt about Ecuador to ignite their interest.

Step 3: Virtual Handshake

The project began with a “virtual handshake” in which groups from each side creat-ed videos introducing them-

selves. A virtual whiteboard was created for the project using Padlet which would store the videos and other common resources that both classes would need access to throughout the project. The project was becoming real for the students. One student commented, “I am very excit-ed to do this project. I really hope the people in Ecuador feel the same way.” Another said, “I am worried that they may not understand or like our group.” Concern about how the students in Ecua-dor would feel about them seemed to be a common emotion.

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Connecting Students Globally to Investigate How Humans Impact the Environment

Step 3: Teaching Neti-quette

We used resources from Com-mon Sense Media to teach students how to be safe of the Internet.

Step 4: Placing Students in Groups on Edmodo

Students worked within coop-erative groups in their class-rooms. Additionally, each group had a partner group in Ecuador that they communi-

cated with through Edmodo.

Step 5: Google Doc

A Google Doc was created for each group to record data for their research. A copy of this document was linked to each

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Edmodo group. Student re-search was completed asyn-chronously. Students from both sides of the world added information about the ways that humans in their area im-pacted the environment, the effects it had on the organ-isms that live there, who was responsible and ideas for solving the problem.

Step 6: Synchronous Meeting through Skype

Students completed a form to prepare for their meeting and were given a protocol to follow to assist them in their collaboration efforts. Student groups met synchronously one at a time to discuss their research and collectively choose a plan to help the en-vironment. In one conversa-tion a student group in Guay-aquil wanted to try to save an area of land on which an indigenous group lived. Their Houston counterparts were concerned about endangered species here. The groups saw the connection, saving en-dangered organisms, and de-cided to make that the theme of their plan. Many of the stu-dents noticed that humans were affecting the environ-ment very similarly in both countries.

Step 7: Implement Plan

Students worked in their re-spective countries to carry out their agreed upon plan to help the environment.

Results Why participate in a project like this? Students have a lot of fun while learning both content, and 21st century skills like communication, collaboration, creativity, criti-cal thinking and technology skills.

Joshua stated, “I would like to do another global collabora-tion project because meeting new people is fun and getting to work with them to brain-

storm/think of ideas to stop humans from harming the en-vironment is even more fun!” Josephine replied, “Com-municating took some time because they live in another country. I would like to do another global collaboration project because it was an in-teresting way of learning.”

Alexandra said, “For me per-sonally, it was fun because we get to share our ideas, communicate what we think about it and get to see what we are like through those ideas through technology.”

This turned out to be an amazing experience for all of the students involved!

Connecting Students Globally to Investigate How Humans Impact the Environment

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Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Students have little experience in writing and communicating about science. Some students may be at the beginning stages of letter for-mation. Teacher models thinking as a science writer through dictated writing in a notebook. Students practice reading the writing together.

During stage 1, students:

Practice speaking and writing using sen-tence stems and word bank vocabulary

Practice science writing by filling in the blank on a given stem.

Choral read what a student or teacher has written.

Science Literacy Station could have:

Science Word bank and/or word cards

“Glue-in” sentence stems for students to fill in blanks using science terms

Supplies for students to draw pictures to illustrate their writing and potentially add labels using word bank.

Students can be pushed into building sentence structure with supports. Teachers may contin-ue to use components from stage 1 during

science time. They might emphasize the sci-ence topic during guided and/or interactive writing time. A double-dose of writing will ex-pedite student growth towards stage 3.

During stage 2, students:

Decide what science learning they will write about with support. The teacher and stu-dents write a sentence through guided writing.

Participate in creating a piece of science writing during interactive writing time.

Science Literacy Station could have:

Science Word bank and/or word cards

Sentence stem posted in the station for stu-dents to copy and complete.

Supplies for students to illustrate and label their writing.

Students have experienced writing and letter formation and established the routine of writing. Students’ fluency can support their ability to participate in shared writing. They can create at least two sentences that have more complexity with the teacher during sci-ence time. To build stamina, teachers may con-tinue to use the science topic for writing prac-tice during writer’s workshop.

During stage 3, students:

Decide with the teacher what science learn-ing they will write about and write up to two or more sentences with the teacher.

May have time to illustrate writing within the same time frame.

Show eagerness to craft their own sentenc-es.

Science Literacy Station could have:

Science Word bank and/or word cards

Multiple sentence stems posted in the sta-tion for students to copy and complete.

Supplies for students to illustrate and label their writing.

©Amy Russell 2015

“I can’t get students to write. I don’t have time because my students take forever!” These are just a few of the frustra-tions elementary teachers ex-press when sharing their will to want to implement more writing into their science in-struction. Writing as a means of formative assessment in sci-ence is desired by teachers of all grades because they know it is the highest level of appli-

cation to use when seeking student understanding of the science content. Betsy Rupp Fulwiler’s (2007) Writing in Sci-ence approach is a researched based practice that not only gets students to communi-cate what they learned, but an avenue for building lan-guage, strengthen communi-cation, and accelerate higher order thinking skills. Fulwiler’s work has become the founda-

Early Science Writer Stages

tion for developing a science writing approach in schools to strengthen K-5 science pro-grams. The idea is perceived as “killing two birds with one stone” because students are proving their science knowl-edge while expanding their cognitive abilities through writing.

In schools where science is taught daily and writing

By Amy RussellInstructional Science Coach, League City Elementary, Clear Creek ISD

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Early Science Writer Stagesis embedded two to three times a week, students are be-ing successful in K-5 science classrooms. When question-ing teachers who have ad-opted this practice in primary grades, a first grade teacher who followed her students from kindergarten stated that guided writing and word banks/walls were a necessity for students to be success-ful science writers. In early grades where literacy stations are used during balance lit-eracy time, students have a science literacy station where they can apply science vocab-ulary into their writing or ex-tend upon their writing they began during science time.

Over the last five years, while working in K-5 classrooms, new techniques were devel-oped to support and scaffold students when applying sci-ence thinking into writing. Through trial, error, and case studies, a group of teach-ers and science coaches col-laborated to help develop a continuum called the Stages of the Early Science Writer (Russell, 2015.) The first foun-dational component needed to focus students on the sci-ence is to always start the lesson with a focus question. This overarching question al-lows teachers and students to stay focused on what is being

learned and will lead to sup-porting the focus during writ-ing. Stage one begins with students’ exposure to com-pleting a sentence stem and includes choral reading to-gether. This stage allows stu-dents to get acquainted with basic science writing.

Stage two, teachers use guid-ed writing where students be-

gin to write with the teacher and play a role in deciding what they should write about based on their learning. Let-ter formation and integration of the literacy word wall sup-ports writing development during guided or interactive writing time. Over the five stages of the early science writer, students become ac-customed to the structure of

Stage Two- Guided writing with STEMs practiced during science talk prior writing together.

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science word banks and the teacher pushes them to write without structured sentence stems. Sentence stems serve their purpose when learning how to write but can restrict students from developing their own writing if not en-couraged to be an indepen-dent writer. Older students begin to think writing is a for-mula and stems can rob them

Early Science Writer Stagesof creativity.

During stage five, the teacher asks students to brainstorm words needed to answer the focus question as a writing composition. While the teach-er probes students thinking, the solicited words are added to chart paper. Science talk and being able to explain thinking is essential to the

writing process for all elemen-tary aged students. This also allows the teacher to guide students thinking in the event he or she hears a misconcep-tion. The science talk can pre-vent students from including misconceptions in their writ-ing and the opportunity to address misunderstandings. This support called the stu-dent generated word bank is proven to help students be successful in expressing their science learning in all elemen-tary grades and for all levels of writers. Although the con-tinuum Stages of the Early Sci-ence Writer was written based on a kindergarten classroom, there are components that support older elementary aged students.

We cannot act on the assump-tion that older students will be able to apply the science independently in their writ-ing. It is up to science educa-tors to provide students the supports and scaffolds during their science instruction in or-der for the science writing ap-proach to be successful.

Reference: Fulwiler, B. (2007) Writing in Science: How to Scaffold Instruc-tion to Support Learning. Heine-mann.

Russell, A. (2015) Stages of the Early Science Writer. [submitted for publi-cation] Clear Creek ISD, League City, Texas.

Stage Five- Created by a student relying on the student generated word bank and literacy word walls.

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Science TEKS StreamliningAn Opportunity for the Science Education CommunityBy Kevin Fisher

The Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) has man-dated that the Science TEKS be streamlined. This will be a unique opportunity for the science education com-munity. We have an unprec-edented occasion to improve the Science TEKS and en-hance science education in our state. Are the current Sci-ence TEKS perfect, of course not. Are the current Science TEKS good, yes? Could the Science TEKS be improved, absolutely? The Science TEKS have some nebulous state-ments that need clarification. There are some content errors in the current Science TEKS. Effective streamlining might reduce the amount of content that educators are required to cover. All of us have heard from educators that too little time exists to present all the required content. There is a continuous call to explore topics at a deeper level as op-posed to superficially cover-ing a myriad of topics. The key word here is effective stream-lining. There might be redun-dancy in the document. How-ever, care must be exercised in recognizing concepts that are spiraled throughout the grade levels as opposed to true redundancy.

The SBOE has several key questions regarding the doc-ument. The first is whether or not the science process skills are needed in the document. The question has been posed to keep all the process skills, reduce the number of process skills, or eliminate the process skills completely from the document. There seems to be some confusion among edu-cators as to how the process skills should be addressed. Some educators are trying to integrate only one process skill per activity, thus requir-ing an excessive number of activities to address all the process skills. Educators are not aware that an activity can address several process skills simultaneously. The other at-tribute of the concepts skills that should be considered is that the process skills allow real science to be practiced in the classroom.

The second question is how much time is required to teach all the current content in the document. The SBOE wants to insure there is ad-equate time to teach what the TEKS document mandates. The SBOE has received a sig-nificant amount of feedback that the Science TEKS have too much material to be effec-

tively covered in a school year. The SBOE wants critical con-cepts to be covered in greater depth as opposed to skim-ming over many concepts in a course.

A couple of items the SBOE have mandated are the Sci-ence TEKS can be streamlined; however, no new concepts can be added. Also, concepts cannot be moved from one grade level to another. The reason behind this is the fact that new instructional materi-als will not be developed af-ter the streamlining. In order to avoid the problem of not having materials available to teach the concepts, the SBOE requested these require-ments. It is important to note, the streamlining will not take the place of a full rewrite of the Science TEKS. The rewrite is still scheduled to occur in a few years.

A very important part of this process will be a survey devel-oped by the Texas Education Agency that will be distrib-uted statewide. This survey will ask for potential areas in the Science TEKS that can be streamlined. This will be the foundation to guide the re-vision teams. It is essential that every science educa-

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Science TEKS StreamliningAn Opportunity for the Science Education Community

tor give their input through the survey. This is how effec-tive change can be put into motion. Your thoughts are important; take the time to complete the survey. Science teachers are on the frontlines, and know better than anyone else what can be streamlined. Something to keep in mind, a person might be required to provide justification for the changes that are suggested. This would be an opportunity for everyone to have a voice. Keep in mind the old adage, if you don’t participate, you have no basis to complain.

The writing team mem-bers that conduct the actual streamlining of the Science TEKS will be a critical attribute of the process. In addition to having strong science con-tent knowledge, being very familiar with the Science TEKS grades K – 12, the members must be forward thinkers. In other words, what will be es-sential for students to know and be able to do five years from now? Science is a rapidly advancing and fluid field as is education. As an example, who would have thought that the majority of teaching re-sources would now be online and the technology depart-ment would be a major player in the instructional materials

arena? If you wish to be nomi-nated as a writing team mem-ber for the streamlining pro-cess, you will need to contact the State Board of Education Member who represents you and express your interest. The next step will be to complete an application form that will be available from the Texas Education Agency.

Once again, this is a tremen-dous opportunity to improve science education in our state. Streamlining can help the ed-ucator develop a focus on the truly important concepts, give

educators some time back in the area of preparation and instruction, and improve stu-dent learning and compre-hension. Make sure you have an active role in this process.

Kevin Fisher is a Past President of the Science Teachers Association of Texas, Past President of the Texas Education Science Leadership Asso-ciation, and has 36 years of experi-ence in science education.

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Texas Association for Environmental Education 2016 Annual Conference October 7-9, 2016 Northwood University, Cedar Hill, TX

Environmental Literacy: Success Through Partnerships

An invitation to attend and a request for presenters Our 2016 conference marks the 35th TAEE conference and celebrates the 36 years since TAEE’s establishment. The conference will take place October 7 – 9th, at the beautiful and natural Northwood University campus in Cedar Hill, Texas, in southwest Dallas County.

The focus will be on a tenet of the Texas Natural Resource Environmental Literacy Plan (ELP) - Lifelong Learning and Community Connections. A copy of the ELP is available at www.taee.org.

The 2016 conference theme is Environmental Literacy: Success Through Partnerships.

We are looking for enthusiastic presenters who Use successful techniques and activities in the classroom. Created lifelong learners within your community. Used partnerships that were vital to your success as an educational organization or

nature center We would love to learn about the many ways you educate and collaborate to achieve environmental literacy for all. The Call for Presentations may be found at www.taee.org.

TAEE invites you to attend the conference to network, to learn and to be inspired. The Northwood University campus with trails through wooded areas, a creek and pond, and on-site lodging will give everyone a beautiful location to meet other education professionals and interested citizens who value environmental education. Plan to register for the conference through www.taee.org.

As an affiliate of STAT and the Texas Affiliate of the North American Association for Environmental Education, www.naaee.org, TAEE is a professional organization that supports and promotes a community of environmental educators in the state of Texas by providing

Content Connections Certification Communication

Contact TAEE at [email protected] and like us on Face Book.

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SBOE Members

District 15AmarilloMarty Rowley

District 1 El PasoMartha M. Dominguez

District 2BrownsvilleRuben Cortez, Jr.

District 3San AntonioMarisa B. Perez

District 4HoustonLawrence A. Allen, Jr

District 5San AntonioKen Mercer

District 6HoustonChairDonna Bahorich

District 7BeaumontDavid Bradley

District 8The WoodlandsBarbara Cargill

District 9Mount PleasantVice ChairThomas Ratliff

District 10FlorenceTom Maynard

District 11Fort WorthPatricia Hardy

District 12DallasGeraldine Miller

District 14WacoSue Melton-Malone

District 13Fort WorthErika Beltran

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(713) 723-0273

Past President Matthew Wells

Ann Mulvihill Kayla Pearce Linda Schaake

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STAT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2016-2017

(972) 907-2838

President George Hademenos

(469) 633-6805

President-Elect Laura Lee McLeod

(806) 766-1744

Vice PresidentTerry White

Members At Large:

(281) 328-9237

SecretaryMelissa Gable

TreasurerKara Swindell

(469) 633-6805

INTRODUCING THE NEW

(EFFECTIVE JUNE 1st)

Page 38: April 2016 statellite

The Official Publication of The Science Teachers Association of Texas

[email protected]

38

TEA Representative:Irene PickhardtCurriculum Division(512) [email protected]

Executive Director:Chuck Hempstead(512) [email protected]

Assistant Executive Director:Janet Morrow(512) [email protected]

STATellite Submissions:(512) [email protected]

TABTTexas associaTion of Biology Teachers

Daniel [email protected]

TAEETexas associaTion for environmenTal educaTion

Lisa [email protected]

TCESTexas council of elemenTary science

Wilma [email protected]

TESTATexas earTh science Teachers associaTion

Kathryn [email protected]

TMEATexas marine educaTors associaTion

Marolyn [email protected]

TSAAPTTexas secTion of The american associaTion of Physics Teachers

Karen Jo [email protected]

ACT2associaTed chemisTry Teachers of Texas

Karen [email protected]

ISEAinformal science educaTion associaTion

Cheryl [email protected]

TSELATexas science educaTion leadershiP associaTion

Jennifer [email protected]

Affiliates

Contacts