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STEM Education News

February 17, 2011

Vol. 17, No. 7

This Week’s Topics:


STUDENTS TACKLE GLOBAL ENERGY CRISIS IN JETS TEAMS COMPETITION

Last year’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico spotlighted the need to develop economically and environmentally responsible forms of energy in the face of growing global demand. This year, American high school students will work to solve the “supply and demand” problem as the Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS) launches its annual TEAMS competition. With the 2011 theme, “Smarter Energy, Cleaner Planet,” TEAMS will show students firsthand how engineers in various disciplines, including environmental engineers, civil engineers, and mechanical engineers tackle the energy crisis and the global need for diversification, efficiency, security, and ecological sustainability. About 10,000 TEAMS participants in grades 9-12 will gather for one-day events over a four-week period from February 14 through March 15 at 130 competition sites in 43 states and the District of Columbia, including 64 colleges and universities. The students will then make real-world connections between math and science to engineering by solving actual engineering scenarios. In solving specific energy-related issues, TEAMS students will be challenged to:

  • consider how we become less dependent on a few resources and diversify our energy supply to include not just crude oil and natural gas, but nuclear, wind, solar, biomass, hydroelectric, and geothermal;
  • identify technologies that make our homes, vehicles, buildings, and industries more energy efficient;
  • safeguard a country’s energy infrastructure from both an importing and exporting resources standpoint; and
  • brainstorm ideas to keep the environment clean and safe from emissions and pollution.

The two highest ranking level teams in the country will take top honors as the “Best Overall” and will be announced in April 2011. They will receive a $2,500 cash prize, team trophy, student medals, and certificates. Like the other signature JETS programs, the purpose of TEAMS is to encourage more American students to pursue engineering by showing them just how engineering impacts everyday life and how engineers help solve social and community problems – from building roads and bridges, to developing water purification systems for developing countries, to inventing alternative sources of energy to fuel our cars and keep our homes warm and cool. Find out more at www.jets.org.

OVER TWO MILLION STUDENTS EXPECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN WORLD MATH DAY 2011

Students across the U.S. are preparing to join millions from across the world to participate in the largest online math competition during World Math Day 2011 on February 28. World Math attracts 2.5 million students from 55,000 schools in 235 countries who are expected to compete in real time against other international students via the World Math Day website. The event encourages students of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities to have a go at math in a fun and interactive way. The event runs for 48 hours; as long as it is March 1 somewhere in the world. Participation is free — all participants need is internet access. Peter Walters, CEO of 3P Learning, creator and host of the annual event, said, “World Math Day has been created to change the way kids perceive math, putting it into an arena previously reserved for sport.”

This year, World Math Day and UNICEF joined forces to harness the potential of the day and help give children around the world access to quality learning. Family and friends will sponsor their children in helping their school correctly answer more than 5,000 questions on the day. Fifty percent of funds raised will go to each school to spend on educational resources and technology; the other half will be contributed to UNICEF’s Quality Educational Programs. “In 2010, close to 2.5 million students from 236 countries correctly answered more than 479 million questions. We’re encouraging students and schools to register, start practicing, and help us beat last year’s record,” said Scott Flansburg, Global Ambassador for World Math Day 2011. Flansburg continued, “Whether you’re organizing a school event, taking part at home, or on your iPhone or iPod Touch, World Math Day is an exciting way to get involved in math.” Visit www.worldmathday.com for registration and participation details.

WHITE HOUSE LAUNCHES 2011 RACE TO THE TOP COMMENCEMENT CHALLENGE

On February 1, the White House opened applications to the 2011 Race to the Top Commencement Challenge. Students from public high schools across the country are invited to demonstrate how their school prepares them for college and a career by going to www.whitehouse.gov/commencement and submitting an application. The winning school will host President Obama as their 2011 commencement speaker. Last year, President Obama launched the first ever Race to the Top Commencement Challenge and encouraged public high schools across the country to show how they promote college attainment and career readiness. Over 1000 schools applied and more than 170,000 people weighed in on short videos and essays from the six finalists. President Obama selected the national winner from the three high schools with the highest average ratings. This year, the President has renewed the challenge, calling on high schools to share effective strategies on how they are preparing their students to win the future and achieve the goal of having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020.

“I’m looking for the school that’s doing the best job of preparing students for college and careers,” said President Obama. “The winning school will understand that their number one priority is making sure that our kids are learning what they need to succeed in this 21st century economy.” This year, the White House has once again partnered with Viacom and the Get Schooled Foundation to launch the Commencement Challenge. The application includes essay questions and statistical information that illustrate how schools are promoting college and career readiness for all students while establishing a culture of student success and academic excellence. Applications must be submitted by Friday, February 25th at 11:59 pm EST. More information, including the launch video, can be found at www.whitehouse.gov/commencement.

MATH AND SCIENCE EDUCATORS TO ‘LEARN, ENERGIZE, AND CONNECT’ AT TEXAS INSTRUMENTS T3 2011 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

Educators from around the world will converge in San Antonio, Texas, Feb. 25-27, 2011 at the 23rd Annual T3™ International Conference to explore the latest innovations in mathematics and science education and technology used in teaching. The T3 — Teachers Teaching with Technology — International Conference is hosted by Triangle Coalition member, Texas Instruments (TI), and includes more than 500 sessions that cover mathematics, science, and teaching methods using technology. For more than 20 years, presenters at the T3 International and Regional Conferences have educated fellow teachers on the innovative ways to sharpen their pedagogy skills and to engage students in the math and science classroom using technology. Teachers who attend this year’s international conference will learn from experienced educators, participate in hundreds of hands-on sessions, network with other educators, and receive classroom activities and ideas to implement in their own classrooms. They also have the opportunity to preview the latest classroom technology from Texas instruments. One significant topic the conference will address is how technology can assist at-risk children in today’s classrooms. Sessions will discuss new tools and approaches for educators who teach at-risk students.

“According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2009 more than 32 million students in the United States were considered ‘at-risk,’” said Gayle Mujica, director of professional development and content for TI’s Education Technology division. “With so many at-risk students in our classrooms, it’s more important than ever to find a way to engage them. We believe technology designed specifically for educational purposes can help, particularly in the areas of mathematics and science.” To address this issue, a special conference panel will be offered — “Engaging At-Risk Students with Classroom Technology.” The session discusses the challenges in teaching algebra to at-risk students and how TI technology enhances instructional practices that are addressing those challenges. Education Technology, a business of Texas Instruments, provides a wide range of tools connecting the classroom experience with real-world applications, helping students and teachers to explore mathematics and science interactively. More details about TI and information about the T3 International Conference is available at http://education.ti.com.

OUR EVER-CHANGING EARTH – THE 2011 EARTH SCIENCE WEEK THEME

The American Geological Institute (AGI) has announced the theme of Earth Science Week 2011: “Our Ever-Changing Earth.” This year’s event will engage the public in actively learning about the varied and interconnected natural processes that shape our planet over time. Earth Science Week 2011 support materials and activities will demonstrate how evidence of change can be found everywhere, from the soil beneath our feet to the oceans and the atmosphere around us. “Planetary change raises important questions among young people, educators, and the public,” says Ann E. Benbow, AGI’s Director of Education and Outreach. “Earth Science Week 2011 will highlight the important roles that paleontologists, geologists, and other earth scientists play in building understanding of the complex interactions among the earth systems — atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and biosphere — over time.”

AGI leads Earth Science Week annually in cooperation with its sponsors and the geosciences community as a service to the public. Each year, community groups, educators, and interested citizens organize celebratory events. Earth Science Week offers the public opportunities to discover the earth sciences and engage in responsible stewardship of the Earth. Earth Science Week is supported by the U.S. Geological Survey, the AAPG Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, NASA, the National Park Service, ExxonMobil, and ESRI. ESW 2011 will be celebrated October 9-15. To learn more and how to get involved, visit www.earthsciweek.org. Triangle Coalition member, the American Geological Institute, is a nonprofit federation of 49 geoscientific and professional associations that represents more than 120,000 geologists, geophysicists, and other earth scientists. More details are at www.agiweb.org.

COMMON CORE AUTHORS AT PEARSON CONFERENCE PROVIDED GUIDANCE ON TRANSITIONING TO STATE STANDARDS

Principals, teachers, and school administrators from across the country gathered recently at Pearson America’s Choice annual National Conference in Atlanta to learn how best to implement the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and share successful strategies for turning around low-performing schools. Pearson America’s Choice Senior Fellows Phil Daro, chair of the Common Core mathematics college and career readiness standards work group, and Sally Hampton, chair of the Common Core English language arts college and career readiness standards work group, both presented at the conference, drawing on their extensive knowledge and experience to help educators with the transition to new levels of rigor and readiness for student achievement and teacher effectiveness.

“By bringing together the nation’s leading experts on the Common Core and school improvement, our national conference is facilitating the cross pollination of great ideas and proven practices that lead to successful schools across the country. We planned this conference to offer a unique experience for today’s educators: front-row access to the Common Core experts in tandem with research-based instructional solutions that provide support for schools as they shift to the new standards,” said Pearson Executive Vice President Steve Dowling. Conference attendees also networked with their peers to share successful and sustainable approaches for helping the most at-risk students and improving low-performing schools. Find out more at www.pearsoned.com/commoncore. Triangle Coalition member, Pearson, has a vision of effective education: a virtuous circle of learning where powerful technologies enable teachers to assess students unobtrusively, diagnose their learning needs swiftly, prescribe personalized learning, and monitor student progress. This ongoing cycle of feedback to students, teachers, and parents begins by optimizing assessment data and putting it to work for continuous improvement in student progress and teaching effectiveness. More details are at www.pearsonschool.com.

GET READY FOR NATIONAL ENGINEERS WEEK

National Engineers Week (February 20-26, 2011) provides an opportunity to focus attention on the significant contributions engineers make to our modern society. This annual event also provides an opportunity to help students understand the kind of work that engineers do. This year, to help celebrate the 60th anniversary of Engineers Week, the Engineers Week Foundation is giving special recognition to engineer volunteers. The Engineers Week website offers toolkits for engineer volunteers and educators. The toolkit provides tips on how to recognize and energize your local volunteers, suggestions for outreach opportunities, and more.

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