Triangle Coalition For Science And Technology Education

Volume 17, Number 40

This Week’s Topics:

• U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO HOST 2012 INTERNATIONAL SUMMIT ON THE TEACHING PROFESSION
• NASA SEEKS HOSTS FOR SPACE STATION INTERACTIVE EDUCATION EVENTS
• REPORT COMPARES U.S. EDUCATION SYSTEMS WITH OTHER OTHER G-8 COUNTRIES
• ASEE RELEASES NEW EDITION OF “ENGINEERING, GO FOR IT” MAGAZINE
• NOAA’S TEACHER AT SEA PROGRAM ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
• RAYTHEON AND MUSEUM OF SCIENCE “GRADUATE” MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS AS HONORARY ENGINEERS
• EXPLORE MARS, INC. LAUNCHES THE 2011–2012 MARS EDUCATION CHALLENGE

– U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO HOST 2012 INTERNATIONAL SUMMIT ON THE TEACHING PROFESSION

The U.S. Department of Education, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and Education International (EI), the global federation of teacher unions, will again join U.S.-based education partners (the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Asia Society, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), the National Education Association (NEA), and public broadcaster WNET) to hold the second ever International Summit on the Teaching Profession in New York City from March 14-15, 2012. “Collaboration, dialogue and learning from others are key to improving our nation’s education system,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “I look forward to reconvening with leaders of high-performing and rapidly improving education systems to deepen our discussion on how to effectively prepare teachers and develop school leaders – two essential components in providing students with a high-quality education.”

The 2012 theme, Preparing Teachers and Developing School Leaders, was chosen based on feedback from the 2011 Summit, where the groundbreaking dialogue first started among ministers and teacher union leaders from sixteen top performing countries and regions. This year’s sessions will examine how to improve teacher preparation and school leader development to better address the needs of 21st century learning environments and changing expectations. Participants will again include small delegations comprised of education ministers, leaders of national teachers’ organizations, and other teacher leaders from countries and regions with high performing and rapidly improving education systems. Last year’s Summit was the first step in an ongoing dialogue among countries and regions about the best way to achieve and sustain high-quality teaching and learning. Summit organizers, led by Asia Society, collaborated to produce a publication on key lessons from the 2011 Summit. Host organizations will again compile effective practices shared during the 2012 Summit and publish a report in the weeks following the event. For more information on the International Summit on the Teaching Profession, click here.

– NASA SEEKS HOSTS FOR SPACE STATION INTERACTIVE EDUCATION EVENTS

Triangle Coalition member, NASA, is seeking proposals from educators who are looking for a unique way to inspire the next generation of explorers. Formal and informal education organizations can apply to host live interactive education downlinks with astronauts onboard the International Space Station. Proposals are being accepted for downlink opportunities during space station missions scheduled for March to September 2012. The deadline to submit comprehensive proposals that target a large number of participants is December 21. During Expeditions 31 and 32, NASA crew members Don Pettit, Joseph Acaba and Sunita Williams will participate in the 20-minute downlink opportunities. Participants on Earth see and hear the crew members live from space, while the crew hears the questions but does not see the audience.

U.S. educational organizations such as school districts, museums, science centers, national and regional education organizations and local, state and federal government agencies are eligible to participate. NASA provides this opportunity at no charge to the host institution. NASA personnel will work with the organization to help plan the event. The downlink opportunities are broadcast live on NASA Television and are streamed on the NASA website. Due to the nature of human spaceflight operations, organizations must demonstrate the flexibility to accommodate changes in downlink dates and times. Participating organizations also must have two dedicated phone lines and be able to receive NASA TV via NASA’s Live Interactive Media Outlet, or LIMO, channel in order to communicate with and view the crew. These educational opportunities are made available through Teaching From Space, a NASA education initiative. For more information on the initiative, visit http://go.usa.gov/Xqt. For more information about NASA’s education programs, visit www.nasa.gov/education.

– REPORT COMPARES U.S. EDUCATION SYSTEMS WITH OTHER OTHER G-8 COUNTRIES

A new report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) compares educational systems in the United States with systems in other G-8 countries. This 2011 edition of a biennial series of compendia reports describes key education outcomes and contexts of education in the Group of Eight (G-8) countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The report is organized into five topical areas: population and school enrollment, academic performance, contexts for learning, expenditures for education, and educational attainment and income. Results are drawn from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) ongoing Indicators of Education Systems (INES) program, as well as the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), which is also coordinated by the OECD. Findings include:

• The United States awarded the lowest percentage (15 percent) of first university degrees in science, mathematics, and engineering-related fields among all the G-8 countries in 2008. In the other G-8 countries, the percentages ranged from 22 percent in Canada and Italy to 29 percent in Germany.
• In science literacy, the performance pattern of 15-year-old males and females was not consistent across the G-8 countries. The only measurable differences were in 2009 in the United States (14-point advantage for males, on average) and Canada (5-point advantage for males, on average), and in 2006 and 2009 in the United Kingdom (10- and 9-point advantage for males, respectively, on average).
• In 2007, the total expenditures per student and the portion of these expenditures devoted to core education services were higher in the United States than in all other G-8 countries with data reported at the combined primary and secondary education levels and the higher education level.

This compendium is a product of the National Center for Education Statistics at the Institute of Education Sciences, part of the U.S. Department of Education. To view the full report, click here.

– ASEE RELEASES NEW EDITION OF “ENGINEERING, GO FOR IT” MAGAZINE

What do the blockbuster movie Avatar, high-performance sports gear, the Angry Birds phone app, and pollution-eating bacteria have in common? They are among a host of fascinating innovations developed by engineers and featured in the newest edition of the American Society for Engineering Education’s (ASEE) Engineering, Go For It (eGFI) magazine. The publication is available online. The kid-friendly magazine is part of ASEE’s campaign to inspire more K-12 students, particularly young women and underrepresented minorities, to pursue engineering careers. Illustrating how engineers make a difference in the world, the new edition includes:

• Stories featuring robots that imitate animals, Hollywood special effects, clean energy innovations, and technological advances giving athletes a winning edge.
• Engaging profiles on an array of engineering careers and disciplines.
• Fresh, cutting-edge examples of engineering innovations that are transforming fields from aerospace and medical care to architecture and materials science.
• Interviews with eight students currently participating in the Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship sponsored by the Department of Defense and administered by ASEE.

eGFI’s fifth edition arrives at a critical time for the United States as it seeks to compete in today’s global economy. Once a world leader, the American education system now lags in producing engineers and technology professionals. That has prompted policymakers and business leaders to call for a dramatic increase in the number of students pursuing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Founded in 1893, Triangle Coalition member, ASEE, is a nonprofit organization committed to promoting excellence in engineering and engineering technology education, and advancing research, public service, and the practice of engineering worldwide.

– NOAA’S TEACHER AT SEA PROGRAM ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Teacher at Sea Program is now accepting applications for its 2012 Field Season. The mission of the program is to give teachers a clearer insight into our ocean planet, a greater understanding of maritime work and studies, and to increase their level of environmental literacy by fostering an interdisciplinary research experience. The program provides a unique environment for learning and teaching by sending kindergarten through college-level teachers to sea aboard NOAA research and survey ships to work under the tutelage of scientists and crew. Then, armed with new understanding and experience, teachers bring this knowledge back to their classrooms. Indeed, the greatest payoff of NOAA’s Teacher at Sea program is the enthusiasm for learning more about our ocean planet generated between teachers and students.

Since its inception in 1990, the program has enabled more than 500 teachers to gain first-hand experience of science and life at sea. By participating in this program, it becomes possible for teachers to enrich their classroom curricula with a depth of understanding made possible by living and working side-by-side, day and night, with those who contribute to the world’s body of oceanic and atmospheric scientific knowledge. Applications are due November 30; more details are at http://teacheratsea.noaa.gov/apply.

– RAYTHEON AND MUSEUM OF SCIENCE “GRADUATE” MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS AS HONORARY ENGINEERS

More than 1,600 students, teachers and chaperones from 16 New England middle schools immersed themselves in the field of engineering recently through an “Explore Engineering Day” event organized by Raytheon Company and held at the Museum of Science, Boston. The first-of-its-kind event introduced students to fundamental engineering concepts through interaction with Raytheon engineers and volunteers at hands-on activity stations that brought to life the wonders of robotics, satellites and air traffic control. By completing tasks at the three activity stations, plus a fourth station devoted to mathematics, students qualified to earn an honorary “engineering certificate” to take home as a memento of their achievements. “The Museum is committed to offering new and exciting interactive programs that focus on engineering and technology,” said Paul Fontaine, the Museum of Science’s vice president of Education. “We are thrilled that, through our partnership with Raytheon, the Museum can host this first-of-a-kind event that sparks students’ interest in engineering through hands-on activities with practicing engineers and in important fields like robotics, satellites and air traffic control.”

Raytheon is the Museum of Science, Boston’s longest active corporate supporter with a relationship dating to 1953. Raytheon recently announced a $1 million sponsorship to the museum in support of its Engineering is Elementary (EiE) program that taps into the natural curiosity of school children to cultivate their understanding of engineering and technology. The EiE curriculum provides a structure for teamwork as students work together to apply their knowledge of science and math in creative ways, and to design, create and improve possible solutions. Triangle Coalition member, the Museum of Science, Boston, introduces about 1.5 million visitors a year to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) via dynamic programs and hundreds of exhibits. Its National Center for Technological Literacy’s engineering curricula (including EiE) have reached 30,000 teachers and close to 3 million students nationwide. More details are at www.mos.org.

– EXPLORE MARS, INC. LAUNCHES THE 2011–2012 MARS EDUCATION CHALLENGE

After an exciting first year of the Mars Education Challenge, Explore Mars, Inc. is pleased to announce the second annual Mars Education Challenge (MEC). MEC asks science educators who teach grades 7-12 to develop inspiring ways to fit Mars science and exploration into their “every day” classroom lessons — such as biology, chemistry, physics, and geology. MEC empowers teachers to create lessons that will enable educators to teach these topics in new and interesting ways by using Mars as an example. “Building a database of science lessons that use Mars to assist in the learning process is very rewarding for us at Explore Mars,” commented Explore Mars President, Artemis Westenberg. “It provides a service to all those teachers who cannot find the time to design such lessons themselves, but would love to use them in class.
MEC is definitely our project with the widest impact.”

During the inaugural year of the program, MEC recognized five winning science educators who developed lesson plans that successfully utilized Mars in virtually all scientific disciplines. The 2011-2012 MEC will recognize a grand prize winner as well as up to seven First Place winners. First Place winners will receive $2,500 grants and the national winner will receive a $5,000 grant. Winners will also have an opportunity to do field research with well-known planetary scientists. MEC is being presented in partnership with Triangle Coalition member, the National Science Teachers Association, and with The Planetary Society. Curricula support materials are due by January 16, 2011. For additional details and updates concerning MEC, or the Explore Mars organization, visit www.exploremars.org/page/mars-education-challenge.

__________________________________________________________ – TCEB Sponsors This week’s TCEB is sponsored by 3M. 3M and the 3M Foundation are committed to supporting innovative and practical initiatives which enhance the quality of life in 3M communities around the world. With the goal of helping to develop productive, educated and involved citizens, 3M targets programs that address related education, family, and community issues. Science and math education and youth development are top priorities. In addition to education, 3M also supports health and human services, the arts, and environmental efforts. 3M and the 3M Foundation donate millions to education, arts and cultural, health and human services, and environmental organizations. To find out how your organization can sponsor the TCEB or support the Triangle Coalition in other ways, click here. __________________________________________________________________

The TCEB is a newsletter provided to members of the Triangle Coalition. Triangle Coalition members may forward individual articles or the issue in its entirety to internal member lists, providing that credit is given to the Triangle Coalition, and contact information is included in any republication.

Member organizations that choose to redistribute the TCEB internally must provide an electronic method for these additional recipients to be removed from the member organization's mailing list.

To submit information for possible inclusion in TCEB, contact stemeducation@triangle-coalition.org.