VERNIER AND NSTA PARTNER TO OFFER TECHNOLOGY AWARD   When it comes to innovation in the science classroom, teachers who provide hands-on learning experiences reign supreme with students. Vernier Software & Technology and the National Science Teacher's Association (NSTA) come together each year to reward those educators who lead students down a hands-on, inquiry-based path with the Vernier Software & Technology/NSTA Technology Award. Vernier will provide up to seven awards, each valued at $3000, for educators who demonstrate innovative uses of data-collection technology using a computer, graphing calculator, or other handheld device in the science classroom. The awards will be given to up to one elementary teacher, two middle school teachers, three high school teachers, and one college-level educator. Each will receive a $1000 cash award, $1000 in Vernier equipment, and $1000 toward travel and expenses to attend NSTA's National Convention in 2008. Entries will be judged by a panel of experts appointed by NSTA and are due by October 15, 2007. Downloadable applications and guidelines are online. To submit for the award, educators can be nominated or self-nominated.   "Inquiry-based activities create an opportunity for very effective learning and lasting knowledge in students." said David Vernier, co-founder of Vernier and former physics teacher. "Each year, we offer this award in conjunction with NSTA to reward teachers for extraordinary practices and to share their methods with others. Creative science teachers can unlock students' desires to continue into science and math careers." Vernier Software & Technology has been an innovator of data-collection technology for more than 26 years. Creating easy-to-use and affordable science interfaces, sensors, and software, their products can be found in education from middle school to college. Both Vernier Software and NSTA are members of the Triangle Coalition.   FACES OF EARTH TO AIR JULY 23RD ON THE SCIENCE CHANNEL   Production on the high-definition television series "Faces of Earth" is complete, with the first episode, "Assembling America," premiering Monday, July 23 at 9 PM (ET/PT) on The Science Channel. "Faces of Earth," was produced by Evergreen Films and Triangle Coalition member the American Geological Institute (AGI). It is a four-part series exploring how Earth is constantly remade by the forces of nature. The series reveals the natural world around us through those that can read it best -- geoscientists. From the formation of the planet to the emergence of life and the dynamic internal and external processes that have shaped our world and culture, "Faces of Earth" brings Earth to life. "Faces of Earth" employs state-of-the-art computer graphics, aerial photography, and science in exploring Earth's past, present, and future geologic story. To learn more about "Faces of Earth" and to watch trailers from the series, visit www.facesofearth.tv.   The American Geological Institute is a nonprofit federation of 44 geoscientific and professional associations that represents more than 120,000 geologists, geophysicists, and other earth scientists. Founded in 1948, AGI provides information services to geoscientists, serves as a voice of shared interests in the profession, plays a major role in strengthening geoscience education, and strives to increase public awareness of the vital role the geosciences play in society's use of resources and interaction with the environment. More details are at www.agiweb.org.   NCTM RELEASES SECOND VOLUME ON MATH EDUCATION RESEARCH   The Second Handbook of Research on Mathematics Teaching and Learning is now available from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). The new handbook is an update of NCTM's groundbreaking publication of the original handbook in 1992. In the era of No Child Left Behind and increased accountability, the two volumes will be a valuable resource for math education researchers as well as those outside the immediate community. It will help researchers who, today more than ever before, are being urged to gather and analyze data to evaluate instructional practices and curricula. In addition, it will become an essential tool for a wide range of decision makers, including teacher educators, curriculum developers, state and national policy makers, test developers, and others involved in assessment. "The Second Handbook of Research on Mathematics Teaching and Learning picks up where the 1992 handbook leaves off, focusing on research contributions and trends during the past 15 years," says editor Frank K. Lester. "Among the 58 researchers who contributed to the set are many of the most prominent researchers in the field as well as some of the most influential members of the mathematics education community."   The updated handbook includes 31 chapters on a wide array of subjects. The chapters address some of today's most pressing questions in math education: How is a teacher's mathematical knowledge assessed? How do curriculum, culture, and race influence student learning? How can assessments measure and support learning? The handbook is organized around six major themes, including new areas of research that have burgeoned since the 1992 volume, such as early childhood math learning, early algebra and algebraic reasoning, and the learning and teaching of proof. The 1,324 page two-volume set is available for purchase from the NCTM Catalog at my.nctm.org; review copies are available. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is a Triangle Coalition member and was founded in 1920. With 100,000 members and more than 240 affiliates in the United States and Canada, NCTM is the world's largest organization dedicated to improving mathematics education for all students. More details are at www.nctm.org.