RI Science Professional Development and Student Opportunity Bulletin

June 14, 2013

This bulletin will be sent on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. If you would like to share an event, quality resource, or other opportunity, please follow the directions for doing so at the bottom of the newsletter. To SUBSCRIBE send an email to Peter.Mclaren@ride.ri.gov with SUBSCRIBE RISCI-MSHS in the Subject Line

Go To RIScienceTeachers - https://riscienceteachers.wikispaces.com/ for PDF copy of past issues

New In This Bulletin Prof. Development Student Opportunities Job Opportunities Web Sites News

New In This Bulletin:

Harvard Medical School Professional Development for High School Teachers - Personal Genetics in the High School Classroom: Ethical, Legal and Social Issues

News:
Registration is now open for the third and final webinar of the 2013 Hurricanes: Science and Society (HSS) Webinar Series for Educators!
The webinar will take place Wednesday, June 26, 2013, at 4:30pm EDT. During this 1-hour webinar, Jamie Rhome, Storm Surge Specialist and Lead at the National Hurricane Center (NHC), will discuss the impact of storm surge, how it is observed, measured, and modeled, with a focus on events surrounding Hurricane Sandy. Mr. Rhome oversees the NHCs Storm Surge Unit, which produces official storm surge forecasts during tropical cyclone threats to the United States, supports the Nations hurricane warning program, and facilitates post-storm response and recovery efforts. In addition this discussion on storm surge, a National Weather Service (NWS) expert will review historical hurricanes that have impacted the Northeast Atlantic coast. Informal science educators (e.g. personnel at museums and science centers), instructors of middle and high school level classes, instructors of undergraduate level courses, other educators, EMA personnel, and other interested parties are encouraged to participate. All participants must register in advance of the webinar. Registration links and other webinar information can be found on the HSS website: http://www.hurricanescience.org/resources/webinar2013/.

Please tune in to learn about these important topics! The 2013 Atlantic Hurricane Season officially began on June 1, 2013- hurricane awareness and preparation can reduce the impact of hurricanes and save lives. If you have any questions about these webinars, or the HSS project, please contact Holly Morin (holly_morin@mail.uri.edu). The 2013 Hurricanes: Science and Society (HSS) Webinar Series for Educators is presented by The University of Rhode Island, Graduate School of Oceanography in partnership with the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE). Special thanks to our panelists from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Web Sites Worth Exploring:

NGSS@NSTA - http://www.nsta.org/about/standardsupdate/standards.aspx
Science educators can access web seminars, articles from peer-reviewed journals, NSTA Press books, short courses and face-to-face conference lectures and workshops, all designed to build an understanding of the standards and provide a pathway for incorporating the standards into classroom instruction.

Professional Development Opportunities for Teachers

Lab Safety Institute Webinar on How to Create a More Effective Lab Safety Program. June 25th at 1:00 PM ET
Lab Safety Institute is partnering with BioRAFT to offer a free, webinar on June 25 th at 1PM on How to Create a More Effective Lab Safety Program. If you would like to register, please click on the following link: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/470504752 For more information contact: James A. Kaufman, Ph.D. President/CEO The Laboratory Safety Institute (LSI) A Nonprofit International Organization for Safety in Science and Science Education 192 Worcester Street, Natick, MA 01760-2252 508-647-1900 Fax: 508-647-0062 Cell: 508-574-6264 Res: 781-237-1335 Skype: labsafe; 508-319-1225 jim@labsafetyinstitute.org www.labsafetyinstitute.org

Become a NASA Global Precipitation Measurement Master Teacher Applications due June 15th (MS and HS Teachers)
NASAs Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission is looking for a small cadre of GPM Master Teachers to help develop and pilot STEM lessons to be used with middle school audiences. Selected teachers will earn a stipend for their participation, which will run from July 1, 2013 through June 1st, 2014. All of the training and participation will be conducted online. It is anticipated that teachers will spend approximately 15-20 hours per month working on this collaborative project. This competitive opportunity is open to middle and high school science teachers. We are seeking teachers who have taught at the middle/high school level for at least five years, and who have demonstrated the ability to collaborate in Professional Learning Communities within their school district. For more information and to apply, please go to http://pmm.nasa.gov/education/current-activities/GPM-Master-Teachers Applications are due to Dorian Janney (email - dorian.w.janney@nasa.gov) by June 15, 2013! For more information contact Dorian Janney dorian.w.janney@nasa.gov Education Specialist Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) http://pmm.nasa.gov/ (office) 301.286-8912 GSFC, Bldg. 33, H 102 Greenbelt, MD 20771

Professional Development Sessions Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in English language arts (ELA)/Literacy June 20 June 27 (ALL)
The Rhode Island Department of Education is offering professional development (PD) sessions regarding the critical areas of focus within the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in English language arts (ELA)/Literacy. PD sessions will be held in June and are dedicated in developing a cadre of school leaders to facilitate professional development at the school level. The PD will provide participants with experiences similar to those in the found in the modules which are currently on our website at: www.ride.ri.gov/CCSSforELA-Literacy-Educators Many of these modules (text complexity, writing and argument) will resonate for science educators. These modules are designed to assist educators as they deepen their understanding in each of the topics. The direct link to the Workshop Registration System is http://www.eride.ri.gov/workshopreg/main.aspx Using the drop down calendar box, select the Common Core State Standards- Professional Development button. It will take you to the list of workshops. Once logged in you may register for any session. For questions regarding the June sessions, please contact CCSSPD@ride.ri.gov

Summer Research for Teacher Opportunities: NSF Engineering Research Center for Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere
Program Dates: 5 weeks, July 1st through August 2nd , although exact dates and length may vary by project Times: 9 am - 4 pm, Monday through Friday Location: College of Engineering, UMass Amherst Stipend: typically $1k/week For application materials, please email Dr. Paula Rees (rees@ecs.umass.edu) Two projects are available: 1. Development of Labs for ECE 361: Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering ECE 361 is an introduction to modern electrical engineering for non-Electrical and Computer Engineering majors. The course covers basic electric-circuit elements and laws, including firstand second-order circuits, AC circuit analysis, systems concepts, diodes, bipolar junction transistors, field-effect transistors, digital logic, transistor amplifiers, electromagnetics, transformers, transducers, generators, and motors. Dr. McLaughlin is working on developing new labs and the associated lab packets for the course, and seeks the assistance of teacher to do so, which will help ensure the material is accessible and beneficial to non-ECE majors. Ideally, some of the labs developed for the course could be modified for use in K12 curriculum. 2. Assessment of Qualitative Precipitation Estimation (QPE) In this project, CASA QPE will be compared to local ground precipitation data and existing products currently available from NOAA over a range of temporal and spatial scales for a variety of precipitation events. We anticipate working in two disparate environments. CASA has recently built a state of the art radar network in the Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) Metroplex, the 4th largest urban area in the U.S. In addition, CASA is looking to expand utilization of the UMass MA1 radar into new markets, including but not limited to environmental, transportation, and emergency management applications. In addition, we aim to develop of educational modules to translate this work to the K12 classroom is of interest. Middle or High School teachers with similar interests in communications, meteorology, or hazards response are also encouraged to apply.

FREE 5 day ASM Teachers Materials Camp, July 8 12 (MS and HS Teachers)
Attend a 5-day professional development workshop in Materials Science in the Summer of 2013 at no cost to you!

Who should attend? High school general science, chemistry,physics, math and technology teachers Middle school physical science teachers Why attend? Learn how to engage your students using simple, low-cost experiments that you can integrate into your existing lesson plans Help your students discover career opportunities in science & engineering Learn the basics of Materials Science, an exciting branch of physics and chemistry Everything is FREE: 4 CEUs, course materials, lunches & snacks. The course will include one visit to an industrial site, and a session on an electron microscope: each participant can bring a sample! Graduate credits available! Two (2) graduate credits are available at $250. (This is optional.) To apply online & view the complete 2013 ASM Materials Camp schedule, visit: www.asmfoundation.org Venue: Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston, MA Date: July 8-12, 2013 Questions? Jeane Deatherage, Administrator of Foundation Programs jeane.deatherage@asminternational.org ; 1-800-336-5152, X5533; or PeterJepson, jepjepjeppo@gmail.com , 978-462-1175.

NEW!!! Harvard Medical School Professional Development for High School Teachers Personal Genetics in the High School Classroom: Ethical, Legal and Social Issues
Personal Genetics Education Project July 17-18, 2013; 9:30 4:00 Boston, MA Earn 12 PDPs for the two-day session Cost: $30 (scholarships available) Personal Genetics in the High School Classroom: Ethical, Legal and Social Issues Current high school students are among the first generation that will have unprecedented access to information about their DNA, as genome sequencing and genetic testing become cheaper and more available. We create interactive lessons that engage students in discussions about the potential risks and benefits of knowing more about your DNA, as well as ways in which they could be impacted. Our goal is to combine accurate scientific content with the real-world impact on people and the choices they may face. This two-day training for teachers will be an introduction to personal genetics and its impact on society. A wave of personal genetic information is coming how can we prepare students to make informed choices for themselves and for society as a whole? Through workshop-style sessions, we will look at examples of the hopes, realities and controversies in personal genetics. We will start with an overview: Why is genetics getting more personal? What has been happening, scientifically and technologically, since the completion of the Human Genome Project? Starting with scientific questions and concepts, we will make connections to real world opportunities and conundrums your students and their families will face in the coming years. Topics to be covered: Advances in personal genetics, the intersection of athletics and genetics, genetics and aggression/complex human behavior, reproductive genetics, low cost genetic testing, the history of eugenics and future of genetics, crime and DNA, and critical thinking as it applies to assessing genetic risk factors.

Content Area: Biology, Health, Social Studies, Genetics, and Bioethics; grades 9 12 To register, click here. For more information, click here or email Lauren Tomaselli at ltomaselli@pged.med.harvard.edu, or call (617) 432-1797. Visit our website at www.pged.org for more information about our project.

Science Enrichment/Challenge Opportunities for Students

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If you know of something that you feel is a quality resource, event, or opportunity (e.g., grant), please send a newsletter-ready blurb to peter.mclaren@ride.ri.gov containing the following information by 3:00pm on Thursday to be included in the Friday newsletter (subject to RIDE review and approval): 1. Type (e.g., grant, event, resource) 2. Name / Title of Event / Opportunity 3. Source or Event Sponsor 4. Web site, and/or contact name(s) and email address(es) 5. Description 6. Grade level(s) and/or intended audience 7. Deadline (if applicable) for time-sensitive submissions or event RSVPs THIS NOTICE IS DISTRIBUTED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. R.I Department of Education does not have any affiliation or responsibility to promote this information. Peter J. McLaren
Science-Technology Specialist Office of Instruction Rhode Island Department of Education 255 Westminster Street Providence, Rhode Island 02903 401-222-8454

peter.mclaren@ride.ri.gov