[ISTA-talk]AAPT Update 2001 Number 7
AAPT Update 2001 Number 7 The following message is from the Executive Office of the American Association of Physics Teachers, College Park, Maryland. **CONTENTS*** 1. ABSTRACT DEADLINE IS SEPTEMBER 4 2. NEW FACULTY WORKSHOP 3. PROCEEDINGS OF THE PERC2001 CONFERENCE IN ROCHESTER 4. 2001-2002 PHYSICS PRODUCTS CATALOG RELEASED *** 1. ABSTRACT DEADLINE IS SEPTEMBER 4 The deadline for submission of all abstracts for the 124th AAPT National Meeting in Philadelphia, PA, is Tuesday, September 4. Please submit electronically through the web at www.aapt.org - 2. NEW FACULTY WORKSHOP AAPT will sponsor the New Physics Astronomy Faculty Workshop November 8 - 11 at the American Center For Physics in College Park, MD. We are seeking NSF support for expenses and we are hopeful that such support will again be forthcoming. This year's program will be expanded to include content specially aimed at those teaching astronomy. Your department chair can nominate you if you are in the first few years of your initial tenure-track appointment. Nominations can be emailed to Kenneth Krane ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) or to Maria Elena Khoury ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) by October 5. Call the AAPT Programs Department 301-209-3344 if you have any questions. - 3. PROCEEDINGS OF THE PERC2001 CONFERENCE IN ROCHESTER Proceedings of the 2001 Physics Education Research Conference: Research at the Interface held at the AAPT Summer Meeting are now available. Information on how to order the proceedings and the list of papers accepted for publication can be found at the conference website http://piggy.rit.edu/franklin/PERC2001_Proceedings.html. - 4. 2001-2002 PHYSICS PRODUCTS CATALOG RELEASED AAPT has issued the 2001-2002 Physics Products Catalog, which features many new additions, including The Mechanical Universe, books that show how to apply the National Science Standards, and books that give ideas for physics demonstrations. Visit http://www.aapt.org/catalog for more information and a complete listing of new products. - These AAPT Updates are archived on the AAPT web site at http://www.aapt.org/updates The American Association of Physics Teachers One Physics Ellipse College Park, MD 20740-3845 Voice: 301-209-3300 Fax: 301-209-0845 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.aapt.org/ http://www.psrc-online.org/ --- You are currently subscribed to aapt-memb as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- This is the ISTA-talk mailing list. To unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] For more information: http://www.ista-il.org/ista-talk.asp To search the archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/ista-talk@lists.csi.cps.k12.il.us/
[ISTA-talk]TCEB - AUGUST 23, 2001 VOL. 7, NO. 31
T C E B TRIANGLE COALITION ELECTRONIC BULLETIN AUGUST 23, 2001 VOL. 7, NO. 31 _ Published by the TRIANGLE COALITION FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION _ THIS WEEK'S TOPICS: U.S. LOOKS ABROAD FOR TEACHERS TO FILL GAP 2002 NSTA AWARD PROGRAMS RECOGNIZE SCIENCE TEACHING'S UNSUNG HEROES BOEING TENTH ANNUAL SUMMER SCIENCE CAMP FAVORS FACE TIME OVER SCREEN TIME FOR 400 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA STUDENTS NEW SCIENCE RESOURCES AT FREE HOMESCHOOLERS ESTIMATED AT 850,000 TOYOTA TAPESTRY GRANT PROGRAM EXPANDS TO $550,000 IN TEACHING GRANTS FOR THE ENHANCEMENT OF SCIENCE EDUCATION GRANT AND FUNDING INFORMATION U.S. LOOKS ABROAD FOR TEACHERS TO FILL GAP (Source: AOL News, August 14, 2001) Confronted with a growing shortage of teachers, some U.S. school districts are hiring staff from abroad to fill vacancies in America's classrooms. Districts across the United States are experiencing an acute shortage of teachers; and as more baby boomers retire over the next decade, the situation can only worsen, members of a panel of educators said at a forum on education. Carlos Ponce, in charge of recruitment in Chicago's public schools -- America's third largest school district -- said he had sought teachers from other countries, largely for math, science, and language classes. The immigration authorities agreed to grant a limited number of special visas each year for vacant slots because Chicago had a critical shortage of teachers, he said. More than 40 foreign teachers have been hired in the Chicago area, and most were put in schools where it was hardest to place teachers. While exact statistics were not available, the officials said the same trend was occurring in other areas, including New York and Maryland on the East Coast and California in the West. Cleveland's school district recently turned to India for candidates and in some areas; up-front cash enticements are being offered to lure teachers. The education experts, however, stressed that the solution to the lack of teachers lies more in improving pay and working conditions for U.S. educators and in giving the teaching profession the respect it deserves. There are currently about 3 million teachers in U.S. schools; and the National Center for Education Statistics estimates more than 2 million more will need to be hired in the next decade to keep up with retirement, attrition, increased student enrollment, and the demand for smaller class sizes. Tom Loveless, director of the Brown Center on Education Policy and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said about 50 percent of teachers left their jobs in the first four years and a large number quit due to relocation of a spouse or partner. He said it needed to be easier to move from one district to another and to provide alternatives to the strict certification process. 2002 NSTA AWARD PROGRAMS RECOGNIZE SCIENCE TEACHING'S UNSUNG HEROES The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) has announced its 2002 Teacher Award Programs for K-12 science educators in the U.S. and Canada. The awards recognize and reward educators who are committed to making a difference in science teaching and learning. The NSTA teacher awards recognize K-12 teachers of science, principals, and other educators who are demonstrating their passion for science education. There are countless unsung heroes who are giving so much to help their students succeed in science, said Harold Pratt, NSTA President. It's only fitting that we recognize them for their effort and contribution. We also want to showcase the outstanding lesson plans and projects that educators are developing so that their peers can benefit from their work. This year, NSTA is offering 14 different award programs that are administered by the Association and funded by various corporations and organizations. Many of the awards recognize teachers for their development and implementation of unique science programs and curricula, as does the Gustav Ohaus Program for Innovations in Science Teaching, while others honor individuals who show outstanding leadership and dedication to the profession, including NSTA's prestigious Robert H. Carleton Award. For information about the NSTA Teacher Awards Program, visit www.nsta.org/programs. Deadline for most of this year's programs is November 15, 2001. BOEING TENTH ANNUAL SUMMER SCIENCE CAMP FAVORS FACE TIME OVER SCREEN TIME FOR 400 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA STUDENTS Four hundred students in Southern California spent three weekends in July with engineers and rocket scientists, taking part in science workshops that build creative thinking skills, problem-solving ability, and self-esteem in a fun and energizing environment. The Boeing Summer Science Camp is a
[ISTA-talk]Skylights
Skylights, University of Illinois Department of Astronomy. Astronomy News for the week starting Sunday, August 24 2001. Phone (217) 333-8789. Prepared by Jim Kaler. Find Skylights on the Web at http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/skylights.html, and Stars (Stars of the Week) with constellation photographs at http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/sow.html. The Moon passes through its first quarter early in the week, on Saturday, the 25th, thereafter waxing toward its full phase, brightening as it goes through Scorpius and Sagittarius, bottoming out at its most southerly position of the month the night of Tuesday, the 28th. The night of Saturday, the 25th, the Moon will pass 12 degrees north of Antares in Scorpius, while the following night it will be approaching its passage to the north of Mars. The night of Thursday the 30th, it is Neptune's turn to be visited. Mars is now transiting the meridian to the south in bright twilight; by darkness it has moved into the southwest, where, as seen in the early evening, it will remain throughout the year. For observers in the mid-northern hemisphere, setting time has moved to just after midnight daylight time. But as Mars prepares to set, Saturn rises in the northeast, followed around 2 AM by Jupiter, which has now pulled rather far to the west of Venus, the brilliant morning star rising before the onset of twilight until the end of October (by which time Saturn and Jupiter will be rising in early- to-mid evening). Not that anyone will notice, but Pluto ceases its westerly retrograde movement against the stars of southern Ophiuchus this week, on Saturday the 25th. Three days later, Ceres, the largest asteroid (570 miles -- 910 kilometers -- wide and also invisible without a telescope), does the same thing. The orbits of asteroids are commonly more highly tilted than are those of the planets (Pluto excepted). Ceres, now beneath the Little Milk Dipper in Sagittarius, is about as far south as it gets, some 8 degrees below the ecliptic (the apparent path of the Sun). As August heads towards September, the sky's fifth brightest star, Vega in Lyra, passes nearly overhead in early evening for those in mid-northern latitudes. A bit farther north (and a bit west) is the much fainter head of Draco, the Dragon. A line drawn south from Vega passes through the line of stars that makes the tail of Serpens the Serpent (the only constellation that comes in two parts, the head and tail divided by Ophiuchus), then much farther down back to Sagittarius, which sits atop Corona Australis, the Southern Crown. Once the Moon gets out of the way, you can admire the great star clouds of the Milky Way that seem to blanket Sagittarius, the celestial archer, one of two mythological centaurs in the sky, the other Centaurus, a much larger constellation now escaping to the west, its southern portions far below the horizon for most people in the northern hemisphere. STAR OF THE WEEK. MENKENT (Theta Centauri). Centaurus is dominated by its two brightest stars, Rigil Kentaurus (Alpha Centauri, third brightest star in the sky and the nearest star to the Earth) and first magnitude Hadar (Beta Centauri). Though these two shine brilliantly to the lucky residents of the southern hemisphere, neither is visible from mid-northern latitudes, so if those that live there wish to know Centaurus, they must begin with the third brightest star in the constellation, Menkent, to which is assigned the rather lowly letter Greek letter Theta (Gamma Centauri rather oddly coming in second). The name comes from an Arabic word for shoulder (of the Centaur), to which is attached the Latin abbreviation for Kentaurus for Centaur, tying Menkent back to the constellation's luminary, Rigil Kentaurus. Menkent, at mid-second magnitude (2.06) is but four percent fainter to the eye than Polaris. Much closer than Polaris, however, only 61 light years away, it is intrinsically much less luminous. At the warm end of class K (K0), the star is a near-clone of the northern hemisphere's Pollux, just fainter to the eye than Pollux because it is 80 percent more distant. Menkent, with no known or even suspected companions, is about as pure a sample of its class you can come by. From its 4780 Kelvin surface, this yellow-orange star radiates at a luminosity 60 times that of the Sun, the star's radius 11 times solar. Well along in its evolution, Menkent is now fusing helium into carbon and oxygen in its deep core. The star's only offbeat property is its rather high proper motion, its speed across the line of sight. Approaching us at only one kilometer per second, it is speeding past us at 65 kilometers per second, about twice normal, suggesting that the star really belongs to the outer part of the Galaxy's disk and is only visiting the solar neighborhood. Jim Kaler Professor of Astronomy Phone: (217) 333-9382 University of
[ISTA-talk]
Title: Reminder - it is not too late to apply for the RCTA workshop and convention. BUT you need to do so by September 3rd at the very latest. Here is the information. It will be a great opportunity! Go to the website www.ihobbyexpo.com. and look for the science teachers button. Cost is only for the lunch - all materials and training are free! Diana NEWS The Radio Control Hobby Trade Association unveils exciting educational module to all Illinois Teachers. For Immediate Release: Contact: 847-740-; Mary DeBaggis, Public Relations [EMAIL PROTECTED] Radio Control Hobby Trade Association www.ihobbyexpo.com In line with State Goals and Standards, RCHTA announces the unveiling of the Aerospace Curriculum Educator (ACE). This exciting, educational module will certify Illinois teachers as Aerospace Educators. The unveiling will commence on September 8, 2001 at the Donald E. Stephen's Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. RCHTA has partnered with the Chicago Youth and Aviation Project and the Illinois Science Teacher's Association to develop a curriculum that includes lesson plans applicable to several of Illinois' State Goals and Standards for Education. It is an Illinois State mandate that one unit (3 hours) of Aviation be taught to 5th grade students. This forum will be accredited through the Illinois Science Teacher's Association. There will be five components to this module, each approximately one hour in length. The components are: 1. History of Flight in Nature, 2. How Things Fly, 3. Parts of an Airplane, 4. Air Transportation System, 5. The RCHTA Flyer. Teachers who complete the forum will be accredited C.E.U.'s (Continuing educational units) that are necessary for re-certification in the state of Illinois. ACE will be used as a tool for teaching students in Illinois. This hands-on approach will give students tangible applications to the scientific principles of flight. The airplane that will be built (RCHTA Flyer) will be comprised of balsa wood, specifically a 36-inch wing-span. Children work better with larger models. This airplane will be basic in nature, which will afford children the opportunity to customize and individualize their own RCHTA Flyer. A main representative from the Chicago Public School District will be on hand for the unveiling. A media sneak preview is slated for Thursday, September 6, 2001 during The International Model and Hobby Expo at the Donald E. Stephen's Convention Center. A panelist from the FAA will be conducting a question and answer session. SIG Manufacturing from Montezuma, Iowa will provide the balsa wood to build the modules. Information on how to obtain additional RCHTA Flyers will be available at the forum. The intent is to use this Illinois ACE program as a template for classrooms nationwide. The Radio Control Hobby Trade Association was formed in 1984 as a not-for-profit trade association. It represents professionals actively engaged in manufacturing, importing, packaging or publishing radio control merchandise. Registration and further information can be found at www.ihobbyexpo.com. Or call Mary DeBaggis, Public Relations RCHTA/International Model and Hobby Expo 847-740- ext. 13. -- Diana Dummitt College of Education 1310 S. Sixth Street Champaign, IL 61820 Phone: 217-244-0173 Fax: 217-244-5437
[ISTA-talk]Have fun - teacher workshop Fermi problems
A Celebration of Enrico Fermi¹s Life - September 29, 2001 How many piano tuners are there in Chicago? Have fun learning about Fermi problems and other engaging activities targeted for students in grades K-8 Enrico Fermi was a great teacher who liked to help his students learn to think for themselves. His problems do not contain all the information you need to solve them. Fermi showed his students how to break down the problem into smaller parts and make some estimations and assumptions. On the celebration of his 100th birthday, come participate in this celebration of learning. September 29, 2001 9:00 am 12: noon WORKSHOP 12:00 1:00 pm LUNCH 1:00 3:30 pm STUDENT ACTIVITIES $30/Teacher (Lunch included) 1 CEU or 5 CPDUs Available o IMPROVE YOUR STUDENTS¹ PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES o LEARN NEW ENGAGING ACTIVITIES FOR YOUR CLASSROOM o APPLY WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED WITH ACTUAL STUDENTS o LEARN ABOUT EXEMPLARY PROBLEM SOLVERS SUCH AS ENRICO FERMI For registration form go to: www-ed.fnal.gov/educators.html Questions? Call 630-840-3092 Many thanks to Friends of Fermilab for underwriting a portion of this workshop. -- Susan Dahl*Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory*Lederman Science Education Center*Teacher Resource Center*PO Box 500, MS 777*Batavia, IL 60510-0500* E-Mail:[EMAIL PROTECTED]*Voice:630-840-3094*Fax:630-840-2500*http://www-ed.fnal .gov/* -- This is the ISTA-talk mailing list. To unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] For more information: http://www.ista-il.org/ista-talk.asp To search the archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/ista-talk@lists.csi.cps.k12.il.us/
[ISTA-talk]Two New Back-to-School Publications
TODAY, AS PART OF HIS Back to School, Moving Forward tour, Secretary Paige issued 2 new publications describing how educators community business leaders can help make President Bush's education goals a reality in local schools. The brochures, What No Child Left Behind Means for America's Educators What No Child Left Behind Means for America's Communities, are at the Back to School, Moving Forward website: http://www.ed.gov/inits/backtoschool/teachers/ The press release about the brochures the Secretary's visit today in Orlando, Florida, is below. == Education Secretary Paige Issues Back-to-School Guides U.S. Department of Education, August 24, 2001 == As part of his Back to School, Moving Forward tour, U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige visited Orlando, Fla., today to talk with parents, educators and community leaders about the bold education reforms on the horizon for all of America's schools. During his visit, he released two new Education Department publications created to speak to educators and community and business leaders about the role they can play in making President Bush's education reform goals a reality in the local schools. The publications are the last in a three-part series being distributed by the department as part of their annual back-to- school activities. Early in the day, Paige spoke with local civic and business leaders at a breakfast meeting hosted by the Florida State Chamber of Commerce and their World Class Schools Foundation. At the meeting, Paige introduced a publication that speaks directly to community leaders about how they can and should help to build accountability systems that will strengthen their local schools so they can prepare local children to be our future business and civic leaders. During a tour of Lancaster Elementary School -- a public school campus that has recently climbed from a D-rated to an A-rated school, according to the State of Florida -- Secretary Paige spoke to parents and teachers about how high standards and annual assessments of student achievement can improve student performance. While at the school, Paige introduced the third and final publication describing opportunities for educators to improve our schools through greater accountability and a focus on doing what works. In a foreword to the publications President Bush writes, Because I believe every child can learn, I intend to ensure that every child does learn. My Administration put forward a plan called No Child Left Behind' based on four principles: accountability for results; local control and flexibility; expanded parental choice; and effective and successful programs. We are pursuing these principles, because too many of our schools fail to help every child to learn. In the introduction in the two publications Paige writes, At the heart of the President's plan is a promise to raise standards for all children. Since we cannot know if we are meeting those standards unless we measure performance, President Bush is committed to annual assessments of student learning in the basic subjects of reading and math. The information from these tests will allow us to identify and reward schools that are making progress and to intervene in schools that are not. Finally, President Bush is committed to doing what works, especially when it comes to teaching young children how to read. In sum, this plan -- in partnership with parents, communities, school leadership and classroom teachers -- will ensure that every child in America receives a great education and that no child is left behind. Legislation to implement the president's education reform plan is presently pending in a House-Senate conference committee. Last week President Bush and Secretary Paige kicked off the Back to School, Moving Forward tour at an elementary school in Albuquerque, N.M., where they released the first Back to School, Moving Forward publication, What No Child Left Behind Means for America's Families. The tour will continue with visits to Atlanta; Denver; Kansas City, Mo.; Long Beach, Calif.; Nashville, Tenn.; Portland Ore.; Raleigh, N.C.; and San Diego and will conclude on Sept. 7. All three publications are available on-line at http://www.ed.gov/backtoschool or by calling toll-free, 1-877-4ED-PUBS. === To subscribe to (or unsubscribe from) EDInfo, address an email message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Then write either SUBSCRIBE EDINFO YOURFIRSTNAME YOURLASTNAME in the message, or write UNSUBSCRIBE EDINFO (if you have a signature block, please turn it off) Then send it! ~~~ Past EDInfo messages: http://www.ed.gov/MailingLists/EDInfo/ Search: http://www.ed.gov/MailingLists/EDInfo/search.html Past ED Initiatives:
