T C E B TRIANGLE COALITION ELECTRONIC BULLETIN SEPTEMBER 27, 2001 VOL. 7, NO. 35 _____________________________________________________
Published by the TRIANGLE COALITION FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION _____________________________________________________ THIS WEEK'S TOPICS: CONFEREES SAY EDUCATION OVERHAUL, A TOP BUSH PRIORITY BEFORE SEPT. 11, CAN STILL BE COMPLETED THIS YEAR HANDS ON/ONLINE SCIENCE CURRICULUM UNITS NOW AVAILABLE ENGINEERING, MATH, AND PHYSICAL SCIENCE CD-ROMS AND VIDEOS OFFERED AT DISCOUNT TO HIGH SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES APPLE FIGHTS TO REGAIN GROUND IN EDUCATION MARKET OKLAHOMA SCHOOLS CHIEF WANTS MORE MATH FOR HIGH SCHOOLERS NASA STUDENT INVOLVEMENT PROGRAM TRIANGLE COALITION MEMBER PROFILE: MID-CONTINENT RESEARCH FOR EDUCATION AND LEARNING MIDDLE-SCHOOL STUDENTS EXPLORE THE NATURE OF CLIMATE AND WEATHER ____________________________________________________ CONFEREES SAY EDUCATION OVERHAUL, A TOP BUSH PRIORITY BEFORE SEPT. 11, CAN STILL BE COMPLETED THIS YEAR (Source: Congressional Quarterly Weekly, September 22, 2001) At a time when many domestic priorities have lost their former sense of urgency, one is gaining a new level of importance within some circles in Congress: finishing the education overhaul bill. Before Sept. 11, the education bill (HR 1) was President Bush's top legislative priority. The day of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Bush was at an elementary school in Sarasota, FL, launching a weeklong campaign to promote literacy and urge a House-Senate conference committee to finish the bill. Now, lawmakers who have been laboring to merge the House and Senate bills into a final version see the effort as a symbol of Congress' determination not to let terrorism shatter its entire agenda. The education bill is not on everyone's list of must-pass legislation that Congress should deal with before it adjourns for the year. Still, lawmakers who serve on the conference committee say the bill is far enough along that it can be finished this year. Significant differences remain over the accountability system, the degree of flexibility, and how much money to put into the overhaul; but those issues may no longer loom as large. The education bill has several things going for it that other domestic priorities do not. Unlike legislation such as the Patients' Bill of Rights and bills to overhaul the campaign finance system, the education bill was a domestic priority for Bush all along. It was not an issue that key members of Congress forced him to deal with before he was ready or in a form he did not support. In addition, the education bills that passed the House and Senate had been stripped of most divisive issues by the time the votes were taken. They were carefully negotiated from the beginning by bipartisan working groups which gave them the momentum to slide through both chambers with strong bipartisan support. Finally, education staffers have been working through the summer to resolve thousands of technical differences in the two bills, as well as hashing out compromises on substantive but non-controversial provisions such as the $900 million reading program Bush has proposed to make sure all children can read by the end of third grade. ************************************ HANDS ON/ONLINE SCIENCE CURRICULUM UNITS NOW AVAILABLE Triangle Coalition member TERC has unveiled the pre-publication version of its new web-based, content rich Leveraging Learning science curriculum units. Designed for students in grades 2-8, the units can be accessed at no cost at http://ll.terc.edu. The units integrate hands-on and online classroom activities and assessments. They also support mastery of standards-based science content and process. The Leveraging Learning units cover topics such as acid rain, groundwater, solar energy, the human digestive and circulatory systems, and pets. With titles like "Is Our Surface Water in Danger?," each unit focuses on a central question that leads to exploration of important environmental and social issues. The units supplement a core science curriculum and incorporate online letter and data sharing, display, and analysis. The units are also designed for flexibility. Teachers can do activities one after the other or spread them out over a semester or full year. A carefully designed Teacher's Guide for each unit and all necessary materials are available from the site. Leveraging Learning is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. TERC is a not-for-profit education research and development organization in Cambridge, MA. TERC's mission is to improve math, science, and technology teaching and learning. TERC works at the edges of current theory and practice to contribute to the understanding of learning and teaching, foster professional development, develop applications of new technologies, create curricula and other products, and support school reform. ************************************ ENGINEERING, MATH, AND PHYSICAL SCIENCE CD-ROMS AND VIDEOS OFFERED AT DISCOUNT TO HIGH SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has announced that the non-profit, award winning, "Sloan Career Cornerstone Series" is now being offered at a major discount to high schools, universities, career centers, associations, and corporations. The series includes sets of nine career focused CD-ROMs or nine videotapes that were developed in a unique partnership between eleven engineering, mathematics, and physical science associations including five Triangle Coalition members, the American Geological Institute, the American Institute of Physics, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and the Mathematical Association of America, with the support of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The nine topics include career paths available to chemists, chemical engineers, civil engineers, electrical engineers and computer scientists, geoscientists, materials science and engineering professionals, mathematicians, mechanical engineers, and physicists. The series' sets of videos and CD-ROMs help students make informed career decisions based on the day-to-day experiences of those already working in the technical fields of engineering, mathematics, and the physical sciences. Many universities are using the materials in career centers and introduction to engineering courses, and high schools use it to help students determine early career paths. Videotapes are each between 25 and 64 minutes in length; CD-ROM's include extensive career, salary, and career profile databases plus internet links. The new discounts make the sets available at $50 instead of the list price of $350 for either nine videos or nine CD-ROMs. For more information, or to purchase at the discount level, visit www.careercornerstone.org and download the special discount order form, or e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] to request a form via fax, mail, or e-mail attachment. ************************************ APPLE FIGHTS TO REGAIN GROUND IN EDUCATION MARKET (Source: Sacramento Bee, September 17, 2001) With technology boot camps for teachers and computer-leasing programs for parents, Apple Computer Inc. has been fighting hard to regain ground after losing its lead in education sales to Dell two years ago. It's had some success: Apple boosted its market share from a low of 19 percent in the fourth quarter of 2000 to more than 23 percent in the second quarter of this year, according to International Data Corp. Still, Dell had 37.5 percent in the second quarter. Apple, the first computer maker to focus on the education market, gets an estimated 40 percent of its revenue from schools. But it has had trouble fighting Dell's knack for keeping prices low and shipping supplies fast -- the same advantages that give Dell the overall crown in worldwide PC sales. Apple officials know they face an uphill battle. "We hear from educators and parents -- 'I want my student to be trained on computers that they'll be using at work,"' said Cheryl Vedoe, hired last year as Apple's vice president of education marketing to bolster school sales. PC makers are increasingly going after sales to schools because education is one of the few market segments still growing despite the computer industry slump. ************************************ OKLAHOMA SCHOOLS CHIEF WANTS MORE MATH FOR HIGH SCHOOLERS (Source: The Dallas Morning News, September 17, 2001) If State Superintendent of Schools Sandy Garrett has her way, Oklahoma high school students will have to take four years of math before they are eligible to graduate. It would require all high school seniors to be enrolled in a math course, even if they choose not to take calculus. The plan, which would require public hearings, is expected to be opposed by students, some high school principals, and a few superintendents. Oklahoma's average math score trails the national average. Analysis shows Oklahoma students who took at least four years of math scored at least a full point better on the math section of the ACT than those who took less than four years. Students with more math also fared a point or more better on the overall composite score. In 1999, 31.5 percent of college freshmen required remedial courses in math according to the state higher education regents. That's far higher than the remediation rate of 14.1 percent for English, 5.2 percent for reading, and 4.1 percent for science. Ms. Garrett's call for more math is backed by Gov. Frank Keating and State Education Secretary Floyd Coppedge. Mr. Coppedge said more stringent requirements at the high school level will raise the bar for lower-level students and improve performance at elementary and middle schools. He also said Oklahoma eighth-graders should be required to take algebra instead of waiting until their freshman year of high school. ************************************ NASA STUDENT INVOLVEMENT PROGRAM The NASA Student Involvement Program's (NSIP) 2001-2002 competition information for students and teachers, grades K-12, is now available and may be downloaded from the NSIP web site http://education.nasa.gov/nsip. Grades K-2 are now part of the NSIP competitions. NSIP is a national program of six competitions that links students directly with NASA's diverse and exciting mission of research, exploration, and discovery. Students submit entries that sharpen their inquiry, problem solving, and creative writing skills. This program provides connections to national standards, state frameworks, and local school curriculum. NSIP is more than a competition, providing an inquiry-based approach to science, math, technology, and geography education. New this year is the Aerospace Technology Engineering Challenge competition for middle school students. Students design and build an aerospace structure similar to the launch structures used to fly large and small experimental aircraft each year for NASA. Students create this structure with materials such as cardboard and craft sticks. Students are also invited to participate in competitions based on grade level in the following areas: My Planet, Earth Science and Technology Journalism, Design a Mission to Mars, Watching Earth Change, and Space Flight Opportunities. Resource Guides for all the competitions are available on the web site, and all students submitting qualified entries receive a certificate of participation. Flight Opportunity winners and their teachers receive a trip to Student Flight Week at NASA Wallops Flight Facility. Deadlines for applications are in mid January. Check http://education.nasa.gov/nsip for details. Printed versions of NSIP materials may also be requested by calling 800-848-8429. ************************************ TRIANGLE COALITION MEMBER PROFILE: MID-CONTINENT RESEARCH FOR EDUCATION AND LEARNING Triangle Coalition member, the Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL), located in Aurora, CO, is a private, nonprofit organization whose purpose is to improve education through applied research and development. McREL provides products and services, primarily for K-12 educators, to promote the best instructional practices in the classroom. Established in 1966, McREL maintains a staff of some 100 employees. Regional activities of McREL include: - Operating the Central Regional Educational Laboratory which provides field-based research, technical assistance, professional development, evaluation and policy studies, and information services to state and local education agencies in Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. - Operating the Mid-continent Eisenhower Regional Consortium which promotes and supports systemic reform in mathematics and science education. The Consortium collaborates with state departments of education, post-secondary institutions, National Science Foundation-funded initiatives, and other state and federal agencies. This is one of 10 Eisenhower Consortiums. - Supporting the Region IX Comprehensive Assistance Center by serving Colorado educators who work with diverse student populations. This is one of 15 Comprehensive Assistance Centers. McREL's products have been successfully incorporated into classrooms across the United States and in other countries. For more information and a list of materials, visit www.mcrel.org or call 303-632-5552. ************************************ MIDDLE-SCHOOL STUDENTS EXPLORE THE NATURE OF CLIMATE AND WEATHER Middle-school students are learning more about climate and weather using a new hands-on, inquiry-based curriculum module developed by Triangle Coalition member, the American Geological Institute (AGI), in association with It's About Time Publishing. The recently released Investigating Climate and Weather unit is the fourth of nine modules comprising the Investigating Earth Systems curriculum program. This new series, being developed in accordance with the National Science Education Standards and the American Association for the Advancement of Science-Project 2061's Benchmarks for Science Literacy, is designed to help students understand fundamental Earth science concepts by the time they complete the eighth grade. Investigating Earth Systems provides the teacher and students with a wide selection of content that meets local interests and course objectives. The modules can be used as stand-alone units or as a full course presented in any order. For more information, visit www.agiweb.org/education or contact Dr. Michael J. Smith, AGI Education Director at [EMAIL PROTECTED] The American Geological Institute is a nonprofit federation of 37 geoscientific and professional associations that represent more than 120,000 geologists, geophysicists, and other earth scientists. The Institute also provides a public-outreach web site, www.earthscienceworld.org. _____________________________________________________ This TCEB is made possible by a grant from AT&T. Please visit www.att.com/learningnetwork for more information about AT&T's support for education. The TCEB is a newsletter provided to members of the Triangle Coalition. Members may forward individual articles or the issue in its entirety providing that credit is given to the Triangle Coalition, and all of the following contact information is included in any republication. For TCEB subscription or membership information, contact: Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology Education 1201 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20005 phone: 800-582-0115 fax: 202-289-1303 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.triangle-coalition.org To submit information for possible inclusion in TCEB, contact: Joanne Van Voorhis, Target Marketing, Editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] ************************************ THE MISSION OF THE TRIANGLE COALITION IS TO FOSTER COLLABORATION AMONG LEADERS IN EDUCATION, BUSINESS, AND GOVERNMENT TO IMPROVE SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION. The Triangle Coalition membership includes business, labor, education, science, mathematics, technology and engineering organizations, and community and state-based alliances. ************************************ -- This is the CPS Science Teacher List. To unsubscribe, send a message to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For more information: <http://home.sprintmail.com/~mikelach/subscribe.html>. To search the archives: <http://www.mail-archive.com/science%40lists.csi.cps.k12.il.us/>
