Teaching Science in the 21st Century: Part 7 in a Series from NSTA Reports
The seventh installment in NSTA Reports’ series is titled “Formative Assessment Improves Student Learning”. Written by Karen E. Irving, the piece begins “A fundamental tenet in the school accountability debate assumes that high-stakes testing will improve student learning. But the purposes of assessment depend on who is doing the assessing and what they intend to use the data for. Groups outside the classroom such as politicians, principals, or parents often use assessment to compare student scores on one-time tests. These data can be used in auditing schools; monitoring achievement; comparing groups by age, ethnicity, and gender; appraising teachers; evaluating curricula; and exerting pressure for improvement. Besides one-time summative assessments, teachers regularly conduct assessments within their classrooms and analyze them to make decisions that guide their instructional practices. This article describes the information that teachers gather during instruction, the use of that information to guide decisions, and the role of classroom technology in formative assessment.”
This series offers opinion pieces by many of the leaders in science education today. To read the seventh installment in the series, visit http://www.nsta.org/main/news/stories/nsta_story.php?news_story_ID=53559 .
To find out more about the book by the same name that inspired the series, visit
http://store.nsta.org/showItem.asp?product=PB195X
NSTA Selects the Best Science Trade Books for 2007
The NSTA and the Children’s Book Council (CBC) annonce their 2007 selections for outstanding science trade books for students K-12.
How to use this list? Many teachers refer it to their media professionals and to their students’ parents. Some use it to make purchases. And sometimes, teachers grab copies for their own reading pleasure. Above all, these books are meant to be enjoyed!
Visit the following link to view their picks:
http://www.nsta.org/ostbs07
NASA Astrobiology Institute Research Scholarship
The NASA Astrobiology Institute maintains a variety of funding opportunities. These support the NAI mission objectives of interdisciplinary and collaborative research, the training and establishment of young astrobiologists, and the development and advancement of the overall astrobiology community. One of these opportunities is the NAI Research Scholarship.
The NAI Research Scholarship Project offers research-related travel support to enable graduate or postdoctoral students to circulate among two or more NAI teams or participating institutions of the NAI. Requests are limited to $5,000 and are accepted on a continuous basis.
For more information, visit http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/funding/index.cfm#nrs
Proposals for Summer Sabbaticals Being Accepted Until April 2, 2007
The NASA Astrobiology Institute Minority Institution Research Support project provides opportunities for researchers from qualified minority institutions to initiate joint partnerships with researchers in the field of astrobiology. Applications are currently being accepted for summer sabbatical opportunities. Selected researchers will complete a 6- to 10-week research fellowship in astrobiology.
The applicant must be a faculty member at a U.S. college or university designated as a minority institution by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants must also be U.S. citizens to be eligible.
Selected faculty and researchers will be funded for the summer of 2007 to engage in a sabbatical focused on research in astrobiology. The proposals for summer sabbaticals are due April 2, 2007.
For more information on the project and how to submit a proposal, visit http://www.nai-mirs.org/
Earth System Science Education Alliance Request for Proposals
The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies is accepting proposals from colleges, universities and other educational institutions to participate in the Earth System Science Education Alliance. ESSEA is a professional development program for pre-service and in-service middle and high school teachers.
Selected institutions will receive funding and training to offer a series of online Earth system science courses geared toward teachers of specific grade levels and aligned to national science education standards. Working in collaborative groups, teachers who enroll in an ESSEA course can earn undergraduate, graduate or continuing education credit while learning to teach Earth system science using inquiry-based classroom methods.
A notice of intent to propose, which is strongly recommended but not mandatory, is due by March 19, 2007. Proposals are due by April 18, 2007.
For more information, including proposal instructions, technology requirements and current ESSEA course list, please visit http://essea.strategies.org/
Applications Being Accepted for MY NASA DATA Summer Workshop 2007
During the week of July 29-Aug. 3, 2007, NASA’s Langley Research Center will host a hands-on workshop designed for educators of students in grades 6-12. The workshop will focus on the implementation and use of Earth system science data sets developed for the pre-college education community as part of the MY NASA DATA program. A major component of the workshop will be the development of lessons incorporating one or more data sets. The data sets are derived from the archive of remotely sensed data retrieved from NASA’s Earth Observing System satellites.
Participating teachers will explore topics in Earth system science (especially atmospheric science), educational application of data sets and hands-on classroom activities. Participants will experience meaningful field trips and benefit from the expertise of nationally recognized atmospheric researchers. Participants will also explore how data sets can be used to enhance their curriculum and how students can use these data for inquiry-based learning and research. Earth science educators are particularly encouraged to apply.
Applications must be postmarked by April 30, 2007. For more information, visit:
http://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov
Join NASA at NSTA’s 2007 Conference, March 29-April 1, 2007
Representatives from NASA will be at the National Science Teachers Association’s conference in St. Louis, Mo., on March 29-April 1, 2007. Educators can attend a variety of NASA sessions designed for teachers of all grade levels. Plan to visit the NASA booth for more information on how NASA materials can be used in the classroom.
For a full schedule of NASA sessions and workshops, including times and locations, visit http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/k-4/features/F_NSTA07_NASA_Workshops.html
