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Welcome...
Greetings!
For the next two months, we will be sending this Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) newsletter to our Dateline subscribers. If you would like to continue to receive this newsletter, please subscribe by clicking the Join Our Mailing List button, located to the left. Contra Costa County Office Of Education STEM supports the academic success of our districts by: - Providing high-quality, timely communication to educators via the STEM website, the STEM e-newsletter, and leadership organizations regarding STEM resources and opportunities.
- Creating partnerships with business and community organizations to provide professional development, outreach programs, and other STEM events.
- Offering inspirational and challenging STEM programs throughout the educational process (pre-K through 16) including integrated curriculum, extra-curricular activities, and real-world applications.
- Supporting professional development, seminars, and other outreach activities to educators, parents, and community members.
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District and School Resources | |
CCCOE STEM District Resource Survey
Your input is a vital part of the planning process as we develop programs and services. The survey will be closing soon. The data will be used to help direct STEM programming in the county. Thank you for your time.
Click here for survey.
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FREE -- Microsoft Releases Math 4.0
Microsoft has released a new version of its math education software, Mathematics 4.0, and is making it available as a free download for the first time. Microsoft Mathematics 4.0, designed for students in middle school, high school, and early college, is intended to teach users how to solve equations, while bolstering their understanding of fundamental math and science concepts.
Further information can be found at the Microsoft website
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Community Events and Competitions | |
Butterfly Extravaganza, Marin Headlands
Kick off the yearlong celebration of our Species of the Year: the endangered mission blue butterfly. Join us at the Marin Headlands Rifle Range for walks, talks, and hands-on family friendly activities. And, with luck, you might get a glimpse at the first mission blues of the season!
March 26 · 10:00 am to 2:00 pm Click here for more information
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Contra Costa County Science & Engineering Fair,
at Los Medanos College
Students compete in the 6th Annual Contra Costa County Science & Engineering Fair. The winners of the Contra Costa Science & Engineering Fair (CCSEF) go on to compete in the International Science & Engineering Fair each spring. The international fair will be held in Los Angeles on May 8-11 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
March 31 to April 2
For more information, please visit the event's website
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FREE -- Second Sunday at The Tech Museum, San Jose
April 10
For more information and to register, please visit the museum's website
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Teacher Events / Promotions / Professional Development | |
Project ASTRO
Give Your Students the Universe: Bring an Astronomer
Into Your Classroom
Project ASTRO pairs Bay Area teachers, grades 3 - 9, with astronomers who have a keen interest in sharing the wonders of astronomy with students. Together, partners attend a free two-day summer workshop on August 12 - 13, 2011, to learn hands-on, inquiry-based astronomy activities. Get great stuff for your classroom, including The Universe at Your Fingertips 2.0 (a large collection of resources for teaching astronomy on a DVD-ROM), posters, NASA goodies, a Galileoscope (a telescope perfect for classroom use), and more!
Application deadline is May 23, 2011.
For more information and to apply, please visit their website.
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ING Unsung Heroes Award for K-12 Educators
The ING Unsung Heroes honors excellence in education by selecting 100 educators to receive $2,000 to help fund their innovative classroom projects. Of these 100 finalists, 3 will be chosen to receive an additional $5,000, $10,000 and $25,000.
All K-12 education professionals who meet the following requirements are eligible:
- Employed by an accredited K-12 public or private school located in the United States.
- Full-time educators, teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, or classified staff with effective projects that improve student learning.
Application deadline is April 30, 2011
For more information and to download the application, please visit their website. |
Vernier Grants
Vernier is providing 30 $10,000 grants to 10 elementary or middle schools, 10 high schools, and 10 college or university departments to honor the important work science educators do every day. Each grant awardee will receive $10,000 worth of Vernier technology equipment of their choosing. The contest opens March 9, 2011, and applications are due by June 1, 2011, with winners announced by September 15, 2011.
For more information and to submit a proposal, go to their website
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NASA Explorer Schools for Teachers in Grades 4-12
The NASA Explorer Schools (NES) Project is NASA's classroom-based gateway for middle and high school students that provides authentic learning experiences designed around NASA's unique missions, while promoting student engagement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics based on NASA's resources. NES uses a Virtual Campus website to provide professional development and support for educators and allows students to participate in NASA's missions of discovery and exploration. NES offers cross-cutting NASA STEM content modules for middle school and high school teachers to implement into their classrooms.
To be a participant in NES, you must be a U.S. citizen, have a current valid education certification as an administrator or educator in a state or nationally accredited education institution (grades 4-12) in the United States or a U.S. territory, or a Department of Defense or State Department school.
To apply, please visit their website.
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Websites, Webinars, and other STEM Resources | |
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's SunWise Program
With spring right around the corner, children and families will start spending more time outdoors. The sun is the primary source of excessive ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which is the cause of most skin cancers. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S., and melanoma, the most dangerous form, is the second most-common cancer for adolescents and young adults, ages 15-29. The good news is that skin cancer is also easy to prevent, and we have excellent and free resources we're excited to share with you. To increase awareness of the importance of sun safety, we invite you to encourage students and educators in your school to take advantage of the many fun and educational resources, social media tools, contests, and activities offered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's SunWise Program.
To apply, please visit their website.
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Teaching Resources for the Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami
Eric Brunsell's blog has classroom resources to use with students to discuss the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear emergency in Japan, as well as help students cope with this tragic event.
Visit the blog.
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The Next Frontier: Engineering the Golden Age of Green
This entertaining one-hour documentary takes the viewer around the world in search of technologies and policies that will address the serious problem of excessive carbon dioxide emissions and our dangerous dependence on foreign oil. From tidal turbines in Ireland to concentrated solar plants in California, The Next Frontier takes you on a global journey in stunning high definition. This documentary will air on Saturday, April 2 @ 6pm on KQED (PBS) San Francisco, CA
Educators can receive a free dvd. Visit their website for more information
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Digital Library Offers Informal Learning Fun in Science and Math
HOWTOSMILE.org is an online collection of thousands of hands-on interactive science and math activities dedicated to making learning exciting and engaging for everyone. The website is also an open community of educators who search activities, collect their favorites, and share teaching experiences.
Activities take many forms, including downloadable lesson plans, how-to videos, and online interactive games. SMILE activities teach science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), and are developed by a wide range of organizations working with diverse audiences. Educators can join the community to gain access to these free resources.
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Jim Stigler from UCLA is pleased to announce that the 53 public use lessons collected as part of the TIMSS video studies are now available for everyone on a new website.
Users must register on the site to access the videos, but registration is free. In addition to the 53 full-length videos of eighth-grade mathematics and science lessons from seven countries, the site also provides full English-translation subtitles for each lesson, a searchable transcript, and a set of resources collected with each lesson, such as scanned text materials and teacher commentaries. The site also includes a discussion forum where users can share ideas for how they are using the site, and suggest new features that might be added in the future. The site is a project of UCLA and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Funding was provided by The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
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A Message from the CCCOE STEM Coordinator
| | To continue to be updated on STEM Education in Contra Costa County, please Join Our Mailing List. The CCCOE STEM Newsletter will be published regularly, highlighting news, events, and resources that enhance STEM education for all students. This publication does not signify the Contra Costa County Office of Education endorses the event or program mentioned.
For more information regarding CCCOE STEM, please visit our website.
Sincerely,
Hillary Haugen Dito
CCCOE Stem Coordinator
Associate Superintendent, Pamela Comfort, Ed.D. 925-942-3358 STEM Coordinator, Hilary Haugen Dito 925.942.3396 Published by the Communications Office of the Contra Costa County Office of Education Layout/Design, Diane Morrell; Web Developer, Robin Wood;
Writer/Media Relations, Jonathan Lance |
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