|
STEAM News and Events
Greetings!
Thank you to all who made the 5th annual SF Bay Area STEAM Colloquium: Full STEAM Ahead: Designing for Learning a successful event. More than 300 educators participated in 36 breakout sessions, featured speakers, and the resource fair. Presentations and resources can be found at the STEAM Colloquium website. Enjoy the artwork of Laurie Marshall inspired by the day.
Plan to share your best practices in STEAM in 2016. Look for a save-the-date email. The planning committee consisting of educators from Contra Costa County Office of Education, Alameda County Office of Education, and Gateways East Bay STEM Network developed an exceptional day. I would especially like to thank Chevron and Gateways East Bay STEM Network for their sponsorship. Without their support, this event could not take place.
As we approach the spring, many programs are accepting applications for the summer. Check out the opportunities for educators, parents, and students to engage in STEAM.
|
|
Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
|
Resources for NGSS
The Next Generation Science Standards website has resources for implementing NGSS into the classrooms. Current resources include the EQuIP rubric for evaluating lessons and units, sample classroom tasks and NGSS evidence statements.
Sign up for NGSS Now, a monthly newsletter to stay informed.
|
California NGSS State Rollout #2
Save the Date for the NGSS Statewide Rollout Phase 2. This two-day Symposia will be offered several times around the state. Come explore the next steps in the journey toward NGSS Implementation. This is a collaborative effort that includes the California Department of Education, California Science Project, California Science Teachers Association, Curriculum and Instruction Steering Committee, and the K-12 Alliance/WestEd.
Each district is encouraged to bring a team of 4-6 including an administrator, high school science teacher, middle school science teacher, elementary teacher and other science leaders in your district.
San Joaquin County Office of Education on April 27th and 28th. Click here for the event flyer Click here to register online.
|
Teacher Opportunities and Professional Development
|
Cal Alive! Explore Change Summer Institute
Join scientist, educators, and naturalists in the Sierra Nevada for a 6-day residential exploration of environmental change. The institute focuses on connecting NGSS, teaching practices, grades 4-12 learning progressions and resources. $99 early bird price for registrations expires on May 12.
The institute takes place on June 19-21 and 26-28. For more information and to register visit www.calalive.org.
|
IISME Summer Fellowship
Are you ready to experience a summer of innovation, collaboration, renewed energy and professional growth? Apply for an IISME Summer Fellowship! The IISME Summer Fellowship Program places eligible K-16 teachers from all disciplines into high-performance corporate and research environments for the summer. Teachers work full-time for eight weeks, complete a project for their Host organization, and are paid $8,200 for their work. Teachers devote 10% of their paid time to focus on how they will transfer their Summer Fellowship experience back to their students and colleagues.
For more information about the IISME Summer Fellowship Program and to apply, please visit www.iisme.org/teachers
|
Inventing our Future: Integrated Learning Summer Institute
Save the date for Inventing our Future 2015 at the Chabot Space and Science Center, sponsored by Alameda County Office of Education. Join educators on August 11-13, while building collaborative relationships and professional practice.
The institute promotes the thoughtful alignment of content standards, assessments and powerful learning across the curriculum through an engaging and cost-effective professional development model. Inventing Our Future is a project of the Alameda County Office of Education in partnership with Contra Costa, San Francisco, Napa, Marin, Solano and San Mateo County Offices of Education, in the CCSESA Region 4. For more information, visit their website.
|
Join the excitement! Take a FASTtech class at KCI's state-of-the-art facility located on the Foothill College campus or select an online course! These low-cost short courses enable educators to learn and enhance technology skills to support their curriculum and further inspire and engage their students. You will learn to use a variety of computer software for both your personal and professional use and can earn professional growth units.
|
There is a $20 registration fee for hospitality. Courses include biotechnology, computer modeling, fusion, and astrophysics, and technical writing for science class. Visit their Web pages to view the schedule and to register.
|
Project ASTRO presents Space Science and the NGSS: a hands-on workshop for teachers in grades 5-12.
The workshop is schedule for August 3-6, from 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. Participants will receive classroom activities, The Universe at Your Fingertips DVD, and 10 Galileoscopes. Registration fee for the institute is $300, but free with scholarship. For more information and to register visit their website.
|
Classroom Resources
|
Connections Academy Blog - Visit the Moon, Virtually
Elementary students can take a virtual trip to the moon. The interactive resources include tracking the moon, exploring multi-media resources and a hands-on experience re-creating the moon's surface.
To learn more, visit their website.
|
National Education Association Foundation Global Learning K-12 Lesson Plans
Created by Learning Fellows, these lesson plans engage students in science, social studies and language arts while they learn about global issues.
|
Student Opportunities
|
Register for the 2015 Expanding Your Horizons conference at DVC. This program is for 6-8 grade girls and their parents to explore careers in STEM. Attendees will engage in hands-on activities and interact with women in STEM fields.
Expanding Your Horizons will be held on Saturday, May 2, from 9:00 a.m. -2:30 p.m., at Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill. To register, visit their website for more information.
|
|
The CCCOE STEAM enews is published regularly, highlighting news, events, and resources that enhance STEAM education for all students. If you received the STEAM enews from a colleague, please join our mailing list to continue receiving updates. This publication does not signify that the Contra Costa County Office of Education endorses the event or program mentioned.
For more information regarding CCCOE STEAM, please visit our website.
Sincerely,
Hilary Haugen Dito CCCOE STEAM Coordinator

Associate Superintendent, Pamela Comfort, Ed.D.
925-942-3358
STEAM 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, June Stephens; Writer/Editor/Media Relations, Jonathan Lance
|
|
|