Contra Costa County Office of Education

                     
                  October 2015

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Greetings! 

This is a perfect time of the year to explore and inspire through STEAM. Whether it's visiting the STEAM Carnival or engaging in hands-on experiments at Discovery Days, students have many learning opportunities to open their minds to endless possibilities. Take a look at professional learning offerings that bring STEAM into the classroom.
 
Visit our website to view resources, link to standards, and stay up-to-date with events. Feel free to contact Hilary Dito with questions, comments and thoughts about integrating STEAM into your PreK-12 classroom.
California Standards in Science
Framework Draft for Public Review
The first draft of the California Framework for NGSS will be released this fall. The draft will be open to public comment for 60 days. To receive information on the release of the draft framework and the latest information, join California's Department of Education's NGSS mailing list. 

Send a blank email to [email protected]
California's NGSS Rollout Training - Phase 2: 
Awareness to 
Transition
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.

Districts are encouraged to bring a team of four-six educators including an administrator, high school science teacher, middle school science teacher, elementary teacher and other district science leaders. The final Bay Area rollout is at Santa Clara County Office of Education, San Jose on November 9-10. Visit their website for more information or to register.
Teacher Opportunities and Professional Development
2015 California STEM Symposium: Designing Our Future

Registration is now open for Designing Our Future. The CA STEM Symposium brings together thousands of educators, program providers, business leaders and philanthropic representative to engage in STEM education, sharing best practices for program implementation and development. Strands include STEM and Arts; Leadership in STEM; Diversity, Girls, and Inclusion in STEM; and STEM Learning Across Disciplines
 
The conference will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center, October 29-30. For more info, visit their website.
Bird Sleuth Teacher Workshop at Lindsay Wildlife Experience
Want to connect your students to nature while getting them outside? Lindsay Wildlife Experience in conjunction with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is offering the BirdSleuth K-12 Program free to classroom teachers. 

The workshop will be held at Lindsey Wildlife Experience on October 22, 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Attendees will receive a free Pennington bird feeder, bird seed coupons, student handouts, and "Feathered Friends" activities. Pre-registration is required.
Fun Exchanges and Activities for Science Teachers (FEAST)
Join teachers at Chabot Space and Science Center for networking and sharing science resources. FEAST meets once a month on Saturdays. 

Mark your calendar for upcoming sessions:
October 17, 2015
November 14, 2015
December 5, 2015
January 23, 2016
February 27, 2016
April 30, 2016 

To register and for more information, visit their website
LiMPETS Introduction to Sandy Beach Monitoring Workshop

LiMPETS is an environmental monitoring and education program that provides hands-on activities. Participants receive a stipend and in-depth curriculum and are trained to survey the distribution and abundance of the Pacific mole crab at one of many monitoring sites along the coast. 

The San Francisco training is on November 7, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Bodega Bay Fire Station and Salmon Creek Beach. For more information and to register visit their website
5th Annual Conference on Integrated Computing and STEM Education

The UC Davis C-STEM Center will be holding the conference on November 7, 2015. This year's theme is Common Core Math with Computing & Robotics: Preparing All Students for College and Career
 
More information is available on their website.  
Build Interactive Learning Experiences with KQED and PBS Productivity Tools

Join us at the Contra County Office of Education for dinner and a hands-on workshop. Create media-rich learning experiences with PBS Productivity Tools for teachers. BYOD (bring your computer). This workshop is part of a series of free events. To see all events in the series visit @kqed.org/pd
This program will be held on November 11, at the  Contra Costa County Office of Education, in Pleasant Hill. For more information and online registration go to this Eventbrite platform.
C-STEM Fall Academy
Join educators at the C-STEM Center at UC Davis for professional development on integrating computing and robotics into STEM classrooms and after school programs.

The academy takes place on November 21-22. For more information visit their website.

California Math Council (CMC) North Conference: Getting at the Core of Mathematical Practices

Take time to explore mathematics and teaching for understanding. Keynote Speakers include: Lee Stiff, Grace Kelemanik and Steve Leinwand.

This program will be held December 11-13, in Pacific Grove, CA. For more information and to register visit their website.
La Cucinia Matematica 

Registration is now open for CCCOE's Distinguished Speaker Series with Matt Vaudrey and John Stevens. Join educators on January 27 to Cook UP Tasty Math Lessons. Join Matt and John as they stock up your mathematical kitchen with resources to engage your students in California's Standards for Mathematics. 

For more information and to register, visit their Eventbrite site.
California Conditions of Learning Symposium: Engage, Teach, and Lead

This year CCCOE is excited to announce the first annual California Conditions of Learning Symposium:  Engage, Teach, and Lead on January 28, 2016. As educators move forward with meeting the demands of the California Standards, CCCOE's Symposium will enhance and strengthen best practices for all teachers and their students. This inaugural event will highlight and showcase Literacy, Science, Early Learning, Technology, English Language Development, Mathematics, and Integrated Learning. 

For more information and to register visit their website
Classroom Resources and Websites
Ambitious Science Teaching

This NSF project includes a web site with tools and resources that support ambitious science instruction at the elementary, middle school and high school levels. Ambitious teaching deliberately aims to get students of all racial, ethnic, and class backgrounds to understand science ideas, participate in the discourses of the discipline, and solve authentic problems. 

Visit their website to connect with educators, discover NGSS aligned strategies, and learn how research supports science education.
Adventures in Ecology

This publication from TERC features three environmental science activities for 6-12th grade students. Download the teacher and student guides here.
Mysteries of the Brain

This latest STEM Series, produced by NBC Learns, includes eight video segments focuses on the latest research in neuroscience and the scientists leading the charge. Lessons for middle and high schools students are in the final stages of development and will be posted soon. 

Check out their website for details.
Pixar in a Box
Pixar and Khan Academy are collaborating to create, develop, and promote a series of learning tutorials that demonstrate how math, science, engineering, and the arts are a vital part of the magic and wonder of the Pixar filmmaking process. 
Five Fundamental Apps for the STEAM Classroom
Compiled by Common Sense Media, these five apps help integrate science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics for student learning. Check out their website.
Student and Family Opportunities
Bay Area Science Festival

More than 200 science, technology, and engineering organizations from across the Bay Area will present the fun and excitement of science, through hands-on and interactive exhibits, science-themed performances and demonstrations, and family-oriented entertainment.  
The Bay Area Science Festival will also be hosting Discovery Days events. CSU East Bay, October 24;  Sonoma County Fairgrounds, October 24; and at AT&T Park in San Francisco on November 7. For more information, visit their website.
2016 Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge 
Are you a creative thinker ready to engineer solutions benefiting humanity? Join the Conrad Challenge. Teams of students are invited to register. Winning teams receive scholarships, grants and more. Visit their website for details. 

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

 

CCCOE Logo

 

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