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Greetings!   

President
Barbara DeSantis

 

 

While there are still a few more weeks of summer, I see the signs that tell me it is time to get focused for the start of the new school year.  I need to hurry up and try to finish all the jobs on my summer  "to do" list.

 

I love the beginning of a new school year.  It is always filled with promise, excitement, the thrill of the unknown and promise of adventure.  Are you ready for that new adventure this year?

 

The Next Generation Science Standards will provide a lot of adventure for both you and your students.  Afraid you won't be ready?  Fear not, NJSTA has several projects going to help you not only get ready for the new changes, but be able to embrace them when the time comes.

 

One of those projects is our annual New Jersey Science Convention.  This year we have asked our presenters to focus on NGSS and the Science Frameworks so that you will have the best, up to date information and ideas available to implement these new standards.

 

In addition, NJSTA has partnered with NSTA to help you provide  the best science education possible by using the NSTA Learning center to help identify key concepts and common misconceptions for hundreds of different core content standards.  Before you present material to your students, stop by the learning center and peruse the different ways students tend to think about things.  Identify misconceptions before you start teaching so that you can be mindful of your student's preconceived ideas and point them to a sound and solid science background.  Not comfortable with your science content knowledge?  The learning center has hundreds of free modules to help you sharpen your skills.  Having difficulty explaining difficult concepts?  Check out the animations available to share with your students.

 

In order to help you make the most of this new benefit, NJSTA and NSTA are hosting a webinar to help you navigate through all the different learning materials.  We will make sure your account is set up and allow you to use it while there are people to help you if you get lost.

The webinar will be live on August 23rd, from 4:30-6:30 PM.  You can access it from any computer that has access to the internet, and it's free, a benefit of being a member of NJSTA. 

 

Information to register for both our conference and webinar are enclosed below in our newsletter. Come join us and make this school year the best one ever for both you and your students.

 

As we look towards the new year, I am interested in your needs and how NJSTA can support you. Please email me at [email protected] with your suggestions.  I wish you a year filled with promise, excitement and adventure.  Working together we can make our students' futures very, very bright.


 

In This Issue
Join NJSTA!
NSTA Learning Center Webinar
Calendar of Events
Simmons Scholars Take on STEM
Lesson Share - Hovercraft
Teach the Heat
Obama's Plans for Improving Science Teaching
36th Annual NJ Science Conference
Developing Standards for Teaching Engineering
Curiosity Lands on Mars
Science Teaching Opportunities
Free STEM Boot Camp
Garden Field Day at the Earth Center
National Congress on Science Education
Meet New Jersey's Newest Presidential Awardee
American Honda Foundation Grants
About Us
Help us help you!
Membership Expiration Date for :

Please help!   
 
Our NJSTA mission is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.  Please help us continue that mission!  Your annual dues of $25 allows us to bring you this newsletter ten times a year as well as maintaining our Facebook page and NSTA Learning Center benefits.  Please consider being an active member of our community!   
Our membership year is January 1st to December 31st and
if your expiration year is 2011 or earlier your membership has expired and you may renew now by using the link provided:
 

Membership Renewal Link
New Benefit of Membership for NJSTA Members 

Navigating the NSTA Learning Center

Thursday August 23, 2012

4:30 - 6:30 pm 

Learning Center Webinar Registration Link  

If the registration link doesn't work email your name, school and email address 

to Linda Smith at [email protected]

 
 Getting ready for back to school?

Got your favorite cell lesson ready to go?

Did you know this?

  

  Would this interactive lesson 

help your students understand what enzymes are?

 

And do you think this interactive would help students 

understand enzyme's reaction to temperature? 

   

  Want to know where to 

get this information for FREE!!!

It's yours if you attend this webinar: 

Navigating the NSTA Learning Center

Thursday August 23, 2012

4:30 - 6:30 pm 

Registration deadline August 20, 2012 

(to give us time to make sure your account is activated) 

  Not doing cells first?  

There's a unit like this

 for every topic you teach!

Click on the link below to email Linda Smith and register for this event.

Please include your name, school and email address 

in your response so we can make sure your account is working.

 Register for Learning Center Webinar  

Calender of Events

Like us on Facebook

Everything that comes to us is posted immediately on our  Facebook page

August 22

NJTEEA STEM Boot Camp Livingston, NJ

August 23

Learning Center Webinar (email Linda - [email protected])

September 8

Pocono Environmental Education Center (PEEC) fossil trail hike and Introduction to Canoeing course (http://www.peec.org)

September 12

NJSTA Board meeting 6:30 PM, Waksman Building, Rutgers New Brunswick

November 1-3

NSTA Regional Conference (www.nsta.org)

January 

25-26 

ANJEE 28th Annual Environmental Education Conference, "Wild About New Jersey,"(  www.ANJEE.org)

 
Maitland Simmons Scholars take on STEM 

Sustainable Energy:

Exploring Wind & Solar Power Systems

Because of the generosity of Maitland P. Simmons, Antoinette, his wife, and  PSE&G,  twenty-four  middle level science teachers spent five days blending middle school science concepts for renewable energy with hands-on engineering designed to raise awareness of the challenge of using sustainable energy resources to meet world demand. Each teacher received approximately $750.00 worth of materials suitable for teacher demonstrations and student use.

 

Day one found our Simmons Scholars building windmill kits provided by the institute.  Teachers experimented with three, four and six propeller configurations.  They applied engineering concepts to find the most efficient propeller design. 

 

Teachers attached meters to their windmills to measure the amount of energy produced by their best design on day two.   The windmills were also attached to pumps to see if we could produce enough energy to pump water from one place to another.

 

 

 Chris Lijoi and Nicole Plumbo joined the group on day three to help teachers understand the process of project based learning in our classrooms.  Using a variety of materials Simmons Scholars made models of their dream houses.

 

 

During days four and five participants experimented with several kinds of solar cells.  In addition each Simmons Scholar brought a favorite lesson to share.  Teachers shared lessons about geocaching, climate control, labs to track energy use in student homes, using PowerPoint to have students explain core concepts to their peers, solar power, liquids, solids and gases.  We even learned how to make a frog and test how far it could jump.

 

Maitland P Simmons was a science teacher in the Irvington School District in New Jersey.  He was also a past President of New Jersey Science Teachers Association and an active member of the National Science Teachers Association.  His passion was to improve classroom instruction and teacher backgrounds, especially in the middle school community.

 

 In his wife Antoinette's will, following his wishes, NJSTA was bestowed with an endowment to provide support and professional development to science teachers.  Combined with funds from a PSE&G grant, Maitland and Antoinette made this institute possible.  Simmons Scholars got to stand on the shoulders of giants during this institute.

 

Each year NJSTA uses the Simmons endowment to provide a week long professional development experience for middle and elementary teachers.  The theme of the workshop varies from year to year.  Stay tuned to see what kind of adventure we come up with next.

 

 

Lesson Share   
Have a favorite lesson you'd like to share with us? 
Click on the link below to send a copy to NJSTA.  
We'll publish it in our next edition of the newsletter.  We're all stronger when we share!
This month's share comes from Linda Smith.  For under $35 you can make a hovercraft that will fly you d own your school's hallway.  Use it to let your students explore Newton's Laws, properties of air pressure and center of gravity concepts.
 
Click on the link below to find instructions: 
Send in pictures of you and your students riding your hovercraft and we'll publish them too!
Are you having to teach in very hot weather? Click on the link below to check out the New York Times Learning Blog's Teaching the Heat Wave: Games, Lessons and More. 

Use that page, or this page-

 -to investigate the science of summer. You can also search the Times using the words "heat" or "temperature" to find interesting leads for learning. For example: How do birds keep their chicks hydrated? Should air conditioning be a goal for everyone in the world, or is it an unsustainable luxury? Why do we call them "heat waves"? How has temperature affected the wildfires burning in Colorado? What effects did a recent brutal heat wave that crested at 115 degrees have on the town of Hill City, Kansas?
President Obama Announces Plans for a New, National Corps to Recognize and Reward Leading Educators in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Administration 

WASHINGTON, DC -- The Obama Administration announced the President's plan for the creation of a new, national Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Master Teacher Corps comprised of some of the nation's finest educators in STEM subjects. The STEM Master Teacher Corps will begin with 50 exceptional STEM teachers established in 50 sites and will be expanded over 4 years to reach 10,000 Master Teachers. These selected teachers will make a multi-year commitment to the Corps and, in exchange for their expertise, leadership and service, will receive an annual stipend of up to $20,000 on top of their base salary. The Administration will launch this Teacher Corps with the $1 billion from the President's 2013 budget request currently before Congress. 
President Obama said, "If America is going to compete for the jobs and industries of tomorrow, we need to make sure our children are getting the best education possible.  Teachers matter, and great teachers deserve our support."  
The Administration also announced that the President will immediately dedicate approximately $100 million of the existing Teacher Incentive Fund toward helping school districts implement high-quality plans to establish career ladders that identify, develop, and leverage highly effective STEM teachers. With an application deadline of July 27th, over 30 school districts across America have already signaled their interest in competing for funding to identify and compensate highly effective teachers who can model and mentor STEM instruction for their teaching peers, providing those teachers with additional compensation, recognition, and responsibilities in their schools. 
These Administration plans build on a key recommendation of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), calling for a national STEM Master Teacher Corps to recognize and help retain America's most talented STEM teachers, build a community of practice among them, raise the profile of the STEM teaching profession, and leverage excellent teachers to collaborate with their peers to strengthen STEM education in America's public schools.  
As part of the announcement, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, White House Domestic Policy Council Director Cecilia Mu�oz, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Dr. John Holdren, and PCAST Co-Chair Dr. Eric Lander will meet on Wednesday at the White House with outstanding math and science teachers to discuss efforts to strengthen teaching and learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and build up the STEM education profession.

Supporting Master Teachers through Recognition, Respect, and Rewards early in his administration, President Obama called for a national effort to help move American students from the middle to the top of the pack in science and math achievement.  The Obama Administration is committed to preparing young people both to learn deeply and think critically in STEM, and to equip them with the knowledge and skills necessary for jobs in the high-growth fields that fuel American innovation. 

Improving STEM teaching is a key strategy to reaching this national goal. To meet this critical need, PCAST issued the Prepare and Inspire report, with a key recommendation calling for the creation of a new, national STEM Master Teacher Corps. Master Teachers are classroom-based educators who are highly effective in improving learning outcomes for their students, model outstanding teaching, and share their practices and strategies with their professional colleagues to lead and guide improvements across education. Master teachers know and are deeply interested in their subject, care about improving their craft, and inspire both their students and fellow teachers. PCAST recommended that the STEM Master Teacher Corps become a national resource - a networked community of outstanding public school teachers of STEM subjects who can serve as resources to each other and to other educators in schools and communities nationwide, and who would signal the value of STEM education to America's future.

 In order to ensure America's students are prepared for success in an increasingly competitive global economy, we must do more to ensure that teaching is highly respected and supported as a profession, and that accomplished, effective teachers are guiding students' learning in every classroom.  The Obama Administration's 2013 budget includes a new, $5 billion program - the RESPECT Project, which stands for Recognizing Educational Success, Professional Excellence, and Collaborative Teaching - that will boldly re-envision the teaching profession for the 21st Century. Today's announcements build on the RESPECT project by supporting STEM master teachers as a key strategy to retain and reward our nation's most accomplished STEM educators, and by enabling them to work in new ways to dramatically improve student achievement.  Lifting up America's teachers is critical to recruiting promising talent, retaining the best, and continuously improving outcomes for students. 

A New, National STEM Master Teacher Corps
The President will dedicate $1 billion from his 2013 budget request currently before Congress to launch a new, national STEM Master Teacher Corps. 
As part of the RESPECT project, the STEM Master Teacher Corps will be supported by the U.S. Department of Education, and established in collaboration with independent, non-profit organizations and local public-private partnerships between STEM-related businesses and industries and school districts.  Key parts of the plan include: 
* A rigorous selection of the best and brightest math and science teachers from across the country:  The STEM Master Teacher Corps will be established in 100 sites - each with 50 exceptional STEM teachers - and will be expanded over 4 years to reach 10,000 Master Teachers. Accomplished teachers will be selected for the STEM Master Teacher Corps through a highly competitive process, based on demonstrated effectiveness in teaching one or more STEM subjects, their content knowledge, and their contributions to the continuous improvement of teaching and learning both within their schools and across the community of STEM teachers. The selection process will be administered locally or regionally, but aligned to a set of national benchmarks.  
* National recognition and rewards, including compensation to keep Corps members in the profession: STEM Master Teacher Corps members will benefit from a professional compensation structure that will make their profession more competitive with alternative careers, keeping the best teachers in the classrooms where they are needed. STEM Master Teacher Corps members will make a multi-year commitment to the Corps and, in exchange for their expertise, leadership and service, will receive an annual stipend of up to $20,000 on top of their base salary.  This recognition further raises the prestige of the Corps members, enabling America's classrooms to attract and secure the best talent in the STEM education profession.

 * Corps members as a national resource, for their schools and for other STEM educators: STEM Master Teacher Corps members will be called to serve their profession and the nation, through an ongoing commitment to professional learning.  They will build a community of teaching practice where they live, helping students excel in math and science while taking on leadership and mentorship roles in their schools and communities.  Corps members will lead ongoing professional meetings and teacher development activities; assist their schools and school districts in evaluating and providing feedback to other teachers; and validate and disseminate effective practices to improve STEM instruction. They will participate in regular convenings to engage in professional development and share best practices; deepen their subject matter expertise; consult with experts in teaching and learning; and improve their instructional leadership and pedagogical content skills. 

These efforts will be complemented as well by private sector responses to the President's call for "all hands on deck" approach to excellence in STEM education, including Google's commitment to convene education leaders and innovators to develop ideas to recognize, connect, and raise the profile of these STEM master teachers.
Building on Success
Today's announcements align with the President's belief that excellent STEM teaching requires both deep content knowledge and strong teaching skills, and his strong leadership in working to improve STEM education: 
The President has announced an ambitious goal of preparing 100,000 additional STEM teachers over the next decade, with growing philanthropic and private sector support. This program would provide competitive awards to create or expand high-quality pathways to teacher certification and other innovative approaches for recruiting, training, and placing talented recent college graduates and mid-career professionals in the STEM fields in high-need schools.  With the president's leadership, over 115 organizations, led by Carnegie Corporation of New York and Opportunity Equation, came together to form the coalition "100Kin10" to help reach the President's goal. These efforts have yielded a $22 million investment from philanthropic and private sectors toward helping to meet the President's goal. 
* Since 1983, the National Science Foundation's Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) program has served as the nation's highest honors for teachers of mathematics and science.  Plans are underway to reconfigure PAEMST beyond its current scope to design new opportunities for PAEMST teachers to share their expertise and to continue to grow as professionals. Opportunities may include benefiting from NSF-sponsored international exchanges, collaborating with the research scientists and engineers funded by the NSF, and accessing scientific data and findings from NSF projects for use in their classrooms. These opportunities will allow PAEMST teachers  to connect directly with NSF-funded science and education projects, so they can use the latest scientific findings, tools and data in their classrooms and with their colleagues, and even participate in frontier research. Additionally, NSF will help strengthen the cyber networks among the more than 4,000 PAEMST awardees over the past 29 years, and PAEMST awardees will have opportunities to serve as mentors and advisors to the next generation of STEM teachers.  In the coming months, NSF will host a series of community forums for input in the design of these new components.

 * The only competitive preference priority in the Race to the Top program was for states to develop a high quality plan to improve STEM education at the state level. All twelve awardees in the initial round of this $4 billion program earned points for this priority, and this emphasis was maintained through an additional $200M in funding to seven more states in Phase 3 of the Race to the Top competition.

 * The Investing in Innovation (i3) program makes competitive awards to develop, validate, and scale up innovative programs, practices, and strategies that are effective in improving student outcomes. i3 has maintained a priority on promoting STEM education, to support innovative programs with evidence of impact from districts across the country.  Next year, funds within i3 will also support the new Advanced Research Projects Agency for Education, which will foster breakthrough developments in educational technology and learning systems.

* In 2009, the President launched Educate to Innovate, a public-private partnership that brings together leading businesses, foundations, non-profits, and professional societies to improve STEM teaching and learning. As part of this effort, the President launched Change the Equation, a CEO-led effort to dramatically improve STEM education by mobilizing the business community to improve the quality of STEM education in the United States. This past February, Change the Equation announced that 24 member companies would expand five effective STEM programs in more than 130 new sites, benefiting nearly 40,000 students nationwide -over half of whom are in low-income schools. 

from the White House Press Secretary 

36th Annual Science Teacher Convention
Don't miss our next conference in our new location - The Princeton Marriott at Forrestal!
The New Jersey Science Convention is the best professional development opportunity in the Mid-Atlantic area for science educators, including teachers, administrators, and student interns. This two-day conference allows more teachers to attend at least one day of activities without burdening the school districts with excessive absence. Each day has up to one hundred sessions of interest to all levels and disciplines in science, as well as over seventy-five vendors of science books, supplies, and equipment.

 

The 36th annual convention will be held Tuesday & Wednesday, October 9th & 10th, 2012 Princeton Marriott at Forrestal  and is cosponsored by the New Jersey Science Teachers Association and New Jersey Science Education Leadership Association 
 
According to NJ Acting Commissioner of Education, Christopher Cerf, NJSC has met the requirements for a multi-day event.  As a result of the granted waiver, school districts and charter schools will be able to reimburse those attendees for overnight lodging related to attendance at this conference.  Such reimbursement is only for overnight lodging on October 9, 2012.  Reimbursement for registration fees, mileage and meals subject to the limitations and conditions set forth in OMB Circular 11-05 and OMB Circular 11-09, may also be permissible.  This waiver permitting reimbursement of in-State overnight lodging covers only those attendees whose home to event commute exceeds 50 miles.   


Don't miss our banquet Speaker Dr. Robert E. Landsman who will present the following talk:
Neuron to Brain: Connectivity Impact on 21st Century Worldlings 
You don't want to miss this event! Put your paperwork in before you leave for summer vacation! 
For more information click on the link below: 

Developing Standards for Teaching Engineering
by Louis S. Nadelson and Cheryl Farmer

A cursory review of the Framework for the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) reveals the present and anticipated future of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) factored heavily into their development. Although engineering, which involves the application of science, has appeared in previous standards, its role has never been as substantial or as integrated. The integration of engineering suggests that elementary teachers and secondary science teachers will be expected to teach engineering practices as part of their curriculum. With this increased emphasis on engineering comes the need to prepare and support a wide range of teachers, prompting the question: How do we ensure teachers are prepared to teach engineering, and what should preparation efforts look like?

Professional Standards

Because engineering is not typically covered in the preparation of secondary science teachers and rarely appears in the elementary teacher preparation curriculum, it is unlikely that K-12 teachers are adequately prepared to teach engineering as outlined in the first draft of the NGSS. Few teachers have formal exposure to engineering, much less to developmentally and sequentially appropriate engineering curricula and instruction to meet the needs of their students. The NGSS stand to create a tremendous need for new professional development (PD) programs and the modification of existing teacher preparation curriculum.

The professional preparation and development of teachers who will teach science and engineering should be approached strategically, methodically, and efficiently. Unfortunately, no standards exist to guide such an approach. This motivated us to develop a working model of a PD framework for teachers of engineering to guide the development of teacher preparation programs and to ensure efficacy. Some might question whether a single set of standards is appropriate for both inservice and preservice teachers or both elementary and secondary educators. Although the approaches used in the preparation of preservice teachers and the continuing education of inservice teachers may differ, the desired outcome is the same: an enhanced capacity for, and knowledge about, teaching using an engineering perspective. While approaches used to address the needs of elementary teachers and secondary teachers may differ in focus and levels of sophistication, anticipated outcomes and levels of teacher effectiveness are expected to be the same.

Engineering Preparation

The following standards for the professional preparation and development of teachers of engineering, which were modeled after similar standards for teachers of science as outlined in the 1996 National Science Education Standards, are intended to ensure that teachers are equipped with the knowledge and capacity to teach engineering across the K-12 curriculum as called for by the NGSS and other state and national engineering learning standards. This list reflects not only our work, but also feedback from a wide range of stakeholders including representatives from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Academy of Engineering, the American Society for Engineering Education and its K-12 division, NSTA, other STEM education professional organizations, K-12 engineering curriculum development groups, higher education, and the K-12 community.

  • Standard A: Engineering Content
    Teach teachers essential engineering content through the perspectives and methods of engineering design and engineering practices.
  • Standard B: Engineering as a Context for Teaching
    Prepare teachers to use engineering as a context for teaching a range of STEM and non-STEM standards.
  • Standard C: Learning and Knowing in Engineering
    Make connections among curriculum, instruction, learning, and assessment.
  • Standard D: Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Teaching Engineering
    Foster and promote the reflective practitioner to support effective teaching of engineering.
  • Standard E: Alignment to Research, Standards, and Professional Practices
    Align to current educational research, student learning standards, and the goals of professional engineering organizations (e.g., the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the American Society of Mechanical Engineering).

In developing these standards for teacher preparation and professional development, we sought to focus on engineering while attending to the true nature of the K-12 curriculum, teacher needs, and the possibilities for integration and application across content and disciplines. We are continuing this work as a collaborative effort with K-12 teachers, university faculty in STEM and the learning sciences, and STEM professionals. In particular, we will seek additional K-12 practitioner input at NSTA area conferences this fall to ensure these standards, when eventually published and distributed for widespread use, fully reflect the perspective and experience of the K-12 educators whose interests they will serve.

Louis S. Nadelson is an associate professor in the College of Education at Boise State University. He also uses his more than 20 years of high school and college math and science teaching to frame his research on STEM teaching and learning. Cheryl Farmer is the founding project director of UTeachEngineering. She has overseen the creation of degree programs for preservice and inservice teachers of engineering at The University of Texas as well as the development of a course-based PD program for Engineer Your World. UTeachEngineering and the development of Engineer Your World are supported by a NSF grant.

Curiosity Lands on Mars 

 

Check out this video of the complications overcome to land the Curiosity Rover on Mars.

This would be a great opening statement for the first day of school. 

Click on the link below to see the video produced by  NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Curiosity on Mars  

NJ Science Education Job Opportunities 
July 29, 2012, Edition
Positions are for the 2012-2013 School Year unless otherwise indicated.
Thanks to Elmer Dey for compiling this list!

Biology and Physical Science Teacher Montville, HS Looking for a dual certification, Biology and Physical Sciences. Applicants can apply at www.montville.net

Science and Math Teacher(s) Orange Board of Education Chemistry teacher, Physics teacher, Biology teacher, Elementary Science Teacher Apply to: Mr. Terry Caliste, Director of Mathematics & Science, FAX 973-677-2509 email to [email protected] 

Teacher of Biological Sciences (Allied Health Exp. Preferred) Englewood Public Schools Apply to: Danielle Diaz, HR Manager at [email protected] 

HS Biology Teacher (leave replacement) North Warren Regional School District Apply to: Brian D. Fogelson, EdD, Superintendent , North Warren Reg. School District PO Box 410, 10 Noe Road, Blairstown, NJ, 07825
 
Biology Teacher (leave replacement) River Dell Regional School District Apply: email or FAX resume to Patrick J. Fletcher, Supt. Of Schools, FAX 201-261-3808, email: [email protected] 

HS Science Teacher (with biology, physics and/or physical sci. cert) Long Branch High School Apply online at www.longbranch.k12.nj.us  or via email to [email protected] JanetLynn Dudick, Administrator for Personnel.

Forensic Science Teacher w/ Concentration in Biology Essex Co. Vocational Technical Schools Apply: Human Resources Email: [email protected]

Science Teacher Irvington Public Schools Apply to: Department of Human Resources, 1 University Place, Irvington, NJ, 07111 No phone calls please

Science Teacher(s) multiple openings Elizabeth Public Schools
Bilingual a plus but not required Apply to: Olga Hugelmeyer, Assistant Superintendent, Elizabeth Public Schools,, 500 North Broad Street, Elizabeth, NJ, 07208, FAX 908-436-5037

Biology Teacher (long term substitute) Summit Public Schools Apply to Dr. Ken Shulack, Director of Human Resources at:
 and click on employment

Earth Science/Biology Teacher (leave replacement) Ramsey Public Schools Send application materials to Dr. Roy R. Montesano, Superintendent, Ramsey Board of Education, 266 E. Main St. Ramsey, NJ, 07446

Middle School Science Teacher Grades 7 & 8 Clinton Public Schools Apply to [email protected] 

Middle School Science Teacher Passaic Public Schools Send application materials to: Dr. Robert H. Holster, Superintendent of Schools, c/o Dept. of Human Resources, 101 Passaic Ave., PO Box 388, Passaic NJ, 07055, FAX 973-815-8585, email: [email protected] 

Middle School Science Teacher Edison Township Public Schools Apply online only to: Peter N. Pitucco, HR Director, visit Human Resources section of the website www.edison.k12.nj.us
 
Middle School Life Science Teacher Dumont School District Mail applications ONLY - Apply to: Mr. Emanuele Triggiano, Superintendent, 25 Depew Street, Dumont, NJ, 07628, 
 
Middle School Science Teacher Rahway Public Schools Apply to: Mr. Edward Yergalonis, Supt. Of Schools, PO Box 1024, Rahway, NJ, 07065
 
Science Teacher Grade 6- Little Falls Township Public School Little Falls, NJ Apply to: Mr. Philip Ligus, School #1, Stevens Avenue, Little Falls, NJ, 07424, No FAX of email accepted.

1-HS Science Teacher (Chemistry/Physical Science) Perth Amboy Public Schools 1-Bilingual Science Teacher (must have bilingual & science Cert. Perth Amboy Public Schools Apply at

Chemistry Teacher Warren Hills Regional High School Washington, NJ Send all application documents to: Dr. Thomas J. Altonjy, Superintendent, Warren Hills B.O.E, 89 Bowerstown Rd., Washington, NJ, 07882 - No email or FAXs accepted.

Supervisor of Math and Science (12 month) The Morris School District Complete application at

Interim Science Supervisor Parsippany-Troy Hills School District Apply at the district website 

Math and Science Supervisor Marlboro Township School District Apply online at 

District Secondary Curriculum Supervisor Montclair Public Schools Apply at 

Supervisor of Curriculum, Instruction & Technology Tewksbury Township School District Apply to James Gamble, Interim Superintendent, 173 Old Turnpike Road, Califon, NJ, 07830
 
Director of Math and Sciences K-12 Matawan-Aberdeen Reg. School District Apply: visit Career Opportunities/applitrack at MAESD.org 

District Director of Curriculum and Instruction Somerville Public Schools Submit online application to: Dr. Timothy J. Purnell at www.applitrack.com/somervillenjk12.onlineapp
 
Physics Teacher for New Brunswick Health Sciences Technology High School 
Apply: Vice President of Human Resources, Innovative Educational Programs, FAX 908-630-9653 , email: [email protected] 

Physics/Chemistry Teacher Jersey City Public Schools Apply to: Dr. Hermione McNell, Associtate Superintendent, Human Resources Dept, Jersey City Public Schools, 346 Claremont Ave. Jersey City, NJ, 07305

HS Physical Science Teacher Bogota Public Schools Apply to: Dr. Letizia Pantoliano, Superintendent , Bogota Public Schools, One Henry C.. Luthin Place, Bogota, NJ, 07603 

High School Science Teacher Hasbrouck Heights Schools Physical Science certification required, life science cert. recommended,, Apply to [email protected] 

1-Physical Science Teacher (Chem & Physics required) Randolph High School 1-Physics Teacher Randolph High School All applications online at  www.rtnj.org  include all application materials.

Physics Teacher Chatham High School Apply at www.applitrack.com/chathams/onlineapp
 
1 Chemistry Teacher Bergen County Technical Schools Paramus 1 Biology Teacher Bergen County Technical Schools Apply FAX 201-265-5785 or Email: [email protected]

HS Special Education Teacher Highly Qualified Science Princeton Public Schools Apply visit website at www.princetonk12.org/HR/ complete an online application and FAX resume to 
 609-806-4227

Special Education/Science Teacher South Bergen Jointure Commission Board of Education, 500 Route 17 South, Suite 307, Hasbrouck Heights, NJ, 07604, Atten: Dr. Dawn M. Fidanza, Superintendent, or FAX to 201-288-2825

Special Education Teacher Highly Qualified Science Westwood Reg. School District, Washington Twp, NJ, Apply online at www.applitrack.com/westwood/onlineapp
 
Teacher of Students with Disabilities Highly Qualified Science Middlesex Co. Voc. Tech. School, East Brunswick, submit application materials to: Superintendent, Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools, PO Box 1070, East Brunswick, NJ, 08816

Two Elementary Teachers Grade 2 & Grade 5 Private School in Rahway, NJ For information call 
 732-381-4411  Experience required.

Elementary 1st Grade Teacher Gillette Elementary School Long Hill Twp. 
 
School District Elementary 3rd Grade Teacher Millington Elementary School Long Hill Twp. School District Apply to: Dr. Rene Rovtar, Superintendent, Long Hill Twp. School District, 759 Valley Road, Gillette, NJ, 07933,FAX 908-647-7818
Free STEM Boot Camp  
NJTEEA is providing a FREE professional development opportunity called the STEM Boot Camp. This event will provide information pertinent and informative to those teachers who teach Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The event is on August 22 in Livingston, NJ. If you are interested or want further information, please click on the link  below to see the various workshops and presentations as well as registration information.
EARTH Center Invites You to Garden Field Day

      On Saturday, August 18, The EARTH Center, home to Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County, New Jersey will host their Garden Field Day/Open House from 9 AM to 3 PM. The event will take place in Davidson's Mill Pond Park, 42 Riva Ave. South Brunswick, NJ and is great day of fun for the family in a beautiful park setting.

     The Extension Agriculture Department as well as Rutgers Master Gardeners will be on hand, offering sound advice on horticulture and environmental stewardship while guiding visitors through their various teaching gardens and learning projects. Examples of their work include the Children's Garden with Green Roof playhouse, an enormous vegetable display garden, environmentally conscious rain garden and the popular Butterfly House.

      New to the day for 2012, will be the Walk-A-Farm & Feast to Fight Hunger, an organized walk around the park to raise funds for the New Jersey Agricultural Society's Farmers Against Hunger Program (a 501 c 3 non-profit organization). The walk will take people around the trails of Davidson's Mill Pond Park to points of interest occupied by local organizations including but not limited to the Middlesex County Board of Agriculture, The Lawrence Brook Watershed Partnership, Middlesex County's Mosquito

Commission, Farmers Against Hunger, Middlesex County Improvement Authority's MC Blue, the Recycling Robot and the East Coast Greenways.

     "This event is not only a showcase for the County's beautiful Davidson's Mill Pond Park and the EARTH Center, but is also a chance to join Farmers Against Hunger and help local farmers donate fresh produce to area soup kitchens, food pantries, and those in need," said Freeholder Charles E. Tomaro, chair of the County Business Development and Education Committee. 

      Available Food at the event will be in the form of a Feast to Fight Hunger. Applebee's of Milltown will donate grilled items and a staff to cook and serve the food. Side dishes will be donated by local farms and prepared by Elijah's Promise culinary program.

     The EARTH Center's Garden Field Day attendance is free, however, prices to participate in the Walk A-Farm & Feast Against Hunger and receive its benefits are as follows:

 Walk-A-Farm:

Adult   $12 (T-Shirt included with Pre-Registration)
Child   $12 (T-Shirt included with Pre-Registration)
Child   $ 5 (T-Shirt not included)
Family 2 adults + one/two children $25 (2 shirts included with Pre-Registration)

 Feast Against Hunger:

Adult with Walk-A-Farm registration $7 

without Walk-A-Farm registration $10 

Child with Walk-A-Farm registration $3 

without Walk-A-Farm registration $ 5

      Pre-Registration ends on Aug. 12. Attendees can register on the day of the event, however, T-Shirts will not be guaranteed. Register by contacting Kris Guttadora at  609-462-9691, e-mailing[email protected] or visiting the Farmers Against Hunger booth at the Middlesex County Fair. Registration fees will benefit Farmers Against Hunger program Society (a 501c3 non-profit organization).

      Also part of the EARTH Center Garden Field Day, the Second Annual "Greatest of the Garden" competition will take place, so gardeners are encouraged to bring along their biggest or most outstanding home grown produce to win prizes and recognition.  This will give residents a chance to show off their green thumbs to fellow gardeners... Attendees are encouraged to bring their homegrown entries for the following categories:

 

Biggest Tomato
Biggest Pumpkin
Biggest Squash
Biggest Water Melon
Biggest Cucumber
Biggest Zucchini
Biggest Sunflower Head
Longest Gourd
Smallest Pumpkin
Smallest Cherry Tomato
Oddest Heirloom Tomato
All Vegetables..Best Likeness to Celebrity or Historical Figure.
Hottest Pepper Variety Grown (judged by Scoville ratings)

     Garden Field Day attendees can also enjoy samples of locally grown produce courtesy of Middlesex County farmers, while enjoying the sounds of acoustic musicians, "Off the Grid". There will be "green" living displays including talks on Compost Tea and kids can meet MC Blue, the recycling robot.

     For more information and participation contact David Smela at  732-398-5268 or at [email protected]

     "The Freeholders and our partners are committed to offering a variety of programs and recreational opportunities in Middlesex County," said Freeholder Director Christopher D. Rafano. "I would like to encourage all residents to join us in Davidson's Mill Pond Park for this fun and family friendly event."

     Even if you can't visit the EARTH Center this season, you can still discover what types of programming the EARTH Center offers, just  click the link below  

National Congress on Science Education (NCSE) Meeting

The National Congress on Science Education (NCSE) focuses on science education from

local and national perspectives. The NCSE has hosted thirteen annual summer meetings

where delegates, representatives from chapter and associated groups, and the NSTA Board Members discuss and deliberate issues in science education. NCSE resolutions may arise from the actions of the governing bodies of chapters or associated groups or from Issue Forums held during the meeting. There are three types of Congress resolutions: 

  • Those that are addressed to the attention of the chapters and associated groups for their consideration
  • Those which are statements of the position of the Congress on various issues
  • Those that are addressed to the attention of the NSTA for consideration.

This year's meeting focused on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) which

Included the following sessions:

PLENARY SESSION: In-depth overview of the NGSS

ISSUE FORUM SESSION I: Information-sharing sessions where Chapters/Associated Groups reported on the State of NGSS in their respective states

ISSUE FORUM SESSION II: Working with the Standards - attendees focused

on how a specific standard was addressed at each grade level and strand (choosing from the following groups: Elementary Standards, 6-12 Life Science Standards, 6-12 Earth and Space Science Standards, 6-12 Physical Science, 6-12 Technology/Engineering Standards and 6-12 Practices and Crosscutting Concepts)

ISSUE FORUM SESSION III: Planning, sharing and reporting back (Break-out sessions for writing proceedings, summary notes resolutions and position statements on the standards)

NJSTA is asked to review the resolutions carefully and let NSTA know if we (NJSTA) - either now or throughout the year - plan to address any resolutions passed  directed to the chapters and associated groups.  

The following resolutions were passed by this year's Congress::

 

 77/12CNG7 Be it resolved that the 2012 NCSE recommends that chapters and associated groups request that their state departments of education notify local school districts when the next draft of the NGSS is available for public review.

 

7/12CNG11 Be it resolved that the 2012 NCSE recommend that chapters and associated groups actively involve building and district administrators to increase their awareness of the Framework for K-12 Science Education and the process for revision of the NGSS draft. For example, this can be done by providing conference strands at regional and state conferences

specifically for administrators, encourage workshops at administrative leadership conferences, articles in administrative leadership publications, webinars, and a Listserv.

 

7/12CNG14 Be it resolved that the 2012 NCSE encourages the chapters and associated

groups to facilitate the participation by their members in the review process of and provide feedback on the draft Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

 

7/12CNG15 Be it resolved that the 2012 NCSE recommends that NSTA, chapters and associated groups, and Alliance of Affiliates become students of the Framework for K-12 Science Education and promote understanding of the Framework to all partners, formal and informal, in the science arena.

 

7/12CNG16 Be it resolved that the 2012 NCSE recommends that chapters and associated groups strive to create collaborative partnerships with the education, science, engineering, and technology communities within institutions of higher education to coordinate the implementation of the NGSS.

 

As a member of NJSTA your actions count!  Please let us know about any activities sponsored by your district, state or local groups that pertain to the NGSS.  We will gladly post your activities on our facebook page and newsletter to inform everyone of your great works.  Together we can and do make a difference when we work together to provide the highest quality science education to all the students of New Jersey.

Congratulations to John McAllen

Our State's Newest 

Presidential Awardee

I have found the profession of teaching to be infinitely rewarding, and the opportunity to work with our country's future engineers, scientists, and innovators has been humbling and invigorating. My career path has taken me from the engineering of designs to the designing of engineers, and the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching honors and validates the significance and value of our vocation. - John McAllen  

     John McAllen has been a teacher of Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus, Honors Precalculus, Precalculus, and Geometry at Point Pleasant Borough High School for the past 13 years. Previously, he was employed as an engineer for Johnson & Johnson and received five patents for his biomedical device designs.

Since his arrival at Point Pleasant Borough High School, the AP Calculus class has grown from 5 to 35 students. Last year, he was honored to be selected as the Governor's Teacher of the Year.

     In addition to holding weekly evening review sessions for AP Calculus, John volunteers to teach an AP Calculus BC course to interested students after school and during lunch periods. He makes it a priority to integrate his engineering experience into the classroom on a daily basis and to solidify the connection between mathematics, physics, and other applied engineering classes.

     John is a Professional Learning Community Facilitator and works with faculty to help implement differentiated instruction in the 21st-century classroom. In addition, he serves as the Mathematics Club Advisor and Chairman of the Ocean County Mathematics League.

     John has a B.S., summa cum laude, in mechanical engineering from Rutgers College of Engineering and an M.S. in mechanical engineering from Rutgers Graduate School.

     Thank you, John for all you do for us and your students.  We are very fortunate to have you among us.

American Honda Foundation Grants

The foundation awards grants of up to $75,000 to K-12 schools, colleges, universities, trade schools, and others for programs that benefit youth and scientific education. "Scientific education" encompasses 
physical and life sciences, mathematics, and the environmental sciences. The foundation is seeking programs that meet the following characteristics: scientific, dreamful (imaginative), creative, humanistic, youthful, innovative, and forward thinking. Deadlines to apply for the grants are May 1, August 1, November 1, and February 1. 
click  the link below for more information:

President

Barbara DeSantis

Samsel Upper Elementary School

[email protected]

 

Newsletter Editor

Linda Smith

Paulsboro Public Schools

[email protected]

 

Membership Chair

Robert Phillips

[email protected]

 

Mailling Address

NJSTA

Box A

Cranbury, NJ 08512