The Early Bird Catches the Worm – And Saves Money
by Jessica Sawko
The early bird registration deadline for the 2011 California Science Education Conference is just one month away. Registering early has several advantages, not just saving money. By registering early, you get first pick on the most popular Field Courses and Short Courses. Many of these events sell out before the conference and registering early means you won’t be left out come conference time. You can also make your hotel reservations on-line and get your first choice of hotel.
Even if you don’t plan to attend a ticketed event, registering early will save you as much as $25. Your registration includes access to all 175+ workshops, the general sessions, focus speakers, evening events, and the exhibit hall. That is a lot of programming for just $98. Remember, you must be a current CSTA member and register before August 1 to take advantage of this fantastic rate.
If your LEA or school will be helping you pay for your registration, but they will not be able to do so until the fall, not to worry, we will work with you. Register today using your credit card, and we will refund your card when we receive payment from your school in the fall.
Here is just one example of the many engaging and fascinating speakers you can enjoy while attending the conference:
Fuels from Sunlight, Water and Carbon Dioxide: A Thermochemical Approach
Saturday, October 22, 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Sossina M. Haile, Professor of Materials Science and of Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology
Perhaps the greatest challenge facing our planet is sustainable energy. Remarkably, more energy from sunlight strikes the earth in one hour than all of the energy consumed on the planet in one year. Thus, the challenge modern society faces is not one of identifying a sustainable energy source, but rather one of capitalizing on the vast, yet intermittent, solar resource base. Laboratories around the world are pursuing a variety of promising storage methods for converting solar energy into a reliable energy source for on-demand utilization. We have developed a unique thermochemical approach for converting water and carbon dioxide to storable fuels using the heat of the sun. We describe here the state-of-the-art in this approach and the outstanding challenges.
Sossina M. Haile is Professor of Materials Science and of Chemical Engineering at the California Institute of Technology. She earned her Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1992. As part of her studies, Haile spent two years at the Max Plank Institute for Solid State Research, Stuttgart, Germany, first as a Fulbright Fellow then as a Humboldt Fellow. Before assuming her present position at Caltech in 1996, Haile was a member of the faculty at the University of Washington. Her research broadly encompasses solid state ionic materials and devices, with particular focus on energy technologies and especially fuel cells. Her more recent interests include solar-driven water dissociation (or water splitting) by thermochemical processes. She has published more than 120 articles on these and other topics. In 2007 Haile was named by Newsweek Magazine as one of twelve people ‘to watch’. In 2008 Haile was awarded an American Competitiveness and Innovation (ACI) Fellowship from the National Science Foundation in recognition of her “her timely and transformative research in the energy field and her dedication to inclusive mentoring, education and outreach across many levels.” She is also the recipient of the 2010 Chemical Pioneers Award of the Chemical Heritage Foundation. Her national service includes membership on the National Materials Advisory Board, a committee serving the National Academies of Sciences and of Engineering, from 2005 to 2011.
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Seeking Members for IQC Appointment Recommendation
One of the benefits of being a CSTA member is the opportunity to be recommended by CSTA to serve on important state-level committees. One such opportunity is now available. CSTA is seeking science teachers to recommend for service on the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC), formerly the Curriculum Commission. This committee is charged with writing the curriculum frameworks for the Common Core ELA and math standards and will be tasked with developing the framework for the new science standards (once adopted). Members of the Commission serve without compensation, except that they receive their actual and necessary travel expenses in attending Commission meetings and participating in other Commission activities (airfare, lodging, meals, shuttle service, mileage, parking). No funding is provided for substitute teaching or administrative personnel; each applicant employed by a local education agency must obtain the agency’s acknowledgement of the application and the agency’s agreement to absorb any costs for substitute personnel.
CSTA is seeking a member science educator with experience with integrating literacy and math skills into science instruction. A familiarity with the Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards is preferred. If you meet these qualifications and would like to have your name considered, please contact CSTA at csta@cascience.org or 916-979-7004. Please include a copy of your resume and/or a description of your qualifications.
State Library’s “Women in STEM” Calendar for June Is Now Online
The California State Library invites you to view our online June calendar that highlights four women who have achieved success in STEM-related fields in California. These women and their accomplishments have helped pave the way for future generations.
One such woman is Hattie Scott Peterson, an African American civil engineer who became the first female engineer for the Sacramento district of the Army Corps of Engineers in 1954. She started with the Corps at a time when cultural diversity in the workplace was not common. Her work ethic and personal integrity helped her to overcome the challenges she faced. In the late 1940s she was reputed to be the only female African American civil engineer in the United States.
This monthly calendar is a joint effort of the State Library, California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, and the California Department of Education.
View the calendar here: http://www.library.ca.gov/calhist/calendar6-1.html?utm_source=csl0613
You Are Invited to Participate in an Online Survey Regarding Possible Changes to the High School Academic Performance Index:
In response to state legislation, the California Department Education (CDE) currently is developing new indicators to include in the high school Academic Performance Index (API).
To help with this important task, the CDE invites administrators, teachers, parents or guardians, students, school board members, educational organizations, community members, and business leaders to take an online survey located on the CDE API Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/ap/.
CSTA encourages you to take about 20 minutes to complete the survey and let CDE know the vital role that science takes in preparing students for college and career and how achievement in science should be given a high value in the proposed College and Career Readiness Indicator. The survey closes June 20, 2013 – please act today. Please encourage your colleagues, students, parents of students, and administrators to complete the survey as well.
For more information about revisions to the API, including the proposed College and Career Readiness Indicator, please view the video that was prepared by CDE staff as background material for the survey.
Comparing AP Science Practices, Common Core State Standards, and NGSS Science and Engineering Practices
by Bethany Dixon
At NSTA San Antonio and again at the California State Science Fair, I fell into a conversation about connecting NGSS Science and Engineering Practices and AP Biology Science Practices 1-7. In the past few years, ideas have converged on what it looks like to “Do Science:” the habits of mind necessary to develop scientific knowledge. This idea isn’t new to science education – scientific skills are still important. Haven’t we seen this before? We called it using the Scientific Method(s), or Levels of Inquiry, or whichever wrapper we’re putting things into… it doesn’t seem like the ideas of what constitute good science have changed. Or have they? Learn More…
Summer and Fall Professional Development Opportunities Provided by CSTA and its Chapters
by Lisa Hegdahl
The students are gone, the meetings are over, your classroom is clean – Learn More…
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