Here are some images of a professional videographer capturing stories from the students and staff involved in the HP Catalyst grant water quality testing project that connected Scofield to China.
For a set of links describing the project Click here!
This amazing STEM experience recently brought Chinese teachers and students to Scofield in October. A sub-set of Scofield teachers and students may have the amazing experience of traveling to China to see the Middle School attached to Shandong University in Jinan, China first hand!
Myself and Bryan Olkowski spend an unbelievable week in New Delhi, India in March representing Scofield at a Global HP conference for grantees. You can't make this stuff up!
The people of New Delhi were fascinated by my (then ) bushy mustache.
For more on the New Delhi trip see our blog of the experience here.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
(5 - 14 yr olds) Take the Curiosity Challnge!
Click Here to find out more!
Encourage a 5 - 14 year old you know to participate!
The "deets"...
Write an essay or poem, draw or take a picture about your curiosity and tell
us how it prompted you to explore your world. Enter your essay or artwork
in the 2012 Curiosity Challenge by submitting it at any Cambridge Public
School, Cambridge Public Library branch or by mailing it to:
The Curiosity Challenge
c/o MIT Museum, 265 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA. 02139
by Friday, February 10th.
Go for it!
Mr. F :-)
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Thanksgiving Science Links!
Have fun viewing these and happy thanksgiving! jim forde :-)
The Science of Thanksgiving
http://www.scientificamerican.com/report.cfm?id=thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Chemisty
http://chemistry.about.com/b/2011/11/22/thanksgiving-science.htm
Six Servings of Thanksgiving Science
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2011/11/23/a-side-of-science-for-your-thanksgiving-feast/
Punkin Chunkin!
http://science.discovery.com/tv/punkin-chunkin/
Enjoy!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
The AITE KIds WON!!
Dear AITE Family,
My students and I would like to thank everyone that voted for our students in the World Series of Innovation and Invention contest.
Thanks to all of you and their efforts, they WON!!!!!!! in their category.
Click on the following link to view all of the winners in their categories:
http://www.nfte.com/world-series-of-innovation/winners.html
Regards,
L. Keller
Business/Technology Teacher
Academy of Information Technology & Engineering
My students and I would like to thank everyone that voted for our students in the World Series of Innovation and Invention contest.
Thanks to all of you and their efforts, they WON!!!!!!! in their category.
Click on the following link to view all of the winners in their categories:
http://www.nfte.com/world-series-of-innovation/winners.html
Regards,
L. Keller
Business/Technology Teacher
Academy of Information Technology & Engineering
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Stamford STEM Educators on News 12
Here are a couple of our hard working Stamford educators discussing the math/science integration work they did at NASA last Summer on News 12!
Click Here to see some images from that STEM-tastic learning experience!
Saturday, November 19, 2011
AITE Entrepreneurs advance!
#Stamford AITE student entrepreneurs in training reach finals in innovator contest http://cot.ag/sh7tsb @AITEStamford
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Connect with REAL scientists!
Click to find out more about the 1000 Scientists in a 1000 days project!
It looks very exciting and easy to use!
Jim :-)
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
With STEM almost everything is possible!
Click here...With STEM, Almost Everything Is Possible to learn more about an amazing breakthrough in prosthetics and how STEM makes it and other future innovations possible!
Jim :-)
Monday, November 7, 2011
AITE entrepreneurs need your vote!
Starting at 8am EDT on Monday morning (and through midnight on November 18th), you and all your friends, families and supporters can vote at http://www.nfte.com/world-series-of-innovation/vote. Each finalist submission will be posted so people can read the submission, watch the commercial, and review any supporting materials such as logo designs, video diaries, jingles, etc. Please encourage your students and all your fellow teachers to look at the submissions and to vote for their favorite in each category.
Under the topic... Sustainable Style: VOTE FOR
Rose-Ay?s Transformers ? Mr. Keller, Academy of Information Technology & Engineering
Jim :-)
Under the topic... Sustainable Style: VOTE FOR
Rose-Ay?s Transformers ? Mr. Keller, Academy of Information Technology & Engineering
Jim :-)
Friday, November 4, 2011
Next Generation Science Standards
Cc: Buttner, Elizabeth
Subject: UPDATE: Next Generation Natl Sci Stds-PLEASE CIRCULATE
Dear Science Education Colleagues –
You are probably aware that Next Generation National Science Education Standards are currently being developed by the National Academies of Science and Achieve. The vision and guidelines for the new standards were published in July 2011 by the National Research Council: “A Framework for K-12 Science Education” (free download available at http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bose/Standards_Framework_Homepage.html). The standards based on these guidelines are currently in development and slated for completion in late 2012, after two windows for public feedback in winter and spring 2012 (see Achieve Inc.’s website detailing the standards development at http://www.nextgenscience.org/development-process).
The Framework recommends that science education be built around three unified dimensions: scientific and engineering practices; crosscutting concepts; and core ideas in physical, life earth/space and engineering sciences. “To support students’ meaningful learning…all three dimensions need to be integrated into standards, curriculum, instruction, and assessment”. ALL students, over multiple years of school, should actively engage in using scientific and engineering practices to deepen their understanding of core ideas and crosscutting concepts described in the Framework. Greater emphasis will be given to cognitively “important” scientific practices, such as modeling, developing explanations, and engaging in critique and evaluation, that have “too often been underemphasized in science classrooms”…where “experimental investigation has been overemphasized as the aim of instruction rather than as a means to understand science content”.
Although the new standards are not expected to be completed until at least late 2012, you may be wondering how they could impact Connecticut state standards and assessments, as well as your district’s science curriculum and instruction. There are still many unknowns, but the following “Frequently Asked Questions” may be helpful for a productive district curriculum review and for long-term planning:
·When will Connecticut’s science standards be revised? The 2004 Core Science Curriculum Framework will remain stable at least until late 2012, when the new national science standards are projected to be published. At that time, decisions will be made concerning state adoption of the new standards in early 2013.
·When will Connecticut’s state science assessments change? It is likely that CMT and CAPT science assessments will remain stable until at least 2015. Decisions still need to be made about how to allow adequate time for districts to transition their curriculum and instruction to the new science standards in preparation for new assessments. Much is still unknown about when new science assessments might be developed and introduced. Among the possibilities are: (1) CT might join a multi-state consortium to develop common assessments based on the Next Gen Science Standards; (2) CT might develop its own science assessments based on Next Gen Science Stds. It is unclear at this time whether new state science assessments will be grade- or course-specific; or whether they will be comprehensive similar to current CMT and CAPT science assessments.
·How might new state science assessments change after 2015? Policy decisions (for instance, the need for high school end-of-course tests, the expansion of science testing to more grade levels or whether science assessments will be included in federal or state accountability) will be informed by the reauthorization of the federal ESEA law and by state-level leadership. Decisions about the components and structure of the science assessments will be based upon experiences with the current science assessments, current research, national and international trends, stakeholder input and available resources.
·My district’s science curriculum is scheduled for revision this year. Should we go forward with it or postpone? Given the possibility of new science standards within the next few years, a district science curriculum review at this time would do well to fine-tune what is currently taught and how it is taught.
Listed below are focus questions that might be useful for guiding upcoming curriculum review work:
o Alignment with current state standards and assessments: Survey teachers to find out who teaches each content standard and at what grade. Use the Grade-Level Concepts, Grade-Level Expectations and CMT/CAPT Expected Performances to streamline the curriculum, eliminating redundancies, gaps and inconsistencies among schools and classrooms. Does the sequence of learning units (within a grade and across the grades) foster understanding and retention by offering opportunities for students to continually make conceptual connections and relate the science to local or global problems and settings?
oOpportunity to learn: Do PK-12 students have frequent opportunities to learn and apply scientific concepts and problem-solving practices in state standards? Is time allocated for science learning sufficient to allow for hands-on investigations, both indoors and outdoors? Do teachers have opportunities to deepen their knowledge of science content and teaching strategies? Are instructional materials aligned with content and practices in state standards?
oTeaching practices: Observe classrooms and survey teachers to get a “snapshot” of how science is taught. Are students mainly reading about science, or do they have frequent opportunities to use scientific inquiry, reasoning and logic to build understanding of concepts and practices? Are Common Core State Standards in ELA and mathematics deliberately integrated within science lessons?
oPerformance Trends. Review Science CMT/CAPT data from 2008 through 2010 to look for performance patterns in life, physical and earth science as well as scientific inquiry. Can these performance trends be correlated to what science is currently taught and how it is taught? What other data does the district have that provides evidence of student success and interest in science (e.g., common formative assessments, enrollment in elective STEM courses, participation in science fairs, clubs and community STEM projects, etc.)?
There certainly are many unknowns about the future of standards and assessments. Hopefully, the suggestions above provide at least a starting point for a meaningful and productive curriculum review.
Liz Buttner
K-8 Science Consultant
MSP Science State Coordinator
PAEMST Science State Coordinator
Connecticut State Department of Education
165 Capitol Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106
Phone: 860-713-6849
Fax: 860-713-7018
elizabeth.buttner@ct.gov
Subject: UPDATE: Next Generation Natl Sci Stds-PLEASE CIRCULATE
Dear Science Education Colleagues –
You are probably aware that Next Generation National Science Education Standards are currently being developed by the National Academies of Science and Achieve. The vision and guidelines for the new standards were published in July 2011 by the National Research Council: “A Framework for K-12 Science Education” (free download available at http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bose/Standards_Framework_Homepage.html). The standards based on these guidelines are currently in development and slated for completion in late 2012, after two windows for public feedback in winter and spring 2012 (see Achieve Inc.’s website detailing the standards development at http://www.nextgenscience.org/development-process).
The Framework recommends that science education be built around three unified dimensions: scientific and engineering practices; crosscutting concepts; and core ideas in physical, life earth/space and engineering sciences. “To support students’ meaningful learning…all three dimensions need to be integrated into standards, curriculum, instruction, and assessment”. ALL students, over multiple years of school, should actively engage in using scientific and engineering practices to deepen their understanding of core ideas and crosscutting concepts described in the Framework. Greater emphasis will be given to cognitively “important” scientific practices, such as modeling, developing explanations, and engaging in critique and evaluation, that have “too often been underemphasized in science classrooms”…where “experimental investigation has been overemphasized as the aim of instruction rather than as a means to understand science content”.
Although the new standards are not expected to be completed until at least late 2012, you may be wondering how they could impact Connecticut state standards and assessments, as well as your district’s science curriculum and instruction. There are still many unknowns, but the following “Frequently Asked Questions” may be helpful for a productive district curriculum review and for long-term planning:
·When will Connecticut’s science standards be revised? The 2004 Core Science Curriculum Framework will remain stable at least until late 2012, when the new national science standards are projected to be published. At that time, decisions will be made concerning state adoption of the new standards in early 2013.
·When will Connecticut’s state science assessments change? It is likely that CMT and CAPT science assessments will remain stable until at least 2015. Decisions still need to be made about how to allow adequate time for districts to transition their curriculum and instruction to the new science standards in preparation for new assessments. Much is still unknown about when new science assessments might be developed and introduced. Among the possibilities are: (1) CT might join a multi-state consortium to develop common assessments based on the Next Gen Science Standards; (2) CT might develop its own science assessments based on Next Gen Science Stds. It is unclear at this time whether new state science assessments will be grade- or course-specific; or whether they will be comprehensive similar to current CMT and CAPT science assessments.
·How might new state science assessments change after 2015? Policy decisions (for instance, the need for high school end-of-course tests, the expansion of science testing to more grade levels or whether science assessments will be included in federal or state accountability) will be informed by the reauthorization of the federal ESEA law and by state-level leadership. Decisions about the components and structure of the science assessments will be based upon experiences with the current science assessments, current research, national and international trends, stakeholder input and available resources.
·My district’s science curriculum is scheduled for revision this year. Should we go forward with it or postpone? Given the possibility of new science standards within the next few years, a district science curriculum review at this time would do well to fine-tune what is currently taught and how it is taught.
Listed below are focus questions that might be useful for guiding upcoming curriculum review work:
o Alignment with current state standards and assessments: Survey teachers to find out who teaches each content standard and at what grade. Use the Grade-Level Concepts, Grade-Level Expectations and CMT/CAPT Expected Performances to streamline the curriculum, eliminating redundancies, gaps and inconsistencies among schools and classrooms. Does the sequence of learning units (within a grade and across the grades) foster understanding and retention by offering opportunities for students to continually make conceptual connections and relate the science to local or global problems and settings?
oOpportunity to learn: Do PK-12 students have frequent opportunities to learn and apply scientific concepts and problem-solving practices in state standards? Is time allocated for science learning sufficient to allow for hands-on investigations, both indoors and outdoors? Do teachers have opportunities to deepen their knowledge of science content and teaching strategies? Are instructional materials aligned with content and practices in state standards?
oTeaching practices: Observe classrooms and survey teachers to get a “snapshot” of how science is taught. Are students mainly reading about science, or do they have frequent opportunities to use scientific inquiry, reasoning and logic to build understanding of concepts and practices? Are Common Core State Standards in ELA and mathematics deliberately integrated within science lessons?
oPerformance Trends. Review Science CMT/CAPT data from 2008 through 2010 to look for performance patterns in life, physical and earth science as well as scientific inquiry. Can these performance trends be correlated to what science is currently taught and how it is taught? What other data does the district have that provides evidence of student success and interest in science (e.g., common formative assessments, enrollment in elective STEM courses, participation in science fairs, clubs and community STEM projects, etc.)?
There certainly are many unknowns about the future of standards and assessments. Hopefully, the suggestions above provide at least a starting point for a meaningful and productive curriculum review.
Liz Buttner
K-8 Science Consultant
MSP Science State Coordinator
PAEMST Science State Coordinator
Connecticut State Department of Education
165 Capitol Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106
Phone: 860-713-6849
Fax: 860-713-7018
elizabeth.buttner@ct.gov
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Present.me experiment
Hi All,
I keep wondering what other formats training can occur in and discovered present.me.
Here is a BETA experiment of what a use of the site could produce once embedded in a blog format. This would be interesting for sharing ideas with kids, their families and the community also.
Take a peek....
A training experiment using present.me to introduce Web 2.0 tools. What do you think? (It's a rough start.) Click here
jim :-)
I keep wondering what other formats training can occur in and discovered present.me.
Here is a BETA experiment of what a use of the site could produce once embedded in a blog format. This would be interesting for sharing ideas with kids, their families and the community also.
Take a peek....
A training experiment using present.me to introduce Web 2.0 tools. What do you think? (It's a rough start.) Click here
jim :-)
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Friday, October 7, 2011
PBL + STEM: 40 resources
PBL + STEM: 40 resources!
We learned about these at a webinar at our school. (You probably did too!)
Here are the links!
Jim :-)
We learned about these at a webinar at our school. (You probably did too!)
Here are the links!
Jim :-)
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Dave Edelson's STEM blog!
Check out this cool blog by a Stamford science teacher!
http://www.stamfordstem.blogspot.com/
A great beginning! I can't wait to see more!
http://www.stamfordstem.blogspot.com/
A great beginning! I can't wait to see more!
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Steal My STEM bookmarks
Hi STEM-sters!
Why not steal my growing list of STEM bookmarks? Nobody wanted them on eBay so I am offering them here for free!
http://delicious.com/fordemm/STEM
If you are not familiar with DELICIOUS.com you should investigate the opportunity the social bookmarking represents. If you have a set of STEM links on delicious please let us see them by posting your link below!
All the best!
Jim :-)
Why not steal my growing list of STEM bookmarks? Nobody wanted them on eBay so I am offering them here for free!
http://delicious.com/fordemm/STEM
If you are not familiar with DELICIOUS.com you should investigate the opportunity the social bookmarking represents. If you have a set of STEM links on delicious please let us see them by posting your link below!
All the best!
Jim :-)
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Welcome to the Stamford STEM network!
Hi All,
I am hoping that this blog space will serve as a way to share our STEM ideas, successes or challenges. Here we can brainstorm and support one another as we try to infuse STEM goals into our curricula.
Please post a "hello" message below saying who you are and how you are involved in STEM education in Stamford!
Jim Forde :-)
twitter-- stamfordstem
email-- jforde@ci.stamford.ct.us
I am hoping that this blog space will serve as a way to share our STEM ideas, successes or challenges. Here we can brainstorm and support one another as we try to infuse STEM goals into our curricula.
Please post a "hello" message below saying who you are and how you are involved in STEM education in Stamford!
Jim Forde :-)
twitter-- stamfordstem
email-- jforde@ci.stamford.ct.us
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