Discover and discuss the latest resources, tools, educational issues, and professional development topics for K12 educators.


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Teaching Biotechnolgy: New Tools & Resources

Join us for this free, online web seminar from the NSDL/NSTA Web Seminar Series for the 2009-2010 school year!

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Teaching Biotechnology: New Tools and Resources for the STEM Career Pipeline from WGBH Teachers Domain

Date: Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Time: 6:30p.m.-8:00p.m. Eastern Time

Registration is free

Need a way to refresh your lessons in genetics through multimedia resources? Biotechnology is a rapidly growing field that uses research from biology and chemistry to find solutions to current scientific problems. Help students understand how gene cloning, DNA sequencing, and bio-engineering touch their every day lives. From the food we eat, to the drugs we take, and the jobs that we train for, biotechnology is a science for the new millennium.

Join WGBH Teachers’ Domain and a local high school biotechnology teacher in discussing ways to deepen the teaching and learning of biotechnology in your classroom. Learn about some extra-ordinary free resources developed and organized by Teachers’ Domain that cover biotechnology applications, concepts, tools and techniques, and feature career profiles in this promising field. Register today!

Posted in Topics: NSDL/NSTA Web Seminars

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NSDL/NSTA Web Seminar, Feb 17th: Biotechnology

Sign up today for the next NSTA Web Seminar in the NSDL Series: Teaching Biotechnology: New Tools and Resources for the STEM Career Pipeline from WGBH Teachers’ Domain. These free seminars provide resources for your classroom and background information for your professional development!

Topic: Biotechnology

Date: February 17, 2010

Time: 6:30pm - 8:00pm Eastern Time

Presenters: Daniella Quiniones, WGBH Teachers Domain Marketing Coordinator and Dr. Lisa Rapp, Chair of the Biotechnology Program at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC), Springfield MA

Register for this free web seminar on the NSTA Learning Center:

Need a way to refresh your lessons in genetics through multimedia resources? Biotechnology is a rapidly growing field that uses research from biology and chemistry to find solutions to current scientific problems. Help students understand how gene cloning, DNA sequencing, and bio-engineering touch their every day lives. From the food we eat, to the drugs we take, and the jobs that we train for, biotechnology is a science for the new millennium.

Join WGBH Teachers’ Domain and a local high school biotechnology teacher in discussing ways to deepen the teaching and learning of biotechnology in your classroom. Learn about some extra-ordinary free resources developed and organized by Teachers’ Domain that cover biotechnology applications, concepts, tools and techniques, and feature career profiles in this promising field. Register today!

Posted in Topics: General, Life science, Prof Dev: NSDL Network and News, Teacher professional development, biology

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From biotech to geoscience…using multiple NSDL resources

Teachers’ Domain: Biotechnology Collection Thinking of using biotechnology as a focus of upcoming middle or high school science instruction?  Use the new collection from Teachers’ Domain (see NSDL Highlights) to help construct your unit using these high quality multimedia resources. The Biotechnology collection contains valuable QuickTime videos, Flash interactives, still photos, and other resources that you can incorporate, across a range of topics. Find resources about biotech applications and concepts (cloning, DNA sequencing and extraction, DNA testing; genetic engineering, disease research) to the tools and techniques that biotechnologists use, and the career paths they’ve chosen. There’s also a lesson plan on Using Biotechnology to Detect and Treat Disease. Add additional valuable bioscience resources from the BiosciEdNet (BEN) Pathway. With disease looming in Haiti as a consequence of the January earthquake, teachers have additional take-off points for using NSDL collections and resources:

The Disease Epidemic Model virtual manipulative, from Shodor Foundation and the Computational Science Education Reference Desk (CSERD)

Explore the Middle School Portal’s valuable Science Resource Guides, including Turning Points in Science: Germ Theory; What’s Making You Sick; and in the geosciences:  Plate Tectonics, and Geologic Time: Eons, Eras, and Epochs

Engineering Education Blog: Update on Earthquake in Haiti - learn from a first-hand account and discussion of engineering issues and social and political implications, as a consequence of the destruction

DLESE Science Literacy Maps and Earthquake science to the fore, both recently highlighted by NSDL, offer valuable help in teaching about earthquake science, plate tectonics, and seismology

Explore!

Posted in Topics: Careers in Science, Chemistry, Education, High School Resources, Life science, Science

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Edublog Award Nominations Close Today, 12/8

The Edublog Awards recognize educational blogs, podcasts and other web-based educational technology users and organizations. Here’s a few nominations to add to the list, most of which are supported by the use of the NSDL Expert Voices and NSDL Wiki platforms:

Best resource sharing blog-

Ohio State University: Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears

http://beyondpeguins.nsdl.org

Best librarian / library blog

Joyce Valenza: Neverending Search

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1340000334.html

Best educational wiki

Ohio State University:Middle School Portal Math and Science Publications:

http://wiki.nsdl.org/index.php/MiddleSchoolPortal/

Best educational use of a social networking service

Ohio State University: MSP2

http://msteacher2.org

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Nominations close tonight! Here are the instructions from Edublogs and good luck to the nominees!:

You can nominate your own favorites. Simply follow the directions from

Step 1: Write a post on your blog linking to:

1. The Edublog Awards Homepage

2. The blogs and sites that you want to nominate (must be linked to!)

You can nominate for as many categories as you like, but only one nomination per category, and not yourself :) You can nominate a blog (or site) for more than one category)

Step 2: Email us the link to your nomination post

Use the form on The Edublog Awards Homepage to contact us, please include a genuine email address (spam free, just in case we need to confirm identity) and the link to your nominations post.

Posted in Topics: Elementary Resources, General, High School Resources, Teacher professional development

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For Middle School Teachers: Tips for Participating in the MSP2 Social Network

Join us in learning more about the Middle School Portal 2 Math & Science Pathway (MSP2) NING social networking platform - the layout of the site, how to personalize your My Page, and all the ways you can connect to colleagues using profile data and search. If you have questions - bring them to this monthly meeting and we’ll try to figure them out together! Learn more

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Posted in Topics: Education, Online learning, Prof Dev: NSDL Network and News, Technology

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Timely Teachings: Seasons and the Cycles of Night & Day

Join us for this free, online web seminar from the NSDL/NSTA Web Seminar Series for the 2009-2010 school year!

earth-science-wide3-tile.jpgTimely Teachings: Seasons and the Cycles of Night & Day

Date: Thursday, December 10, 2009

Time: 6:30p.m.-8:00p.m. Eastern Time

Join Jessica Fries-Gaither, science resource specialist at Ohio State University, as we discuss two challenging topics in the elementary and middle school curriculum - day and night and seasons from both science and literacy perspectives. Register today!

We’ll review scientific principles, examine common misconceptions and formative assessment strategies, and discuss how to approach these topics by integrating science and literacy. We’ll share resources from Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears, the National Science Digital Libraries’ Middle School Portal, and other high-quality content providers.

Posted in Topics: Elementary Resources, General, NSDL/NSTA Web Seminars, Online learning, Prof Dev: NSDL Network and News, Teacher professional development

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Ugly bug contest: It’s time to vote!

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Don’t forget to vote for your favorite ugly bug, from the folks at Ask-a-Biologist. Right now, the Snakefly has a resounding lead. Will it last? Vote and see!

Watch the video to learn more….

Posted in Topics: Elementary Resources, General, High School Resources

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Nanotechnology featured in next NSDL Web Seminar

Join us for this free, online web seminar from the NSDL/NSTA Web Seminar Series for the 2009-2010 school year!

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Title: Knowing Nano: New Video, Web, and Print

Date: Nov 11, 2009

Time: 6:30p.m.-8:00p.m. Eastern Time

Presenter: Lisa Regalla, DragonflyTV

Registration is free!

Spark your students’ curiosity and hone their inquiry skills with free DragonflyTV Nano educational resources. Six half-hour episodes dedicated entirely to nanoscale science and technology feature captivating scientist profiles, nanoscale zooms into common objects, and real kids doing inquiry-based investigations at science centers and universities nationwide. A companion Educator’s Guide outlines standards-based, hands-on activities that build on the concepts in the video. Extend lessons with the exciting NanoBlast boardgame, challenging players’ “nano expertise” and inviting critical thinking about ethical issues in nanoscience and technology. Register today!

Join Dr. Lisa Regalla, Science Editor for DragonflyTV, as she highlights ways you can incorporate nanoscale science and technology into your biology, chemistry, mathematics and technology classes. No prior knowledge of “nano” required! DragonflyTV’s classroom-ready, interactive materials can be used by any educator to introduce students to the fascinating world of nanoscale science and technology. This presentation is geared for middle school science teachers but is applicable to the high school level as well.

Posted in Topics: General, High School Resources, NSDL/NSTA Web Seminars, Prof Dev: NSDL Network and News, Teacher professional development

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Provide your feedback on PRISMS site, stipend offer

The Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance is looking for 25-30 teachers and teacher educators (pre-service faculty, curriculum developers, professional development consultants, science specialists, etc.) to complete an evaluation questionnaire for feedback on the NSF-funded PRISMS web site at: http://prisms.mmsa.org/ . PRISMS stands for Phenomena and Representations for the Instruction of Science in Middle School and is part of the National Science Digital Library. In return for your feedback, the MMSA will provide a stipend and nifty PRISMS lanyard with a built in flash drive.

Group A - Grades classroom 6-8 teachers who have never used the PRISMS web site who will spend some time examining the site and complete a questionnaire that takes approximately 1 hour to complete. Stipend- $200 for full completion of the questionnaire. In addition, 3-4 teachers may be selected for a follow up phone interview at their convenience which will take approximately 45 minutes for an additional $100.

Group B - Grades 6-8 classroom teachers who have not used the PRISMS web site before who will spend some time examining the site and commit to using at least 2 or three of the resources on the web site this fall. Teachers will complete the same questionnaire as Group A and in addition, will describe how they incorporated a PRISMS resource into their instruction or instructional planning. Stipend- $300 plus an additional $100 for an optional 45 minute follow up phone interview.

Group C - Grades 6-8 classroom teachers who have used the PRISMS web site and will provide feedback on a written questionnaire (about 1.5 hours) and share at least one example of how they used a PRISMS resource in their instruction. Stipend- $300. In addition, some participants will be asked to participate in an optional 45 minute phone interview (Additional $100).

Group D- Non-classroom teachers who work with middle school teachers in preservice education, designing curriculum materials, professional development, etc. We are looking for science educators willing to provide feedback on PRISMS that will help us understand how others use PRISMS to support science teachers or the development of curriculum materials. We will ask you to complete a 1 hour questionnaire - stipend $200, plus an optional 45 minute phone interview for selected participants (additional $100 stipend).

If you are available, willing and interested in giving a couple hours of your valuable time to this evaluation, please contact Laurie Mitchell at lmitchell@mmsa.org and let her know what group you would like to be in. If you know of any middle school teachers or educators who work with middle school teachers who might like to participate, please pass this information on to them. There are limited slots in each group so please contact Laurie soon if you decide you would like to participate. Once we have filled each of the groups, Laurie will contact you with further information and directions for completing the evaluation.

The evaluation will take place between October 15th and November 28th. Thanks for your help! I’m sure you will find the PRISMS web site to be very helpful in selecting web-based resources. Conversely, you will be helping MMSA collect valuable data on how this instructional resource is used by educators which will inform future NSDL projects.

PRISMS

Posted in Topics: General, Prof Dev: NSDL Network and News, Technology

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Interactive Whiteboards: Tech Talk from MSP2

Learn strategies on how to use interactive whiteboards in the classroom from Todd Williamson in this archived webinar from the NSDL Middle School Social Network

NSDL Middle School Math and Science Pathway

Posted in Topics: Technology, Technology: Elementary, Technology: High School

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