August 2010
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August 2010 Present at an Area Share-a-thon Do you have a great classroom activity that you know works well with your students? Are you looking for a way to attend a NSTA Area Conference but never got that proposal in and need some help convincing your school district for support? Then you should participate in a NESTA share-a-thon. Presenting at a share-a-thon is not the same as a "talk" in front of your colleagues. Instead, share-a-thon attendees circulate through the session, coming by a table that NESTA provides presenters. This gives you a brief opportunity to share your activity with attendees, explain how it works and your experience with students, and also get to know your colleagues a bit. Share-a-thons are typically attended by 75 to 100 teachers at an NSTA Area Conference. The environment has been variously described as a round robin, a flea market, and a feeding frenzy! We have a share-a-thon at each of the three NSTA Area Conferences this fall. Kansas City on Friday, October 29, 2010 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM Baltimore on Friday, November 12, 2010 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM Nashville on Thursday, December 2, 2010 from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM If you are interested in participating at a NESTA share-a-thon, there is still time to sign up. You can sign up online at http://www.nestanet.org/cms/content/conferences/nsta/shareathons or just contact our share-a-thon coordinator Michelle Harris at michelle_harris@apsva.us for more details. Behind the Scenes at NESTA Here is a summary of our July Board of Director teleconferences. Thanks in part to NESTA sponsored Galileoscope workshops and the new NESTA/Windows to the Universe partnership, our membership chair, Bruce Hall, reported that our membership numbers have now broken 1000!! Our President, Ardis Herrold, is working to confirm our State Contact list - our goal is to continue to have a NESTA contact in every state. We are grateful for their hard work and support in spreading the word about our organization and sharing Earth Science events that are happening in their states. Don't forget to mark your calendar for the USA Science and Engineering Festival, October 23 - 24, 2010 that will be held on the Mall in Washington, DC. Leadership and member volunteers are making sure that NESTA has a strong presence. Be on the lookout for the Fall issue of The Earth Scientist which is being sponsored by Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME). It should be another exciting issue, hitting your mailbox in time for the beginning of our 2010-11 school year. NESTA was asked to review and comment on the National Research Council's draft of the Conceptual Framework for Science Education as a leading organization in Earth Science education. A NESTA committee prepared a response that was reviewed and accepted by the NESTA Board. Earth & Space Science education was included as one of the three major science content areas, thus recognizing the value and importance of our field. If you are able to attend any of the Fall NSTA Area Conferences be sure to check for NESTA presentations. We will continue to have these sessions advertised on our website and in our E-News. Please Contribute Your Ideas for a new NESTA Logo! The NESTA leadership is asking for NESTA members for your ideas for a new NESTA logo. We feel that our current logo, which has served well for decades, is in need of an update. We would like to better capture the breadth of NESTA science, the scope of our membership (including Alaska and Hawaii), and also to have a logo that works at high resolution for publications. The NESTA leadership will select a subset of the logos submitted and ask our members to vote on their choice for a new logo. Submissions are open through December 31, 2010. Please keep in mind that the logo should be about the same dimensions as the current logo (it can be enlarged or made smaller, but should have about this same relative dimensions), and that it can be color or black and white. Please submit your entry online along with your name and e-mail, so we can contact you if we need to. The winning logo entry will earn a free 1-year print membership to NESTA. Share Your Best Places to Go for Earth and Space Science Education Vacations remind us that there are some places that are very special for Earth and Space Science across our beautiful country. A couple of weeks ago, Ardis Herrold (NESTA President) and Parker Pennington (Past President and Appointed Director) dropped by the NESTA office in Boulder (leaving some wonderful rock and mineral specimens for decoration - thanks so much!), and this reminded me of an idea that NESTA leadership has been kicking around for awhile - namely, NESTA's List of Best Places for Earth and Space Science across the country. We would like to ask you, as a NESTA member (who by definition loves the geosciences), to share your favorite places in your state relevant to our field with other NESTA members. The following questions may help you think of the places we'd like to identify:
Please fill out an online form with which you can provide the name, location (either address or geographic coordinates), and a brief description of locations. Please remember to focus your responses on places that are within 500 miles of you, since for now we will rely on our distributed network to provide responses that cover the country. Don't forget to provide your name and e-mail, so we can acknowledge your contributions. Thanks so much, and we will keep you posted on this exciting project! Obscure Earth Science Word of the Day Contributions Now that Windows to the Universe has moved to NESTA, the website redesign team is working away and coming up with some fun ideas to engage people interested in the Earth and Space Sciences, as well as to provide resources for educators (in the classroom, and elsewhere). One of the new elements we are developing will be a section of the website dedicated to an Earth and Space Science "Word of the Day". We would like you, as a member of NESTA and a leading Earth and Space Science educator, to contribute your favorite few obscure Earth and Space Science words (say, three to five) to form the basis for this collection. Please don't forget to provide not only the words, but their definitions, in the following online form - please also provide your name and e-mail, so we can acknowledge your contributions! New Science Store on Windows to the Universe website! NESTA is happy to announce the opening of the new science education store on the Windows to the Universe website. In addition to Windows to the Universe and NESTA resources, the store offers mineral and fossil specimens from Nature's Own. We will continue to add new products over the coming weeks and months, including publications from the National Academy of Sciences. Windows to the Universe members get a 10% discount on store products, and NESTA members get a 50% discount on membership in Windows to the Universe. Check back frequently for new products, and we hope you enjoy the store! Light Summer Reading Through this last month I have been indulging in reading more than usual. My latest book (a birthday gift from my husband) is "Blind Descent" by James Tabor, a riveting tale about the search for the world's deepest cave. Perhaps equally interesting was my review of the National Research Council Board on Science Education's draft version of a "Conceptual Framework for New Science Education Standards". I was both encouraged and excited to see that Earth and Space Sciences were given proper emphasis in the Framework. I was also impressed with the concept of teaching the "big ideas" in science in a well-developed, relevant and interdisciplinary fashion, and the emphasis on outcomes that focus on the practices of science, rather than a talus slope of unrelated pieces of knowledge. Speaking of unrelated pieces of knowledge, have you visited our Facebook page? Search for the group by typing out "National Earth Science Teachers Association". Just like our students, many of us are on Facebook more often than e-mail. In one visit, I did a virtual field trip in Montana, found a Google Earth activity on oil spills and read about a weather forecasting contest. Also don't forget to check out the NESTA Calendar of events on our website. The calendar is filled with autumn events and opportunities. Enjoy the last lazy days of summer! Apply for the NASA/IPAC Teacher Archive Research Program! The purpose of this program is to provide educators with an authentic research experience in astronomy. In exchange, educators are asked to leverage this experience by providing professional development for their colleagues in their local area, or other similar activities. It involves several funded trips to collaborate with scientists and to present the research results. Applicants should already know the basics of astronomy, and be interested in learning exactly how astronomy research is conducted. I previously was a participant in this program and I can personally vouch for its effectiveness, especially in bringing the element of excitement into the classroom through authentic inquiry investigations! Visit the NITARP website for more information on how to apply: https://cat.ipac.caltech.edu/nitarp/ The deadline for applications is Sep 24, 3pm Pacific time. Program applicants will begin their training in January, 2011. For questions contact Dr. Luisa Rebull at rebull@ipac.caltech.edu. How Can I Renew My Membership? Electronic renewal notices are now automatically e-mailed to each member. They will be sent at 4, 2, and 1-week intervals before your membership expires. If you have not received a renewal notice, and think you should have, please contact me. NESTA members can renew their membership and edit their Personal Information by going online:
If you wish further information regarding membership please contact Bruce Hall, the NESTA Membership Coordinator, at brucehall42@gmail.com by Marlene DiMarco Since then, I have been assisting with the establishment of the first NESTA business office in beautiful Boulder, Colorado. It has proved to be exciting, fun and challenging and although I am not a Scientist or an Educator, I have had the privilege of working with them for nearly a decade. I have found teachers (especially science teachers) to be some of the most interesting and fun people I have ever met and feel extremely honored and proud to part of this organization. My primarily duties within the organization revolve around assisting with the financial tracking and management of grants, proposal preparation, logistical support for conferences and just about everything and anything else you can think of. I take great pleasure in seeing projects come to completion successfully and look forward to serving as a representative of NESTA and having the opportunity to meet you all in person. When I'm not working I love spending time with my husband of 23 years Louie, 21 year old son Dominic, 19 year old daughter Alyssa and our 13 year old Yorkie named Scarlet; they are the air I breathe. I also enjoy star gazing, sunrises and sunsets, traveling, gardening, the color pink, and laughing until my face hurts. I love good music to listen to, good listeners to talk to, and everything in between... it's all good. And yes, I also love rocks :) Meet A NESTA Board Member NESTA Southeastern Regional Director Dave Rodriguez teaches high school Earth Science courses at Swift Creek Middle School in Tallahassee, Florida. Dave has a bachelor's degree from Florida State University, and a master's degree from The College of New Jersey. Most of his 21 years of teaching have been in Florida, but he and his wife have also taught in West Africa and South Africa for several years. They have a son and a daughter who were both born in Africa. Dave has recently been involved with the American Geophysical Union and European Geosciences Union education conferences, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences Earthworks and Inspiring Climate Education Excellence conferences, University of Alaska Fairbanks Seasons and Biomes GLOBE project, and Florida State University's Learning Systems Earth Science Institute. Dave continues to sponsor an active science club at his school that gives students the opportunity to experience science and nature in relevant, exciting settings. His students travel each year from Florida to the mountains near Boulder, Colorado to enhance their understanding of Earth Science and Ecology. Dave enjoys traveling, boating, fishing and kayaking with his family. National Earth Science Week 2010 National Earth Science Week is around the corner! The celebration will take place October 10-16, 2010 and this year's theme is "Exploring Energy." Not sure what to do for that week? Go to National Earth Science Week Homepage http://www.earthsciweek.org and you will find numerous ideas related to this year's theme. You may also purchase an Earth Science Week kit for $6.95 which is filled with posters and resources to use during the celebration and the rest of the year. The first day of the school year can set the tone for the entire year, and we as Earth Science teachers have the best resources to ensure a terrific opening to the new school year. We have access to images and animations of exciting events, fascinating phenomenon, and perplexing puzzles in the Earth Sciences. We can stop our students in their tracks as they ask "why do we have to learn Earth Science?" by using video clips like "Why Earth Science" from AGI and available on the AGI website http://www.agiweb.org/education/resource/index.html and on YouTube. This free 7 minute video will give your students a taste of what's in store for them for the school year, and will entice them to choose a career in one of the many fields of Earth Science. They will be captivated by the footage and the message it has that Earth Science includes everything everywhere! Best Wishes for a new school year! Raffle Specimens Sought The last NESTA Rock Raffle held at the NSTA Conference on Science Education in Philadelphia was awesome. A great time was had by all. There were consolation specimens for all those who did not win any of their selected items. This will be a feature of all future NESTA raffles. We continued with the request for initials to be written on the backs of the tickets. This greatly speeds up the ticket pulling process and allows us to raffle more specimens in the time allotted. Please consider donating specimens to NESTA for the Rock Raffle. Specimens may be shipped to Parker Pennington at any time and by any means (check for the cheapest). Parker is the "receiver" for each of the NSTA Area Conferences this fall. His contact information is found at http://www.nestanet.org/cms/content/about/officers The first 40 specimens are already "selected and ready for delivery" for each of the fall Area conferences, and the National in San Francisco. Your early delivery of any donations will allow for balancing between raffles (Now would be great!). Drive in delivery is assured for the Area conferences, so the size of the specimens donated can be large. 2010 Meeting of the Americas Over 1,700 scientists and educators from around the world recently convened in Foz do Iguacu (Iguassu Falls), Brasil to share their research and enjoy the geology and scenery of one of the most picturesque parts of the world. This was the first American Geophysical Union conference of this type hosted in Latin America, and drew researchers and students from every continent (including some whose work took them to Antarctica!) The wide scope of poster and oral presentations, Town Hall meetings, and other parts of the confernce can best be understood by starting with the home page at http://www.agu.org/meetings/ja10/index.php and then working through the Scientific Program. Of special interest to classroom teachers was the "Rocks, Rain, and Climate: GIFT (Geophysical Information For Teachers) Workshop." The workshop was organized by Dr. Celso Carneiro of Unicamp (University of Sao Paulo-Campinas), Dr. Nisia Krusche of FURG (Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul), and Dr. Michael Passow of NESTA and Dwight Morrow High School, Englewood NJ. The 2-day GIFT workshop presented Earth systems science research, classroom resources, and activities related to rain, rocks, and soils, with a focus on remote sensing. Topics included: geography, geology, weather and climate of South America; use of TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission) satellite data; effects of rain on rocks: weathering and the carbon cycle; predictions of impacts from future climate changes and water supplies; challenges in teaching climate change; and sharing teachers' experiences. When the online versions of the presentations become available there will be a link on the NESTA website under Educational Resources. Calendar of Events Join the JOIDES Resolution on the CORKS cruise! Astronomy at the Beach Salish Sea Expeditions' Fall Teacher Trainings An Introduction to Earth's Climate Web Seminar Salish Sea Expeditions' Fall Teacher Trainings Clues to Climates of the Past Web Seminar North American Association for Environmental Education - Building Connections, Bridging Gaps From time to time, NESTA provides information about programs, services and resources provided by third-party organizations or providers which we believe is relevant to our membership. We provide this information as a service to our members. Inclusion of this information in any of our publications as content, links, or ads does not constitute or imply our endorsement of the accuracy or quality of the program, services and resources provided by third parties. NESTA specifically exempts itself from any and all liability for third-party programs, services and resources included in our publications, or accessible from links or ads in our publications. |
Table of Contents
Share-a-thon
Behind the Scenes New NESTA Logo Your Favorite ESS Places! Word of the Day New Science Store! Light Summer Reading NITARP Application Renewing Membership Marlene DiMarco Regional Director NESW 2010 Raffle AGU JA Iguassu Falls Calendar OUR SPONSORS
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