Applications are now open for the National Air and Space Museum's Teacher Innovator Institute.  Spend two weeks in Washington, DC, working with education and STEAM experts to explore the connections between informal STEAM education and authentic learning. Teachers will remain with the program for two summers, returning to Washington, DC, in year two to reconnect, develop their practice, and mentor the newest class of Teacher Innovators.  There is no cost for teachers to participate and most expenses are paid by the Museum.

https://airandspace.si.edu/learn/educator-resources/teacher-innovator-institute

The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) is seeking feedback on the draft Kentucky Academic Standards for Science. The draft was developed by the Science Advisory Panel and Review Committee, each made up of science educators from around the state.

View full details from the Kentucky Teacher article.

The Kentucky Department of Education invites teachers of science to apply for participation in a 3D Task Modification Project. Selected teachers will co-develop and pilot a process for modifying existing science tasks using analysis from a screening tool. Teachers will then modify science tasks they use in the classroom based upon this process and help provide guidance for all teachers in this modification process.  Selected teachers will be partnered. 

• Who:  Teachers of science in grades 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, HS/Life Science, HS/Physical Science
• What:  3D Task Modification Project
• When:  July 11 -13, 2022 with weekly follow-ups through September 30
• Where:  Frankfort, KY with follow-ups virtual

All lodging, travel and meal costs for the in-person component will be provided. Selected teachers will receive a stipend of $450 at the conclusion of the project and when all deliverables are received.

To Apply: Application Form

Applications due:  Friday, June 3, 2022

Selected applicants will be notified by Thursday, June 9, 2022

For questions, contact Rae McEntyre at rae.mcentyre@education.ky.gov

Dr. Hainline's YouTube channel: recent video on the James Webb Space Telescope is exceptionally good.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZWbiSLbWuRa5aV6ymL0iug 

MAYSVILLE, KENTUCKY - April 27, 2022 - The National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT)  is pleased to announce that the 2022 Outstanding Earth Science Teacher (OEST) Central Section Winner is Yvonne Garrison, high school science teacher at Mason County High School. The annual award is for "exceptional contributions to the stimulation of interest in the Earth Sciences at the pre-college level."

The Central Section Committee of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers was particularly impressed by Ms. Garrison's development of project-based learning units and the fieldwork that accompanies these units, the partnership she has fostered with community members and the implementation of geologic and environmental solutions to real world problems. The detailed example of how she engages students in project-based geoscience learning gave the committee a clear picture of her passion for earth science and environmental teaching and her dedication to Mason County High School students and the profession.
 

NAGT was established in 1938 with the goal to improve geoscience education, emphasize the relevance and cultural significance of the earth sciences, and to disseminate knowledge to educators and the general public. The competitive Outstanding Earth Science Teaching Award program was established in 1971 to identify, recognize and reward excellence in teaching. The NAGT commends Yvonne Garrison for her dedication to her students and her outstanding earth science teaching. 

Founded in 1997, First Green is the only STEM education and environmental outreach program in the United States and Canada that uses golf courses as learning labs. First Green is a Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) program that pairs golf courses with local schools for unique Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) learning opportunities. First Green programs can be found in 28 US states, and on April 21st, 2022 Kentucky was the 29th state to host a First Green learning lab.

Shad Lacefield was awarded the First Green grant to cover the cost of the field trip for his 4th grade students. Shad is the 2021 recipient of KSTA's Outstanding Elementary Science Teacher award. See the attachment for full details. Garden Springs Elementary First Green Field Trip.pdf

Two Kentucky schools were named U.S. Department of Education (DOE) Green Ribbon Schools.

Cassidy Elementary School in Lexington and Ascension School in Louisville were named Green Ribbon Schools for their efforts to reduce environmental impact and energy costs, improve health and wellness, and offer effective, sustainable education, according to the DOE.

Lexington’s Cassidy Elementary is in elite company on this Earth Day. It’s been selected as one of 36 schools throughout the nation as a Green Ribbon School, meaning it has consciously taken efforts to reduce waste and energy on its campus.

Teacher Kristi Fehr, KSTA Central Kentucky District Director, has been teaching her class about keeping the planet clean. Her positive environmental contributions can be seen throughout the school grounds. She’s led initiatives on the importance of recycling and clean energy, like building an electric car.

You can read full articles and view news clips below:

Fox Lexington

WKYT News

KSTA's 2021 Outstanding Elementary Science Teacher Shad Lacefield is featured in this episode of Science Connections: The Podcast from Amplify.

“It’s about being engaged with your students and figuring out what are they liking. Every year it’s going to be different…when you have conversations and you build relationships with your kids.”

In this episode, Shad and I tackled the following questions:

• How can educators build meaningful relationships with their students?
• Has classroom engagement shifted after remote learning?
• What can educators do to cultivate the love of learning science content?

Apply Now!! The MEL project is hosting two in-person Earth and Environmental Science Educators' Institutes on Wednesday, July 20, 2022, from 9 AM to 4 PM, held in conjunction with the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in Chicago. One institute is for in-service teachers, and one is for pre-service teachers. The one-day institute is free, and a $1000 stipend to help defray travel expenses will be provided after institute requirements have been completed. Required participation includes pre-institute homework and webinar, full participation in the institute, and full participation in institute evaluations. The application deadline is May 6, 2022. Applicants will be notified of a decision by May 13, 2022. For more information and to apply: 

https://serc.carleton.edu/mel/prof_dev/Chicago_NSTA_PD_2022.html 

Question: Reach out to

Carla McAuliffe, Ph.D. (she, her, hers)
carla_mcauliffe@terc.edu

Chair of the Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) Education Committee
Senior Curriculum Developer, Professional Development Specialist,
Researcher, & Evaluator
Center for STEM Teaching and Learning, TERC

Wishing for a summer stipend?

Infiniscope is recruiting high school lesson creators and reviewers for our new Discovery Lessons! 

Discovery lessons are lessons that are built by educators in collaboration with Infiniscope learning designers. They are designed to support the learning experiences that we currently have in development and will be part of a lab suite. 

Stipends up to $1250 are available for participants. For a list of topics and more information, visit https://infiniscope.org/page/discovery-lessons

Join us on April 12 at 3:30 PT/ 6:30 ET to learn more about these opportunities. You can register here. The session will be recorded and sent to all registrants so please be sure to register even if you can't join us live. 

Infiniscope is a NASA-funded project out of Arizona State University. We create adaptive digital learning experiences that leverage immersive virtual environments, custom simulations, and place-based pedagogy to make science accessible to learners of all ages.