The Science Reflector - NCSTA Newsletter

Now is the time to start planning your spring and summer professional development! Below are links to some upcoming programs across the state. For a more complete list visit the NCSTA Professional Development Calendar.

Teacher Renewal Seminars: The NCCAT Experience
The North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching, NCCAT offers a full continuum of professional development for teachers from support to beginning teachers to renewal seminars designed to give teachers creative experiences, opportunities for research or scholarly pursuits, and fresh vitality for the important career of education. Teachers of all grade levels and subjects who have been employed full-time in North Carolina public schools for at least three years may choose any seminar of interest. There is no cost to the teacher, but a brief essay and a recommendation from your principal are required. All professional development offerings are available on the NCCAT web page - www.nccat.org.

Diversity Education: Exploring Cultural Heritage Online, February 15–19: Cullowhee
What resources are available online in North Carolina to teach in today’s diverse classroom? How can those documents, photos, and recordings enrich our instruction? This seminar is curriculum-focused to assist teachers in embedding knowledge of many peoples into the daily content of the classroom in grades K–12. Find exhibits, traveling trunks, road shows, and staff development programs that will help you teach the critical role diversity plays in a healthy democracy and the skills necessary for its maintenance.

Nuevas Fronteras: Latinos in North Carolina, February 15–19: Cullowhee
Since 1990 the Latino student population in North Carolina has increased by 441 percent. How can we as teachers best serve our growing population of Spanish-speaking students and what can we learn from them? Knowledge and appreciation of a culture are the first steps to successful communication and interaction. Come and experience the art, music, and cuisine of Latin American cultures. Learn about the folklore and festivals that shape the Latino sense of community as well as the political and economic factors that contribute to Latino migration. We also will explore various strategies for teaching in a culturally responsive way. Come explore with us the Latino roots of our new neighbors.

Optimal Health, February 23–27: Cullowhee
What is the link between what we eat and how we feel? Recent research suggests that people with different mental and physical constitutions require different types of foods, exercise, and relaxation techniques to stay healthy, wealthy, and wise. Come examine the links between our Mind-Body Type and how we manage stress, money, and relationships. Expand your knowledge of different learning styles and generate a wealth of strategies to instill more harmony in your classrooms.

Teacher Scholars in Residence, February 23–27: Cullowhee
The Teacher Scholar program offers educators an excellent short-term residential experience for study and research. Teachers pursuing projects of outstanding intellectual or artistic promise are invited to apply. Teams of up to four educators who seek time and space for collaboration also may apply. Preference is given to teachers with outstanding proposals who are applying to the program for the first time. For more information dial 800-922-0482 or email tscholars@nccat.org.

Best Practices for Motivating African American Children, March 22–26: Cullowhee
How can we best educate and lift the spirits of our African American students? North Carolina is fortunate in having a well-organized initiative to “close the achievement gap,” but how exactly do we approach this goal in a world that often offers our African American students limited resources, limited access, and limited expectations? Be part of the solution during this week of exploring the most effective strategies for motivating African American students. Participants in this seminar will take back to their classrooms some effective strategies and techniques. Registration for this seminar will be limited to teams of two members from the same school—a classroom teacher and a principal, assistant principal, school counselor, or social worker.

Crime Scene Investigator: The New Sherlock Holmes, April 12–16: Cullowhee
Today’s crime-scene investigations might cause Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary sleuth, to retract his analysis of, “Elementary, my dear Watson.” In fact, the demands on the investigators are anything but elementary. Investigations require a keen sense of observation, extensive use of the scientific method, and physical and biological expertise. Become detectives as we put on the hat of the forensic scientist and the criminalist and use all of the available information to determine the facts in a simulated crime scene during this seminar. Analyze the smallest traces of human evidence using DNA fingerprinting as we become molecular scientists aboard “Destiny,” UNC-Chapel Hill’s state-of-the-art traveling science laboratory. Work with a world famous forensic anthropologist who will help us “leave no bone unturned."

Rain Forests and the Story of Chocolate, April 12–16: Cullowhee
Explore tropical plants and flowers on tranquil walks in the Great Smoky Mountains. Discover the living rain forest, its plants, animals, and the implications of its destruction for our planet. Tropical rain forests are the richest habitats on earth. They impact our global weather system but are being destroyed at the phenomenal rate of seventy-eight million acres per year. The tropical rain forest evergreen plant Theobroma cacao gives us the cocoa beans used in making chocolate. During this seminar you will hear about the cocoa bean’s history and processing, study (and taste!) different types of chocolate, and bake heavenly gourmet chocolate recipes.

Salty Dogs and the Lore of the Sea, April 19–23: Ocracoke
Join us as we explore the marine ecology of the Outer Banks and the lives of the men and women who make their living from the sea. Experience the thrill of setting your own crab pots and learn about other tools of the fisherman’s trade. Listen to island fishermen as they share the lore of a rapidly vanishing way of life. Learn about the history and folklore of Ocracoke’s fisheries, from the black slave watermen of the 1800s to the commercial fishermen of today. Get acquainted with the basic principles of fisheries management and the issues raised by specific fishing practices. How are development and tourism changing the lives of the inhabitants of the Outer Banks? How can we balance a concern for protection of the marine environment with a viable fisheries industry? Join us in Ocracoke as we “fish” for answers.

Appalachian Spring Wildflowers, April 26–30: Cullowhee
Come to the mountains at the peak of the spring blooming season and learn how to identify, record, and enjoy the wildflower bounty native to western North Carolina. Take field trips to various wildflower habitats in the region, under the able guidance of botanists. Delve into issues related to species diversity, habitat destruction, and wildflower conservation. The nature of this seminar makes outdoor hiking a necessity, perhaps even during soggy or chilly weather, but offers the rare opportunity to gain knowledge of wildflowers while enjoying the beauty of spring in the Great Smoky Mountains.

How do I apply?
Take advantage of these unique professional development opportunities! Visit the NCCAT Website at www.nccat.org to download an application or call the NCCAT Teacher Services at 1-800-922-0482. January through April seminars have been filled, but you can be placed on a waiting list with an application. Registration for May through August seminars begins on February 3 for teachers who have never attended an NCCAT renewal seminar and on March 3 for NCCAT alum. If you have any questions about particular seminars, please feel free to call Renée Coward, NCCAT representative and NCSTA member.

Emerging Science and Technologies Short Course
Do you feel out of date? Isolated? Sign up to attend the Emerging Science and Technologies Short Course for Teachers at NC State University, July 13-15, 2004, and learn about cutting edge research! Join experienced high school teachers for three days at NC State University and explore new cutting edge science and technology. Visit campus research laboratories, receive curriculum materials, attend content lectures, and talk with scientists and technicians about their work in genomics, bioinformatics, and NMR molecular imaging. Scientists will discuss the current applications of the research, the technology needed, and possible uses in the future. Learn how to implement discussions and activities on these topics into your curriculum and meet state and national standards! Come and experience the multidisciplinary nature of modern science, the collaboration of scientific teams, and the involvement of mathematics, statistics, and the physical sciences in biomedical research. Be prepared with questions and bring your curiosity! Application deadline is May 1, 2004. Download the application and be one of the first to sign up- www.science-house.org/student/hhmi/est/. Stipend, room and board, and CEU's are provided.

Scientific Visualization Workshop
Scientific visualization is a computer graphics technology employed by scientists in model building that has great potential for K-12 education in science, math and technology. The Science House in conjunction with the College of Education at NCSU will offer a teacher professional development workday on January 24th 2004. The workshop is open to middle school and high school teachers. Participating teachers will receive a stipend for the day. For more information or to register, contact Sharon Schulze at (919) 515-9403 or email sharon_schulze@ncsu.edu, or visit the web site - www.science-house.org/workshops/scivis/

Satellite Offices Span the State
Did you know the Science House has six offices across North Carolina? The mission of the Science House includes reaching all science teachers in the state. Satellite offices hold regional workshops and programs and are located in Asheville, Lenoir, Fayetteville, Jacksonville, Edenton, and of course, the home office in Raleigh. Visit www.science-house.org/info/satellite.html for links to each of the offices to find programs near you!

Bring the Science House Teacher Workshops to Your School
The Science House also provides one or two-day programs to update and refresh teachers' mathematics, science, and Internet skills. These workshops have been taught many times in schools across North Carolina. Our workshop participants learn skills and activities that they can immediately use in their own classrooms. We especially emphasize programs to help meet teacher technology competencies. Each workshop can be tailored to fit local needs. Please visit the workshop web page (www.science-house.org/workshops/) for more information on our workshop or contact Scott Ragan (scott_ragan@ncsu.edu) at The Science House or call (919) 515-6118.

The 2004 Sustainable Forestry Teachers' Tour will be held June 14-18 in New Bern and June 21-25 in Asheville. During this four-day event, teachers will be immersed in the social, economic and environmental aspects of sustainable forestry. Teachers' registration and travel fees are covered through sponsorships by local businesses. The registration deadline is March 1, 2004, with teachers selected for participation being notified by March 15, 2004. Each tour is limited to 35 teachers. Teachers interested in participating should complete the 2004 Request for Consideration available online, along with details of this year's and last year's tour, at http://www.ncsu.edu/feop/tour/

Join the NC Museum of Natural Sciences this summer for explorations of some of North Carolina's incredible natural areas as we learn about topics from salt marshes to mountain salamanders to Museum collections and exhibits (see trek descriptions below)! Our teacher treks are open to all manner of educators from classroom teachers to park rangers and anyone else that teaches children or adults about the natural world. To register, visit our web site at www.naturalsciences.org and download the registration and application forms in the Education section. All museum educator treks meet various criteria for the Environmental Education Certification Program through the NC Office of Environmental Education. Registration for these treks is on a first-come, first-served basis, so register early. For more information, contact Mike Dunn at mike.dunn@ncmail.net.

Summer Science in England

The University of North Carolina at Asheville (UNCA) will conduct a summer comparative science education program through the cooperation of the College of Education of the University of Bath, England, June 28 to July 26, 2000. U.S. science teachers can visit English classrooms that are still in session and attend lectures on the new "National Curriculum", the historical development of the British education system and on global environmental problems. Field trips to areas of special educational interests such as Oxford University, the Slimbridge wildfowl and wetland field station, Kew Gardens, and to science museums are also part of this program.
Any person who is or has been involved with science education, K-12, is eligible. The $2,200 fee covers tuition, ground transportation for the course and private room housing, which will be on the University of Bath campus. The spouse and/or dependent adolescent children of the participant also may attend at a cost of $1,100 each.

For information or to enroll, contact Dr. Gary Miller, Environmental Studies Department, CPO #2330, UNCA, One University Heights, Asheville, NC 28804-8511; (828) 232-5184 (days) or (828) 891-9595 (evenings) or FAX (828) 251-6041. Registration will remain open until the course is filled. If possible, enroll prior to April 10, 2000.