Motivate Celebrate Collaborate Advocate for effective and engaging science education |
UPCOMING WEBINAR SERIES Awareness of Science Standards for Alaska By Teachers for Teachers January 27-February 12 from 3:30-5:00 More PD opportunities listed below | January 27 Introduction with Dept. of Ed and ED staff February 3 for Grades K-2 February 5 for Grades 6-8 February 10 for Grades 3-5 February 12 for Grades 9-12 Link to Register Here No cost to participants. Link for Description |
MT. EDGECUMBE TEACHER IS THE NEWEST PRESIDENTIAL AWARDEE
CHOHLA MOLL: My students come from over 100 villages and leave their families, communities, and cultures to get an education at my school. We are their teachers, but we are also much more. In all that I do, I try to make the sacrifice they and their families have made worth it. I represent my family, the community that raised me, and my school community. This award is a symbol to my students and my children that if you do what you love and you love what you do, you can be successful and have fun doing it! National Science Teachers Association provides ideas for phenomena for students, teachers, and families to explore and talk about together
3 DIMENSIONAL TEACHING & LEARNING IN ALASKA Science and Engineering Practices what scientists/engineers and science/engineering students do Asking questions and defining problems Developing and using models Planning and carrying out investigations Analyzing and interpreting data Using mathematics and computational thinking Constructing explanations and designing solutions Engaging in argument from evidence Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information Cross-Cutting Concepts Themes found in all fields of science that can frame our thinking Patterns Cause and effect Scale, proportion, and quantity Systems and system models Energy and matter Structure and function Stability and change ***** The new approach in science education, now adopted by the State School Board, promotes the interweaving of the two dimensions above with the Disciplinary Core Ideas assigned to each grade. Some excellent resources for familiarizing yourself with this strategy can be found on the Science Standards page of the Department of Education and Early Development web page. |
Alaska Science Teachers Association was established as a non-profit over 40 years ago with the intention of providing teachers with the opportunity to network with colleagues and promote the importance of science. Today we describe our mission and goals this way: MISSION: To inspire, promote and support excellence in science education GOALS * Advocate science literacy for all Alaskans. * Promote the exchange of information about science and science education among researchers, scientists, institutions, public leaders and science teachers. * Recognize indigenous knowledge and diverse ways of knowing about science and the natural world. * Encourage the development of a skilled and knowledgeable work force in science related careers. We would like to invite educators of all ages to become leaders in science education and to think about taking a role on our board when one arises. Click on the mug to start a conversation. After all... EDUCATOR OPPORTUNITIES
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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE January 2021
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AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN MATH AND SCIENCE TEACHING or nominate someone else, go to PAEMST or contact Joey Jigliotti for science or Sandy Schoff for
math. There are mentors available to help guide you in the intricate process. The 2021 nomination period is for elementary teachers and is open from now until March 1, 2021. Applications are due April 1, 2021. Don't wait! The process of applying is itself professional development in its purest form, away from the oversight of administrators or actual instructors. It is a time for self-reflection and celebrating your intrinsic gifts as a teacher. Keep science and math education moving forward and in the news! If you have applied before, please note that there have been some changes made. These include the allowance of up to one break in their video, opportunity to respond to state-level reviews through an addendum in early June, more detail provided in instructions related to responding to the Five Dimensions of Outstanding Teaching prompts. |
For more information on how to apply for the PRESIDENTIALTo all teachers of science in the Last Frontier 2020-2021: In these times demanding tremendous flexibility and creativity, you are so appreciated! You are modeling the very essence of exploration in STEM. The educational goals are mostly pretty clear, but the path to get there is different in every community. And might be different next week. And all this at a time when the importance of understanding science and math has never been more clear. How do viruses work? What can we do to prevent transmission? What do we do if someone gets sick? How fast does it spread? I have been so inspired by the creativity of health care workers and others finding ways to protect themselves and community members and make do without their first choice of equipment. It is both a challenge and a gift that some students are learning from home, not able to tap into the lab stations you would have set up, less able to really work with their classmates in "real time," and maybe they don't have all the materials or connectivity they would need. But it's also a great time to see the science all around them. Remember that great book that came out in the 1990's called The Way Things Work by Neil Ardley and David Macauley? It answered a lot of questions for me, let me check my misconceptions, and the diagrams were great fun. The book has been updated to include new technology and could be a fine resource for students to explore the machines in their own homes. It could lead to more questions and more innovations, and provide a "phenomenon" to kindle the learning of science fundamentals appropriate to their age. And now that the new Science Standards for Alaska are widely disseminated and links to professional development are being made available, we are more than ready for dialogue about them. There are opportunities to network through a brand-new list-serve offered through the Department of Education and we continue to use both of the Facebook pages, Alaska Science Teachers and Alaska Science Teachers Association. Please strongly consider joining ASTA this year, and NSTA (national), too, so we can strengthen our voices to build opportunities in science. We want to know what you need to put your best foot forward for your students and to enjoy the journey with them. Sincerely, Patty Brown, ASTA President 2019-2021 | ARE YOU A MEMBER of ASTA? If
you are, or if you join now, you can apply for a SPRING professional
development travel grant OR a classroom project grant worth up to $500.
Deadline March 31. Apply here Classroom Project or Professional Development Travel SOME PAST CLASSROOM PROJECT GRANTS AWARDED Cindy Fabbri in Fairbanks: Hydroponics as a model for inquiry Rebecca Watts in Juneau: Trail camera to monitor wildlife movement Michelle Ganoza: Building and programming robots |
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USEFUL LINKS FOR TEACHING RIGOROUS AND RELEVANT SCIENCE IN ALASKA |
K-12 Energy Lessons |
the Alaska Science Curricular Initiative from years back. |
Standards-based Curriculum for teaching about our aquatic resources in grades K-8. |
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Excellent collection of lessons centered around rural Alaskan life. |
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Alaska Science Forum by Ned Rozell--short written pieces explaining Alaska phenomena
| Materials assembled by Andy Hope through the Alaska Native Knowledge Network at UAF. |
CONSIDER ATTENDING A NATIONAL CONFERENCE OR WORKSHOP THIS SPRING OR SUMMER! |
