MnSTA
Newsletter Volume 51 No. 2 A Quarterly Publication of the Minnesota Science Teachers Association Inc.
MnCOSE To Feature Highly Esteemed Speakers
The Minnesota Conference on Science Education (MnCOSE) will highlight many top level speakers for the keynote, strands and workshops. Set to begin on Friday, Feburary 20th at the Verizon Center in Mankato, there will be topics presented that will be of interest to all educators. Starting out on the speakers platform will be R.T Ryback, former mayor of Minneapolis, who will speak about the achievement gap crisis in our region. Continuing on Friday will be strand speakers Dr. Nathan Anderson, Winona State University, Winona, Physics; Zoe Hastings, Farm to School Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Elementary; Dr. Kelly A. Grussendorf, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Biology; Roger Kugel, Ph.D. University of Cincinnati, Chemistry; and Nic Jelinski, University of Minnesota, Earth Science. Saturday will feature workshop facilitators Matt Bobrowsky, Phenomenon-Based Learning: Fun, Hands-on, Cooperative Learning; Ginny Nimmo, Understanding Mental Illness in Children and Adolescents; and Paul Anderson, Creating a Blended Classrom. Other attractions include a wide diversity of vendors who are eager to promote their latest educational products to visitors. And of course, a hugh benefit of attending the conference is the opportunity for networking among educators. You will find more inforamtion on the 2015 MnCOSE beginning on page 9 including the listing of the strand and workshop speakers’ topics, hotel accomodations, and much more. We hope to see you in Mankato!
Winter 2015
R.T. Rybak to Keynote MnCOSE
R.T. Rybak will be the keynote speaker at the Minnesota Conference on Science Education (MnCOSE) that will be held on Feb. 20-21, 2015 at the Verizon Center in Mankato. R.T. Rybak began serving as the executive director of Generation Next in early January 2014. R.T. served as mayor of Minneapolis from 2002 - 2013. During his tenure as mayor, R.T. led efforts to make Minneapolis a national leader in innovative, cradle-to-career approaches to youth development, and worked to highlight the crisis of our region’s achievement gap and advance effective strategies for ending it. Mr. Rybak will speak about the achievement gap crisis in our region, what is being done and where we still need to go.
President’s Address by Lee Schmitt
Department of Conservation by Ed Hessler
We do important work. In a world that often appears illogical and chaotic, we teach our students to view natural phenomena through evidence and inquiry. The process skills of questioning, investigating, analyzing and interpreting data, arguing from evidence, hypothesizing, and constructing an evidence-based explanation have never been more important. We as science educators not only excite our students about how the world works; we teach our students how to think. This is important work. Now we have the opportunity to expand our skills, gather resources, learn from each other, and energize our teaching. The MnSTA Conference on Science Education is almost here, and we all look forward to meeting each other in Mankato this February 20-21 for what will be a gathering of the best science educators anywhere – you and your colleagues. This is the biggest science education event of the year. R.T. Ryback, former mayor of Minneapolis, will give the keynote discussing STEM education in Minnesota. Paul Anderson of Bozeman Science will present a workshop on Engineering a Better Science Classroom. Matt Bobrowsky, NSTA author of Teaching with Gadgets and Gizmos will present on phenomenon-based learning. Plus there are over 70 sessions from which to choose divided into Elementary STEM, Life Science, Earth Science, Physics and Chemistry strands! Add to this our 50th Anniversary Presidents message....continued on page 11
WHAT IF?
an old pond-the sound of a diving frog of a diving frog --Matsuo Basho (1644-1694), tr. Kenneth Rexroth In an original and pleasing experiment in literature, Ian Marshall transforms the sharply perceptive prose of Henry Thoreau’s Walden into the three-line, indented form of haiku . Walden by Haiku ( < http://www.amazon.com/ Walden-Haiku-Ian-Marshall/dp/0820340650 >) is a collection of nearly three hundred verses by Marshall who, in the first section of the book offers “found” haiku from each chapter of Walden; Or, Life in the Woods (1854). These are followed by essays on the haiku form as well as its aesthetics. The second section consists of the source material for each haiku and short commentaries on the haiku. How well does this “what if?” redaction work? I had never noticed the how-like-a- haiku quality of Thoreau’s writing. And, in this form, it makes me more attentive to his prose. Thoreau was a keen “noticer” of nature and culture. He was a premier naturalist who approached the his surroundings in curiosity and a spirit as well as method of inquiry. I hop-scotched my way through many of the technical details in the first part of the book but can understand and appreciate the reason for using this framework. I wondered how haiku specialists might respond and recommend two reviews. One is from a haiku journal (there are such things!) which considers some of the technical details ( < http://simplyhaiku.
com/SHv7n2/reviews/Marshall.html >). The Department of Conservation...continuted on page 15
The MnSTA Newsletter is published four times each year by the Minnesota Science Teachers Association, Inc. Articles, opinions, book reviews and other information pertinent to Minnesota teachers are welcome. Please limit submission to 1 typed page, e-mail preferred (text file please). Deadlines for submission of articles are: Fall ............... August 1st Winter ............. November 1st Spring ........... February 1st Summer....................April 1st Send all correspondence regarding the newsletter to: Jerry Wenzel 22002 100th Ave Randall, MN 56475 e-mail: jerrywenzel@brainerd.net The MnSTA Newsletter is an exempt program service provided to the membership. A membership form is found on the back page. Materials found in the newsletter may be reprinted without charge. 2
MnSTA, Inc. is an IRS 501 (c) (3) Charitable Educational Corpora-tion, incorporated as a tax exempt, non-profit organization with the Minnesota Secretary of State. Donations and dues are tax deductible charitable contributions for itemized deductions on IRS form 1040 Schedule A. The newsletter is an exempt program service provided to the membership. A membership form is found on the last page.
MnSTA Newsletter
In Medias Res by Edward Hessler Mind the Gap During an interview, cognitive psychologist Ste-
ven Pinker ( < http://pinker.wjh.harvard.edu/about/ >) was asked what book he wished someone other than him would write. He replied “Science Schmalz: Peaceful Tribes, Altruistic Apes, Neuroplasticity, Epigenetics, Group Selection, Mirror Neurons and Other Distortions of Science for Dubious Moral Uplift.” ( < http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/28/books/review/ steven-pinker-by-the-book.html?_r=0 >). After laughing at this perceptive and witty response, I thought of the vision statement in A Framework For K-12 Science Education ( < http://www. nextgenscience.org/framework-k%E2%80%9312science-education >) which states that “By the end of 12th grade, students should have gained sufficient knowledge…to be critical consumers of scientific information related to their everyday lives, and to continue to learn about science throughout their lives.” This is not a trivial goal but important aims should not be. Passengers using the London underground rail in the United Kingdom are very familiar with the audible or visual warning, “Mind the Gap.” It is a reminder of the gap between the train door and the station platform ( < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Mind_the_gap >). In order to be critical consumers of scientific information as well as learn about science now requires attention to minding the gap, if not “the” gap, then the possibility of one. The demands of the twenty-first century require a population that meets the demands of democratic citizenship. Science literacy is one of those demands. The nature of science is changing in our relatively new media culture— the news cycle—driven by splashy marketing. Beat science reporting has largely disappeared ( < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Beat_reporting >). This has led to a form of science reporting that might be called pop-science-- media driven, fast, a takeaway-style message, short on detail, little discussion of the sample (size and composition), what a retrospective study might (not) mean for the future, flooded by hyperbole, overlooking complexity and that is quick to jump to a putative cause with insufficient justification. This often leaves us with a foggy image and the challenge of separating good science reporting from nood (not good) science
but well aware that we have entered the digital age. I know a little about how science educators (and in considerable awe) are incorporating electronic media into their classrooms--the use of the internet as a research tool, #hashtags, facebook, iphones, and YouTube. Science/environmental beat reporting is making a comeback, too, but it is in a new format, e.g., ( < http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/author/ andrew-c-revkin/ >) and ( < http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/ >) And then there are websites such as these on health ( < http://www.healthnewsreview.org/ >); critiques of the latest science news ( < https://ksj.mit. edu/tracker/ >); and climate ( < http://insideclimatenews.org/ >). This site received the Pulitzer Prize, the first to go to a website! Electronic media are going to play an increasing role in science literacy and in maintaining it as an adult by allowing us to check things out. And the social sciences, more than by the way, have a profound role to play in developing and maintaining science literacy since emotion is integral to our thinking, behavior and decision making, e.g., ( < http://onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/2014/03/24/thinkingfast-and-slow-and-what-it-means-for-education/ >).
Will digital media be misused? Sure. It is all the time and is a given since it is so easy to find views corroborating personal beliefs (different from evidence-based reasons which often challenge hard-held ideas which is the hard part of science literacy). And to vent and make nasty comments, often anonymously. This is all the more reason to help students learn to use them well in the pursuit of science literacy now and after high school.
reporting. But there may be some hope and help in achieving the vision mentioned above. I’m a known Luddite
Winter 2015
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Department of Education Upgrade your Teaching Career to a New Level â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Become a Leader Do you fit one of the following? *You would like to gain fresh ideas by networking with other teachers who teach a similar grade or course. *You want to expand your sphere of influence beyond your John Olson is the science classroom. specialist for the Department of Education. He will keep *You have great teachus updated on science educa- ing ideas you want to tion in the MnSTA newsletter. share. *You hope to be involved with shaping education beyond the classroom.
And you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know the next steps. Here are some ideas for you:
Network with other teachers *MnSTA has great ways to connect with other teachers. The spring conference has sessions organized by content and elementary strands. You will join in explorations and discussions with others who teach similar topics. There are also fun social events. Other conferences include the elementary engineering conference in the fall, earth science conference in the winter, the NSTA STEM Expo in May and the environmental education in the summer. *MnSTA also promotes regional and content area gatherings. Contact the regional or content director listed on the last page to find out what is happening and offer to help organize events. *Attend professional development activities in your region. Check for opportunities at educational service cooperatives, museums, nature centers, colleges, events in this newsletter and the listings in the MDE Science Updates. *The National Science Teachers Assn. has a listserv for most content areas and interests along with many web seminars. Go to the NSTA Learning Center. Share your ideas *Make a presentation at a conference. You will help other teachers, get feedback on your ideas and be recognized as a leader. MnSTA is currently recruiting presenters for the spring conference.
*Join an MCA assessment panel to give input for the exam. Contact Jim Wood or Dawn Cameron. *Participate in local opportunities such as mentoring, working with student teachers, leading PLCs and helping to write common assessments. *Contribute to the Frameworks for MN Mathematics and Science Standards by adding comments. Apply for Awards and leadership roles *The MnSTA Teaching Award is a good starting place. The application is relatively simple and you gain funds for classroom projects, in addition to achieving statewide recognition. *The Presidential Awards program provides a great opportunity to analyze your teaching practices and reflect on your accomplishments. Although the application is extensive, there are resources available including mentors. The award provides great opportunities to develop local and national leadership. *National Board certification provides another level of reflection on your teaching and leadership and often provides additional salary compensation and licensure recognition in other states. *Offer to serve on the MnSTA board. The board meets four times per year in the Twin Cities with reimbursement for expenses. If there is not an opening in your region or content area you can assist the current director until an opening becomes available. You may also volunteer for a conference planning committee, board committee work (e.g. legislation) or ongoing tasks such as the newsletter or website. Contact President Lee Schmitt to express an interest.
MnSTA board member Kate Rosok demonstrates instant snow to visitors at the MnSTA booth at EdMN in October. Hundreds of teachers and students stopped by for hands-on inquiry based demonstrations and to learn about MnSTA..
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MnSTA Newsletter
Opportunities-Department of Education MCA Science Assessment
The Science MCA Benchmark Reports for the spring 2014 test administration are now available. These reports compare the school-level performance with statewide performance on individual MCA items and their aligned benchmarks. The reports are a tool teachers can use to identify benchmarks and standards on which students in their school show performance above, below or at the same level relative to all Minnesota science students in the same grade. To obtain your school’s report contact your District Assessment Coordinator. Questions about these reports can be directed to Jim Wood, jim.wood@state.mn.us or Dawn Cameron dawn.cameron@state.mn.us The MDE Assessment Division is in process of transitioning to our new testing vendor, Pearson, who will deliver the Science MCA in Spring 2015. Part of that transition is the conversion the Item Samplers to Pearson’s test delivery system. We anticipate that the Science Item Samplers will be available late January 2015 for students and teachers to use. The purpose of the item samplers is to provide students with the opportunity to become familiar with the online testing environment, tools, navigation and functionality before they take the Science MCA.
STEM Survey
Students from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota are researching STEM education in our state and need feedback from you! If you could take a few minutes to answer the questions at https://umn.qualtrics. com/SE/?SID=SV_2g92KGJdQxQyApn about how you interact with STEM education, it would be much appreciated.
Teacher Events and Workshops
Climate Change Impacts in the Midwest NASA Video Conference, Dec. 11, Roseville
3:15 – 4:45 pm, Minnesota Department of Education, Conference Center A room 14 Join educators from across Midwest as they interact in a live NASA video conference, with the Minnesota hub hosted at the Dept. of Education. The National Climate Assessment, released in May of 2014, summarizes the impacts of climate change on the United States, touching on many disciplines: earth science, biology, human health, engineering, technology, economics, and policy. Join us for this special opportunity to explore the document with
Dr. Fred Lipschultz from USGCRP (United States Global Change Research Project). In addition, you will learn about related educator resources with Kristen Poppleton from the Will Steger Foundation. A sampling of resources can be found by clicking on http://climate.gov/teaching/2014-national-climateassessment-resources-educators Discover how to bring the NCA and other resources into classroom lessons, engage students in data collection and analysis, share visualizations and citizen science projects. There will be an opportunity to ask questions of the NASA presenters coming to you from around the country! Please RSVP for this event at https://www.surveymonkey. com/r/93JK2RP
Environmental Education Cohort, Jan. 10, Bloomington
You are invited to join a dedicated group of educators focused on integrating and embedding Environment Education and Outdoor Instruction into every day instruction. Join us for one Saturday morning or the entire series. Most sessions meet at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Visitor Center. The next meeting is Jan. 10, 9:30 am – noon, with the topic Reading your Winter Landscape. For more information, contact Suzanne Trapp (952) 3614502.
Earth Science Teachers Conference, Feb. 6, Plymouth
This annual conference will include Kent Kirkby from U of MN speaking on Geology and Natural Disasters, Eric Koser on the Next Generation Science Standards, the most recent TIMES (Teaching Inquiry Minnesota Earth Science) group on teaching earth science, and more. Come for the people and food, stay for the prizes. There’s also a Thursday night behind the scenes tour at the Science Museum. Go to the MN Earth Science Teachers Assn. website for information and registration.http://mnearthscience. weebly.com
“Hold the Date” for these upcoming conferences More information will come in future Science Updates *Schoolyard Gardens Conference, Feb 27-28 *National Conference on Science Education (NSTA), March 12-15, Chicago * MN STEM Network Conference April 14-15
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Opportunities-Department of Education Minnesota Conference on Science Education, Feb. 20-21, Mankato The annual conference of the Minnesota Science Teachers will have a special flair as MnSTA celebrates its 50th anniversary. Some features * R.T. Ryback will give the keynote: Minnesota’s Achievement Gap and what we can do about it! * Paul Anderson, Bozeman Science will present a workshop: Engineering a Better Science Classroom * Matt Bobrowsky, NSTA Author of Teaching with Gadgets and Gizmos series *There will be strands of sessions in each content are plus elementary. You will find ideas directly applicable to your classroom. * And some groovy anniversary celebrations Registration and information at mnsta.org NSTA’s STEM Forum and Expo, May 20-23, Minneapolis Save the date and send in a presentation proposal. The 2015 STEM Forum is a unique, focused event that brings together (informal and formal) educators and exhibiting companies who are interested in, and/or who have tools and resources to share that will ensure successful implementation of STEM education into our schools and communities. It is intended to provide resources for educators and organizations seeking to learn more about STEM education, associated outreach programs, partnerships, schools, and curricula. Go to http://www.nsta. org/conferences/stem.aspx for more information about the conference. Submit your session proposals at http://www.nsta.org/conferences/sessions.aspx by Dec. 1. Teacher and School Awards and Opportunities MnSTA Science Teaching Award Write about your teaching strategies and gain $1000 for a classroom project. This award for MnSTA members recognizes teachers in two categories, elementary and secondary. The application calls for a narrative about your teaching philosophy and style, a resume and a description of the project you propose for the funds. Awardees are recognized at the MnSTA Conference in February. The application deadline is January 20. Go to http://mnsta.org/awards.html for information, nominations, and the applications
Get Credit for being Green
Is your school conserving energy, promoting fitness, and getting students outdoors for environmental studies? Do you wish it would do more? The Green Ribbon Schools Award program prompts schools and districts to examine their sustainability practices, set goals and apply for state and national awards. Pre-K – 12 schools, school districts and higher education schools are eligible for this U.S. Department of Education program. An information flyer, the application, and resource materials are available at the Minnesota Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools page http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/StuSuc/ScholarRecog/ GreenRibbonSch/index.html. Many resources for promoting sustainable practices are at the US Green Ribbon site http://www2.ed.gov/programs/ green-ribbon-schools/index.html. The application deadline is January 5.
Shell Science Lab Challenge
The Shell Science Lab Challenge, sponsored by Shell Oil Company and administered by NSTA, encourages teachers (grades 6-12) in the U.S. and Canada, who have found innovative ways to deliver quality lab experiences with limited school and laboratory resources, to share their approaches for a chance to win up to $93,000 in prizes, including a grand prize school science lab makeover support package valued at $20,000. For more information about the Challenge or to download an application, go to http://www.nsta.org/shellsciencelab/ and apply by Dec. 19.
Standford Hollyhock Fellowship for High School Teachers This fellowship program aims to help reduce turnover in schools that serve low-income students by encouraging, supporting, and recognizing highly motivated early-career teachers and providing them with rich learning opportunities with colleagues nationwide. The program brings 100 teachers from high schools across the country with low-income student populations to Stanford University for two weeks of residential workshops -- for two consecutive summers -- that feature courses taught by university scholars and expert practitioners. Fellows also receive online coaching and mentorship for two school years. Teachers are awarded a stipend for partici-
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MnSTA Newsletter
Opportunities-Department of Education pation, and the program covers all travel and boarding expenses. Go to https://cset.stanford. edu/fellowships/hollyhock for more information Rafting the Grand Canyon - Teacher Scholarships Apply for an all-expenses-paid eight-day raft trip down the Grand Canyon with the National Center for Science Education! Winners will receive free airfare, lodging before and after the trip, and the trip of a lifetime, exploring the wonders of Grand Canyon with a team of scientists, educators, and science fans. Nominees must be K-12 classroom teachers whose responsibilities include teaching science. Go to http://ncse.com/about/excursions/teacher-scholarship for the exciting details.
Student Awards, Competitions and Programs Reduce Waste in Elementary School Lunchrooms
The Jeffers Foundation and the MN Pollution Control Agency are promoting the FREE Waste Reduction Awareness Program (WRAP). It has an easyto-use guide that can help schools identify sensible opportunities to reduce waste, save money, and help the environment. A self-assessment tool, case studies and resources for improving your program are available at http://www.jeffersfoundation.org/wrap.php
ExploraDome Scholarships Available
The ExploraDome is an inflatable planetarium that can be set-up in a gym, cafeteria or other large space. But it is much more than a static star show. A class of students can virtually travel from inside of the subatomic realm to the edge of the universe. Interested in bringing the ExploraDome Outreach Dome to your school, but concerned about tight funds? Scholarships are now available for single-day ExploraDome visits in the 2014-2015 school year. Visit us online at http://www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/ ForSchools/ExploraDomeForSchools/index.htm for eligibility requirements and to download the application. We have a limited number of scholarships, and will award them to eligible schools on a firstcome, first served basis.
eCYBERMISSION
eCYBERMISSION is a free, online collaborative learning competition for students in grades six through nine offered by the U.S. Army Educational Outreach Program. The competition challenges students to think about real-world applications of STEM by working in teams to identify a problem in their community and use the scientific practices
or the engineering design process to find a solution. Students compete for state, regional and national awards, with potential winning of up to $8,000 in U.S. savings bonds. Go to http://www.ecybermission. com for Information and Registration.
Real World Design Challenge
The Real World Design Challenge is an annual aviation design competition for teams of high school students. The Challenge is FREE for students and teachers. Each teacher that signs up a team will receive professional engineering software as well as access to mentors from industry, government, and academia. Teams can register at http://www.realworlddesignchallenge.org
Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision
ExploraVision is a competition that encourages K-12 students to create and explore a vision of a future technology by combining their imaginations with the tools of science. Teams of two to four students research scientific principles and current technologies as the basis for designing innovative technologies that could exist in 20 years. Students compete for up to $240,000 in savings bonds for college and cool gifts from Toshiba. First- and second-place teams also receive an expenses-paid trip with their families, mentor and coach to Washington, D.C. for a gala awards weekend in June 2015. For information visit http://www.exploravision.org.
Other Minnesota Competitions and Programs
Student competitions increase science skills, research, creativity and in many cases teamwork. They promote a life-long interest in science and reward excellence. Most programs are listed in the Reach for the Stars Catalog of Programs and Activities http:// www.synergyexchange.org/Synergy/media/Reach/ Reach2014Web.pdf. Some examples include: Science Fair, Science Olympiad, Science Bowl, Real World Design Challenge, Super Mileage Cars, Scholars of Distinction, STEM Communicator Award and National Youth Science Camp.
MDE Contacts:
Dawn Cameron <dawn.cameron@state.mn.us>, Science Assessment Specialist, Jim Wood <jim.wood@state.mn.us>, Science Assessment Specialist, John Olson John Olson <john.c.olson@state.mn.us>, Science Content Specialist, Doug Paulson <doug.paulson@state.mn.us>, STEM Integration Specialist,
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Opportunities Fly to Learn
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association and Build A Plane, a non-profit organization to encourage aviation and aerospace education, have partnered for a third year to sponsor the GAMA/Build A Plane Aviation Design Challenge. The Challenge seeks to promote STEM education through aviation in high schools across the United States. One of the winners our first year was Canby High School in Canby, MN! Schools interested in the competition will receive complimentary “Fly to Learn” curricula, which comes with flight simulation software powered by X-Plane. Teachers will guide students through the science of flight and airplane design, completing the curricula in approximately six weeks in the classroom or in four weeks through an accelerated program. Each high school will apply what they have learned by modifying the design of a Glasair Sportsman airplane that seats four adults. The schools will then compete in a virtual fly-off, which will be scored on aerodynamic and performance parameters while flying a specific mission profile, as well as other factors. The competition is free to enter. Please note that the Challenge is open to the first 100 schools that register, and only one teacher per school may register. Registration is open until February 13, 2015, or until the first 100 schools register. Each school’s team must have four students to be eligible for the competition. Each team must include at least one male student and at least one female student. For more information about the competition, visit http://www.gama.aero/advocacy/aviation-education/ stem.
$1000 Scholarships for Amazon Rainforest PD Workshop
Educator Academy in the Amazon Rainforest + Machu Picchu The July 1-11, 2015 Educator Academy in the Amazon Rainforest of Peru is a cross-curricular professional development workshop for K-12 formal and informal educators to learn and use: • 21st Century Instruction: 5E Lesson Design ~ Inquiry-Based Exploration ~ STEM • Inquiry Protocols & Resources: Project Learning Tree ~ Cornell Lab of Ornithology ~ & More! • Global and Cultural Perspectives: Service Learning ~ Sustainability ~ Global Education Join Al Stenstrup, Project Learning Tree (PLT); Lilly Briggs (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), Christa Dillabaugh, Amazon Rainforest Workshops; and Dr. David Pearson, Wildlife Travellers’ Guide to Peru; and work
side-by-side with scientists Dr. Steve Madigosky, Widener University; and Randy Morgan, Curator/Entomologist, Cincinnati Zoo as you: • Participate in citizen science projects and inquiry based field studies on a 1/4-mile Rainforest Canopy Walkway in one of the most biologically diverse environments on the planet. • Spend a day in an Amazon village as you explore the complexities of sustainability and the role of education in creating a sustainable future for Amazon children. • Work with fellow educators to explore strategies for using the Amazon as a vehicle for incorporating STEM education, inquiry-based learning, and sustainability science education into your classroom. PLT Certification, BirdSleuth resources and 50 ASU PD Hours included. Academic Credit and Machu Picchu Extension optional. $1000 scholarship deadline March 1, 2015. Program cost is $1240 + air for scholarship recipients. Space is limited! Register early to secure your spot! Get the details and download a syllabus and scholarship application at: http://www.amazonworkshops.com/educator-academy.html Contact christa@amazonworkshops.com or 1-800-431-2624 for more information.
Free from Flinn Scientific
To improve safety and prevent accidents, please share this month’s Safety Training Notes entitled “Safety Guidelines for Science Demonstrations” with your fellow science teachers. Your free copy of “Safety Guidelines for Science Demonstrations” is available at: http://www. flinnsci.com/snnovember14 To help you follow guideline #2 in this month’s Safety Notes, you are welcome to contact us for demonstration ideas. Send us an email at flinn@flinnsci.com. Our demonstration write-ups include safety precautions and our scientists can suggest demos to help you teach specific topics safely. We’d be happy to answer your questions about demos, safety, and Flinn Demonstration Kits. We are grateful for the opportunity to fill your orders and help you teach science. Kevin McNulty VP--Marketing and Sales Flinn Scientific P.O. Box 219 Batavia, IL 60510 www. flinnsci.com
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MnSTA Newsletter
Opportunities-MnCOSE
Help us celebrate our 50 years as a leader in Minnesota science education by attending our annual conference MNCOSE February 20 & 21 2015 Mankato, MN
Highlights of our 50th Anniversary Celebration • Networking with science education from across Minnesota • Presenters sharing new ideas for your classroom • Speakers with the latest research/info on science eduation • Exhibitors displahing their lastest products
For conference information go to www.mnsta.org
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Opportunities-MnCOSE-Strand Speakers Physcis Strand
Is school-lunch more effective than school? The relevance of proportional reasoning in Physics (and other science classes). Dr. Nathan Anderson Associate Professor, Physics Winona State University Winona Reasoning ability data taken over the careers of most conference attendees (from the 1970’s to today) shows both a precipitous drop over time and disparate development across students. Specifically and on average, 11 year old children in the UK in 2003 reasoned in a way similar to 7.5 year olds in the 1970’s, and while a typical class shows a spread of physical development of ~ +/- 1 year, a typical 6th grade class spans about 10 years of intellectual development! This leads to the possible claim that perhaps school nutrition programs are more effective in bringing out uniform outcomes than school itself. After elaborating on this story, the session will dive into proportional reasoning, a fundamental reasoning skill across science, which is a key part of reasoning development. As a group, we’ll work through several proportional reasoning activities, map them to a taxonomy that’s indexed by reasoning level, and discuss how this thinking skill appears in HS Physics contexts.
garden and local food activities that meet academic standards in science. These lessons will serve as a starting point for educators to brainstorm opportunities to use local food, school gardens, and agriculture as tools for contextualizing learning. Free lessons and resources related to school gardens will be shared.
Zoe Hastings
Biology Strand
Use of the model organism, Caenorhabditis elegans, a small worm that makes big impacts in the classroom and in studies of small biological tubes. Dr. Kelly A. Grussendorf, Minnesota
Nathan Anderson
Elementary Strand
Cultivating Minds with School Gardens Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom Workshop Zoe Hastings, Farm to School Coordinator
Minnesota Department of Agriculture Discover how school gardens can enrich the connections students have with fresh, healthy food while achieving Minnesota’s K-5 academic standards! Participants will complete a variety of hands-on school
State University, Mankato Caenorhabditis elegans is a small worm that has served as a model organism for over 40 years in various studies of genetics, developmental biology, neurobiology and more! Because of the many advantages associated with C. elegans, they have been popular, not only in the research lab, but in the classroom as well. C. elegans allow for students to develop different hypotheses, design experiments and collect data in a short amount of time. In my research lab, we use C. elegans to understand the genetics and molecular mechanisms underlying the development and maintenance of small biological tubes. Tubule formation and maintenance is important in many biological processes and defects in their genetic regulation can result in different disorders, such as cancer and muscular dystrophy. My lab sets out to find and study the genes that are associated with these different disorders.
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MnSTA Newsletter
Opportunities-MnCOSE-Strand Speakers Earth Science Strand
For the Land and Its People: The Importance of Soil Science in a World on Fire Nic Jelinski,
Dr. Kelly Grussendorf
Chemistry Strand
Mastering Chemical Concepts: Knowledge → Skills → Representations → Understanding Roger Kugel, Ph.D.
University of Minnesota Soils are diverse, beautiful, interesting, and present excellent opportunities for field classes. Studying soil science in field environments around the world provides a unique perspective of landscapes and a strong connection to human management and cultures. Four tenets of experiential education in soil science that are applicable to earth sciences in general are: Quality, Diversity, Passion and Engagement. These tenets provide focused lines of effort through which to promote positive and perspective-changing views of the world through soil science. Changing entrenched views of cultures and landscapes provides an critical societal role for the study of soils and lies at the heart of experiential education in the earth sciences. Presidents message....continued from page 2
Celebration, and you have the best of science professional development in one conference. If you have Visiting Scholar, University of Cincinnati not done so, please visit www.mnsta.org and register The ultimate goal of every chemistry course yourself and a colleague today. should be to have students understand on an atomic As part of our 50th Anniversary, MnSTA is sponlevel what is happening when chemical and physical soring a special membership promotion. If you, as a changes occur in a system. This understanding must member, encourage a colleague to register as a firstbe built on a solid foundation of knowledge, skills, time member of MnSTA, you will receive one year of and representations. Misconceptions can result from MnSTA membership free! It’s a 2-for-1 sale. When a gap anywhere in this scaffold. The presentation will your colleague has registered as a new member at highlight some of the lessons learned at the 2014 AP www.mnsta.org, all you need to do is email Mark Chemistry Reading about how to effectively test stuLex marklex@umn.edu, MnSTA Database Manager, dents for their conceptual understanding of chemistry provide the name of the new member that you helped and give some suggestions for ways to improve their enroll, and you will receive one free year of MnSTA understanding and dispel their misconceptions. membership. Thank you for helping to grow our membership. Our organization is only as strong as its members, and there is much to do as we continue to move science education forward in Minnesota. As I say to all the teachers in all the workshops and programs I have run for over 20 years, “Thank you for teaching science!” This is important work. See you in Mankato, February 20-21. Yours in Science Education, Mark your calendars: MnSTA 50th Anniversary Conference on Science Education, February 20-21, 2015, Mankato. NSTA STEM Forum, May 20-23, 2015, Minneapolis. NSTA Regional Conference, October 27-29, 2016, Dr. Roger Kugel Minneapolis.
Winter 2015 11
Opportunities-MnCOSE Workshops-Saturday, Feb. 21 Understanding Mental Illness in Children and Adolescents
Information regarding the most commonly diagnosed areas of mental illness in children, and how parents and teachers can work together to support their students. This workshop meets the continuing education requirement for Minnesota teachers. Presenter Ginny Nimmo has her M.S. in Education, and Specialist Certification and National Certification in school psychology, and has been a school psychologist in Minnesota and Montana. Since 1987 she has been a school psychologist in the Mankato Public Schools. She has been honored as the 1994 Minnesota School Psychologist of the Year and the 2013 Ysseldyke Distinguised Best Practices Award. She has served on the state board of the Minnesota School Psychologists Association, and was president of that organization. Ginny is active in working with staff, parents, and community members in the areas of positive behavioral interventions, Judicious Discipline, parenting ideas, crisis response, mental health needs and various other topics.
Matt Bobrowsky
Phenomenon-Based Learning: Fun, Handson, Cooperative Learning
Experience the kind of learning that propelled Finland to international leadership in science education—learning not by memorizing facts, but by exploration and discovery. Matt Bobrowski combines the most effective aspects of Finnish te aching along with project-based learning, collaborative learning, responsive teaching, and handson experiments, we present “Phenomenon-based Learning” (PBL). With registration you’ll be able to buy a copy of the PBL Gadgets & Gizmos book for your grade level — full of hands-on explorations that support the PBL approach — and also purchase a gadget that evokes curiosity and inspires the desire to explore and learn.
Paul Anderson
Creating a Blended Classrom
Paul Andersen has been teaching science in Montana for the last twenty years. He spent the first half of his career teaching all the science classes at a small rural school in northern Montana. Paul is currently a science teacher at Bozeman High School. Paul has created hundreds of YouTube science tutorials that have been viewed millions of times by students around the world. Paul was the Montana Teacher of the Year and he was a finalist for National Teacher of the Year. Paul will be conducting a workshop for secondary teachers on creating a blended classroom focusing on Next Generation Science Standards
12
MnSTA Newsletter
MnCOSE Presenter Proposals Needed! WELCOME to WINTER!! Okay, not quite, but THE SOLTICE is less than One Month away and so is our DEADLINE for submitting presenter proposals for our Minnesota Conference on Science Education! Please consider sharing your passion and engaging ideas with your colleagues on Friday, February 20, 2015 in Mankato! We are confident the weather will be cooperative and attendees scurrying in all directions to gather valuable ideas. You will have the opportunity to attend a variety of sessions yourself, participate in our annual Social Event and take in the inspiring workshops being held on Saturday, Feb.21st. We strongly encourage you to visit www. mnsta.org to submit your proposal by DECEMBER 21ST. We will contact you regarding your submission and will provide the access code for your registration. We look forward to hearing from you! Your Conference Program Coordinators, Kari Dombrovski and Holly Knudson
Mankato Hilton Garden Inn $79.00 per night for either one king or two queen beds. Use this link to go directly to a registration website setup just for our event! Fine this link at www.mnsta. org. Pull down 2015 Conference link and click on 2015 Lodging. Mankato Hilton Garden Inn 20 Civic Center Plaza Mankato, MN 56001 507-344-1111 This block will be held until Jan 29, 2015.
MnCOSE15 Conference Lodging
Two great local options are available to you for lodging during the MnSTA Conference on Science Education in Mankato! Plenty of hotel rooms will be available and we welcome you to come and explore our region. Please be sure to mention the MnSTA Conference on Science Education to receive the discounted rate...or just use the links below! Make your reservations early! Mankato City Center Hotel $82 per night for either one king or two queen beds and a continental breakfast. Please identify â&#x20AC;&#x153;MNCOSEâ&#x20AC;? when calling for a reservation to receive our rate. Mankato City Center Hotel 101 East Main St Mankato, MN 56001 507-345-1234 877-345-5577 www.mankatomnhotel.com This block will be held until Jan 19, 2015.
Winter 2015 13
Opportunities
Education Minnesota
MnSTA Board
Please consider nominating yourself or a colleague to run for the Presidency of the Minnesota Science Teachers Association (MnSTA). The nomination deadline is January 20th and elections will be held in March. Please submit your nomination(s) to the Elections Committee by emailing us your nomination(s) to MnSTA Past President, Steven Walvig (Walvig@thebakken.org) by the January 20th deadline. Nominees must agree to serve as President and must be active MnSTA members before their names may be submitted for nomination. Nominees who have been members for over 3 years and who have attended at least one Minnesota Conference on Science Education (MnCOSE) are preferred. The term to serve will begin as the President Elect on July 1st of 2015 and run for 4 years, with the first year as President Elect, then 2 years as President, finishing the fourth year as Past President. The term of office is thus divided as follows: President-Elect – July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016; President – July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2018; and Immediate Past-President – July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019.
Laurie Arnason, Southpoint Elementary School, East Grand Forks, Kari Dombrovski, South Junior High, St. Cloud and Polly Saatzer, Garlough Environmental Magnet School, St. Paul, presented a session at EdMN titled Integrating K-6 Science Learning through the Outdoors, Notebooks, and Word Walls. Participants learned how to integrate science learning across the K-5 curriculum and illustrated how to introduce students to the inquiry process through the use of science notebooks and Mother Nature. Great ideas were shared on the use of word walls to help with literacy connections.
MnSTA 50th Anniversary Membership Promotion Receive one-year free membership by encouraging a colleague to join MnSTA! When your colleague has registered as a firsttime member of MnSTA, email Mark Lex marklex@umn.edu, MnSTA Database Manager, and receive one free year of MnSTA membership. Offer expires June 30, 2015 14
MnSTA Newsletter
Teacher Feature visiting museums and universities, attending special cultural events, touring the city, and making memories! For our inner city students it is truly trip of a lifetime! Any student that wants to go in this trip is able to do it regardless of her or his financial situation. This is due to numerous fundraising activities and sponsorships that Ms. Kobilka creates and oversees.” Salazar continued, “She also devotes time and energy into making her classes relevant to her students. Her classroom is filled with hands-on learning that takes into account the students’ academic and linguistic skills. Because at least half of her students are second language learners she makes sure that her class is language rich. She dedicates time learning reading and writing techniques for ELL in science, implements high quality strategies, collects assessment data, and develops plans for increasing student learning. Ms. Kobilka’s practices have resulted in her students becoming informed citizens who are fully engaged in the art of developing scientific knowledge in an art magnet school.” Suzanne Kobilka getting electrified at the Bakken.
Suzanne Kobilka is our featured teacher for this issue of the MnSTA newsletter. Suzanne teachs 8th grade Earth Science at Folwell Magnet School in Minneapolis where she has been for the last 11 of her 16 year teaching career. Her favorite style of teaching is using an engineering solution to a problem like devising a water clean up plan for a polluted body of water. She loves to see her students roll up their sleeves and problem solve. She likes to bring out the “Kobilka Kash” (with her face on it) which they have to spend on materials. Suzanne uses humor and a wide variety of learning styles when she is teaching. Because not everyone has the same learning style, she switches it up which also keeps her from being bored. She uses science song parodies (ala Bill Nye) or They Might Be Giants Here Comes Science videos as well. She loves giving students strategies to learn. She chose teaching as a career because of her high school biology teacher who inspired her. Her philosophy is to challenge her students to keep improving and keep it revelant and fun. Her principal, Dr. Ronald Salazar commented, “There are very few teachers as dedicated to her students as Suzanne Kobilka. Every year, she coordinates the 8th grade class trip to Chicago. The trip includes
Department of Conservation.......Cont from page 2
other is from the literary weblog Via Negativa ( < http://www.vianegativa.us/2012/04/walden-byhaiku-by-ian-marshall/ >). Both reviwers provide several of the haiku with others to be found if you search.. Marshall is a highly skilled poet and while he wonders where the haiku come from—“Henry, the text itself, or this particular quirky reader, who happens to have juxtaposed…two images of literary excellence” (and Matsuo Basho! a great shaper of the form as well as producer of haiku). Marshall writes that he found them “precisely because I was prepared to see them…”. Or as Albert Einstein, another keen observer of nature, said, “Whether you can observe a thing or not depends on the theory which you use. It is the theory which decides what can be observed. Some of us tend to lean heavily on Aldo Leopold and with good reason. Henry Thoreau’s Walden, prose and Marshall’s verse version provides additional illumination on the natural world and its workings. Hessler is the Executive Secretary of MnSTA
Winter 2015 15
Time to Recognize Great Teachers Do you believe that classroom teachers should be rewarded for excellence? Do you want our best teachers to represent our profession to the public? Do you know exemplary science teachers in your school or district? Then nominate a colleague (or yourself) for the
MnSTA Science Teaching Award Award for Elementary Science Teaching Award for Secondary Science Teaching Each awardee will be recognized at the Minnesota Conference on Science Education, Feb 20-21, 2015 in Mankato and will receive a $1,000 grant for use in his/her classroom. The deadline is January 12. Nominations Form and Applications Packet at www.mnsta.org/awards (Teachers may submit an application without a nomination) Or the
Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching Award for Secondary Science Teaching (2015) Award for Secondary Mathematics Teaching (2015) (Elementary awards will be given in 2016)
Two state Awardees receive a week in Washington DC with a White House reception and an award of $10,000 plus local recognition and leadership opportunities. The nomination deadline is April 1st and Application deadline is May 1st. Information, Nominations and Applications at www.paemst.org For questions, contact John Olson, Awards Coordinator john.c.olson@state.mn.us, 651-582-8673
The National Science Teachers Association has teacher awards at www.nsta.org
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MnSTA Newsletter
Opportunities
SAVE THE DATE A JOINT ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF Ignite Afterschool, Minnesotaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Afterschool Network MN STEM Network, an initiative of SciMathMN Minnesota 21st Century Community Learning Centers
TUESDAY, APRIL 14 & WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15
2015
CONTINUING EDUCATION CONFERENCE CENTER 1890 Buford Avenue St Paul Campus of the University of Minnesota This conference is sponsored, in part, from the Minnesota Department of Education using federal funding, CFDA 84.287c, 21st Century Community Learning Centers.
VISIT US ONLINE AT:
IgniteAfterschool.org
Scimathmn.org/mnstemnet
http://www.education.state.mn.us/mde/stusuc/aftsch/centurycomm/index.html
Winter 2015 17
Opportunities
18 MnSTA Newsletter
Opportunities
Flinn Online Chemventory™ Inventory Your Chemicals and Print OSHA/GHS Labels New in 2014― The new Flinn Online Chemventory™ is a cloud-based laboratory chemical inventory system that allows multiple users access to the database from multiple locations and devices. The program comes fully loaded with updated OSHA/GHS pictograms, hazard codes, and signal words for more than 2400 Flinn chemicals. Convenience, Control, and Compliance― “Right to Know” laws generally require employers (schools) to maintain an inventory of their chemical substances. The features and benefits of the Flinn Online Chemventory™ make it easier than ever to keep track of chemicals in schools: Features: • • • •
Benefits:
Secure Cloud-Based Service • Link Databases Across Your District Flexibility to Customize Your Database • Create a Purchase List Multiple User Access • E-mail, Print, and Export Your List GHS-Compliant Safety Data Sheets • Print GHS-Compliant Chemical Labels
It’s Easy to Add Flinn Chemicals Build your inventory by selecting from a list of Flinn chemicals or add your own chemical information. Your existing data from previous disc-based Chemventory™ versions can easily be imported into the new Online Chemventory.™ A five-year license for Flinn Online Chemventory™ (Catalog No. SE3000) is available for $189.95 for one database or $159.95 each for five or more databases. A minimum of one five-year license is required per participating school. For more information, visit the Flinn website at http://chemventory.flinnsci.com or contact: Flinn Scientific P.O. Box 210 Batavia, IL 60510 1-800-452-1261 E-mail:flinn@flinnsci.com
Winter 2015
19
Opportunities Flinn’s Exploring Chemistry™ Packages — Activities for First-Year Chemistry —
New in 2014 – Flinn Scientific’s new Exploring Chemistry™ packages are designed to help chemistry teachers achieve their most important goal—student success. This integrated collection of the best-of-the-best activities and experiments covers 10 major topics in first-year chemistry. Exploring Chemistry™ helps beginning and experienced teachers build and enhance their lesson plans with activities designed to help students discover chemistry by DOING chemistry! Supporting Teachers – Flinn’s Exploring Chemistry™ can help teachers build confidence and mastery while saving money and hours of preparation time. No matter what textbook you use, Flinn’s Exploring Chemistry™ complements your curriculum with activities optimized for safety and success. Each package comes with tested procedures, real sample data, and materials to help chemistry teachers plan, prepare and teach. Connecting Content Through Experiments – Flinn has selected fascinating demonstrations and exciting activities that inspire students to ask “Why? Why did it do that?” Students are motivated to observe and question, measure and analyze, predict and explain. They develop the problem-solving skills necessary to understand the principles and concepts of chemistry. Pick Any or All 10 Packages – Each of the 10 Flinn Exploring Chemistry™ packages include chemicals, specialized materials, and complete instructions, as well as free online video resources for the experiments, demonstrations, and POGIL™ activities. Each package serves three classes of 30 students working in pairs. Descriptions of all 10 packages and a cost-saving 10-Package Bundle are provided at www.flinnsci. com (enter keyword Exploring Chemistry) and on pages 4–7 of the 2014 Flinn Scientific Catalog/ Reference Manual. Please contact Flinn Scientific for more information.
Flinn Scientific 1-800-452-1261 E-mail: flinn@flinnsci.com Website: www.flinnsci.com
20 MnSTA Newsletter
Publication No. 11176
Introduction to GHS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Pictograms
Acutely toxic
Oxidizer
Gas under pressure
Burns skin Damages eyes Corrosive to metals
Explosive Self-reactive Organic peroxide
Acutely toxic (harmful), Irritant to skin, eyes or respiratory tract, Skin sensitizer
Carcinogen, Mutagen, Reproductive toxin, Respiratory sensitizer, Toxic to target organs, Toxic if aspirated
Toxic to aquatic life (optional)
Flammable, Self-reactive, Pyrophoric, Self-heating, Emits flammable gas, Organic peroxide
Winter 2015
SAFETY-FAXî &#x2026;. . .makes science teaching easier.
21
11176 083012
MnSTA Board Directory
MnSTA Phone# (651)-523-2945
Below, you will find information about your MnSTA Board Members. The listing includes the board memberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s school (or organization), mailing address, work phone, FAX number, and e-mail address. The board wishes to make itself as accessible as possible for our members. Please feel free to contact your discipline representative, regional representative, or executive board members if you have ideas, concerns, or wish to help with the mission or operation of MnSTA. We are always looking for members who wish to serve MnSTA as Board Members, Non-Board Service Chairs or Members, and as Committee Chairs or Members.
Executive Board: Exec. Secretary
Ed Hessler
Hamline University, 1536 Hewitt Ave. MS-A1760,
W: 651-523-2945
F: 651-523-3041
e: ehessler01@hamline.edu
President
Lee Schmitt
Hamline University
1536 Hewitt Ave. MS-A1760,
St. Paul, MN 55104 St. Paul, MN 55104
651-523-2562 lschmitt@hamline.edu Past President
Steve Walvig
W-612-926-3837X202
The Bakken
Treasurer
Joe Reymann
Retired
e: joereymann@comcast.net
DOE Science Specialist
John Olson
Dept.of Education
john.c.olson@state.mn.us 651-582-8673
F: 612-927-7265
3537 Zenith Ave. S
Minneapolis, MN 55416
e:walvig@thebakken.org
Discipline Directors: Biology
Catherine Neve Mankato East High School 2600 Hoffman Rd W:507-387-5671 e: cheve1@isd77.org
Chemistry
Carolyn Fruin
612-801-0384 cfruin65@gmail.com
Earth Science
Kate Rosok
612-280-245 kate.rosok@mpls.k12.mn.us
Elementary/Greater MN Rachel Strauss 507-288-4816 X 115
Mankato, MN 56001
Eastview High School Minneapolis Public Schools Rochester Catholic Schools 318 11th Ave. SE rstrauss@rochestercatholic.k12.mn.us
Rochester,, MN 55904
Elementary/Metro
Polly Saatzer Garlough Environmental Magnet 1740 Charlton St. W:651-552-0094 paulette.saatzer@isd197.org
Higher Ed
Dr. Melanie Reap Winona State University 152 Gildemeister Hall Winona, MN 55987 507-313-9114 mreap@winona.edu
Informal Ed
Larry Thomas
W: 651-221-4507
e: lthomas@smm.org
Newsletter
Jerry Wenzel
Retired
e: jerrywenzel@brainerd.net
Physics
Paul Lulai
St. Anthony Village High School 3303 33rd Ave
SMM
West St. Paul, MN 55118
120 W. Kellogg Blvd
St. Paul, MN 55102
St. Anthony, MN 55418
W:612-964-5374 plulai@stanthony.12.mn.us Private Schools
Carolyn Ocampo
612-300-4321 cpfocampo@gmail.com
Webmaster
Eric Koser 507-387-3461 x 322
Mankato West H.S. F: 507-345-1502
1351 S. Riverfront Dr. e: ekoser@chartermi.net
Mankato, MN 56001 W:
Region Representatives: Region 1&2: North
Josh Tharaldson
Marshall County Central HS
310 W. Minnesota Ave.
Newfolden, MN 56738
218-874-7225 e:jtharaldson@mccfreeze.org Region 1&2: North
Michael Urban
Bemidji State University
1500 Birchmont Dr.
Bemidji, MN 56601
218-775-3782 murban@bemidjistate.edu Region 3: Northeast
Elizabeth Kersting-Peterson Homecroft Elementary 4784 Howard Gnesen Rd.
W:218-336-8865
Region 4: Westcentral TJ Schmitt
Arnold, MN 55803
elizabeth.kersting-peterson@isd709.org 302 3rd St. SE
Barnsville, MN 56514
701-388-3901 e:tschmitt@barnesville.k12.mn.us
22 MnSTA Newsletter
MnSTA Board Directory Region 5: Northcentral Nichole Christofferson-Weston Menahga Public Schools 12945 Blue Spruce Ave. Menahga, MN 56464
W 701-219-9399
Region 6: Southcentral Mary Morgan
e:nchristofferson@menahga.k12.mn.us Minnesota Valley Learning Center1313 E. Black Oak Ave.
Montevideo, MN 56365
320-269-7131 mmorgan@montevideoschools.org Region 7: Eastcentral
Kari Dombrovski
W:320-252-1322 X 1923 Region 8: Southcentral Mary Morgan
South Junior High
1120 15th Ave. So
St. Cloud, MN 56304
kari.dombrovski@isd742.org
Minnesota Valley Learning Center1313 E. Black Oak Ave.
Montevideo, MN 56365
320-269-7131 mmorgan@montevideoschools.org Region 9: South
Dana Smith W:507-232-3461X4114
Nicolette Public School 1 Pine St. e: dana.smith@isd507.k12.mn.us
Nicollet, MN 56047
Region 10: Southeast
Sharie Furst
Kasson-Mantorville Elemementary 604 16th St. NE
Kasson, MN 55944
507-319-4781 s.furst@komets.k12.mn.us
Region 11: Metro
Betsey Stretch
612-240-9120 elizabeth.stretch@mpls.k12.mn.us
Minneapolis Public Schools
1250 Broadway
Minneapolis, MN 55411
Ancillary Positions: Database
Mark Lex 55416
Benilde-St. Margaretâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2501 Hwy 100 S W: 952-927-4176 F: 952-920-8889
Historian/Parlimentarian Fred Riehm
Retired â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;91
NSTA Dist. IX Director
Horizon MS
Mary Colson
St. Louis Park, MN e: marklex@umn.edu
frriehm@centurylink.net 3601 12th Ave. So.
Moorhead, MN 56560
W: 218-284-7300 mcolson@moorhead.k12.mn.us Conference Coordinator Jean Tushie
Eden Prairie High School
F 952-975-8020
W 952-975-4347
17185 Valley View Rd Eden Prairie, N 55346
e jtushie@edenpr.org
jtushie@comcast.net
Events Calendar If you have events you want placed on the calendar, send them to the editor - see page 2 for deadlines, address, etc.
Conferences / Workshops MnCOSE Minnesota Conference on Science Education Feb. 20-21, 2015 Verizon Center in Mankato NSTA STEM Forum, May 20-23, 2015, Minneapolis. NSTA Regional Conference, October 27-29, 2016, Minneapolis.
Winter 2015
23
9
Minnesota Science Teachers Association, Inc. Hamline University MS MS-A1760 1536 Hewitt Ave. St. Paul, MN 55104
Non-Porfit Org U.S. Postage PAID
Twin Cities, MN Permit No. 4197
MnSTA Regions
MnSTA Membership Application Form
Join the Minnesota Science Teachers Association (MnSTA), the professional organization whose primary goal is the advancement of science education. Mail this form along with your check to: MnSTA, Hamline University MS - A1760, 1536 Hewitt Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104
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