The Need Project Grant!
10/26/15
We have some exciting news here at Shoesmith! I recently was chosen for a STEM based grant called Energizing Student Potential that will be supplying my scientists here at Shoesmith with :
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City-Wide Science PLC's
10/02/15
This year the city has decided to make a stronger push towards understanding the science and engineering practices of NGSS as well as provide support for teachers who would like additional support on how to implement inquiry based science in their classrooms. As part of this initiative, I help lead professional development that discusses how to develop inquiry based science lessons with a primary focus on looking at how we construct explanations through the use of C.E.R (claim, evidence and reasoning). I am honored to have been asked to collaborate with so many brilliant minds from around the district as well as help provide support for teachers interested in bringing a more comprehensive approach to science instruction into their classrooms.
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CPS Science Alignment
06/01/15
CPS is currently attempting to realign all of the kits offered to teachers so that they align to the NGSS. I have been working with CPS to align these kits as well as lead professional development for those teachers interested in learning how to implement them in their classrooms. Over the course of the next year myself and three other colleagues will lead science professional development across the city.
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CPS MSU WIPRO Fellowship
04/05/15
I am honored to be a part of this amazing educational opportunity! After having to defer a year I am happy to say that Mrs. Brinza and I will be participating in an amazing fellowship being brought to CPS through Michigan State University and WIPRO technologies. We will have the opportunity to collaborate with teachers from around the city all interested and dedicated to improving STEM education while obtaining a certificate in STEM leadership. I am looking forward to a summer filled with learning and professional development!
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NSTA National Science Conference
03/11/15- 03/15/15
I had the pleasure of attending this years NSTA National conference. While at the conference I attended roughly 25 sessions all about the latest science and engineering practices happening in classrooms across our country. It was wonderful to meet and collaborate with teachers and see what they are successfully implementing in their classrooms. I also had the chance to attend sessions discussing the assessment of the NGSS Performance expectations as well as formative assessment. I am pleased to report that the teachers at STEM Magnet Academy are ahead of the curve! I came back with dozens of new ideas on how to incorporate greater amounts of innovation, exploration and discovery in my classroom. I am looking forward to putting all of these ideas to good use!
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STEM Auction!
10/24/14
Thanks to all of the STEM Families for coming out to our STEM Auction! I had a wonderful time catching up with you and hearing how everything is going! Mrs. Brinza and I are very pleased that we will be spending the day with Maggie Kelly, Richard Caccavale, as well as Max and Mateo Hrzic-Weedon! We are going to have an amazing time designing, building and launching rockets. We will be contacting you soon to set a date for our rocket adventure in the spring!
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Celebrating Mrs. Brinza!
10/23/14
Last night I had the pleasure of celebrating Mrs. Brinza at Morton Arboretum, as she was recognized for being a PAEMST (Presidential Award for Academic Excellence in Math and Science Teaching) finalist here in Illinois. It is the highest award of recognition a science, math, or computer teacher can receive. She was a state finalist in 2012 and is hoping to become this years Illinois PAEMST recipient. She has spent her time here at STEM engaging our students in the world of engineering as well as cultivating a deeper understanding of how the engineering design process works. We wish her luck as she waits to hear back if she is the States chosen winner! Good Luck Mrs. Brinza. We are so proud of you!!!
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Seaperch Underwater Robotics Grant
10/05/14
I am completely fascinated by robots and so are our STEM students! I just recently received a $1,972 .00 grant from Seaperch, a company that specializes in underwater robotics. Mrs. Brinza and I have decided to team up and select 40 students who will help us design and build a series of underwater robots. Students will also design a series of challenges and tasks for these robots to perform. We will hold a showcase in the spring for families to come and examine our amazing
new robots! Thank you to Seaperch for such an amazing opportunity! |
Application to NOAA Teacher at Sea Program
09/30/14
My goal for the next few years to gain as much knowledge and insight as I can about science. I want to provide our STEM students with as many hands on and unique experiences as possible. Understanding species populations, structure and function of various species of fish as well as learning how fish adapt to waters that have been greatly impacted by human involvement are all things I want my students to know about. I recently applied for NOAA's teacher at sea program. If chosen I will spend two-three weeks abroad a NOAA research cruise ship to collect data about various marine populations, their breeding grounds and migration habits. In turn I will be able to bring back all of that data and first hand video footage to STEM. This project would help demonstrate to my students how data is used to help save and preserve various marine wildlife. Fingers crossed that I get accepted!
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Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy
07/21/14
In addition to applying for Space Camp, I also applied for MEMTA (the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy). It's an amazing week long professional development in Jersey City. Over 1,400 teachers applied and I was lucky enough to be 1 of 110. While at the academy I met teachers interested in science and math from around the country. We spent our mornings learning how to engage kids, use interactive notebooks as well as the engineering design process. As a science teacher this experience was a dream come true! They gave us bags filled with teaching tools, informational text on math and science research as well as lesson ideas on how to develop new grouping systems and engage students using the 5E model (engage, explore, explain, elaborate, evaluate). I even got a chance to meet and speak with Phil and Amy Mickelson. MEMTA gave me many valuable ideas and an opportunity to network with some truly inspirational teachers. Now I can't wait to bring it all back to STEM!!!!
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Honeywell Educators @ Space Camp
06/18/14
Earlier this school year I applied for a program called HESA (Honeywell Educators @ Space Camp). I was incredibly excited when I received my acceptance letter in April saying I was of the 250 teachers who was accepted into this program. They were gracious enough to pay for my flight, stay, meals, training, professional development and personalized space suit! It was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me to work with teachers from around the world (27 countries in all) and learn all about space! While there I was able to try the gravity 1/6th chair, the Multi-Axis trainer, zip lining, a helicopter crash simulation and various flight simulations. In teams we were able to design and develop a heat shield, a lunar landing module, a rover, and a water filtration system. I learned all about SLS, which is a new Rocket being designed to revisit the Moon and hopefully Mars. I was also provided with many teaching tools and space guides written by NASA scientists. I am truly honored and thankful to have been provided this once in a lifetime opportunity. It is one that I will never forget!
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Illinois adopts NGSS!
04/02/2014
Illinois has finally joined suite with the many others states who have adopted NGSS also known as Next Generation Science Standards. These standards will be fully implemented in the 2016-2017 school year. This means curriculum, planning, instruction, state wide assessment as well as teaching methodology will change greatly over the course of the next two years. Get excited!!!!
To take a peak at what the NGSS actually looks like (including the , science and engineering practices), click the link below: Next Generation Science Standards |
NSTA STEM Conference!
05/19/2013
I just came back from St. Louis where I attended the National STEM Conference. It was a truly unique and wonderful experience. Mrs. Brinza, Ms. Falco and I were able to attend professional development sessions that helped us learn all about new units of study, ways to implement NGSS and how to develop more hands on labs. I was able to hear leaders in our field speak about the advancements in science education as well as meet fellow science teachers from around the country. I can't wait to go again next year!
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NGSS Released
04/17/2013
On April 9th the NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards) were released. These will be the new standards and benchmarks used for science teachers across America. Over the next few years individual states will adopt these standards. Until now we have been using the Illinois Learning Standards which are very broad in content knowledge but not as deep. The NGSS is much more performance based and less memorization of content. Students will need to demonstrate their understanding through the development of a model, experiment or data analysis. Students will also spend more time on using evidence to prove their claims.
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