Get a “Sneak Peek” of Summer Camps at RMSC!

Bring your kids to the Rochester Museum and Science Center on this Saturday, March 1st from 11am-4pm for a Summer Fun Sneak Peek!  Summer camps are designed for kids aged 2-15, and vary from 2-hour to full-day sessions.  The Center will be showcasing activities from several of their camps, including Under the Sea, Ocean Adventure, Summertime Crime, Forensic Science, Body Movin’, and What’s Up Doc.

(image borrowed from rmsc.org)

Click “comment” below to share your experiences with the RMSC!

Congratulations!

We wanted to join in on the celebration for local Division B and C Science Olympiad participants!  Earlier this month students from area middle schools competed in hopes of advancing to the New York State competition later in the spring.  For Division B, 1st place was awarded to Willink (Webster), 2nd to Bay Trail (Penfield), 3rd to Barker Road (Pittsford), and 4th to Calkins Road (Pittsford).  In Division C, Webster Schroeder came in 1st by a single point, with Webster Thomas following in 2nd, Brighton in 3rd and Fairport in 4th.

We wish all of these teams the best of luck in future competition!  Click here to view photos from the recent competition on the RAC-CEMS website!

No More NCLB?

Not quite!  According to an article by David Hoff, both Clinton and Obama assert that if elected they would continue to hold schools up to high standards, but the current NCLB laws and testing would be radically revamped.  Obama stated that one of his main focuses would be to ensure that NCLB standards are adequately funded, while Clinton proposed a significant re-write of the laws.  Click here to view both candidates speak about their plans for No Child Left Behind.

What changes would YOU like to see in NCLB?

Hands-On Activities!

As we approach winter break, we wanted to share another great website for students, parents, and teachers alike!  The Exploratorium website contains dozens of exciting hands-on activities for children, in the areas of observation, planet earth, machines & tools, living things, science snacks, sport science, human body, mind & perception, and society & culture.  Students can make their own telescope, rainsticks, mummies, candy, hair hydrometer, pinhole projector, handmade paper, paper airplanes, and MUCH MORE! 

Check out this site, and let us know which activities were your (and your kids’) favorites!  Have a safe and relaxing winter break!

Grant Writing Tips for Teachers

As funding and budgets continue to be cut, more and more teachers are turning to grants to support their classroom projects. Even though grant-writing may seem daunting, there are many resources online for teachers that can make it a virtually painless process.

First, Education World has created a great guide for educators. Besides breaking down the grant process and including a list of other resources, the site also includes some expert tips for first-time grant writers.

You Still Have Time!!!

The National Science Foundation will be accepting letters of interest for its Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers grant until February 15th (with full proposals due April 10th).  ITEST supports the development, implementation, testing and scale-up of models and research to address the current concerns and projections about shortages of STEM professionals and information technology workers in the United States.  It seeks solutions to help ensure the breadth and deph of the STEM workforce, and our nations’ capacity to participate in transformative, innovative STEM advances.  All K-12 educators are eligible, and recent awards through this program ranged from $66,606 to $5,836,227!

 Check out a complete list of grant opportunities and resources on the RACCEMS website!

 Do you have any tips for grant-writing to share?

My Place in the Fingerlakes

February 8th is the LAST DAY to register for the 2nd Annual My Place in the Fingerlakes Conference that takes place in July.  The project utilizes the Finger Lakes environment (built, natural, urban, suburban, and rural) as part of the learning experience, and incorporates inquiry and first-hand experiences into curriculum modules following the NYS Math, Science, and Technology standards.  Teachers will receive a stipend and a $500.00 grant to take their students on a field trip to one of the Finger Lakes State Parks.  Contact Sheila Myers, Education Outreach Coordinator, at smyers@hws.edu for more information!

Keeping in mind our environmental theme for the week, what are other local natural resources that we can share with our students? 

Turn Recycling into a Game!

Teaching kids to recycle at an early age can turn them into life-long recyclers, and there are so many ways to make recycling fun.  For starters, check out these great recycling games and resources for kids!  Play the Sorting Game (like the ever-popular crane game); help Trombone the Elephant Clean up the Park; visit Recycle City and learn how to reduce, reuse and recycle waste; play recycling games at RecycleZone; complete a recycling wordsearch; and go on a recycling mission with Jimmy Neutron! 

Which activity is your favorite?  Know of any other great recycling games and resources for kids?  Let us know!

Recyclemania ‘08 Kickoff!

Let the recycling begin!  RecycleMania is a friendly competition among college and universities in the United States that provides the campus community with a fun, proactive activity in waste reduction. Over a 10 week period, more than 400 colleges and universities across the country will be competing to see who is the top recycler (and with the added bonus of raising awareness of waste minimization)!  Last year, due to the RecycleMania program, over 41 MILLION pounds of material were diverted from ending up in local landfills!!!

Science Resources at Your Fingertips!

The Monroe BOCES 2 has developed a wonderful site for their Elementary Science Program.  Check out the ESP Animal Site of the Month, Science Activity of the Month, and Messurement Task of the Week, and also explore the many resources for students and teachers!

 

BOCES has also been working with Educational Technology graduate students at Nazareth College.  Students have been working in groups with different science kits in an effort to make the kits more technology- and teacher-friendly!  Their updates will be available with the kits as well as on the ESP website soon!

Check out the different activities from BOCES and let us know what you think!