Kentucky Teacher

The fifth Annual “Soar to New Heights: A STEM-ulating Adventure” summer camp for gifted and talented learners will be June 18-29 at Eastern Kentucky University.

This summer’s camp will offer students an opportunity to explore current topics in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and health in a state-of-the-art instructional and research facility.

The courses, collaboratively designed and implemented by Eastern Kentucky University STEM-H faculty and gifted/talented graduate students, are targeted to students entering grades 4-6 in the fall. The half-day program runs from 8 a.m. to noon daily with a tuition cost of $65 per student.

A brochure detailing the class offerings as well as special events for parents and students will be available soon. For more information, contact Debra Sparks.

More than 6,000 students, educators and parents gathered at the seventh annual Student Technology Leadership Program (STLP) State Championship on March 22 at Rupp Arena and the Lexington Convention Center.

P-12 students from across the state showed what they know and can do with technology in arts, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and many marketable career skills by participating in 42 different STLP learning categories.

The event empowers students to use technology to problem-solve, create content, learn and achieve. Thousands of adults supported this 21st-century learning event as chaperones, mentors and judges. Read stories written by cyber-reporting students about the exciting event at http://jcps.jefferson.kyschools.us/cybergazette/.

Out of nearly 500 projects, three schools were named Best in State in Project Showcase. The three schools will attend the International Society of Technology Education (ISTE) Conference in San Diego, Calif., June 23-26, representing STLP as Student Showcases.

Best in State

• Oakview Elementary (Ashland Independent)
• James E Bazzell Middle (Allen County)
• Woodford County High Read the full story

McGraw-Hill Education has launched the STEM Innovative Educator Awards to recognize and reward teachers who are finding innovative ways to reach today’s students.

The awards, known as the STEMIEs, will acknowledge teachers who are pioneering effective techniques to engage their students in science, technology, engineering or mathematics.

Teachers can enter by submitting a two-minute video, a short essay and a lesson plan that demonstrates an innovative lesson or other project from their classroom. First place will receive $15,000, second place gets $5,000, and third place wins $2,500, plus McGraw-Hill will grant an additional $2,500 in other awards. In addition to the judging panel, members of the general public will have the opportunity to vote online for their favorite video. Applications will be accepted through May 31.

For more information about the STEMIEs, go to www.mheonline.com/stemie.

Kentucky will join 39 other states and U.S. territories in the Real World Design Challenge (RWDC), an education initiative that is designed to increase the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce.

The Frankfort High RWDC team (Franklin Independent) won the state-level challenge, and the team will represent Kentucky in the national challenge on April 20-23 in Washington, D.C.

Ten Kentucky teams began the state-level challenge, and Frankfort High completed all components successfully. Other schools with teams were Conner High (Boone Co.); Christian Co. Career and Tech Center; Corbin Area Technology Center; Danville High; Bryan Station High (Fayette Co.); Glasgow High; Monroe Co. High; Taylor Co. High; and Union Co. High.

“The Real World Design Challenge partnership helps address the growing industry demand for workers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM),” said Ralph K. Coppola, director of the Real World Design Challenge and senior director of Government and Strategic Education Programs for Programs at Parametric Technology Corp. “The Real World Design Challenge bridges the needs of the industry with the future of education. It teaches innovation, creativity, collaboration and other 21st-century skills using the expertise that industry, government and higher education have been perfecting for decades. With this real-world approach to learning, we can keep our workforce strong and ensure America’s prosperity for the future.” Read the full story

The Kavli Science Video Contest promotes STEM subject learning by challenging students to research, brainstorm and communicate creatively through video.

This year the contest theme is “Save the World through Science and Engineering,” inspired by the National Academy of Engineering’s Grand Challenges.

Students are asked to use their imaginations and investigative skills to tackle global challenges, explore new frontiers and to discover and discuss the inventions that will help mankind and improve life on earth.

Students in grades 6-12 can make a short video that shows how scientific discoveries and inventions can improve lives and change the world, either now or in the future.
The winners receive cash prizes. Entry deadline is March 21. For more information, click here.

By Susan Riddell
susan.riddell@education.ky.gov

Craig Scharf talks with his STEM Academy students Josh Lindsey and Vaughn Reed about entering the Team America Rocketry Challenge at Muhlenberg County High School. Photo by Amy Wallot, Jan. 6, 2012

Craig Scharf, who taught college classes prior to coming to Muhlenberg County High School, could always spot the students who were prepared for his classes from the ones who weren’t.

“I could tell the kids who had a good background in research and critical thinking from the ones who hadn’t,” said Scharf, who has been at the recently consolidated Muhlenberg County High for 10 years. “I come from a research background, and I honestly believe students who think for themselves and can master independent research will be best prepared for college.”

With that in mind, Scharf and his colleagues at Muhlenberg County High launched an effort this school year that aims to help students better prepare for college by taking a rigorous series of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) classes.

The STEM Academy, as it is called, is an outgrowth of a Project Lead the Way (PLTW) biomedical science program the school started in 2009. The biomedical science program was such a hit with students that administrators decided to form an entire STEM Academy.

“The academy was brought on board to increase the rigor of our course offerings, provide in-depth training for our instructors and put real-world applications and technology in the hands of our students,” said Principal Matt Perkins. Read the full story

By Susan Riddell
susan.riddell@education.ky.gov

Cassandra Kramer describes her experiment that examined the impact of soaking popcorn kernels in different sodas before popping during the 8th-grade science fair at Williamstown Junior High School (Williamstown Ind.). Photo by Amy Wallot, Jan. 18, 2012

Sean Binder, middle school science teacher at Williamstown Junior/Senior High School (Williamstown Independent), wants his students to be original, so they aren’t allowed to rely on the old standby when it comes to his school’s annual science fair.

As a result, he’s banned volcano projects for his 8th-grade science fairs.

“It seems like today when you hear the words ‘science fair,’ the first thing that comes to mind is an image of a volcano project,” said Binder, who is in his sixth year of teaching.

Instead, Binder wants his students to come up with a project that has measurable results, is creative and innovative, and has not been done over and over.

“If a student is stuck on doing a project that involves a volcano, I would encourage him or her to pick and test a single aspect of one such as volume, viscosity and volatiles. An example would be testing the pressure of different gases.”

While science fairs have been around for decades, they must stay current and innovative, teachers said.

“In the past, science fairs were more of a presentation of a topic or a poster of information with a visual and a report,” Binder said. “Today, science fair projects are more about experimentation, hypothesis, conclusions and the application of scientific method using creative ideas.” Read the full story

Kentucky State University’s College of Agriculture, Food Science and Sustainable Systems is offering a summer program called “Creating Opportunities for Leadership Transformation and Scholarship (COLTS).”

Information and applications are available on the KSU website at www.kysu.edu/landGrant/educationaloutreach/COLTS/.

KSU offers five summer programs for students in grades 6-12. All programs are residential, scholarship-based and have a STEM component.

For more information, contact JoAna McCoy at (502) 597-5584; Warren Moore at (502) 597-6000, ext. 4211; Shawn Moore at (502) 597-6000, ext. 4210; or Allison Noel at (502) 597-6172.

By Susan Riddell
susan.riddell@education.ky.gov

Rebecca Logan helps students come to their own conclusions during her 5th-grade STEM class at Elkhorn Elementary School (Franklin County). Photo by Amy Wallot, Nov. 9, 2011

A 5th-grade girl in Rebecca Logan’s class at Elkhorn Elementary School (Franklin County) had barely spoken during the first two months of the school year.

“She was so shy, and I don’t remember her being excited about anything in class,” Logan said.

But when the class was working on a Mars rover STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) curriculum project, the girl’s model design was chosen by her team to be built and used for competition.

“That just validated something in her, and she totally took off with the unit we were studying,” Logan said. “I’ve just been blown away by this project and the curriculum. It’s really given my quieter students a voice and the confidence to take on more leadership roles. Every child is engaged. It’s just been amazing to watch.”

This past spring, Logan’s class piloted a STEM Mars rover project, which involved students working with radio-controlled car parts and batteries to create cardboard-constructed models. The lesson, made possible by Franklin County High School engineering instructor Mark Harrell and Project Lead the Way, was such a big hit with her students, Logan spent her summer researching ways to fill her curriculum with STEM activities throughout the day.

“I teach language arts in the morning, and the rest of the day is devoted to STEM,” Logan said. “STEM is just so important today if you are looking at the workforce. I think it’s a great idea to go ahead and introduce young students to it. Read the full story

The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education, in partnership with NanoRacks, invites communities across the U.S. to participate in the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) Fourth Flight Opportunity – SSEP Mission 2 to the International Space Station (ISS).

Each participating community will be provided all launch services to fly a real microgravity research mini-laboratory on ISS from September 28 to November 12, 2012, and a kit for assembly of their mini-lab. An eight-week experiment design competition in the community, held spring 2012, will allow grade 5-12 student teams to design real microgravity experiments vying for their community’s reserved mini-lab slot on ISS.

SSEP is a true STEM education program. It addresses a wide range of biological and physical science disciplines, including: seed germination; crystal growth; physiology of microorganisms and life cycles (e.g., bacteria); cell biology and growth; food studies; and studies of micro-aquatic life. Students design experiments to the technology and engineering constraints imposed by a real research mini-lab and flight operations to and from earth orbit. Read the full story