Mississippi Science Teachers Association 01/03/2010
MSTANewsletter / / /
Mississippi Science Teachers Association / January 3, 2010
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Mississippi Science Teachers Association 01/03/2010
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Mississippi Science Teachers Association 01/03/2010
Presidential Posts: As we finish up this semester and begin to look forward to the New Year, lets take a few moments to reflect on our recently past convention. If you did not attend then you missed a great professional opportunity to meet and interact with like minded science teachers from across the state. The convention was a great success. Not only did we have a near record attendance, the presentations were truly informative and educational. What makes a conference so successful? Well let me tell you. It is the MSTA board members who work tirelessly throughout the year without pay and very little thanks. So as the President, let me say THANKS to our board that makes my job very easy. You as members are also a large part in making each convention a success, not only with your continued support and attendance, but also with your presentations and workshops. We also don’t want to forget our general session speaker, Dr. Joey Granger as well as our vendors who so faithfully support us year in and out.
Have you ever stopped to think as to what makes an organization great? It is not the board or a great annual convention, but each one of you. MSTA needs you to maintain our organization, but more importantly each one of us must become an active ambassador for science in the state of Mississippi. Each member needs to maintain a current MSTA membership, and encourage your colleagues to become members. Share your newsletter; tell them of our great annual convention. Begin to prepare early for next year’s convention by checking the dates and locating funds, which will allow you to attend. Have you ever though about giving a presentation? What a great way to entice your principal or supervisor into securing the funds necessary to attend our convention. Each one of you does something unique or special in your classroom, so let’s share that skill or idea. Our convention is the perfect place to share your expertise and skills with your fellow science teachers across the state. As your President, I would like to encourage each one of you to get involved, share your knowledge and start planning for the convention in Oct. in Jackson, MS next year. Remember that MSTA wants you!
John Ammons, President MSTA
Vice-Presidential Notes: I would like to thank you for a wonderful conference. It is people like you who make it a success. If you missed it, I hope to see you next year.
The holiday season is upon us and I hope you and your family have a great Christmas. It is this time of year, I am especially aware of all I am grateful. Family and friends are the first to come to my mind, but I am also thankful for being a science teacher and being a member of MSTA. MSTA has made me a better teacher and person. It is my hope that you will take advantage of what MSTA has to offer and use it to become a better teacher and person. I would also like to encourage you to get involved with MSTA by presenting a session at the MSTA convention. The sessions are dependent upon you. Many of you do outstanding things in your classroom that would benefit others so please consider sharing. I encourage you to “spread the word” about MSTA so that teachers at all levels can enjoy the benefits of membership. It is never too early to start making plans for next year’s conference.
It is also time to nominate outstanding teachers for MSTA awards. The information can be found at http://www.ms-scienceteachers.org/. The nomination form is under “forms.”
Thank you for all you do.
Beth Dunigan , President-Elect
MSTA Member: Lisa Headrick awarded “America’s Woman of the Year in Education” JCJC Biology instructor, Lisa Hughes Headrick, recently received a plaque from the American Biographical Institute naming her “2009 Woman of the Year in Education”. Along with the plaque, was an invitation to attend the World Forum in Science and Education at Cambridge University in Cambridge, England in August 2010. This award is based on number of years spent in the field of education; number of graduate courses taken in her field of study (biology); her educational philosophy; number of professional awards received; service to her school/college; community involvement; presentations made on the state and local level.
Mrs. Headrick has taught for 21 ½ years ( 20 ½ at Jones County Junior College ). She has taught zoology, microbiology, anatomy-physiology, and general biology while at JCJC. For the past three years, she has taught general biology I and II. Mrs. Headrick has received several awards at JCJC: Lamplighter ( 2000); finalist in the Faculty Recognition Program ( 2008 ); Professional Development Award ( 2009 ). She has also been included in six issues of Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers; included in Who’s Who Among American Women ( 2008); and included in International Who’s Who of Business and Professional Women( 2009).
Lisa Headrick is involved in many professional organizations and has made presentations on the state level at the MS Science Teacher Association conventions nine times. She has also made some local presentations. She is very involved as a faculty sponsor of the JCJC Non-Traditional Student Association. She is extremely active in her hometown community of Raleigh, Mississippi where she is a member of the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce; Friends of the Library, Raleigh Woman’s Club, and she directs the music at her church.
Mrs. Headrick said, “I received a letter from A.B.I. in early Spring 2009 saying that I was one of over 600 female educators from across the United States to be nominated for this award. They asked me to fill out paperwork to send back to A.B. I. I almost threw it in the trash because I know how many wonderful educators we have here at JCJC and in our local area- with many more across America. I decided to send it back anyhow but had not given it another thought until I received the plaque in the mail naming me the winner. I am very humbled by this top honor. I want to thank the person(s) who nominated me for this award. A.B.I said they wish to remain anonymous but I have a feeling that it is somebody from Jones County Junior College. Again, many thanks!”
Lisa said she has been blessed by God to work with wonderful administration, faculty, staff, and students at JCJC. She feels that that is where God wants her.
Lisa says, “My educational goal is to not only stimulate the minds of my students but to touch their hearts as well. I want to be a positive role model in their lives.”
MSTA is proud to have one of their own representing them in such a positive way.
Congratulations, Lisa Headrick!
Scholarship and Grant Opportunity
Otis Allen Criteria
1. Request a scholarship application (national or regional) from the scholarship chairperson).
2. Requests must be received two months prior to the national convention or regional meeting to be attended.
3. A person may receive a scholarship once in three to five years.
4. Earliest application received will receive first consideration.
5. Each recipient will receive scholarship monies as partial expense reimbursement after submitting a copy of their registration and a letter signed by his/her principal stating that the recipient attended the meeting.
To request a scholarship application, contact the chairman of the scholarship committee. Send the request to the following: Minnie C. Parham, Chairman, Otis Allen Scholarship Committee 402 Bell Avenue, Greenwood, MS 38930
R. C. Roberts Grant Form
The R. C. Roberts Fund was initiated to honor Mr. Roberts, a long-time science supervisor in the Mississippi Department of Education and assist teachers in developing outdoor classrooms, nature centers, or nature trails at their respective schools. Maximum funding that can be obtained by one teacher from one school at a particular time is $100. Applications for funding must show that additional funds from sources other than R. C. Roberts have been obtained to support the proposed project. This may be “in kind” support as well as monetary. Individuals who receive support from the R. C. Roberts Funds may apply for additional funding provided a period of three years has elapsed since the original funding was granted.
Guidelines for the R. C. Roberts Fund
Individuals interested in applying for funding should get an application form the Newsletter or request an application form from the Executive Officer or President of the Mississippi Science Teachers’ Association. The completed application must be attached to the proposal and returned to the Executive Officer. The Executive Officer will assemble a committee of at least three individuals involved in science education who will examine the proposal and recommend funding status. The decision of the review committee to fund or reject the proposal is final.
R. C. Roberts Grant Form
Name: ______
School: ______
School Address:______
Phone: ______
Principal: ______
1. How long have you been at the school?
2. What do you plan to do with the money?
3. List the materials and cost of supplies for this project.
4. Where is this project located in relationship to the school?
5. Do you have the support of the principal? _____
other teachers? _____ If so, name/s. ______
______
6. What kind of monetary or “in kind” support do you have? List. If “in kind” support is provided, estimate its monetary value.
Complete the grant form and attach the proposal and return to: Bess Moffatt, MSTA Executive Officer, 1510 Oldfield Road, Gautier, MS 39553
Melinda Miller’s Information for the MSTA Newsletter:
Favorite workshop at NABT conference in Denver –
Science Take Out – Looking for an easy way to provide hands-on science activities in any educational setting? Science Take-Out science kits may be the solution you are searching for.
Science Take-Out kits are ready-to-go and include all the materials and instructions for use by an individual student or a small group of students. No additional teacher preparation or special laboratory equipment is needed http://sciencetakeout.com/- I recently went to their workshop at the NABT conference, and they have a great easy hands-on activities and great inexpensive kits to purchase on many biology/physiology topics for all levels.
Recent favorite website for technology Digital gadgets- http://sn.im/ew-digital-gadgets favorite teacher tools and websites for classrooms
Wonderful Webinar- Howard Hughes Medical Institute 2009 Holiday Lecture on Science: Exploring Biodiversity: The Search for New Medicine
In case you missed the live feed and do not want to wait until April for the DVD, you can get the On Demand after December 7th at www.holidaylectures.org. This lecture series is lead by Drs. Bonnie Bassler of Princeton and Baldomero Olivera of the University of Utah as they chart the paths of medical discovery through a deeper understanding of biodiversity. For those microbiology teachers who are interested in Dr. Bassler’s work on quorum sensing, this series can’t be missed.
NABT Report: While at NABT, I attended a wonderful session on teaching the Nature of Science and the scientific method. We teach the scientific method as if it were linear and that it is the way science is done. That is not the case. This website http://undsci.berkeley.edu/index.php is a great resource for teaching how science is done. At that website, you will find an interactive flowchart of how science works. This is the direct link to that page: http://undsci.berkeley.edu/article/scienceflowchart Beth Dunigan
LEARN AND EARN OPPORTUNITIES
Fast Action Required—Society for Science & the Public Opportunity Hellothere, My name is Jennifer Carter and I am the Director of Outreach at the Society for Science & the Public in Washington DC. Your organization has HS teachers who teach in schools that meet the criteria to apply for the 2010 SSP Fellows Program! That means $8500/year for up to 4 years to either start an independent research program in their schools or to make the one they have even better! We have had only a small number of applicants to date…Please help me change that!
In return for your help, I would like to offer your organization an additional opportunity. I would like to give every one of your science teachers a 1-yr digital subscription to Science News Magazine that they can then pass thru to their students! If you are interested in this opportunity please write me back and we can discuss the details and any questions you may have. Please take a look at the magazine’s website:www.sciencenews.org
Please pass the word on and post this on your websitethe application is EASY…and open right now!
Society for Science & the Public (SSP), with generous support from Intel, is pleased to announce the 2ndyear of its Fellows Program. The SSP Fellows Program provides funds and training to selected U.S. science and math teachers who serve under-resourced students, to enable interested and motivated students to perform high-quality independent scientific research.
The SSP Fellows Program has attracted themost creative and motivated high school science and math teachers in the country. Through a competitive selection process, the Program will provide teachers the financial and training resources necessary to support and inspire the success of their most enthusiastic science students. Fellows may serve for up to four years. The goal is to enable Fellows to guide students to produce project-based research of the highest quality, such as is selected for SSP’s premiere science competition, the Intel Science Talent Search.
ELIGIBILITY:
· Demonstrated interest in research but actual research experience not required.
· Active engagement in 9-12 grade science or if not actively teaching at this time, must demonstrate access to students to mentor.
· Teaching credential.
· Must be from a school that has enrollment that is at least 40% underrepresented minority and/or with at least 30% of students qualified for free or reduced rate lunches.