Joan Chadde was in Detroit recently leading field trips to the forests of Belle Isle for 350 Detroit students (grades 5-9) from nine Detroit Public Schools as part of the Urban Forest Stewardship Project and a forestry teacher workshop. Both were funded with an $80,000 grant from the US Forest Service to provide teacher training and increase middle/high schools students’ knowledge, stewardship and interest in natural resource careers.
EPDIS Engineering, Life Sciences and NGSS
Summer 2014
July 14-25, 2014
August 4-6, 2014
Engineering Applications in Biological Sciences
Deadline: May 2, 2014
There is an opportunity for people who have participated in a Michigan Department of Education grant previously to join the cohort of 19 teachers who are participants in the grant.
The Educators’ Professional Development Institute Series (EPDIS): Engineering, Life Sciences and NGSS is focused to support and deepen teacher content knowledge and content pedagogy of practicing teachers.
Engineering Applications in Biological Sciences
Participant guidelines:
- Michigan teacher certificate, grades 5-12
- Previous participation in a Michigan Department of Education Improving Teacher Quality Grant project awarded to Michigan Tech
Benefits to joining the cohort of teachers in the current EPDIS:
- Books, supplies, housing, meals and tuition funded plus a stipend for the 4 graduate credit ENG5400 summer institute July 1425,
2014. - Books, supplies, housing, meals and tuition funded plus a stipend for the 1 graduate credit 3DPrinter Workshop tentatively August 46,
2014.
(participants will assemble and learn to operate an open source Delta style 3D Printer to bring back to use in your classroom.)
Roles and responsibilities of the grant participants:
- Complete ENG 5400 course & 3DPrinter workshop.
- Submit all pre/post evaluations for yourself and evidence of project related student learning.
- Assist in all components of program evaluation and assessment, including SAMPI Classroom Observations.
James Alexander, PhD student in Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors, was profiled in the Research section of the Michigan Tech Graduate School Annual Report 2013 regarding developing diverse areas of expertise.
Representatives from Michigan Tech attended the “Equity Within the Classroom Conference” hosted by University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, recently.
Michigan Tech presentations included: Darnishia Slade (CLS), “Mental Toughness in Academia: Women pursuing STEM majors”; Liz Fujita (SYP), accompanied by an LSSU representative presented “UP, UP, and away: Gearing Up Rural Michigan Students for Life After High School”; and Kaitlyn Bunker ( ECE) moderated a panel discussion coordinated by Elizabeth Hoy (IIE), “Engaging Industry Partnership in the Diversity Pipeline.”
The Western UP Center has posted results and photos of the 2014 science fair held at the Memorial Union on March 25, 2014.
View Results, Project Pictures, Festival Pictures, and News
Science comes to life
Fourth- through eighth-graders attend science fair
The 15th annual fair, held at Michigan Technological University, drew 230 fourth- through eighth-graders from across the western Upper Peninsula.
Houghton Middle School students Jonnelle Yankovich and Daryn DuPont measured whether Walmart or Prince rabbit feed would make DuPont’s rabbits gain the most weight. Their hypothesis of Walmart was proven incorrect.
“We thought it would be a good idea to do a project with rabbits, because it was something that we figured a lot of other people wouldn’t be doing,” Yankovich said.
The students got extra credit for their science class, and had fun besides.
“I thought it was cool,” DuPont said of the science fair. “It was exciting.”
Read more at the Mining Gazette, by Garrett Neese.
Copper Country students show off their work at regional science fair
Chadde says the Science and Engineering Festival is a way to reward the students for their hard work on their science fair projects and it gives them some fun things to do while they wait for their project to be judged. She added that more than 50 Michigan Tech students from 14 different organizations help make this festival interesting for the children.
“They’re wonderful role models for the younger students that are here. And we help them, items of supplies and organization. But they do it so it’s really a fun event and you can see it’s packed. Parents love it and the kids love it,” she said.
Read more and watch the video at ABC 10 WBUP WBKP, by Mike Hoey.
2014 Western UP Science Fair
Grades 4-8
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Michigan Tech Memorial Union Ballroom
5-6pm Science Fair open to the public
6-8:30pm- Judging of projects.
4:30-7:30pm – Science festival in MUB Commons
The Western UP Science Fair is sponsored by the Western UP Center for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education, Michigan Tech Chapter of Omega Chi Epsilon Chemical Engineering Honor Society, Michigan Tech Chapter of American Society of Engineering Education and the Carnegie Museum.
15th Annual Western UP Science Fair and Festival Tuesday
Students from sixteen schools in Houghton, Baraga, Ontonagon and Gogebic Counties will participate: Chassell Elementary, CLK Elementary, E.B. Holman School, Houghton Elementary, Barkell Elementary, Lake Linden-Hubbell Elementary, Arvon Township School, Houghton Middle School, Lake Linden-Hubbell Middle School, LL Wright Middle School, L’Anse Middle School, Washington Middle School, Hancock Middle School, Ewen Trout Creek School, Northwoods Christian School and Watersmeet School.
Read more at Tech Today.
Spring Break Camp for Grades 1-6, April 1-3
The camp will be held at the Great Lakes Research Center, Tuesday-Thursday, April 1-3.
REGISTER ONLINE
Grades 1-3: Investigate Your World!
Grades 4-6: A Taste of Tech!
Sponsored by the Western UP Center for Science, Math and Environmental Education and Michigan Tech.
Read more at Tech Today.
A Peace Corps information session will be held Thursday, March 20, at 6 p.m., in MUB Alumni Lounge B. Peace Corps Volunteers are making a difference all over the world in the areas of education, health and the environment. Stop by this information session to learn more about the benefits of service and how you can live, work and learn overseas after graduation.
From Tech Today.
Forest Ecology and Resources
June 23-27, 2014
Deadline: May 5, 2014
Global Change
July 7 – 11, 2014
Deadline: May 5, 2014
Teachers are invited to apply to these summer institutes, which are part of Teacher Professional Development in the Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences.
Both Forest Ecology and Resources (Urban Forest Ecology at Belle Isle) and Global Change are worth two college credits. They are coordinated by the Western U. P. Center for Science, Math & Environmental Education.
Perceived body image affects all members of a society. The desired look present in a culture determines how others will view themselves. In Western cultures, women who are considered beautiful are tall, skinny, have facial symmetry and light skin. Not every member of our society looks like this ideal and it creates problems across the sexes socioeconomic backgrounds.
Darryl Roberts examines our “obsession with beauty” in his documentary “America the Beautiful,” which was screened on Feb. 20 on campus.
Who really benefits from people’s insecurities? That’s what Darryl Roberts is trying to find out. On February 25 there was a showing of his newest installation of the series, “America the Beautiful 3,” as a part of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. This film focuses on “the sexualization of our youth,” and is having its first showing ever here. On February 27, there was free and confidential eating disorder screenings in the MUB Peninsula room conducted by MTU Counseling Services, supported by the Association of Psychology Students.
Read more at the Michigan Tech Lode, by Sarah Harttung.