[Scico-list] FW: HP K-12 Grant Appli. due Feb. 15, Evolution Ed. Update, NASSMC: LA Panel Orders More Math, Opening a Window to Compare Schools, Colleges Should Teach Broader Skills

[Kamal, Sue]

1.	FW: HP K-12 Grant Appli. due Feb. 15
2.	 Evolution Ed. Update
3.	NASSMC: LA Panel Orders More Math,  Opening a Window to Compare
Schools, Colleges Should Teach Broader Skills

 

________________________________

From: Shawna Crocker [mailto:scrocker at lamar.colostate.edu] 
Sent: Saturday, January 20, 2007 2:15 PM
Subject: Must act fast on this grant

 

*	Hewlett-Packard K-12 Grant Program

Hewlett-Packard has announced a new initiative that will provide up to
$3.9 million in grants for K-12 organizations in the United States and
Puerto Rico. The grant program includes both cash and HP equipment.
Dubbed "The 2007 K-12 HP Technology for Teaching Grant," the initiative
is aimed at efforts to improve education through the use of innovative
uses of technology in the classroom. According to HP, the grant's
overall mission is "to transform teaching and learning through the
innovative use of technology, increase the number of underrepresented
students on a path toward high-tech careers and enhance student success
in math, science and engineering."  According to HP, preference will be
given to grant proposals focusing on math and/or science, though
proposals will be accepted for all subject areas. HP also says that
proposals accepted this year may also be eligible for higher grant
amounts the following year. 

Grant Application Activities Schedule:

*         Begin the online application process: Monday, January 8, 2007:


*         Deadline for submitting proposals: Thursday February 15, 2007,
5 p.m. (Pacific time).

Proposal forms, submission guidelines, and other information about the
grant process can be found at the link below.  You will need to copy and
paste (or type) the following address directly into your web browser.
Simply clicking on the link will not take you to the HP grant site:
http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/grants/us/programs/tech_teaching/2007_tech_fort
eaching_rfp_k12.pdf
<https://webmail.d11.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.hp.com/hpi
nfo/grants/us/programs/tech_teaching/2007_tech_forteaching_rfp_k12.pdf>


 

Shawna Crocker

Project Learning Tree Coordinator

Colorado State Forest Service

PO Box 25286

Denver, CO   80225

303-202-4662 phone  303-202-4188 fax

scrocker at colostate.edu

http://csfs.colostate.edu <http://csfs.colostate.edu/> 

 

 

 

Dear Friends of NCSE,

 

Not in Our Classrooms continues to garner praise from reviewers.  And
are you ready for Darwin Day 2007?

 

MORE PRAISE FOR NOT IN OUR CLASSROOMS

 

Not in Our Classrooms:  Why Intelligent Design is Wrong for Our Schools
received a pair of favorable reviews recently.  In the Winter 2006-2007
issue of Rethinking Schools (not available on-line), Wayne Au wrote,
"Given the recent fights over intelligent design in science education,
the publication of Not in Our Classrooms: Why Intelligent Design Is
Wrong for Our Schools couldn't be more timely. ... Given the current
U.S. political landscape, Not in Our Classrooms should be welcomed by
educators and activists.  It provides a wealth of background information
and detailed critiques of the logical presuppositions offered by
proponents of intelligent design."  And in the January/February 2007
issue of Washington Monthly, Jesse Singal wrote, "A new book titled Not
in Our Classrooms, a collection of essays by science educators,
biologists, and lawyers, offers a useful overview of the ever-evolving
movement to boot Darwin from the classroom. ... Not In Our Classrooms
delivers refreshingly on a number of topics."

 

Not in Our Classrooms was edited by NCSE's executive director Eugenie C.

Scott and deputy director Glenn Branch, and contains essays by them as
well as by Nicholas J. Matzke (also of NCSE) and Paul R. Gross, Martinez
Hewlett and Ted Peters, Jay D. Wexler, and Brian Alters.  The foreword
was contributed by the Reverend Barry W. Lynn of Americans United for
Separation of Church and State.  Praising the book, Bill Nye the Science
Guy wrote, "If you're concerned about scientific literacy, read this
book.  The authors of Not in Our Classrooms are authorities on the
various battles fought over the teaching of evolution -- biology's
fundamental discovery."  If you order your copy now from Beacon Press,
you receive a 10% discount -- just enter NCSE in the discount code
field.  And if you want postcards advertising Not in Our Classrooms to
distribute -- say, at a Darwin Day event -- please get in touch with the
NCSE office.

 

For the review in Washington Monthly, visit:

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2007/0701.singal.html

 

For information about Not in Our Classrooms, visit:

http://www.ncseweb.org/nioc

 

DARWIN DAY APPROACHES

 

And speaking of Darwin Day, it arrives in only three weeks!  Colleges
and universities, schools, libraries, museums, churches, civic groups,
and just plain folks across the country -- and the world -- are
preparing to celebrate Darwin Day, on or around February 12, in honor of
the life and work of Charles Darwin.  These events provide a marvelous
opportunity not only to celebrate Darwin's birthday but also to engage
in public outreach about science, evolution, and the importance of
evolution education.  NCSE encourages its members and friends to attend,
participate in, and even organize Darwin Day events in their own
communities.  To find a local event, check the websites of local
universities and museums and the registry of Darwin Day events
maintained by the Darwin Day Celebration website.  (And don't forget to
register your own event with the Darwin Day Celebration website!)

 

Part of the fun of Darwin Day 2007 will involve Randy Olson's Flock of
Dodos, the hilarious documentary that examines both sides of the
controversy over the teaching of "intelligent design" in public schools,
is scheduled to be shown at over fifteen museums across the country as
part of their Darwin Day celebrations, on or around February 12, 2007.
New Scientist describes Flock of Dodos as "a film that will appeal to
the average person on either side ... without condescension, poking
lighthearted fun at everyone."  Screenings are already scheduled in
thirty cities around the country, including Berkeley, Boston, Denver,
Detroit, Ft.

Lauderdale, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York City, Pittsburgh,
Raleigh, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Seattle, St.
Louis, and Tampa

-- and more are being added.

 

And Evolution Sunday returns!  Hundreds of Christian churches all over
the country are taking part in Evolution Sunday, February 11, 2007, by
presenting sermons and discussion groups on the compatibility of faith
and science.  Michael Zimmerman, the initiator of the project, writes,
"For far too long, strident voices, in the name of Christianity, have
been claiming that people must choose between religion and modern
science. ... Together, participating religious leaders will be making
the statement that religion and science are not adversaries.  And,
together, they will be elevating the quality of the national debate on
this topic."  At last count, over 420 congregations in 48 states were
scheduled to hold Evolution Sunday events; they are listed at the Clergy
Letter Project website.

 

To find or register a Darwin Day event near you, visit:

http://www.darwinday.org/englishL/home/2007.php

http://www.darwinday.org/englishL/regevent/index.php

 

For information about Flock of Dodos and its Darwin Day events, visit:

http://www.flockofdodos.com <http://www.flockofdodos.com/> 

http://www.flockofdodos.com/darwinday.htm

 

For information about Evolution Sunday and the Clergy Letter Project,
visit:

http://www.evolutionsunday.org <http://www.evolutionsunday.org/> 

http://www.butler.edu/clergyproject/religion_science_collaboration.htm

 

Glenn Branch

Deputy Director

National Center for Science Education, Inc.

420 40th Street, Suite 2

Oakland, CA 94609-2509

510-601-7203 x305

fax: 510-601-7204

800-290-6006

branch at ncseweb.org

http://www.ncseweb.org <http://www.ncseweb.org/> 

 

Not in Our Classrooms:  Why Intelligent Design Is Wrong for Our Schools
http://www.ncseweb.org/nioc

Eugenie C. Scott's Evolution vs. Creationism http://www.ncseweb.org/evc

NCSE's work is supported by its members.  Join today!

http://www.ncseweb.org/membership.asp 

 

------

 

 

NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF STATE SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS COALITIONS
TITLE: "More math ordered for high schools"

A Louisiana panel charged with finding ways to better prepare high
school graduates for college and the workplace has recommended a much
tougher curriculum, including four years of math. 

The Louisiana High School Redesign Commission spent two years studying
the issue before adopting six recommendations Thursday. These include
requiring all freshmen to take four years of math, science, social
studies and English, beginning in 2008. Students could opt out of the
core curriculum after 10th grade and take a reduced course load with
parental permission. 

Beginning in 2009, the current exit exam would be replaced by "end of
course" tests. All students would have to pass tests in math, English
and either science or social studies to graduate. The Board of
Elementary and Secondary Education will now decide whether to adopt the
changes. 

SOURCE: Times-Picayune, 12 January 2007 
WEBSITE:
http://www.nola.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/news-3/1168586229261300.xm
l&coll=1 

 

--------------------------------------

 

NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF STATE SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS COALITIONS
TITLE: "Online database opens a window for parents to compare schools" 

The National Council of Teacher Quality has launched a new website
(www.nctq.org/cb/) containing details of union collective-bargaining
agreements and state policies for the 50 largest school districts in the
country. The group hopes to expand the database this year to include the
largest 100 districts.

Visitors to the site can compare policies across districts concerning
such matters as salary scales, when teachers are required to report to
work, whether they have to hand in lesson plans regularly, and how many
professional development days are built into the year. 

The idea is to give the public a better idea of how teacher contracts
work and how widely they vary, said Kate Walsh, the group's director. 

Teacher contracts are public documents, but are typically not very
accessible. The NCTQ database "moves you past the sort of anecdotes"
that often frame teachers' union discussions, and provides a healthy
transparency, said Andrew Rotherham, co-editor of "Collective Bargaining
in Education." 

SOURCE: USA Today, 04 January 2007 
WEBSITE:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2007-01-03-teacher-website_x.html

 

------------------------------------------

 

NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF STATE SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS COALITIONS
TITLE: "Colleges Should Teach Broader Skills to Prepare Students for
Work Force, Report Says" 

A report from the Association of American Colleges and Universities
warns that colleges are not giving graduates the broad skills they need
to compete in a global economy. 

While graduates tend to have specific technical skills, they lack "the
ability to use the right-hand side of the brain - creativity, working in
a team," said Wayne Johnson, a vice president at Hewlett Packard who was
among the more than 300 employers surveyed for the report. The report
recommends that colleges broaden their curriculum to place more emphasis
on critical thinking and problem-solving skills. 

People who test well in problem-solving generally earn as much as
$60,000 more per year than people who do not, said Anthony Carnevale, a
senior fellow at the Education Sector think tank who helped with the
report.  The report, "College Learning for the New Global Century, is
available online at
www.aacu.org/advocacy/leap/documents/GlobalCentury_final.pdf. 

SOURCE: Chronicle of Higher Education (Daily News), 11 January 2007 (p.
B20)
WEBSITE: http://chronicle.com/daily/2007/01/2007011103n.htm
--------------------------------------------
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