Nominations Close

Friday, May 17th 

SDSEA is pleased to partner with researchers at the UCSD School of Medicine in a new NIH funded research Grant aimed at increasing organ donor participation in our area. The BOLD Project (Be an Organ Life Donor) SDSEA Board and membership can serve as connection points with local high school blood drives, in cooperation with the San Diego Blood Bank, and help develop student outreach teams, techniques to increase awareness of organ donor opportunities and importance, and educational materials in support of these goals.

It has been found through two National Institutes of Health-sponsored Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) grants that high school students are very effective at educating others and performing community outreach. Based on limited data, it also appears that blood donors are more favorably inclined towards organ donation than non-blood donors.

As the BOLD Project grant gets underway watch for more information about how you, or your students, may be able to play a role in the research. We will provide posts about the grant on the SDSEA Facebook page and at this web site. Stay "tuned."

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NSTA President

It is my great pleasure to announce that the National Science Teachers Association Board of Directors has selected Dr. David L. Evans to serve as the new NSTA Executive Director. Dr. Evans will begin as NSTA Executive Director on Thursday, February 7.

Dr. Evans is a prominent scientist as well as a distinguished and visionary leader who will guide the association’s future course and continue to establish NSTA as a leader in STEM education.

Before joining NSTA, David was Director of the Center for Sustainability at Noblis, a Virginia-based not-for-profit provider of science-consulting services.

For several years he was Under Secretary for Science at the Smithsonian Institution, where he oversaw research and education activities, strategic planning, outreach, and fundraising. Dr. Evans has also served in leadership positions at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the National Ocean Service, and the Office of Naval Research.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Evans to NSTA. I invite you to read more about David at www.nsta.org/publications/news/story.aspx?id=59818 and encourage you to share this information with science educators in your state or association.

I would also like to take this opportunity to publicly thank Dr. Gerald Wheeler for leaving his beloved Montana 10 months ago to serve as NSTA Interim Executive Director. His enthusiasm, dedication, and passion to NSTA and to science education is greatly appreciated.

We look forward to a great year for NSTA and for science education in 2013 and beyond.

Sincerely,

Dr. Karen L. Ostlund

NSTA President 2012-2013

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Free Water Cycle Poster for Pre-K - 8

This resource just came to the attention of SDSEA via Howard Perlman, a hydrologist at the U.S. Geological Survey. USGS and the United Nations have just put out a new diagram/poster:     The Water Cycle for Kids
Just click on the "Links To Resources" choice in the gray column on the left, to link directly to the poster.

Help spread the word by "sharing" a post about the poster from the  SDSEA Facebook page on your FB page, or email a friend.

It is a FREE, comprehensive and amusing diagram for kids, elementary, and middle school students. You can download and print out a PDF version in any of 60 languages.

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SDSEA Helps Provide Science Strands for SDCUE 2012 Event

SDCUE presented it's 29th annual technology "fair" again this year. SDSEA has partnered with them for the past 3 years, and worked with them again this year, to provide science strands for the gathering.

i-Quest, an NSF funded project based at Cal State San Marcos, provided several sessions focused on integrating science and technology, including SDSEA Board member Su Scott, presenting on GPS technology as relates to grade 6 Earth Science. SDSEA member Brendan Casey, of Joan MacQueen Middle School, presented use of web pages as showcases for student Common Core Science Portfolios. The San Diego Children and Nature Collaborative presented environmental science workshops, and the California State Parks "PORTS" distance learning program showed how to video conference live with rangers in the woods.

The SDSEA Exhibit Area Booth

Thanks go out as well to Heidi Doss and Donna Ross, both SDSEA members who presented on laser physics and classroom video production respectively. 

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SDSEA Partners with

Organ Donor Research Grant

 with UCSD

 San Diego Blood Bank

 and National Institutes of Health

SDSEA Represented at the National Congress on Science Education

SDSEA had a representative in attendance at the NCSE, July 11 - 14,  in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Sponsored by the NSTA, the forum this year focused on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) being considered for adoption nationwide.

SDSEA Recognized for Collaborative Efforts

You may have seen notices earlier in the spring, on this web site about a joint effort of "Whale Times" and the Southwest Fisheries Science Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to put classrooms in direct contact with Gray Whale researchers in the field via the internet.  Over 650 students in upper elementary classrooms were able to participate in this exciting exchange, and many of those were able to meet in person, at the Birch Aquarium at Scripps, in La Jolla, the scientists with whom they communicated.

Sky Hunters

"Behind The Scenes"