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NC-MSEN Professional Development 2009 and 2010 Major Events

2009– 2010 Statewide Institute for Teaching Excellence (SITE)

NC-MSEN has developed a new series of institutes for teachers of mathematics and science, in collaboration with the NC
Department of Public Instruction, that focus on major themes within the North Carolina Standard Course of Study.
These institutes address mathematics and science content knowledge, in conjunction with appropriate and tested pedagogical
and assessment strategies, to help North Carolina teachers deliver the best mathematics and science instruction to the students
of North Carolina.

Please click this link (in pdf format) for a description of the SITE program.

Please click this link (in pdf format) for the new SITE White Paper.

Please click this link (in pdf format) for the 2009-2010 SITE workshop schedule. You can also visit
http://education.uncc.edu/cmste/SITE/ for more information.

2009– 2010 Non-SITE Workshop Schedule

In addition to the SITE programs, individual Professional Development Centers offer a rich assortment of other professional
development opportunities. Here is a listing of those programs. Keep in mind that the Professional Development Center is
responsible for the content and availability of these programs; contact the Center directly for more information about them.

Please click this link (in pdf format) for the 2009-2010 Non-SITE workshop schedule.

NC-MSEN is the Recipient of the 2009 Partnership Award in Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education!

Partnership Award in Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education is a prestigious award recognizes and honors
North Carolina organizations that have an innovative partnership supporting science, mathematics and technology (SMT)
education.

Recipient of Partnership Award engages in the followings:

• Creating deeper understanding by students or community members of SMT topics
• Promoting active engagement by students or community members
• Addressing an area of need or concern in community or state related to SMT
• Being innovative
• Building capacity in community or across the state
  

The 2009 Partnership Award in Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education was presented to NC-MSEN at the
Celebration of Science, Mathematics, and Technology which was held at the Embassy Suites Raleigh/Durham Hotel in
Cary, North Carolina on Saturday, April 18, 2009. A video was presented at the Award Ceremony. Please visit
http://ncsmt.org/newsletter.php?action=Detail&id=399&categoryid=3 (click on the combination of NC-MSEN/
UNC CSLD logo in the upper rigth to launch the video). An offical newsletter can also be found from the given Web link.

Please click here for a press release (in pdf).

To see all the pictures that were submitted to SMT for video presentation, please click this PowerPoint presentation here.

Welcome Dr. Perry Mack as The New Interim Director of NC-MSEN Center - GAMSEC at NC A & T State University!

To learn more about Dr. Mack, please click to view his bio here (in pdf format).

Welcome Mr. Rick Demolina as The New Assistant Director at University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW)!

Rick Demolina is a native of California where he earned his Masters of Education from the
University of La Verne. He has been teaching middle and high school math for the past seven
years and was recognized for his work by being elected the 2005 Pender County Math Teacher
of the year. As the son of Cuban immigrants and a fluent Spanish speaker, he especially enjoys
working with English Language Learners. Prior to teaching, Mr. Demolina spent twelve years
working in industrial construction engineering and management. He earned his B.A in economics
from the University of California at Santa Cruz.

Welcome Ms. Karen Dash as The New Center Director at North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM)!

Karen Dash is a native of Connecticut and holds a bachelor in English from Harvard University and an MPA from Columbia University.
Previously she spent 12 years in the financial services industry, where she won one of the top awards at American Express, and several
years in the government and nonprofit sectors. She has served as a trainer, consultant, and business coach and has published 17 consumer
business articles in the Raleigh News & Observer.

Reflections from Baghdad
(Note: The following is an excerpt from the UNCW Science and Mathematics Education Center
(SMEC) Newsletter released in December 2008.)

In April 2008, after 12 years of excellent service and hard work as the Assistant Director of the Science and Mathematics Education
Center, Bill Kawczynski, a former Marine, returned to the service of his country as a private contractor in Baghdad, Iraq. Many of you
were fortunate and benefited from Bill’s expertise with coordinating Summer Ventures, planning AP review sessions, conducting
professional development programs and/or directing the Southeast Regional Science Fair. Bill agreed to share his wisdom on education
from his new perspective in the Middle East. Here are some of his thoughts...

I never would have thought that I would be drafting this article from Baghdad, Iraq. As I reflect on the changes since the last SMEC
newsletter, I am reminded that this time of year brings about exciting new adventures and opportunities for those in education. There are
two points that I would like to convey as I sit here in the 120+ degree heat: one of opportunity and one of change.

Opportunity is all around us each day. It’s whether or not we can see it and more importantly, act on it. As educators, we are consumed
with opportunity, as we strive to provide it for our students and look for ways to collaborate with our colleagues each day. In Iraq, I can
see opportunity take hold each day as the Iraqis seek to rebuild their country and return to a state of normalcy that we often take for granted.

The past few years, I have been fortunate enough to be a part of the North Carolina Science Leadership Association’s (NCSLA) Science Leadership Fellows Program (SLFP). The program brings together cohorts of teachers, curriculum specialists and administrators with the
intent of developing science leaders who will become more involved not only lo¬cally but across the state. In addition, the science fellows
also help develop leaders in their region by utilizing the skills they receive during the two-year program. Most of the science fellows wondered
why they signed up and what will they get out of the program. My quick response to them was “opportunity and change.”

As I glanced over the North Carolina Science Teacher Associations / National Science Teachers Associations combined Professional
Development Institute for 2008, I noticed many science fellows (both past and present) who were listed in the program as presenters and contributors to the conference. This is a wonderful example of taking advantage of “opportunity” and hopefully making a “change.” Whether
or not you are a presenter or merely an attendee at the conference, you will be sure to create opportunities that will lead to a positive change.

Every day, if you look close enough, you can see opportunities to change and make changes to create opportunities. I have made that decision
as I work to create better opportunities for the Iraqis while I am here in Baghdad. If you wonder just what type of changes I am working on
here in Iraq, here is a link to one of many recent articles that focuses on the job in which my office is involved:

http://www.metimes.com/Security/2008/08/29/dogs_of_war_accountability_gains_ground/ac0b/print/
(Article featured in the Middle East Times, Dogs of War: Accountability Gains Ground)

I certainly hope that the school year is one filled with great successes for you and your students and that you look for ways to “create
opportunity that leads to positive change.” Cheers from a sunny, hot, and ever changing Baghdad!

NC-MSEN Professional Development 2008 Major Events

Congratulations to Dr. David C. Royster

Dr. David Royster, Director of the NC-MSEN Center at UNC Charlotte, received the prestigious
W. W. Rankin Award at the The North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCCTM)
conference on October 31, 2008. Congratulations!

Please click to see a press release.

NC-MSEN Center Directors' Meeting in August

The NC-MSEN Center Directors and Central Office staff gathered in Chapel Hill for a two-day
meeting at the UNC Center for School Leadership Development on August 27 and 28, 2008.
Dr. Verna L. Holoman, Executive Director, presided over the meetings.

Dr. Sam Houston, CEO and President of the NC Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education
Center (SMT), met with Directors to give an informative presentation on the 2008 Leadership and
Assistance for Science Education Reform (LASER) Institute. More information about the LASER
training can be found at http://www.ncsmt.org/prog.laser.html

Dr. Elaine Franklin (left), Dr. Sam Houston (center), and Dr. Phillip Johnson (right) discuss
the LASER Institute training during a break in the meeting.

Kenan Fellows Program Director, Dr. Valerie Brown-Schild, provided the group with detailed information
on the Kenan Fund, opportunities afforded Fellows, the nomination process, and statewide fundraising efforts.

Ms. Alisa Chapman, Associate Vice President of Academic Planning and University-School Programs,
UNC-General Administration, joined the group to discuss a draft STEM Inventory that she has been
charged with compiling. Ms. Chapman indicated that NC-MSEN is a great example of one program
that touches all levels of K-16 education.

The NC-MSEN 25th Anniversary arrives in 2009. Committees were formed and plans begun for a year-long series of events
to celebrate this milestone.

Center Directors and Central Office staff brainstorm ideas as they
plan for future NC-MSEN statewide programs.

“Leading North Carolina Science Educator Selected as the National Science Teachers Association's
2008-2009 President-Elect”

Congratulations to Dr. Pat Shane, Associate Director of the Center for Mathematics and Science Education (CMSE)
at UNC Chapel Hill* for this prestigious honor!! Please click here for an excerpt from the NSTA News Release
dated June 2, 2008 (in pdf format).

NC-MSEN Centers and Pre-College Program Sites Joint Meeting in May

The inaugural meeting was held May 19, 2008 at the UNC-General Administration (UNC-GA)
Board Room of the C. D. Spangler, Jr. Building in Chapel Hill. Please click here to learn more
(in pdf format).

Featured Center Director
Dr. Phillip E. Johnson

Phillip E. Johnson, director of the Mathematics and Science Education Center at Appalachian State University,
is this issue’s Featured Center Director.

Dr. Johnson recently received the W.W. Rankin Award from the NC Council of Teachers of Mathematics. The
award, named for a former mathematics teacher at Duke University, is the organization’s most prestigious award
and is given annually to no more than three mathematics educators. He was recognized for his years of distinguished
service as a mathematics teacher and as someone who has played a key role in organizing and conducting regional
and statewide workshops and conferences designed to help mathematics teachers excel at their craft. His career
spans more than 40 years in education – from high school mathematics teacher to college professor, including a
33-year career at UNC Charlotte.

Dr. Johnson earned his undergraduate degree from Appalachian, a master’s degree from American University, and a Ph.D. from
Vanderbilt University.

NC-MSEN Professional Development 2007 Major Events

Featured Center Director: Dr. Karen Dawkins

Dr. Dawkins is the Director of the NC-MSEN Center for Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education at East Carolina University. She writes,
"Working with teachers and other school leaders in the east and northeast is a real privilege. Despite limited resources, they compensate with enormous pride
in their schools, dedication to their students, and innovation in meeting challenges. They are true partners in the work that we do -- providing ideas for projects
that meet their needs and sharing in the responsibility for implementing those projects."

Her recent publications include:

Dickerson, D.L., Dawkins, K.R., & Annetta, L. (accepted). Scientific fieldwork: An opportunity for pedagogical-content knowledge development. Journal of
Geoscience Education.

Dickerson, D.L., Penick, J.E., Dawkins, K.R., & Van Sickle, M. (January, 2007). Groundwater in science education. Journal of Science Teacher Education,
pp. 45-61

Dawkins, K.R. and Dickerson, D.L. (January, 2007). Building a community of teacher learners in an earth/environmental science professional development
opportunity. Journal of Geoscience Education, pp. 67-71.

Dr. Dawkins received her Doctor of Education degree in 1996 from East Carolina University. Her specialization was Educational Leadership with an emphasis in
Science Education.

Please visit the ECU Center's Web site for more information.
http://www.ecu.edu/cs-educ/csmte/Index.cfm

NC-MSEN Professional Development 2006 Major Events

Excellence in K-8 Science Teaching: An NC-MSEN Statewide
Science Initiative

Please click to see more detail.

Middle Mathematics Summer Institutes



Co-sponsored by the North Carolina Mathematics and Science Education Network (NC-MSEN) and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
(NC-DPI)

To learn more about the eligibility, dates, times, locations, credits (CEU), fees, registration deadline, course description, and instructors, please
click here to see all the details or download flyer.

To view a list of instructors from the Middle Mathematics Project that will be designing and presenting the institutes, please click to download the
instructor list.

For online registration (highly recommended!!), please visit http://www.unc.edu/depts/cmse/ or download application form (must use Adobe 7.0.) The deadline
for registratrion is May 15th.

North Carolina Middle Math Project (NCM2) Gears Towards a Fifth Year Operation

The North Carolina Middle Mathematics (NCM2) Project, a collaboration between NC-MSEN and NCDPI, has received a no-cost extension from the
National Science Foundation (NSF) for a fifth year of operation. One hundred-twenty-three (90%) of NCM2 participants are pursuing or have attained
National Board Certification, a Master’s Degree, or both National Board Certification and a Master’s Degree. This initiative serves 51 LEAs statewide.
For detail information, please visit http://www.unc.edu/depts/cmse/NCM2/index.htm.

Recent Award to NC-MSEN UNC-Chapel Hill Center for the Development of CCLE Program

The NC-MSEN Center for Science and Mathematics Education at UNC Chapel Hill recently received a $95,590 award from The Office of the President to
develop the Carolina Cooperative Lateral Entry (CCLE) Program. The E-Learning funds will support the design and delivery of courses during 2005-2006.
Details please visit http://www.unc.edu/depts/cmse/.

Berenson Receives Holladay Medal

The North Carolina State University Board of Trustees has awarded the Alexander Quarles Holladay Medal for Excellence to five faculty members in recognition of their outstanding careers at NC State. The Holladay Medal is the highest honor bestowed on a faculty member by the trustees and the university.

This year’s honorees include Sarah Burke Berenson, professor of mathematics education and Director of the Center for Research in
Mathematics and Science Education (CRMSE), part of the North Carolina Mathematics and Science Education Network.

The medals will be presented during the university’s Honors Baccalaureate and Celebration of Academic Excellence, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 12, in the McKimmon Center.

The Holladay Medal is named for Col. Alexander Quarles Holladay, the university’s first president. It recognizes the contributions of faculty members in teaching, research and service. Winners receive a medal and a framed certificate, and their names are inscribed on a plaque in the NC State Faculty Senate chambers.

Dr. Sarah Burke Berenson has dedicated nearly 20 years at NC State, building a nationally and internationally recognized mathematics education program.

Known for her creative approaches to investigating educational problems, her work focuses on the preparation of teachers and the under-representation of women minorities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers.

Her efforts have impacted university faculty members (organizing 14 research conferences attended by more than 500 faculty members from around the world),
K-12 teachers (gaining grant support to pay tuition and a stipend for more than 500 teachers to take graduate courses), and middle school and high schoolstudents (more than 5,000 students in two mathematics and science enrichment programs she has directed over the past 18 years).

She has obtained more than 40 grants, published more than 85 research articles, delivered more than 60 presentations at national and international meetings, and
supervised 15 doctoral and master’s students. Berenson has received the NCSU Outstanding Outreach and Extension Award and the Alumni Outstanding
Outreach and Extension Award. She was elected chair of the North American Chapter of the Psychology of Education, served on the advisory board of the
Robert B. Davis Institute (Rutgers University Graduate School of Education), was appointed research fellow in 2002 at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, and chaired the International Research Conference to Investigate Mathematical Reasoning.

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NC-MSEN Professional Development 2005 Major Events

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NC-MSEN Professional Development 2004 Major Events

Dr. Karen Dawkins Received The Herman Gatling for Service to Science Education

Dr. Karen R. Dawkins, Director of the Center for Science, Mathematics and Technology Education (CSMTE) in the College of Education at East Carolina University (ECU), was recently presented the Herman Gatling Award by the North Carolina Science Leadership Association (NCSLA). The award is the highest that NCSLA gives each year, is presented at the association’s fall meeting, and acknowledges an outstanding science education leader in North Carolina.

A twenty-one year high school science veteran, Dawkins was cited for her roles as curriculum writer, mentor to teachers,
developer of intensive professional development opportunities for educators statewide, and recipient of millions of dollars of grant funds to support North Carolina science and mathematics teachers.

In addition to her classroom successes in North Carolina, Kentucky, and Mississippi, Dawkins has also put together an impressive track record in higher education administration. She has been a part of the North Carolina Mathematics and Science Education Network (NC-MSEN) since 1991 at both NC State University and ECU. She has also secured more than 35 external grants supporting teacher professional development projects, including recent grants from the National Science Foundation and North Carolina Sea Grant to provide professional development and curriculum support for earth and environmental science teachers throughout the state. The award was presented by Mrs. Emma Gatling, widow of the Durham County Science Supervisor for whom the award is named, and George Ross of the Carolina Biological Supply Company, which co-sponsors the award.

NC-MSEN Professional Development 2003 Major Events

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NC-MSEN Professional Development 2001-2002 Major Events

On January 1, 2002, NC-MSEN is pleased to welcome its new Executive Director, Dr. Verna L. Holoman.  Dr. Holoman comes to NC-MSEN from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, where she was the Coordinator of Programs for Recruitment and Retention in the Life Sciences.  She also has worked as the Senior Academic Affairs Coordinator for the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. 

In October, 2001, the NC-MSEN central office has moved to the new UNC Center for School Leadership Development Building.  NC-MSEN is now sharing
headquarters with partner programs that provide professional development for teachers and administrators that is aligned to the strategic priorities and educational goals of the State Board of Education.  Click here to learn more about the CSLD and this state-of-the-art facility.  Click here to see the new directions and mailing address for NC-MSEN!

Under the leadership of UNC-Chapel Hill Center Director Dr. Russell Rowlett and Dr. Sid Rachlin of East Carolina University, the Network has secured a grant from the National Science Foundation for the North Carolina Middle Mathematics Project.  This project uses the statewide infrastructure of NC-MSEN to improve mathematics education in grades 6-8 across the entire state of North Carolina.  It aims to improve teacher retention by supporting teachers in their professional development and providing academic renewal and financial recognition.  Please click here to find out more.

For several months, NC-MSEN and the NC Department of Public Instruction have been working in partnership with mathematics and science educators across the stateto form a Science Framework for North Carolina public schools.  On May 3, 2001, the Science Framework Committee met in Chapel Hill to finalize the draft for this document.  The North Carolina Science Framework is in the final stages and should be available soon.  The framework will provide the means to achieve excellence in science education in this state; it will translate goals such as 'All students should be scientifically literate' into a coherent vision of how educational standards, goals, and practice will be used to achieve those goals.

Read the Golden Mean, NC-MSEN's biannual newsletter, and browse the list of professional development opportunities for mathematics and science teachers for Fall/Winter 2001. 

The North Carolina Center for School Leadership Development Building was happy to welcome a visit from U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) on April 1, 2002.  Senator Kennedy held a press conference from the building that included former North Carolina Governor James B. Hunt.  Senator Kennedy then led discussions with a panel of North Carolina educational leaders, including UNC System President Molly Corbett Broad, CSLD Program Directors, and NC-MSEN Executive Director Dr. Verna L. Holoman.  Click here for pictures of the Senator's visit. 

The JASON Academy for Science Teaching and Learning provides innovative professional development for busy science educators. It offers online science content courses on thematic topics emphasizing the physical sciences to middle level (grades 4-9) science teachers. The goal of the Academy is to enhance the science content background of teachers and provide them with the tools to help students more effectively. For more information, click here. 

The North Carolina Association for Biomedical Research (NCABR), a statewide nonprofit science education organization, is beginning the seventh year of its highly successful professional development workshop RX FOR SCIENCE LITERACY: THE WHAT, WHERE, HOW AND WHY OF HEALTH SCIENCE RESEARCH. This one-day program, held at one of four NC biomedical research institutions, has now reached more than 1,850 North Carolina K-12 educators from 82 counties. 

The NC Principal Fellows Program offers a scholarship-loan that provides funding for up to two years at $20,000 per year to support students who enroll in and
complete a full-time, two-year master's degree program in school administration at a participating institution of the University of North Carolina system. Visit the
PFP website or obtain 2005 Press Release. 

Find out about where to apply for funding or get classroom materials on NC-MSEN's page of links for teachers. 

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