Description of Concurrent Sessions
Concurrent Sessions I
1. The Future of Multimedia is Now: Implications for Science Learning (Caroline Szymeczek, Institute for Science Learning, UNC-Chapel Hill) This session will feature the newly developed MicroArrays Mediabook, a "textbook for a technology society" using multimedia to engage and guide active learning in science. We will explore the creation and integration of interactive multimedia learning environments in ways that address the growing science learning crisis in our nation, the realities of today's teaching environment, and the needs of a diverse generation of learners. Participants will learn how multimedia can support a variety of learning styles, foster creative thinking, and enhance student learning and interest while providing for real time measurement of these gains.
2. Biotech Basics for the Non-Science Teacher (Jennifer Shelton Murphy, Jane Wright, Betty Brown, and Lisa Pierce, DESTINY) Board one of DESTINY's Traveling Science Learning Laboratories for a hands-on introduction to the science underlying the global biotechnology economy. Use a laboratory technique to extract DNA from your own cheek cell, and learn how understanding DNA technology can benefit students across the curriculum. Lesson plans and learning materials will be provided to participants.
3. NC Zoo: Uganda Program (Mark MacAllister, NC Zoo) The North Carolina Zoo is part of a unique conservation education partnership with teachers and wildlife experts in western Uganda . This session will focus on how K-12 classrooms state-wide can participate in, and benefit from, this partnership.
4. Culture and Ecology in Ecuador (Kimberly Smart, NC Museum of Natural Sciences ; Linda Turgurian, Forest View Elementary School ) Find out about a special collaboration between the NC Museum of Natural Science and Heifer International that helps North Carolina teachers to examine the connections between environmental sustainability and poverty in a range of ecosystems in Ecuador . Students follow along with the program, keeping updated and asking questions via the internet. Teachers search out wildlife in the paramo, cloud forest, and dry tropical forest with local Heifer Ecuador staff and learn about current ecological problems in each area.
5. Science Education in China (Fran Nolan, Grassroots Science Museums Collaborative) Growing awareness of economic globalization has generated much discussion about the country of China . That country perceives a clear link among economics, science, and science education. Learn what a NC science educator experienced at the 2005 Beijing science competition and about plans to involve North Carolina in the 2006 event.
6. Building Global Perspectives Where Land Meets Sea (Andrew Wood, NC Audubon) On every ocean coast the world-round, science helps us understand the nature of this ocean planet. But to be of greatest value to humanity, scientific knowledge must be imparted to scientist and non-scientist alike. This session integrates the studies of science and the humanities to build bridges of knowledge that connect people to nature. The simple-science methodology enables people to gain greater understanding and appreciation of global science and its role in a global community.
7. Global Renewable Energy Technology (Bryan Roy, NC Solar Center) Take a journey around the globe as we investigate various international renewable energy projects helping meet the demands of our energy needs. Through these projects we will learn the basic principles and concepts behind the technology being used along with its advantages and disadvantages. Relating this technology to classroom material, we will develop renewable energy lessons or projects that enhance the science and math curriculum.
8. Natural Disasters (Steve Pierce, NC Geographic Alliance ) From hurricanes and tsunami waves to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, natural hazards occur all around the world. This session will explore where natural hazards happen and their impacts on people and the environment. Lesson plans suitable for science and social studies will be provided.
Concurrent Sessions II
1. Teaching and Technology: A Global Twist (Beckey Reed and Lisa Grable, MEGA , NC State University ) Technology and the Internet provide exciting opportunities for teachers to easily connect with other classrooms around the world! Learn about projects at NC State that support K-12 teachers and their students in building global partnerships through the MEGA (Middle Educators Global Activities) network (www.ncsu.edu/mega). We will share our experiences video-conferencing with classrooms in our newest project, MiddleData; research and best practices from Meridian, an online journal; and MidLink Magazine, the oldest children's publication on the Web. Find out how you can join collaborative projects across the curriculum with teachers around the world!
2. Integrating Bioscience into the Social Studies Classroom (Amber Vogel and Jennifer Shelton Murphy, DESTINY; Susan Hirsch, East Wake High School ) Bioscience plays an increasingly important role in global issues such as pandemics, terrorism, and the food supply. This session will explore teacher-tested ways to integrate science into the social studies classroom at the high school level. Lesson plans and learning materials will be provided to participants.
3. Ethnocultures of Mathematics (Olof Steinthorsdottir and Chadd McGlone, School of Education, UNC-Chapel Hill) Ethnomathematics is mathematics that is embedded in cultural activities rather than the formality of “doing mathematics” in school. Everyday activities such as exchanging money, calculating proportions for a recipe, and making a quilt involve numbers, calculations, and geometric patterns. In this session we will share activities that give insight into ways people in other cultures use mathematics in their lives.
4. Ecology and Culture: Educational Needs and Opportunities (Anita Bahe and Karin Gollin, Foundation for Art, Culture, and Environment) This session focuses on the interface of ecology and culture to ask what is missing when we treat environmental issues solely in scientific and technological terms. The session also examines what has happened when different cultures have altered their natural environment while ignoring their dependence on it, and explores some creative venues that blend science and culture in learning about environmental issues.
5. Global Floodplain Hazards (Lawrence Band, Dept. of Geography, UNC-Chapel Hill) Despite repeated loss of property and life, floodplains are heavily populated in both this country and worldwide. Flood protection measures, including flood control dams, levees, and other civil works typically prevent damage from moderate flood events but may breed a false sense of security as people may still be vulnerable to major flood events. Learn about new methods of studying the occurrence and potential damage of flooding, including advanced space-based and ground-based observation systems that are leading to a better understanding of the conditions that promote flooding.
6. Geography and GIS (James Young, Dept. of Geography and Planning, Appalachian State University ; Steve Pierce, NC Geographic Alliance ) Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have become important tools for spatial analysis, helping geographers study many local, national, and global issues. Using basic geographic concepts, map use, and GIS analysis, students can investigate environmental and cultural questions.
7. China 's Great Wall: Bringing a Travel Experience to the Classroom (Robert Phay, World View) Last spring thirty-two schools supported with maps and lesson plans from World View “followed” the Director as he traveled to China , visiting the cities of Beijing and Xian, and running a marathon on parts of the famous Great Wall. The building of this mighty structure is one of the greatest feats of engineering in human history. Experience the trip through a slide presentation. The thirty-two classes that followed the trip will receive a CD of slides and an original artwork for their class at the session.
8. Science Education in North Carolina (Bill Tucci, Director of K-12 Programs, The Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology & Science, NC State University) What part does science play as North Carolina prepares its K-12 students to compete on the global stage? In this session, you will learn about the Kenan Fellows, an innovative program at NC State University that matches classroom teachers and university research faculty. During the two-year Fellowship, Kenan Fellows work in partnership with distinguished scientists, university faculty, and the NC Department of Public Instruction, developing curriculum and teaching resources that bring cutting-edge research to the students of North Carolina.