A Journey In STEM Education
A journal of life as an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow
Sunday, June 19, 2016
MIE Champion
http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2015/04/f21/2014%20MIE%20Year%20One%20Anniversary%20Forum%20Booklet.pdf
Monday, June 6, 2016
devXpd devX 1:1, CSA and PBL
A great training about 1:1 tech last week! Check out DevX! https://t.co/P1hSORLJC7— Lisa Bolus (@lisabolus) June 6, 2016
Saturday, April 23, 2016
Book Review
http://www.middleweb.com/29462/renewable-energy-for-teachers-students/
Renewable Energy for Teachers & Students
BY MIDDLEWEB · 04/21/2016
Renewable Energy: Discover the Fuel of the Future with 20 Projects
By Joshua Sneideman and Erin Twamley
(Nomad Press, 2016 – learn more)
Emily AndersReviewed by Emily Anders
Renewable Energy: Discover the Fuel of the Future with 20 Projects packs in so much learning for teachers and students alike. It is definitely a must-have resource for any science teacher who wants to strengthen the focus on renewable energy with project-based learning experiences.
RenewableEnergy_CoverThe book’s enticing illustrations and vibrant colors also make it a resource teachers can share directly with kids. The inviting graphics on the cover continue throughout the book, providing rich visuals that make learning about sustainable energy fun and easy to understand. In stark contrast to most traditional science textbooks, the style of this book is very modern and fresh.
This book is well structured and interconnected. Authors Joshua Sneideman and Erin Twamley begin by categorizing five types of renewable power and correlate them to the five rings of the Olympic Games.
In the Olympics, the rings symbolize the five different regions of the world coming together. In that same vein, each of the five major types of renewable energy are similarly interconnected; yellow is for the sun, black is for wind, red is for geothermal, blue is for water, and green is for biomass. This overarching theme is continued throughout the book.
For example, the starting sentence of the chapter “The Power of the Sun” begins with the following quote: “Legend says that the Olympic torch was once lit with fire from the sun. While we can’t actually get close enough to the sun to steal its fire, we can use energy from the sun in many different ways.”
A chapter-by-chapter exploration
Each chapter further explores one of the five types of renewable energy. The chapters are rich with content and full of intriguing renewable energy information that can be incorporated into lessons and shared with students. Additionally, each chapter skillfully connects the past, present, and future of that particular renewable source. This makes each section very engaging for students and teachers, regardless of their familiarity with the subject.
I never knew, for example, that “A ‘heat ray’ weapon used in 214-212 BCE concentrated the sun’s energy using mirrors to burn sails on warring ships.” Did you know that? The book definitely does a good job incorporating the history of different technologies.
fossil-fuel-activ
While it discusses the future of renewable energy, such as solar-powered transportation, the book also covers the basics of contemporary systems, like the solar photovoltaic “PV” technology that makes up the solar panels on people’s rooftops. This combination of past, present, and future make this book a one-of-a-kind classroom resource, in my experience.
Lots of helpful call-out boxes
In addition to the thorough main text, Renewable Energy provides a rich selection of themed call-out boxes in each section. The themes include “Plugged In,” “Words to Know,” “Green Jobs,” “Primary Sources (PS),” and “Essential Question.”
The first two, “Plugged In” and “Words to Know,” give interesting energy facts and useful definitions to energy terms. “Green Jobs” is especially important because it makes a direct connection between what students are currently studying and how it applies to their potential future careers. This kind of direct linkage is essential to the success of our current STEM initiatives.
There is no better way to teach students than to engage them in interesting environmental and engineering science and then clearly demonstrate specific future career opportunities in the exciting field of renewable energy.
The last boxes, “Primary Sources” and “Essential Question,” go hand in hand to promote inquiry-based learning. Students, of course, are naturally inquisitive. These call-out resources provide students with the tools to question what they are reading. The authors also include QR codes where readers can research and discover more about the topics they find fascinating.
Hands-on project ideas
Finally, another key element that makes this book so useful is the inclusion of very practical and enjoyable hands-on projects at the end of each chapter. These projects will enable students to investigate the principles of sustainable energy that they have just learned about.
Geothermal-Steam-Power-PlantSome are relatively familiar projects, like creating a geothermal volcano using baking soda and vinegar. Many others, however, are demonstrations that I first learned about by reading this book. One of my favorites is the creation of a mini geothermal steam power plant.
I recommend this book for science and STEM teachers looking for ways to enliven instruction and engage students through hands-on learning activities. Definitely plan on sharing Renewable Energy with your students. Multiple copies might be a good idea!
Read a MiddleWeb article by Erin Twamley & Joshua Sneideman
Emily Anders, currently a STEM Coordinator and teacher at Saint Agnes School in Virginia, has been engaging and challenging students in the classroom for over six years. She is a NASA Solar System Ambassador to Virginia and a 2015 winner of the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy Scholarship. She earned her Masters in Education in 2010 from Chaminade University (Honolulu) and a Bachelor of Science & Engineering in 2002 from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
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Thursday, March 24, 2016
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Infinitely Better Teacher PD
A fresh take on K-12 teacher PD
What is devX all about?
Posted by dev X on Tuesday, February 16, 2016
PD for Teachers by Teachers
Teacher professional development that is immersive, personal, and transformative:https://t.co/1RhFxCj2ZS pic.twitter.com/52fgs1dQ5C
— devX PD (@devX_PD) February 16, 2016
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Blog for Library of Congress
http://blogs.loc.gov/teachers/2016/02/primary-sources-in-the-science-classroom-electric-cars-energy-and-engineering/
Monday, February 1, 2016
Packed House
"@STEMagogy @NomadPressVT @NSTA book signings are so much cooler https://t.co/JeIi3FTCxs" pic.twitter.com/7MvWB8sNzj— Nomad Press (@NomadPressVT) January 29, 2016
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Friday, January 8, 2016
Blog from Nomad - Meet the Author
Meet the Author: Josh Sneideman of #spaceshipearth @ClimateEdu https://t.co/8PZeqTfG9T by @NomadPressVT pic.twitter.com/OYgzOovdFM
— Nomad Press (@NomadPressVT) January 8, 2016
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Monday, September 21, 2015
Climate Change Game - with Angry Birds
So happy to have collaborated on this project.
Celebrities get ANGRY about climate change in Angry Birds Frie...
We're so #AngryAboutClimateChange we teamed up with Earth Day Network to take action.Put on YOUR angry face! Join Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, Danny DeVito, Ian Somerhalder, Anil Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor and Christiana Figueres for a special Angry Birds Friends tournament next week!
Posted by Angry Birds on Friday, September 18, 2015
Monday, August 31, 2015
Minorities in Energy Ambassadors Page - Last but not least.
Ambassadors gather with Secretary Ernest Moniz, Director Dot Harris, and speakers from the White House Forum on Minorities in Energy, a dialogue on diversity in the energy sector held on Wednesday, November 13, 2013.
The Ambassadors of the Minorities in Energy Initiative were announced by Secretary Ernest Moniz on November 13, 2013. These senior-level leaders have committed to lending their voice to the mission of the Minorities in Energy Initiative through outreach and strategic planning. These Ambassadors are passionate about engaging minorities in all aspects of the energy sector, with a special focus on energy economic development, STEM education, and climate change.
Freeman Hrabowski
More about Freeman Hrabowski
President, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
Randa Fahmy Hudome
More about Randa Fahmy Hudome
former U.S. Associate Deputy Secretary of Energy, Fahmy Hudome International
Marie Johns
More about Marie Johns
Former SBA Administrator, L&L Consulting - a division of Leftwich & Ludaway, LLC
Irving Pressley McPhail
More about Irving Pressley McPhail
President, National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering
Bill Richardson
More about Bill Richardson
former Governor of New Mexico and former Secretary of Energy
Susan M. Taylor
More about Susan M. Taylor
author, former editor of Essence magazine and Founder/CEO of the National CARES Mentoring Movement
Christine Todd Whitman
More about Christine Todd Whitman
former Governor of New Jersey and EPA Administrator
Christopher Emdin
More about Christopher Emdin
Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics, Science and Technology at Teachers College, Columbia University
HONORARY AMBASSADORS
Bobby L. Rush
More about Congressman Rush (D-IL)
Congressman Representing the First District of Illinois
Eddie Bernice Johnson
More about Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX)
Congresswoman Representing the 30th District of Texas
Joe Garcia
More about Congressman Joe Garcia (D-FL)
Congressman Representing the 26th District of Florida
Mike Honda
More about Congressman Mike Honda
Congressman Representing the 17th Congressional District of California
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY CHAMPIONS
Dimitri Kusnezov
More about Dimitri Kusnezov
Chief Scientist & Senior Advisor to the Secretary, National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Energy
Tony Baylis
More about Tony Baylis
Director, Strategic Diversity Programs, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Department of Energy
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