February 2024

As part of Project EDUCATE (Educators of Diversity: Unified and Collaborative to Aspire Teacher Education) a grant project centered around an educational model to increase the diversity of the educator workforce, BGSU faculty member Angela Thomas recently facilitated a professional development session at Whitmer High School in Toledo. Dr. Thomas, of the College of Education and Human Development, taught students in the Teaching Professions major fundamental of building relationships and creating caring communities in the classroom. Students enjoyed hands-on and engaging group activities to learn about the importance of working with adolescents in the classroom.

For the third year in a row, an Educators of Color Panel was held on the BGSU campus on January 16th, in which local teachers shared their teaching experiences, discussed their viewpoints and answered questions from the audience about diversity and racial injustices that occur in the classroom.

Panelists included four current teachers from the Washington Local School district (Melissa Hall, Felicia Singleton, Rhea Young, ILA, & Raquel Jones), which is partnering with the Northwest Ohio Center for Excellence in STEM Education (NWO), at Bowling Green State University’s College of Education and Human Development on the grant-funded Project EDUCATE (Educators of Diversity: Unified and Collaborative to Aspire Teacher Education), an educational model developed to increase and diversify the educator workforce. The teachers are also mentors within the grant project, which is in its third year. Three teachers from Toledo Public Schools also participated, adding their perspective from another large urban district in northwest Ohio.

Alongside the BGSU community comprised of faculty and administrators, over 85 BGSU students attended, mostly Education majors, some of whom are currently student-teaching.

Topics discussed included:

• The issues and challenges teachers of color face
• Panelist experiences with racism, micro-aggressions, etc.
• How to support students and colleagues of color in PK-12 classrooms
• Addressing the shortage of teachers of color

The panel was sponsored by the College of Education and Human Development and the Northwest Ohio Center for Excellence in STEM Education at BGSU. 

A short survey of the panel was distributed to participants. Below are some of the comments received:

“Hearing about others challenges and obstacles with discrimination made me realize I wasn’t alone.”

“Providing a safe space for students of color, establishing a classroom environment in which racism/discrimination is unacceptable”

“As a person of color, i thought it was very insightful and helpful. More people need to be aware and this definitely helps.”

“… I believe this topic to be of critical importance for not only teacher education students,but current teachers as well.”

For more information about Project EDUCATE, please see the NWO website: https://www.bgsu.edu/nwo/current-grant-projects/project-educate.html

This article is from BGSU News

The free, public lectures kick off Jan. 25 and run through April 4

On April 8, 2024, Bowling Green, Ohio, will have one of the country’s best views of a once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse as the moon passes directly between the Earth and the sun — rendering the sky dark for roughly three minutes.

To educate and entertain the community while bringing awareness to the rare and spectacular event, Bowling Green State University is hosting an 11-week Eclipse Speakers Series highlighting the historical and cultural aspects of total solar eclipses.

The weekly series, which begins on Jan. 25 and culminates on April 4, will feature University faculty and experts from several colleges and departments, including the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Musical Arts, and the English and art departments, with events for both adults and children.

"One of my big goals as we get close to the eclipse is to share with people just how much it's a human experience," said Dr. Kate Dellenbusch, a teaching professor in the BGSU Department of Physics and Astronomy. "With the speaker series, I want to share with the public a lot of the interesting connections from astronomy, history, literature and music – the kinds of connections that humans have made to eclipses."

Most events will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the BGSU Planetarium following a free planetarium show at 6:30 p.m. All events are free and open to the public.

Dellenbusch will lead off the speaker series with a presentation titled, "Eclipses: Celestial Shadow Dances." The lecture will explain what an eclipse is, why they're visible and what the public can expect to see on April 8.

Throughout the series, speakers will explore why eclipses were historically hard to predict, eclipses and astronomical phenomena in art history, the use of music in planetarium eclipse demonstrations and international perspectives on astronomical knowledge.

"The eclipse is not necessarily just about astronomy or physics. It's obviously relevant to those disciplines, but throughout human history and prehistory, eclipses were really mysterious things," Dellenbusch said. "Suddenly, the sun disappeared for a few minutes, and often that was terrifying. There are stories from different cultures: Beating drums to get the dragon that's eating the sun to go away and let the sun come back. The speaker series is meant to get people excited about the eclipse and teach people about connections to other disciplines."

The 2024 Reddin Symposium in Canadian Studies titled, “The Sky Has No Borders: Perspectives on Astronomical Knowledge from Canada, Mexico and the United States,” will be presented at the Wood County District Public Library on Feb. 22 as part of the speaker series. The panel discussion with keynote speaker Randall Rosenfield, archivist at the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, and scholars from astronomy and history will explore the many ways people experience the night sky.

On the day of the eclipse itself, a watch party will be held from 1-4:30 p.m. at the Doyt L. Perry Stadium. The event will include various fun and educational activities, demonstrations, music, telescope viewings and more. Free solar eclipse glasses will be provided for safe viewing.

In addition to being a prime location to view the total solar eclipse, BGSU has traditionally played a significant role in Ohio’s science and engineering successes by producing job-ready graduates in numerous STEM-related fields.

Within the University's physics and astronomy department in the College of Arts and Sciences, BGSU students actively participate with faculty in cutting-edge scientific research in astrophysics, materials science, nano-science, solid-state physics and computational physics.

In addition, the BGSU Planetarium and Observatory also offers astronomy research, education, and community engagement opportunities. These experiences are crucial for developing the credentials that graduate programs and employers seek.

Read complete story here

Ohio STEM Learning Network Offerings

Computer Science Education PD
The Ohio STEM Learning Network (OSLN) offers professional development to all Ohio teachers looking to bring the critical ideas of computer science and computational thinking to their students. No matter the grade level, OSLN offers programs that can inspire students, connect to relevant standards, and build life-changing skills.

Elementary program: OSLN Computer Science K-5 Program (Grades K-5)

Elementary teachers, learn to enhance math, ELA, and science instruction with computer science. Learn more and apply.

Middle or high school programs: Code.org Computer Science Discoveries (Grades 6-10), Code.org Computer Science Principles (Grades 9-12), and Code.org Computer Science A (Grades 9-12) From broadening participation in middle school to college-level programming, OSLN has brought nationally tested professional learning programs backed by Code.org to hundreds of Ohio teachers. 

Get the support you need to bring computer science education to your school or take students further. Learn more and apply.

Fostering STEM Institute opens for third cohort
Now recruiting for a third year, the Fostering STEM Institute helps instructional specialists and teacher leaders foster STEM culture and instructional practices in their schools. The institute is designed around essential tenets of effective instructional coaching, transformational professional learning, and quality STEM education. The Fostering STEM Institute includes both workshops and a residency opportunity.

Priority applications close April 1, 2024. Learn more and apply here.

Battelle Climate Challenge
Want to help save the Earth? Join the Battelle Climate Challenge! Teachers of 9-12th grade students, guide your students to research past and future impacts of climate change in your community, then develop a proposed action to help build a more climate resilient community. Entries are due January 19, 2024 by 8:59 PM Pacific Time.

Submit at https://www.futureengineers.org/battelleclimatechallenge or share this summary.

Grow STEM in the classroom with the OSLN Teacher Academy
Bring the best in STEM learning to the classroom with the Ohio STEM Learning Network Teacher Academy. This program will take educators deep into STEM best practices. Over a year-long cohort experience, participants will hone their confidence and ability to build a strong STEM culture and identity, embed design thinking, leverage authentic problem-based learning units, and strengthen community partnerships. 

The priority application deadline is March 11, 2024. Join the cohort today.

The 2024 Ohio STEM Innovation Summit centers on community
Join OSLN on June 4, 2024, for a day devoted to fostering connections and collaboration, aimed at strengthening the Ohio STEM community and empowering educators within it.

The 2024 summit will focus on professional learning with sessions led by teachers, administrators, and partners from across the state. The Ohio STEM Learning Network has revamped session tracks to match the Ohio STEM designation rubric and quality model that form the foundation of STEM/STEAM designation:

•  Culture for Learning
•  Learning and Teaching
•  Pathways to Success in Careers
•  Disadvantaged and Underrepresented Groups in STEM

Share experiences and ideas by applying to lead a session.

Learning Blade free STEM awareness curriculum
This supplemental curriculum provides interactive and engaging lessons on various STEM topics by exposing students to STEM, Computer Science, and CTE.

Designed for students in grades 5-9, Learning Blade can help teachers foster critical thinking, problem-solving, and understanding of careers. Please see the link below for more information:

https://osln.org/how-we-help/classroom-opportunities/stem-career-awareness-platform/

Ohio Natural Energy Institute Summer STEM workshop 

When: June 11-12, 2024
Where: FFA Camp Muskingum in Carrollton, Ohio

This is a FREE 2 day workshop. More information can be found at https://www.ohionaturalenergy.org/workshops.

More specific information regarding 2024 workshops and FREE curriculum on our website at https://www.ohionaturalenergy.org/stem-labs.

BiG Fab Lab

BiG Fab Lab has hands-on workshops to learn makerspace skills from experts, no membership required. Here's what's coming up:

• 3D Printing: Create your own shark or octopus.
• CNC Router: Design and carve a personalized plaque.
• CNC Metal Mill: Get started with CAD/CAM and make your own metal part.
• Woodshop: Build a catapult.
• Laser Engraving: Make a custom trivet.
• STEM Classes for Kids: Fun learning for the young ones. New classes coming soon.

Join BiG Fab Lab to explore, create, and have fun. Click here to sign up and start creative adventures.

DriveOhio Educator Toolkit

Ready to launch into 2024? The DriveOhio Educator Toolkit offers FREE curriculum to support K-12 and Career-Tech STEM career programs, in the classroom and afterschool.

• Are your students interested in drones? The Cardboard Vertiport Challenge gives students an opportunity to design, build, and test their own drone airport! 
• Are your students talking about electric vehicles? The Smart City Adventure lets students design their community of the future, including EV charging stations!

Visit the link below for free registration to access the toolkit - and share your success stories on social media by tagging @DriveOhio with the hashtag #DriveOhioToolkit.

Learn More!

Girls Who Code 2024 Summer Programs Application is open!

Girls Who Code offers two free program options so students can choose their adventure: The two-week Summer Immersion Program (SIP) teaches game design using p5.js, a JavaScript library for creative coding. Participants learn with a dedicated Teaching Team and classmates in live virtual classrooms hosted by top companies like MetLife, Bank of America, Logitech, and Synchrony. SIP is open to current 9th-11th grade girls and non-binary students. Eligible students can even apply for a $300 SIP Student Grant and laptop and hot spot access!

The six-week Self-Paced Program lets young people learn to code through independent study and real-world projects. Beginners to advanced coders in 9th-12th grade can earn certificates of completion for courses in our Web Development, Cybersecurity, and – new for 2024 – Data Science + AI tracks!

Please see: girlswhocode.com/summerapply

Ohio Workforce Development Opportunities

Ohio Workforce Development opportunities are provided by the PAST Foundation in collaboration with the Ohio State Legislature. This fellowship aims to provide 7-12 educators with the tools, comfort, and competence to guide students in exploring new industries, with the potential for both educators and students to earn valuable credentials.

Overview:

• Open to all 7-12 Educators in Ohio
• Three Phases: 

1. Asynchronous Credential Coursework & Certification Exam
2. Collaborative Curriculum Development (3 synchronous meetings)
3. Student Program Implementation (formal or informal with 15+ students)

• Participants Receive: Industry Certification/Exam, Curriculum, Support, CEUs, and $300 gift card

Spring Pathways Available:

• Entrepreneurship & Small Business (2/20 - 6/30)
• Leadership Excellence (3/5 - 6/30)
• Drone Flight (FAA Part 107) (2/7 - 6/30)
• Lean 6 Sigma (2/20 - 6/30)
• Adobe Certified Professional (2/12 - 6/30)

*Kickoff date provided, but enrollment is open until April 1, 2024 please website for more information: https://shorturl.at/ansOR

Imagination Station

Students can meet a real-life astronaut when Don Thomas is at Imagination Station.

Don Thomas is a former NASA astronaut who has flown to space four times and was a part of the All-Ohio Space Shuttle Mission. On February 21, Thomas will be at Imagination Station to speak to students, share his experiences and inspire them to go after their dreams.

Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Book a field trip to Imagination Station for February 21 and students will meet and speak to Thomas for free.

https://www.imaginationstationtoledo.org/visit/school-field-trips/

NASA Professional Development

Professional Development Webinar – Earth Ecosystems: Setting the PACE With NASA’s PACE Mission

Audience: K-12 STEM educators
Registration Deadline: Wednesday, Feb. 21
Event Date: Thursday, Feb. 22, at 7 p.m. EST
Contact: hq-epd@mail.nasa.gov

NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission will provide the first-ever global measurements to identify communities of microscopic algae that float in our ocean. Join NASA STEM for a webinar about the role the mission will play in studying air quality and Earth’s climate and discover NASA’s Next Gen STEM activities to bring NASA's 20-year record of satellite observations of global ocean biology, aerosols, and clouds to your classroom.

Attendees will receive a one-hour professional development certificate and gain access to instructional slideshows, videos, and links to standards-aligned resources. Click here to register.