The Next Steps for STEM Learning and Leadership Institute in Colorado Springs, October 10-12

This institute is an advanced professional and leadership development program designed to provide a rich STEM learning experience for educators at every level within a school system or district. The institute is also an ideal opportunity for educators to grow and foster their professional networks.  The Priority Registration deadline is Friday, August 31. This year’s Next Steps Institute features a choice of seven different pathway programs with supplementary salon sessions to meet your unique needs in STEM education, which you can read more about here. Should you have additional questions about the institute, please feel free to contact me or Program Manager Katherine P. Blanchard at blanchardkp@si.edu.

SimScientists: Games Pilot 2 - Middle Grade (6th, 7th, 8th) Science Teachers Needed!

WestEd, a not-for-profit educational research agency, has funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to conduct a research project, SimScientists Games, during the Spring of the 2018-19 school year that aims to use a new genre of games as formative assessment resources designed to collect evidence of learning during gameplay and reinforce middle grades life science concepts and investigation practices for ecosystems. The games are intended to provide engaging activities for understanding and investigating the science system components, roles, interactions and population dynamics of all ecosystems. Teachers will be able to monitor students’ progress and results using secure web-based tools that accompany the games. Researchers hope the games will help students learn and provide timely information teachers can use to help students in more targeted ways. We are seeking teachers to participate in this research study.  Please see the “SimScientists Games Strand” for more information on this unit: https://wested.box.com/s/q4xd6g5x50vkoosfoz5nn7oe7e5avl50

The NSF 2026 Idea Machine - Finding "Big Ideas 2.0": Identifying new directions for research.

The NSF 2026 Idea Machine is an opportunity for researchers, the public, and other interested stakeholders to contribute to NSF's mission to support basic research and enable new discoveries that drive the  U.S. economy, enhance national security, and advance knowledge to sustain the country's global leadership in science and engineering.

NSF has released a toolkit that includes material for distribution: a postcard, outreach slides (PDF version; PowerPoint version with notes), sample social media posts and email blasts, and posters for public, industry, and academic audiences. A competition handbook is coming soon!

 

Idea Machine ideas are due to NSF by October 26, 2018.

Post-Doctoral Research Associate Position at the University of Northern Colorado’s MAST Institute

Two-Year Post-Doctoral Research Associate Position

University of Northern Colorado

The Research Associate's primary responsibility will be to collaborate with the MAST Institute Director to ensure that deliverables and timetables associated with grant related activities and internal and external projects are successfully met. The Research Associate will identify external funding opportunities related to elementary, secondary and post-secondary education in sciences and mathematics and actively engage in grant-writing and scholarship. Grant activity and the publication of scholarly works resulting from work within the MAST Institute is expected. Additionally, the Research Associate will serve as a point of collaboration within the MAST Institute for the development of new projects and will teach two courses/year in an area of expertise within biological sciences, physical sciences, mathematical sciences, or mathematics/science education. Good computer and oral and written communication skills are essential.

For more information please access this webpage,  https://careers.unco.edu/postings/2367

Questions about this position can be addressed to the MAST Institute Director, Dr. David Slykhuis, david.slykhuis@unco.edu