Thursday, May 3, 2012
Daisy Scouts prepare for Mother's Day
Erik LeDuc ebearer@ruidosonews.com
Posted: 05/03/2012 04:47:10 PM MDT
Gregg Russel, still recovering from a systemic surgical infection,... (Erik LeDuc/Ruidoso News)
Capitan students invited to pick up free flowers for mom
The Girl Scouts of America would not be possible without the tireless support of their mothers, who encourage them when they don't place first, chauffer them to meetings and clean up after them.
To show their appreciation, the Daisy Scouts of Pack 85 in Capitan are preparing a greenhouse full of "thank you" flowers for Mother's Day.
The idea sprang from two daisies of Pack 85, Jenna and Ella Herbert, who saw a familiar face in a mural - Erin Aubrey Weems, a student several years ahead of them in Capitan schools who had died three years previously.
"It's neat that the kids remembered, it's neat that they're doing something with it," said Capitan resident Gregg Russel, owner of the wall the mural was painted on.
The girls were visiting Russell while their mother and local nurse, Jessica Herbert, checked on Russel's health after his paralyzing illness. "They came running into the house saying 'Erin (Weems) is on the wall!'"
After seeing the girls' interest, Russel said he volunteered the use of his garden for the scouts to Ashley Ivans, troop leader for Pack 85.
The scouts will practice growing their own flowers as part of their gardening and community service projects, which will earn them two badges.
The flowers, donated by Wal-Mart, will be potted by the scouts on Tuesday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Russell's garden, where the girls will add their handprints to the memorial mural.
"I'm getting my garden a bit trimmed up, so to thank the girls I'm donating a pizza party," Russel said.
While potting and planting in their own corner of the garden the scouts also would learn how to prune grown flowers, he added.
Russel also had donated flower seeds for the scouts, who would be growing their own hollyhocks and sunflowers over the summer, Herbert said. "They're going to plant those in remembrance of Erin (Weems)."
Afterwards, Daisy Scouts will invite area students to stop by the Smokey Bear Historical Park greenhouse between 11 a.m. and noon May 11 to pick out a free flower for Mother's Day, May 13.
The greenhouse is an amazing resource in the village that was being neglected, Russel said. With automated sprinklers, climate control and vented doors, it was perfect for growing beautiful blooms.
Wal-Mart had been generous in previous years by donating flowers for Mother's Day in the village, he said. "I had so many flowers donated from (Wal-Mart) that I almost filled (the greenhouse) the first year."
Friday, April 27, 2012
Lincoln County "Robot Regulators"
Lincoln County ‘Robot Regulators’
Apr 24, 2012 | 2 views | 0 | 0 | |
Courtesy
The Lincoln County “Robot Regulators,” a team of students composed of middle school and high school students from Capitan and Carrizozo competed April 14 at the New Mexico Regional Botball Tournament in Las Cruces.
The team consisted of Wade Stearns (Capitan- Grade 8), Clay Bob Stearns (Capitan, Grade 6), Sam Edington (Capitan, Grade 10), Harrison Moore (Capitan, Grade 6), Johnathan Smith (Carrizozo, Grade 10) and Rylah Zamora (Carrizozo, Grade 10).
The Robot Regulators was fully funded by generous support of the KISS Institute for Practical Robotics in Norman, Okla., and their supporters as well as the Society for Science and public donations. The team worked evenings and weekends during the course of several weeks to prepare for the competition.
Coordinator of the team, Ashley Ivins said, “I’m working to try to figure out how to make robotics, engineering and scientific research available to students of Lincoln County since it’s not currently offered in schools. With budget cuts and a back to basics of reading and math attitude, unfortunately it’s not on the horizon.”
The Robot Regulators won a “Judge’s Choice Award for Rookie of the Year” at the event and will be heading to the RoboRAVE state competition on May 5 at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
Read more: Ruidoso Free Press - Lincoln County ‘Robot Regulators’
Students gear up for RoboRAVE
Students gear up for RoboRave
Staff reports tvestal@ruidosonews.com
Posted: 04/26/2012 08:01:17 PM MDT
Gearing up for a competition that pits robot against robot, some local students are tweaking their designs, programs and 'bots to see which robot can deliver the largest payload in three minutes.
Veteran coach and third-grade teacher from Capitan Elementary School, Betsy Peralta, is coaching eight teams for the RoboRAVE International to be held next month in Albuquerque.
Peralta's daughter, Ashley Ivins, is coaching five teams. Ivins' students are from Carrizozo, Capitan and Mescalero.
And new coach Stacie Belcher will take two teams from the elementary and middle schools in Ruidoso.
Robotics has been called the leading integrator of science, technology, engineering and math in education today.
Russ Fisher-Ives, the director of the 11-year-old New Mexico-grown competition agrees.
"When these kids are analyzing torque versus speed, or comparing rates in fractions of a meter per second, they're applying math and science to something they've built," Fisher-Ives said. "And they're learning to think like engineers as they design, test and re-design their robots."
The robots are autonomous so the students also learn the 21st century language of programming.
But for students, the experience may be less about learning and more about fun. The competition will take place on May 5, or as some call it, Cinco De 'Bot-o.
The event will draw more than 1,100 students from 27 of New Mexico's 33 counties, as well as from Colorado, Mexico and Colombia.
The skills that students learn preparing for the competition are highly valued. A January 2012 WANTED Analytics report noted that hiring demand for robotics skills grew 44 percent over the year before, outpacing the supply.
Another report in November by Metra Martech indicated the robotics industry will create over one million jobs during the next five years.
RoboRAVE International will take place at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
Inquiry Facilitators created the program. The non-profit company has a mission to enhance STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education through academic competition, teacher professional development, and support of student research.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
ABQJournal Online » Students Learn To Build a Better Robot
The students at ASK Academy don’t just learn about robotics, they live it year-round.
The city’s first charter school opened in the fall of 2010 with a promise to focus on math, science technology and engineering by using hands-on experience and project-based lesson plans. The robotics program at the school is one of the ways they are trying to achieve that goal, and this year they have an award-winning teacher to help them do it.
Today, Ashley Ivins’ robotics students will take part in their first competition of the year, heading down to Las Cruces for the B.E.S.T. (Boosting Engineering, Science, and Technology) robotics competition. It’s the first of four the group will compete in this year. The team is made up of students enrolled in the robotics class, who are also enrolled in the accompanying after-school club.
The Society for Science & the Public named Ivins a Science Fellow in 2010. The organization has been giving the award for three years and chooses only 10 science teachers from around the country each year. That makes Ivins one of only 30 recipients in the United States. Coworker Ray Nance received the award in 2009. As winners, they received training and attended society workshops.
Ivins said students have spent the past six weeks preparing for the robotics competition. Unlike others, where students use Legos to build their robots, the B.E.S.T competition requires students build a complex machine from scratch.
Sophomore Austin Reed, 15, has been the main programmer for this particular robot. He said he didn’t know much about programming when he started, but has learned along the way.
“It’s been a lot of trial and error,” he said. “Designing the robot was hard, too.”
Much of the design work was done by fellow sophomore Geoff Lawrence. Lawrence has worked with robots in the past and even has a robot kit at home. But he said building a robot for competition was much more challenging.
“We have had to manufacture all of our parts – wheels and all,” he said. “But I have learned a lot.”
And learn a lot, they do. Ivins said the class is about building robots, but students are using many other academic skills.
“They get to apply what they are learning in engineering,” she said. “They also use math and do tons of writing – against their will, of course, but I think it’s important.”
A huge part of today’s competition will be the presentation of the team’s engineering notebook, which outlines their procedure and process for building and testing their robot. They must also come up with a marketing plan and website.
To pay for the competitions, Ivins and Nance are holding monthly robotics workshops for non-academy fourth- through ninth-grade students in the community. The four-week workshop costs a $100 and the November session is already full.
The ASK robotics students will compete in three more robotics competitions throughout the year and travel to Hawaii this summer for a robotics workshop.
Ivins told her students she would give herself a purple Mohawk hairdo if they win, but for the students, the fun factor of the class is motivation enough.
“I love this class,” Reed said. “We are not constrained to seats watching PowerPoint presentations. We get to do fun stuff all the time.”
The city’s first charter school opened in the fall of 2010 with a promise to focus on math, science technology and engineering by using hands-on experience and project-based lesson plans. The robotics program at the school is one of the ways they are trying to achieve that goal, and this year they have an award-winning teacher to help them do it.
Today, Ashley Ivins’ robotics students will take part in their first competition of the year, heading down to Las Cruces for the B.E.S.T. (Boosting Engineering, Science, and Technology) robotics competition. It’s the first of four the group will compete in this year. The team is made up of students enrolled in the robotics class, who are also enrolled in the accompanying after-school club.
The Society for Science & the Public named Ivins a Science Fellow in 2010. The organization has been giving the award for three years and chooses only 10 science teachers from around the country each year. That makes Ivins one of only 30 recipients in the United States. Coworker Ray Nance received the award in 2009. As winners, they received training and attended society workshops.
Ivins said students have spent the past six weeks preparing for the robotics competition. Unlike others, where students use Legos to build their robots, the B.E.S.T competition requires students build a complex machine from scratch.
Sophomore Austin Reed, 15, has been the main programmer for this particular robot. He said he didn’t know much about programming when he started, but has learned along the way.
“It’s been a lot of trial and error,” he said. “Designing the robot was hard, too.”
Much of the design work was done by fellow sophomore Geoff Lawrence. Lawrence has worked with robots in the past and even has a robot kit at home. But he said building a robot for competition was much more challenging.
“We have had to manufacture all of our parts – wheels and all,” he said. “But I have learned a lot.”
And learn a lot, they do. Ivins said the class is about building robots, but students are using many other academic skills.
“They get to apply what they are learning in engineering,” she said. “They also use math and do tons of writing – against their will, of course, but I think it’s important.”
A huge part of today’s competition will be the presentation of the team’s engineering notebook, which outlines their procedure and process for building and testing their robot. They must also come up with a marketing plan and website.
To pay for the competitions, Ivins and Nance are holding monthly robotics workshops for non-academy fourth- through ninth-grade students in the community. The four-week workshop costs a $100 and the November session is already full.
The ASK robotics students will compete in three more robotics competitions throughout the year and travel to Hawaii this summer for a robotics workshop.
Ivins told her students she would give herself a purple Mohawk hairdo if they win, but for the students, the fun factor of the class is motivation enough.
“I love this class,” Reed said. “We are not constrained to seats watching PowerPoint presentations. We get to do fun stuff all the time.”
Monday, October 10, 2011
ASK robotics team ready to compete
Posted: Sunday, October 9, 2011 12:00 am | Updated: 4:45 pm, Fri Oct 7, 2011.
BY GLEN ROSALES
Observer staff writer | 0 comments
With a wooden platform, some improvised wheels and a tangled web of wires, the contraption at the ASK Academy hardly looks like the stereotypical robot.
But, explains junior Blayne Beglue - who is in charge of the academy's strategy for the upcoming BEST 2011 competition that will be held in Las Cruces Oct. 22 - the current version is just a prototype used to determine what's needed for the final version.
BEST stands for Boosting Engineering, Science & Technology.
"It's still evolving," he said of the work. "We're still putting things together to see how it all will work."
This is the first time the ASK Academy team has entered the BEST competition, but the group is no stranger to robotics competitions.
Because of the nature of the competition, however, the ASK Academy team needed to form a pseudo company to deal with some of the logistics involved, said sophomore Samantha Kellogg-Howell.
That included creating a website askandroids.weebly.com, as well as a marketing plan.
Under the competition rules, the teams are vying for a government contract to track down genetically engineered bugs that had escaped their containment fields.
The enhanced flies, cockroaches and termites pose a threat to the community, and if the escape is not contained quickly, it could doom the research project, according to the competition prospectus.
To help preserve the research, the bugs need to be captured alive, segregated in separate containment fields and then fed to keep them healthy and content.
What's more, all of this needs to be done in three minutes, with a spotter helping a remote-control operator steer the robot on its mission.
The containment fields are progressively more difficult to reach, with the final one littered with mounds of construction debris.
That might require the addition of an extendable arm that can reach over the debris field to drop the bugs into the containment area, Beglue said.
The class has to design the motherboard and install the power strip to make the operation possible, said sophomore Austin Reed.
It's all "pretty challenging," said Reed, who plans to study engineering when he reaches college.
"I took a class in robotics and it was really fun, so when I saw this, I decided to join," he said.
Not everybody on the team was quite so enthused about it, said freshman Natalie Paulk.
"My dad made me join," she said. "But I'm enjoying it now. It looks good on a college application."
Sophomore Valeria Valencia succumbed to peer pressure in joining the group.
"I was advised by my peers to get involved," she said. "They kept insisting that I join, so I did. We're pretty much a family here. We have our differences but in the end, we all come through."
Ashley Ivins, who teaches robotics and biomedical science at the school, is the team's sponsor and said it's a positive experience for the school to be involved in the competitions.
"They have to work together to do all of this," she said. "It makes them use a lot of different things that they learn here."
In addition to showing their mettle in the competition on the field, the teams must also wow judges with their marketing and business plans.
"It's definitely a fun project," Kellogg-Howell said. "This is something that helps us get ready for everything after college."
Share
BY GLEN ROSALES
Observer staff writer | 0 comments
With a wooden platform, some improvised wheels and a tangled web of wires, the contraption at the ASK Academy hardly looks like the stereotypical robot.
But, explains junior Blayne Beglue - who is in charge of the academy's strategy for the upcoming BEST 2011 competition that will be held in Las Cruces Oct. 22 - the current version is just a prototype used to determine what's needed for the final version.
BEST stands for Boosting Engineering, Science & Technology.
"It's still evolving," he said of the work. "We're still putting things together to see how it all will work."
This is the first time the ASK Academy team has entered the BEST competition, but the group is no stranger to robotics competitions.
Because of the nature of the competition, however, the ASK Academy team needed to form a pseudo company to deal with some of the logistics involved, said sophomore Samantha Kellogg-Howell.
That included creating a website askandroids.weebly.com, as well as a marketing plan.
Under the competition rules, the teams are vying for a government contract to track down genetically engineered bugs that had escaped their containment fields.
The enhanced flies, cockroaches and termites pose a threat to the community, and if the escape is not contained quickly, it could doom the research project, according to the competition prospectus.
To help preserve the research, the bugs need to be captured alive, segregated in separate containment fields and then fed to keep them healthy and content.
What's more, all of this needs to be done in three minutes, with a spotter helping a remote-control operator steer the robot on its mission.
The containment fields are progressively more difficult to reach, with the final one littered with mounds of construction debris.
That might require the addition of an extendable arm that can reach over the debris field to drop the bugs into the containment area, Beglue said.
The class has to design the motherboard and install the power strip to make the operation possible, said sophomore Austin Reed.
It's all "pretty challenging," said Reed, who plans to study engineering when he reaches college.
"I took a class in robotics and it was really fun, so when I saw this, I decided to join," he said.
Not everybody on the team was quite so enthused about it, said freshman Natalie Paulk.
"My dad made me join," she said. "But I'm enjoying it now. It looks good on a college application."
Sophomore Valeria Valencia succumbed to peer pressure in joining the group.
"I was advised by my peers to get involved," she said. "They kept insisting that I join, so I did. We're pretty much a family here. We have our differences but in the end, we all come through."
Ashley Ivins, who teaches robotics and biomedical science at the school, is the team's sponsor and said it's a positive experience for the school to be involved in the competitions.
"They have to work together to do all of this," she said. "It makes them use a lot of different things that they learn here."
In addition to showing their mettle in the competition on the field, the teams must also wow judges with their marketing and business plans.
"It's definitely a fun project," Kellogg-Howell said. "This is something that helps us get ready for everything after college."
Share
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
APS Fellowship programs
Education
Forty-six Science Teacher Fellows From Across the Nation Participate in APS Fellowship Programs
This spring 46 teachers from across the nation are participating in the 2011 Frontiers in Physiology Professional Development Fellowship Programs sponsored by the APS (http://www.frontiersinphys.org). Seventeen teachers were selected as the 2011 Research Teacher (RT) Fellows and 29 teachers were awarded as the 2011 Online Teacher Fellows (OTFs). Frontiers in Physiology was recognized as a “Model for Excellence in Science Education” by the Center for Excellence in Education in 2010, and is sponsored by the APS, a Science Education Partnership Award from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
One component of the traditional Research Teacher fellowship that the APS has offered over the last two decades is a local partnership between the science teacher and an APS member, who jointly applied to the program and committed to contributing a portion of the teacher’s fellowship payments. APS members serve as hosts and mentors to the teachers by providing each teacher fellow with a physiology-based laboratory research experience for seven to eight weeks this summer. Through this opportunity, the RTs learn first-hand how the research process works, allowing them to enhance their own science teaching with their students in the classroom. The RTs will also be attending the “APS Science Teaching Forum,” an intensive workshop week focused on student-centered teaching methods at the Airlie Center in Warrenton, VA. Along with an invited APS member physiologist, the 2011 K-12 Outreach Fellows, past teacher fellows who serve as teacher mentor/instructors, and APS Education Office staff, the RTs will use APS curriculum units that explore inquiry-based teaching strategies, how to integrate technology into their classroom, and equity and diversity issues in science education. As part of the fellowship in the fall, the RTs will develop and refine their own inquiry-based, student-centered lab activity for the science classroom. Finally, the RTs conclude their fellowship year by experiencing a scientific meeting at Experimental Biology 2012 in San Diego, CA.
The Online Teacher Fellow program was made possible with a supplemental grant awarded to the APS last fall as part of the existing SEPA teacher professional development program. The award allows the APS to replicate the pilot Frontiers Online Teacher Program established 2010. The online program delivered on a course management system is an adaption of the more traditional comprehensive RT program, which includes not only the online program, but a summer research experience, a summer workshop week, and travel to EB 2012 for participation and an awards ceremony.
The lessons, assignments, discussions, and activities in both fellowship programs are structured in the APS Six Star Science framework for promoting excellence in science education. The Six Star Science principles address student-centered learning, equity and diversity, technology in the classroom, authentic assessment on content and pedagogy, updated content, and intentional reflection. As part of the both fellowship programs, the RTs and OTFs will develop and refine their own inquiry-based, student-centered lab activity for the science classroom.
The following are the 2011 APS Online Teacher Fellows, listed alphabetically by the teacher’s last name:
Katie Anderson, Dakota Middle School, Rapid City, SD; Myra Arnone, Redmond High School, Redmond, WA; Daniel Bartsch, Billings Senior High, Billings, MT; Sarah Berlinger, Littleton High School, Littleton, MA; Rebecca Block, Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences, Tulsa, OK; Wanda Bryant, Detroit Public Schools, Detroit, MI; Regina Cowan, Detroit Public Schools, Detroit, MI; Greg Dierson, Great Plains Lutheran High School, Watertown, SD; Mary Eldredge-Sandbo, Des Lacs-Burlington High School, Des Lacs, ND; Myriaha Felker, Cabell Midland High, Ona, WV; Charles Galarza, Nolan Richardson Middle School, El Paso, TX; Ellen Gant, Dakota Valley High School, North Souix City, SD; Denise Gipson, Jefferson High School, Shenandoah Junction, WV; Jennifer Gonzales, Tafolla Middle School, San Antonio, TX; Mary Haus, Los Osos High School, Rancho Cucamonga, CA; Kelly Hennessey, A.C. Davis High School, Yakima, WA; Cora James, Haskell High School, Haskell, OK; Cathy Johnson, Drayton Public School, Drayton, ND; Nancy Keller, Heritage High School, Vancouver, WA; Tami Kepshire, Portage High School, Portage, IN; Carla McFadden, Okanogan School District, Okanogan, WA; Jannette Moehlman, Dakota Middle School, Rapid City, SD; Melanie Shaver, West McDowell Jr. High, Marion, NC; Tara Veazey, Riverside High School, Charleston, WV; Darrell Walker, Elizabeth City Middle School, Elizabeth City, NC; Pete Whipple, Bowdish Middle School, Spokane Valley, WA; William Wilson, Clover Park High School, Lakewood, WA; Debora Wines, Central Catholic High School, Billings, MT; and Daniel Zielaski, Phelps ACE SHS, DC Public Schools, Washington, DC.
The following are the 2011 APS Research Teacher/Host Partnerships, listed alphabetically by the teacher’s last name:
Sandra Bickerstaff, South Carolina State Univ., Orangeburg, SC; Sweitzer M. Sarah, and L. Britt Wilson, Univ. of South Carolina, Columbia, SC; Laura Carlino, Upper St. Clair High School, Upper St. Clair, PA; Bill Yates, Univ. of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; Elizabeth Charleston, York Country Day School, York, PA; Leonard S. Jefferson, Penn State Univ., Hershey, PA; Nelia Delos Reyes, Hartman Middle School, Houston, TX; Rolando E. Rumbaut, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX; Laura (L.B.) Fogt, Olathe North High School, Overland Park, KS; Shrikant Anant, Kansas Univ., Kansas City, KS; Elizabeth Hunt Esco, Olathe High School, Olathe, KS; Norberto C. Gonzalez, Kansas Univ., Kansas City, KS; Ashley Ivins, Mescalero Apache High School, Mescalero, NM; Nancy Kanagy, Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM; Julia Lawrence, DeSoto Independent School District, Glenn Heights, TX; Tony G. Babb, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas/UT Southwestern Medical Center; Fredrica Nash, Hillside New Tech High School, Durham, NC; Amy M. Pastva, and Jo Rae Wright, Duke Univ., Durham, NC; Jane Raabis, North High School, Worcester, MA; Stephen Doxsey, Univ. of Massachusetts, Worcester, MA; Devalyn Rogers, Pershing Middle School, Houston, TX; Patrick M. Dougherty, Univ. of Texas, Houston, TX; Pauline Schork, Clinton High School, Clinton, WI; Kathryn M.S. Johnson, Beloit College, Beloit, WI; Stacy Schurtz, Pike Township School District, Indianapolis, IN; C. Subah Packer, Indiana Univ., Indianapolis, IN; Sue Speirs, Grosse Pointe Public Schools, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI; Patrick Joseph Mueller, Wayne State Univ., Detroit, MI; Christopher Stotts, Lincoln Memorial Univ., Harrogate, TN; Stan C. Kunigelis, DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, Harrogate, TN; Lucina Velasquez-Lopez, Flowing Wells High School, Tucson, AZ; Thomas L. Pannabecker, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ; and Leslie Worton, Edison High School, Fresno, CA; Henry A. Lester, California Inst. of Technology, Pasadena, CA.
Forty-six Science Teacher Fellows From Across the Nation Participate in APS Fellowship Programs
This spring 46 teachers from across the nation are participating in the 2011 Frontiers in Physiology Professional Development Fellowship Programs sponsored by the APS (http://www.frontiersinphys.org). Seventeen teachers were selected as the 2011 Research Teacher (RT) Fellows and 29 teachers were awarded as the 2011 Online Teacher Fellows (OTFs). Frontiers in Physiology was recognized as a “Model for Excellence in Science Education” by the Center for Excellence in Education in 2010, and is sponsored by the APS, a Science Education Partnership Award from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
One component of the traditional Research Teacher fellowship that the APS has offered over the last two decades is a local partnership between the science teacher and an APS member, who jointly applied to the program and committed to contributing a portion of the teacher’s fellowship payments. APS members serve as hosts and mentors to the teachers by providing each teacher fellow with a physiology-based laboratory research experience for seven to eight weeks this summer. Through this opportunity, the RTs learn first-hand how the research process works, allowing them to enhance their own science teaching with their students in the classroom. The RTs will also be attending the “APS Science Teaching Forum,” an intensive workshop week focused on student-centered teaching methods at the Airlie Center in Warrenton, VA. Along with an invited APS member physiologist, the 2011 K-12 Outreach Fellows, past teacher fellows who serve as teacher mentor/instructors, and APS Education Office staff, the RTs will use APS curriculum units that explore inquiry-based teaching strategies, how to integrate technology into their classroom, and equity and diversity issues in science education. As part of the fellowship in the fall, the RTs will develop and refine their own inquiry-based, student-centered lab activity for the science classroom. Finally, the RTs conclude their fellowship year by experiencing a scientific meeting at Experimental Biology 2012 in San Diego, CA.
The Online Teacher Fellow program was made possible with a supplemental grant awarded to the APS last fall as part of the existing SEPA teacher professional development program. The award allows the APS to replicate the pilot Frontiers Online Teacher Program established 2010. The online program delivered on a course management system is an adaption of the more traditional comprehensive RT program, which includes not only the online program, but a summer research experience, a summer workshop week, and travel to EB 2012 for participation and an awards ceremony.
The lessons, assignments, discussions, and activities in both fellowship programs are structured in the APS Six Star Science framework for promoting excellence in science education. The Six Star Science principles address student-centered learning, equity and diversity, technology in the classroom, authentic assessment on content and pedagogy, updated content, and intentional reflection. As part of the both fellowship programs, the RTs and OTFs will develop and refine their own inquiry-based, student-centered lab activity for the science classroom.
The following are the 2011 APS Online Teacher Fellows, listed alphabetically by the teacher’s last name:
Katie Anderson, Dakota Middle School, Rapid City, SD; Myra Arnone, Redmond High School, Redmond, WA; Daniel Bartsch, Billings Senior High, Billings, MT; Sarah Berlinger, Littleton High School, Littleton, MA; Rebecca Block, Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences, Tulsa, OK; Wanda Bryant, Detroit Public Schools, Detroit, MI; Regina Cowan, Detroit Public Schools, Detroit, MI; Greg Dierson, Great Plains Lutheran High School, Watertown, SD; Mary Eldredge-Sandbo, Des Lacs-Burlington High School, Des Lacs, ND; Myriaha Felker, Cabell Midland High, Ona, WV; Charles Galarza, Nolan Richardson Middle School, El Paso, TX; Ellen Gant, Dakota Valley High School, North Souix City, SD; Denise Gipson, Jefferson High School, Shenandoah Junction, WV; Jennifer Gonzales, Tafolla Middle School, San Antonio, TX; Mary Haus, Los Osos High School, Rancho Cucamonga, CA; Kelly Hennessey, A.C. Davis High School, Yakima, WA; Cora James, Haskell High School, Haskell, OK; Cathy Johnson, Drayton Public School, Drayton, ND; Nancy Keller, Heritage High School, Vancouver, WA; Tami Kepshire, Portage High School, Portage, IN; Carla McFadden, Okanogan School District, Okanogan, WA; Jannette Moehlman, Dakota Middle School, Rapid City, SD; Melanie Shaver, West McDowell Jr. High, Marion, NC; Tara Veazey, Riverside High School, Charleston, WV; Darrell Walker, Elizabeth City Middle School, Elizabeth City, NC; Pete Whipple, Bowdish Middle School, Spokane Valley, WA; William Wilson, Clover Park High School, Lakewood, WA; Debora Wines, Central Catholic High School, Billings, MT; and Daniel Zielaski, Phelps ACE SHS, DC Public Schools, Washington, DC.
The following are the 2011 APS Research Teacher/Host Partnerships, listed alphabetically by the teacher’s last name:
Sandra Bickerstaff, South Carolina State Univ., Orangeburg, SC; Sweitzer M. Sarah, and L. Britt Wilson, Univ. of South Carolina, Columbia, SC; Laura Carlino, Upper St. Clair High School, Upper St. Clair, PA; Bill Yates, Univ. of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; Elizabeth Charleston, York Country Day School, York, PA; Leonard S. Jefferson, Penn State Univ., Hershey, PA; Nelia Delos Reyes, Hartman Middle School, Houston, TX; Rolando E. Rumbaut, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX; Laura (L.B.) Fogt, Olathe North High School, Overland Park, KS; Shrikant Anant, Kansas Univ., Kansas City, KS; Elizabeth Hunt Esco, Olathe High School, Olathe, KS; Norberto C. Gonzalez, Kansas Univ., Kansas City, KS; Ashley Ivins, Mescalero Apache High School, Mescalero, NM; Nancy Kanagy, Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM; Julia Lawrence, DeSoto Independent School District, Glenn Heights, TX; Tony G. Babb, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas/UT Southwestern Medical Center; Fredrica Nash, Hillside New Tech High School, Durham, NC; Amy M. Pastva, and Jo Rae Wright, Duke Univ., Durham, NC; Jane Raabis, North High School, Worcester, MA; Stephen Doxsey, Univ. of Massachusetts, Worcester, MA; Devalyn Rogers, Pershing Middle School, Houston, TX; Patrick M. Dougherty, Univ. of Texas, Houston, TX; Pauline Schork, Clinton High School, Clinton, WI; Kathryn M.S. Johnson, Beloit College, Beloit, WI; Stacy Schurtz, Pike Township School District, Indianapolis, IN; C. Subah Packer, Indiana Univ., Indianapolis, IN; Sue Speirs, Grosse Pointe Public Schools, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI; Patrick Joseph Mueller, Wayne State Univ., Detroit, MI; Christopher Stotts, Lincoln Memorial Univ., Harrogate, TN; Stan C. Kunigelis, DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, Harrogate, TN; Lucina Velasquez-Lopez, Flowing Wells High School, Tucson, AZ; Thomas L. Pannabecker, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ; and Leslie Worton, Edison High School, Fresno, CA; Henry A. Lester, California Inst. of Technology, Pasadena, CA.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Beyond The Book
Beyond the book
By Andrea Schoellkopf / Journal Staff Writer on Mon, Jun 20, 2011
They jump out of helicopters. Battle large mosquitoes in what’s known as the Polar Bear Capital of the World. Scout the Sandias for scat and other signs of wildlife.
They are science teachers, and they aren’t hanging out at home this summer.
“If I really want to know what’s happening in science,” said Gary Bodman of Madison Middle School, “it’s best to be out there talking with scientists studying the stuff and getting current information for the students.”
Center of activity
Jimmy Carter eighth-graders and other students will be part of a citywide environmental impact study of the 128-acre Sandia Mountain Natural History Center, which provides 4 1/2 hours of ecology field experiences to between 10,000 and 19,000 fifth-graders in central New Mexico.
The center, operated by APS and the Natural History Museum, is branching out to climate change field monitoring by older students, and teachers at the center this summer will write curriculum for the monitoring.
Bodman this summer will spend 11 days on a trip to Manitoba, Canada, where he and 11 other teachers will work with a University of Alberta researcher collecting data on climate change as part of an Earth Watch fellowship.
“It’s probably going to mean slogging through the mud,” Bodman said. The group will study tree rings, using a method called dendrochronology, in the small fishing village of Churchill on Hudson Bay, which is inaccessible by road and best known for its polar bears.
Bodman studied dendrochronology in the Sandias earlier this summer with a team of Madison teachers. He also attended a program on wireless and radio communication.
Still on his “to do” list are studying geology and geothermal activity of the Valles Caldera, attending a teacher institute through Kirtland Air Force Base research laboratory and attending an environmental education conference in Santa Fe.
During the past two years, he traveled to a Virginia resort community to learn about science, technology, engineering and math lesson plans.
“I think when you have experiences like this, you can bring back stories,” said the five-year teacher, who previously was a manager for an architectural millwork company. “It’s one thing to bring the data and show how the scientists really work. It’s another to engage the students with a real story you can come back to the classroom with. … I’m sure if I make an impact on a few students, maybe they’ll be up there doing the same thing.”
An Internet search of summer science opportunities for teachers turned up trips to Israel and Costa Rica, in addition to NASA programs, grant opportunities and classes around the country.
“It’s almost like fishing,” said Bodman, who spends his “down time” working on upcoming lesson plans and writing thank-you notes to his sponsors. “You have to look for it.”
One Rio Rancho teacher said the travel experiences offered for science teachers changed the way she teaches.
“I feel like if I can go and do those things and bring them back to give kids an authentic experience and widen their horizons, I sort of have an obligation to do that,” Ashley Ivins said.
Later this month, she’s going to Washington, D.C., to study the origins of life by looking at data from Mars as part of a program through the Santa Fe Institute and George Mason University. That’s after she finishes an eight-week fellowship at the University of New Mexico, where she is helping to simulate sleep apnea in rats.
She admits when she first started teaching, she clung to the traditional experience: relying on textbooks to help organize instruction for the variety of topics she had to teach like biology, physics and chemistry. Then she started applying for grants and fellowships and classes, mainly to help bring resources to her New Mexico classrooms.
“And now I believe very much in project-based learning, teaching students through inquiry and real-life experiences,” said Ivins, who recently moved to Rio Rancho’s ASK Academy charter school from the Mescalero Apache High School and will be “dragging” her 6-year-old daughter on many of the trips she takes this summer.
Tony Hillerman Middle School teacher Chelsea Henrie is sewing her wedding dress; training for triathlons; and is headed to space camp.
Henrie, who teaches about space flight as part of her sixth-grade science curriculum at Tony Hillerman, wrote a 500-word essay to help her win a trip to the Honeywell Educators @ Space Academy in Hunstville, Ala.
She will get 45 hours of classroom and field training, with many of the same simulations given to astronauts training for space travel. That will include getting dropped into water by a helicopter and “rescued” by another helicopter.
“It’s giving me lots of resources I can use in my classroom to really make space exploration real to my students,” said Henrie, who has also started a school science club with the help of a grant. And she wants to help share the career possibilities of space for her students.
Teachers also find real-life science opportunities close to home.
A group of Jimmy Carter Middle School science and math teachers spent the first days of summer looking for signs of wildlife in the Sandias through scatology, or the study of feces. Other teams will monitor air quality, water and tree rings with help from area scientists.
“The teachers walked in, and they all looked tired. They just finished the school year,” said Vince Case, full time resource teacher at Albuquerque Public Schools’ Sandia Mountain Natural History Center. By the second day with scientists, “the energy level just skyrocketed.”
Photo Credit – MORGAN PETROSKI/JOURNAL
Cutline – From left, Kristen Bandy, Sondra Lawson and Shannon Struck-Martinez, all Jimmy Carter Middle School science teachers, examine bones and scat at the Sandia Mountain Natural History Cente
By Andrea Schoellkopf / Journal Staff Writer on Mon, Jun 20, 2011
They jump out of helicopters. Battle large mosquitoes in what’s known as the Polar Bear Capital of the World. Scout the Sandias for scat and other signs of wildlife.
They are science teachers, and they aren’t hanging out at home this summer.
“If I really want to know what’s happening in science,” said Gary Bodman of Madison Middle School, “it’s best to be out there talking with scientists studying the stuff and getting current information for the students.”
Center of activity
Jimmy Carter eighth-graders and other students will be part of a citywide environmental impact study of the 128-acre Sandia Mountain Natural History Center, which provides 4 1/2 hours of ecology field experiences to between 10,000 and 19,000 fifth-graders in central New Mexico.
The center, operated by APS and the Natural History Museum, is branching out to climate change field monitoring by older students, and teachers at the center this summer will write curriculum for the monitoring.
Bodman this summer will spend 11 days on a trip to Manitoba, Canada, where he and 11 other teachers will work with a University of Alberta researcher collecting data on climate change as part of an Earth Watch fellowship.
“It’s probably going to mean slogging through the mud,” Bodman said. The group will study tree rings, using a method called dendrochronology, in the small fishing village of Churchill on Hudson Bay, which is inaccessible by road and best known for its polar bears.
Bodman studied dendrochronology in the Sandias earlier this summer with a team of Madison teachers. He also attended a program on wireless and radio communication.
Still on his “to do” list are studying geology and geothermal activity of the Valles Caldera, attending a teacher institute through Kirtland Air Force Base research laboratory and attending an environmental education conference in Santa Fe.
During the past two years, he traveled to a Virginia resort community to learn about science, technology, engineering and math lesson plans.
“I think when you have experiences like this, you can bring back stories,” said the five-year teacher, who previously was a manager for an architectural millwork company. “It’s one thing to bring the data and show how the scientists really work. It’s another to engage the students with a real story you can come back to the classroom with. … I’m sure if I make an impact on a few students, maybe they’ll be up there doing the same thing.”
An Internet search of summer science opportunities for teachers turned up trips to Israel and Costa Rica, in addition to NASA programs, grant opportunities and classes around the country.
“It’s almost like fishing,” said Bodman, who spends his “down time” working on upcoming lesson plans and writing thank-you notes to his sponsors. “You have to look for it.”
One Rio Rancho teacher said the travel experiences offered for science teachers changed the way she teaches.
“I feel like if I can go and do those things and bring them back to give kids an authentic experience and widen their horizons, I sort of have an obligation to do that,” Ashley Ivins said.
Later this month, she’s going to Washington, D.C., to study the origins of life by looking at data from Mars as part of a program through the Santa Fe Institute and George Mason University. That’s after she finishes an eight-week fellowship at the University of New Mexico, where she is helping to simulate sleep apnea in rats.
She admits when she first started teaching, she clung to the traditional experience: relying on textbooks to help organize instruction for the variety of topics she had to teach like biology, physics and chemistry. Then she started applying for grants and fellowships and classes, mainly to help bring resources to her New Mexico classrooms.
“And now I believe very much in project-based learning, teaching students through inquiry and real-life experiences,” said Ivins, who recently moved to Rio Rancho’s ASK Academy charter school from the Mescalero Apache High School and will be “dragging” her 6-year-old daughter on many of the trips she takes this summer.
Tony Hillerman Middle School teacher Chelsea Henrie is sewing her wedding dress; training for triathlons; and is headed to space camp.
Henrie, who teaches about space flight as part of her sixth-grade science curriculum at Tony Hillerman, wrote a 500-word essay to help her win a trip to the Honeywell Educators @ Space Academy in Hunstville, Ala.
She will get 45 hours of classroom and field training, with many of the same simulations given to astronauts training for space travel. That will include getting dropped into water by a helicopter and “rescued” by another helicopter.
“It’s giving me lots of resources I can use in my classroom to really make space exploration real to my students,” said Henrie, who has also started a school science club with the help of a grant. And she wants to help share the career possibilities of space for her students.
Teachers also find real-life science opportunities close to home.
A group of Jimmy Carter Middle School science and math teachers spent the first days of summer looking for signs of wildlife in the Sandias through scatology, or the study of feces. Other teams will monitor air quality, water and tree rings with help from area scientists.
“The teachers walked in, and they all looked tired. They just finished the school year,” said Vince Case, full time resource teacher at Albuquerque Public Schools’ Sandia Mountain Natural History Center. By the second day with scientists, “the energy level just skyrocketed.”
Photo Credit – MORGAN PETROSKI/JOURNAL
Cutline – From left, Kristen Bandy, Sondra Lawson and Shannon Struck-Martinez, all Jimmy Carter Middle School science teachers, examine bones and scat at the Sandia Mountain Natural History Cente
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Mescalero science project will launch into space
Mescalero science project will launch into space
Julie Carter jcarter@ruidosonews.com
Posted: 10/19/2010 08:52:41 PM MDT
In April 2011, a science project designed by a team of Mescalero middle school students will fly into space on a sounding rocket from Spaceport America through a program created by NASA's Summer of Innovation, Launch and Learn.
The team of Albert Valdez, Maisie Wabaunsee and Destinee Shanta will work directly with NASA engineers and scientists to build their experiments to ready them for space. Instructors for the project are Ashley Ivins and Rosalinda Baeza. The Mescalero experiment was selected as one of 20 from New Mexico schools.
NASA's Summer of Innovation, Launch and Learn, provided a one-week professional development workshop for 138 teachers.
These instructors then went back to their home sites and recruited an average of 24 students to participate in an intensive three-to-four week STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) focused summer camp.
The camp involved five states (New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Arizona and Maine) and 35 school districts of which Mescalero Schools was one.
The Mescalero project is titled "Apache Cultural Items & More in a Microgravity Environ-ment."
The experiment will send seven organic substances (soda, mescal plant, geode crystals turquoise, pollen, sugar and salt) into space to see if any changes in the structure appear from being exposed to microgravity environment.
"Our hypothesis depends on the substances being tested," says the Mission Overview from the experiment.
"We think that the geode crystals, sugar crystals and salt crystals will expand in space. The turquoise and pollen will stay the same. We think that the soda will lose carbonation in space. We think that the mescal plant will go into shock, show stunted growth and droopy leaves."
The space program had its beginnings in New Mexico, the home of Dr. Robert Goddard. The patented design for the liquid fuel rocket was created in Roswell, N.M., by Goddard and the first rocket to reach space flew from White Sands Proving Grounds in 1948.
Launch and Learn teamed up with New Mexico SEMAA (Science, Engineering, Math and Aerospace Academy) to bring the Summer of Innovation into the lives of students.
Through the Launch and Learn Pro-gram, N.M. Space Grant and N.M. SEMAA share the opportunity to launch student experiments into space from Spaceport America in April 2011.
"This selection of this team's project is really is such an honor," said Ivins "And the experiment came totally from the minds of these students. I really wanted them to own it, so I coached them only minimally when it came to the actual design process and experiment ideas."
Destinee Shanta also entered the essay portion of the contest where the selected winner will be allowed to push the button that will launch the rocket from Spaceport America in April.
Although she did not win, her essay entitled "It's Destinee" outlined again the pride of heritage shared by the Mescalero students on the project.
"There have been many ethnicities represented in space," she wrote.
"And someday there will be the first Native American to go to space and it would be cool for a Native American to get to push the button because it would represent the possible future for my people who were the first to be here on this land."
For a list of the schools selected to submit their experiments, go to www.-launchnm.com.
Julie Carter jcarter@ruidosonews.com
Posted: 10/19/2010 08:52:41 PM MDT
In April 2011, a science project designed by a team of Mescalero middle school students will fly into space on a sounding rocket from Spaceport America through a program created by NASA's Summer of Innovation, Launch and Learn.
The team of Albert Valdez, Maisie Wabaunsee and Destinee Shanta will work directly with NASA engineers and scientists to build their experiments to ready them for space. Instructors for the project are Ashley Ivins and Rosalinda Baeza. The Mescalero experiment was selected as one of 20 from New Mexico schools.
NASA's Summer of Innovation, Launch and Learn, provided a one-week professional development workshop for 138 teachers.
These instructors then went back to their home sites and recruited an average of 24 students to participate in an intensive three-to-four week STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) focused summer camp.
The camp involved five states (New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Arizona and Maine) and 35 school districts of which Mescalero Schools was one.
The Mescalero project is titled "Apache Cultural Items & More in a Microgravity Environ-ment."
The experiment will send seven organic substances (soda, mescal plant, geode crystals turquoise, pollen, sugar and salt) into space to see if any changes in the structure appear from being exposed to microgravity environment.
"Our hypothesis depends on the substances being tested," says the Mission Overview from the experiment.
"We think that the geode crystals, sugar crystals and salt crystals will expand in space. The turquoise and pollen will stay the same. We think that the soda will lose carbonation in space. We think that the mescal plant will go into shock, show stunted growth and droopy leaves."
The space program had its beginnings in New Mexico, the home of Dr. Robert Goddard. The patented design for the liquid fuel rocket was created in Roswell, N.M., by Goddard and the first rocket to reach space flew from White Sands Proving Grounds in 1948.
Launch and Learn teamed up with New Mexico SEMAA (Science, Engineering, Math and Aerospace Academy) to bring the Summer of Innovation into the lives of students.
Through the Launch and Learn Pro-gram, N.M. Space Grant and N.M. SEMAA share the opportunity to launch student experiments into space from Spaceport America in April 2011.
"This selection of this team's project is really is such an honor," said Ivins "And the experiment came totally from the minds of these students. I really wanted them to own it, so I coached them only minimally when it came to the actual design process and experiment ideas."
Destinee Shanta also entered the essay portion of the contest where the selected winner will be allowed to push the button that will launch the rocket from Spaceport America in April.
Although she did not win, her essay entitled "It's Destinee" outlined again the pride of heritage shared by the Mescalero students on the project.
"There have been many ethnicities represented in space," she wrote.
"And someday there will be the first Native American to go to space and it would be cool for a Native American to get to push the button because it would represent the possible future for my people who were the first to be here on this land."
For a list of the schools selected to submit their experiments, go to www.-launchnm.com.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
MESA students attend research and leadership conference
Posted: 10/05/2010 07:51:53 PM MDT
Every year the New Mexico Alliance for Minority Participation (New Mexico AMP) hosts a statewide student research conference on the campus of New Mexico State University (NMSU).
This conference brings together students and faculty from the state's colleges and universities as well as students and teachers from NM MESA.
Here college students have the opportunity to present their research and gain presentation experience.
They also serve as role models for high school students who also get to participate in workshops de-signed specifically for them.
The AMP program also provides scholarship opportunities just for NM MESA students who are majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields and attending college in NM.
This year the conference was attended by three Mescalero Apache High School students Jinnelle Foy, Cortnie Kaydahzinne, and Robert Kie and MESA Advisor Ashley Ivins.
Immediately they knew they were in for a great conference with the kickoff a keynote speech by Dr. Tyrone Hayes, Professor of Biology at the University of California, Berkley.
Dr. Hayes has been published many times as well as featured in literature such as National Geo-graphic for his work on the effects of chemicals in our water supply. His work studies the effects on the development of frogs in order to learn if humans may similarly be affected.
His riveting speech and amazing research reveals a crucial new link between conservation and health.
Mescalero senior Jinnelle Foy, who is considering majoring in biology, found the speech to be "so interesting" and Dr. Hayes to be "awesome, a really great speaker."
Jinnelle was even able to speak with Dr. Hayes after his presentation about what he chose as a college major and what led him to become a biologist studying frogs.
Next the Mescalero students attended the oral presentations and poster sessions by college students from across New Mexico as well as visiting students from New York.
The student presentations offer the opportunity to learn about a wide variety of science disciplines, mathematics and engineering.
Between presentations, the Mescalero students met Dr. Hansen, Professor of Biology and Researcher of Molecular Vector Biology, New Mexico State University, who offered to take them on a personal tour of some of the laboratories at NMSU.
There they were able to see Dr. Hansen's work on mosquitoes that ultimately fights mosquito-borne diseases.
The students also saw fruit flies and regenerative fish that were being studied at NMSU.
In the afternoon session, the students learned about physics from Dr. Stephen Kanim, Professor of Physics, NMSU, who brought lots of interesting visual demonstrations.
Cortnie Kaydahzinne of Mescalero High School had the opportunity to ride on a hovercraft built by Dr. Kanim's students.
"It was fun but a little scary!" Cortnie said of her ride on air.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Mescalero students excited about MESA competitions
Mescalero students excited about MESA competitions
Ashley Ivins For the Ruidoso News
Posted: 09/21/2010 07:23:09 PM MDT
(MESA Advisor Eleanor Pedraza looks at the "Crimson Flyer" with Mathew Naiche. Ashley...)
At 6 on a Saturday morning, most teenagers are sleeping. On a recent Saturday, Sept. 11, at 6 a.m., 33 students from Mescalero Apache Schools brand new MESA (Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement) program were on a bus and headed to Las Cruces.
The Mescalero MESA students attended the BEST (Boosting Science Engineering and Technology) Robotics Kickoff at the New Mexico State University College of Engineering.
The 2010-11 school year will be the first time that Mescalero Apache School students have participated in robotics competitions and the enthusiasm for their opening competition isn't hard to see considering that Mescalero Schools had the largest group of students in attendance for the kickoff this year.
The students were eager to get started on the actual design, but first they had to learn about the basics of the competition which doesn't only require building a robot but also creating an engineering report, a display booth, a presentation and preparation for interviews during the competition.
This year the competition theme is called "Total Recall" and the robot, which is remote controlled and built from scratch with only the provided materials, has to package gizmos and gadgets in a factory production type scene.
To make things more challenging, the students have only five weeks to complete the robot before attending a practice day and then an additional week to make any adjustments before the final competition in Las Cruces.
During their visit to NMSU, the students also got to learn about some of the activities that NMSU engineering students participate in such as the Crimson Flyer team that built a model airplane that had to perform three different tasks for competition.
A demonstration by the Mini Baja team really got their attention when the driver showing the Baja buggies abilities made an "analysis error" going into a ramp that ended in a roll! Thankfully the driver was safe and engineering instantly became more interesting to many students.
The vision of the BEST Robotics organization is to excite our nation's students about engineering, science and technology to unlock their imagination and discover their potential.
Their vision is to inspire students to pursue careers in engineering, science, technology and math through participation in a sports-like science- and engineering-based robotics competition.
Team leaders emerged as senior Laramy Baca, and juniors Danny Rios and Godfrey Enjady took the reins during inventory time to ensure the high school team had all of the supplies on their equipment lists.
On the middle school team Jaylen Duffy, Desi Cervantes and Timothy Enjady took command. The middle school team also came up with the team name "Robo Chiefs" at the kickoff. These students and their dedicated teammates are currently looking for volunteers/mentors to assist them with design and fabrication as well as programming. The teams are also seeking organizations that would be interested in allowing them to present their project to them as part of the outreach component of the competition during the next five weeks.
Last but not least, the teams need corporate sponsors to help finance travel, lodging and meals for competition, team shirts, and a laptop computer to use for programming.
If you are interested in volunteering, sponsoring or hosting a presentation, please contact advisors Ashley Ivins, aivins-@mescaleroas.org ; Eleanor Pedraza, epedraza@mesca-leroas.org ; or Rosalinda Baeza- rbaeza@mescalero-as.org.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
THE 2010 SSP FELLOWS MET IN WASHINGTON DC FOR A WEEK OF LEARNING
THE 2010 SSP FELLOWS MET IN WASHINGTON DC FOR A WEEK OF LEARNING
The class of 2010 SSP Fellows traveled to Washington, DC in late July for a week of training and networking at the 2010 SSP Fellows Institute. The Fellows attended several workshops, including Mentoring Student Research and How to Teach Research: Taking an Experiment to an Investigation, with expert instructors from organizations such as the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science &Technology, the National Institute of Health’s Office of Science Education, the Lakeshore H.S. Math & Science Center, and Georgetown Day School. In between sessions, visiting their congressional representatives, and conducting experiments, the Fellows also finalized their Project Management Plans (PMPs) for implementing their independent research programs at their schools, which serve under-resourced students.
“Being a Fellow is like being in the Tour de France because it definitely has some ups and downs and challenging courses,” said Tim Lundt, who teaches in Wasilla, Alaska, of the Institute in a video blog, or vlog, which the Fellows filmed throughout the week.
The Institute “kicked off” on Monday, July 26, with a kickball game to help quickly acquaint the SSP Fellows with each other. The next day, the Fellows flocked to Capitol Hill to share their views on science education with their congressional representatives. Several of the representatives formally praised their efforts, including Rep. Carnahan, Rep. Teague, Rep. Schrader, and Rep. Klein.
“Probably the best thing about this week so far has been working with some…amazing people,” Anne Artz, a teacher from La Jolla, California, said in a vlog Wednesday morning. “Sometimes I feel like I’m out there on this island,” she said about trying new, innovative ways to teach. “Then I come here and meet other teachers and think ‘you know, I’m not alone on this island, and there are other people trying some crazy ideas as well.’”
On Wednesday, the Fellows worked in a hands-on sensor lab with high tech sensors that they brought back to their schools. Later, on a visit to Georgetown Day School, they also conducted experiments with pill bugs to see what stimuli affected them. (Pill bugs liked BBQ potato chips, the Black Eyed Peas’ “Boom Boom Pow,” and were indifferent to diet coke and tapping on the Petri dish.)
Thursday, the Fellows heard great talks about partnerships with companies and government agencies to leverage the funds they are receiving from SSP in order to help their students even more. “Today was really useful,” Melanie Schwarzbach, who teaches in Box Elder, MT, said. “I’m one of those people who always wants to do everything all by myself, but as my program gets bigger and bigger and bigger, I know that I [will need help] to keep up with the level of expertise [my students] deserve.”
Other Fellows also used the vlogs to tell more about their experiences teaching. “I’m going to share with you something that totally changed my outlook as a teacher,” Ashley Ivins, of Carrizozo, NM, said at the beginning of one vlog. She told a story about a student who didn’t have his work with him one day and told her he had problems getting it due to a lot of problems at home and with his friends. She told him she didn’t care about all that, she only cared about him coming to class on time and prepared. For the rest of class the student, who was usually vocal, was very quiet. Ashely said that he didn’t come back the next day, or the next day after that, or the next day after that. Eventually, he dropped out of high school. She felt that she lost an opportunity with him that she does not want to lose again and the story reminded her of why she was doing this: “I became a teacher because I enjoy being with kids; especially kids who maybe didn’t have a great life.”
On Friday, the fellows visited the Natural History Museum where they saw a forensic anthropology lab and learned about a new iphone application for identifying plants in the field. They ended the Institute with a celebratory dinner at the Dupont Hotel before the Fellows flew home to bring back all of their newfound knowledge, connections, and resources to their students and communities.
The class of 2010 SSP Fellows traveled to Washington, DC in late July for a week of training and networking at the 2010 SSP Fellows Institute. The Fellows attended several workshops, including Mentoring Student Research and How to Teach Research: Taking an Experiment to an Investigation, with expert instructors from organizations such as the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science &Technology, the National Institute of Health’s Office of Science Education, the Lakeshore H.S. Math & Science Center, and Georgetown Day School. In between sessions, visiting their congressional representatives, and conducting experiments, the Fellows also finalized their Project Management Plans (PMPs) for implementing their independent research programs at their schools, which serve under-resourced students.
“Being a Fellow is like being in the Tour de France because it definitely has some ups and downs and challenging courses,” said Tim Lundt, who teaches in Wasilla, Alaska, of the Institute in a video blog, or vlog, which the Fellows filmed throughout the week.
The Institute “kicked off” on Monday, July 26, with a kickball game to help quickly acquaint the SSP Fellows with each other. The next day, the Fellows flocked to Capitol Hill to share their views on science education with their congressional representatives. Several of the representatives formally praised their efforts, including Rep. Carnahan, Rep. Teague, Rep. Schrader, and Rep. Klein.
“Probably the best thing about this week so far has been working with some…amazing people,” Anne Artz, a teacher from La Jolla, California, said in a vlog Wednesday morning. “Sometimes I feel like I’m out there on this island,” she said about trying new, innovative ways to teach. “Then I come here and meet other teachers and think ‘you know, I’m not alone on this island, and there are other people trying some crazy ideas as well.’”
On Wednesday, the Fellows worked in a hands-on sensor lab with high tech sensors that they brought back to their schools. Later, on a visit to Georgetown Day School, they also conducted experiments with pill bugs to see what stimuli affected them. (Pill bugs liked BBQ potato chips, the Black Eyed Peas’ “Boom Boom Pow,” and were indifferent to diet coke and tapping on the Petri dish.)
Thursday, the Fellows heard great talks about partnerships with companies and government agencies to leverage the funds they are receiving from SSP in order to help their students even more. “Today was really useful,” Melanie Schwarzbach, who teaches in Box Elder, MT, said. “I’m one of those people who always wants to do everything all by myself, but as my program gets bigger and bigger and bigger, I know that I [will need help] to keep up with the level of expertise [my students] deserve.”
Other Fellows also used the vlogs to tell more about their experiences teaching. “I’m going to share with you something that totally changed my outlook as a teacher,” Ashley Ivins, of Carrizozo, NM, said at the beginning of one vlog. She told a story about a student who didn’t have his work with him one day and told her he had problems getting it due to a lot of problems at home and with his friends. She told him she didn’t care about all that, she only cared about him coming to class on time and prepared. For the rest of class the student, who was usually vocal, was very quiet. Ashely said that he didn’t come back the next day, or the next day after that, or the next day after that. Eventually, he dropped out of high school. She felt that she lost an opportunity with him that she does not want to lose again and the story reminded her of why she was doing this: “I became a teacher because I enjoy being with kids; especially kids who maybe didn’t have a great life.”
On Friday, the fellows visited the Natural History Museum where they saw a forensic anthropology lab and learned about a new iphone application for identifying plants in the field. They ended the Institute with a celebratory dinner at the Dupont Hotel before the Fellows flew home to bring back all of their newfound knowledge, connections, and resources to their students and communities.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Mescalero teacher appointed to state PED council
Julie Carter jcarter@ruidosonews.com
Posted: 08/17/2010 07:39:18 PM MDT
(Ashley Ivins met with Senator Jeff Bingaman on a recent trip to Washington, D.C., where she...)
A July 29 letter from the New Mexico State Secretary of Education confirmed Ashley Ivins as a full council member of the Public Education Department's Math and Science Advisory Council for a term of four years.
Ivins began this school year teaching Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science and Physical Science at Mescalero Apache Schools.
"I am humbled and honored to serve on the New Mexico Public Education Dept. Math and Science Advisory Council," said Ivins.
"The Council is made up of very respected people in Math and Science - Toney Begay, the director of the New Mexico MESA Program; Ray Nance a 2009 SSP Fellow and innovative teacher; and representatives from higher education, Sandia National Labs and Intel, just to name a few. It is a great honor for me to represent classroom teachers in the goal of improving education for the students of New Mexico during the next four years. "
"The MSAC Council is responsible for creating a strategic action plan for the direction of Math and Science Education in New Mexico and how as a state, we can achieve the goals in the strategic planning," Ivins explained. "Currently the Council is focused on making New Mexico a national leader in math and science through better teacher preparation, increasing the numbers of math and science teachers, improved teacher professional development, adopting instructional materials that foster inquiry skills and problem solving, improving school laboratory facilities, and creating partnerships between schools and career scientists, engineers and corporations in the state."
Ivins taught for six years in the fields of Science, Agriculture, Special Education and Technology at Lake Arthur High School, Artesia Junior High, Hatch Valley Middle School, Carrizozo Schools and Mescalero. She has a Bachelor's of Science in Agriculture Education and Master of Arts in Curriculum Instruction. She is in the process of securing her Master of Arts in Science Teaching from New Mexico Tech and Administrative Credentials from New Mexico State University as well as applying to several Doctor of Education programs.
"Part of what I hope to do as part of the MSAC is to promote NM MESA (Math, Engineering, Science and Technology Achievement) and the inception of other programs like it," Ivins said. "I think it is so important for students to have experiences beyond the classroom to generate interest in math and science and get them thinking about careers. MESA is a great program that provides funding and opportunities for students to participate in extra-curricular STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) activities. I am excited to bring the program to the students of Mescalero Schools because I know it is a program that works. Through MESA I have had students learn not only about math and science but also engineering, business, marketing, robotics, creativity and technical writing."
Statistically MESA students are more likely than the state or national average to go to college and major in STEM fields. Based on a 10-year longitudinal study, 78 percent of NM MESA students attend college, more than twice the 30 percent average for New Mexico and the 34 percent nationally.
Of those, 86 percent of the NM MESA students obtain a B.S. or higher with the average for New Mexico to achieve that is 26 percent and nationally at 29 percent.
Currently more than 5,000 New Mexico students are enrolled in MESA from 40 school districts and 111 schools.
"In addition to getting kids to graduate high school, go to college, graduate from college and many go into the STEM fields, we draw those average students who would not normally be attracted to Math or Science, said Betty Chancey, the Southeast Region Coordinator for NM MESA.
"Kids find out these subjects can be fun as well as rewarding. We provide STEM enrichment through field trips, competitions, community service, tutoring and college visits, etc."
Chancey said Ivins is one of the best teachers and MESA advisors she has had the privilege of working with. " She has the enthusiasm needed to get kids motivated and involved," Chancey said. "I am not sure how she does everything she does. She has an enormous amount of energy when it comes to helping kids. NM MESA is proud to have her as an advisor for the Mescalero Apache Schools MESA program."
"I'm very excited to have the support of the superintendent, Ms. Saenz and the principal Mr. Cavazos as well as the Mescalero Apache Schools Board of Education who are interested in students at MAS having access to the best education possible," Ivins said. "And I will also be co-advising the NM MESA program with math teacher Eleanor Pedraza."
Ivins said her return to Mescalero Apache Schools has been wonderful.
"I feel very welcomed by the administration, staff and students and I am looking forward to improving student achievement with my excellent team members," she said.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Ivins brings home science innovations from D.C.
Ivins brings home science innovations from D.C.
Posted: 08/10/2010 07:35:44 PM MDT
Click photo to enlarge
(Ashley Ivins, left, spent five days in Washington, D.C., learning innovative methods of...)
Selected in March as one of 10 top U.S. Math And Science teachers, Ashley Ivins has returned to Lincoln County after five days at the Fellows Institute in Washington, D.C.
The trip, taken the last week of July, and $8,500 to her classroom and school were part of the rewards for being named in the second class of the Science and Public (SSP) Fellows program.
Ivins was competitively selected from a large entrant pool of high school science and math teachers from 46 states and two U.S. territories.
"My trip to Washington, D.C., was the ultimate learning experience," Ivins said. "I met nine other innovative teachers from across the country and got to learn from and alongside them for five incredible days. We learned about teaching students how to do research and think like researchers from master teachers. We also learned about building partnerships and collaborating with universities and corporations. It was incredible for me to see that I'm not alone in what I want to do in the classroom and that there are other teachers that are also seeing results from non-traditional teaching."
Ivins reported that Vernier Software and Technology gave each of the 10 Fellows a LabQuest data collection interface and several probes to get students started using top of the line technology to research and collect data.
"We used the probeware in hands-on activities at the Institute to become more confident in integrating math, science and technology in our classrooms. Theseactivities were also filmed for an instructional video that will be made available for teachers. I had the honor of being one of the three Fellows who was interviewed during the process for the instructional video," she said.
While in D.C., Ivins was able to meet with Senator Jeff Bingaman, Senator Tom Udall and Representative Harry Teague who were each very interested in her award. They talked to her about her experiences and asked for suggestions about what could be done to improve educational opportunities for New Mexico students.
At the Fellows Institute, each of the Fellows had to draft an industry standard Project Management Plan.
"This was to ensure that the research programs we will be implementing during the next four years in our classrooms are well thought out with measurable goals to promote student success," Ivins said. "The entire experience was unforgettable and definitely has further shaped my approached to be 'outside the box.' "
Ivins is a Capitan High School graduate, with a Bachelors of Science in Agriculture Education from Eastern New Mexico University, Master's of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from New Mexico State University. She is currently pursuing a Master's of Science Teaching from New Mexico Tech and administrative credentials from NMSU. She is also applying to several doctorate education programs throughout the U.S.
The 2010 class of Fellows includes teachers selected from rural and urban areas, large and small communities, and schools that serve under-resourced communities.
SSP Fellows design independent research programs to be implemented in their schools and develop a strong network of scientific mentors for their students. The Fellows Institute provides intensive training to teachers and enables each Fellow to earn graduate level credit.
"While going to school at Montana State University, I had the opportunity to work at a small private school for disadvantaged youth doing outdoor education," Ivins said. "I decided to return to New Mexico to teach like my mother, Betsy Peralta, an elementary teacher at Capitan Schools. My mom has been a great teaching role model. Other great teachers that have inspired me are Carla Burns, Chemistry teacher at Ruidoso High School; Gina Langley, former Biology Instructor at ENMU-Ruidoso; Mike O'Connor, my advisor and ag teacher at ENMU; and Frank Walston, my science teacher at Capitan High School. From them I learned to make learning interesting and most importantly that a teacher creates relationships with their students."
Ivins said none of it could have been done without all the support she received from her husband Ronan and her children Grady Le and Ryleigh. "I want every child to have the education that I want for my own kids," she said. "Only the best."
Ivins shared that recently she had considered quitting education because of a strong desire to help people in crisis.
"I was frustrated with the current system of traditional education. I was considering the medical profession when I realized that there was a crisis here with my own neighbors. Mescalero offered me a position and it was an opportunity to make a huge difference. I'm going to miss the wonderful kids that I taught in Carrizozo last year but I feel very needed in Mescalero," she said. "Things are falling in place for me to play a role in the reform of education as well. I am excited about the new challenges and opportunities before me.
Additional information about the Fellows program can be found at www.societyforscience.org/outreach.
The application process for the 2011 Fellows class will open in November 2010.
Society for Science & the Public is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to the achievement of young re-searchers in independent research and to the public engagement in science. Established in 1921, its vision is to promote the understanding and appreciation of science and the vital role it plays in human advancement. For more information about SSP and its work visitwww.societyforscience.org.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Summer of Innovation
Launch and learn with NASA
Posted: 07/27/2010 08:29:28 PM MDT
Middle school students are participating in an exciting summer science camp this week called "Launch and Learn," part of NASA's Summer of Innovation Program offered by New Mexico Space Grant Consortium.
As part of this program students are designing rocket experiments for a sounding rocket that will be launched into space from Spaceport America on April 1, 2011. Summer of Innovation is designed to improve STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) teaching and learning in partnership with federal agencies, academic and informal organizations, nonprofits, and industry.
One of NASA's goals is to increase the number of future scientists, mathematicians, and engineers, with an emphasis on broadening participation of low-income and minority students.
To boost this participation, NASA is partnering with New Mexico Space Grant Consortium to use the agency's out-of-this-world missions and technology programs during summer months.
New Mexico is the only state in the nation where middle school students are being offered an opportunity to fly experiments to space. "NASA is partnering with these states in a pilot program to address our nation's critical science, technology, engineering, and math education needs," said NASA Administrator and former astronaut Charles F. Bolden.
"Summer of Innovation pairs the strengths of the states with NASA's unique resources to engage more young people and their teachers and inspire and equip them to excel in these
critical disciplines."The Summer of Innovation is offered by New Mexico Space Grant Consortium at New Mexico State University (NMSU). Partners include SEMAA (Science Engineering Mathematics Aerospace Academy), New Mexico MESA (Mathematics, Engineering Science Achievement), and NASA's White Sands Test Facility.
The Summer of Innovation Summer Camp teacher for the Lincoln County Area is Ashley Ivins with Mescalero Apache School. Email Ashley at nmcanchaser@hotmail.com or call 575-993-1455. Or contact the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium. For more information on the Summer of Innovation click onhttp://space-grant.-nmsu.edu/soi.html.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Ivins is top science teacher
Julie Carter jcarter@ruidosonews.com
Posted: 03/23/2010 07:06:24 PM MDT
Ten teachers from across the United States were named for their unique plan to reach students in underserved communities and to inspire excellence in independent scientific research.
Carrizozo's Science instructor Ashley Ivins was named as one of those top 10 teachers.
Society for Science & the Public (SSP) announced their selection of the second class of the SSP Fellows Program earlier this month.
"I got an email from Mary Jo Daniel at the Public Education Department Math and Science Bureau that encouraged teachers to apply," said Ivins. "New Mexico was represented by a teacher last year from Carlsbad that was selected and I remembered reading about him (Raymond Nance) on the Public Education Department Web site and what a great program he was able to build. I didn't think I would actually be selected but I thought I'd give it a shot."
Competitively selected from a large entrant pool of high school science and math teachers from 46 states and two U.S. territories, each Fellow will receive: (1) $8,500 in 2010 directly for their classroom and community; (2) full support to attend the Fellows Institute to be held July 26-30, 2010, in Washington, DC; and (3) ongoing training and resources from SSP.
"A big part of this award is mentorship," Ivins said in explaining the the monetary award and it's intended use.
"Carrizozo has a wealth of community members who are very talented and willing to work with kids. Each and every time that I've asked for help
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and support they have reached out and supported our program.
"I'd like to create a more formal program of mentorship to get the community involved to help kids do research, real research that can make a difference in our community.
"One of the goals in this program is to teach students that they can make a difference, the great thing about being a scientist is that it doesn't always require formal training, just a sense of wonder and a little guidance."
The 2010 class of Fellows includes teachers selected are: Ashley A. Ivins, Carrizozo Municipal Schools, Carrizozo, Marie A. Aloia, Bayonne High School, Bayonne, N.J.; Anne Artz, The Preuss School UCSD, La Jolla, Calif.; Sydney Bergman, School Without Walls, Washington D.C.; Kathleen Dwyer, Maplewood Rich-mond Heights High School, Maplewood, Mo.; Randa Flinn, Northeast High School, Oakland Park, Fla.; Richard Anthony Fox, Charlestown High School, Charlestown, Mass.; Michael Lampert, West Salem High School, Salem, Ore.; Tim B. Lundt, Mat-Su Career & Technical High School, Wasilla, Alaska; Melanie Schwarzbach, Box Elder High School, Box Elder, Mont.
"Education has been and is the highest priority of my administration," said Governor Bill Richardson. "I know that great teachers are at the heart of a great education system. I congratulate Ashely Ivins who has proven that she is not only a great teacher here in New Mexico, but that she is one of the great teachers in the country. New Mexico is proud of all that she has accomplished as an outstanding science teacher and I know that she will use this award to continue to inspire students for years to come."
Through a generous grant from Intel Corporation, the SSP Fellows Program provides funds and training to selected U.S. science and math teachers who serve under-resourced students, to enable interested and motivated students to perform high-quality, independent scientific research.
Married and a mother of a daughter and a son, Ivins is a 1999 Capitan High School graduate.
She earned her Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Education from Eastern New Mexico University in 2002 and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction with an Emphasis on Distance Learning and Technology from New Mexico State University in 2004.
She is currently continuing her education as a student at NMSU, New Mexico Tech and ENMU.
"One of the things that I think made my application stand out is the fact that ever since I began teaching six years ago, I've been in the constant pursuit of increasing my knowledge and expertise," Ivins said. "I've taken advantage of all the training and experience that has been available to me and really made sure to internalize everything that I've learned. My teaching style now is very different than when I started and my vision for the future of education is not traditional.
"I really work hard to make my classroom 'lecture-free' and experience-based. I love pushing kids to think outside the box, giving them scenarios and making them think, getting them outside the classroom and into the field.
"I also believe it is important for students to be able to write about what they learn and be able to apply mathematics. It hasn't always been (and it is still not) easy to convince others that teaching and learning is different now than when I was a student even.
"It's also not easy to convince students who are accustomed to traditional teaching that they can have fun when they are learning.
"It's also hard to push them to think but it's something we are making great progress at though. I've been able to keep doing what I love and helping kids learn despite it sometimes being an uphill battle."
"I'm still shocked at being chosen for such an honor," Ivins said.
"I see this as an opportunity for my greatest challenge to design a way for this program to be really pivotal for our students and community and doing something positive."
Posted: 03/23/2010 07:06:24 PM MDT
Ten teachers from across the United States were named for their unique plan to reach students in underserved communities and to inspire excellence in independent scientific research.
Carrizozo's Science instructor Ashley Ivins was named as one of those top 10 teachers.
Society for Science & the Public (SSP) announced their selection of the second class of the SSP Fellows Program earlier this month.
"I got an email from Mary Jo Daniel at the Public Education Department Math and Science Bureau that encouraged teachers to apply," said Ivins. "New Mexico was represented by a teacher last year from Carlsbad that was selected and I remembered reading about him (Raymond Nance) on the Public Education Department Web site and what a great program he was able to build. I didn't think I would actually be selected but I thought I'd give it a shot."
Competitively selected from a large entrant pool of high school science and math teachers from 46 states and two U.S. territories, each Fellow will receive: (1) $8,500 in 2010 directly for their classroom and community; (2) full support to attend the Fellows Institute to be held July 26-30, 2010, in Washington, DC; and (3) ongoing training and resources from SSP.
"A big part of this award is mentorship," Ivins said in explaining the the monetary award and it's intended use.
"Carrizozo has a wealth of community members who are very talented and willing to work with kids. Each and every time that I've asked for help
Advertisement
yld_mgr.place_ad_here("adPosBox");
and support they have reached out and supported our program.
"I'd like to create a more formal program of mentorship to get the community involved to help kids do research, real research that can make a difference in our community.
"One of the goals in this program is to teach students that they can make a difference, the great thing about being a scientist is that it doesn't always require formal training, just a sense of wonder and a little guidance."
The 2010 class of Fellows includes teachers selected are: Ashley A. Ivins, Carrizozo Municipal Schools, Carrizozo, Marie A. Aloia, Bayonne High School, Bayonne, N.J.; Anne Artz, The Preuss School UCSD, La Jolla, Calif.; Sydney Bergman, School Without Walls, Washington D.C.; Kathleen Dwyer, Maplewood Rich-mond Heights High School, Maplewood, Mo.; Randa Flinn, Northeast High School, Oakland Park, Fla.; Richard Anthony Fox, Charlestown High School, Charlestown, Mass.; Michael Lampert, West Salem High School, Salem, Ore.; Tim B. Lundt, Mat-Su Career & Technical High School, Wasilla, Alaska; Melanie Schwarzbach, Box Elder High School, Box Elder, Mont.
"Education has been and is the highest priority of my administration," said Governor Bill Richardson. "I know that great teachers are at the heart of a great education system. I congratulate Ashely Ivins who has proven that she is not only a great teacher here in New Mexico, but that she is one of the great teachers in the country. New Mexico is proud of all that she has accomplished as an outstanding science teacher and I know that she will use this award to continue to inspire students for years to come."
Through a generous grant from Intel Corporation, the SSP Fellows Program provides funds and training to selected U.S. science and math teachers who serve under-resourced students, to enable interested and motivated students to perform high-quality, independent scientific research.
Married and a mother of a daughter and a son, Ivins is a 1999 Capitan High School graduate.
She earned her Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Education from Eastern New Mexico University in 2002 and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction with an Emphasis on Distance Learning and Technology from New Mexico State University in 2004.
She is currently continuing her education as a student at NMSU, New Mexico Tech and ENMU.
"One of the things that I think made my application stand out is the fact that ever since I began teaching six years ago, I've been in the constant pursuit of increasing my knowledge and expertise," Ivins said. "I've taken advantage of all the training and experience that has been available to me and really made sure to internalize everything that I've learned. My teaching style now is very different than when I started and my vision for the future of education is not traditional.
"I really work hard to make my classroom 'lecture-free' and experience-based. I love pushing kids to think outside the box, giving them scenarios and making them think, getting them outside the classroom and into the field.
"I also believe it is important for students to be able to write about what they learn and be able to apply mathematics. It hasn't always been (and it is still not) easy to convince others that teaching and learning is different now than when I was a student even.
"It's also not easy to convince students who are accustomed to traditional teaching that they can have fun when they are learning.
"It's also hard to push them to think but it's something we are making great progress at though. I've been able to keep doing what I love and helping kids learn despite it sometimes being an uphill battle."
"I'm still shocked at being chosen for such an honor," Ivins said.
"I see this as an opportunity for my greatest challenge to design a way for this program to be really pivotal for our students and community and doing something positive."
Monday, May 19, 2008
The Great Big Digital Ditch
So as some of you know I just got home from eTeacher training. A great weekend I feel a lot more confident about my abilities and how I could put them to work. I've been wrestling with myself about leaving my kids here and how I could possibly stay and also live in LC and bam it smacks me right in the face. What a tremendous opportunity I have available to me! Alas there are a host of problems- the "non-believers", the "technology immigrants" who are unwilling to learn the language and those who are totally not okay with "crossing the border". This to me is the most frustrating thing about attempting to be an innovative teacher. At any rate today I am going to hop in the ditch and see what happens... worst case scenario I come out a little dirty and pissed but hey at least I tried right? Maybe just maybe, someone might throw me a rope right?
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