Contra Costa County Office of Education

                     
                             April 2017

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This issue of STEAM News highlights many opportunities to bring STEAM into your classroom, expand your own knowledge of STEAM, and motivate students both in and out of the classroom. From California's NGSS rollout to providing CS for all, Contra Costa County Office of Education offers resources and programs to engage students, parents, educators, and the community in high-quality STEAM throughout the year.
 
Visit our  website to view resources, link to standards, and stay up-to-date with events . Feel free to contact Hilary Dito   with questions, comments, and professional learning opportunities about integrating STEAM into your PreK-12 classrooms.
California Standards in Science
California NGSS State Rollout #4
Using the CA Science Framework to Implement NGSS
This two-day Symposia will be offered several times around the state. This is a collaborative effort that includes the California Department of Education, California Science Project, California Science Teachers Association, Curriculum and Instruction Steering Committee, and the K-12 Alliance/WestEd.
 
Each district is encouraged to bring a team of four to six participants, including an administrator, high school science teacher, middle school science teacher, elementary teacher, and other science leaders in your district.
-San Joaquin County Office of Education,  May 3 and 4
-Alameda County Office of Education,  September 12 and 13
-Santa Clara County Office of Education,  December 4 and 5

Registration fee: $250  For information and to register, visit their website .
California Science Teachers Association Facebook Communities
Join teachers from around California on CSTA's Facebook pages. The Facebook groups provide a forum for sharing resources, asking questions, and developing networks across the state. Groups include Science Coaches, Elementary Science Teachers, Middle School Science Teachers, and High School Science Teachers. For information and to join a group, visit CSTA's Facebook Page.
Professional Learning Opportunities
CCCOE Distinguished Speaker Series:
 

The CCCOE is proud to present the Distinguished Speakers Series (the following two postings below). The 2016-2017 year includes topics on assessment, NGSS, Technology and Academic Language. For details on all the speakers, visit our website.

California Academy of Sciences: Using Notebooks to Elicit Scientific Thinking

Science Notebooks are a tool that can improve teaching and learning, developing students' thinking over time, and supporting student engagement in NGSS Science and Engineering Practices. Learn how Notebooks can be used to guide investigations, assess for learning, and communicate students' findings. Join staff from the California Academy of Science's Teacher Institute on Science & Sustainability for a full-day workshop on integrating Science Notebooks for scientific meaning-making!

This program will be held on May 16, 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m., at the Contra Costa County Office of Education, Pleasant Hill.  For additional information and to register, visit this Eventbrite site. The f ee is $110.

Making Statistical Connections

The California Common Core Mathematics Content Standards have incorporated statistics and probability standards in grades 6-12. The California Mathematics Project (CMP), in partnership with the California Mathematics Council (CMC), and the California Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (CAMTE) have developed a series of modules for grades 6-12 teachers to support the teaching and learning of statistics and probability.

This two-day workshop will take a close look at the modules, instructional guides for educators, and the materials available for use with teachers focusing specifically on grades 6-12. Presenters will begin by introducing the GAISE (Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education) Framework and provide opportunities for teachers to experience the progressions of statistics and probability standards in middle school through high school. All activities are interactive, modeling teaching and learning strategies for students. The workshop incorporates technology and ELD strategies in order to address 21st-century learning needs.

Making Statistical Connections will be held August 7 and 8, 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m, at the Pleasant Hill Community Center, in Pleasant Hill.  For more information and to register, v isit this Eventbrite site. Workshop fee is $250. 
Contra Costa County Code.org Professional Learning Cohort

The CCCOE is proud to be a Regional Partner with code.org, offering free professional learning opportunities in Computer Science.
  Educators can apply for the 2017-18 CCCOE Code.org Cohort of Computer Science Educators: Computer Science Principles
 (grades 10-12). 

Teachers will receive training on the curriculum and network with other CS teachers in the region. Applicants must commit to attending a five-day TeacherCon academy (July 17-21), in Phoenix, and a four one-day follow-up workshops at the CCCOE Space is limited, and applications close on April 14. To apply visit their website. For additional information, contact Hilary Dito .
Computer Science Fundamentals Workshop for TK-6 grade Teachers

As a Regional Partner with Code.org, the CCCOE is hosting a free one-day workshop for K-5 educators interested in teaching computer science. This workshop will cover Code.org's CS Fundamentals courses 1-4.
Code.org's elementary school curriculum allows even the youngest students to explore the limitless world of computing. Courses blend online, self-guided, and self-paced tutorials with "unplugged" classroom activities that require no computer.

The workshop will be held on  May 23, 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m., at the Brentwood Union School District, in Brentwood. To register, visit this Eventbrite link; for additional info, contact Hilary Dito.
2017 Teacher Research Academy (TRA)

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's Teacher Research Academy (TRA) is now registering teachers for the 2017 TRA. The TRA offers middle school, high school, and community college faculty unique professional development experiences at LLNL. TRA teachers participate in a continuum of standards-based instruction, enabling them to progress from novice to mastery in exciting scientific disciplines, while they experience the application of real world science in an environment teachers seldom experience.

 Courses include biotechnology, computer modeling, fusion, and astrophysics, as well as technical writing for science class. Visit their Web pages to view the  schedule and to  registerThere is a $25 course registration fee.
3rd Annual Creativity at the Core Summer Institute

This three-day institute will focus on arts learning and California State Standards. Hear from educational leaders, teaching artists, arts specialists, and inspirational speakers from across the state as they provide hands-on learning opportunities focused on a suite of CCSESA's new professional learning modules, developed by County Offices of Education and Arts Partner Organization Leaders.

The institute will be held July 26-28, at the Santa Clara County Office of Education, Santa Clara. The fee is $350. For more information, visit their website.
Astronomy Institute: Space Science and the NGSS!  

The Teacher Learner Center at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific is hosting their 2017 hands-on workshop for teachers in grades 5-12. With an emphasis on learner investigation of phenomena, this four-day Institute will help prepare teachers to implement Next Generation Science Standards Earth and Space Science investigations in their classroom instruction. Taking place a little over two weeks before the solar eclipse, on August 21, this Institute is also perhaps the last opportunity for teachers to participate in in-depth professional development focused on eclipses.

This workshop will be held July 31- August 3, 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.,
at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, in San Francisco. The fee is  $400 (includes The Universe at your Fingertips 2.0, and a Galileoscope).  For more information and to register, visit their website
reMAKE education Summit  
 

Meet new makers and experience new ideas. Participants will complete design challenges led by makers, artists, educators, and engineers. The summit will have a combination of workshops, panels, and hands-on opportunities.

The Summit will take place  August 2-4, at the Sonoma County Office of Education , Sonoma.  Cost: $350 if you register before May 31.  For program and registration questions about the reMAKE Education Summit, contact Dan Blake at  707-524-2780 or visit their  website .
California Institute for Biodiversity Professional Development

Join scientists, educators, and naturalists for exploration of environmental change. The institute's programs focus on connecting NGSS, teaching practices, and classroom resources The institutes are practical for teachers and districts to implement, allowing thousands of students to experience the thrill of doing real science. Teachers receive in-depth training and new materials that can be transferred directly into the classroom or into the field. Opportunities for transportation and implementation funding are sometimes available.
 
Biodiversity and Climate: Impacts of a Changing Water Cycle
July 6-9, Fish Camp
$449
 
Yosemite Field Institute: Climate and Water - From Glacier to Valley
July 9-12, Yosemite National Park
$249
 
Ecology of the San Francisco Bay Intertidal Region
May 13, Alameda
$50
 
Journaling and Sketching for NGSS and ELL
August, Coyote Hill and Redwood Regional Park
$100
 
For more information and to register visit  www.calalive.org.
CCCOE Math Professional Learning Offerings 

Participants engage in discourse, conversations, and alternative thinking in mathematics. 
 
June 20
 
June 21
 
Number Talks 2.0, All Grades
  June 22
 
What's in a Number? Exploring Mathematics Conceptually
  June 27

All for programs will be held at the CCCOE, in Pleasant Hill, 8:30 a.m. -3:00 p.m. Cost for each workshop varies, and there are "early-bird" discounts. For more information regarding these learning offerings, contact Christen Schwartz, at (925) 942-3435. 
Student and Family Opportunities
Maker Fair Bay Area

Celebrate a decade of making at the Maker Faire Bay Area 2017. Join makers from around the bay area and the world as they showcase their creativity and resourcefulness. 

Maker Fair 2017 will be held at the San Mateo Event Center, San Mateo, May 19-21. For more information, go to  their website.
Splash

Splash is the program that brings high school and middle school students from everywhere to Stanford University's campus for a two-day-learning extravaganza. Classes are taught by Stanford undergraduates, graduate students, and other community members. Students can take up to 14 hours of classes for $40. Parents can participate in Stanford Splash Parents' Program, as well.

Sign up for the next Splash weekend (April 22-23) at this website
Marine Mammal Center

The Marine Mammal Center is nestled in the Marin Headlands in the beautiful Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Drop in on Marine Science Sunday for a Docent-Led Tour and an Interactive Classroom Presentation. 

This Free event takes place on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month. For topics and more information, visit their website

The CCCOE STEAM Enews is published regularly, highlighting news, events, and resources that enhance STEAM education for all students. If you received the STEAM enews from a colleague, please join our mailing list to continue receiving updates. This publication does not signify that the Contra Costa County Office of Education endorses the event or program mentioned.

 

For more information regarding CCCOE STEAM, please visit our website.

Sincerely,

 

Hilary Haugen Dito
CCCOE STEAM Coordinator

 

 

Deputy Superintendent, Pamela Comfort, Ed.D.

925-942-3358


 

STEAM Coordinator, Hilary Haugen Dito

925-942-3396


 

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