CEILS Monthly Newsletter | Issue #55 | November 1, 2019 | ceils.ucla.edu
Announcements
SABER West Registration is Open-
CEILS will sponsor some UCLA attendees!

Event Date : January 18-19, 2020
Event Location : University of California, Irvine


CEILS will pay registration fees for a limited number of UCLA faculty and CIRTL Teaching-as-Research (TAR) graduate students or postdoctoral scholars who plan to present posters. These will be on a first-come-first-serve basis. Email media@ceils.ucla.edu and let us know you plan to attend and we will follow-up with more detailed information. You can complete the first part of the registration, but we will submit a lump payment for those selected so please do not complete the payment part of the registration process until you hear back from us. If you are not faculty or a CIRTL participant planning to present a poster you can still contact us to inquire about support.

4-year faculty, staff, administrators - $115
2-year faculty, staff, administrators - $65
Post docs, Graduate students and Undergraduates - $65

 
Registration Deadline: January 6, 2020
CRESST Named Project Management Partner in U.S. Department of Education Grant for Assessment of English Learners with Significant Cognitive Disabilities

The National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) of the Graduate School of Education and Information Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles, is the project management partner for a $7.8 million grant awarded to the Iowa Department of Education by the U.S. Department of Education.

The 4-year grant is to design an assessment for English learners with significant cognitive disabilities (ELSCDs). Participating states, including the lead state of Iowa, will design and develop an assessment for ELSCDs – a small and under-served population of students. It would be very difficult for an individual state to develop an assessment of this type due to the small number of students. “This is a state and federal priority,” said Erika Cook, bureau chief of leading, teaching, and learning services at the Iowa Department of Education. “A state the size of Iowa cannot afford to do this alone for such a small number of students.”

CRESST’s role in the grant is assessment system design and implementation for the participating states, including professional development for educators and districts. CRESST Director Li Cai stated, “At CRESST, we believe assessment design is a critical linchpin to understanding and improving the quality of education for every student. This grant award is particularly exciting as it addresses a long-standing assessment concern – and federal requirements – for assessing this small and very important population of students.”

For additional information, please contact CRESST Communications Director Kara Schlosser at (202) 330-8549.
CEILS Journal Club
CEILS Journal Club for STEM Education Research | Learning Community Meetings 

 Fridays every Quarter from 2:00 – 3:00 PM
Location:    1100 TSLB 
 
About Journal Club:   Participants explore relevant education literature in more depth and develop greater understanding of assessment techniques and data analysis methods. Presenters may select a paper and lead a discussion about how education researchers have documented the relationship between effective teaching practices and their impact on student learning, knowledge retention, and persistence in STEM majors. Alternatively, presenters describe classroom innovations and evidence-based instructional strategies they are trying in their own courses, soliciting feedback from participants while sharing their expertise in a variety of areas supporting instruction and assessment in STEM classrooms. Faculty, graduate students, and postdocs are welcome to participate!

Fall 2019 Schedule:

  • November 1 - Jess Schnitka, Doctoral Student in Department of Education will present What does it Mean to be Culturally Responsive while Teaching Statistics and Research Methodology?
  • November 8 - Jennifer Casey, Assistant Adjunct Professor in Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, will present The Implementation of Application-Based Science Education Videos in an Undergraduate General Chemistry Laboratory for Life Science Majors
  • November 15 - Jeff Maloy, Academic Administrator in Life Science Core, will present M-LoCUS: A scalable intervention enhances growth mindset and internal locus of control in undergraduate students in STEM
  • November 22 - Jennifer Casey, Assistant Adjunct Professor in Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, will present The Implementation of Application-Based Science Education Videos in an Undergraduate General Chemistry Laboratory for Life Science Majors
  • December 6 - Jessica Cleeves, Associate Director of Equitable Instruction and Clinical Support, University of Utah Center for Science and Mathematics Education Topic: TBD

  View the  STEM Education Research Journal Club  event page for more details. 
Funding Opportunities
Instructional Improvement Grant Program

The Center for the Advancement of Teaching (formerly the Office of Instructional Development) presents this call for the Instructional Improvement Grant Program. The grant program supports innovation, experimentation, and development of undergraduate curricula and pedagogy. Projects may be initiated by faculty, departments, or larger units. Proposals should address the specific needs of an undergraduate course or curriculum and explicate an appropriate and cost-effective response to a clearly defined pedagogical problem.

Two recent initiatives are aimed at spreading and sharing teaching improvements more broadly across campus (see the Instructional Improvement Grant Program website for more information):

  • Faculty Improving Teaching (FIT) Communities. These faculty communities of practice will be an opportunity for all grantees to receive ongoing feedback and support from fellow IIP-supported faculty members and CAT consultants.
  • IIP Grantee Reporting. Every grantee will be expected to present their project in some venue (which could be quite informal). An additional reporting requirement is to provide a list of other instructors or courses which might benefit from similar teaching approaches.


Please contact at iip@teaching.ucla.edu with any questions or to schedule a consultation appointment.

Full Proposal Deadline: Friday, November 15, 2019
NSF IUSE Program - 2019 Fall
Proposal Preparation Webinar Series!

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Undergraduate Education in collaboration with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) will offer two 90-minute webinars about preparing proposals for the NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) program. 

November 5 | 12:00 - 1:30 PST: NSF IMPROVING UNDERGRADUATE STEM EDUCATION (IUSE) PROGRAM

This webinar will contain an overview of the IUSE program while highlighting the recent changes to the solicitation. The program supports proposals interested in improving undergraduate education, developing faculty expertise, preparing K-12 teachers, and providing all undergraduate students with STEM competencies and a basic understanding of STEM concepts and principles. All projects are required to contribute to the body of knowledge and the conditions that lead to improved STEM teaching and learning.  Register here.


November 13 | 12:00 - 1:30 PST: NSF IMPROVING UNDERGRADUATE STEM EDUCATION (IUSE) PROGRAM - THE INSTITUTIONAL AND COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION TRACK

This webinar will specifically focus on the Institutional and Community Transformation Track (ICT) of the IUSE Program.  The ICT track funds work on systemic change that may be measured at the departmental, institutional, or multi-institutional level, or across communities of STEM educators and/or researchers. Projects are expected to include one or more theories of change to guide the proposed work. This webinar will provide information about expectations for identifying and incorporating theories of change. Register here.

Newsworthy
The Myth of the STEM Pipeline | Inside Higher Ed

The STEM pipeline is a commonly employed, even overused, metaphor describing the path to careers in science, technology, engineering and math. But the concept of a rigid career pipeline sends the wrong message. The term has codified a narrow educational path that begins as early as preschool and continues through college and career. The pathway is predicated on having savvy parents and teachers coaching a child with an unwavering love of STEM. The student must take the right courses, leading to a succession of STEM-related positions.
How to Turn Your Syllabus into an FAQ, and Why You Should | ChronicleVitae

Usually the reasons for inserting additional language are quite valid: Perhaps a student identified a loophole last semester that needs to be corrected. Maybe a colleague suggested a new provision that has been neglected on course syllabi, such as contact information for mental-health resources or gender-pronoun policies.
The Heavy Unseen Labor of Writing Reference Letters | ChronicleVitae

It’s October and the requests are starting to pile up. They’re multiplying so fast they feel like an anvil-weight of duty perpetually hanging over your head. They refuse to dissipate as the semester progresses, no matter how well you schedule your time or keep track of deadlines. And the worst part is: The sheer amount of work required to meet these demands goes hidden, uncredited, and unsupported.
On-Campus Event
Faculty Innovation Luncheon with Matthew Fisher

Date:  November 20, 2019
Location: The HumTech Learning Lab, Rolfe 2118
Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

View the  event website  for more information.

Interested in creating more opportunities for student engagement and collaboration in your courses? EPIC and HumTech are sponsoring a Faculty Innovation Lunch to explore how they can use annotation for students to practice critical response, peer feedback, translation, and creative practice. Attendees will be able to play with Professor Fisher’s digital annotation tool during the luncheon, and they will provide use cases for different disciplines. Space is limited to 35 attendees to ensure hands-on support.

Please RSVP by November 13, 2019.
National Events
Call for Proposals: 2020 STEMwrite Institute for Writing to Learn in STEM Disciplines

Date:   June 24-26 , 2020
Location: University of Minnesota

The 2020 STEMwrite Institute invites faculty teams from biological sciences to a lively and productive three-day institute that focuses on Writing to Learn in STEM disciplines. Grounded in evidence that brief writing assignments have positive impacts on conceptual learning, this institute enables participants to develop brief, conceptually-focused writing activities and assessment tools that can be realistically implemented in large-enrollment, introductory biology courses. 

Goals for the 2020 STEMwrite Institute are: 

  • To engage participants in a process for developing effective writing-to-learn activities (prompts/assignments, online peer review protocols, and assessment tools) that encourage both durable conceptual understanding and attention to students’ development as scientists and science writers. 
  • To share research findings on drivers and barriers impacting the use of writing in STEM disciplines, based on survey responses of 5,000 STEM faculty at Reinvention Collaborative member institutions. 
  • To present evidence of the effective implementation of writing-to-learn activities in biological sciences across participant campuses. 
  • To establish a network of faculty members and researchers interested in participating in a sustained community of practice focused on writing to learn in STEM education.

To apply, teams are directed to detail their interest by completing this application survey by February 1, 2020. Each application will be reviewed by members of the research team who will look for evidence of applicants’ alignment with STEMwrite goals, team composition, and evidence of institutional capacity for implementation. Teams will be notified of decisions by February 14th and asked to register by February 22nd. 

Call for Proposals & Registration Open: International Consortium for Education Development (ICED) 2020

Date:  June 15-18, 2020
Location: Zurich, Switzerland

View the  event website  for more information.
 
Today’s world is in a state of permanent and radical change which is affecting society, science and the economy in equal measure. In this process universities, as research institutions, are major and active protagonists. To prepare their graduates, however, they must also adapt their teaching to the new scenario of change. They must set new objectives, and be ready to deploy innovative approaches to teaching, learning and curriculum design.

In times of change, examples of good practice and innovative teaching and learning forms from around the world are key to identifying and developing robust, functional models and concepts. The goal of the ICED 2020 conference at ETH Zurich is to foster a future-oriented exchange and discussion among ICED members on how university faculty may be enabled to forge, from the students of today, the future-ready graduates of tomorrow.

Deadline:

  • Deadline for submissions (1st Call): Midnight on 17 November 2019
  • Communication of acceptance or rejection: No later than 13 December 2019
  • Presenters must confirm acceptance by registering for the conference by 13 January 2020
2020 Diversity, Equity, and Student Success

Date:  March 19–21, 2020
Location: New Orleans Marriott

View the  event website  for more information.

The diversity of our nation has long been acclaimed and valued. As a society, we value the diversity of ideas and beliefs that fuel innovation, economic vitality, and social change. We rely on our collective abilities to transcend differences by identifying solutions that promote collective action for the common good. The power of collective action is evidenced in social, political, and cultural movements that have resulted in lasting change for our society: recognition and expansion of civil rights, including disability rights; women’s rights; LGBTQIA protections, and religious expression. These movements were not successful because of one individual’s deeds, but because of the collective action of many diverse and engaged individuals. The power of collective action has been, and will continue to be, the impetus for lasting change. 
Supporting Neurodiversity on Your Campus: Changing Mindset and Methods

Date: February 17 - 19, 2020
Location: Washington, D.C.

View event website for more information.

While neurodiversity isn’t a novel concept in higher education, there is still a lot of confusion around its definition as well as its implications for the classroom and campus life. If you wish to build or improve the neurodiversity initiative on your campus, join us for this workshop where you will learn a variety of ways to support your diverse student body, including:

  • How to build awareness of neurodiversity on your campus to propel the paradigm and mindset shift forward
  • How to create a culture of student self-advocacy and agency
  • Why Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a crucial framework to support the diverse needs of students in the classroom
  • How to design flexible assessments that allow students multiple options to demonstrate their mastery
  • What communication techniques you can use to enhance how students experience all areas of campus

You will leave this course with a new understanding of what neurodiversity means in higher education, both inside and outside of the classroom.

Optional Post-Conference Workshop | Designing for Diversity: Using Universal Design for Learning Principles to Enhance Curriculum

In this workshop, you will start by asking yourself what you want your students to be able to know or do and then work backwards, using the UDL (Universal Design for Learning) framework, to rethink how to present material and assess competency.
Carnegie Foundation Summit on Improvement in Education

Date:  April 1–3, 2020
Location: San Francisco Marriott Marquis

View the  event website  for more information.

The seventh annual Carnegie Foundation Summit on Improvement in Education will be held on April 1-3, 2020. This three-day event brings together a diverse and vibrant community of educators, researchers, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and policymakers dedicated to accelerating improvement in education. Registration for the 2020 Summit will open in Fall 2019.

Summit participants come from all sectors of education from kindergarten to higher education, practitioners to policymakers, and funders to researchers. It is only by engaging and leveraging diverse perspectives in our improvement work and networks that we will be able to develop effective solutions that work for all of our students all of the time. Summit presenters detail their experiences addressing achievement gaps in order to improve outcomes for all students. The powerful presentations in breakout sessions often spark questions and insights from attendees that lead to meaningful conversations.
Online Events/Webinars
A Focus on Underrepresented Students: Practical Strategies for Inclusive Teaching & Mentoring

Date : November 13th, 2019
Time : 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm. EDT

This Webinar is Co-Sponsored by Summer Institutes on Scientific Teaching and Macmillan Learning

View the event website for more information.

Participants will learn more about research-based, practical strategies for inclusive teaching and mentoring. Although the demographics on campuses worldwide are becoming increasingly diverse, many colleges are struggling with how to foster a more inclusive climate and equitable outcomes for students. This session will highlight the experiences of underrepresented students (to include first-generation, low-income, community college transfer, historically underrepresented racial-minority students, among others). This session also underscores strategies to optimize the interactions we already have on a regular basis in and out of the classroom in order to achieve greater impact.
Online with LSE: Using Genomics as a Lens for Thinking about and Analyzing Classroom Observation Data

View the event website for more information.

Date : November 22nd, 2019
Time : 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm. EDT

This session of Online with LSE hosts Robert Erdmann, Director of Campus Learning Data and Technology, University of Minnesota Rochester, for a discussion about the parallels between classroom observation data and genomics data, and how these parallels can be harnessed within education research.

Please click here to RSVP for this webinar.
STEM Matters: The Formula for Driving Innovation

View the event website for more information.

Date : December 11th, 2019
Time : 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm. EDT

To succeed, innovative efforts to broaden participation in STEM and to make equity an immutable factor in quality STEM teaching require critical reflection and active engagement from the entire range of stakeholders. This webinar will bring together key institutional leaders, funding agency officers, and professional society representatives for an open and frank discussion of the structural and systemic barriers to quality and equity in undergraduate STEM education. Participants will focus on challenges faced, struggles overcome, lessons learned, and potential threats.
CIRTL - Graduate Students and Postdocs
Attention UCLA Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars!

The Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) is a national network providing graduate students and postdoctoral scholars with online training on evidence based teaching and professional development opportunities.

UCLA is a member of CIRTL, giving graduate students and postdoctoral scholars access to all CIRTL online programing across the network, as well as local learning communities and opportunities for professional development on campus. We also have a separate newsletter specifically for our CIRTL@UCLA community where we share information most relevant to graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. Subscribe to the CIRTL newsletter here .

Learn more about CIRTL@UCLA and get connected: https://cirtl.ceils.ucla.edu/
Featured Job Opportunities
Tenure-track Assistant Professor in Biological Sciences
St. Edward's University
► Please see posting details and how to apply here .

Assistant Director in Assessment
Harvard University
► Please see posting details and how to apply here .

Assistant Professor in Biology & Science Education
San Jose State University
► Please see posting details and how to apply here .

Tenure-Track Assistant Professor in Science Education
San Francisco State University
► Please see posting details and how to apply here .

Assistant Professor of Organic Chemistry
California State University, Long Beach
► Please see posting details and how to apply here .

Assistant Professor in Anatomy
Diablo Valley College
► Please see posting details and how to apply here .

Assistant Professor in Microbiology
Diablo Valley College
► Please see posting details and how to apply here .

Assistant Professor in Human Physiology
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
► Please see posting details and how to apply here .

Assistant Director in Faculty Development Program
University of Rhode Island
► Please see posting details and how to apply here .

Assistant/Associate Professor in Engineering and Science Education
Clemson University
► Please see posting details and how to apply here .

Associate (Part-time) Instructor in Astronomy
Mira Costa College
► Please see posting details and how to apply here .

Assistant Program Director for Inclusive Pedagogy
University of Notre Dame
► Please see posting details and how to apply here .
grey-curve.jpg
Connect with UCLA's Center
for Education Innovation &
Learning in the Sciences
For more information about CEILS events and resources, including a list of STEM education events from previous mailers, please visit the CEILS website at  www.ceils.ucla.edu  or stop by our CEILS office in 222 Hershey Hall.  If you wish to be added to the CEILS mailing list for future newsletters and special announcements, please send your request to  media@ceils.ucla.edu .

Please note, this monthly newsletter is circulated through many departmental listservs. Most other CEILS correspondence, including special event announcements and reminders, are sent to CEILS mailing list recipients only. Thanks!