July 2023

Welcome to Brainstorms!, the monthly e-newsletter of the MSU Science Math Resource Center. We share cool opportunities for Montana STEM educators of all grade levels, subjects and settings, including upcoming professional development workshops through MSU and our partners; grant applications and STEM resources; STEM events and contests for students; and more.

Please forward to a colleague and encourage them to subscribe – including your school administrators and school counselors, too! For questions or ideas, contact the MSU Science Math Resource Center.

Now's the time! Register for STEM PD by July 21

Join us for Montana's premier STEM Professional Development Conference for Teachers July 31 - Aug. 2 at MSU-Bozeman

The conference gets better day by day as we add more exhibitors and opportunities for you to learn new STEM content; network with participants from around Montana; and engage your mind with inspiring new ideas for your classroom or organization.

Featuring

~ Breakout sessions by professional development providers and fellow educators ~

~ Inspiring keynote speakers ~

~ Networking opportunities ~

~ Lots of exhibitors with giveaways and door prizes ~

Monday night's welcome reception features:

>> International Traditional Games Society, which is dedicated to the recovery, restoration and re-introduction of Native American Indian Games <<

>> Tours of MSU's American Indian Hall <<

>> STEM Trailer from Idaho National Lab <<

>> Tasty summer drinks and appetizers <<

and more.

The three-day conference is just $225 and includes several meals and welcome reception. Stay in MSU Housing for just $50/night

Visit the STEM Summer Institute website for details

Hosted by School Services of Montana and the MSU Science Math Resource Center

Teachers....do you have any students coming to MSU this fall? Please connect them to the Science Math Resource Center

Your students can be connected right off the bat to cool STEM opportunities (even if they don't major in STEM), including our new Science Olympiad club, jobs and internships, citizen science and other volunteer opportunities.

Tell your students to look for Science Math Resource Center or Science Olympiad at Catapalooza on Friday, Aug. 25, OR, send their email addresses to smrc@montana.edu and we will send a special welcome from MSU. We are here to make SMRC their home away from home at MSU!

Earn free graduate credits from MSU this fall

In-service teachers and school leaders can take EDU 591, Competency-Based Education, at NO CHARGE. This course is online and offered in two different 8-week segments.

A multitude of schools, districts, and entire states, such as New Hampshire, are shifting away from the traditional, time-based, Carnegie model of instruction. These innovators, including some rural schools in Montana, are developing and implementing what the Federal Department of Education identifies as Competency-Based Education (CBE).

CBE includes personalized, mastery, project-based, and blended and/or virtual teaching/ learning. This course will introduce future and practicing educators to these various teaching/learning modalities and prepare educators to compete for employment in these schools and districts or prepare educators to implement these modalities in their own classes/districts.

EDU 591 is offered twice in Fall 2023

Fall 2023 -first 8 weeks (Aug 23 - Oct 15)
Fall 2023 -second 8 weeks (Oct 16 - Dec 14)

Fill out the interest form here and you will be sent information on how to register for free.

MSU Middle and High School Math Camp - August 14-16

Montana middle and high school students are invited to attend the Mathematics Circle Summer Camp hosted by the Science Math Resource Center at MSU. Participants will immerse themselves in math problem-solving activities, tour innovative university labs, and engage in fun STEM activities.

The three-day session includes programming for middle schoolers and high schoolers on Monday, Aug. 14 - Wednesday, Aug. 16.

Learn about unique MSU research projects and get behind-the-scenes tours of MSU laboratories. Registration includes lunch in the MSU dining hall each day.

Learn more and register today - space is limited. For more information, contact Jill Joyce with SMRC at jill.joyce1@montana.edu

STEM opportunities for educators

Teachers: Would you like to learn about quantum?

With a new $1 million grant, Montana State University and partners will explore how the region could position itself as a leader in the quantum technology that’s set to play a critical role in 21st century communications, computing and other fields. If you are an educator who would like to know more or participate in some way, we'd like to hear from you! Please email smrc@montana.edu and include quantum in the subject line. Let us know what you're already doing or interested in learning more about!

Summer learning opportunity: Get a free Arduino kit and learn to use it at your own pace, plus earn the chance to score an entire kit for your classroom

The Sensing for Science program explores how to use Arduino and create an electrical device that will help collect data on water quality. This simulates the research being done by Montana scientists and engineers who are part of the National Science Foundation-supported CREWS project (Consortium for Research on Environmental Water Systems). All resources are free for educators to use and download. If you are a Montana teacher interested in bringing this program to your classroom, you can get an Arduino kit to use while you learn. Then, if you complete Level 1 of the program and share some information about how you will use the materials, we will send you a Sensing for Science classroom kit to use with your students.

Visit Sensing for Science for Teachers

Do you know a Montana STEM teacher interested in cool opportunities? Please share this newsletter so they can follow along for next year. Or, they can subscribe at bit.ly/smrc-news