TXESS Revolution

I have placed my photos from the summer institute on the following url. Please visit and see the activities at the rock garden and our field trip to Barton Springs.
http://trcgallery.smugmug.com/TXESS-Revolution

There are a number of widely held misconceptions about climate change, and unfortunately, these are reflected in some of the educational materials available on the web. It is therefore crucial for you to educate yourselves and your students with accurate information and be careful not to reinforce any misconceptions. The following primer is a good place to begin.
http://hdgc.epp.cmu.edu/teachersguide/teachersguide.htm#topten

I just watched this video online and it has a lot to say and show about glaciers and global warming. I think it would be good to use with the cryosphere unit or with our new Climate unit. Please go to http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/extremeice/program.html to view the video.

Hey all- I have gone through some of my photos from my trips to Alaska. I am giving you all a chance to have the photos and use them with your students. All of these are from Alaska. I am going to Calgary this summer, and hope to get some from The Columbian Ice Fields. Please visit the following site
http://trcgallery.smugmug.com/TXESS-Revolution.

Hope you all enjoy and can use.

Will 2010 be the warmest year on record? How do the recent U.S. "Snowmageddon" winter storms and record low temperatures in Europe fit into the bigger picture of long term global warming? NASA has launched a new web page to help people better understand the causes and effects of Earth's changing climate.

The new "A Warming World" page hosts a series of news articles, videos, data visualizations, space-based imagery and interactive visuals that provide unique NASA perspectives on this topic of global importance.

The page includes feature articles that explore the recent Arctic winter weather that has gripped the United States, Europe and Asia, and how El Nino and other longer term ocean-atmosphere phenomena may affect global temperatures this year and in the future. A new video, "Piecing Together the Temperature Puzzle," illustrates how NASA satellites monitor climate change and help scientists better understand how our complex planet works.

STAAR to replace TAKS

AUSTIN – Commissioner of Education Robert Scott announced today that the next generation of student tests will be called the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness or STAAR.
STAAR will replace the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS), which is the criterion-reference assessment program that has been in place since 2003.
The STAAR name, pronounced the same as star, will be used for the 12 end-of-course assessments mandated by SB 1031 in 2007 and the new grade 3-8 assessments mandated by HB 3 in the 2009 legislative session.

The new tests will be used beginning in the 2011-2012 school year. Students in the graduating Class of 2015, who are currently in seventh grade, will be the first students who must meet the end-of-course testing requirements, as well as pass their classes, in order to earn a diploma.

Here is a website with information about the ELPS. The training manual used, Navigating the ELPS in the Science Classroom is co-authored by Jennifer Jordan-Kaszuba. Jennifer is a member of the TXESS Revolution.

http://portal.esc20.net/portal/page/portal/esc20public/ELPS_EnglishLangu...

Teacher Workshops at McDonald Observatory - Summer 2010

McDonald Observatory has a variety of workshops planned for next summer, many of which are free for teachers. They have something for every grade level. All of the workshops are held at a world-class astronomical research campus in the beautiful Davis Mountains of West Texas. They include daily hands-on activities in a classroom setting, interaction with astronomers and professional educators, tours of research telescopes, night-time telescope observations (weather permitting), and lodging surrounded by the scenic Davis Mountains. Twenty hours or more of Continuing Education credit will be awarded to all participants. There are copious scholarships available for teachers to attend, especially at the high school level. The deadline to apply is February 8th, so apply soon and tell
your colleagues! More information and applications can be found at
http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/teachers/profdev/ .

Hi to all my colleagues. I am really looking forward to seeing you all again in the next few weeks. For Cohort B, this will be our last PDA. (How sad is that.) We have a real treat planned, the Google Earth training on Thursday morning. I hope many of you can attend. We offered it to Cohort A and they loved it. It is so useful to you personally, but will help you with your classes. Please make sure you work on your portfolios and outreach as directed by Elizabeth. I will see you soon-have a good trip.

TXESS Revolution
Education Philosophies

Personal education philosophies explain your personal beliefs about how to implement your curriculum. They are based on your acquired knowledge, and should be your beliefs pertaining to education. They need to be concise, honest, reflect common sense, and easy to understand.
So, why do you need to use a Philosophy of Education statement?
• The job market is very competitive, and you need something to set yourself apart from the competition.
• Writing your statement can provide you with an opportunity for personal growth and satisfaction, and can be used to revitalize your dedication to your teaching profession.
• It is often required when you are being considered for a teacher award.

What does it look like?
It is generally one to one and a half pages, double-spaced. It reflects your beliefs about education, learning, and working with students. Your statement should be straightforward using a narrative essay approach.