San Diego<br>Science Educators Association

Welcome!


The San Diego Science Educators Association is a professional organization supporting science educators.

Our mission is to promote science literacy and advocate for science education by promoting professionalism, leadership, and community outreach.

Upcoming events



 
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2013 Excellence in Science Education Award Winners

Honored at the

SDSEA Annual Banquet

June 5, 2013 at the Bahia Resort Hotel on Mission Bay, SDSEA held its annual awards banquet to honor excellence across the spectrum of science education. Congratulations to this years winners:

High School
Dena Rosenberger, El Capitan High School - Dena has already received multiple awards for her teaching, research, scientific publications, and service to students and colleagues. SDSEA recognizes her active professionalism sharing research expedition experiences with students and other science teachers.

Middle School
Deborah DeLucia- 8th grade science @ Escondido Christian School - Deborah is highly active in leadership roles at her school, and runs a challenging classroom infused with technology tools. In addition she has multiple presentations to her credit through the iQuest project.

Elementary School
Sharon Fargason, Mary Lanyon Fay Elementary School - Sharon engages inner-city students daily in her classroom as a National Board Certified Teacher. She's also participated in the CRMSE Learning Progressions for Scientific Inquiry project at SDSU, serves as an adjunct professor, and is soon to be a published author on inquiry based science teaching in diverse classrooms.

Ivan Rosero and Robert Lecusay, UCSD Doctoral candidates - we honor their work in creating an urban agriculture program, using aquaponics, for Kearney High School students in conjunction with Jennifer Ogo, the AP Environmental Science teacher. Check this link, then click on the "KHS Aquaponics" video to see their work.
Cristina Park, EA - While not specifically a science educator, Cris has been the dedicated accountant and tax consultant to SDSEA for over 10 years. Her service has been outstanding, and we honor her part in keeping SDSEA financially alive and well.


Lifetime Achievement Award
Park Trefts Ph.D., UCSD - Dr. Trefts has worked for over a decade to provide science research and mentoring programs at UCSD for high school students from under-represented populations.
Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair
 Student Winners
 of the SDSEA Award for
 "Best Science Done
 Using Simple Materials"

Isaac Izaguirre - Sweetwater High School, grade 11, for his project titled "Which Buildings Wiggle More During Earthquakes?", Teacher/Advisor Ms. Maureen Rymer
Christian Blanco - Muir Middle School, grade 8, for his project titled " Prop it up! Static Thrust of Small Aircraft Propellers", Teacher/Advisor Mr. Vincent Stevens

Geneva Pfeifer - Nazareth School, grade 7, for her project titled "Does Feeding Chickens Egg Shells Make Their Eggs Stronger?", Teacher/Advisor Ms. Marilyn Reed

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SDSEA assists with

Organ Donor Research Grant

with UCSD and the

San Diego Blood Bank

funded by the

National Institutes of Health


SDSEA is pleased to partner with researchers at the UCSD School of Medicine in a new NIH funded research Grant aimed at increasing organ donor participation in our area. The BOLD Project (Be an Organ Life Donor), SDSEA Board, and membership can serve as connection points with local high school blood drives, in cooperation with the San Diego Blood Bank, and help develop student outreach teams, techniques to increase awareness of organ donor opportunities and importance, and educational materials in support of these goals.
It has been established, through two National Institutes of Health-sponsored Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) grants, that high school students are very effective at educating others and performing community outreach. Based on limited data, it also appears that blood donors are more favorably inclined towards organ donation than non-blood donors.

As the BOLD Project grant gets underway watch for more information about how you, or your students, may be able to play a role in the research. We will provide posts about the grant on the SDSEA Facebook page and at this web site. Stay "tuned."

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Dinner Speaker Series
Off To A Great Start

SDSEA, is always at work to bring its members interesting and informative activities to expand  their professional and personal knowledge.
 
Our "Dinner With An Expert"  series of  presentations by local scientists, engineers and professionals has been very successful. The talks include multimedia presentations and time for questions and answers. Here is what we've presented so far:
"The Largest Whale Fall Known To Science -
Disposing Of A Dead Fin Whale From The Shores Of San Diego"
necropsy study, and disposal
with the assistance of Virgin Oceanic
Presented by Mr. Eddie Kisfaludy


"The Life and Death of Marine Mammals"
a long-term surface and seafloor postmortem study done for a National Geographic special
Presented by Mr. Eddie Kisfaludy


"What's Up With Those Bees?"
honey bee decline and Dr. Nieh's research on how fungus infections affect honey bee larvae
Presented by Dr. James Nieh, UCSD


"Rainforest Conservation and Ecotourism in Costa Rica"
how conservation of Costa Rica's
flora and fauna has shaped the nation
Presented by Jheudy Carballo


Future Speaker Presentations
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There is a blank spot here because we're looking for your suggestions for other interesting speakers. The format is informal, with a high interest science/technology topic, 30-40 minute presentation with some Q & A after (multimedia presentation equipment is available); and someone who wants to share with educators without expecting a big stipend (we are happy to buy their dinner, but we're doing this on a shoestring to keep it free for attendees).

Please contact us with your suggestions
(sdseapresident@gmail.com) for this every 6 weeks, or so, presentation. It'll be a great time to connect with others (face to face social networking) enjoy a good meal, and generally enrich your life. All presentations will be held at:

Randy Jones All American Sports Grill
7510 Hazard Center Drive, Suite 215
San Diego, CA 92108
(619) 296-9600
http://rjgrill.com

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SDSEA Recognized for Collaborative Efforts

You may have seen notices earlier in the spring, on this web site about a joint effort of "Whale Times" and the Southwest Fisheries Science Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to put classrooms in direct contact with Gray Whale researchers in the field via the internet.  Over 650 students in upper elementary classrooms were able to participate in this exciting exchange, and many of those were able to meet in person, at the Birch Aquarium at Scripps, in La Jolla, the scientists with whom they communicated.

Shown here, left to right are: Dr. Susan Chivers, Wayne Perryman, and Nicky Beaulieu.

Jessica Lipsky, NOAA biologist and Project Manager for this adventure worked with Kristin Evans, Birch Aquarium Education Director to stage the event. 

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SDSEA Represented at the National Congress on Science Education

SDSEA had a representative in attendance at the NCSE, July 11 - 14,  in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Sponsored by the NSTA, the forum this year focused on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) being considered for adoption nationwide.

NSTA Chapters and Associated Groups voting (July 13) on resolutions designed to set the NSTA agenda for the coming year.
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Impressions of the 2013 NSTA National Conference

Submitted by Aubrey Harness

SDSEA Member and

Primary Grades Science Prep Teacher

Encanto Elementary, San Diego City Schools

  The NSTA conference in San Antonio, Texas was extremely large, using around 120 smaller conference rooms, 15 ballrooms, and a gigantic exhibit area encompassing the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center, the Grand Hyatt, and The Marriott, all in downtown San Antonio. The convention theme was on The Next Generation Science Standards with 4 strands focusing on Next Generation Assessments, Next Generation Elementary Education, Next Generation Special Populations and Next Generation Technology.

  As a science prep teacher, I chose more seminars and activities from the Elementary Education strand, such as Visual Literacy in the classroom, or the highly useful Elementary Extravaganza where hundreds of teachers demonstrated their very creative methods to engage students in science. The Little Shop of Physics treated us to several hands on activities dealing with pressure, temperature and heat. Using Discrepant Events will pique student’s curiosity at all levels from k-12.

       Of course there were several sessions offered daily that were directed toward demystifying the Next Generation Science Standards and how they integrate with the Common Core Standards to produce Scientific Literacy. ( A great deal of information in PowerPoint and pdf format can be obtained through the NSTA website by going to the San Antonio Conference and browsing through the many sessions where presenters uploaded their material- http://www.nsta.org/conferences/schedule.aspx?id=2013san)

    I spent 4 hours in the exhibits area, where mini-tech sessions were offered hourly and the information on instructional materials, displays and ideas were given with only a scan of ones’ NSTA ID badge. Technology was huge, and although most was geared toward middle and high school, seeing what one could do with sensors and an iPod or tablet and the various applications was almost breathtaking. The tabletop Scanning Electron Microscope was just short of unbelievable. I won an iPod shuffle, was given a dissection scope and saw a 3D printer work for the first time, and walked through the expo with excitement, with a fresh anticipation and appreciation of my job. Next years national convention will be in Boston from April 3-6.

A professional development scholarship from SDSEA helped defray Mr. Harness' expenses in attending the NSTA National Conference.

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Just for Fun
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News Update From
NSTA President
Karen Ostlund
(SDSEA is an Affiliated Group of NSTA)

It is my great pleasure to announce that the National Science Teachers Association Board of Directors has selected Dr. David L. Evans to serve as the new NSTA Executive Director. Dr. Evans will begin as NSTA Executive Director on Thursday, February 7.

Dr. Evans is a prominent scientist as well as a distinguished and visionary leader who will guide the association’s future course and continue to establish NSTA as a leader in STEM education.

Before joining NSTA, David was Director of the Center for Sustainability at Noblis, a Virginia-based not-for-profit provider of science-consulting services.

For several years he was Under Secretary for Science at the Smithsonian Institution, where he oversaw research and education activities, strategic planning, outreach, and fundraising. Dr. Evans has also served in leadership positions at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the National Ocean Service, and the Office of Naval Research.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Evans to NSTA. I invite you to read more about David at www.nsta.org/publications/news/story.aspx?id=59818 and encourage you to share this information with science educators in your state or association.

I would also like to take this opportunity to publicly thank Dr. Gerald Wheeler for leaving his beloved Montana 10 months ago to serve as NSTA Interim Executive Director. His enthusiasm, dedication, and passion to NSTA and to science education is greatly appreciated.

We look forward to a great year for NSTA and for science education in 2013 and beyond.

Sincerely,

Dr. Karen L. Ostlund

NSTA President 2012-2013

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Free Water Cycle Poster for Pre-K - 8

This resource just came to the attention of SDSEA via Howard Perlman, a hydrologist at the U.S. Geological Survey. USGS and the United Nations have just put out a new diagram/poster:     The Water Cycle for Kids
Just click on the "Links To Resources" choice in the gray column on the left, to link directly to the poster.

Help spread the word by "sharing" a post about the poster from the  SDSEA Facebook page on your FB page, or email a friend.

It is a FREE, comprehensive and amusing diagram for kids, elementary, and middle school students. You can download and print out a PDF version in any of 60 languages.

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SDSEA Helps Provide Science Strands for SDCUE 2012 Event

SDCUE presented it's 29th annual technology "fair" again this year. SDSEA has partnered with them for the past 3 years, and worked with them again this year, to provide science strands for the gathering.

i-Quest, an NSF funded project based at Cal State San Marcos, provided several sessions focused on integrating science and technology, including SDSEA Board member Su Scott, presenting on GPS technology as relates to grade 6 Earth Science. SDSEA member Brendan Casey, of Joan MacQueen Middle School, presented use of web pages as showcases for student Common Core Science Portfolios. The San Diego Children and Nature Collaborative presented environmental science workshops, and the California State Parks "PORTS" distance learning program showed how to video conference live with rangers in the woods.

The SDSEA Exhibit Area Booth

Thanks go out as well to Heidi Doss and Donna Ross, both SDSEA members who presented on laser physics and classroom video production respectively. 


Packet Pick Up
SDSEA gave out 5, one-year memberships as door prizes. Nearly 1,100 people attended between 7:30 and 4, for a day packet with classroom targeted practical ideas! Watch for this annual event next fall.
Thank You Conference Exhibitors/Contributors

AWARD Reading and Math

California Learning Resources Network

CCS Presentation Systems

Classroom of the Future Foundation

Computer-Using Educators

CSU San Marcos Extended Learning

CSU San Marcos iQuest Project

CSU San Marcos Writing Project

Education Boulevard

First Investors Corporation

Herff Jones|Nystrom

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

iQuest Program (NSF award 0833753/CSUSM)

IVS Computer Technology

Lightspeed Systems

McGraw Hill Education

Mission Federal Credit Union

NASA/Space Place (web site)

National University School of Education

Point Loma Nazarene University

Quick and Associates

Reuben H. Fleet Science Center

San Diego Children and Nature (SDCaN)

San Diego Computer-Using Educators (SDCUE)

San Diego Festival of Science

San Diego Science Educators Association (SDSEA)

San Diego State University Ed Tech Department

San Diego Zoo and Safari Park

Sea Life Carlsbad Aquarium

SecurityWorks Inc. 

SMART Technologies

SP Controls

Technology in Education/Hovercam

Triumph Learning

UCSD Cosmos

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Robert A. Dean
Memorial Scholarship

Bob Dean was an inspiring leader in science education for decades both locally and nationally.  As Science Coordinator at the San Diego County Office of Education, he founded the Greater San Diego Science Teachers Association, which later became SDSEA.  He also helped found the San Diego Computer Using Educators Association (SDCUE). In addition he established the Southern California Association of Science Supervisors (SCASS) and was president of the National Science Supervisors Association, later to become NSELA.  After "retiring" from the County Office of Education, he and his wife Melanie wrote, received, and coordinated many NSF grants for summer science teacher training academies at UCSD.

Bob's impact on science education in our area and beyond was amazing.  He constantly sought to bring out the best in everyone around him, and tirelessly encouraging others to pursue their dreams.  In this spirit, SDSEA is announcing a science leadership scholarship fund in his memory. Details are available by clicking the "Scholarships" link at the left.

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Need help with this website?  Here are some hints for getting started.  You can also email Kevin Fairchild at admin@sdsea.org.


 
 
Contact us: SDSEA President Chuck Abel; Webmaster Chuck Abel
© 2010 San Diego Science Educators Association
SDSEA is an associated group of the National Science Teachers Association and an affiliate of the California Science Teachers Association.
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