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Changes Urged in Rules for Federal Innovation Aid
Nov 20 2009 - Education Week
As the U.S. Department of Education prepares final rules for the $650 million Investing in Innovation Fund, officials face strong concerns from school districts and philanthropies that requiring matching funds from the private sector is unworkable and would turn foundations into the gatekeepers for these federal grants.
Science Journalism Awards Announced
Nov 20 2009 - National Science Foundation
A television feature about growing diamonds in the lab, and a radio story that dramatizes some strange coincidences in a discussion of randomness and probability won recognition earlier this month in the 2009 AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Awards.
Congratulations!
Nov 20 2009 - Jamaica Plain Gazette
Nicole Yana Davis won a fellowship through the National Science Teachers Association's New Science Teacher Academy.
Governor Opposes Delay in WASL Math and Science Testing
Nov 20 2009 - The Olympian
Gov. Chris Gregoire said Thursday she opposes state schools chief Randy Dorn's proposal to delay the requirement for students to pass math and science tests to graduate, because the state's economy depends on Washington students leaving high school well trained in both subjects.
Gates Foundation Gives $335M for Teacher Quality
Nov 20 2009 - The Boston Globe
Three school districts and a coalition of charter schools have agreed to be test kitchens for some radical ideas for improving teacher quality—from paying new teachers to spend another year practicing before getting their own class to letting student test scores affect teacher pay. In exchange, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is handing them the biggest pile of cash it has spent on education reform in about a decade.
Four Teachers Named U.S. Professors of the Year
Nov 19 2009 - USA Today
Teaching is more than lecturing: It is helping students experience their education, say the four 2009 U.S. Professors of the Year, who are being recognized today by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
Mouse Study Points to Treatment for Down Syndrome
Nov 19 2009 - Reuters
Increasing the levels of a message-carrying chemical in the brain may help prevent some of the memory deficits in Down syndrome that hinder learning and make it hard for the brain to develop normally, according to researchers.
Innovative Countries, Energized Campuses
Nov 19 2009 - The New York Times (requires free registration)
A new report on Innovation for Development out of the European Business School ranks countries' ability to propel innovation in ways that advance societies. (The U.S. comes in third, behind Sweden and Finland.)
The Quest to Stop the Brain Drain
Nov 19 2009 - The Boston Globe
Computer products are popular among older Americans searching for ways to stay mentally sharp. Researchers, however, have yet to determine whether these brain games deliver what they promise.
Scholars: Parent-School Ties Should Shift in Teen Years
Nov 19 2009 - Education Week (requires registration)
Adolescents' needs have been overlooked by researchers and policymakers intent on boosting parental engagement, a new book concludes.
Sun May Not Be a 'Goldilocks' Star
Nov 19 2009 - ScienceNews
The stars that are just right to support life might be dimmer and longer-lived than the Sun.
Large Hadron Collider Repaired for Relaunch
Nov 18 2009 - The Guardian
Scientists have repaired the world's largest atom smasher and plan by this weekend to restart the machine.
CoSN Seeks More ICT Lessons from Abroad
Nov 18 2009 - eSchool News
To learn from colleagues abroad, a delegation of U.S. education technology leaders from the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) visited Scotland and the Netherlands last week to learn more about the world's first national intranet for education, international approaches to online safety, and more.
New Website Highlights Research Supported by Stimulus Legislation
Nov 18 2009 - The Chronicle of Higher Education
Top public and private universities teamed up with members of Congress to launch a new website and related efforts to highlight the role of the multibillion-dollar economic-stimulus legislation in fostering research both on and off campus.
Mark Your Calendar
Nov 18 2009 - NSTA Reports
NSTA Dates to Remember
Exercise Balls Get Education Rolling
Nov 18 2009 - The Los Angeles Times
Classrooms that have replaced chairs with balls and ball chairs see better results. The devices sharpen students' attention and improve posture, teachers say.
Could Jupiter Moon Harbor Fish-Size Life?
Nov 18 2009 - National Geographic News
In the oceans of a moon hundreds of millions of miles from the Sun, something fishy may be alive—right now.
Scientists Discover Heart Disease in Ancient Egyptian Mummies
Nov 18 2009 - Voice of America News
An international team of scientists has discovered heart disease in ancient Egyptian mummies, dispelling the view that cardiovascular disease is an illness of modern humans.
Stakeholders Advise on National Ed-Tech Plan
Nov 17 2009 - eSchool News
Train every pre-service teacher to teach online in teacher-education programs at colleges and universities; invest in the development of open courseware with federal and state funding; encourage the use of technology to create new forms of assessment that better measure student learning gains; provide national standards for school IT support: These are some of the many recommendations the U.S. Department of Education has received so far as officials prepare a new National Education Technology Plan.
Peek Into NSTA Press
Nov 17 2009 - NSTA Reports
Activity 19: Exploring Cellular Shape Using Area
No Gattaca Here: Genetic Anti-Discrimination Law Goes Into Effect
Nov 17 2009 - Discover
The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act prevents both employers and insurance companies from requiring genetic tests or from using your family's medical history against you.
Surprising Discovery Explains Formation of New Memories
Nov 17 2009 - U.S. News & World Report
Short-term memory may depend in a surprising way on the ability of newly formed neurons to erase older connections. The report provides some of the first evidence in mice and rats that new neurons sprouted in the hippocampus cause the decay of short-term fear memories in that brain region, without an overall memory loss.
Had Flu? You May Have H1N1 Protection
Nov 17 2009 - Reuters
People who have had repeated flu infections—or repeated flu vaccines—may have some protection against the new pandemic swine influenza, U.S. researchers said on Monday.
Competing to Learn
Nov 16 2009 - NSTA Reports—Lynn Petrinkjak
You know your students are doing good work, but how do you know how they compare to their peers around your region or the country? For teachers using project-based learning in their curricula, competitions can be the answer.
Selling Lessons Online Raises Cash and Questions
Nov 16 2009 - The New York Times (requires free registration)
Thousands of teachers are selling lesson plans online. While some of the money is going toward classroom supplies, some teachers are spending it on themselves, leading school officials to question who owns material developed for public school classrooms.
China Joins Supercomputer Elite
Nov 16 2009 - BBC News
China has become one of a handful of nations to own one of the top five supercomputers in the world. The machine packs more than 70,000 chips and can compute 563 trillion calculations per second (teraflops).
Psychologist Wins Million-Dollar Prize for Work on the Adolescent Brain
Nov 16 2009 - ScienceInsider
Temple University psychologist Laurence Steinberg has been awarded the first Klaus J. Jacobs Research Prize. The new award, worth $1 million, comes from the Zurich-based Jacobs Foundation, founded by chocolate magnate Klaus Jacobs. It's designed to further "groundbreaking contributions to the improvement of the living conditions of young people."
Global Health Alliance Targets Chronic Disease Wave
Nov 16 2009 - Reuters
An alliance of the world's top public health researchers set out plans on Monday to invest tens of millions of dollars in heart and lung disease studies in a battle against a global epidemic of chronic disease.
Funding for Common Assessments Poses Challenge
Nov 16 2009 - Education Week
The U.S. Department of Education faces challenges in spending $350 million in economic-stimulus money to aid consortia of states in developing common assessments in reading and mathematics.
On Top of the World in Antarctica
Nov 13 2009 - Judy McKee
Paul Jones, a former science teacher from Montezuma, Iowa, spent years preparing for his adventurous post-retirement job: He has been a contractor for the past five years at the McMurdo Station in Antarctica.
How to Fix the STEM Education 'Crisis'
Nov 13 2009 - eSchool News
According to experts ranging from White House advisors to leading education organizations, the state of math and science instruction in the United States is in crisis—and only a major overhaul of the U.S. education system will get the nation back on track.
NASA Finds 'Significant' Water on Moon
Nov 13 2009 - CNN
NASA said Friday it had discovered water on the moon, opening "a new chapter" that could allow for the development of a lunar space station.
Record High Temperatures Far Outpace Record Lows Across U.S.
Nov 13 2009 - Science Daily
Spurred by a warming climate, daily record high temperatures occurred twice as often as record lows over the last decade across the continental United States, new research shows.
End of the Line for Spirit Rover?
Nov 13 2009 - ScienceInsider
The Mars rover that has been stuck in talcum-powder-like soil the past 6 months is in a bad way, its NASA team reported in a press conference.
Rules Set for $4 Billion 'Race to Top' Contest
Nov 13 2009 - Education Week
For a good shot at the $4 billion in grants from the federal Race to the Top Fund, states will need to make a persuasive case for their education reform agenda, demonstrate significant buy-in from local school districts, and develop plans to evaluate teachers and principals based on student performance.
Malaria’s Deadly Leap from Chimps to Humans
Nov 13 2009 - The Boston Globe
According to new research led by a University of Massachusetts at Amherst scientist, the parasite responsible for 85% of human malaria infections and nearly all of the deaths jumped from chimpanzees to humans in relatively recent times.
Canada Will Require Foreign Students to Submit Biometric Identification Data
Nov 13 2009 - The Chronicle of Higher Education
International students applying for study visas to Canada will be required to provide biometric identification details, such as fingerprints, within two years, according to a senior Canadian immigration official.
Signature of Antimatter Detected in Lightning
Nov 13 2009 - ScienceNews
The Fermi telescope finds evidence that positrons, not just electrons, are in storms on Earth.
Can You Afford to Retire?
Nov 12 2009 - Judy McKee
We're all concerned about money these days, but apprehensions increase as retirement approaches and people wonder if they can afford to leave the workforce. If you are asking this question, remember to do the math.
U.S. Science Group Seeks Cooperation with Cuba
Nov 12 2009 - Reuters
A group led by the head of the United States' biggest science organization is in Cuba this week to discuss ways to rekindle scientific cooperation as U.S.-Cuba relations slowly improve under U.S. President Barack Obama.
States Lag in Educational Innovation, Report Says
Nov 12 2009 - Education Week
A report card issued Monday on state-level innovation in education found what a trio of ideologically varied groups sees as deeply disturbing results, with most states earning C's, D's, or even F's in such key areas as technology, high school quality, and removal of ineffective teachers.
Mini Space Elevator Races for $900K Prize
Nov 12 2009 - Voice of America News
A team from Washington state has won $900,000 from NASA for building a miniature space elevator. The competition asked entrants to build a prototype of a machine that could one day shuttle people from the Earth's surface into outer space along a cable tethered to an orbiting satellite.
District Nixes Cash-for-Grades Fundraiser
Nov 12 2009 - The News & Observer
Selling candy didn't raise much money last year, so a Goldsboro middle school tried selling grades. However, the fundraiser came to an abrupt halt after a story in The News & Observer raised concerns about the practice of selling grades.
Club Aims to Build Girls into Engineers
Nov 12 2009 - The Washington Post (requires free registration)
Last week, Karin Hill, the director of education and public programs for the National Museum of the United States Navy in the District, visited Calvert Middle School in Prince Frederick. Her mission: to teach the members of the school's all-girls engineering club how to make a barometer out of a soup can, a balloon, a sewing needle, and a straw.
New Type of Supernova Discovered
Nov 12 2009 - National Geographic News
An odd star explosion 160 million light-years away might be the first proof of a theoretical new class of supernova, astronomers suggest.
Project Shows Kids Butterflies Growing in Space
Nov 12 2009 - MSNBC
Students nationwide are getting a chance to see how butterflies develop in space, compared to here on Earth.
Fighting Obesity May Take a Village
Nov 12 2009 - The Wall Street Journal
Exercise more. Avoid junk food. Such common-sense health advice has proved no match against the temptations of modern life, which have sent obesity rates around the world soaring.
African Clues to Antarctic Ice
Nov 11 2009 - NSTA Reports—Lynn Petrinjak
Fossilized plankton shells from Tanzania are helping scientists understand the link between carbon dioxide and Antarctic ice sheets.
District Dispatches
Nov 10 2009 - NSTA Reports
Find out what's going on in your area—and farther afield—with NSTA's District Dispatches.
Scientists Want Debate on Animals with Human Genes
Nov 10 2009 - Reuters
A mouse that can speak? A monkey with Down's Syndrome? Dogs with human hands or feet? British scientists want to know if such experiments are acceptable, or if they go too far in the name of medical research.
States Lag on School Innovation
Nov 10 2009 - eSchool News
To reform the American education system, states and districts need more flexibility, better accountability, more capacity, and a stronger reform environment, according to a report card released by a coalition of concerned organizations.
Ford Foundation Gives $100 Million to Reform Urban High Schools
Nov 10 2009 - Los Angeles Times
The New York-based organization pledges the funds to seven cities, including Los Angeles, to research and improve teacher quality, student assessment, and school funding, among other things.
Ford Foundation Gives $100 Million to Reform Urban High Schools
Nov 10 2009 - Los Angeles Times
The New York-based organization pledges the funds to seven cities, including Los Angeles, to research and improve teacher quality, student assessment, and school funding, among other things.
More Oregon Students Are Getting Math
Nov 10 2009 - The Oregonian
Oregon math teachers have moved middle schoolers far enough ahead in math that the typical eighth-grader now can do math at nearly the same level as many high school sophomores. Middle school students in every racial, ethnic, and income group show greater mastery of mathematics.
Weathering a Challenge
Nov 9 2009 - NSTA Reports—Lynn Petrinjak
The National Park Foundation has found a way to increase student engagement with national parks: Take urban teenagers from across the United States and put them in a national park for nearly five weeks.
V-Frog Gets Jump on Digital Dissection
Nov 9 2009 - The Buffalo News
One of the country's most vocal animal rights groups is spreading the word about a virtual dissection program developed and sold by a University at Buffalo high-tech spin-off company.
Teachers Help Youths Speak Science
Nov 9 2009 - The Tampa Tribune
Science teacher Kathryn Bylsma noticed something during the years as she tried to engage her middle school students in their lessons. Forget grasping the scientific concepts. Students often struggled just to get past the science vocabulary.
Koalas Could Face Extinction
Nov 9 2009 - BBC News
Australia's koalas could be wiped out within 30 years unless urgent action is taken to halt a decline in population, according to researchers.
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