About Integrating STEM Education at CU Boulder
Integrating STEM Education in the News
BLOrk: Boulder Laptop Orchestra
The University of Colorado Boulder presents the Boulder Laptop Orchestra which began as a result of an encounter between Professor John Gunther and doctoral student Charles Dietrich. Musicians and artists produce musing using a laptop, a hemispherical speaker, and numerous controls including video game accessories. The general concept has been adapted from Princeton's Laptop Orchestra (PLOrk) which began in 2006 and creates a music ensemble for both music and non-music majors. Funding for the BLOrk has been possible through John Gunther's Chancellor's Award for Excellence in STEM Education. For more information about BLOrk, please read the full article featured on the CU-Boulder website.
Boulder Laptop Orchestra Event, March 2!
The Boulder Laptop Orchestra (BLOrk) will have a performance on March 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the ATLAS theatre. The event is open to the public, and audiences are advised to arrive 15 minutes early. Seating is first-come, first-served. BLOrk will perform works by John Cage, Ornette Coleman and Pauline Oliveros as well as original works by ensemble members. The concert will also incorporate research from CU doctoral students Charles Dietrich (Computer Science) and Chris Chronopoulos (Astrophysics). Experience data that was originally emitted from the sun and then recorded, cleaned, raised to an octave and tonality that humans can easily hear and turned into sounds that can be played on a keyboard. CU astrophysics doctoral student Chris Chronopoulos made this portion of the concert possible. A 3D camera will track the movement of the hands and fingers of CU computer science doctoral student Charles Dietrich. Using Intel technology, the frequency and volume of sound will changes with a wiggle and wave of his fingers, creating a new musical instrument.
BLOrk partners with leading artists in the fields of music, visual arts and technology to showcase creative innovations in both art and technology. Among the tools that BLOrk uses in its shows: traditional acoustic instruments, iPads, laptops, SuperCollider software and hemispherical speakers that project sound in a way similar to that of acoustic instruments. BLOrk is the ensemble-in-residence of the Atlas Institute’s Center for Media, Art and Performance and is led by College of Music faculty John Gunther and John Drumheller. This concert is made possible in part by funding from the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in STEM Education. For directions to the ATLAS building see
here and here.
CU Teach students are DYE-ing to get kids interested in science
The Daily Camera featured a story highlighting the various work in which CU Teach students participate with middle schoolers. IBM's E-Week was this week (Feb. 19-21, 2013) and many students from the CU Teach program assisted the company in the various educational activities. One of those activities is a tie dye station where kids get to make their own t-shirts and learn the chemistry behind all of those cool colors. The goal of E-Week is to promote an interest in STEM fields by getting kids excited about math and science. With the participation of IBM's Boulder offices, E-Week provides numerous activities for approximately 1,000 Colorado K-12 students. Read the full article
The Denver Post Features 3-D Printing and the Center for STEM Learning
A recent article in The Denver Post features the increasingly popular practice of 3-dimensional printing. As the article explains, schools and universities have integrated the technology into their classrooms to promote participation in STEM fields. Beth Stade, a researcher with the Center for STEM learning, has brought attention to the 3-D printing industry by purchasing two printers for students to use. This article is a glimpse of the technology's future and how it is boosting the industry in Colorado. Read the full article
CU Teach lauded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
In December 2012, the CU Teach program received a $200,000 gift from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. This generous donation adds to the $625,000 that have already been donated by various alumni and education research grants. This gift places CU Teach one step closer to the $1 million goal that will be matched by the National Science and Mathematics Institute for a total of a $2 million endowment. The success of the CU Teach program has dramatically increased the number of science and mathematics majors that have continued into secondary education. If you are able and interested in supporting this exceptional math and science teacher program, please contact Margot Neufeld at the University of Colorado Foundation.
CU to host Colorado Collaborative for Girls in STEM
A recent article in the Daily Camera features a story about a LEGO League team advancing to the state championships. The University of Colorado and its 45+ collaborating STEM programs will host and support the Colorado Collaborative in order to encourage and inspire young girls to pursue interests in STEM fields. The article references studies conducted by CU researchers to improve the gender gap, which the Collaborative continues to address. Read the article
CU STEM a Leader in Supporting Brazilian Study Abroad Program
The Scientific Mobility Undergraduate Program is one of Brazil's most popular study abroad programs. It funds students--most commonly in STEM fields--to study abroad in various countries including the US, Spain, Portugal, and France. After completing two semesters of study and an internship, the students can return to Brazil to finish their degrees. It provides a unique opportunity to promote global relations. CU-Boulder is ranked third in supporting these students, alongside Iowa State University. Read the full article
Missed the 4th Annual Symposium?
This year's symposium included more than 50 posters from three universities and over 20 on-campus programs and projects. A majority of these posters are available for further viewing at the symposium poster page located here.
Conifer High School engages students using PhET Simulations, CPR story says
A story on Colorado Public Radio reported on Boulder's Conifer High School's use of PhET's interactive simulations. As Colorado students' interest and engagement in STEM subjects decreases, schools are searching for resources to improve performance, and PhET simulations do exactly that. In Trish Loeblein's science class, the students use the "Build an Atom" simulation with positive results. Read the story
Mike Klymkowsky wins Outstanding Undergraduate Science Teacher of the Year
Recognized by the National Science Teachers Association, Mike Klymkowsky has been awarded the title of Outstanding Undergraduate Science Teacher of the Year for 2013. Congratulations Mike! As a recipient of this award, Mike is invited to give a lecture at the National Science Teachers Association spring conference. This talk on science pedagogy, teaching techniques and strategies, and also research. The Society of College Science Teachers is drafting a press release and an announcement to appear in the next newsletter. Links will be added upon receipt of those materials.
Carl Wieman urges national STEM education reform
A recent article in Science Insider, a branch of Science magazine, features Carl Wieman's appeal to the United States Senate for more productive education reform during a hearing by its commerce and science committee. He strongly critiqued that there has been little to no change in the level of interest in STEM fields, and the reason for this occurrence is the lack of attention to changing how schools and classrooms are organized. Teaching STEM effectively, he says, requires practice on the part of the student, much like an athletic sport. Unfortunately, this approach to education is not what he has seen implemented in classrooms, be it K-12 or college-level. Read the article
David Bergeron visit sparks discussion, CU press
On Monday, September 17, David Bergeron visited CU-Boulder and met with many of our STEM faculty and iSTEM project directors. The acting Assistant U.S. Secretary for Post-secondary Education participated in a roundtable discussion on CU's plan for preparing teachers in STEM fields. This is all in line with President Obama's plan to have a more competitive workforce by the year 2020. He praised CU's efforts in leading the charge to improve high school and college-level courses and training the best possible candidates for careers in STEM education. Read the article
Classroom iPad research making internet rounds
It's always nice to hear that your research is making the rounds outside of the world of academia, and Ben Van Dusen has achieved such a status. The use of iPad technology in classrooms was recently mentioned in a Google+ discussion which led to an article on Physics Central which featured some of Ben's results. The article praises the idea and the supporting research of incorporating iPads into middle and high school science classrooms as an engaging tool to promote physics education. Read the article
Engineering Research "Photo Origami" project wins NSF grant
Many professors and researchers have a lot of celebrating to do. Their project in "photo origami" has won a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation. As the name suggests, the engineering research team--led by Associate Professor Jerry Qi (mechanical engineering)--is working to improve upon and work the idea of transforming a flat design into a three-dimensional structure. The "origami" of the project is based on the fact that there is little understanding of the scaling laws that allow matter the ability to "reorient" itself, resulting in folding patterns. Among the rest of the team are Robert McLeod (electrical engineering), Kurt Maute (aerospace engineering), Beth Stade (mathematics), and Patrick Mather (Syracuse University). Read the article
Henderson, Dancy, and Niewiadomska-Bugaj article chosen for PERTG pilot project
The Physics Education Research Topical Group has been working on a pilot project to help promote PER media coverage using newsworthy PER articles in distributed press releases. The first article to be used for this pilot project is from CU-Boulder's very own Melissa Dancy. Her article, Faculty try innovative teaching methods, but don't stick with it, co-authored with Charles Henderson and Magdalena Niewiadomska-Bugaj, was released on the AAPT press page. View the press release
CUTeach's Erin Furtak is awarded the Presidential Early Career Award
School of Education Associate Professor Erin Furtak is among four CU-Boulder faculty to receive the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) given by the White House. The University of Colorado is proud to boast it's second-place standing for universities receiving PECASE awards. Massachusetts Institute of Technology was awarded five for the 2012 academic year. Professor Furtak's award honors her effort to develop new tools to support high school teachers. Read the full article
Stephanie Chasteen to give a Clicker Seminar
On Wednesday, August 15, 2012, Stephanie Chasteen will give a seminar on producing more effective clicker questions. the seminar will focus on increasing student engagement while effectively conveying information with the peer instruction method of teaching. The seminar will be held in ATLAS 200 at 2:30PM. See the event page
iSTEM Efforts Reach Columbine Elementary School
An article in the June 2012 issue of The Coloradan features David Rahmani, a grad student in physics, implementing techniques to improve students' interest and understanding in STEM areas. iSTEM's efforts strive to improve the United States' rank in math and science comprehension by encouraging students to pursue science at a young age. Read the article
Sciencegeekgirl Podcast featured in ASSETT article
Stephanie Chasteen and her acclaimed podcast series Learning about Teaching Physics were featured on the ASSETT news page. The article outlines the mission of the podcast and praises the course improvement strategies that Chasteen and Boulder High School science teacher Michael Fuchs strive to accomplish. Read the article
Component Design students build adaptive bikes for children with disabilities
A recent article in The Daily Camera featured many students from Daria Kotys-Schwartz's Component Design class. As their assignment for the entire semester, the students designed and built bicycles to fit children with disabilities. The bikes were unveiled in the Design Expo and Adaptive Bicycle Run-Off in April. Read the article
Congratulations to Ian Caldwell!
It has been announced that Education student and JILA employee Ian Caldwell received the Knowles Fellowship as a future teacher. This prestigious award is only given to a select few talented individuals every year in the United States. The Knowles Science Teaching Foundation supports the commitment to teaching and the fellowship is specifically designed to help meet the needs of teachers' early careers. Congratulations to Ian on this outstanding accomplishment!
Noah Finkelstein receives President's Teaching Scholar honor
Physics professor Dr. Noah Finkelstein, along with Dr. Harihar Rajaram (Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering), have been designated as President's Teaching Scholars for 2012. This honor is bestowed upon those who illustrate excellence and commitment to teaching and learning, and who also contribute a substantial amount of effort to scholarly work. For more information on the appointment and about Dr's. Finkelstein and Rajaram, read the article.
CU news feed features LA Program Founders Richard McCray and Valerie Otero
The story illustrates the humble beginnings of the Learning Assistant Program when it was merely Astrophysics Professor Richard McCray's desire to improve science curricula around campus. With collaboration with Education Associate Professor Valerie Otero, that desire became the Learning Assistant Program, a science education program to help students in traditional math, science, and engineering courses. Since then, the program has spread to K-12 schools and encourages the LAs to pursue teaching careers. Read the article
CU homepage features story of undergrad project in GEEN 1400 course
Students in Seth Murray's GEEN 1400 course recently completed a project that required them to design playground toys for blind children. The children were recently able to test these toys in a classroom in the ITLL (Integrated Teaching and Learning Laboratory). Seth Murray's main goal for the students was to help them learn how to design, test, and manufacture engineered prototypes. Read the article/watch video
University of St. Thomas TRUSE Conference features CU's best
MAny of CU's STEM professors and supporters will speak at the University of St. Thomas's Conference to Promote the Integration of Research on Undergraduate Science and Mathematics Education (TRUSE). The conference will feature STEM associates Dr's. Melissa Dancy, Noah Finkelstein, and Mike Klymkowsky. The conference will focus on themes of STEM research, assessment, and teaching. See the conference page
Andrew Martin featured in The Chronicle of Higher Education
Andrew Martin and his Environmental Biology class were featured in The Chronicle for the use of "flipping" the lecture. Flipping is described as structuring the class in such a way that students complete homework type problems in class while doing lecture-type readings and interactive videos at home. Studies of this classroom setup have shown increased in students' learning. Read the article
NEW Book on Physics Teacher Preparation!
Check out the newly published book from the collaboration of the Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC). The book is a compilation of many research articles involving the science of preparing teachers in physics and physical sciences. It is the product of the increased recognition of the necessity to improve physics and physical science teachers. Follow the link to view the abstract, goal, and objectives of the book!
Eric Stade and David Webb selected to partner with APLU's SMT Imperative
The Association for Public and Land-grant Universities began a Mathematics Teacher Education Partnership which collaborates with about five education coalitions around the country. The math education coalition from CU-Boulder has been chosen as one of the five teams to partner for the MTE-Partnership. This accomplishment and recognition further endorses CU-Boulder's continued devotion to national education reform. Articles in Arts & Sciences Magazine and the CU Faculty Newsletters will be published soon. Links to those stories will be provided as they develop.
Al Bartlett gives lecture on KGNU
Professor Emeritus Albert Bartlett was a guest on KGNU radio 88.5 FM and 1390 AM and lectured on maintaining a sustainable environment. Listen to the interview
Kris Gutierrez named to Literacy Research Panel
The literacy and learning sciences professor was named to participate in the Literacy Research Panel of the International Reading Association. The panel focuses on literacy issues that involve the key stakeholders in the education field including teachers, administrators, parents, and policy makers. Gutierrez is one of 16 members who will investigate the four issues of its main focus: the achievement gap, motivation and engagement, standards and assessments, and teacher education. Read the article
PhET featured in NSF news
The National Science Foundation featured PhET Simulations in its most recent newsletter. The article outlines the project's goals and features interviews from other professors who benefit from using the simulations. Read the article
CU joins the 100Kin10 movement
The 100Kin10 movement strives to prepare 100,000 STEM teachers in 10 years. By recruiting, preparing, educating and supporting new teachers, students can be better prepared to actively participate in the nation's ever important democracy and economy. The University of Colorado joins the 30+ institutions and corporate partners in an effort to reach this goal.
Daily Camera reports on CU's drastic budget cuts, professors weigh in
A report from the Daily Camera outlines the statistics of public funding for the country's universities. As public funding is consistently reduced, the funding must come from elsewhere--say the students' tuition bills. Colorado, being one of the lowest-funded states in the country, must raise tuition by 15.7 percent this year to sustain itself. Noah Finkelstein explains why this inflation could drastically hinder the progression of the university itself and of the country as a whole. Read the article
Noah Finkelstein to give keynote address at UNM education Conference
On February 15, 2012, the University of New Mexico will hold the seventh annual education conference entitled Success in the Classroom: Sharing Practices that Work. The conference provides an opportunity for professors and other educators to share their most effective teaching strategies with others. Noah will be the keynote speaker at this event. Event details here
New legislation to support growth in STEM fields
A recent article from The Daily Camera illustrates the positive effects of a newly proposed bill that would allow foreign grad students studying STEM fields to stay in the United States. Noah Finkelstein and Patricia Rankin both mentioned that, with this bill, students' visas would be valid for longer periods of time, and public universities would be able to recruit more international students. The effects of these changes include an increased number of "the best and brightest" learning and working in the U.S. and the ability to provide low-income students with scholarships for studying STEM fields. Read the article
CU Featured in Physics Today article on STEM Teaching
The article briefly highlighted CU's efforts in improving the way STEM subjects are taught at the post secondary level. Physics Today talked with Carl Wieman about the issues and benefits of seeking a culture change in STEM teaching. The new initiative, developed by the Association of American Universities, proposes a five year, three-phase program to help improve the United States' performance in STEM departments. Read the article
Kathy Perkins featured in CU Connections "Five Questions" interview
The University of Colorado Connections website periodically features interviews of professors from all of the campuses. In Kathy's interview, she touches on the subjects of her education and career histories as well as the development and success of PhET Interactive Simulations. Read the article
NCWIT noted for growing success of gender diversity in Computer Science
The Computer Science department is reporting the number of women in the bachelor's degree program has doubled in the past five years. This meritorious success is due in part to the many high school and college level outreach programs to encourage women to join Engineering, Applied Science, and Information Technology degree programs. The National Center for Women in Information Technology (NCWIT) is one such program. The program has a national goal to decrease the gender gap and improve gender parity in technology fields (computing, IT, etc.) over the next few decades. Read the article
iSTEM Hosts Third Annual Symposium on STEM Education
On October 10, 2011, Integrating STEM Education hosted its third annual Symposium on STEM Education. The event was held at Folsom Stadium in the Club Level. Howard Gobstein, the Vice President of Research and Science Policy of the APLU provided the keynote address. In attendance were key stakeholders including members of the Board of Regents, city and state elected officials, university administration, and prominent community members. This symposium provided the opportunity to announce this year's Chancellor's Fellows and bring together the community that is Colorado STEM education. Visit the 2011 symposium page for photos and details about the event.
iSTEM Mentioned in Chancellor DiStefano's State of the Campus Address
Among topics for improving the University of Colorado Boulder campus, Chancellor DiStefano highlighted the achievements of the STEM education programs. He specifically noted the action the programs are taking to address the shortage of math and science teachers. Praising the increased number of STEM majors acquiring math and science teacher certifications, the Chancellor was proud to boast the statistic that teaching certificate enrollment has tripled in three years for physics and chemistry majors. Watch the address here
PhET Wins Tech Award!
PhET Simulations has been bestowed the honor of being one of 3 laureates of the 2011 Tech Awards. The Tech Awards are a capital program of The Tech Museum and are funded by Applied Materials, Inc. This success comes at the heels of such feats as creating 106 simulations which have been translated into 64 languages, and have acquired 50 million uses in over 200 countries and territories. Congratulations, PhET! This honor is greatly deserved. Read the press release. And now featured on CU Connections!
Doug Duncan and CU mentioned in clicker article
In a recent article published by The Chronicle of Higher Education, Doug Duncan and the students of the University of Colorado Boulder were mentioned in statistics about cheating with clickers in the classroom. The article articulates the process of absentee students receiving class attendance and participation points by giving their clickers to fellow classmates. Interviewed professors offer solutions to other educators who have problems with cheating students. Read the full article
Trish Loeblein Nominated for Presidential Award for Excellence
Trish Loeblein of PhET is nominated for a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics & Science Teaching. She is among two other finalists for the state of Colorado. The award is administered to STEM teachers from each of the fifty states and the four U.S. jurisdictions by the National Science Foundation on behalf of the White House. Teachers are awarded the Presidential Award for contributions to education and their ability to help students make progress in mathematics and science. Congratulations Trish! Click here for more information.
Streamline to Mastery program published on CU special reports site
Streamline to Mastery is a program conceived by Associate Professor Valerie Otero which collaborates graduate students and professors from CU with public school teachers who are new to teaching. This collaboration develops the new teachers into educational leaders and readies them to find solutions to the challenges of teaching. Read the article
Doug Duncan Receives Richard H. Emmons Award
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific has awarded astrophysics professor Dr. Doug Duncan with this prestigious award for his excellence in teaching college-level astronomy. His recognition is for the use of iclickers and other technologies to teach concepts that are difficult to understand otherwise. The article covers subjects of his education and teaching histories as well as a short (but thoroughly entertaining) biography. Read the article. Doug's story is also featured on the CU Connections page, check out that article.
Jenny Knight, Michelle Smith featured in HHMI article
Former education researcher Michelle Smith is featured in an article of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. It tells the story of her postdoc studies at CU Boulder and the University of Maine and how her research, like many others', is vastly different than what it used to be. Nowadays, postdoc research positions focus on the best ways of improving teaching to best fit the ways students learn. She and MCDB senior Professor Jenny Knight reflect upon their research and success with educational reform. Read the article
Mike Klymkowsky Featured in Arts & Sciences Magazine and Mind Shift
MCD Biology professor Mike Klymkowsky is just one of many advocates for science literacy improvement on the CU Boulder campus and around the country. In the latest issue of Arts & Sciences Magazine, explains what it takes to improve math and science classes at the middle, high school, and university levels. He is also featured in an article on Mind Shift (an NPR network) on a similar topic. Read the A&S article and the MindShift article.
Dick McCray Featured in Arts & Sciences Magazine
Also featured in the latest issue of Arts & Sciences Magazine, astrophysics professor Dick McCray expresses his support for curriculum improvement and student engagement. The article explains his educational history and the various programs in which he is involved: the LA program, CUTeach, and iSTEM. Also included are his ideas for continued reform and improvement. Read the article
Summer physics outreach course receives overwhelming response
Professor Juliet Gopinath taught a weeklong summer course focused on electromagnetism for under-represented minority students. The course was supported by a grant from the CU Diversity and Excellence office, and Juliet donated her time. The goals of this program were to heighten students interest in science and technology, expose them to current optics research on the CU campus, and promote interest and participation in STEM fields. Topics covered included: electromagnetic waves, color, imaging, fiber optics, holograms, robotics, infrared light, and microwaves. Sixteen students (ages 13-17) attended the course: eight from the Trinidad Upward Bound Program, three from the Casa de la Esperanza MESA Program in Longmont, and five from the general public (representing Boulder (2), Louisville (1), Arvada (1) and Albuquerque (1)). Read the report
Integrating STEM Education is Featured on the BETR Project Site!
Noah Finkelstein, Laurel Mayhew, and Ryan O'Block were interviewed for the Business and Education Talent Readiness (BETR) project. The piece on the iSTEM program explained iSTEM's goals and mission statement, as well as the positive change it has brought the University of Colorado Boulder and the surrounding K-12 schools. The BETR Project is supported by the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment and works to promote STEM education and workforce readiness. Watch the video!
Women in Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering Group Started Spring 2011
Started by Juliet Gopinath, the Women in ECEE Group strives to increase the number of female undergraduates, graduates and faculty members within the ECEE department on campus. By pairing undergraduates with graduates, the group facilitates interaction and promotes professional and technical development in students. The group is sponsored by iSTEM and the Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering department. Read the report
Former Chancellor's Fellow Clayton Lewis Featured in Latest Faculty and Staff Newsletter
Clayton Lewis, featured in the University of Colorado Faculty and Staff Newsletter's "Five Questions" section, has demonstrated once again his passion for teaching and making computer systems more understandable. In this chronicle, he discusses his education, research, his opinions on recent innovations and the proudest moment of his career. Read the full article.
iDREAMS Featured in Latest Faculty and Staff Newsletter, The Daily Camera, and 9News
The CU-Boulder campus held the third annual Scalable Game Design Summer Institute from May 31 to June 10, 2011. The institute, put on by CU-Boulder's iDREAMS project, involved more than 60 middle- and high-school teachers from all over the nation who were interested in promoting student interest in STEM subjects. iDREAMS helped the teachers master AgentSheets, a video game design program, in order to give them an environment, the tools and support they need to incorporate the curriculum in their classrooms. The AgentSheets program allows students to build basic computation and problem solving skills needed for studies and careers in STEM areas. News of this remarkable project has spread from the CU-Boulder campus to the Boulder community, and to the Denver local news. Links to the original press release, the Newsletter article, The Daily Camera article, the 9News story, and the Boulder County Business Report
LA Program Featured in Mathematical Association of America Annual Meeting
The 2011 annual meeting of the Rocky Mountain Section of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA), held at the University of Colorado at Boulder April 8-9, 2011, featured a workshop on the use of Learning Assistants (LAs) in undergraduate Math and Science courses. The workshop was facilitated by iSTEM co-Directors Noah Finkelstein and Valerie Otero, and by Colorado Learning Assistant co-Director Laurie Langdon. Twenty-six post-secondary Math educators from around the Rocky Mountain region registered for the workshop. LAs are talented undergraduate students who are hired to help transform large-enrollment courses, to make them more collaborative, student-centered, and interactive. At the same time, LAs constitute a pool from which K-12 teachers are recruited.
In this workshop, two and four-year college Math faculty were introduced to the Learning Assistant Model. Several different different approaches to implementation and funding of an LA program were discussed. Materials to assist faculty in developing and initiating such a program were provided.
Eric Stade Organized Annual Meeting of the Rocky Mountain Section of MAA
On April 8-9, 2011, the University of Colorado at Boulder hosted the annual meeting of the Rocky Mountain Section of the Mathematical Association of America. The event was organized by CU-Boulder Professor of Mathematics and iSTEM co-Director Eric Stade. Over 125 post-secondary Mathematics educators and students attended. The meeting featured four keynote speakers; a chairs' luncheon and discussion on the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics; a workshop on using Learning Assistants in college Math and Science courses; and more than 50 contributed talks, of which nearly a third concerned issues and topics in Mathematics education.
Valerie Otero Featured in a Daily Camera Fitness Article
Sporting her "lucky" turquoise blue shirt, Valerie is pictured as she finishes her workout on the "FitWall" aspect of her Iron Yogi workout. The article interviews Peter Seamans, personal trainer and instructor for the fitness program. Read the article (or just see the picture)
Mike Klymkowsky Gives a Talk at the MIT Education Group
On April 22, 2011, Professor Klymkowsky presented his topic "Bioliteracy, Concept Inventories, & Beyond... or how I evolved from a simple scientist to someone interested in effective science education" in the seminar held on the MIT campus. Highlighting points from his talk included the underestimated need for students to have background knowledge in biology which tends to be fragmented and sporadic. He also presented possible solutions to the problem and what teachers and professors can do to improve their own lessons. Read more
Colorado Diversity Initiative Awarded the 2011 President's Diversity Award
The program, which works through the College of Engineering and Applied Science, promotes and broadens access to STEM studies, degrees, and careers. The program also encourages underrepresented undergraduates, graduates and doctoral candidates to continue with their studies which results in higher graduation rates in STEM areas. The Colorado Diversity Initiative has shown that integration of minority talent has had an exceptional impact with students' career trajectories which deserves the recognition of the President's Diversity Award.
Noah Finkelstein Serves as Moderator on CWA Panel
On Wednesday, April 6, 2011, the Conference on World Affairs featured Noah Finkelstein on a panel for Science Media and Myth. The panel was held at 3:00 in the ATLAS black box.
CONGRATULATIONS!
On Wednesday, April 6, 2011, Colin Wallace and Lauren Kost-Smith had successful Ph.D. defenses. Colin's thesis, Understanding Students' Difficulties with Cosmology, focuses on methods of teaching introductory astrophysics. Lauren's thesis, Investigating the Gender Gap in Undergraduate Physics Courses, researches tools to encourage women to continue in the study of physics. Congratulations Colin and Lauren!
Janet Tsai Receives a Graduate Research Fellowship with NSF
The National Science Foundation has awarded Ph.D. student Janet Tsai a graduate research fellowship for her work in STEM education and learning research in engineering education. She was selected based on her efforts contributing to the science and engineering enterprise of the United States. Janet's fellowship will be funded for a maximum of three years in which time she will be given ample time to conduct her research and produce her annual reports. Congratulations Janet!
Noyce Fellows Part of STEM Education's Communications Efforts
The latest edition of Colorado Arts & Sciences Magazine features stories on Noyce Fellows Ryan O'Block, Hunter Cuchiaro, and Sam Sherman and their efforts in the Learning Assistant program and commitment to K-12 education. The program, founded in 2005 and funded by the National Science Foundation, has produced a total of 51 Noyce Fellows committed to K-12 science and math enrichment. The Noyce Foundation's efforts in improving science and math education have earned its place as an important advocate for STEM education in Colorado. Read the full article. On a similar note, teachengineering.org, developed with the help of members from the ITL program on campus, have been creating milestones all over the country! Read that article here
Eric Stade Announced as President's Teaching Scholar
Mathematics professor and iSTEM co-director Eric Stade was inducted this month into the President's Teaching Scholar Program. The program honors faculty members who take initiative in teaching, creative work, scholarship and research. The scholars then work to establish and develop projects that assess work in the integration of education research into teaching. With induction into the program, the honored faculty members strive to improve education and expand its possibilities throughout the University. Congratulations Eric! Read the article and the follow-up article
ISTEM Research Featured in March Issue of CBE
The March issue of CBE Life Science Education features three iSTEM-related articles featuring authors Michelle Smith, Jennifer Knight, Caleb Trujillo, Tin Tin Su, Kenneth Krauder and William Wood. The subjects of the articles vary from the benefits of using i>Clickers in small-enrollment classes to combining peer discussion with instructor explanation to the Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research (SABER) meeting report. The link to the March issue of CBE-LSE will only be available during March of 2011. Check it out!
Gutiérrez Appointed to NBES
Kris Gutiérrez, a 2011 Faculty Chancellor's Fellow, was nominated to serve on the National Board of Education Sciences by President Obama late last year. The NBES approves research grants and opportunities, and assesses the work of the U.S. Department of Education and the Institution of Education Sciences. The Senate confirmed her nomination on December 22, 2010. Her term is through 2012, with the possibility of reappointment. She is also the current president of the American Educational Research Association and also a member of the National Academy of Education. She received her Ph.D. in English and Education from CU. Congratulations Kris!
CU and iSTEM Dedicated to Mitigating Teacher Shortage
In his recent State of the Union address, President Obama presented a goal to educate, prepare, and hire more than 100,000 math and science teachers in ten years. The iSTEM program at CU has been considered a frontrunner in this initiative. Read the Daily Camera story
PhET Simulations Receives $2.5 Million in Grants
The National Science Foundation and the O'Donnell Foundation have granted the PhET Interactive Simulations Project $2.5 million to expand to middle school science classrooms. The project, which has 87 simulations used globally, offers students astounding advantages in understanding complex phenomena. Originally the sims were focused on physics material, but in recent years, it has added lessons in chemistry, mathematics, biology and earth science. Read the full article
SPIE Interviews Noah Finkelstein
SPIE, an international society for optics and photonics, interviewed Noah about his work as the director of the PER group on the CU campus as well as his work with STEM Education and research in student learning. In addition to the interview, Noah gave a presentation at the SPIE Optics + Photonics Symposium in August 2010. Watch the interview
iSTEM Symposium Celebrates Developing Campus Projects and Decades of Excellence
On November 15, 2010, iSTEM hosted its second annual symposium to celebrate excellence in STEM Education! The event included a poster session highlighting campus projects, an awards ceremony for the Chancellor's Fellows (see below!), and honored Professor Emeritus Albert Bartlett and his valued devotion to work in STEM education. Members of the Board of Regents, elected officials, members of university faculty and administration, and prominent community members were in attendance. Visit the site for photos and details! For information on iSTEM's Third Annual Symposium on STEM Education, click here.
iSTEM Meets with Lieutenant Governor-Elect Joe Garcia in CU Briefing
On October 18 2010, Valerie Otero and Noah Finkelstein met Lieutenant Governor-Elect Joe Garcia while he was visiting the University of Colorado. Garcia's visit also included meetings at the School of Education with Chancellor Phil DiStefano and Dean Lorrie Shepard and other members of faculty. Garcia discussed issues involving the BUENO Center for Multicultural Education and STEM Education. This visit was during his pursuit of candidacy for Lieutenant Governor of Colorado.
Noah Finkelstein Gives Key Note Address at Puerto Rico Conference
On October 29, 2010, Noah Finkelstein spoke at the Annual Best Practices Conference on Teaching and Learning in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The conference was sponsored by the Puerto Rico Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation. Noah's speech "Answering the Nation's Call: the Role of Scientists in Transforming Education" included information on discipline-based education research specifically at the University level and the sub-discipline of physics education research.
STEM Study Works to Reduce Gender Gap
Researchers and affiliates of STEM Education from the University of Colorado at Boulder and Stanford University have concluded that using Values Affirmation exercises in college-level introductory science classes decreases the learning and performance difference between men and women. The study tested the effectiveness of the psychological intervention, and the results look promising. Read the full study or other related press of the study on Slate, PBS, and Scientific American.
NSF Graduate Fellowships Recognizes STEM Education
The National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship program now allows STEM Education to be a field of research for its students. The Fellowship program began in 2000 to assist elementary and secondary teachers. Before this year, STEM Education was not included in the list of fields that NSF supported but looks to be a very important addition to graduate research and for the NSF portfolio. Read the full article
iSTEM Announces recipients of the Chancellor's Award for Excellence STEM Education
Congratulations to the recipients of the 2010-2011 Chancellor's Faculty and Graduate Awards for Excellence in STEM Education! Faculty awards were made to John Basey (College of Arts & Sciences – Ecology & Evolutionary Biology), Virginia Ferguson (College of Engineering & Applied Sciences – Mechanical Engineering), Jenny Knight (College of Arts & Sciences – Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology), and Heather Lewandowski & Chuck Rogers (College of Arts & Sciences – Physics). Graduate Awards were made to Heidi Iverson (School of Education), Kim Trenbath (College of Arts & Sciences – Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences), and Colin Wallace (College of Arts & Sciences – Astrophysical & Planetary Sciences). All of the 2010-2011 Chancellor’s Fellows will be recognized at the iSTEM Symposium in the fall. read more about the 2010-2011 fellows
U.S. Senate Confirms Nobel Laureate Carl Wieman as Associate Director for Science
Congratulations to Carl Wieman! On September 16, he was confirmed to serve in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy as Associate Director for Science. He is expected to head the effort in improving science education across the country. Read more about Wieman's achievement
Mini-Symposium on STEM Teacher Professional Development
On September 2, 2010, the symposium warranted development by participants and discussion of future meetings. Participants in the Symposium included representatives from Broadening Opportunity through Leadership and Diversity (BOLD), Biological Sciences Initiative, Cooperative Institute for CIRES Education Outreach, Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN), Colorado Community College System, Continuing Education & Professional Studies, CU Teach, Center to Advance Research and Teaching in the Social Sciences (CARTSS), Engaging Computer Science in Traditional Education (eCSite), Fiske Planetarium and Science Center, Integrating STEM Education at Colorado (iSTEM), the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), the Office for University Outreach (OUO), PhET Interactive Simulations, Partnerships for Informal Science Education in the Community (PISEC), Project EXTREMES, and Science Discovery. Check out the details
Bruce Alberts Visits CU
During this interactive session on August 19, 2010, Bruce Alberts delivered the Best Should Teach Lecture. Presentations were also given by Kara Gray (School of Education), Kathy Perkins (Physics/PhET/SEI), Mike Klymkowsky (MCDB), Mary Nelson (Applied Math), and Steve Pollock (Physics).
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