Monthly Archives: September 2014

Join or Support the Award-Winning Newton Ligerbots

Opportunities

The Newton Ligerbots are off to great start this year. The team received a lot of interest from students at the introductory Club Days at both Newton North and Newton South.  If you or your student are interested in the club, you can send an email to contact (AT) ligerbots.com.  Even if you are not related to a club member, you may make a tax-deductible donation online to support the team.  Join PTC, Raytheon, At Once, NDEP, McVittie Tax Advisors, Whole Foods, and R&DCORE in supporting this award-winning team.  Last year, the Ligerbots (see photos):

  • Won the WPI District Competition
  • Finished on the 2nd Alliance at the Northeastern District Competition
  • Entered the Regional Championships at BU ranked 8th in New England
  • Attended (by invitation based on earlier achievements) the World Championships in St. Louis.

Underwater Dreams: Free Movie About High-School Success in Underwater Robotics, Oct. 13

Events

The Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation (MassBioEd) will host a free showing of Underwater Dreams on October 13 (Columbus Day Holiday), 4-5:30PM at AMC Framingham, 22 Flutie Pass, Framingham.  It’s a movie about how students from a Title I high school in Phoenix learned how to build an underwater robot using parts from Home Depot — and defeated MIT in the process.  Registration is not required, and attendees will be admitted to the 200+ seat theater on a first-come, first-served basis.  Please arrive by 3:45PM.  MassBioEd encourages teachers to consider offering extra credit or homework vouchers to students attending.  Attendance vouchers will be issued.

NOAA Professional Development Workshop at New England Aquarium: Ocean Exploration, Oct. 25

Events, Opportunities

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Ocean Exploration and Research will host Why Do We Explore?, the first of a two-part professional-development workshop for Grade 5-12 educators to learn about the work of NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, the first Federal ship dedicated to ocean exploration.  Participants will learn how to use standards-based lessons and other online resources to guide classroom inquiries into reasons for ocean exploration including Climate Change, Energy, Ocean Health and Human Health.  This first workshop will be held on Saturday, October 25 from 8AM to 4PM at the New England Aquarium.  The second part will be held in the spring.  The cost is free, with $100 stipend for those attending both parts.  Space is limited.  Register by October 3 by contacting Tania Slywynskyj at the New England Aquarium (617.226.2259 or tanias@neaq.org).

Participants completing Part 1 will receive Volume 1 of the Okeanos Explorer Education Materials Collection, Why Do We Explore?, other resources, a NOAA Ocean Exploration Certificate of Participation, continental breakfast and lunch.

Robotics and Science Workshop for Teachers, UMass Lowell, Oct. 25

Events, Opportunities

UMass Lowell is hosting a free, hands-on workshop for K-12+ educators to learn about building robots, data collection, and collaborative data visualization using iSENSE — a web-based tool for use in middle-and high-school science and mathematics classrooms.  The workshop will be held in Olsen Hall on Saturday, October 25 from 9AM to 1PM. Participants will:

  • Interact with other teachers who have already used robots,
  • Build and program robot creatures,
  • Receive advanced instruction for experienced users,
  • Learn about a new science offering on using sensors in the classroom, data collection & visualization, and
  • Receive information about UMass Lowell workshops, scholarship, and funding opportunities.

Space is limited.  Register online by October 18 (earlier is better).  For more information, visit  www.cs.uml.edu/k12 or email robots@cs.uml.edu.

UMass Amherst ASPIRE: Materials Science for High School Juniors & Seniors, Sat. Mornings in January

Opportunities

The UMass Amherst Polymer Science and Engineering Department  invites high school juniors and seniors to apply for selection into its ASPIRE program.  In this free program, running on 5 consecutive Saturday mornings from January 3, students get hands-on  laboratory experience and study the synthesis, characterization, and engineering of polymers using the Conte Center’s facilities under the guidance of its graduate student mentors.  Applicants must be recommended by a high-school science teacher.  Download the application (PDF) and fax it to 413-545-0082 by November 15.  For further information, contact aspire@mail.pse.umass.edu.

Register Now: MIT Lincoln Lab’s Science on Saturday, Oct. 18

Events

Registration is now open for the next monthly Saturday-morning session Science on Saturday, on October 18 at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory (244 Wood Street in Lexington).   Dr. William Streinlein of Lincoln Laboratory will discuss Authenticating on the Internet:  How Your Computer Knows It’s You!.  Students will participate in hands-on activities to demonstrate principles of authentication.  All children must be escorted by an adult, and every adult must be escorted by a child or children.  Admission is free but each person attending must be registered.  Space is limited, so register online soon for either Session 1 (9AM to 10:30AM) or Session 2: 10:45AM to 12:15PM).  Adults much bring government photo identification.  See other rules on the registration pages.  Future programs:

  • December 6, Science of Music
  • February 7, Robotics
  • April 4, Hands-On Engineering
  • June 6, Radar

NOTE:  This is separate from the MIT Edgerton Center’s Science on Saturday program, which is held in MIT’s Kresge Auditorium on these dates:

  • October 18:  How Computers Think
  • November 15:  Optics
  • December 6:  Underwater Robotics
  • February 7:  Physics
  • March 28:  Hands-On Engineering

Professional Development in Computer Science, Grades K-5

Opportunities

Code.org is working with four Massachusetts teachers to offer free, one-day professional development workshops in computer science for K-5 teachers, librarians, and tech-ed specialists.  Register using these links:

Code.org has developed elementary-school curriculum for computer science combining online, self-guided, and self-paced tutorials with offline activities.  There are about 20 lessons for each grade level.

  • Course 1:  Early-readers (ages 4-6)  Sequences, Loops and events, Meaingful collaboaration with others, Problem-solving and perseverance techniques, Internet safety
  • Course 2:  Beginners, readers (ages 6+)  Conditionals, Algorithms, Binary code, Debugging, Societal impacts of computing
  • Course 3:  (ages 6+; prerequisite Course 2)  Problem decompostion, Functions, Nested loops and conditionals, Digital citizenship, Internet transmission methods

Registration is Open for 1st MIT Science Olympiad, Jan. 24

Events

The first MIT Science Olympiad will be held on the MIT campus on Saturday, January 24.   It will include all 23 national events for Level C (high-school) teams.  The competition is organized by Science Olympiad at MIT, an MIT student group formed last year by former national-level Science Olympians.  High-school team coaches should register soon, as space is limited to 50 teams.  Registration fee of $100 is due November 10.  For further information, call  617-253-6777 or email scioly@mit.edu.