Announcing the launch of the 2014-2015 Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching (DA) Program Online Application for K-12 teachers!

Are you a U.S.:

• Primary and/or secondary classroom teacher?
• Guidance counselor?
• Curriculum specialist?
• Curriculum head?
• Talented and Gifted coordinator?
• Special Education coordinator?
• Media specialist/librarian?

You may be eligible to participate in a unique international professional development opportunity for 3-4 months through the Fulbright Program!

By conducting educational research abroad, U.S. teachers gain new skills, learn new instructional methods and assessment methodologies and share best practices with international colleagues and students. Teachers also have the opportunity to expand their understanding of other cultures and international education systems that will enrich their U.S. schools and local communities with global perspectives.

Teachers may travel to: Chile, Finland, India, Israel, Mexico, Morocco, Palestinian Territories, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.

Access the application today: https://dafulbrightteachers.org/

Application deadline: December 15, 2013

Eligibility Requirements: http://www.fulbrightteacherexchange.org

Application Info: http://www.fulbrightteacherexchange.org/application-tp2

This program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is administered by the Institute of International Education.

Do you work in an afterschool or summer program in San Francisco?

Then get connected to the Expanded Learning Collaborative’s Technical Assistance Project and:

• Receive individualized coaching for your program
• Attend workshops
• Look for, and post jobs or other resources online
• Have lunch and network with your peers!

Interested in learning more?

Visit www.sfelc.org to sign up, join the mailing list, and get started!

The purpose of the Expanded Learning Collaborative Technical Assistance Project (ELC TAP) is to improve the quality of out of school time programs across San Francisco by increasing the awareness and use of common tools, encouraging peer learning and creating coherence in approaches to quality programming. This project is made possible through the support of the San Francisco Unified School District; the SF Department of Children, Youth, and Their Families; and the Silver Giving Foundation.

The Academy is currently recruiting for our upcoming youth program, “Virtual Expeditions”. We are looking for youth who are excited about creating a science pop-up experience for Academy visitors. Please forward to youth who you think may be interested!

Virtual Expeditions: Making Science Come Alive for the Academy’s Visitors

Digital Learning is looking for a team of teens to work together over this school year to create a “virtual science expedition” for visitors to the Academy. Youth in the program will get to learn about our recent field expeditions around the world, and then will be challenged to translate what our scientists do in the field into an interactive, fun, and educational experience for our visitors. Interacting closely with our researchers, teens will use technologies like video, sensors, and mobile devices to make science come alive on the public floor.

Applications are due September 26 at 5pm.

For questions about the Virtual Expeditions program, email Rik Panganiban

Click here to learn more about our other youth opportunities.

Program Requirements
Virtual Expeditions participants should:

• currently be in high school
• have a strong interest in science and the California Academy of Sciences
• enjoy working with digital media and technology (prior tech skills desired, but not required)
• want to create fun, educational experiences for the public
• commit to seeing through a project that will take many months to complete

Interested youth can apply here: http://tinyurl.com/VirtualExpeditions

How does the real process of science really work?

Gain a new perspective of the dynamic process of science and how it relates to you with this iTunes U course co-produced by the California Academy of Sciences and University of California Museum of Paleontology.

Designed for middle- and high-school science educators to broaden their own knowledge and understanding and to use with students, the course weaves together activities, videos, and classroom-ready materials into a primer on the process of science that includes exploration and discovery, testing ideas, community feedback and peer review, and benefits and outcomes.

Content from this course was inspired by the Understanding Science website produced by UCMP.

Click here to see course details in iTunes!

 

Teacher Feedback

“I am in the process of developing a course of my own right now. I also have been using the Earthquakes course from the Academy in my Earthquakes unit. I know I will use pieces of this course next year as well! Playing with iTunes U in this class inspired me to investigate this further.”

I enjoyed the sections that had thinking questions in them. For example, the first part “How Does Science Work?” asked students to describe in their own words… As a teacher, I appreciate things that are ready to go and include some great reflection questions!

Join KQED Education in a free two-day training series for educators interested in having students engage in writing informative or explanatory text. Hear from KQED science news staff as they provide an inside look into their process for reporting news.

Tuesday, September 17 & Wednesday, September 18, 2013
5:00 – 7:00 pm at KQED
Food and drinks provided

To register, click here and for more information or questions please contact Nancy Yamamoto

Day 1 SCIENCE NEWS + COMMON CORE
Join Molly Samuel, KQED science multimedia producer, and Lauren Sommer , KQED science and environment reporter, for an interesting discussion into what makes a compelling news story. Find out their most difficult, most fun, and oddest investigations. We’ll also take a look at the components of the Common Core Content Standards that align with writing informative/explanatory text for grades K-5.

Day 2 USING TECH
Need a tech tool to help you get started? Learn how to use a digital voice recorder that can help students record interviews and transcribe information more accurately. Participants will receive a SONY digital voice recorder for their classroom.

**This is not an Academy event, direct all inquiries directly to KQED.**

The Innovative Learning Conference

October 17 – 18, 2013
The Nueva School
Hillsborough, California
San Francisco Bay Area

An array of featured topics, including:

• Neuroscience in Education
• Design Thinking 102
• Learning Beyond Textbooks
• Literacies for the 21st Century
• Innovations in STEAM
• Assessments, Standards, and the Common Core
• Re-imagining Secondary Education
• Catalysts for Change
• Giftedness Across the Population
• Social Emotional Learning

Who should attend?

• PK-12 Teachers, Parents, Homeschoolers
• Superintendents, Principals, School Heads
• Curriculum and Staff Developers
• Educators of Gifted and Talented Students
• Social Workers, Psychologists, Counselors, Psychiatrists
• Speech-Language Pathologists, Special Educators, Learning Specialists
• Developmental Pediatricians and other Physicians
• Researchers, Policy Makers
• Scholarships and CEUs available for educators.

Please note that Thursday, October 17 is for Professional Educators only.

Educator scholarships available! Click here to register.

Save the date for our Fall and Spring Homeschool Days!

Monday, December 9, 2013

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Homeschool Days are the perfect opportunity for home schooling families to visit the Academy at discounted prices.

For these special events, we schedule an impressive amount of daily programming from opening to close: presentations, demonstrations, tours, shows, and hands-on classes. Read this post from last year’s Homeschool Day to get a sense for what we offer at these events.


We will post more information on this website about 2 months prior to each event.

If you wish to receive registration information directly to your email, you can sign up for our homeschool email list by sending us a note at homeschool@calacademy.org.

 
Can’t make it to our homeschool events?
Organize a group to visit the museum at any time of year! Homeschoolers qualify for our CA Youth Group discount program when you bring 10 or more homeschool students and their parents. For more information and to submit an application, visit our youth group website.

Or come to one of our quarterly free days on September 29, 2013 and December 8, 2013 (the day before our first Homeschool Day!)

We’ll be using the iNaturalist app and helping the fine folks of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the Parks Conservancy and the California Academy of Sciences document the many plants and critters that live here!

We’ll start with an orientation, then hit the blitz. We will wrap up with lunch (bring your own!), show off the results, find out who saw the most different kinds of critters, and, yes, hand out some prizes!

Check out the current weather at Fort Funston here: Fort Funston webcam

Register today!

More information about iNaturalist:

Creating an iNaturalist account
How to use the iNaturalist app
Global Impact

• Plan an Academy field trip around a specific exhibit.
• Learn about an exhibit’s themes and key concepts to guide your students’ experience.
• Discover Academy-written classroom and field trip activities related to the exhibit.
• Find out about the Academy’s scientific research happening behind-the-scenes.

While this is an ongoing effort, we already have guides for 4 of our exhibits. Check them out:

African Hall
Our newest addition to the educator guide collection. Journey across the African continent to explore the diverse biomes and meet some of the animals that live there. Learn about human evolution and our migration out of Africa.
 
African Hall (preK-2)
African Hall (3-5)
African Hall (6-12)

Water Planet
 
Water is life. Discover how water shapes life on Earth and the adaptations animals have for living in and out of water. Explore a variety of animals that live in water and their unique features for survival.
 
Water Planet (preK-2)
Water Planet (3-5)
Water Planet (6-12)

California Coast
 
The mix of sunshine, wind, water and geology has created one of the world’s richest temperate marine communities right here in California. Discover why our coast is special and protected.
 
California Coast (preK-2)
California Coast (3-5)
California Coast (6-12)

Earthquake
 
Earthquakes provide dramatic evidence that we live on a dynamic planet. Learn how earth processes shape Earth’s surface, affect the evolution and distribution of life on our planet, and directly
impact people’s lives.
 
Earthquake Exhibit (6-12)
Earthquake Planetarium Show (6-12)

More to come soon!

Photo Credits
Moon Jelly photo by nigham
Zebras in African Hall by Chris Picon

Introduction
The California Academy of Sciences is pleased to introduce professional learning programs for informal educators interested in exploring the theory and practice of education within free-choice settings. Our programs immerse educators in best practices for engaging the public with science and sustainability. Sessions take place at the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. Snacks are provided.

~ Flyer ~ . ~ Application ~

Goals of the Programs

• Develop a common understanding: review current research in science and sustainability education
• Reflect: observe and evaluate your own teaching; and observe ways other educators teach
• Nurture a learning community: build a network of educators through shared experiences and collect resources for designing educational activities in informal environments
• Implement changes to practice: educators develop a new activity on a topic of your choosing- or tweak an existing one- which reflects what you’ve learned

Program 1: Learning, Reflections & Science
October 2 – November 20, 2013
Wednesdays from 4:30 – 7:30pm

This program is based on the Reflecting on Practice program developed by the Lawrence Hall of Science. Participants will explore research on learning and methods for engaging learners in scientific practices. Educators must be available for all of the Wednesday night sessions.

• How Learning Happens (Oct. 2)
• Accessing Prior Knowledge (Oct. 9)
• Learning Conversations (Oct. 16)
• Observing and Discussing Practice (Oct. 23)
• Nature and Practices of Science (Oct. 30)
• Scientific Practices & the NGSS (Nov. 6)
• Observing and Discussing Practice (Nov. 13)
• Poster Session & Happy Hour (Nov. 20)

Program 2: Conservation & Sustainability Education
January 22 – March 26, 2014

This program focuses on the process for creating programs and activities that support learners in engaging with environmentally friendly actions. Participants will engage in a rapid prototyping and iterative design process. Educators must be available for all of the Wednesday night sessions from 4:30-7:30pm, and at least two Friday night sessions from 5:00-9:00pm.

• Pedagogical Strategies (Weds, Jan 22)
• Using Audience Surveys (Weds, Jan 29)
• Using Findings to Inform Design (Weds, Feb 5)
• Creating Evaluation Instruments (Weds, Feb 12)
• Prototyping with SFUSD- Richmond (Fri, Feb 21)
• Reflect and Analyze Data (Weds, February 26)
• Prototyping with SFUSD Bayview (Fri, March 7)
• Reflect and Compare Data (Weds, March 12)
• Prototyping with SFUSD Mission (Fri, March 21)
• Presentations & Happy Hour! (Weds, March 26)

Fees & Application Process
To apply for a spot in the program, please fill out the application here www.surveymonkey.com/s/ISEapp.

Applicants may select a single program, or choose to attend both. If you have questions, or want to know more, please contact Lindzy Bivings at lbivings@calacademy.org

• Individual Rate: $175 / program
• Team Rate (2 or more people from the same organization): $125 / program per person
• If these rates are outside of your ability to pay, please contact us for scholarship information

Want to spread the word? Download this flyer and distribute to your colleagues to encourage them to join your team!