Classroom Innovations PLC Initiative

The Classroom Innovations protocol is designed to engage teachers in professional learning communities (PLCs) working to implement the NM STEM Ready! Science Standards, one innovation at a time. This PLC model will meet the unique needs of the school community offering a flexible approach that allows PLCs to choose the path of the learning based on the collective needs of the school community. Innovations include:

• NGSS Introduction
• NGSS Implementation
• Phenomena-based Instruction
• Productive Classroom Culture
• Exploratory Discourse
• Explanatory Discourse
• Formative Assessment
• Engineering in the NGSS

School teams will engage in the Classroom Innovation PLC for 2 hours a month, for up to 12 hours. A stipend of $250 per educator is being offered for meetings occurring after contract hours for up to 50 educators and a stipend of $500 is offered to each school team facilitator to run the PLC with support from the Math and Science Bureau.

School teams are invited to apply by March 8, 2021. If you have further questions, please reach out to Christy Krenek, Science Specialist, at Christy.Krenek@state.nm.us.

OpenSciEd Middle School Expansion

The Math and Science Bureau is partnering with districts interested in a three-year initiative to implement the OpenSciEd middle school science curriculum. Districts will receive on-going implementation support for their science leaders supporting school sites and costs-share to offset training and materials (kit and lab equipment) costs.\

Join us for one of two informational webinars to learn more about this initiative.

From December 7-18, 2020 Los Alamos National Laboratory hosted a two-week virtual camp in wildfire simulation and visualization for 12 undergraduate students, the majority of them Native American.

Using the real-world data LANL scientists use to study wildfires, the students learned how to use the data analysis and visualization software application ParaView to develop graphical and animated representations that can aid in wildfire suppression to protect the public, ecosystems, watersheds, and air quality.

Part of a multi-year initiative through the Laboratory’s Student Programs Office (SPO) to increase the number of Native American student interns at Los Alamos, the pilot program was funded by the Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists Office within the Office of Science.

The camp was a huge success and it is amazing how much the students were able to learn in such a short amount of time,” says organizer Cassandra Casperson of the SPO. “In addition to developing their technical and professional skill sets, the students learned about the work being done at LANL and other national laboratories.”

Many of the attendees are pursuing undergraduate degrees in computer science, environmental sciences, or engineering, following a call to Native organizations and higher education establishments across the region.

> Learn more about the Laboratory’s support for education in Northern New Mexico

The Math and Science Advisory Council (MSAC) is a state-appointed group that supports the New Mexico Public Education Department by making recommendations for improving mathematics and science education in New Mexico. Part of the MSAC role is creating a statewide strategic plan, as shown above. Aligning the efforts of diverse educational entities and groups across the state around shared goals and methods will help build momentum and pulling together to achieve equitable and excellent STEAM education.

To view the MSAC annual reports, meeting minutes, and learn more about the council member appointment process, visit the MSAC page on the NM Public Education Department website, linked below.

Background on the MSAC:
"Per Senate Bill 552 passed during the 2007 legislative session, “The Math and Science Education Act” was passed. The Act created in statute [22-15E-1 NMSA 1978] the Math and Science Bureau in the Public Education Department, and a statewide Math and Science Advisory Council (MSAC). The MSAC is composed of twelve members  appointed by the Secretary of Education for staggered terms of four years." —via the Math & Science Advisory Council

The STEM Education Coalition submitted a letter to President-Elect Joe Biden and the Transition Team with recommendations for federal education policy to expand STEM Learning.

The letter is supported by the STEMx network, managed by Battelle on behalf of 24 state-level networks across the U.S., and stands to represent the recommendations of the STEM Education Coalition, an alliance of more than 800 education, business, and professional organizations.

Key focus was placed on four principles:

• Equity and Access in the STEM Pipeline
  
• A Strong Workforce Focus
  
• Inter-Agency Collaboration
  
• Fostering Public-Private Partnerships
  

See link below to read the full letter.