Newsletter - May 2010

Hi! Welcome to the first exploreSTEM schools newsletter, which is packed full of opportunities to support you in the teaching of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects both within the curriculum and for extra-curricular activities. We are aiming to publish these every half term and upcoming opportunities and events will also be listed on our website which will be live after the half term break.

As time goes by we hope that more and more of you will email with requests for support, in particular for Ambassadors to support activities. We are aiming to build up a calendar of opportunities for Ambassadors to be involved with activities in schools STEM including careers fairs so if you have any activity where you think an Ambassador may be able to help please email us the details and will we make sure our pool of over 600 volunteers know - stempoint@explorestem.co.uk

 

Hope you find it useful. If you have any question, comments or items you'd like to see included in future editions please get in touch - stempoint@explorestem.co.uk.
Thanks! The exploreSTEM team

National Programmes

STEM Ambassadors - if you would like a STEM Ambassador to support specific work you are doing in school
(see www.stemnet.org.uk/teachers/stem_ambassadors.cfm) then please email us your request with as much information as possible including:

  • Date and time of the event (or range of dates for example to help in a science club) -  and alternatives if possible.
  • Age of students
  • Subject area and type of activity
  • Experience you are looking for and what you would like the Ambassador to do (for example be a guest speaker, judge a competition, support an activity)

We will then advertise the opportunity to all of our relevant Ambassadors and do our best to get someone to help. Email us at stempoint@explorestem.co.uk

STEM Clubs - www.stemclubs.net is a free, online resource to help you set up and run a STEM club. It includes everything from top tips for getting started through to project examples for you to use that have been uploaded by other club leaders. It's easy to sign up - just email join@stemclubs.net with the lead contact name at the school, their email address and school name (plus address) or send us a quick email with your name and school name and we can set up affiliation for you - stempoint@explorestem.co.uk

Understanding animal research and the National Science Learning Centre - CPD opportunity

Understanding Animal Research and the National Science Learning Centre are offering 12 grants of £400 each for KS3/4 science teachers to participate in residential summer CPD workshop to develop key stage 3 and 4 teaching modules on the science of animal research. The workshop will take place from 3 - 5 August 2010 at the National Science Learning Centre in York.  If you are interested in taking part, please send a CV and a brief statement of interest (no more than 250 words) to John Meredith at jmeredith@uar.org.uk or email for more information and visit www.UnderstandingAnimalResearch.org.uk . Applications must be submitted by 5pm  Wednesday 30th June 2010

Researchers in Residence
Do you want to engage and motivate your students? Make links with your local university? Provide your students with positive role models - one who is actively engaged in learning themselves? Get your students thinking seriously about careers in science, technology, engineering or maths?
Researchers in Residence is an established and highly regarded placement scheme funded by the UK Research Councils and the Wellcome Trust that places leading PhD and post-doc researchers in schools for up to 24 hours of student contact time. The scheme is open to schools right across the UK and is completely free of charge.

Projects can be tailored to suit your needs; for example, targeting gifted and talented students, students doing coursework or National Science and Engineering Week (March 2011). Placements can be flexible, including practical classroom activities, after-school club projects, lunchtime talks, careers advice or support for small groups.

Over 300 placements were organised in schools across the country in 2008/9. The feedback from teachers and their pupils was overwhelmingly positive. If you've never tried Researchers in Residence and want to find out more, or if you've done it before and want to try it again, register online at www.researchersinresidence.ac.uk or call 0845 365 7470.

"The programme has had the whole school talking and now teachers from other departments are keen to have a placement!" - Dr Margaret Ritchie, Head of Science Arbroath High School

Stimulating Physics Network
The Institute of Physics (IOP) and the Science Learning Centres jointly run the Stimulating Physics Network (SPN), a programme aimed at supporting the teaching of physics in schools, particularly through providing CPD for non-specialist physics teachers.  As well as running exploreSTEM, Jayne Foster is also the External Liaison Officer for the SPN. There are a number of free twilight CPD sessions running across the region this term - see www.stimulatingphysics.org/regions-east.htm for details and how to book. Alternatively, if you would like to host a CPD course in your school that would be useful to schools in your area, please get in touch and we'll see what we can do - j.foster3@herts.ac.uk

Local News

The Big Bang  - Imperial War Museum Duxford, Cambridge, Friday 16th July 2010

The Big Bang at Duxford is the entry point for the Big Bang Fair and the National Science and Engineering Competition being held in London in March 2011. It will be an exciting day of learning and prize winning and schools are invited to showcase their CREST, Young Engineers and STEM project work. As well as presenting their work there will be lots for the students to do -  "The Naked Scientists" will be presenting a show, guest speaker is Lucy Hawking (daughter of and co-author with Professor Stephen Hawking) and there will be  "The Big Bang" themed activity. The day also includes time to look around the IWM and to explore the amazing hand-on STEM exhibits in the Airspace environment.

The last few places are still available to all schools in the East of England - book now to avoid disappointment! For more information visit www.thebigbangfair.co.uk/eastengland/  and to book email admin@setpointherts.org.uk .

Big Bang - travel funding for STEM clubs

If you are running an affiliated STEM club (see above!) or are about to join the network, you could be eligible for funding towards costs for attending the Big Bang at IWM Duxford to showcase the work of your club.

Clubs can claim back up to £300 but funding is limited to ten clubs in each region. In the event that we are oversubscribed, priority will be given to:

  • clubs that have been established since September 2008
  • clubs that are demonstrably active.
  • clubs that could not have attended without the additional funding being made available.

This money is not available to ASSEC schools. Clubs will also need to complete a brief evaluation of the event on the STEM clubs network website before funding is released. The funding can also be made available to clubs that are not currently affiliated so long as they affiliate before claiming. If you would like to apply, please contact Julie Webb, julie.webb@britishscienceassociation.org or call her on 077955 72970

KS3 STEM Conference (rescheduled from May )  
Mark Hall School Sports Centre, Harlow, Monday 21st June 9.30-3.45pm
Theme: Preparing for 2012
This exciting new conference, jointly hosted by Science Learning Centre East of England, STEMNET and Mark Hall Sports Centre, will explore strategies for teaching and learning and the sharing of resources across STEM subjects and present a wide range of ideas and strategies for using the Olympics theme in all STEM subjects and cross-curricular projects. We will be exploring how our region could be affected by the Olympics and how this subject could bring the STEM subjects to life in the KS3 curriculum. The programme will include a keynote speaker and a wide variety of exciting workshops and there will also be an exhibition of STEM providers in the region.

Participants will be able to:

  • critically evaluate the challenges and opportunities presented by the KS3 curriculum
  • improve STEM provision by sharing effective practice and networking with STEM subject colleagues
  • identify key areas of the curriculum for collaborative teaching and learning

The course fee is £130. However, all teachers of Maths, D&T, Science and Engineering from state maintained secondary schools will be eligible for an Impact Award of £200 for each teacher attending to cover the fee and some supply cover costs. To make full use of the day, it is recommended that at least two teachers from different subject areas attend from the same school.

To book a place at this exciting event please visit www.slcs.org.uk/ee and search for course number EEC09013 or follow this shortened link:  http://bit.ly/dkftzC

Bradford Robotic Telescope and Planetarium
exploreSTEM, in conjunction with the Universities of Bradford and Hertfordshire and sponsored by the Science Learning Centre East of England, now run the franchise for Essex and Hertfordshire for the Bradford Robotic Telescope (BRT) . The BRT is a collection of telescopes and other instruments located on top of Mount Teide in Tenerife. The programme provides a twilight CPD for secondary schools in use of the telescope and on-line support materials and includes an annual subscription of remote access to the telescope so that students can take their own photographs using the telescope and save them, edit them and publish them. The associated website also includes teaching resources and we would look to find an astronomy related Ambassador to support the ongoing work in your school.

At a small additional cost, the CPD session can be combined with a session in a mobile planetarium. For more information about BRT and the planetarium please contact Peter Sutton at peter@explorestem.co.uk

Chelmsford Engineering Society Annual Engineering and Technology Competition 2010
The Chelmsford Engineering Society (CES) is again organising its Annual Engineering and Technology Competition and is delighted that the Anglia Ruskin University has again agreed to host the Competition at the Chelmsford Campus. There are over 25 prizes up for grabs in two main categories- Systems and Design - across KS3, 4 and 5. StemteamEssex will also award a special prize for the Project entry demonstrating the most innovative use of Technology.

The Competition is on the 2nd July 2010, set-up from 08.15am in the ARU Faculty Building, with the Award Ceremony is on the 17th July starting at 09.30am.

The ARU will also have an "information stand" and so you can ask about opportunities offered at the Chelmsford and Cambridge Campus.

To pre-register or for more information please send an email to Roy Hilsey, CES, at valandroyhilsley@btinternet.com   with the following information: school name, contact name, contact email address, estimated number of projects to be entered. A full information pack with entry forms will be sent out to you in a few weeks time.

Bang Goes the Theory Roadshow - Southend, May Bank Holiday weekend
The BBC's Bang Goes the Theory aims to look at how science shapes the world around us, in an engaging and relevant way. It's about making science fascinating - and fun. To help spread the message they are taking a Roadshow around the UK and the next  stop is the Southend Festival of the Air from 29th-31st May. 10am to 6pm. Join them as they explore, stretch and explode science live on stage in their shows taking place each hour, and then have a go yourself in the amazing Interactive Area - all free of charge.

Pass the message onto your students!

News from the Science Learning Centre
Details of all SLC courses can be found on their website www.slcs.org.uk/ee so here we've just highlighted the forthcoming events that are local to Essex. All courses must be booked via the SLC website.

KS3 STEM Conference - Preparing for 2012: Monday 21st June 9.30-3.45pm, Mark Hall School Harlow - code EEC09013 - see article above.

Active approaches to Level 3 Applied Science: Friday 25th June 9am, Mayflower High School Billericay - code EEC09302
This is a 2 day course, one day face-face training and then one day online. It qualifies for an Impact award of £400 and is suitable for schools who are introducing a Level 3 Applied Science qualification. The course will equip teachers to develop an applied science approach to their teaching for students who have studied an applied science course at KS3.

Bringing Cutting Edge Science into the classroom: Biodiversity: Monday 5th  July, Colchester Zoo  - code EEC09022  

2010 is International Biodiversity Year. The course considers the nature and importance of Biodiversity for all species. Participants will consider the work that scientists at the zoo do to judge existing populations of living organisms and how they try to predict the future using modelling techniques. Ethical discussions are considered as to the role humans have to play and also in what actions can be taken to defend biodiversity. Teachers will be encouraged to develop biodiversity activities to use outside the classroom.