Via Press Release
Contact: Julie Risien, 541-737-8664 or Julie.Risien@oregonstate.edu

MartinStorksdieckCORVALLIS, Ore. – OSU is an international leader in the study of how people of all ages learn science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) both in and out of school. In recognition of the collective expertise of its faculty OSU established the Center for Research on Lifelong STEM Learning in 2012 with a mission to enhance understanding of how individuals with diverse life circumstances and identities become lifelong STEM learners, practitioners and researchers.

This June Dr. Martin Storksdieck begins his tenure as Director of this unique research center, with the charge to grow it into an internationally distinguished hub of learning research to better prepare us to meet the 21st century challenges that will require a STEM ready workforce and citizenry. Like 16 other OSU Research Centers, the Center for Research on Lifelong STEM Learning is under the direct supervision of the Vice President of Research.

Storksdieck joins OSU after serving as Director of the Board on Science Education at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington D.C. There he was responsible for several national efforts to improve K-12 science education, including the first step in the development of the Next Generation Science Standards, oversaw the Academies’ efforts to improve the quality of undergraduate science and engineering education, directed the Academies’ Climate Change Education Roundtable, and worked on science assessment in and out of school. Storksdieck’s research background focused on voluntary, or “free choice” learning, and how learning is connected to behaviors, identities and beliefs. He has also explored the intersection of school and out-of-school teaching and learning.

Storksdieck comes to OSU prepared with an abundant research agenda stemming from the recommendations of the many Board on Science Education reports he oversaw. When asked about his new role Storksdieck said “I am delighted to join OSU and honored to be given the opportunity to shape the Center’s focus. In my new role I will help fill the national research gaps and provide answers where those reports recommended more research.”

The OSU Center is unique among STEM center counterparts in its focus on research and commitment to understanding learning across all settings (in and out of school) and across the lifespan. According to founding Center Director, John Falk, “We are fortunate to have someone of the caliber of Dr. Martin Storksdieck taking over the helm the Center. We are poised to make a profound impact on our understanding of how STEM learning can be advanced to meet the challenges we face as a nation and Martin brings the right combination of experience, vision and skills to move us towards achieving that potential.”

Via Press Release

College of Education logo(Corvallis, OR)- The Chief Education Office will be co-hosting a Quality Teaching and Learning Summer Institute at Oregon State University (OSU) from June 23-27. The inaugural institute will focus on the development of teacher candidate skills that will prepare them to support students on meeting the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The five- day institute will engage educator teams in rethinking approaches to most effectively support teacher preparation. Cohosts include the Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Core to College grant.

Institutional teams representing major Oregon universities offering educator certification programs will be attending including: Eastern Oregon University, George Fox University, Oregon State University, Pacific University, Southern Oregon University, University of Oregon and University of Portland. Together these institutions prepared 44% of new Oregon teachers during the 2012-13 year.

“Charged with improving outcomes for students from birth to college and career, the Oregon Education Investment Board (OEIB) knows that the single-greatest in-school factor for student success is an educator” said Chief Education Officer, Nancy Golden. “The Summer Institute will create a focused and dynamic opportunity for the Network for Quality Teaching and Learning to bring educators together to reflect on, and refine their approach to preparing new teachers to effectively support student success.”

The Network for Quality Teaching and Learning was created by HB 3233 to strengthen recruitment, preparation, induction-year support, and ongoing professional development for Oregon’s educators. The Network empowers educators to help implement curriculum needed to support students‘ success, document the impacts on results and infuse current preparation programs with in-the-field practices that are working for Oregon’s students.

The institute will feature morning sessions in which arts and science faculty, educator preparation faculty, and K-12 school partners will observe and participate in lessons with middle school students.

Attendees will then use reflective discourse to determine core practices identified to successfully engage students and further learning.

The institute is designed around the tenet that teachers improve their instructional skill by engaging in the work of teaching. To facilitate that opportunity, more than 30 youth from the Lane Equity Achievement Project (LEAP) program will actively participate in portions of the institute. LEAP’s mission is to ensure that each child in Lane County has opportunities for intellectual growth and success regardless of their location or need. While on the OSU campus the attending LEAP students have a host of opportunities to explore the college and future careers.

“The Lane middle school students will have opportunities to experience some of the best that OSU campuses have to offer, said Nell O’Malley, Director of Education Licensure at OSU. “In addition to being part of the institute, students will participate in hands-on STEM activities such as robotics, tsunami and wave exploration, and computer animation. They will spend time at OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Center for remotely operation vehicles development and estuary investigations. Throughout the week students will be chaperoned by STEM students at OSU and campus leaders creating multiple opportunities to explore career pathways. ”

Each afternoon, scheduled sessions will be open to the public. Sessions will address recruitment and retention of culturally and linguistically diverse educators, the new performance assessment (edTPA) adopted by Teacher Standards and Practices Commission, recent results from statewide surveys of educators, and even a demonstration that uses avatars to help future educators practice classroom management skills. Materials will also be available online after the institute has concluded. For a full schedule of events and additional information on the institute, click here.

The Oregon Education Investment Board (OEIB) is chaired by Governor John Kitzhaber, and led by the Chief Education Officer. It was created in 2011 to oversee an effort to build a seamless, unified system for investing in and delivering public education from birth to college & career. OEIB is dedicated to building a student-centric system that links all segments of the educational experience together to ensure each student is poised for a promising future. 

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intoOSUINTO OSU is seeking educators at all levels as “Community Partners” for 30 Mexican teachers coming for English Teacher Training at INTO OSU, July 16-Aug. 14.  Meet with a teacher for a couple of hours each week of their stay, at times and places you choose together, for conversation, a walk, coffee, a snack.

You can also show our community spirit by hosting for a half day on July 20, a visit to your home and a meal.  It’s all very flexible –  whatever you might be doing anyway on a summer Sunday in Corvallis or nearby.

Contact Kathleen Rochester, INTO OSU Special Programs Coordinator at 541-737-5678, or kathleen.rochester[at]oregonstate[dot]edu.

 

 

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The office of Childcare & Family Resources is currently accepting nominations for the 2013-14 Family Friendly Faculty Award. The Family Friendly Faculty Award is awarded to a faculty or staff member who has provided exemplary support to an OSU student with children.

Support may come in the form of mentoring, encouragement, accommodations, or anything parents have found helpful in and out of the classroom to remove barriers to success and/or elevating the campus awareness of students with children.

If you know of someone deserving this award, please take a few moments to write a nomination letter including within: their name and department, your name and department, why you would like to nominate this person, and examples of ways they have helped you (or someone you know) be successful at OSU. Nomination letters are due to amy.luhn@oregonstate.edu  or delivered to the Childcare & Family Resources office before July 31, 2014.

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This summer we are offering several courses for ESOL and ESOL/bilingual endorsement candidates. See http://summer.oregonstate.edu or http://catalog.oregonstate.edu for specific course registration information.

  • TCE 522 Racial and Cultural Harmony in the K-12 Classroom will be taught online June 23-August 15.
  • TCE 472/572 Foundations of ESOL/Bilingual Education will be taught 3 times: in Corvallis August 25-September 26, online (TCE 572 only) june 23-August 15, and in Bend July 2-25 (TCE 572 only).
  • TCE 573 Instructional Approaches for ESOL/Bilingual Education will be taught online June 23-August 15.
  • TCE 576 Partnerships and Ideologies in ESOL/Bilingual Education will be taught twice: online June 23-August 15 and in Bend July 2-18.

We are also offering 2 special topic electives focused on dual language education:

  • TCE 499/599 Biliteracy in the Schools taught in Corvallis August 4-8 with additional online coursework due by September 5.
  • TCE 499/599 Spanish in the Community taught in Corvallis August 11-15 with additional online coursework due by September 5.

For additional information about the Biliteracy in the Schools and Spanish in the Community courses, please visit http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/duallanguage.

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Volunteer. Be part of Beaver Nation.

Saturday, May 17, OSU alumni, students and friends are working together to improve your neighborhood.  Grab your rake and gloves, or just come with your Beaver spirit and help make a difference in your community during OSU Community Day of Service.

Alumni and friends can also log their volunteer service hours on May 17th and credit them towards the event.  Last year, there were 500 volunteers and about 1500 hours.

Register today: www.osualum.com/service

 

ATTENTION STUDENTS AND FACULTY

Opportunity for Student Involvement:

OSU Student Ambassador Nominations

Homecoming 2014

 “Come Home to this Amazing Place” 

Do you know a student who embodies Oregon State University? Are you that student? The Student Alumni Association is looking for campus leaders who exude Beaver pride and spirit to be recognized as 2014 Homecoming Royalty! Selected students will be formally recognized at our 2014 Homecoming events, serve as representatives for OSU during the 2014-15 school year, and become a part of Beaver history.

APPLY TODAY!

The application (download) must be submitted electronically by Monday, May 23rd at 5:00pm to the OSU Alumni Association office either filled out online at www.osualum.com/court or emailed to Suzanne.Flores@oregonstate.edu. Candidates who pass the initial round of selection must be available for a short interview on May 28th and 29th. Questions can be directed to Suzanne Flores at (541) 737-3003.

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The College of Education hosted a storytime and STEM activities for this year’s Bring Your Kids to Campus Day.

For the storytime in the morning, we read Salina Yoon’s children’s book “Penguin and Pinecone.” The College of Forestry sent over an ambassador with a pile of pinecones (some giant-sized!) and talked about pine cones. Afterwards, each child got to create their very own pine cone friend to take home with them.

For the afternoon, we had some fun STEM activities demonstrating the science of flight. Kids had the opportunity to create paper helicopters and plastic parachutes they could drop off the 4th Floor of Furman Hall’s atrium.

If you can’t tell from the photos, we had a lot of fun!