CSMATE hosts 53rd Annual Colorado Science and Engineering Fair, April 10-12

53rd annual Colorado Science and Engineering Fair, April 10-12

Over 300 of Colorado's best and brightest 6-12 grade students will compete during the 53rd annual Colorado Science and Engineering Fair held at Colorado State University, April 10-12.

Colorado students in grades 6-12 from across the state chosen by their regional science fair will compete in one of the 12 categories. Sponsored special awards and scholarships supplement the Grand Awards given in each category and division.

Judging begins on Thursday, April 10. Awards are presented at a ceremony at 7 p.m., Friday.

Guest speaker, William Johns, chief engineer for the NASA Orion program - based at the Colorado Lockheed Martin facility - will give a public lecture at 9 a.m. Friday in the Lory Student Center Theater. The lecture is free and open to the public.

The student science and engineering exhibits, displayed in the Main Ballroom of the Lory Student Center, are available for public viewing on Friday, April 11 from 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. and on Saturday, April 12 from 9-11 a.m

Ms. Courtney Butler of CSMATE is the Director of the science fair, and Dr. Stephen Thompson is on the Board of Directors.

Triunfo/Triumph Tutoring Program for K-12 Students Doubles in Size

Twice a week, the CSMATE Experiential Learning Studios fill up with kids who need a little extra help on their homework. One-hundred and eleven CSU students from across campus have risen to the occassion and are volunteering to help these 200 kids in all subjects, but particularly science and mathematics.

Thanks to generous funding from the Bohemian Foundation, The Fort Collins Community Foundation, the College of Natural Sciences, El Centro Student Services, and CSMATE, we are able to bring these students to a state-of-the-art learning environment on the CSU campus by bus and also provide the kids with a healthy snack. We are currently seeking more volunteer tutors. If you would like to volunteer or learn more about this program, please contact Dr. Christine Jones at 491-2115.

CSMATE wins Hewlett Packard Award

The Center for Science, Mathematics and Technology Eduation at Colorado State University was selected as one of 40 two- and four-year colleges and universities nationwide to receive the 2006 HP Technology for Teaching grant, which is designed to transform and improve learning in the classroom through innovative uses of technology. During the 2006-07 academic year, grant projects through this program will impact more than 4,000 students. CSMATE will receive an award package of HP products and a faculty stipend valued at more than $69,000. Each of the HP Technology for Teaching grant recipients will use HP wireless Tablet PC technology to enhance learning in engineering, math, science, computer science or business courses. CSMATE is using the equipment to develop the “Labtop” system for integrating theory and practice in the first-year, science-major general chemistry course. (Press Release)

New FIPSE Grant

With the help of Tablet PCs, students in the first-year integrated chemistry course are engaging in a new, technology-based chemistry which could eventually displace the large lecture/recitation learning strategy in favor of a student-centered, inquiry-based approach.

In the Labtop System, being developed by Dr. Stephen Thompson, Director of CSMATE and a Professor of Chemistry at Colorado State, the Tablet PC is placed at the point of learning. Tablets combine the computational power needed for science and engineering with the portability of paper and the wireless connectivity of a laptop. The Labtop system seamlessly unites lecture, laboratory work, use of instruments, homework and field work, literature searching, modeling, and embedded assessment using interdisciplinary case studies. The Labtop System allows students to develop higher-level critical thinking skills as students design their own experiments integrating well-crafted research questions, robust procedures and the opportunity to strengthen their communication skills.

The research is funded through a $415,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s FIPSE program (Fund to Improve Postsecondary Education). (Press Release)

GetWET 2008 Summer Teacher Institute

On July 30 and 31, there will be a professional development institute at Colorado State University run by a national group called the American Ground Water Trust ( http://agwt.org ). This two day experience will include both field- and classroom-based learning and will focus on scientific content, pedagogy, analytical techniques, data analysis, assessment, and technology. The field work will be carried out at the GetWET Observatory. The classroom activities will be hosted at CSMATE.

What will make this program unique is the mix of experts on hand. There will be representatives from CSU's faculty and staff, The United State Geological Survey, the Colorado Geological Survey, and the American Ground Water Trust.CSMATE is offering this institute as a graduate continuing education course. You can sign up for one credit for the cost of $72.The American Ground Water Trust is coordinating the registration process which includes a small registration deposit (not related to CSU). Please visit their website.

Questions should be directed to Dr. Stone, astone@agwt.org

This academic year, we have hosted 19 students from Front Range Community College, 294 students from Rocky Mountain High School, 25 students from Niwot, 13 science teachers from northern Colorado, 11 3rd and 4th graders from the Lab School, and 40 9th graders from CLP Junior High. This is in addition to the hundreds of CSU undergraduates who visit the facility each semester. The popularity of the GetWET program is timely because there is an increasing awareness nationwide in the importance of getting kids to do authenitc science outdoors. To learn more about this program, contact Dr. Andrew Warnock (491-2845), or visit the GetWET website.

Exciting New way to bring Small-Scale Chemistry even closer to the Point of Learning

The advent of the Tablet PC opens an exciting new world of possibilities for small-scale science experimentation. A new 20-minute video, featuring Dr. Stephen Thompson, previews just a small sample of the benefits of conducting science experiments directly on the surface of a pen-based Tablet PC. (Download Video) (Learn more)

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CSMATE is sponsored by the College of Natural Sciences at Colorado State University