NASA Announces Streamlined Professional Development Offerings for the 2014-15 School Year

NASA Education is pleased to announce a new opportunity for educators to access dynamic content and professional development based upon our unique mission of research and discovery. As part of the new NASA Educator Professional Development offerings, beginning this fall, educators will be able to locate NASA content in the following ways:

  • Through a single consolidated online educator professional development website, merging NEON and the NES Virtual Campus into a single site
  • Cutting edge educator professional development and support aligned with Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core State Standards
  • New options for earning Continuing Education Units, or other forms of credit
  • Webinars, short courses and extended educator professional development experiences

Stay tuned for more detailed information on educator professional development.

NES Professional Development Web Seminar This Week

Chemistry of Water: Mars Exploration — Is There Water on Mars?

As part of a series of electronic professional development experiences for educators, the NASA Explorer Schools project and the National Science Teachers Association are hosting a 90-minute Web seminar on May 13, 2014 at 6:30 p.m. EDT.

Participants will receive an overview of a NASA inquiry-based lesson, “Is There Water on Mars?”. Participating educators will have the opportunity to refresh their knowledge of concepts such as how atmospheric pressure and vapor pressure affect the boiling point of water, and how scientists use that information to deduce if there could be, or ever has been, liquid water on Mars. The featured activity provides many opportunities for incorporating national science, technology, and mathematics learning standards into curricula as well as addressing high school Next Generation Science Standards.

For more information and to register online, visit http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES4/webseminar6.aspx.

Video Chat for Students: Dawn Stanley — The Space Launch System: NASA’s Heavy Lifter

Join Dawn Stanley May 13, 2014 as she answers questions about the agency’s Space Launch System and her journey to become a systems engineer with NASA.

During this video chat, students will have a chance to ask about the engineering design process and what it looks like at NASA. Our guest for this video chat is Dawn Stanley, a systems engineer with NASA’s Space Launch System Program Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. She works directly with the Space Launch System program providing day-to-day support and mission assurance. Her job gives her unique insight into the development of NASA’s new heavy-lift vehicle.

During the chat, Stanley will discuss how she became an engineer and how she got involved in developing spacecraft systems.

NES Web Seminar — Algebraic Equations: Calculator Controlled Robots

NES and NSTA are hosting a 90-minute Web seminar on May 7, 2014 at 6:30 p.m. EDT. Discover a unique way of integrating robotic technology into your algebra classes. Robotic missions engage students and provide a unique way of bringing to life the concepts you are teaching. Learn to use programmable Texas Instruments, or TI, calculators and Norland Research Robots to solve problems requiring substituting values for variables in formulas.

This seminar provides an overview of using robotics in algebra so you can make an informed decision about purchasing the robots and other equipment. You do not need to have a Norland Research Robot or programmable TI calculator to participate in this seminar, or know how to program the calculator.

The featured activity provides many opportunities for addressing grades 6-8 Common Core State Mathematics Standards.

For more information and to register online, visit http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES4/webseminar1.aspx.