4empowerment^® e-Newsletter
October 28, 2004

Welcome to the 4empowerment^® e-Newsletter. Click, collaborate, teach, and learn.

Please share our e-Newsletter with colleagues, fellow educators, and friends.

Contents:

1. 4e Special Announcements
   
2. Website Updates
   
3. Website Features
   
4. Contests and Competitions
   
5. Resources to Share
   

NEW! SXSW High School Student Film Contest
Submission Deadline: December 15, 2004 • Do your students want to try their hand at producing a "short film" (<5 min)? Have fun and make it a class project. For the first-time ever, SXSW is hosting a "short film" contest for Texas high school students! Check out the contest guidelines here. Help us get the word out and forward to all who may be interested. Log in and participate in SXSW forums under 4e General Forums.

Sail into Science at CAST!
Join us at the annual Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching, Nov. 4-6, 2004 at Corpus Christi • Annually hosted by STAT (Science Teachers Association of Texas), CAST is where hundreds of professionals involved with science education converge to discuss/share the latest trends and resources. Meredith Keelan, science teacher with Van Vleck ISD, will present on best practices for statewide collaborative projects centered on science and technology in grades 6-12.

Back to top

Power Poll: Who's Polluting the Rivers?
What do you think - what's muddying up the fresh water in our rivers? Give us your opinion!

Expert Spotlight: Jason Pinchback, Project Coordinator with Texas Watch at TSU, San Marcos
A native Texan, Jason Pinchback became involved with volunteer water quality monitoring while working with the Clean Clear Colorado organization in 1988. Jason is responsible for coordinating volunteer water monitoring and reporting efforts across the state for Texas Watch with Texas State University, San Marcos. Learn more about Jason.

New Version of Class Enrollment Process
Enrolling students just got easier! • Teachers can now choose between enrolling students through a web form (the old way) or Excel spreadsheet, OR having their students enroll themselves. Teachers - log in and click on your Project Management tab to get started!

New Lesson Plans: Using Graphing Calculators in Science!
Hands-On Learning • Available to all users, these new technology-rich activities will teach students how to use graphing calculators to analyze science data and prepare tables, charts, and graphs. Aligned to standards in all core curriculum areas and addressing objectives in standardized testing, these curricula modules were developed with No Child Left Behind funding.

E-SET Video: Water Testing Fun!
IPC (Integrated Physics & Chemistry) students from San Antonio's John Jay High School's Science Academy participate in technology-rich active learning through the Empowering Science Education through Technology program. Check out their video!

Student 4e-zine Feature: "Mr. Sneerman Mystery" by Jillian & Derek (Harlingen)
The 4e-zine features this month the award-winning screenplay by Jillian and Derek from Coakley Middle School with Harlingen CISD. Their screenplay was produced into a short film this past summer at Austin Film Festival's summer camp program hosted in conjunction with the Dept. of Radio*Television*Film in the College of Communication at UT Austin.

Back to top

Nominate your favorite students to be profiled on the 4e website!
Check out our spotlight on Kyle, Jillian, and Derrick! Send us your own student nominations! If chosen, their achievements will be highlighted and published on the 4empowerment® website, along with a photo and interview.

Need Fall Reading Suggestions? See our "Literature Circles"!
Check out our forum for literary discussions on classic and modern literature. If you are a teacher or student in a 4e-related program, join our Literature Circles today! (Log in to post messages under "Student Forums")

Encourage Your Students to Submit their Creative Work to the 4e-zine
Our unique 4e-zine, an online digital portfolio, allows students to showcase all types of media from short stories to "spoken word" poetry to short films. Click on the purple tab above or here to enter the 4e-zine.

NEW! SXSW High School Student Film Contest
Submission Deadline: December 15, 2004 • Do your students want to try their hand at producing a "short film" (<5 min)? Have fun and make it a class project. For the first-time ever, SXSW is hosting a "short film" contest for Texas high school students! Check out the contest guidelines here. Help us get the word out and forward to all who may be interested. Log in and participate in SXSW forums under 4e General Forums.

Winston Science Events
Registration Deadline: November 5, 2004 • This 16-day event focuses on problem solving, teamwork, and creativity. Fun themes include: egg drop, build a suspension bridge, cardboard boat competition, and solar oven competition. Check out the official events website for details!

Peterson's Persuasive Essay Writing Contest
Submission Deadline: December 31, 2004 • Peterson's is sponsoring an essay contest for sophomore and juniors in high school to hone their persuasive essay writing skills in preparation for the ACT and the new version of the SAT tests. Grand prize is a $5,000 scholarship with 61 runner-up prizes. For more info, click here.

2004-05 Young Epidemiology Scholars (YES) Competition for Students
Submission Due Date: February 1, 2005 • Think germ warfare and outbreaks are interesting? How about the health issues of body piercing as researched by the 2003-04 second place winner from California? This is your chance to conduct original research and compete! Submission Guidelines.

Call for Essay Submissions: Solve an Environmental Problem
Winners Selected Monthly • Do you have a creative plan to stop pollution? Have you found a way to encourage recycling in your neighborhood? Share your idea to solve an environmental problem or describe a current solution. Submit your essay for possible publication in Teen Ink.

Back to top

Texas Book Festival, 2004
October 28-31, 2004 at the State Capitol, Austin • Join fellow book enthusiasts and attend sessions with documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, film director Peter Bogdanovich, poet Dave Oliphant, painter Julie Speed, director/screenwriter Bill Wittliff, and many others at the annual Texas Book Festival.

Texas Beyond History
Learn more about the history of Texas through archeological research • Check out historical information about Texas presented as part of a collaborative public education project and hosted by the College of Liberal Arts at UT Austin. Learn more at their website.

Educational Trips to the Aquarena Center
Grades PreK-12, Year-Round• Looking for hands-on learning and educational trips for your students this spring? Take them to the longest continuously inhabited site in North America and home to five endangered species. Learn about aquatic species, dig through archeology, and explore the unique habitat created by the San Marcos Springs. Click here to learn more about the educational programs at the Aquarena Center in San Marcos, TX.

New Learning Resources for Science & Language Arts: U.S. Dept of Education
Explore Mars, the brain, Rothko's work, and more • Visit the U.S. Department of Education's periodically updated website often for lesson plans and materials in a variety of curricular areas.

ReefNews: Up-to-Date Information about Oceans and Shorelines
Access current events and a thorough archive • This news source is designed as an educational tool for students of all ages with an interest in coral reefs, oceans, and shorelines.

Back to top