[Whiteboard-subscribers] Whiteboard Report #122, October 3, 2007

Wed Oct 3 10:10:45 EDT 2007

NSDL WHITEBOARD REPORT #122

Whiteboard Report news is on the Web at http://NSDL.org and http:// 
expertvoices.nsdl.org/whiteboardtalkback. Back issues are available  
at http://content.nsdl.org/wbr/Issue--Archive.php.

October 3, 2007

NEWS

New Pathways Partner for Informal Learning

http://nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0735007

The National Science Foundation has announced a grant that will  
establish a new NSDL Pathways partner.  The Science and Math Informal  
Learning Educators (SMILE) Pathway is focused on “rich, inquiry- 
driven learning experiences developed outside of the formal K-12  
education system,” says principal investigator Darrell Porcello. He  
is the Creative Director of the Center for Technology Innovation at  
the University of California, Berkeley's Lawrence Hall of Science.   
The project combines some of the best institutions dedicated to the  
growing field of informal education, including San Francisco’s  
Exploratorium, the New York Hall of Science, Science Museum of  
Minnesota, Children’s Museum of Houston, and the Association of  
Science and Technology Centers (ASTC). Additionally, Co-PIs Sherry  
Hsi at the Exploratorium, and Eric Marshall at the New York Hall of  
Science, have previously led efforts to establish online resource  
hubs that include some of NSDL’s most popular resources. “SMILE is a  
particularly strong addition to NSDL’s array of Pathways,” says Kaye  
Howe, co-PI of NSDL. “We know how important, even critical, informal  
education is when it comes to attracting children to science and  
math. We also know that these wonderful and effective materials enter  
the classroom through the extensive use teachers make of them. We  
could not have a more talented group to work with. When we add to  
that their culture of collaboration, we can see a significant  
enhancement for all of NSDL.”
http://www.lawrencehallofscience.org
http://www.exploratorium.edu
http://www.nyhallsci.org
http://www.smm.org
http://www.cmhouston.org
http://www.astc.org

JCE DLib Named “Best of the Web”

http://www.genengnews.com/bestofweb/bestofweb.aspx?tid=5

Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News has high praise for an  
NSDL Pathways partner. In his “Best of the Web” column, Dr. Kevin  
Ahern says that the Journal of Chemical Education Digital Library  
covers its topic superbly. “Cutting a very broad swath through the  
subject, JCE’s site provides everything from the molecule of the  
month (rendered in 3-D) to numerous structures, classifications,  
rules for naming, online tutorials, practice test questions,  
QuickTime/Flash movies, videos (for sale), external links, and more,”  
says Ahern.  “Though the site is aimed at instructors, I’m sure when  
word gets out among high school students about what is offered here  
for free, they’ll come in droves.”
http://www.jce.divched.org/jcedlib

Federal R&D Funding Flat in 2006

http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/infbrief/nsf07336/

Federal funding for research and development in academic science and  
engineering fields fell just short of inflation in fiscal 2006,  
marking the first inflation-adjusted decline in funding since 1982,  
according to university-reported data collected by the National  
Science Foundation (NSF). The 2.9 percent increase in R&D  
expenditures compared with an inflation rate of 3.0 percent. The  
federal government has provided over 60 percent of total academic R&D  
funds since fiscal year1972. The NSF’s annual survey measures five  
major sources of academic R&D funds, expenditures by major science  
and engineering fields, and science and engineering expenditures by  
the 20 largest academic institutions.  Anyone want to guess which  
institution spent the most in 2006?  The answer (if A equals O) is  
XCVBG VCDYWBG – or just click on the link above.

Pathways Present at Black College Conference

http://ehrweb.aaas.org/HBCU/about.php

Three NSDL Pathways are on the agenda at this week’s National  
Research Conference of the NSF’s Historically Black Colleges and  
Universities Undergraduate Program, held in Washington, DC.   
Presentations are scheduled by Bruce Mason, PI of the physics and  
astronomy Pathway ComPADRE; Michael Smith of the Engineering Pathway;  
and John Jungck, a collaborator with the BioSciences Ed Net (BEN)  
Pathway.  In addition, BEN Scholar Terry McGuire will discuss his  
involvement with the public service group Science Education for New  
Civic Engagements and Responsibilities (SENCER).  Over 300 students  
and more than 200 faculty from historically black colleges and  
universities are expected to attend.
http://www.sencer.net

NSDL Webinar Hosts Share Stories

http://expertvoices.nsdl.org/2007fall-nsta-sems

The NSDL/ NSTA web seminar series has started a blog, “Expert Voices:  
Careers in Science,” so presenters can share their experiences in  
pursuing careers in science and science education. One presenter, Dr.  
Chris Symons of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, spent 200  
days at sea, dove from rescue submarines, and operated unmanned  
vehicles off the coast of San Diego. Host Bethany Carlson nurtured  
her love of science and design competitions in school into a career  
as a curriculum developer for the Education Development Center in  
Boston. Read, share, and comment on this ongoing conversation during  
the fall web seminar series, from September 2007 to January 2008.

Chemistry Comes Alive Again October 23rd

http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NSDL2/ 
webseminar3.aspx

What is the real reason why oil and water don’t mix?  The answer, in  
part, lies in the hydrophobic interactions of molecules.  The next  
web seminar in the NSDL series, on October 23rd from 6:30pm to 8:00pm  
eastern time, will focus on solubility, polarity, and other chemistry  
related topics through fun classroom activities and background  
content to support these activities.   Dr. John Moore, W. T.  
Lippincott Professor of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin at  
Madison and editor of the Journal of Chemical Education, will join  
Dr. Lynn Diener, Outreach Specialist at the University of Wisconsin  
to describe resources from the NSDL Chemistry Pathway that will make  
chemistry come alive for your students. Free pre-registration is  
required:
http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/SeminarRegistration.aspx

Whiteboard Reader Survey Winner

Congratulations to David Bigwood, a librarian at the Lunar and  
Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas, who was randomly selected to  
receive a $100 gift certificate to Amazon.com for answering the  
Whiteboard Report Readers survey in September.  The good news in the  
survey is that 50 of the 55 respondents found the news in Whiteboard  
helpful; three-quarters preferred that we continue delivering it via  
e-mail; and a majority wanted to continue receiving it once every two  
weeks.  The bad news is that only seven respondents had visited our  
Whiteboard Talkback blog, and 40 percent didn’t even know it  
existed.  Whiteboard Talkback is your chance to comment on the items  
you see here and add your own connections.  Visit it to see the  
complete survey results:
http://expertvoices.nsdl.org/whiteboardtalkback.

BOOKMARKS

New NSF Grants for Cyber-Enabled Discovery

http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503163

The NSF has just announced a multidisciplinary, multi-year initiative  
called Cyber-Enabled Discovery and Innovation (CDI). The initiative  
aims to create revolutionary science and engineering research  
outcomes made possible by innovations and advances in “computational  
thinking.” They seek “ambitious, transformative, multidisciplinary”  
research proposals in three areas: “from data to knowledge,”  
“understanding complexity in natural, built, and social systems,” and  
“building virtual organizations.”  They describe a competitive  
proposal as one that promises “paradigm-shifting advances in more  
than one field of science or engineering.” Letters of Intent are due  
by November 30.  For additional information about CDI and examples of  
transformative research,  go to: http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/cdi  .

The Gender Chip

http://www.genderchip.org

The Gender Chip Project is a documentary film with companion  
materials designed to assist teachers, parents and mentors who are  
encouraging girls to the pursue careers in science, technology,  
engineering and mathematics.  Although women are the majority of U.S.  
undergraduates, only 20 percent of them earn degrees in engineering  
and computer science.  The film follows five women through four years  
of study in science, engineering and math at Ohio State University,  
as they find their own ways to navigate and succeed in worlds still  
dominated by men.

SPARC Announces Mind Mashup

http://www.sparkyawards.org

The Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) is  
collecting entries for the SPARC Discovery Awards, a new contest to  
promote the open exchange of information.  The theme is “Mind  
Mashup,” and contestants are invited to illustrate in short videos  
the importance of sharing ideas and information of all kinds.  Anyone  
aged 15 or older is encouraged to send in their entry after  
considering this “inspiration quote” from George Bernard Shaw:  “If  
you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange those apples,  
then you and I will still each have one apple.  But if you have an  
idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us  
will  have two ideas.”  The deadline is December 2.

INSPIRATION

ALICE Legacy: 1m Downloads A Year

http://alice.org

ALICE is an easy-to-use programming environment that teaches children  
the basics of software development. It was downloaded more than one  
million times last year. Recently a “final lecture” was delivered by  
its creator, Randy Pauch of Carnegie Mellon University, who is  
leaving his post due to illness. Streaming video of this event is  
available in two locations:
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB119024238402033039.html
http://youtube.com/watch?v=4HqdnjgkExY

NSDL Whiteboard Report describes research, news, and notes from the  
National Science, Technology, Mathematics, and Education Digital  
Library (http://NSDL.org), which is funded by the National Science  
Foundation. Whiteboard is published bi-weekly and includes  
information from NSDL projects and programs nationwide. Please  
redistribute. To subscribe or unsubscribe, visit http://nsdl.org/ 
publications/?pager=signup.

Whiteboard Report is edited by Brad Edmondson (gbe2 at cornell.edu).  
Project leaders and participants from the NSDL community are  
encouraged to send the editor research news and notes of interest.  
Please limit these items to 200 words or less and provide web links  
to additional information.

The National Science Digital Library (NSDL) is the nation's online  
library of resources for science, technology, engineering, and  
mathematics education and research.

NSDL would like to thank the National Science Foundation for its  
generous support and advocacy of NSDL as the NSF digital library of  
science education. This material is based upon work supported by the  
National Science Foundation under Grants No. 0227648, 0424671, and  
0227888. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations  
expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not  
necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

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