eMINTS March Newsletter
eMINTS Newsletter: March 2019
Tad Brinkerhoff Succeeds Christie Terry as Director of eMINTS
eMINTS Friends and Family,
It has long been an ambition of mine to complete my Ph.D. before I reach retirement. After a year of attempting to balance full-time school, full-time work, and a full-time family, I have decided to step down as the Director of the eMINTS National Center and focus on my school and research.
I am not saying farewell to eMINTS. While I will no longer serve as the Director, I will still be here at the College of Education, ready to support the success of eMINTS in any way I can. I will have a new position working for the Associate Dean of Engagement and Outreach here in the college as well as continuing to work with my eMINTS colleagues in a support role.
I am proud to work with an eMINTS team that recognizes that change represents an opportunity. Our hiring committee worked diligently to find a new director that possesses the skills and leadership to build on our strengths and take us in new directions. We are very pleased to welcome Tad Brinkerhoff to the eMINTS family as our next Director. After working closely with Tad for the past week, I have the utmost confidence that eMINTS is in good hands.
Please join me in welcoming Tad to the eMINTS community,
Christie Terry
Dear eMINTS family and friends,
I am very excited to be joining the eMINTS family as the new director. I want to thank Christie Terry and every member of the eMINTS staff for working hard every day to make a difference in the lives of students and teachers. I was attracted to this job because of the mission of eMINTS, the dedicated staff, and the future opportunities that exist for all stakeholders.
My background is different than that of the eMINTS team. I am not a certified teacher but have spent the last 18 years in higher education after an 8 year corporate career. I also spent 4 years teaching at the middle school level at several public schools in Japan, so I can appreciate the impact teachers make in the lives of students. I approach this position at eMINTS with more of a business perspective than has existed in the past, but I am still firmly committed to the eMINTS mission.
Technology and students have changed greatly in the last few years and we will need to change as well. Over the next several months, I will be listening to and learning from all our stakeholders – from students to corporations – to understand what our operating model should look like and to search for future opportunities that will allow us to continue operating long into the future.
I hope to connect with many of you in the next few months and start that process of defining our future together. Please feel free to reach out to me as well with your thoughts, ideas and innovations. Email: brinkerhoffc@missouri or cell phone 801-319-4692. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Tad
C. Tad Brinkerhoff
Lava Ridge Intermediate in the News!
Lava Ridge Intermediate School, in Santa Clara, Utah is special for their involvement in the eMINTS i3 grant program. Now, they are taking an active role in state politics as well!
Students at Lava Ridge Intermediate have been working hard on a special project: to propose an official state reptile to the Utah state legislature. About 70 students from Mrs. Lund’s Science classes and Mrs. Robins’ Language Arts classes began working back in October, starting with individually researching reptiles that could be used to represent the state. “Students then engaged in a debate, using scientific argumentation, to determine which reptile would have the best chance of becoming Utah’s official state reptile,” said Lava Ridge science teacher Alison Lund.
A student vote was held, and the Gila monster was the overwhelming winner, Lund said, noting that numerous other choices on the ballot included the chuckwalla, desert tortoise, zebra-tailed lizard, western banded gecko, desert collared lizard, Great Basin rattlesnake, Mojave Desert sidewinder and regal ringneck snake. The students then teamed up to find additional research and create presentations about why they thought the Gila Monster should be named as the Utah State Reptile. They learned more about the Gila Monster, the legislative process, and even got to see a Gila monster brought to the school by Cameron Rognan from Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. Each group then had the opportunity to present to a class at Lava Ridge and before a panel of judges. After the judging was completed, Mrs. Andrus helped the finalists practice their debate and presentation skills.
On Monday, February 25th, the 11 finalists were able to travel to the State Capitol Building in Salt Lake City. There they were treated to a tour of the building, presented to the House of Representatives and then four students presented before the House Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Committee. The students succeeded in convincing the committee members and House Bill 144 unanimously cleared the legislative hearing. On March 1st, HB 144 was presented to the house of Representatives and passed with 56 yes votes and 8 no. Our next step is to present before the Senate committee. Overall this has been an amazing learning experience!
For more information about the Gila Monster and to follow our progress, visit our website at: http://lavaridge.net/student-station/gogogila/.
Cheri Maxwell is the Learning Coach and SpEd Department chair at Lava Ridge Intermediate, which houses 6th and 7th grade students. She started her eMINTS journey when her school was awarded an i3 grant and became an eMINTS certified Affiliate Trainer last year.
2019 Innovation Institute
Join your #emints PLN at the 2019 Innovation Institute taking place June 12 & 13, 2019 in Springdale, AR. Now in its fifth year, the Innovation Institute has become the place to connect with other educators, discover innovative school and classroom practices, and transform the teaching and learning experience. With AWESOME keynote speakers, Alice Keeler and Manuel Herrera, and more than 100 sessions to choose from, you are guaranteed a transformational professional learning experience. Did we mention our southern hospitality…continental breakfast, food trucks, and THE BEST prizes around?! Come & explore how you can customize the learning experience, inspire our future designers and creators, and help all learners achieve their maximum potential. Best of all, registration doesn’t get any more economical; $50 to attend one day or $85 gets you 2 days of professional development. Learn more and register at http://bit.ly/2019i2sdale.
3M Young Scientists Challenge
This challenge is open to students in grade 5-8.
Students should identify a solution to an everyday problem that directly impacts them, their families, their communities, and/or the global population. The student must create a one- to two- minute video that…
- explains the problem and how it impacts them, their families, their communities and/or the global population;
- describes a new innovation or solution that could impact or solve the problem;
- explains the science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics behind their innovation; and
- illustrates how their innovation could both address the everyday problem they’ve identified and have a broader impact locally or globally.
Students innovation can solve any problem that inspires them, across any industry – from manufacturing, energy, safety, healthcare, transportation, electronics to automotive, construction and design to communications, personal safety to professional cleaning; however, students are not limited to these areas of focus. Entrants can find additional inspiration online at www.youngscientistlab.com.
USSSC 2019
The 2019 United States Super STEM Competition is heating up and it’s time for you to get your team registered. Registration is open through March 31, 2019. Get all the information here and reserve your spot to shine!
eMINTS Friends and Family,
It has long been an ambition of mine to complete my Ph.D. before I reach retirement. After a year of attempting to balance full-time school, full-time work, and a full-time family, I have decided to step down as the Director of the eMINTS National Center and focus on my school and research.
I am not saying farewell to eMINTS. While I will no longer serve as the Director, I will still be here at the College of Education, ready to support the success of eMINTS in any way I can. I will have a new position working for the Associate Dean of Engagement and Outreach here in the college as well as continuing to work with my eMINTS colleagues in a support role.
I am proud to work with an eMINTS team that recognizes that change represents an opportunity. Our hiring committee worked diligently to find a new director that possesses the skills and leadership to build on our strengths and take us in new directions. We are very pleased to welcome Tad Brinkerhoff to the eMINTS family as our next Director. After working closely with Tad for the past week, I have the utmost confidence that eMINTS is in good hands.
Please join me in welcoming Tad to the eMINTS community,
Christie Terry
Dear eMINTS family and friends,
I am very excited to be joining the eMINTS family as the new director. I want to thank Christie Terry and every member of the eMINTS staff for working hard every day to make a difference in the lives of students and teachers. I was attracted to this job because of the mission of eMINTS, the dedicated staff, and the future opportunities that exist for all stakeholders.
My background is different than that of the eMINTS team. I am not a certified teacher but have spent the last 18 years in higher education after an 8 year corporate career. I also spent 4 years teaching at the middle school level at several public schools in Japan, so I can appreciate the impact teachers make in the lives of students. I approach this position at eMINTS with more of a business perspective than has existed in the past, but I am still firmly committed to the eMINTS mission.
Technology and students have changed greatly in the last few years and we will need to change as well. Over the next several months, I will be listening to and learning from all our stakeholders – from students to corporations – to understand what our operating model should look like and to search for future opportunities that will allow us to continue operating long into the future.
I hope to connect with many of you in the next few months and start that process of defining our future together. Please feel free to reach out to me as well with your thoughts, ideas and innovations. Email: brinkerhoffc@missouri or cell phone 801-319-4692. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Tad
C. Tad Brinkerhoff
Lava Ridge Intermediate in the News!
Lava Ridge Intermediate School, in Santa Clara, Utah is special for their involvement in the eMINTS i3 grant program. Now, they are taking an active role in state politics as well!
Students at Lava Ridge Intermediate have been working hard on a special project: to propose an official state reptile to the Utah state legislature. About 70 students from Mrs. Lund’s Science classes and Mrs. Robins’ Language Arts classes began working back in October, starting with individually researching reptiles that could be used to represent the state. “Students then engaged in a debate, using scientific argumentation, to determine which reptile would have the best chance of becoming Utah’s official state reptile,” said Lava Ridge science teacher Alison Lund.
A student vote was held, and the Gila monster was the overwhelming winner, Lund said, noting that numerous other choices on the ballot included the chuckwalla, desert tortoise, zebra-tailed lizard, western banded gecko, desert collared lizard, Great Basin rattlesnake, Mojave Desert sidewinder and regal ringneck snake. The students then teamed up to find additional research and create presentations about why they thought the Gila Monster should be named as the Utah State Reptile. They learned more about the Gila Monster, the legislative process, and even got to see a Gila monster brought to the school by Cameron Rognan from Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. Each group then had the opportunity to present to a class at Lava Ridge and before a panel of judges. After the judging was completed, Mrs. Andrus helped the finalists practice their debate and presentation skills.
On Monday, February 25th, the 11 finalists were able to travel to the State Capitol Building in Salt Lake City. There they were treated to a tour of the building, presented to the House of Representatives and then four students presented before the House Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Committee. The students succeeded in convincing the committee members and House Bill 144 unanimously cleared the legislative hearing. On March 1st, HB 144 was presented to the house of Representatives and passed with 56 yes votes and 8 no. Our next step is to present before the Senate committee. Overall this has been an amazing learning experience!
For more information about the Gila Monster and to follow our progress, visit our website at: http://lavaridge.net/student-station/gogogila/.
Cheri Maxwell is the Learning Coach and SpEd Department chair at Lava Ridge Intermediate, which houses 6th and 7th grade students. She started her eMINTS journey when her school was awarded an i3 grant and became an eMINTS certified Affiliate Trainer last year.
2019 Innovation Institute
Join your #emints PLN at the 2019 Innovation Institute taking place June 12 & 13, 2019 in Springdale, AR. Now in its fifth year, the Innovation Institute has become the place to connect with other educators, discover innovative school and classroom practices, and transform the teaching and learning experience. With AWESOME keynote speakers, Alice Keeler and Manuel Herrera, and more than 100 sessions to choose from, you are guaranteed a transformational professional learning experience. Did we mention our southern hospitality…continental breakfast, food trucks, and THE BEST prizes around?! Come & explore how you can customize the learning experience, inspire our future designers and creators, and help all learners achieve their maximum potential. Best of all, registration doesn’t get any more economical; $50 to attend one day or $85 gets you 2 days of professional development. Learn more and register at http://bit.ly/2019i2sdale.
3M Young Scientists Challenge
This challenge is open to students in grade 5-8.
Students should identify a solution to an everyday problem that directly impacts them, their families, their communities, and/or the global population. The student must create a one- to two- minute video that…
- explains the problem and how it impacts them, their families, their communities and/or the global population;
- describes a new innovation or solution that could impact or solve the problem;
- explains the science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics behind their innovation; and
- illustrates how their innovation could both address the everyday problem they’ve identified and have a broader impact locally or globally.
Students innovation can solve any problem that inspires them, across any industry – from manufacturing, energy, safety, healthcare, transportation, electronics to automotive, construction and design to communications, personal safety to professional cleaning; however, students are not limited to these areas of focus. Entrants can find additional inspiration online at www.youngscientistlab.com.
USSSC 2019
The 2019 United States Super STEM Competition is heating up and it’s time for you to get your team registered. Registration is open through March 31, 2019. Get all the information here and reserve your spot to shine!
Are you an educator interested in introducing your students to coding and computational thinking?
The White House estimates that by 2018, more than half (51 percent) of STEM jobs are projected to be in computer science-related fields. In order to meet this demand, there’s a new call to prepare higher education faculty and pre-service students to include computational thinking, coding, and computer science into the classroom. 
Holly Linneman is in her seventh year of teaching at the Windsor Street Montessori School in Columbia, MO. She is currently teaching the multi-grade intermediate group (grades 2 through 4). Holly began her eMINTS4All professional development program in summer 2014.