Current update

News from and about eMINTS. This week's news eMINTS teacher website links Professional development without travel: e-Learning for Educators Interactive websites from NASA   Standing offers Newest and updated eThemes

Current update - September 8, 2008

eMINTS teacher website links

Check out the great eMINTS teacher websites now linked from the eMINTS website. The new resource listing provides classroom websites from eMINTS teachers across the U.S. who have submitted a brief form. With the organizational changes away from eMINTS "cluster" websites in Missouri and the expansion of the program, we wanted to share websites from as many eMINTS teachers as possible in one place. Sites are listed alphabetically and farther down the page by grade level and content area.

Submit your classroom website for inclusion in the next round of postings by completing a brief online registration form.

Professional development without travel

e-Learning for Educators fall registration is open. Fall session begins October 8.

Discounts are available for groups of three or more teachers taking the same course. Graduate credit is available at the low cost of $100 per credit (in addition to the course registration fee).

e-Learning for Educators offers high quality online professional development designed to increase teacher knowledge and skills to improve student performance. Experienced educators facilitate online professional development courses for teachers. e-Learning courses meet many state certification requirements for teachers in all content areas.

Interactive websites from NASA

Thanks to Patrick Daugherty, NASA Education Specialist from the Heart of Missouri Regional Professional Development Center (RPDC) for providing these new NASA resources. Listed below are several new websites that offer fun learning experiences in a variety of content areas for K-8 teachers.

1. Provides an interactive device for locating stars and planets for persons on or near our latitude - http://astronomy2009.nasa.gov/planisphere/noaccess.html

2. Calculate the diameter of the moon with the help of Wall-E. In this video, the mischievous robot learns that the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is mapping the moon. From Earth, the moon looks too small to land on. Wall-E learns to use math to determine the size of the moon. The moon is compared to the size of a baseball, and Earth is compared to the size of a basketball -
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Wall-E_Learns_About_Proportion.htmlll-E_Learns_About_Proportion.html

3. In this video segment, a NASA pilot explains how he uses GPS for navigation while flying. He explains that pilots can rely on other navigation tools if their GPS does not work. He also explains that oil companies, farmers and police use GPS - http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Navigational_Uses_for_Global.html

4. Students from Norway meet with science expert Dr. D. to learn about radar and electromagnetic radiation. They demonstrate the relationship between wavelength and energy and discuss several different types of radio waves - http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Radar_Radio_Waves.html

eThemes update

Graduate students who serve as "resource scouts" returned to classes this week and will be working to prepare requests and updates for next week's publication.

Newest eThemes

Find the current list of new eThemes.

Monica Beglau
Executive Director, eMINTS National Center

Reviewed September 15, 2008.