Volume XXIV No. 30 • July 28, 2000

Submit items to Campus Currents - Top

The Campus Currents is distributed every Friday. If you would like to include an item in the newsletter send it to Campus Currents, Unit 9512 or by e-mail to Campus Currents. Deadline is Thursday at 8 a.m.

Welcome to Black Hills State University - Top
  • Donald Keil, custodial worker, food service
  • Kari Meek, purchasing assistant, university support service

CSA picnic is Thursday
Plan to attend the CSA picnic Thursday, Aug. 3 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the campus green. The theme for the annual scholarship fundraising picnic is  "Hats off to CSA Employees."

CSA employees are encouraged to bring their favorite hot dish, salad or desert to share for the potluck picnic. Supervisors and administrators are also invited to attend.

 

A special hat auction is planned to raise money for the scholarship fund. CSA employees are encouraged to decorate a hat either individually or as an office to be auctioned. The creator of the hat which sells for the highest amount will receive a prize.

Other auction items are also welcome. Or just plan to attend the picnic and enjoy the good food and company of your fellow employees. 

Plan to attend the CSA picnic Thursday, Aug. 3 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the campus green.

 

Randall Royer elected to school board - Top
Dr. Randall Royer, assistant professor of music, was recently sworn in as a Belle Fourche School board member. 

National Science Foundation funds BH science education project for a second year - Top
The National Science Foundation recently awarded Black Hills State University $296,000 in second-year support to continue the Black Hills Science Teaching Project (BLAHST) for area science teachers.

The $1.4 million project began a year ago and is designed to provide an inquiry-based hands-on approach to teaching K-8 science. The BLAHST project is administered through the Center for the Advancement of Mathematics and Science Education (CAMSE) at BHSU. Initial grant funding was for five years.

Eight school districts are involved in the project: Belle Fourche, Douglas, Kadoka, Lead-Deadwood, Meade, New Underwood, Spearfish, and Wall. Teachers from these districts have been involved in workshops this summer in life, physical, and earth/space science taught by scientists from BHSU and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.

Recent workshop topics include the geology of the badlands, weather, electric circuits, and water quality in Spearfish Creek. More staff 

development opportunities will be offered this fall to help teachers use an inquiry-based approach to teaching science.

Janet Lillehaug, BLAHST project manager and Spearfish teacher, said, "In June, NSF sent Dr. Joyce Evans, a program officer, for a three-day site visit. She met with district administrators, lead teachers, project scientists, and project administrators. She praised the project for the progress it has made during its first year."

The eight districts in the project come from an area covering over 8,000 square miles. Every K-8 teacher in the eight districts will receive substantial professional development through the BLAHST project during the next four years.

Information about the BLAHST project is available by contacting the Center for the Advancement of Mathematics and Science Education (CAMSE) at BHSU, 236 West Jackson Blvd., Unit 9005, Spearfish, S.D. 57799-9005 or phone (605) 642-6873 or check out the university web page at http://www.bhsu.edu/camse/index.html.

BHSU designated regional hub for educational science curriculum development - Top
The Educational Development Center (EDC) in Massachusetts has designated the Center for the Advancement of Mathematics and Science Education (CAMSE) at Black Hills State University as one of 10 regional hubs throughout the country.

As a hub site, the BHSU math and science center will be participating in the EDC K-12 Science Curriculum Dissemination Initiative funded in part by a $5.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The BH center will be charged with helping local school districts review their current K-12 science curriculum and consider implementing exemplary, hands-on, research-based instructional materials.

Other hubs in the region include sites at Bozeman, Mont., and Pueblo, Colo.

Dr. Ben Sayler, director of CAMSE, said, "The region we’d like to hit for the first year of this project extends from Pierre to Gillette, Wyo., and perhaps into southwestern North Dakota and northwestern Nebraska. This project is intended to serve school districts wishing to re-examine and improve their science education programs."

Representatives from interested school districts will be able to send four- to five-member teams to seminars and summer institutes sponsored through the hub site. Participants will have access to the hub curriculum library, consultations and technical assistance, and print and electronic tools, and resources to facilitate their districts.

"The highlighted instructional programs are inquiry-based, matching current research about effective learning and meeting national and state standards for rigorous science education," said Sayler. "We thought this would be particularly valuable in the Northern Plains where there is an emphasis on standards and on excellence in education."

EDC will be sending a team of nationally recognized leaders in science education to Black Hills State Oct. 3 through Oct. 5 for a workshop to handle 15 to 20 teams from area school districts. The workshop is titled "The Consumer’s Guide to Instructional Materials." The seminar introduces participants to exemplary K-12 science instructional materials, offers criteria for selecting materials most appropriately matched to district’s needs, and introduces the resources available through the project. Tuition costs for this workshop will be covered by CAMSE, says Sayler.

A second seminar titled, "Getting Started with Curriculum Implementation," will be held April 3 through April 5 in either Spearfish or Rapid City. This follow-up seminar will help teams consider issues and steps necessary for the selection, adoption, and implementation of instructional materials. Participants will have the opportunity to attend topic-specific sessions on classroom practice, conducting pilots, planning professional development, and engaging district leaders, parents, and the community.

Seminar information is available by contacting Dr. Ben Sayler, Director, Center for the Advancement of Mathematics and Science Education, Unit 9005, 236 West Jackson, Spearfish, S.D. 57799-9005 or phone (605) 642- 6873 or register online at <www.edc.org/cse/k12center.html>.

 

Grants opportunities announced - Top
Below are the program materials received June 29-July 5 in the grants office in Woodburn 220. For copies of the information, contact our office at 642-6627 or e-mail requests to us at grants@mystic.bhsu.edu. Fellowship information will also be posted on the Student Union bulletin board near the information desk.
  • Field-Initiated Studies (ED). Deadline: Aug. 18 for letters of intent; Sept. 15 for applications. Topics are up to the researcher, but proposers must make a well-reasoned and compelling case for the national significance of the problems or issues they select and present a design that is complete, clearly delineated and incorporates sound research methods. ED encourages collaborative research; for example, research-intensive universities may collaborate with historically underrepresented institutions. http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html
  • NSF. Research experiences for undergraduates (REU) FAQ. NSF 00-107.

This week at BHSU - Top

Submit items or send to 
media relations, Unit 9512, BHSU.

 Friday, July28

Saturday,
July29

 
Sunday, July30 Monday, July31 Tuesday, Aug.1 Wednesday, Aug.  2 Thursday, Aug.3

CSA Fundraiser Picnic, 11:30 a.m - 1 p.m. , Campus Green

 

 Friday, Aug. 4 Saturday, Aug.5