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Table of Contents

• Survey Reveals CEOs of America’s Top Science and Tech Companies Concerned About Global Competition, but Few Tap Women and Minority Talent Pools
• Students Win Top Awards in 2006 Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision Program
• Newest Title from NSTA Press Presents NSF-Funded Researchers’ Strategies For Science and Literacy Curriculum Connections
• Mississippi State Offers Masters in Geosciences for K-12 Teachers; Details on the NSTA Express Online Course Provider Promotional Page
• What Are You Doin’ This Summer?

Survey Reveals CEOs of America’s Top Science and Tech Companies Concerned About Global Competition, but Few Tap Women and Minority Talent Pools

A new survey commissioned by the Bayer Corporation found that many CEOs of some of the fastest growing American science and technology companies are concerned about a rising competition for scientific and technical workers and fear their company’s international competitors will gain an advantage. Four in five CEOs polled reported they are concerned that the Unites States is in danger of losing its global predominance in science and technology due to manpower shortage issues, and one-third are “very concerned.” In addition, well over one-half are concerned that their company will be able to attract and retain the scientific and technically trained employees it needs to remain competitive in the global marketplace.

At the same time, while many acknowledge that their industries suffer from a lack of women, African-American, Native American and Hispanic American STEM workers, only one-third of executives indicate their company or employees participate in precollege education programs that attract, encourage, and sustain girls’ and minority students’ interest in math and science. In addition, executives give an average grade of C to the U.S. education system for how well it is doing providing U.S. companies with diverse and talented graduates who have the skills to be successful in today’s STEM careers.
Titled Bayer Facts of Science Education XII: CEOs on STEM Diversity: The Need, The Seed, The Feed, the survey is part of Bayer’s Making Science Make Sense® (MSMS) program. To view and download the survey, visit http://www.bayerus.com/msms/news/facts.cfm?mode=detail&id=survey06.

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Students Win Top Awards in 2006 Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision Program

The Toshiba/National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) ExploraVision Awards Program has named its 2006 national winning teams. The program challenges K-12 students to explore a technology that exists today and envision what it might be like 20 years in the future. This year’s winning students envisioned innovative treatments for asthma and Tourette’s Syndrome, a compact integrated communications system, and “Atomic Fire Boots” that keep feet warm even in the chilly climates. Chosen from among 4,503 teams representing nearly 14,000 students, winners come from cities across the U.S. and Canada, including Anchorage, AK; Naperville, IL; Olathe, KS; St. Louis, MO; Clayton, NC; Corning, NY; Salem, OR and; and Ontario, Canada.

Each student on the four first-place and four second-place teams will receive a $10,000 and $5,000 savings bond, respectively. The students—and their families and teachers—also win an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, DC, next month to receive their awards.

The ExploraVision program is sponsored by Toshiba Corporation, the Toshiba America Group Companies, and the Toshiba America Foundation, and is administered by NSTA. To read the press release, visit http://www.nsta.org/pressroom&news_story_ID=52037 or to learn more about the winning projects, visit http://www.exploravision.com/2005/national_winners.htm. For more information, visit http://www.exploravision.org, e-mail exploravision@nsta.org, or call 800-EXPLOR9.

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Newest Title from NSTA Press Presents NSF-Funded Researchers’ Strategies For Science and Literacy Curriculum Connections

It isn’t just possible to incorporate science into language arts, it also makes a lot of sense. Linking Science and Literacy in the K-8 Classroom, now available from NSTA Press, is based on the highly acclaimed research dissemination conference presented at conferences in Seattle and Dallas, sponsored by NSTA and funded by the National Science Foundation. The book’s 16 chapters are written by prominent NSF-funded researchers and professional development experts and offer a broad range of perspectives from the classroom, district administrators, and the research community. Accompanying case studies relate how teachers actually made the curriculum connections if in K-8 classrooms. To browse the book online and to order, visit http://store.nsta.org/showItem.asp?product=PB203X.

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Mississippi State Offers Masters in Geosciences for K-12 Teachers; Details on the NSTA Express Online Course Provider Promotional Page

“Does your career as a teacher require you to obtain a Master's degree, continuing education units or graduate coursework? Do you lack the time to attend an evening class once a week after a full day at school?” If the answer to either of these questions is ‘yes,’ then consider the Teachers in Geosciences distance-learning program.” And that’s the message from Mississippi State University, the newest addition to our online course provider promotional page linked to each issue of NSTA Express.

Mississippi State offers a Master of Science in Geosciences with an emphasis in Educational Applications. Students learn meteorology, geology, planetary science, oceanography, physical geography and hydrology from noted science experts in a two-year program. The final course is a 10-day "on location" field methods course which provides documentation of proficiency in the geosciences. To learn more, visit http://institute.nsta.org/tier2.asp and click on the Mississippi State logo.

Institutions offering online professional development interested in inclusion in the NSTA professional development promotional program may contact tier2@minime.nsta.org for details.

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What Are You Doin’ This Summer?

Are you teaching summer school, working a summer job outside of education, going back for some training, or just plain going fishin’? Curious about what your colleagues are doing this summer? Let us know your summer plans by taking this very brief survey at http://science.nsta.org/survey_summer_2006. We’ll report back on the final results in a future issue of NSTA Express. Thanks, and have a great summer from everyone here at NSTA.

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And Don't Forget... 

• During the month of May, you can purchase the Online Book Special—Hands-On Herpetology: Exploring Exology and Conservation—at 30% off list price when you buy online. To browse the book and to order, visit http://www.nsta.org/onlinespecial2.

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Professional development courses in your future?
Online options give you a world of choice.
Take a look at these institutions offering courses for science educators!
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