National Board Crunch Time

As the National Board deadline approaches candidates everywhere are hopefully wrapping up their four entries, and going through the arduous process of packing up their years-worth of work to be sent out for judgment. And then we shall all hold our breath until next November.

So where am I in this funny business?
Teaching a Major Idea Over Time: Done!
Active Scientific Inquiry: 10% of the writing is written, but I am filming on Monday!
Whole Class Discussion: Done!
Documented Accomplishments: 97% done ~ I have to decide on the most effect artifacts to send in to document my accomplishments.

Even with basically one whole entry to go, I'm feeling pretty satisfied, pretty chill about the whole thing... at least compared to last week, when Teaching a Major Idea and Whole Class Discussion weren't quite done.

It might just take me a whole week to package it!

We're In the Test Tube!

So the other day I found this video after I felt a need to explain to a student that global "warming" was not the actual concern, but rather global "climate destabilization".



This guy makes me think a lot of things, not limited to:
a) You're probably a really great teacher and I wish I could take your class
b) Either your a Christian or a Philosophy buff, cause who else would know about Pascal's Wager?
c) What a geek! ~ said the pot to the kettle.
d) well done, dude, well done.

Legislative Action This Session? Wow. Dang. :)

The exciting news of the day comes to us through Rep. Dave Sharpe from Addison County. I'm sorry Dave that I did not ask your permission ahead of time to publish this, but it's just so exciting:

Hi Gang,

Well it's crunch time. The Senate finance committee is looking at S.350 with an idea that they could do something to help the VESI project. Senator Ayer has asked me what in particular you would like and I have indicated three possibilities. 1) subsidize or otherwise create incentives for a pellet manufacturing facility 2) use LIHEAP funds to install some pellet stoves. 3) Use LIHEAP funds to purchase pellets. She suggested that possibly a grant to UVM to study the issues and plan a course of action.

What do you think? and what suggestions would you make?

Regards,
Rep. Dave Sharpe


It's SO great to know that in this small state our representatives are so willing to listen and move on our behalf. I'm feeling pretty good about democracy right now.

Meanwhile, I am also shocked that we may actually get some movement during this legislative session. We had mentally put the legislature on the backburner since there wasn't much time left, and usually bills like this take at least two sessions anyway. But here we are with a legislator proposing our ideas THIS FREAKING SESSION! :D Probably that's because we acted early. Now we've just got to get it passed ~ and hopefully without a veto :P We'll see!

SERG and VT Interfaith Power and Light

As for the weatherization/biomass heating fuel non-profit, Bart my bus buddy recommended I get in touch with two organizations Sustainable Energy Resource Group (SERG) and Vermont Interfaith Power and Light.

Apparently SERG hosts weatherization workshops! So this already exists ~ we just need to jump on board. I think I'll contact them and hopefully set up a training day in Burlington, VT for a collaboration of churches.

Vermont Interfaith Power and Light does energy audits for churches, synagogues, etc. and teaches the congregants what they can do to save energy and money. Maybe I'll invite them to come to St. Andrew's.

All this on the day that the Southern Baptist convention decided that they do in fact care about global climate change... and it's our moral obligation to do something about it. Well, dang, let's move this mountain! (God specializes in the impossible, no?)

New England Grassroots Environment Fund and VSHI

Today on the bus I got to talk with my bus buddy Bart from Holland. I was telling him all about the latest news with the Vermont Sustainable Heating Initiative. When I got to the part about an outreach to middle to upper income folks, he asked, "How do you plan to reach them?" To which I said, "Ummmmmm... no clue." Well, I did have some ideas, mainly posters and flyers, but I don't really think those are that effective.

He said, "Why not have a table at a farmer's market? Then you could have a sign up sheet, which could then be considered your 'market'. And you could email them when you want to have an informational meeting".

"Yes, but doesn't it cost money to have a table at a farmer's market?"

"It does, but NEGEF would be able to help with outreach". (Bart from Holland works for the New England Grassroots Environment Fund aka NEGEF)

Dude. I'm pumped right now. The deadline is May 1st, and then we could have farmer's market space in the summer ... possibly. We've got to act fast, but VSHI is a fast-acting kind of group!

Homeowner Education and Non-Profit Collaboration

Today the Vermont Sustainable Heating Initiative met in Richmond and my (utterly exhausted) two cents were that I am tired of publicity and I'm hungry for action. We've got these "demo projects" we'd like to make into a reality, but we're so far from a solid plan that it's hard to know where to go next. Specifically the demo project ideas are to
1) start farmers growing pelletizable crops on underutilized agricultural land (so as not to reduce the food supply)
2) pelletize said crops (ideally one industrial size universal pelletizer per county) and
3) work with LIHEAP to get pellet lots of 500 stoves per county into low income houses.


We'd need a business plan, and funding and a collegiate consortium-run research facility to answer questions like "what specific blend of prairie grasses is best?" "How do pellet stoves work in a mobile home?"


But this was (in my mind) too big. We needed something easier to chew on. LIHEAP is good, but it's middle to upper class folks with capital who need to know that this technology is reliable, financially viable, and eco-friendly. Homeowners would seriously jump for this if they only knew!

So that's where I proposed we start. We hold educational meetings in Bristol, Montpelier, and Burlington (in that order) directly aimed at middle-upper class homeowners. If we can get a critical mass of homeowners in one town to agree to purchase pellet stoves, then we can hook them up with cheaper bulk purchases of pellets from local suppliers. That would be the main focus of the meeting.

Meanwhile we're planning to talk to Hal Colston of Good News Garage and NeighborKeepers about cooperating with his newest project: Wood for the Common Good (maybe we can adapt that to Grasses for the Masses?). The rumor is that hasn't taken off quite as planned, but we've got a huge force and energy to put into it, but we'd want to adapt the program to include high-density perennial pellets, and possibly set up a carbon offset program (I may talk them out of that plan). My job is to talk to Hal Colston, and set up a meeting with him and the rest of the Vermont Sustainable Heating Initiative.

(Gosh, I can't believe I'm trying to do all this and get National Board Certification simultaneously!)

On Being a Knowles Science Teaching Fellow

(This is my Knowles Science Teaching Foundation (KSTF) cohort at our very first meeting in Colorado. I'm the one with braids.)

This weekend I was asked to be a "candidate mother" at KSTF's annual selection meeting. Knowles thought it would be good to have current fellows there to answer the questions (and calm the nerves) of the interviewees. There were four of us fellows there and our job was basically to talk to the candidates all day, which was wonderful and exhausting. There were some really amazing people there, and I've got my fingers crossed for some of them (including my student teacher). We'll find out in April who made it! There were 24 science, 18 math, and 12 biology candidates (if my memory serves).

Those who are offered fellowships will be required to participate in an online discussion board with other fellows, create a portfolio of their progress for each year of the fellowship (renewable for up to five years), participate in professional development during the summer, attend three fellows meetings per year, and either pursue their licensure in education or hold a full-time teaching position. In return, the foundation gives the fellows a stipend in the summer, financial support for a mentor of their choosing, membership in a professional association like NSTA, funding for academic year and summertime professional development
as well as the three fellows meetings, mini-grants for classroom materials, and they give each fellow copies of the best science or math curricula available (like ASU's Modeling Curriculum, or Physics by Inquiry, or Living By Science).

There are so many things I'm leaving out here (like funding for National Board Certification, and professional observation, and Lesson Study)... but the point, anyway, is that if you know any soon-to-be science or math teachers you should totally tell them to apply.

As cheesy as it sounds, this fellowship has made me into the teacher I am today.