50 Best STEM Social Media Feeds for Educators

Struggling to keep up with other countries’ progress in STEM professions, the US often faces issues with lacking trained STEM professionals to fill available positions.  Factors such as this are the driving force behind STEM-promoting initiatives among public and private organizations. 

An unconventional resource many STEM educators are turning to is social media.  Social media pages devoted to STEM education, such as www.Twitter.com/ScienceReport, and www.Facebook.com/SCIENCESCREENREPORT stream information regarding STEM programs, educational resources, and competitions for STEM teachers to involve classes in.  The below link also provides a list of Twitter feeds that promote STEM education:

http://www.bestcollegesonline.com/blog/2011/12/14/50-essential-twitter-feeds-for-stem-educators/

Boca Bearings 2012 Innovation Competition

A Boca Raton business, Boca Bearings Company, is giving away more than $20,000 in cash and prices in an effort to support companies and individuals with a focus on the arts, or STEM.  This event is in celebration of Boca Bearings Company’s 25^th year of business. 

Competitors submit videos of innovative mechanical projects that utilize ball bearings, roller bearings, linear bearings or full ceramic or hybrid ceramic bearings.  Project submissions must be innovative, and include at least one ball, roller, or linear bearing.   

                                                                                                                              

For more information about Boca Bearings Company, or their Innovation Competition, please visit:

http://www.bocabearings.com/innovation-contest/faqs.aspx

Musical Odyssey in Space

Space tourism has caught the eye of many people throughout the world.  But the most interesting yet would be entertainers.  The sources with a popular music label have indicated that Jay-Z and Beyoncé may be the first artists to film a music video in space. 

As passengers of Virgin Galactic, the artists would be traveling 70,000 feet into Earth’s atmosphere.  The ticket costs over one million dollars, but the video resulting from it would be revolutionary.  The trip would be strictly business, as the flight only offers six minutes of weightlessness. 

Interested in teaching your students more about space science? Check out SSR's Vol 41 DVD, episode Space Science – Everyday Astronauts.  If your school would like to receive this free resource, visit http://www.ssrvideo.com/nhcmsp.html.   

Interested in speaking to students about space science? E-mail Fallon@ssrvideo.com

Source:

http://popcrush.com/beyonce-jay-z-music-video-space/

Celebrating Science – USA Science & Engineering Festival

If you will be in the Washington DC area the weekend of April 28 and 29^th, stop by the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.  The 2^nd annual USA Science and Engineering Festival is a free event aimed at cultivating an interest in the sciences for students of all ages and backgrounds.   This is the nation's biggest celebration of science and engineering. 

The festival will help provide inspiration for students who are undecided about their career path in the sciences.  As an event sponsor, SCIENCE SCREEN REPORT will be participating in the festival.  Visit the website below to learn more about the 2^nd annual USA Science & Engineering Festival.

http://www.usasciencefestival.org/  

Animated Video Highlights Science Fairs

Land O’ Lakes High School IB graduate, Kevin Temmer has applied his passion for animation to the world of science.  As part of his IB program’s Creativity Action Service requirement, Temmer’s video helps kids understand the process of making a science project for a science fair. 

The video can be viewed at the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e5XU0HKFLA

The video has been featured in an article on NASA’s “For Educators” blog.  Temmer’s 15 minute video is hailed as creatively explaining the process of a science fair project.  Websites such as National Geographic Kids, the National Science Foundation Knowledge Network, and AOL Kids have featured Temmer’s video. 

Source:

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/science-fair-is-a-winner.html

Promising Potential in CO2-Grabbing Polymer

Researchers have found a solution for CO² in the air.  Raising levels of CO² is to blame for climate change.  Researchers at the University of Southern California have found a method for producing a cheap plastic capable of drawing CO² out of the air.  USC researcher, George Olah suggests then combining the absorbed CO², combining it with hydrogen molecules stripped from water, and generating methanol to serve as a harvested fuel. 

Researchers found, after placing the absorbent plastic in a humid environment, each gram of the material absorbed an average of 1.72 nanomoles of  CO²; this is 1.44 nanomoles above competitive materials.  The polymer would be best put to use in mass concentrations, in the form of artificial trees on farms. 

Interested in teaching your students more about energy? Check out SSR's Vol 41 DVD, episodes Energy – Understanding Hydroelectric Power, Energy – Transforming Renewable Resources Part I & II.  If your school would like to receive this free resource, visit http://www.ssrvideo.com/nhcmsp.html.   

Interested in speaking to students about energy? E-mail Fallon@ssrvideo.com

Source:

http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2012/01/new-co2-sucker-could-help-clear-.html?ref=em&elq=2ace7d1ec0a14a60a3f73b36d9398392