The Educator Professional Development Workshops & Online Courses offered via the UNM STEM-H Center/Kupono Learning Lab provide educators with opportunities to engage in face to face and/or self-paced online professional development training including Research Challenge/Science Fair Bootcamp, Project Management for STEM-H Educators, Safety & Ethics in Student Research, and our newest modules under the JSHS Training Modules. All training is currently FREE of charge for any teacher (& student) from anywhere!
The STEM-H Student Researcher Bootcamp Workshops, run in partnership with Explora Science Center, provide middle and high school student researchers with project development skills/ support/resources along with additional available workshops in Responsible Conduct of Research, Judging Preparation, Animal Protections in Research, Human Protections in Research, and more.
RESEARCH CHALLENGE/SCIENCE FAIR BOOTCAMPS (6.5 - 7.5 HOURS)
9/10/22 Bootcamp Session #1 - Click Here to Register
9/17/22 Bootcamp Session #2 - Click Here to Register
The Research Challenge/Science Fair Bootcamp covers the following content in either an interactive, in-person format (live and/or virtual) or a self-paced, online format:
- Overview of ISEF-Affiliated competitions
- Demystifying the ISEF rules, forms, & accepted practices
- Rules/Forms for ALL projects
- Determining eligibility
- Protecting the rights & welfare of researchers & subjects
- Adherence to federal regulations, safe lab procedures, and good stewardship of the environment
- Human Participants projects
- Vertebrate Animal projects
- Potentially Hazardous Biological Agents projects
- Hazardous Chemicals/Activities/Equipment projects
- Student designed inventions, etc.
- Setting up local/school/district level SRC/IRB committees compliant with ISEF rules to do both effective prior-approval reviews for those projects that require it as well as doing pre-competition reviews to ensure students’ ongoing adherence to ISEF & regional/state competition requirements
- Connecting projects to standards (NGSS/CCSS) and effectively guiding student researchers as well as bolstering the case for having students do inquiry-based projects to increase administrative support
CENTRAL NM REGION: Completion of either the in person or online Bootcamp by at least ONE committee member from each school/organization wishing to field a local SRC/IRB is MANDATORY!! Completion of either the in person or online course by at least ONE person from each school planning to send students to the Regional Research Challenge is also MANDATORY. The self-paced online course may be substituted for the face-to-face workshop. However, for those who have never attended the face-to-face Bootcamp, we highly recommend attending on-site at least the first time through as there tend to be a lot of questions that can be best answered in person.
PARTICIPANTS FROM OUTSIDE CENTRAL NM: Educators/competition coordinators from outside the Central NM SERC region. Participants from outside the Central NM region will need to consult with their regional fair director for rules & deadlines specific to their regional competitions. Participants from outside Central NM are NOT required to complete the Central NM-specific module of the training and no assessment questions are asked about that section of material.
2022-2023 ONLINE, SELF-PACED RESEARCH CHALLENGE?SCIENCE FAIR VIRTUAL BOOTCAMP AVAILABLE NOW!
Watch Quick How to Register/Enroll Video
The Self-Paced Research Challenge/Science Fair Bootcamp covers the following content in an interactive, a self-paced, online format:
- Overview of ISEF-Affiliated competitions
- Demystifying the ISEF rules, forms, & accepted practices
- Rules/Forms for ALL projects
- Determining eligibility
- Protecting the rights & welfare of researchers & subjects
- Adherence to federal regulations, safe lab procedures, and good stewardship of the environment
- Human Participants projects
- Vertebrate Animal projects
- Potentially Hazardous Biological Agents projects
- Hazardous Chemicals/Activities/Equipment projects
- Student designed inventions, etc.
- Setting up local/school/district level SRC/IRB committees compliant with ISEF rules to do both effective prior-approval reviews for those projects that require it as well as doing pre-competition reviews to ensure students’ ongoing adherence to ISEF & regional/state competition requirements
- Connecting projects to standards (NGSS/CCSS) and effectively guiding student researchers as well as bolstering the case for having students do inquiry-based projects to increase administrative support
CENTRAL NM REGION: Completion of either the in person or online Bootcamp by at least ONE committee member from each school/organization wishing to field a local SRC/IRB is MANDATORY!! Completion of either the in person or online course by at least ONE person from each school planning to send students to the Regional Research Challenge is also MANDATORY.
The self-paced online course may be substituted for the face-to-face workshop. However, for those who have never attended the face-to-face Bootcamp, we highly recommend attending on-site at least the first time through as there tend to be a lot of questions that can be best answered in person.
PARTICIPANTS FROM OUTSIDE CENTRAL NM: Educators/competition coordinators from outside the Central NM SERC region. Participants from outside the Central NM region will need to consult with their regional fair director for rules & deadlines specific to their regional competitions. Participants from outside Central NM are NOT required to complete the Central NM-specific module of the training and no assessment questions are asked about that section of material.
STUDENT RESEARCHER BOOTCAMP (geared to 4th-8th grade students)
l need to consult with their regional fair director for rules & deadlines specific to their regional competitions. Participants from outside Central NM are NOT required to complete the Central NM-specific module of the training and no assessment questions are asked about that section of material.
We are continuing to partner with Explora Science Center whose experienced educators host & facilitate these engaging workshops!
IMPORTANT: These workshops are intended for students (and teachers) who WILL be doing a science or engineering research project this school year with the intention of qualifying for the Central New Mexico STEM Research Challenge (i.e. the “regional science fair”). For this reason, we encourage classes to attend together as a field trip. Preference will be given to class groups. Individual students may attend if there is space, HOWEVER, an adult is required to attend the session with the student AND the student must also meet the requirement of conducting a research project during the school year and applying to participate in Research Challenge.
Workshops will provide ideas and tools for students to use as they complete their research or engineering project! Students will participate in engaging hands-on activities designed to better understand the inquiry process, choosing a topic, writing a testable question and designing a project that follows the scientific or engineering process.
For 4th-8th grade students. No fee to attend. Each session is limited to 25 students.
Session #1 – Wednesday, September 28; 9:30am - 2:00pm @ Explora
Session #2 – Friday, September 30; 9:30am - 2:00pm @ Explora
Session #3 – Monday, October 3; 9:30am - 2:00pm @ Explora
Session #4 – Tuesday, October 4; 9:30am - 2:00pm @ Explora
Teachers, fill out the class field trip interest form here.
Parents/guardians, complete the individual student interest form here.
JSHS ONLINE, SELF-PACED TRAINING MODULES
Now Available!!
Watch Quick How to Register/Enroll Video
The UNM STEM-H Center is developing a 5-module, self-paced, on-line course which will be accessible to both teachers and student researchers. The training modules will focus on best practices for presenting student research. Many students and teachers often need increased understanding and proficiency in skills such as writing abstracts and research papers, preparing oral presentations, creating effective slide decks, and data analysis & statistics.
These training modules will offer teachers an opportunity to build their own skill base and increase their confidence in supporting student researchers as they prepare for JSHS and other STEM research competitions. The modules will provide student researchers interested in being well prepared to present their work in research competitions or poster sessions with the knowledge and skill development to do that with confidence.
The new training will be available via the STEM-H Center’s Learning Lab page as each module is released. Keep checking back…the first 3 modules will be released by the end of April 2021. The remaining 2 modules will be released by the end of June 2021. The training modules are and will always be FREE of charge. A certificate of completion for each module can be printed once the requirements of the modules have been met. Teachers – certainly use these certificates as proof of completion of professional development. Students – keep the certificate(s) as proof of completion AND add the modules you complete to your resume!
MODULE 1: JSHS OVERVIEW & LEVERAGING RESEARCH PROJECTS FOR STEM RESEARCH COMPETITIONS This module contains an overview of JSHS and other Army Education Outreach Programs as well as additional competitions in which student researchers may present and compete with their work. We hope that raising awareness about the many programs/competitions/opportunities and the fact that students can participate with the same project in more than one event will encourage students to complete a research project and increase participation in the various competitions. Students who compete in one or more STEM research competitions become eligible to compete for millions of dollars in prizes, scholarships, trips, and more!
MODULE 2: WRITING AMAZING RESEARCH PAPERS & ABSTRACTS This is a comprehensive training focused on how to write high quality STEM research papers to journal publication and competition standards. Additionally, a significant portion of the training addresses how and when to write an effective, publication-ready project abstract.
MODULE 3: DESIGNING EFFECTIVE, ENGAGING SLIDE DECKS This module presents best practices for the design and presentation of research findings in PowerPoint (or other similar applications). The training offers information about creating engaging visuals, using best practices for things like fonts/font sizes, color schemes, data visualizations & graphics, choosing a theme, recommendations about use of animations, etc.
MODULE 4: BUILDING ENGAGING ORAL RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS Learn to plan for, design, and rehearse your oral presentations during competition judging and/or poster presentations. How do you relate to your slides without reading from them? What are the best ways to plan & design an oral presentation of research findings? Are there tips & tricks to creating awesome oral presentations? How much rehearsal is recommended? What are the most effective ways to prepare to present orally? How should presenters dress? How can presenters effectively deal with their nerves, anxiety, or stage fright? What are some presentation pacing strategies?
MODULE 5: DATA, DATA, DATA…WHAT TO DO WITH IT NOW THAT YOU HAVE IT! Learn to choose the best statistical testing methods for a project, understand how to run those tests, figure out what the analysis means, and finally understand how to interpret the results of data analysis. Having a solid handle not only on the raw data, but on what the statistical analyses of the data reveal will help researchers explain and support their written & oral presentation of findings during competition judging.
SAFETY & ETHICS IN STUDENT RESEARCH
Coming in 2022
(Responsible Conduct of Research, Human Protections, & Animal Protections)
This online course offers training and resources designed to help you and your students identify, clarify, and address safety & ethics challenges that frequently arise when designing, conducting, or reporting research...and applies to research done in the classroom as well as projects taken on by students outside of class.
The workshop includes Responsible Conduct of Research, Human Protections, and Animal Protections.
Course Developers: Dr. Bill Gannon, Director of UNM's Responsible Conduct of Research Program, helped develop the Responsible Conduct of Research module. Linda Petree, Director of the UNM Main Campus Institutional Review board, helped develop the Human Protections module. Katy Mirowsky-Garcia, Operations Manager for the UNM Office of Animal Care Compliance, along with consultation from the UNM veterinarian, Dr. Kevin O’Hair, helped develop the Animal Protections module.
Responsible Conduct of Research SAMPLE Topics
- Appropriateness of the research design
- Use of invasive vs. non-invasive research-specific procedures
- Return of individual research results or incidental findings to participants
- Confidentiality/anonymity
- Inclusion or exclusion of vulnerable populations
- Community-based research questions
- Social/policy implications
- Plagiarism concerns
- Ethical theory
Animal Protections SAMPLE Topics
- Animal care (husbandry)
- Ethical & safety considerations
- Consideration of alternatives to use of vertebrate animals
Human Protections SAMPLE Topics
- Safety/ethical considerations
- Historical context for the requirements to protect human participants in research studies
- Identification of protected/high risk populations, etc.
- Definition of risk categories