TRC 21st Annual Meeting — Telling Our Story
June 16 – 18, 2015 | Renaissance Austin Hotel
Telling Our Story
Take a look back at the sights and sounds of the 2015 TRC 21st Annual Meeting, as teachers share their TRC Stories. Learn more
Post-Annual Meeting Links
- TRC 2015 Excellence Awards
- 21st Annual Meeting Photography
- News Coverage
- Texas Regional Collaboratives’ Annual Meeting Embodies Collaborative Spirit
- Region One science teachers shine at event
Sched Online Schedule
TRC is using the online service Sched as our main schedule and session guide for the 21st Annual Meeting. You may access the TRC 21st Annual Meeting Schedule using any web browser. A mobile app is available for Apple iOS and Android users.
Welcome!
Kamil A. Jbeily, Ph.D.
Executive Director, TRC
Welcome to the Twenty-First Annual Meeting of the Texas Regional Collaboratives for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching (TRC). For twenty four years, thousands of TRC teacher leaders, educators, professors, administrators, policy makers, and corporate partners have come together, stayed together, and worked together to build capacity in our schools and support excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education for all students.
Continue Reading Dr. Jbeily’s remarks
Pre-Annual Meeting Event
Shell-TRC Partnership Sponsored Field Trip to the Hill Country Science Mill
Monday, June 15, 2015
Thanks to the Shell-TRC partnership, a group of participants will spend a day of exploration at the Hill Country Science Mill in Johnson City, Texas. The visit will include a behind the scenes into our Zebrafish Breeding Program, where attendees will learn how this little fish helps advance biomedical research.
Keynote Speaker
Brenda Williams
- Fifth Grade Science Teacher, Argyle ISD
- University of North Texas Regional Science Collaborative
Teach Science? Are You Serious?
Brenda Williams never thought she would be a good science teacher. She doesn’t have a strong math and science background because as a child she struggled to understand these subjects. Brenda always felt her brain was wired for reading and language arts; not math and science.
Through her three year association with the University of North Texas Regional Science Collaborative, Brenda discovered she learns best when she is an active participant and not a passive learner. Brenda is living her philosophy of education and has become responsible for her own learning as she finds success in teaching.
Kick-Off Luncheon: Teaching and Mentoring Awards
Tuesday, June 16
12:00 – 2:00 p.m.
The TRC 21th Annual Meeting will Kick-Off at noon on Tuesday with a luncheon honoring TRC teachers for excellence in teaching and mentoring. Awards are sponsored by TRC corporate and foundation partners and given each year to a select group of educators nominated by their Project Directors for exceptional leadership and student support.
Showcase, Reception, and Dinner
Tuesday, June 16
Showcase and Reception
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
The Showcase and Reception features Math and Science Education displays and demonstrations from around the state along with complimentary refreshments.
Dinner and Program
7:00 p.m.
This year’s Keynote Speaker is Brenda Williams of the University of North Texas Science Collaborative. The program will also include the presentation of the TRC 2015 Distinguished Service Award.
General Session Speakers
Theresa G. Coble, Ph.D.
- Associate Professor of Forest Recreation and Interpretation
- Stephen F Austin University
An Interpreter’s Guide to Climate Change, Or What Happens When Inbox Spams, Logs Jam, and Poems Slam, Shazam!
Wednesday, June 17, 8:00 a.m.
Through NASA-funded research that examined the elements of effective climate change communication at national parks, wildlife refuges, and forests, Dr. Coble has synthesized tools for effective communication about complex and controversial science topics. Dr. Coble’s upbeat and unconventional presentation incorporates hands-on activities, slam poetry, and an exploration of how best to “frame” messages about climate change and other controversial science topics.
Visit Speaker Information Page
David W Niesel, Ph.D.
- Professor and Chairman of the Department of Microbiology & Immunology
- University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
Are we winning the battle against infectious diseases?
Thursday, June 18, 8:00 a.m.
You may be surprised to learn that infectious diseases remain a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the world today. This is a far cry from the U.S. Surgeon General William Stewart’s bold pronouncement in 1967 that “it is time to close the book on infectious diseases and declare the war on pestilence won.” Although the consequence of infectious diseases falls most heavily on developing countries, people from industrialized countries increasingly feel its impact as well. The relatively recent emergence and rapid spread of infections such as HIV/AIDS, MERS and Ebola, and the resurgence of older diseases like cholera, tuberculosis, dengue, and yellow fever, underscores our vulnerability. Add to this the possibility infectious organisms may be deliberately released through biological terrorism and it is clear we must be prepared to fight infectious microbes long into the future.
Visit Speaker Information Page
Featured Sessions
Tuesday, June 16, 2:30 p.m.
Engage with Industry to Inspire, Mentor, and Evaluate
- Stasi Gaveras
- Business Development, Nepris, Inc.
- Sabari Raja
- Co-Founder & CEO, Nepris, Inc.
The future of CTE and PBL curriculae calls for an increased emphasis on industry engagement. Whether linking curriculum for real world application, career exposure, or industry professionals mentoring and evaluating student projects, industry engagement bridges the gap between curriculae and real-world skills. Learn how districts have opened access to industry for their classrooms with Nepris. Nepris is a web-based platform that allows every teacher to easily request industry professionals to virtually connect with their classroom.
Adventures with Audubon
- Brian Ellis
- Professional Storyteller and Author, Fox Tales International
Come spend an hour in the studio of one of America’s greatest naturalists and wildlife artists. Listen to tales of his adventures as he finishes something no one had every accomplished before: drawing every bird in North America. With an emphasis on the scientific process and lessons in inquiry, Brian “Fox” Ellis steps into Audubon’s shoes to enchant you with stories of his travels and travails in the wildest places on the planet. He will bring to life bird behavior and world history as he saw it in the early 1800s.
Building a STEM-Computer Science Foundation
- Phillip G. Eaglin, Ph.D.
- Founder and CEO, Changing Expectations
Get an introduction to teaching coding that reinforces K-8 Math and Science TEKS. The session will also focus on using Code.org resources to expose students to coding and computational thinking practices in math and science classes. Learn how TRC grant funds may be used to support Code.org presenter travel costs to request FREE 7-hour Code.org workshops for math and science teachers (including elementary teachers) in your region. Support and teacher kits are provided after attending 7-hour session!
The Texas Biotechnology Pathway
- Jennifer Lazare
Associate Professor, Biotechnology/Biology, Austin Community College/AISD
Angela Wheeler
Assistant Professor, Biotechnology, Austin Community College
In 2009, TEA approved several existing CTE courses for 4th year science credit, one of them being Advanced Biotechnology 130.363. This opened new options for science teachers to engage students in technology applications with the support, training, and funding from the TEA CTE department while fulfilling graduation requirements for all graduation plans. This session will provide information on how to start your own biotechnology program. Additional information on teacher biotechnology certification and training, classroom resources, and the new entry-level certificate being offered to Texas high school students will also be discussed, as well as the status of the addition of a new biotechnology course (Biotechnology 2) to the CTE catalog.
How the World’s Largest Volcano was Built
- William Sager, Ph.D.
- Professor of Geophysics, University of Houston
Tamu Massif, a 120,000 square mile feature on the seafloor southeast of Japan, is the largest single volcano on the planet, but the processes that created it remain mysterious. Learn how the University of Houston’s Dr. William Sager and his colleagues plan to make high-resolution sonar images of the area’s bathymetry, while creating magnetic field maps with the use of a magnetometer aboard Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel, Falkor this fall. Sager and his team of researchers will then look for characteristic patterns in the magnetic data they collect, which should reveal significant clues about how the volcano formed and its internal structure.
Luncheon Speakers
Wednesday, June 17, 12:00 p.m.
TEA Update
- Jo Ann Bilderback
Math/Science Manager, Curriculum Division, Texas Education Agency
Jo Ann Bilderback, Math/Science Manager in the Curriculum Division of the Texas Education Agency, will highlight some of the hot button topics and issues that Texas science and math teachers should be aware of in the coming academic year.
Oracle-TRC Partnership
- Tyra Crockett
Senior Manager, Field Marketing, Oracle
Technology is everywhere. It touches nearly all aspects of our lives – our car, our refrigerator, our social lives. While today’s youth are prolific consumers of technology, very few have opportunities in school to use computer science to be innovators and creators. This disparity between what we are equipped in Texas schools to provide to students and what the 21st century economy demands, exists even though most well-paying careers require some competency in computer science. To help Texas tackle this challenge, Oracle Academy began a partnership in Fall 2014 with the TRC to provide online courses in Java for Texas teachers. This valuable program, designated Keep Calm and Java On, trains secondary educators in the Java programming language, which is the language required for AP Computer Science across the nation. This presentation will discuss the Oracle Academy – TRC Partnership as well as other resources available to all educators through Oracle.
TRC Vendor Fair
Wednesday, June 17
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
STEM-related vendors will have educational materials on display and be available to answer questions. Attendees are invited to meet and mingle with vendor representatives in a relaxed, reception atmosphere without the crowds of a trade-show or the pressure of a sales call. A complete list of vendors will be release, after vendor registration closes.
TRC Earth & Environmental Science Resource Fair
Wednesday, June 17
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
To further support the TRC’s 2015-16 focus on middle school earth science, this year the 21st Annual Meeting will feature the Earth & Environmental Science Resource Fair which will run concurrently with the TRC Vendor Fair. Organizations from around the state will be on hand to share their time, resources, and materials with Annual Meeting attendees.
