Thursday, October 28, 2010

More VSU KTU exhibitors

This weekend the faculty, staff and students of VSU are pulling out all the exciting and educational activities for the VSU KTU students. Below is a list of more exhibitors from VSU:

Dr. Krishan Agrawal

Mr. Bobby Mote

Juanita Thompson

Dr. Gerald Burton

Dr. Karen Faison

Dr. Brian Nerrie

Dr. Grace Ndip

Mrs. Debra Jones

Ms. Rosezelia Roy

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Virginia Tech 2011 KTU program

Hello everyone,

I'm pleased to announce the launching of the 2011 KTU program! The program is open to 450 children (ages 9-12 on Sept. 30, 2010) from a 4 hour driving radius around VT. Please see the KTU website for more information about the storytelling sessions, dates of the program, registration fee and enrollment information!

January 29, 2011 -- “Patterns are Everywhere! How and Why?”
Storytelling session led by Dr. Reinhard Laubenbacher
Professor at Virginia Bioinformatics Institute and of the Department of Mathematics, Virginia Tech

Did you know that we are surrounded by patterns--everywhere? For example, farmers need to understand weather patterns to plan their harvests. Your parents need to understand traffic patterns to drive you to school safely. Music and dance excite us through patterns of sounds and movement. Some patterns are pretty easy to spot, like the pattern on seashell, or the pattern on a snowflake. However, other patterns around us aren’t so easy to see, like the patterns on a pine cone, or the patterns of ocean waves. I’ll bet you wouldn’t guess patterns exist in clouds! To discover some of these patterns, we need to be very, very observant. So join me and together we’ll hunt down some patterns in the world around us--and as we investigate how these patterns form and why they’re there, the answers may surprise you!

February 26, 2011 - “Why are glaciers in Antarctica important to people who
live in Virginia?”

Storytelling session led by Dr. Ellen Cowan
Professor of Geology, Appalachian State University


Geologists know that Virginia wasn’t covered by glaciers even at the peak of the last Ice Age in North America, approximately 20,000 years ago. Yet there are many reasons that we can appreciate glaciers and the work that they do on Earth. Glaciers sculpt beautiful and distinctive landscapes that we see around the world in mountains and in Polar Regions. Antarctica is a vast continent almost completely covered by ice. How has the Antarctic ice sheet responded to past changes in climate? We can use clues from rock layers, fossils and gas bubbles in ice to study the history of Antarctica’s glaciers. With this information we can estimate the affects of a warmer world on Antarctica’s ice and determine the affects far away in Virginia.

March 26, 2011 - “Why do we care about frogs’ health?”
Storytelling session led by Dr. Tyrone Hayes
Professor of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley


We live in a world full of chemicals. They’re used to preserve and flavor food, help plants grow, kill bugs and other pests, dye fabrics and clean our homes. Chemicals help us in many aspects of our everyday lives. While some chemicals are not harmful to us, our pets, or the Earth, some can actually hurt our environment if not used properly. Our program will explore the world of chemical pollution and the many ways chemicals can be both helpful and harmful. We will examine the impacts chemicals can have on people, animals. Where are these chemicals coming from? How have frog populations, other animals, and humans suffered? And what can be done to help the frogs and improve our own health?

April 9, 2011 - “Why do we want to touch everything with our fingertips? And more ‘why’ questions about how our bodies communicate with the world.”
Storytelling session led by Dr. Helena Carvalho
Assistant Professor of Basic Sciences, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute


Are you the type of person that needs to touch everything? Sometimes it feels like we must touch to see better...doesn’t it? It’s fascinating to learn about how our human bodies connect to the world. Do you think the world is what we see? The answer is, “NO!” There are many more “things” in the world than our senses could possibly detect! In this storytelling session we will be discussing and experiencing the Special Senses. Have you ever wondered: Why do we have two eyes on our faces? Or, why do we have two ears on our heads? And why do we stop feeling our clothes after a while? Or why can we not smell our perfume all day? Those and more questions will be answered in our interactive session. Let’s explore together how our human body connects to the outside environment and learn more about the intriguing world of Human Function.

Best,
Dr. Kristy (DiVittorio) Collins

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

VSU KTU teacher component

Kids' Tech University is not only a program for kids and their parents but its also a program for teachers!

We are excited to offer CEU's in conjunction with the KTU program. Teachers will learn it, teach it, and take it back to the classroom.

Interact with:
• Scientists
• Technology Experts
• Engineers
• Mathematicians

You will engage in an exciting, hands-on teaching experience, and then apply what you learned in a unique, first-hand teaching environment with 3rd-6th graders. You will also be able to participate in ongoing community blogs and network with other teachers and education specialists.

We are excited to offer CEU (Continuing Education Unit) credits for teachers interested in interactive learning of STEM content.
This program is ideal for elementary and middle school teachers, or others, interested in STEM teaching.

Registration
The registration deadline is 1 week before the Wednesday session listed.

Workshops
Day 1 (Friday before the KTU Saturday program; Dec. 3rd, 2010)
• interact with Scientists, Technology Experts, Engineers, and Mathematicians
• includes a 4-hour interactive hands-on training

Day 2 (day of KTU Saturday program; Dec. 4th, 2010)
• you interact with KTU students at learning stations to deploy what was learned in Day 1
• you watch a lecture given to kids on topics related to Day 1, led by a world renowned research scientist
• you will learn how to incorporate fundamentals and concepts from the lecture and training into your classrooms
________________________________________________________________________________
Teacher Workshop/Development Class Schedule
The workshops will be held on the Virginia State University campus in Petersburg, Virginia.

"Climate Change Workshop- ANDRILL"
Workshop instructors: Dr. Kristy Collins, Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech and Dr. Kathleen Jamison with Virginia 4-H
December 3, 1:00-5:00pm & December 4, 9am-4:30pm
CEU credits will be offered

To register for the program please see this.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

“Wasted: Not an Option”

VSU faculty exhibitor- Dr. Evelyn Whitehead
“Wasted: Not an Option”
This interactive exhibit is designed to demonstrate the effects of alcohol use on coordination, health and academics. Students will use simulated drinking goggles while taking a sobriety walk to show the effects of alcohol intoxication on perception and coordination.

Friday, October 22, 2010

“Everyday Objects using a Loupe and Microscope-A Private Eye Experience”

VSU Faculty exhibitor- Dr. Edwina Westbrook
“Everyday Objects using a Loupe and Microscope-A Private Eye Experience”
Kids will use a jeweler’s loupe and a hand held digital microscope to image everyday objects. They will be asked a series of questions to evoke thinking by analogy, the main tool of the scientist, artist, writer and more. Kids will have an opportunity to write and draw what they see. Images will be captured digitally and those who bring jump drives will be able to take their captured pictures with them.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

“Insects of Chesterfield County”

VSU Faculty Presenter- Dr. Mark Kraemer
Title of exhibit- “Insects of Chesterfield County”
Abstract- See what is hiding in the woods, streams and fields, from pretty butterflies to monsters that only come out at night.

“Colorful Foods and Antioxidants” “Eat the Rainbow” “How Much is TOO Much?”

VSU faculty presenter- Dr. Paula Inserra and her Dietetic Interns
They will have 3 exhibits at the Oct. 30th KTU day-
“Colorful Foods and Antioxidants”
Come learn about good nutrition and taste foods that contain powerful antioxidants!

“How Much is TOO Much?”
Using food models we will demonstrate the correct size of food portions.

“Eat the Rainbow”
We will be doing a taste test of three different fruits and vegetables to let kids be exposed to new produce. The message is that everyone needs to incorporate every color of the rainbow in your food.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

VSU KTU program opening date on Oct. 30, 2010

Hi everyone,

We are excited that Virginia State University will be hosting the first Kids' Tech University outside Virginia Tech. Many people may not know that Virginia State University is the sister university of Virginia Tech. Both are land grant institutions and we are proud to be sisters! Lanyards are being printed and everyone is gearing up for the event.

The first lecture will be on Oct. 30th, 2010 by Dr. Boris Kovatchev from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. He will answer the question - "Why do doctors need Math to treat diabetes?" -

Abstract: When we eat candy, chocolate, ice cream, or cereal, the sugar from these foods enters our bodies and is then “burned” with the help of a hormone called insulin to give us energy to move around. In fact, our brains eat mostly sugar, so without sugar we won’t be able to even think. This is called “metabolism” – the engine that makes us tick. Kids and adults who have diabetes don’t make enough insulin, so they need additional insulin injections to make their bodies work. How much, however, is very important – less insulin or more insulin can cause all kinds of trouble, and can be even deadly. So, doctors need Math to be able to precisely tell how much and when to inject insulin. And when it comes to computers that inject insulin, then the Math becomes even more important and more complicated.

In this talk we’ll learn how Math can help treat diabetes, and even make possible an amazing device – the artificial pancreas – which will one day take care of kids and adults with diabetes safely and automatically.

After the lecture the students will be escorted by their parents to have lunch and then to the hands-on portion of the event. There the students will enjoy the experience of interacting with various exhibits from the Virginia State University community. Over the next couple of days we will be posting information on the exciting exhibits that faculty and students from Virginia State University will be showcasing.