Ma-aste regional Meeting Minutes January 9, 2015; aste international Conference

MA-ASTE Regional Meeting Minutes

January 9, 2015; ASTE International Conference

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  Rommel welcomes us with Bruno Mars and bear hugs and reminds us that the goal is to have a small campus/family feel
  

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  We go around the group and introduce ourselves - Name, Institution and State, and something unique (All attendees)
  

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  Mid-Atlantic ASTE Graduate Student Award presented to Jenay Sharp Leach, UVa by Rommel.
  
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    4 graduate students in attendance
    
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    Jenay gave a few remarks about her MA-ASTE experience
    

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  Legacy Award presented to Pat Obenauf, NCSU by Rommel.
  
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    Pat gave a few remarks about mentoring doctoral students
    

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  Ron Hermann gives us an update on the historical project The Origin and History of MA-ASTE
  
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    The goal of this project is to honor the past to learn from each other
    
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    Ron gives update about project – as far back as possible (director, secretary, etc.), will be posted on website, ask others to contribute and fill in the blanks
    

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  Rommel reintroduces Facebook Discussion from Regional Meeting
  
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    Other region has Facebook site – the question is “What should the controls be like?”
    
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    Group Discussion
    
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      Eric Pyle – an administrator for geological society notes that it is good to have administrators and have sign up and checks to join
      
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      Recommendation is: Closed group with people requesting permissions and people being approved by an administrator
      

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  Job Searches and Celebrations:
  
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    Grad student position available in Geoscience Education (in SED or Dept. of Geology at Cincinnati; could be Masters or Doctoral level)
    
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    Leadership acknowledgements
    
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      5 Members of the Elections committee; 4 are MA-ASTE members
      
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      Kathy Cabe Trundle, Warren DiBiase – Past president
      

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  News from the States:
  
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    DC - none
    
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    DE - none
    
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    KY – NGSS adopted, implemented statewide, trying to do 2 stage process to design assessment (1) collect evidence from teachers about assessments they use (2) combine “best of” to make state assessment
    
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    MD - none
    
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    NC – search for a dean at App State in College of Ed; NCSU search for full/associate in progress; teacher education: politically in bad shape – no pay for adv. deg. (possibly returned), increased charter schools, but maintaining numbers in teacher education; ranked 51^st in “friendliest state for teachers” out of 51^st
    
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    OH – early NGSS adopter but have introduced legislation to adopt Mass. Standards for 4 years while writing own as opposed to CC and NGSS; Duncan’s introduced regulations (likely to pass and impactful in changing teacher prep; favorable to charter schools; open to comment until Feb 2., research matters as does volume; need research piece and link to the place to comment)
    
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    TN – (will update on in minutes)
    
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    VA - (will update on in minutes)
    
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    WV - (will update on in minutes)
    

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  Some MA-ASTE folks will be given awards at lunch on Saturday - Gail Jones (10+ years career award); Pat Obenauf (mentor award)
  
  
  
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  Treasurer’s report: net profit from conference of ~$1100 (From Leslie on behalf of Rachel Wilson, Treasurer)
  

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  Karen Irving provides update on 2015 MA-ASTE Conference:
  
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    Salt Fork Lodge and State Park (near I-70 and I-77); October 22-24^th (get rooms/cottages early b/c peak leaf season)
    
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    We began a discussion of how to deal with MA-ASTE regional meeting growth. Suggestions included concurrent sessions for some of the sessions or making the conference about a half day longer. Karen will create a survey to get feedback on these two options.
    
    
    
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  Rommel gives closing remarks