STSLOGO

Orange County
Science, Technology, and Society Network

STSLOGO

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The Orange County STS Network project establishes a permanent science, technology, and society (STS) network which provides continuous updating of science and technology issues in middle and high school curricula. The project is sponsored by the UCI Science Education Advisory Board which overseas a partnership of K-12 and postsecondary schools with technology-based corporations in Orange County. The STS Network is one of many programs coordinated by the UCI Science Education Programs Office.


This 5-year NSF funded project has produced classroom materials in the 9 topic areas below. Take a look for yourself - you might find some interesting and stimulating lessons and activities for your students.

squeeze-line image Present Topic Areas:

Energy Technology solar powered car, energy resource conversion
Space Technology rocketry, space travel, communication from satellites
Biotechnology 'blood' typing, Mendelian genetics, DNA 'fingerprinting'
Water Technology resource use, pollution
Petroleum Technology oil worldwide, fractionation, uses
Materials Technology bridges, lasers
Medical Technology eye structure,eye exams, and corrective surgery
Communications Technology radio, telegraph and morse codes, Internet and World Wide Web, and Global Positioning Satellite
Environmental Technology soil science, air quality, water science
TQM/ Risk & Benefit Analysis/ Societal and Ethical Issues (embedded)

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STS Fellows

What is a STS Fellow?

Any qualified middle or high school teacher of science in Orange County may become a STS Fellow. As an STS Fellow, the teacher will collaborate with a corporate/university Mentor to infuse STS related activities into the classroom.

The Benefits of Being a STS Fellow
Commitment:

Teachers MUST commit to the STS Network a minimum of 2 years beginning in summer of 1997. They must attend two STS Summer Institutes of 3 weeks each as well as 20 hours of after school meetings held each month during the academic year. Most importantly of all, teachers must interact on a regular basis with corporate/university Mentor to coordinate efforts to field test the STS classroom materials during the academic year. In addition, during the second or third year, STS Fellows are expected to do 30 hours of inservice --i.e. consultation, presenting workshops, etc., particularly in conjuction with local CSP Teams, SS&C and CSIN schools. Lastly, Fellows must also participate in action research.

Links to the STS Fellows of 1996-1997

As part of the Communications Unit developed by the STS Focus Work Group, Orange County teachers participating in the 1996-97 STS Network learned about the science resources available on the Internet/World Wide Web this past summer. Some had prior exposure to the WWW, while for others, this summer's Internet sessions were their first. In addition, they all learned to develop their own websites. The following are links to their various websites, giving brief biographies of the teachers and their affiliated schools. You may know some of the participating teachers!

For further information on the STS Fellows, or if you wish to make a comment, please contact Ann Miller at (949) 824-6390, or at amiller@uci.edu.

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STS Mentors

What is a STS Mentor?

Any qualified science/technology/medical related professional may become an STS Mentor. An STS Mentor will be teamed with a STS Fellow to form a dynamic partnership that will infuse the latest science and technology issues into the classroom.

What The STS Mentor Can Do?

Generally, for the STS Mentor, there are five steps along the STS Network:

We Can All Benefit:

The benefits to the science/technology/medical related professional

The benefits to the employer
Commitment:

The STS Mentor must commit to the STS Network a minimum of 2 years. During that time the Mentors are expected to work with the teachers in their classrooms, by phone, by E-mail or via internet with an anticipated interaction time of 3 hrs/month. In addition, Mentors must attend the monthly meetings (4-7 p.m.) during the academic year. But most importantly, Mentors must attend an evening awareness session (scheduled for summers) to instruct them in the classroom culture in Orange County.

Join these contributing members:
Aerospace Corporation
Aesthetic Solutions
Allergan Pharmaceuticals
ARCO Products
Beckman Instruments
The Boeing Company
Chevron Petroleum Technologies
Consultants
Crime Lab -- Orange County Sheriff
Discovery Science Center
ER Physician
Fluor Daniel
Garaghty & Miller Inc.
Harvard Eye Associates
Hollander Associates
HOPE Associates
IMPCO Technologies
Institute Advancement Engineering
Island Caves Research
Jet Propulsion Lab
JHK Associates
Lockheed Martin
Long Beach Dept. Oil Properties
Lucas Controls
McDonnell Douglas
Medical Data International
Micronix Integrated Systems
Mission Geoscience
OCEC VP Education
OC Department of Education
Optimum Computers
Orion Environmental
Perceptrix Inc.
P. L. G. Inc.
POS Associates
Rockwell International
Rockwell Telecommunications
Rosemount Analytical
SARA Inc.
Sony Trans Com
Star View Services
Technical Materials
Tidelands Oil Production
UCI - Biology
UCI - Engineering
UCI - Physical Sciences
UCI - Psychiatry
UCI - Radiological Sciences
UNOCAL
U.S. Government
Zysman & Associates

For further information on the STS program, or if you wish to make comments, please contact Ann Miller at (949) 824-6390, or at amiller@uci.edu.