Welcome to Week 7 of AusPREP Online!
In this newsletter, you'll find information about:
- This week's lesson modules - Probability and Biology
- Weekly schedule and virtual office hours
- Meet the instructors of the week - Ms. Overman and Dr. Masino
- Featured resources for extending learning, including
- the Women in STEM Speaker Series from the Carnegie Science Center
- How to access AusPREP Online
- Registration information
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If you haven't registered for AusPREP Online yet, there is still time!
Registration is open throughout the summer
. Click the Register Now link, or scroll down for more information on registration.
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Lesson Modules 7 - Probability & Biology
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Probability - by Ms. Overman
When I teach statistics, I never get the question “When am I going to use this?”. Why don’t I get this question? It’s because we use statistics in every day life. Right now you’re seeing more statistics in the news than ever as reporters try to keep up with all of the research for Covid-19. How can they tell if a medication can really help? They use statistical reasoning. While I can’t teach you all of statistics in a week, what I can do is give you a solid introduction to probability. Probability is used to create statistical methodologies. Not only that, but it’s also used in games and simulations.
- Day 1: How do we count the possible number of ways to do something? We can’t do basic probability without knowing the possible outcomes.
- Day 2: How do we calculate basic probability? How do we calculate the probability of two independent events happening? What if one event depends on another?
- Day 3: How is “AND” different from “OR” when calculating probabilities? How can tables and Venn diagrams help us determine probabilities?
- Day 4: How do we count the number of possibilities when we’re dealing with larger numbers too big for a tree? Does the number of possibilities change when order matters and when it doesn’t?
- Day 5: If we attempt something multiple times, how can we determine the probability of a given number of success out a specified number of attempts? When can we use the Binomial model?
Here’s hoping you really enjoy this week delving into the fascinating subject of probability. Trust me, you’ll probably use this later in life.
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Biology: Investigating the Human Body - by Dr. Masino
This module will focus on human anatomy (knowing the different structures of the body) and human physiology (knowing the different roles carried out by each of those structures). Structure and function are related to each other, as you’ll see as we investigate how the body functions during sleep, exercise, or eating a meal. We will also look at how the bones and muscles change as you grow older. As we do this, you will learn about a few different systems in the body. Systems are sets of organs and tissues that work together to carry out shared functions. Our exploration will include the skeletal, muscular, cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous, and endocrine systems. In each module, there will be a short video lecture about the topic and several activities to help you test out some of the ideas presented for yourself.
Module Schedule
- Day 1: Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology of the Body; Overview of Systems of the Body
- Day 2: What happens in your body as you grow? (Muscular and Endocrine and Skeletal Systems)
- Day 3: What happens in your body when you eat? (Nervous and Endocrine and Digestive Systems)
Stay tuned for lesson days 4, 5, and 6 next week!
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Office hours are optional. This time is for students to ask questions of the instructor and check-in with us and each other. We've added extra Computer Science hours this week so you have more chances to engage with the instructors and ask questions.
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Probability Virtual Office Hours
with Ms. Overman
Tuesday, July 21st, 11 am-12:30 pm
Meeting ID: 969 5963 6461
Password: 466472
One tap mobile
+13462487799,,96959636461# US (Houston)
+16699006833,,96959636461# US (San Jose)
Biology Virtual Office Hours
with Dr. Masino
Wednesday, July 22nd, 11 am-12:30 pm
Meeting ID: 997 0863 7981
Password: 466472
One tap mobile
+13462487799,,99708637981# US (Houston)
+16699006833,,99708637981# US (San Jose)
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Ms. Azucena Overman: I went to a small rural school in south Texas and was fortunate to earn academic scholarships to both Texas A&M and UT Austin. I chose UT and ended up getting a Bachelor of Science in Physics. I worked in various industries including analytical instrumentation, rapid prototyping and advanced materials research and development. Along the way, I went to UT's Executive MBA program for my Masters in Business Administration. Although I was successful and did enjoy working with with these technologies, I found my career to be even more rewarding when I became a math teacher.
I love working with students and helping them see the power and beauty of mathematics. I also coach UIL Number Sense and Calculator and sponsor our
Mu Alpha Theta Math Club
at Cedar Ridge. In 2013, I had the honor of being selected as a
Siemens STEM Institute Fellow
and participate in a week long academy in DC with 49 other teachers selected from around the country, focusing on how to increase science, technology, engineering and math in the classroom. I was also very excited to be selected as the Cedar Ridge "pilot" for a
Next Generation Classroom
starting in 2014-15. I currently have the pleasure of teaching Statistics and AP Statistics and how it is used in numerous fields to make decisions and predictions.
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Amanda Masino, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biology at Huston-Tillotson University, is a geneticist and environmental educator whose approach to education blends science with community-focused research. She directs HT’s STEM Research Scholars Program and heads an NSF-funded project to infuse research training into HT’s Natural Science curriculum. Her current research focuses on home-health connections and encompasses a resident-focused investigation of affordable housing impacts and the environmental health of our homes in terms of microbial diversity and air quality.
She is Executive Director of the Austin Community Data Coalition, a non-profit she co-founded to organize collaborations for community research on affordable housing and environmental health. Amanda also serves as Co-Director of the Dumpster Project, an educational initiative that is transforming a used trash dumpster into a sustainable home as a K-16 learning platform and engagement tool. She advises HT's environmental justice student group Green is the New Black, directs the Environmental Justice academic program, co-founded and coordinates the Building Green Justice Forum, and serves on the City of Austin's Zero Waste Advisory Commission. In the pre-health realm, Amanda serves as faculty co-director of HT's St. David's Foundation Scholars, a pre-health career enrichment program, and as Joint Admission Faculty Program faculty director.
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In addition to AusPREP Online, we are happy to connect participants to high-quality resources available from outside sources that will extend learning and enrichment. The links will also be accessible via the
AusPREP homepage
and
here
.
How to Smile
- A collection of hands-on science and math activities, created by staff from science museums around the country, this website is a resource for educators, homeschoolers, parents, and anyone looking to teach school-aged children about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) using interactive, non-classroom methods.
Animal Diversity Web
- A collection of pictures, short videos, and information about animals. Accounts of individual species include information on distributions, natural history, conservation, and economic importance, along with pictures and sounds if available.
ToxTown
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Interested in learning more about chemicals, air quality and water pollution? The Science Classroom has resources to learn about environment and health for middle school students. Explore to find lesson plans/activities, interactive games, hands on activities, videos, informational websites and more.
Kids Ahead
- A STEM bonanza. Kids Ahead is packed with all kinds of resources, including scavenger hunts, videos, articles, links to local activities and fun events and info on cool jobs, that inspire and excite.
Exploratorium
- Can't get to the Exploratorium, a hands-on museum in San Francisco, CA? Their website offers hundreds of videos, apps, and activities on everything from what happens to meat when you cook it to why your voice sounds so good in the shower.
Ology
- "Ology" means "the study of" and this site from the American Museum of Natural History put together a collection of videos, games, hands-on activities, and stories to help kids learn about all the cool creatures and natural elements that make up our world from Anthropology to Zoology.
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Wednesdays, July 15–Sept. 30
The
Women in STEM Speaker Series is brought to you by the Carnegie Science Center and will introduce you to 12 inspiring STEM role models who have established themselves as experts in a variety of fields.
Find out what it’s like to be a neuroscientist, public health official, chemist, engineer, data scientist, and more. What inspired them to pursue their career path? What does a typical day in their role look like? What advice do they have for someone interested in their field? Get answers to these questions and take the opportunity to ask your own.
Join them for conversations with:
- July 22: Liz Engler-Chiurazzi, Research Assistant Professor at West Virginia University Department of Neuroscience
- July 29: Dr. Rachel Levine, Secretary of Health for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
- Aug. 5: Dr. Roselin Rosario-Melendez, Associate Principal Chemist and Project Leader at L’Oreal
- Aug. 12: Dr. Rika Wright Carlsen, Associate Professor of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering at Robert Morris University
- Aug. 19: Ellen Bachman, Inside Sales Engineer at Eaton
- Aug. 26: Kay Savage, Senior Data Scientist at Spotify
- Sept. 2: Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, Administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service
- Sept. 9: Dr. Sandhya Rao, Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Pittsburgh
- Sept. 16: Angela Cupelli , Pediatric Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant Nurse
- Sept. 23: Mercy Shitemi, Senior Systems Analyst at Zimmer Biomet
- Sept. 30: Dr. Natasha Tilston-Lunel, Postdoctoral Associate at the University of Pittsburgh Center for Vaccine Research
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How to Access AusPREP Online
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How to access AusPREP Online
We are using an online learning platform, Canvas, to host the AusPREP Online lesson modules. Some students may be familiar with this platform (Blend) from their home school districts.
Once registered, we will create an account on Canvas for this course for you. After the account is created, you will receive an email asking you to complete your registration and create a password for Canvas.
To return to the AusPREP Online course after your password has been created. You will use
this portal
, and select the login for AusPREP.
For families with multiple students wanting to access AusPREP Online, it is recommended you create separate accounts using different email addresses for each student to track progress through the course material. Please submit separate registration request for each student.
Please reach out to us if you have any issues logging on or accessing materials. We are here to help! Contact us at
ausprep@htu.edu.
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AusPREP Online Registration
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Registration is still open!
AusPREP Online is series of self-paced lessons you can access anytime free of charge.
We will accept new student registrations anytime this summer. Click the "Register Now" ribbon to be taken to the registration request form,
also found here
.
Each week, the lessons are presented as a 5-day module. We are launching one new module a week, but all lessons will be available for the entire summer once they are released. So, students are free to work on them anytime.
If you have registered, but haven't received your email confirmation, please hold tight for us!
We are working to process registration requests as quickly as possible.
You will receive an email asking you to complete your registration followed by the link to create an account for Canvas.
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Thank you for your continued support of AusPREP and patience this summer. We will be adding content and times to connect online throughout the summer. Please feel free to forward this email to anyone who might be interested in AusPREP.
We look forward to the time when we can host everyone on campus again in 2021. If you have any questions, please contact Karen Magid, AusPREP Director,
kmagid@htu.edu
.
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Austin Pre-Freshman Engineering Program (AusPREP) at Huston-Tillotson University is one of the Texas Pre-Freshman Engineering Programs (TexPREP) located on college campuses in Texas. PREP was founded to identify high achieving middle and high school students with the potential and interest in becoming scientists and engineers and to reinforce them in the pursuit of these fields.
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