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Blog Post
I need suggestions on encouraging students to tell me when they don’t understand something. I ask my classes if they need any help, but no one seems to have any questions. The next day, it’s as if they never heard of the topic before! &#...
By Mary Bigelow
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My Name Is Teshia and I'm an NSTA Groupie
Yes, my name is Teshia Birts, and I’m an #NSTAGroupie—I have been for four years now....
By Teshia Birts, CAE
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What’s Ahead for K-12 Education and CCSS Snapshot
Official Washington has slowed to a crawl with the midterm election just weeks away and the possible power shift in the U.S. Senate. This Ed Week blog has a great take on what’s ahead for education if the Republicans take control of the Senate....
By Jodi Peterson
Blog Post
NSTA’s K–12 Science Education Journals: October 2014 Issues Online
Patterns, arguing from evidence, and ecosystem ecology—these are the themes of the October 2014 science education journals published by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). Each issue is filled with articles written by science educat...
By Lauren Jonas, NSTA Assistant Executive Director
Blog Post
I’ve been reading the literature on the value of play in learning. I do give my students unstructured activity time in science class, but I’m not sure they’re getting anything out of it. For example, I gave each group of students a ...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
7 NSTA Resources that Save Science Teachers Time and Money
Having worked at the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) for many years, I get to talk to a lot of science teachers. One of my favorite things about them is how much they share with each other. In fact, I joked at our recent national confere...
By Lauren Jonas, NSTA Assistant Executive Director
Blog Post
I’m a new high school teacher looking for suggestions on how to estimate the amount of time a lesson will take. My lessons look good when I plan them, but I find that often a lesson is either too short and we have extra time at the end of the c...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
The Vernier Motion Encoder System: Motion Encoding Made Personal
The Vernier Motion Encoder System marks a significant shift in the science teacher’s ability to transition between the conceptual, formula-based physics of motion to the “real world” application of those concepts and formulas—and here’s the...
By Martin Horejsi
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Engaging in the Art of Teaching With the Next Generation Science Standards
For the past 15 months, a four-letter acronym has been on the tip of science educators’ tongues: NGSS, the Next Generation Science Standards....
By Guest Blogger
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Solace in the Solstice? Shedding Light on the Nature of Science
The coming of autumn at 9:29 EDT last night (which I was pleased to see featured in today’s Google Doodle) serves as the perfect segue to a theme of mine as Executive Director of the National Science Teachers As...
By David Evans, NSTA Executive Director
Blog Post
NGSS and 21st century tools and skills
One of the perks of being an NSTA member is having access to all of the journals online. Regardless of the grade level you teach, the journals have ideas for authentic activities and investigations that can be used, adapted, or extended for different...
By Mary Bigelow
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Using STEM Clubs as a Catalyst for Change in K-12 Education: A Statewide Model
The growing abundance of research supporting the importance of incorporating increased Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) into schools, combined with the recently vocalized excitement in regard to STEM by high profile individuals appea...
By Guest Blogger
Blog Post
Kindergarten teachers–webinar for you on Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Investigating motion....
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Now that we are back in school somewhere between a week and a month depending on where you live and what schedule your district adheres to, I thought it might be a great opportunity for all of us to step back and consider how we set the stage for sci...
By Christine Royce
Blog Post
I’ve heard that there will be a vacancy in the high school science department next year. The position is for three sections of general biology and two sections of environmental science (not AP). I currently teach middle school general science b...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Uncovering Student Ideas in Science Workshops at NSTA’s Area Conferences This Fall
“Uncovering Student Ideas is highly recommended for teachers at every level; it contains a set of essential tools that cross discipline, grade, and ability levels. There’s no better way to guide your planning and decision-making process.”...
By Wendy Rubin, Managing Editor, NSTA Press
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Picture-Perfect Science Workshops at NSTA’s Area Conferences This Fall
“Emily Morgan and Karen Ansberry have done it again!...
By Wendy Rubin, Managing Editor, NSTA Press
Blog Post
How Can Elementary Teachers Work Toward the Vision of the Next Generation Science Standards?
When I taught elementary school, science was the foundation around which I built my multi-age classroom, but I think this approach was rare....
By Guest Blogger
Blog Post
When are children old enough to begin exploring the natural world? Can a three-year-old touch a crawling beetle? Can a two-year-old smell a flower; can a one-year-old? Can a 3-month-old feel a leaf?...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
The Next Generation Science Standards: Ready or Not, Here They Come!
This is a particularly exciting time for science educators across our nation, both for those in states that have adopted the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and those in areas that will never formally take that step, as they begin the proces...
By Guest Blogger
Blog Post
NSTA’s K-College Science Education Journals: September 2014 Issues Online
Just as teachers gear up for a new year, so too do NSTA journal editors! We just published our first issues of the school year, and there’s a lot of great science teaching ideas, lesson plans, STEM information, and of course materials to help y...
By Lauren Jonas, NSTA Assistant Executive Director
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I’ve Retired from Classroom Teaching. How Can My NSTA Membership Still Benefit Me?
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By Carole Hayward
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Do children in your program have direct access to nature?
Being outside under the sky is different from being inside under a roof. The experiences that can happen in either place are not necessarily better than the other place, but they are different....
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
One of my goals this year is to focus more on science. I teach at the elementary level (third grade), and I’m thinking of setting up a science corner in the classroom with materials and activities for students. Rather than reinventing the wheel...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Outdoor Science Preconference Workshop at NSTA’s Richmond Conference This Fall
If you’ve thought about taking students outdoors to learn science, this preconference workshop in Richmond, Virginia, on Wednesday, October 15, 2014, will provide the tools you need to be successful....
By Wendy Rubin, Managing Editor, NSTA Press
Blog Post
Action research on notemaking/taking
In your response to my question about notetaking, you suggested “action research” on notetaking/notemaking as a professional development project. How would I go about beginning such a process? I have the question but I’ve never tackled some...
By Mary Bigelow
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Where Can I Find Free or Low-Cost Resources and Opportunities for Science Teachers?
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By Carole Hayward
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Help Young Learners Discover Answers to Their “Why” Questions
New I Wonder Why books from NSTA Kids “Why can’t I see my shadow when it’s dark?” “Why are some sounds loud and some sounds soft?” “Why do we need machines?” “Why can’t I see colors when there is no light?” Teachers and parents ...
By Carole Hayward
Blog Post
For many of us, the school year is starting soon (if it hasn’t already). If you are looking for new materials to add to your collection or to supplement a textbook or other resource, check out SciLinks, NSTA’s online database of vetted websites....
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
A recent Education Week blog post touts th...
By Lauren Jonas, NSTA Assistant Executive Director
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How Can I Turn NSTA Resources into an E-Textbook for my College Classroom?
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By Carole Hayward
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Learning from the online Early Childhood community
Do you have colleagues with whom you can share ideas for teaching science and engineering concepts? Do you have resources to develop science lessons? Does your program or district support the science and engineering curriculum that you know is best p...
By Peggy Ashbrook
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Use the NSTA Calendar: The Easiest Way to Get More Out of Your Membership
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By Carole Hayward and Debra Shapiro
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The Joys of Gardening with Young Children
I welcome guest blogger, Gail Laubenthal, who shares her experiences and tips for helping young children nurture a garden and being nurtured by it. Gail is a retired teacher (43 years), currently serving as an Educational Consultant, mentoring Early ...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
As schools get back into session and teachers prepare to go back, many stories are popping up in the news about science and STEM education across the United States. The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) follows these stories and gets invol...
By Jodi Peterson