Divining the keys to better science education doesn’t require extrasensory perception—just check out the ESP Symposium at the Phoenix Area Conference. Coordinated by Robert Yager, 1982-1983 NSTA president, NSTA’s Exemplary Science Program (ESP) sessions will examine outstanding science education programs and share insight into successful science learning.
“The National Science Education Standards provide the reforms of science teaching advocated after four years of debate,” says Yager. “More than a dozen NSTA leaders (officers and committee members) evaluate nominations…A panel of experts in the focus for a given search evaluates and works with the persons judged to have the most exciting programs for each monograph.”
Six monographs have been released; a seventh, on science dealing with personal and societal issues, is expected to be available in 2010. Three symposia offered in Phoenix will focus on informal education, science education in grades 5-8, and inquiry.
“The ESP sessions are designed to discuss the nature of teacher successes with meeting the specific reforms that are central to the recommendations central to the National Science Education Standards that are often not approached in State Standards which focus primarily on traditional science concepts,” says Yager. He explains the session will share information “concerning how real changes were accomplished and how they can be duplicated in other classrooms.” He hopes the session will get more educators involved by giving them an opportunity to try the practices themselves and “act as research teams similar to those of scientists and technologists. The sessions are meant to be as interactive as time permits.”
And if you use the online session browser, you won’t need that other ESP to find the sessions!