This week in education news, Evans and Milgrom-Elcott pen op-ed about the importance of maintaining a strong focus on STEM education; Bill Nye believes science will help change the world; new report says most students do not graduate with the skills today’s business executives are looking for; and Achieve publishes new guide for districts to successfully implement the NGSS.

STEM Education Will Carry Our Children In Tomorrow’s Economy

NSTA’s David Evans and 100kin10’s Talia Milgrom-Elcott published an opinion piece in The Hill last week on the importance of maintaining a strong focus on STEM education through the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act and the connections between STEM education, employment, and job growth. Click here to read the article featured in The Hill.

Bill Nye On His ‘Codebreaker’ Mom And How Science Teachers Can Change The World

“These are my people,” Bill Nye said ahead of his lecture to some of the 10,000 science educators who attended the National Science Teachers Association’s (NSTA) National Conference in Los Angeles. When Nye, the well-known 1990s television host of “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” vivaciously told the hall full of teachers about how science will help “change the world,” he was met with thunderous applause. But in fact, it’s this group — teachers on the front lines — who deserve the credit, Nye said. Click here to read the article featured on the PBS NewsHour website.

Students Graduate With Mediocre Skills For The Workplace

Students and their families spend thousands of dollars on a college education to acquire knowledge and skills they will need for the workforce. However, most of them do not graduate with the skills today’s business executives are looking for. By 2021, 69 percent of U.S. business employers will prefer job candidates with data science and analytics skills. However, only 23 percent of graduates will be in possession of such skills, creating a widening skills gap in the business industry, according to a poll conducted by Gallup for the Business-Higher Education Forum. Click here to read the article featured in U.S. News & World Report.

Year Three: State Schedules Next Round Of Science Standards Hearings

The Idaho State Department of Education is about to launch a series of public meetings focused on updating academic content standards — including the hotly debated science standards. During the just-completed 2017 session, Idaho lawmakers edited the standards to delete five references to human impact on the environment and climate change. First-year Rep. Scott Syme, R-Caldwell, said the science standards ignored positive human contributions to the environment, such as the development of clean, renewable energy sources. Click here to read the article featured on Idahoednews.org.

Next Generation Science Standards Group Publishes Guide For Districts

To successfully implement the NGSS, districts should establish a science leadership team, ensure that teachers and school leaders get high-quality professional learning, and collaborate with other districts, according to new guidelines from Achieve. Click here to read the article featured in Education Week.

States All Over the Map on Setting Computer Science Policy

One of President Barack Obama’s pet education initiatives was Computer Science for All: The federal government dedicated $4 billion to help states develop their computer science programs, arguing that working with technology is an essential skill. But with funds for federal education programs in question, future leadership in computer science education will likely come from states. And right now, there are major differences in how states have approached strategy, standards, and other state-level computer science education initiatives. Click here to read the article featured in Education Week.

Stay tuned for next week’s top education news stories.

The Communication, Legislative & Public Affairs (CLPA) team strives to keep NSTA members, teachers, science education leaders, and the general public informed about NSTA programs, products, and services and key science education issues and legislation. In the association’s role as the national voice for science education, its CLPA team actively promotes NSTA’s positions on science education issues and communicates key NSTA messages to essential audiences.

The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.

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The buzz and excitement generated by thousands of science teachers learning and sharing their enthusiasm for science at the NSTA National Conference in Los Angeles last week was truly inspiring. From workshops to the exhibit hall and the NSTA Science Store, the newest and best in resources were on display for science educators to peruse and pack up to take back to their classrooms. The NSTA Science Store became a hub for teachers to meet authors, participate in activities, and browse the bookshelves. These top 10 books were teachers’ picks at the LA conference:

Picture-Perfect STEM Lessons, K-2: Using Children’s Books to Inspire STEM Learning, by Emily Morgan and Karen Ansberry: A guide to integrating science with language arts through picture books that are kid-friendly and engaging. Lessons take students on explorations of books such as Iggy Peck, Architect; The Inventor’s Secret; and Trash to Treasure while they learn to build their own drums, invent a toy car, reduce plastic pollution, and more.

Notable Notebooks: Scientists and Their Writings, by Jessica Fries-Gaither: A trip through time to discover the value of a special place to jot your thoughts, whether you’re a famous scientist or a student. This NSTA Kids book brings to life the many ways in which trailblazers from Galileo to Jane Goodall have used a science notebook—to sketch observations, imagine experiments, record data, or write down their thoughts. A 2017 Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students, K–12.

Helping Students Make Sense of the World Using Next Generation Science and Engineering Practices, edited by Christina Schwarz, Cynthia Passmore, and Brian Reiser: Written in clear, nontechnical language, this book provides real-world examples to show you what’s different about teaching and learning that incorporates science and engineering practices at all grade levels.

When the Sun Goes Dark, by Andrew Fraknoi and Dennis Schatz: This illustrated book is a fun way to get young astronomers in grades 5–8 ready for August 2017, when millions of North Americans will have the rare chance to witness a total solar eclipse.

Big Data, Small Devices: Investigating the Natural World Using Real-Time Data, by Donna Governor, Michael Bowen, and Eric Brunsell: Designed for Earth and environmental science teachers who want to help grades 3–12 students tap into, organize, and deploy large data sets via their devices to investigate the world around them.

Argument-Driven Inquiry in Biology: Lab Investigations for Grades 9-12, by Victor Sampson, Patrick Enderle, Leeanne Gleim, Jonathon Grooms, Melanie Hester, Sherry Southerland, and Kristin Wilson: A new type of lab investigation that teaches students to use argument to construct, support, and evaluate scientific claims of their own and others. The 27 field-tested labs cover molecules and organisms, ecosystems, heredity, and biological evolution.

Argument-Driven Inquiry in Physical Science: Lab Investigations for Grades 6-8, by Jonathon Grooms, Patrick Enderle, Todd Hutner, Ashley Murphy, and Victor Sampson: Twenty-two engaging labs that will capture students’ interest while they dig into important content and learn scientific practices as the figure out everything from how thermal energy works to what could make an action figure jump higher.

Disciplinary Core Ideas: Reshaping Teaching and Learning, edited by Ravit Golan Duncan, Joseph Krajcik, and Ann Rivet: A conceptual tool kit that can help you guide students to see the connections between important science concepts so they can grasp how the world works now—and maybe even make it work better in the future.

The BSCS 5E Instructional Model: Creating Teachable Moments, by Rodger Bybee: An introduction and roadmap to the widely used 5E Lesson Model of engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and This guidebook will help you structure and sequence lessons so you can experience more teachable moments in your classroom.

Uncovering Student Ideas in Earth and Environmental Science: 32 New Formative Assessment Probes, by Page Keeley and Laura Tucker: Engaging formative assessment tools can reveal what your students already know (or think they know) about core Earth and environmental science concepts. Armed with those insights, you can use the teacher notes and suggestions to adjust your approach and present the science in grade-appropriate ways to help students build conceptual understanding.

The NSTA Press Spring 2017 digital catalog highlights all of NSTA’s resources for science teachers K through College.

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Students in most of my classes actively participate. But in one freshman class, students are engaged in labs, but they just stare at me during class discussions. I ask open-ended questions a lot and make an effort to get students involved. How can I get these students more involved? – R., Iowa

Who knows what’s inside the mind of a ninth grader? Ask the students to write brief, confidential notes to you about what is holding them back from participating. Based on the responses, you could try several strategies.

• Reassure students that you value their thinking and responses and that no question or response is “stupid.” Teasing or mocking is not allowed.
• When a student responds, make eye contact and listen (a few nods and “okays” may encourage them).
• For a shrug and “I dunno,” nod politely and say that you’ll come back to the student (and then do so).
• After any response, give a pensive “Hmmm” and ask another student what he/she thinks, even if the original response is correct. This continues the conversation and thinking.
• Show some excitement for an original or interesting response.
• Wait-time before calling on a student gives students a chance to think. This is especially important if you call on a student who has not raised a hand.
• Try a think-pair-share for discussion questions.

It’s interesting how each class has its own dynamics and “personality,” as you’re experiencing. The challenge is finding effective strategies to unlock their participation. You have an interesting opportunity for action research.

More ideas:  The Big List of Class Discussion Strategies

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rongyos/2686415336/