By Lauren Jonas, NSTA Assistant Executive Director
Posted on 2014-09-29
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 conference that all the selfies were really “groupies”! So, inspired by this sharing, I wanted to pass along some of NSTA’s best time- and money-saving resources, written by (you guessed it) science teachers. The books below all contain tried-and-true ideas, and in the spirit of sharing, I made sure to list a free chapter from each. You won’t have to pull out your wallet for this one—each freebie delivers actionable advice you can use in the classroom tomorrow.
The Frugal Science Teacher, PreK–5: Strategies and Activities
This collection of essays, carefully selected by former NSTA President and current Science and Children editor Linda Froschauer, outlines creative and inexpensive ways for preK through fifth-grade science teachers to keep their expenses to a minimum in five categories:
Chapters provide inexpensive alternatives to costly classroom projects, offer re-imagined uses for items teachers already have at home or school, and suggest new and untapped resources for materials. Even more important than offering ideas for frugality, the activities and strategies—such as “String Racers,” “Discovery Bottles,” “Ecosystem Jenga,” and “An Outdoor Learning Center”—enhance teachers’ abilities to develop their students’ conceptual understanding. (Read a sample chapter: Materials Repurposed: Find a Wealth of Free Resources at Your Local Recycling Center)
Even More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons: Using Children’s Books to Guide Inquiry, K–5
Since the debut of the Picture-Perfect Science books and workshops more than 10 years ago, authors Emily Morgan and Karen Ansberry have learned one thing for certain: Elementary school teachers are constantly clamoring for even more ways to engage children in reading and science through picture books. To meet that demand, the 15 all-new lessons in Even More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons bring you:
Plus: This latest volume even connects the lessons to A Framework for K–12 Science Education and the English Language Arts and Literacy Common Core State Standards.
Just as teachers like you have been hoping, Even More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons delivers the whole package: teacher-friendly lessons, strong standards-based science content, and a kid-magnet formula that will get your students engrossed in science while they improve their reading skills. (Read a sample chapter: The Wind Blew)
The Everyday Science Sourcebook, Revised 2nd Edition: Ideas for Teaching in Elementary and Middle School
Think of this unique reference book as Inspiration Central for elementary and middle school science teachers. The Everyday Science Sourcebook is structured like an easy-to-use thesaurus. Just look up a topic in the Index, note the reference number, and then use that number to find a wealth of related activities in the Entry section. For example, looking up meteorology can lead you to notes on the Earth’s temperature. From there, you’ll see entries on how students can make a liquid thermometer, graph air temperatures, and measure the conversion of solar energy to heat energy. The Everyday Science Sourcebook deserves a prominent spot on your bookshelf. Refer to it daily as a springboard for ideas that make science memorable. (Read a sample chapter: Weather)
Tried and True: Time-Tested Activities for Middle School
A compilation of popular “Tried and True” columns originally published in the award-winning journal Science Scope, this book is filled with teachers’ best classroom activities—time-tested, tweaked, and engaging. These favorites are organized by topic, including physical science, life science, Earth and space science, and instructional strategies. Teachers will appreciate the accompanying activity worksheets and visual aids. These ageless activities will fit easily into your middle school curriculum and serve as permanent go-to resources when you need a tried-and-true lesson for tomorrow. (Read a sample chapter: How the Brain Visually Perceives the World)
The Frugal Science Teacher, 6–9: Strategies and Activities
Teachers of all grades and disciplines often dip into their own wallets to outfit their classrooms with materials and supplies that school and district budgets can’t—or won’t—cover. Science teachers tend to find themselves supplementing their shrinking funds with even greater frequency. Chapters in this book provide inexpensive alternatives to costly classroom projects, offer re-imagined uses for items teachers already have at home or school, and suggest new and untapped resources for materials. Even more important than offering ideas for frugality, the activities and strategies—such as “Wiffle Ball Physics,” “Geology on a Sand Budget,” “Forensics on a Shoestring Budget,” and “Ever Fly a Tetrahedron?”—enhance teachers’ abilities to develop their students’ conceptual understanding. (Read a sample chapter: Making Mendel’s Model Manageable)
Take-Home Physics: 65 High-Impact, Low-Cost Labs
Take-Home Physics is an excellent resource for high school physics teachers who want to devote more classroom time to complex concepts while challenging their students with hands-on homework assignments. This volume presents 65 take-home physics labs that use ordinary household items or other inexpensive materials to tackle motion and kinematics; forces and energy; waves, sound, and light; and electricity and magnetism. The result: Students learn background knowledge, reinforce basic process skills, practice discovery, and bridge classroom learning with real-world application—all while getting excited about homework. Teachers can also integrate science and literacy by requiring the use of lab notebooks with formal write-ups. Materials lists and safety notes, as well as both student activity pages and teacher notes are included. (Read a sample chapter: Bernoulli’s Principle)
The New Science Teacher’s Handbook: What You Didn’t Learn From Student Teaching
By reading The New Science Teacher’s Handbook, you will learn 12 specific steps that will help you on your way to becoming a skilled classroom teacher. The authors make each chapter both helpful and fun to read by including:
The book addresses areas that are often underrepresented, if not completely ignored, by prevalent science methods pedagogy textbooks. “Whether you are on your way to becoming a science teacher or a teacher in your early years,” the authors write, “we feel confident the ideas presented here will help you become the teacher you’ve always wanted to be.” (Read a sample chapter: Starting Class the Right Way: Starter Activities)
Inspired by these books? We have one last money-saving idea for you. Take advantage of our FALL14 promo code at the NSTA Science Store, which will get you $15 off purchases of $75 or more of NSTA Press titles.
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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 conference that all the selfies were really “groupies”! So, inspired by this sharing, I wanted to pass along some of NSTA’s best time- and money-saving resources, written by (you guessed it) science teachers.
By Mary Bigelow
Posted on 2014-09-29
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 class or I run out of time to complete the activity or get to everything I wanted to do. I’m a beginning high school teacher looking for suggestions on how to estimate the amount of time a lesson will take.
—H. from Minnesota
I wish I had an algorithm to share for estimating time for class activities, but there are many variables involved: the number of questions students have, the amount and depth of discussion, interruptions and distractions, equipment or technology issues, time spent on classroom management, and digressions for “teachable moments.”
For teaching several sections of the same class, I found it helpful to keep them near the same pace, within reason, for planning lab investigations or assignment due dates. It didn’t help that some of the class periods in my school were 40 minutes and others were 45! Due to school events, there were days when I did not meet with all of my classes. There also were days when activities were completed quickly in some classes and dragged on in others.
At the end of each class, annotate your plans with what students were able to accomplish and any issues that arose. The next time you plan this lesson, you’ll be better able to determine how much time to allow. You’ll see that many lessons will take more than one class period.
You may find it necessary to spend time on extra discussion or to slow the pace if students are struggling or need assistance. But you can maximize productive class time by establishing and using routines. When students come into the classroom, they could follow a bell-ringer activity to get them ready and focused for class. With routines in place, students should know how to transition between activities, how and where to get materials, and what to do when disruptions happen.
If the students complete activities ahead of time, it’s not good to give them “free” time for socializing. This could reinforce the idea of rushing through an activity just to get finished. Use extra time to continue student learning with additional discussion, review, readings, journaling, or moving ahead to the next topic or task.
Here are some suggestions from an NSTA forum on the topic:
Trying to stay on a rigid timetable, especially if you teach more than one section of a course, is futile! You’ll find that with more experience, you’ll be better able to determine an appropriate time range.
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cgc/7080721/sizes/q/
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 class or I run out of time to complete the activity or get to everything I wanted to do.
By Martin Horejsi
Posted on 2014-09-28
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 big news—without the need for disclaimers explaining away anomalous data, inconsistent graphs, and the general background noise of low resolution measurements. While it is possible to argue that the essence of a motion activity transitions from concept to concrete without using meaningful data since the students at this level are able to imagine what was supposed to happen, by actually capturing accurate and precise motion data, the traditional conclusion of the motion lesson is actually just the beginning of what is now possible to experiment with and visualize.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/XhpRsUAG36Q[/youtube]
While it would be easy to dismiss all the good science taught with primitive methods, instead the simplicity, accuracy and operational speed of Vernier’s Motion Encoder System provides students not only a crystal clear insight into the nuts and bolts of motion, but also raises the bar on the subtitles and nuances of motion through actual hands-on experimentation and, if you will, science play.
Vernier describes their paradigm shift somewhat dryly as, “The encoder strip consists of alternating black and white bars with a 4 mm period, allowing the optical sensor to detect the passage of the bars as the cart moves. With two sensors appropriately placed, a change in position with 1 mm resolution can be determined, as well as the direction of travel. A narrow infrared beam transmits motion data to a receiver.”
This descriptive paragraph reminded me of a NASA STARDUST announcement where a sample return mission brought back some comet material that contained features known as CAIs or calcium aluminum inclusions. The excitement of CAIs is in their status as one of the first solids to condense out of the solar nebula after the birth of our solar system. What NASA should have announced is that comets contain material older than the earth! And let the details shake out once the reader’s attention was secured. Check out this link to a NASA/JPL instructional product that adds more humor and exclamation points to comet science.
Vernier, in their humble pursuit of elegant science teaching solutions, has produced a motion track the length of a tall student’s arm with carts the size of human hands and a motion resolution at the limit of our finger fine motor skill!
Well, OK, maybe it’s not quite as exciting as being truly older than dirt, but given the overwhelming quantity of our brain that is devoted to exploring the world with our hands, the Motion Encoder System has just brought the fundamental principles of motion into a bio-conceptual arena that we humans are uniquely prepared to explore.
Continuing the theme of the old ceiling becoming the new floor, the Motion Encoder System can first make the abstract concrete, and then provide a safe and power playground to visualize motion data as the actual motion is happening, but then become a testing instrument itself as students mentally explore motion beyond the fabricated universe of a metal track, low friction vehicles, and infrared sensors. In other words, once the foundations of motion are understood, the Motion Encoder System itself becomes a tool in a larger exploration toolbox.
For example, imagine what the motion vs. time graph looks like if you centered a car on the level track with the entire track able to roll back and forth on “bearings” of smooth round pencils. Consider sliding the track to the right while the sensor is on the left side of the track. Did the car move? Or is it relative? Was the motion uniform? Did the car continue to move when the track stopped? You might be asking, “What a practical application of this tangent of questioning?” How about the crash landing of the Genesis spacecraft?
[youtube]http://youtu.be/WFLGyCFeP_Q[/youtube]
Genesis was a NASA mission that collected solar wind particles on special tiles of various elements. The collection of impregnated hexagons were sealed in their sample return capsule and flown back to earth where upon reentering the atmosphere, the parafoil failed to deploy. Due to the extreme fragility of the pure elemental wafers, landing on the ground was ruled out and the plan was to pluck the floating spacecraft out of the air by a highly trained helicopter pilot using a giant hook suspended from his craft. Unfortunately, as often happens, Murphy’s Law came home from vacation early and at just the wrong moment. And this particular instance is not just a loose reference to Murphy’s Law, but in fact a historical repeat of the foundational mistake that potentially created the so-called Law in the first place.
You see Murphy was a real engineer named Edward Murphy Jr. who did real science with real people and used real data collection sensors. During the rocket sled g-force deceleration testing in the late 1940s. Murphy thought it would be a good idea to insert strain gauges into the harness of the rocket sled in order to measure the actual g-forces experienced by the test subject. After the initial run using a chimpanzee, the sensors read zero. Upon further inspection, it was discovered that every sensor was wired backwards thus unable to record the deceleration. In the case of the Genesis Sample Return Capsule, an onboard accelerometer was included to detect atmospheric resistance on the capsule through deceleration which would then signal the deployment of the drogue parachute further slowing the capsule velocity down to a safe parafoil release speed. Except the accelerometer was installed upside-down. The sensor never detected the slowdown. The drogue chute never deployed. The parafoil never unfolded. And the entire 450-pound sample return capsule never hesitated when it slammed into the Utah desert at 193 miles an hour. (From a purely scientific viewpoint, however, the impact did provide an excellent example of meteoritic cratering complete with crater rim, rays, and reverse stratigraphy.) http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/press_kits/genesisreturn.pdf
So back to the main question…what will the graph look like if the track moves instead of the car? And now try to visualize which direction an accelerometer should be pointed (up or down) in order to detect a spacecraft slowing due to the atmosphere. Should it point in the direction of travel or the opposite? Are you sure? Are you willing to bet $264 Million on it?
Or perhaps collisions are of interest. The Vernier Motion Encoder System includes two carts, one with a sensor, and one with a retractable spring plunger, and both carts with magnetic and hook-and-pile endcaps.
Inertia is another aspect that plays very well with real-time motion data collection. But first a minor digression. A funny thing happened on the way to the Newton’s Cradle demonstration. The teacher was prepared to share the magic of conservation of momentum when it occurred to her that the usual explanation of the balls motion is actually a violation of the very law she was excited to demonstrate. If momentum truly is conserved, then the dropping of two balls on one side would not produce two balls on the rising other side, but rather one ball rising with the conserved momentum of two balls. Physics is not a democracy. There is nothing that would divide up the momentum fairly between the two receiving balls giving them an equal chance to fly away. The solution must be that dropping two balls is not one event, but two. And on the far side, two corresponding results occur. In other words, one ball is dropped, then another ball is dropped, and one ball rises from the first event followed quickly by the second ball from the second event. Two balls is two events happening at two different moments in tim
e. Before the furthest out ball can fall, all inner balls must be out of the way. In fact it is quite similar to how we cause traffic jams on unobstructed highways, and why the interval lights on on-ramps keep traffic flowing. Explore the oxymoronic concept of “Moving Jams” if you want to learn more about traffic psychophysics.
So back on task. When two carts are used on the track, basic applications of F=ma can be explored where one or both carts are moving in various combinations of speed and direction simulating head-on collisions and rear-end collisions. The spring plunger softens the impacts while preserving the result. And the inquiry can run from the carts to the graphs through prediction, or take the inference route where the graph is interpreted to hypothesize the nature of the collision.I could imagine a forensics presentation reenacting an accident using the Motion Encoder System from data graphs generated during the crime scene investigation.
Collisions can also be used to inspect dampeners such as those in shoe insoles. By inserting the insole between the spring plunger on the cart at the bottom of the inclined track, the rebound of the sensor cart can measure the difference between various insole’s ability to absorb shock.
And yet another tangent of exploration deals with seatbelt use. When turned loose with the track, I noticed a student place her iPhone on the cart. The iPhone was running a seismograph app, and the student was playing the with the “look” of an impact as measured by a “third party” along for the ride. If the iPhone was held in place, the majority of the impact force was consumed by the spring. If the iPhone could slide off the cart, a much stronger impulse was recorded when the iPhone eventually hit something with less elasticity than the spring cart.
In the end Vernier has again offered teachers a powerful tool that provides students with the ability to explore the intricacies of motion, this time with an arms-length of track using a hand-sized cart measuring at the resolution of finger dexterity. In other words, the Vernier Motion Encoder System makes motion 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 big news—without the need for disclaimers explaining away anomalous data, inconsistent graphs, and the general background noise of low resolution measurements.
By Guest Blogger
Posted on 2014-09-25
For the past 15 months, a four-letter acronym has been on the tip of science educators’ tongues: NGSS, the Next Generation Science Standards. Whether you personally are or your state board of education is “in favor of,” or “opposed to,” or you are simply “engaged with” the NGSS, there is no doubt that their release has been scrutinized in the media and intensively discussed within the science education community; it is an exciting time for science education.
Crosscutting concepts, disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, performance expectations, and assessment boundaries are all important aspects of the curricular process that science educators should consider while planning curriculums, units, and daily lessons. Considering the information the document contains, it is fair to say that the NGSS covers the “what” of teaching—the content students should know and understand—and up to a point, the “why” has been incorporated into the architecture, which used the learning progressions from A Framework for K–12 Science Education to design the performance expectations.
NGSS does not mention the “how” or method by which these core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and practices should be taught. An online search of the NGSS for the keywords “teaching” and “pedagogy” returned no hits for either. However, if we review the Framework, it has some valuable points to remember and continue to practice in our classrooms every day to engage students in learning. The Framework states, “[I]nstruction refers to methods of teaching and the learning activities used to help students master the content and objectives specified by a curriculum. Instruction encompasses the activities of both teachers and students. It can be carried out by a variety of pedagogical techniques, sequences of activities, and ordering of topics” (NRC 2012, p. 250). The overarching point of this quote connects with the “how” or method a teacher selects to engage students and assist them in discovering the content, concepts, and practices outlined in the NGSS. These decisions are not as clearly spelled out and require experience, skill, and creativity in selection.
In recent years, there has been discussion, discourse, and debate about direct instruction versus inquiry, which are on opposite ends of the spectrum. This debate has produced research results on both sides of the topic (some of which are published by the National Academy of Sciences, the publisher of the Framework and the NGSS). Furthermore, current generalized approaches in the educational arena too often bleed into the science area and focus on remediation, intervention, and test preparation skills, with little or no direct relationship to how students learn science.
In developing the Framework, the Committee on a Conceptual Framework for New K–12 Science Education Standards was not charged with addressing instruction, but rather content. However, they still felt the need to incorporate the chapter titled “implementation,” which discusses instruction. They quickly pointed out that they were not making formal recommendations, but understood the “[s]tandards provide a vision for teaching and learning, but the vision cannot be realized unless the standards permeate the education system and guide curriculum, instruction, teacher preparation and professional development, and student assessment” (NRC 2012, p. 241). So the area of instruction becomes the question of “how” and thus becomes personal to each teacher in each classroom each day. Decisions of “how” or what teaching methods to select are at the intersection of general educational understanding, content knowledge, and knowledge of how the students in an individual class will best learn. Some call the intersection of these three aspects pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Applied PCK is at the heart of decision-making in the moment; it is “the art of teaching.” Teachers need to take the individual components within PCK, combine them with their own passion and energy for learning and teaching, and encourage students to engage in the learning process. No two classes will be the same, no two lessons will follow the exact path, and no two students will arrive at the same outcome at the same moment. Each of these experiences for the students, class, and teacher will be an individual discovery. As the American poet and teacher Mark Van Doren stated, “The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery”—and I contend the ultimate answer to the question of “how.”
My certificate from the state of Pennsylvania certifies me “to practice the art of teaching and render services” in my certificated areas. I support and believe in the efficacy and importance of the NGSS, the focus they bring to what students should know and understand, as well as the explicit need to integrate the three dimensions within the classroom lessons. However, like each of you, I am a teacher who knows my students and needs to make informed decisions about how to best engage them in the instruction of the content presented in the standards. In the end, it is important to remember that we need to know about the content and resources available, as well as make decisions that will best bring that content alive for our students. This intersection among content, an understanding of education, and knowledge of our students is where we must all practice the art of teaching and help our students engage in discovery.
Christine Anne Royce, a professor of education at Shippensburg University, where she also serves as department chair. For the past two years, she also has codirected the Master of Arts in Teaching in Science Education program and focuses on the integration of science and literacy for her research area. Royce earned an EdD in science education from Temple University and has taught science at all levels. She has served on the NSTA Board and Council. Email her at caroyce@aol.com or follow her on twitter @caroyce.
Editor’s Note
This article was originally published in the September issue of NSTA Reports, the member newspaper of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). Visit the NGSS@NSTA Hub at http://www.nsta.org/ngss to access NSTA’s growing collection of NGSS resources.
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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 David Evans, NSTA Executive Director
Posted on 2014-09-23
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 Association: We must teach students to understand that there are testable predictions about that physical world that together comprise a body of knowledge known as “science.” And we cannot debate those “facts.” But what we can do, and must do better, is teach our students how those facts can be used to make societal decisions, such as whether daylight savings time is a benefit or not to our society.
Autumn began last night at 9:29 PM EDT as the sun crossed the equator. For those of us living at mid latitudes, the hours of daylight will now be fewer than those dark. Indeed the rate at which the day disappears is at its quickest, slowing only as we approach the dark and cold days of December and January. Our understanding of the tilt of the Earth’s axis and its motion around the Sun allows us forecast these changes with a high degree of confidence, a simple example of how science leads to testable predictions about the physical world.
Daylight Saving Time ends at 2:00 AM on Sunday November 2, at least here in most of the United States. But not everywhere, which leads to the debate over the use of daylight saving time–something that has been controversial since Benjamin Franklin proposed it. Arguments in favor point to better use of daylight and energy conservation. Opponents argue against the nuisance of changing clocks, disrupted sleep schedules, the risk to school children due to poor visibility in the early hours, the conflict with religious law and practice, and the fact that farm animals don’t use clocks at all.
Daylight saving time is based on the science mentioned above but in itself is not science. While we can debate the costs and benefits of changing our clocks twice a year, we can’t ignore or legislate against the seasonal change in the number of hours of daylight. We can debate how we will respond and we can use the science to inform that discussion, but we may decide that other factors are more important and accept the predictable consequences of our decision.
As the Sun continues its southward trip and the days shorten, we turn back the air conditioning and turn up the heat against winter’s chill. For over a hundred years science has told us that increased combustion of fossil fuels will lead to a change in the planet’s climate. In 1896 Svante Arrhenius calculated a value of the amount of that change that is quite close to modern estimates. And just as we measure the days shortening, so we have we measured the planet’s beginning to warm. We can and must debate what to do with that information but we cannot pretend that it does not exist any more than we can deny the solstice.
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 Teac
By Mary Bigelow
Posted on 2014-09-23
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 levels of student interest and experience.
In NSTA’s September K-12 journals, the overarching theme seems to be rethinking and expanding traditional learning experiences. The articles have ideas for helping students incorporate different ways of thinking and learning via activities incorporating the NGSS and 21st century technology applications.
Keep reading for more from Science & Children, Science Scope, and The Science Teacher.
Science & Children: NGSS and Nature of Science
The articles look beyond our previous teaching of THE scientific method to show how students can be involved in their own authentic explorations and discoveries. Here are some SciLinks that are connected to the content topics in several of the the articles:
Science Scope: Assessing Student Progress Toward NGSS Learning Progressions
Assessment is an integral part of the learning process. Many of the lessons described in this issue use the 5E model (which has an Evaluate component congruent with the learning goals and activities) and describe ways to expand our assessment repertoires with performance tasks, learning progressions, pre-assessments, alternate conceptions, journaling, and self-assessment, and observation. Here are some SciLinks that are connected to the content topics in several of the the articles:
If you’re interested in reading Developing Assessments for the Next Generation Science Standards from the National Research Council, you can download a PDF of the document at no charge.
The Science Teacher: 21st Century Tools and Skills
In 2014, we are well into the 21st century, and technology tools continue to evolve. The articles illustrate how these tools can enhance student learning, keeping in mind that in their future students will use tools that haven’t been invented yet. Having a foundation of basic skills with which to use the tools is critical. Here are some SciLinks that are connected to the content topics in several of the the articles:
This issue is the debut of a new column. Right to the Source: Exploring Science and History with the Library of Congress features descriptions of and links to primary source documents digitized by the Library of Congress. This month features communications between Alexander Graham Bell and Guglielmo Marconi.
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 levels of student interest and experience.
By Carole Hayward
Posted on 2014-09-17
Thousands of college freshmen have chosen their first-year science courses based on knowledge and experience from their K-12 years. College professors and instructors can use the award-winning Journal of College Science Teaching (JCST) to better ensure lectures, labs, and online instruction continue to inspire and promote science education.
JCST is a bimonthly peer-reviewed journal for instructors and professors at the university and two-year community college level as well as pre-service science educators. The journal offers the proven research, case studies, and perspectives for college-level science educators charged with bridging the gap and creating career-ready scientists and future science teachers.
Here are several different ways to spend 15 minutes with JCST (Note: Members need to log in to access the articles listed below; nonmembers can access them for a fee):
It’s never too early to encourage science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) interests in students, but studies show college students make career choices during the first two years of college. As institutions track the enrollment of STEM-related degrees, science professors and instructors must continue to cultivate successful retention of undergraduates in science majors.
Each issue of JCST serves up research and discussion on STEM education challenges and solutions at the college level, such as the following:
Learn about unique programs, innovative technology, reform updates, and case studies all focused on STEM education sustainability and growth.
Because professors and instructors may be teaching non-science majors, JCST publishes integrated, multidisciplinary approaches to research experiences. Here are a few sample articles:
Two columns each month focus on student outcomes:
Research and Teaching reports the results of exemplary systematic educational research in college science teaching. Articles published in this column typically report on student outcomes in multicenter or multicourse studies.
Case Studies column publishes original articles on innovations in case study teaching, assessment of the method, as well as case studies themselves along with teaching notes for classroom instruction.
The Two Year Community column encourages the conversation about the unique challenges of teaching and learning in the two-year and community college classroom.
Future preK-12 science educators are another important audience for the journal. Just as content and pedagogy taught at the university level will inform future science educators, the reforms and innovations of preservice educators are welcome by JCST.
In addition to an editorial from JCST Editor Ann Cutler, most issues of JCST features a Point of View column written by a science educator at the community college or university level. This forum allows educators to exchange ideas, experiences, and the specific challenges found in the administration and fundamentals of university teaching practices.
More Time?
Take it one step further by submitting your own manuscript. JCST is always looking for papers from members. Do you have a science investigation you think college professors across that nation should know about? Read the guidelines and write for JCST! Questions about submitting a manuscript to JCST? Please contact editor Ann Cutler at acutler@nsta.org.
Laura Berry of Cogberry Creative is our guest blogger for this series. Laura is a communications professional for the education community.
By Guest Blogger
Posted on 2014-09-16
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 appears to be having only minimal impact in our classrooms. This appears to be the case despite all of those who have rushed to create and market STEM resources for educators. Even the growing support from industry for an increase in the integration of STEM into schools, which they have graciously shown in the form of financial support and shared expertise, has not been enough to truly ignite successful large scale integration of STEM in schools (Ryan, 2012).
Unfortunately this reality, however frustrating, is not new to educational reform efforts. History has shown that many well intended, research backed educational reform efforts have failed due to a lack of understanding and support for such change. Although this appears to be the path that many of the efforts in regard to STEM are on, there are signs of hope. In Arizona, over the past three years, we at Science Foundation Arizona have seen our efforts in regard to STEM clubs ignite a statewide movement which is beginning to serve as a catalyst for helping educators, students, parents, and the larger community to understand and support the need for increasing the integration of STEM into our schools. While we acknowledge that this may only be a first step in the process to fully integrate STEM into our schools, we see it as a vital one to move forward toward large-scale sustainable integration of STEM into our classrooms.
Three years ago, defining STEM clubs as “any gathering of students that meets regularly in an informal environment to work on inquiry-based STEM related activities,” Science Foundation Arizona piloted STEM clubs in eleven schools. Each school received supplies, teacher stipends, and professional development. What we learned from these efforts was that there was an interest in STEM clubs across the state and that STEM clubs opened up possibilities that other types of specialized clubs, such as full robotics clubs, did not. Unlike these specialized clubs, STEM clubs appealed to all grade levels, especially K–8, and they allowed teachers and students to adjust the level and focus of the club in order to meet student needs and interests. With this knowledge in hand, we set out to develop a STEM club model that could be replicated on a large scale. At this time we were also working on developing a statewide network of Informal STEM Providers, which included representatives from education, business, government, and non-profit organizations with an interest in Informal STEM. Early in our second year of these efforts our work in these two areas came together when we realized that a number of our Informal partners had also been experimenting with STEM clubs. As a result, we began to coordinate our efforts and our lessons learned. Within six months we had developed an inexpensive STEM club model, and an online STEM Club Guide, which not only provides schools with guidance on how to setup and support a STEM club, but also has the ability to connect these clubs to one another, allowing them to share resources, collaborate on projects, and provide each other support regardless of geographic limitations. This free online resource can be found at stemclubguide.sfaz.org.
With all of this in place, we launched this new club model and online guide at the first Arizona STEM Club Conference in July 2013. This conference attracted over 120 educators from over 90 schools in 9 Arizona counties. Following this conference we provided 70 of the attending schools seed funding of approximately $750 to help them setup and support a STEM club. Supported with these minimal funds, these 70 clubs ran through the 2013–2014 school year directly serving over 1000 students, and many of these clubs are continuing for the next school year. Working with these clubs throughout the year, we quickly learned that the beauty in this simple, inexpensive STEM club model was that it could be tailored to the needs of the school, teachers, and students. Teachers involved in these clubs claim they were not overwhelmed by resources and content that they did not understand, and as a result many saw these clubs as a way to “test” ideas they had for teaching in the STEM
disciplines while working on improving their own content knowledge, without the threat of standardized accountability. Similarly students in these clubs have shared with us that they were excited because these clubs “made science and math interesting and fun.” We are already seeing this having an initial impact on students’ interest in school, in STEM, and in some cases on their achievement in the STEM disciplines. In addition, most of these clubs did community events and outreach, which helped them to gain community support for STEM, and in some cases additional funding for their efforts. Finally, schools appear to be supportive of these clubs most likely because they are inexpensive and were initiated by interested teachers and students.
Moving into our third year of these efforts, we held the 2nd Annual Arizona STEM Clubs Conference in June 2014. At this year’s event we had over 220 educators from over 150 schools representing 13 of the 15 counties in Arizona. This summer we will provide seed or expansion funding, at approximately $500 per club, to over 110 clubs, 90 of which will be new clubs. This being the case, we expect to have almost 200 STEM clubs across the state networked through our online STEM Club Guide in the next few months. Based on last years impact rate, this gives us the potential to directly impact at least 2,000 to 3,000 students this year. In addition we have had inquiries from educators in three other states looking to use our STEM club model and online resources to start or expand STEM club efforts in their states.
Now, of course, the cynic may question, how will any of this impact student achievement? This criticism can be answered in a number of ways. First, research suggests that student achievement may be closely tied to motivation (Faryadi, 2007), and our efforts are already showing support for this claim. In a number of cases we are already seeing that these STEM clubs, which provide a simple way to motivate both students and teachers, are leading to increases in student achievement in the STEM disciplines. We intend to continue to monitor this in order to provide stronger support for this connection. In addition, there have been a number of recent studies showing a direct correlation between participation in out-of-school STEM activities and increased achievement in STEM disciplines (Sahin et. al., 2014). All of this being said, however, what is most exciting about the results we are seeing in our STEM club efforts in Arizona is that we have realized that we have not started a STEM club program, but rather a STEM club movement, and as Apple (2010) states, it is social movements that, “are the real engines of educational transformations.”
References
Apple, M. (2010). On Being a Scholar/Activist in Education. In E.C. Short & L. J. Waks (Eds.), Leaders in Curriculum Studies: Intellectual Self Portraits (pp. 1–17). Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.
Faryadi, Q. (2007). Instructional design models: What a revolution! ERIC, Retrieved from www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED495711.pdf
Ryan, R. (2012). Why STEM Isn’t Working: A dangerous disconnect between think and feel. Madison Magazine. Retrieved from www.madisonmagazine.com/Madison-Magazine/October-2012/Why-STEM-Isnt-Working/
Sahin, A., Ayar, M., & Adriguzel, T. (2014). STEM Related After-School Program Activities and Associated Outcomes on Student Learning. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 14(1), 309–322. doi:10.12738/estp.2014.1.1876
Stephaine Frimer, M.Ed. is the STEM Field Representative at Science Foundation Arizona. She can be reached at sfrimer@sfaz.org; the Science Foundation Arizona is on Twitter @ScienceFoundAz.
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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 appears to be having only minimal impact in our classrooms.