Being away from my daily routine is both exciting and a little anxiety-producing, as in Look at all the other early childhood educators who are attending a session on science! and Did I remember to ask someone to feed the fish? Here are descriptions of a few of the sessions I attended at the 2011 NAEYC national conference.
The first session (8am!) got me in the swing of early childhood learning. Jill and Adam Bienenstock made a roomful of people feel as though we were outside as we photo-toured many playgrounds and play areas, and were introduced to features such as Wacky Posts, and ideas, such as, shrubs can be better than trees in maintaining close to the goal of 50% shade coverage because their shadows stay on the play area. Then each table got to find out how difficult it is to design a playground that meets most of children’s needs (and the designers’ requirements)—and how satisfying! We imagined ourselves working hard to climb a boulder, feeling the wind in our face as we went down the slide, and as teachers, being able to see and count all the children, even those behind a shrub (because the lower trunks are bare, we can see their legs). I will never look at playgrounds in the same way!

 
 
 
Jill and Adam know how to be playful while learning about the natural world through direct contact with it.
I especially looked forward to the conference because this was the first time  the NAEYC Early Childhood Science Interest Forum (ECSIF) would  hold an official meeting! (I sometimes think of my work as being in two worlds, the world of early childhood education and the science-teaching world, and it is so satisfying when they overlap.) The Early Childhood Science Interest Forum provides an opportunity  for early childhood educators, both experienced teachers and those new to the field, to network with others about teaching science, explore what is appropriate  content, discuss what young children are capable of doing and learning, exchange effective strategies and materials, and learn about resources for boosting  inquiry-based science in early childhood. Join the ECSIF, and help fuel a national dialogue around early childhood science  teaching and learning! Find the ECSIF on the NAEYC Interest Forum page, Facebook or email the facilitators at naeyc.ecsif@gmail.com
Presenting a workshop session with Science & Children editor Linda Froschauer to a  roomful of early childhood educators was delightful! My Early Years columns benefit from her expertise (in addition to the work of editors Valynda Mayes and Stephanie Anderson) and her knowledgeable instruction anchored our workshop. And the participants worked  so hard! When teachers participate in science inquiry we understand more fully how  to engage young children. (Read Debra Shapiro’s account of a workshop at a National Science Teachers Association conference where participants explored a motion-and-force activity.) Thank you for doing science with me.
Something about hearing a speaker in person makes their words connect more immediately  with my own experiences. Vivian Gussin Paley invited NAEYC participants to tell stories with her, and we did, even in a huge hall. You can learn more about this honored educator’s work by reading interviews with her at http://www.naeyc.org/content/conversation-vivian-gussin-paley and http://illinoisearlylearning.org/interviews/paley.htm
Oh why didn’t I take notes at Sylvia Chard and Yvonne Kogan’s presentation “Implementing the project approach: Changes in teaching, children’s work, and classroom displays”? They narrated a slide show of teachers’ and children’s work before and after implementing the Project Approach which revealed the ways classes can use a variety of media to investigate the  world and develop understanding through in-depth project work. And now I wish I had written down those inspirational words! You can read some of Chard’s and Kogan’s work in an introduction to their book of photography, From my side: Being a child.
At lunchtime I met with people at the Early Childhood Science Interest Forum table in the Interest Forum Café. The conversations I shared with educators from Florida, Turkey and China were about how science inquiry supports other curriculum areas and develops children’s problem-solving skills. How far did you have to travel to participate in this enriching conference?
The American Museum of Natural History presentation brought educators together with invertebrates—small animals such as caterpillars,  pillbugs, and Bess beetles. Again, our experience will help us guide our students. Look online for their resource, Life in the Leaf Litter by E.A. Johnson and K.M. Catley.
Early childhood teachers make the best astronauts! “Teacher Marie” (Faust Evitt) spoke on how interesting investigations meet teachers’ urgent need to move children from unproductive behavior to involved learning. Take a look at the work of her students and try these activities in your program.
 
Kindergarten teacher and author of Math Exchanges Kassia Wedekind shared math activities that are contextually meaningful and mathematically significant. She said the key characteristics of these mathematical conversations are that they are: 1) short, focused sessions that bring all mathematical minds together, 2) responsive to the needs of the specific group of mathematicians, and 3) designed for meaningful, guided reflection.
Even if you did not attend the conference, for a little longer you can download the handouts that presenters posted by going to the NAEYC website at www.naeyc.org, go to “Conferences” and select “Annual conference and Expo”, and then click on the “Session Handouts” button on the top menu bar to go to http://precis.preciscentral.com/utils/ip/FindPresentation.asp?EventID=9431c87f&Presenter=True&bhcp=1
Search the sessions for whatever interests you, click on the presentation title to make another small screen pop up, and scroll down on that screen to see any handouts that were uploaded by the presenters. Test it out by searching for “ashbrook,” or “evitt,” for example, and download my lesson plan for using our sense of smell, and Marie Faust Evitt’s resources.
One must eat and luckily the first restaurant I went to had many appealing dishes that proved delicious. I passed up the Ice Bar, the WonderWorks science-themed indoor amusement park, and Disney, but had great fun talking with teachers and others. Have you been to a conference? Check the NAEYC conference page to see where the next one will be and make a plan of how you can attend next time.
Let me know what the conference did for you,
Peggy

My school is offering “mini-grants” to teachers. It’s not a lot of money, but every little bit counts these days. I want to apply for funds for a digital camera for my elementary classroom. I know it would be useful, but the proposal requires a rationale and specific ideas for science use.
Jennifer, Evansville, Indiana
In the pre-digital age, cameras were a bit of a luxury in the classroom—there was the cost of the camera itself as well as  the costs of purchasing film and developing and printing the pictures. Digital cameras have eliminated these additional expenses, and the photos are readily available to you and your students. You and your students can incorporate images into other digital and print resources, assuming you have the hardware and software in your classroom to download and edit photos or video and to print pictures. The technology keeps getting better and better.
Students love to take photographs, and many of them may already have their own cameras, including cell phone cameras. However, schools often do not allow students to use cell phones in the classroom, even for academic tasks, and it would be a challenge to collect the images from different phones and cameras for class projects. Teachers sometimes bring in their own equipment for the classroom, but it’s better to keep your personal things at home. (I learned this the hard way when one of my cameras “disappeared” from a locked desk drawer. The school insurance did not cover it, and I’m glad it was an inexpensive one.)
Science classes are great venues for photography. The students are actively learning concepts and skills, and science topics are interesting to illustrate. When students create visuals to communicate, they are developing skills in visual literacy. Some ideas include

• Student presentations
• Field trip activities
• Examples of science fair display boards
• Showing the steps of an investigation
• Illustrations for reports
• Photos for science notebooks
• Photos of lab set-ups
• Virtual albums with examples of simple machines, rock formations, insects, cloud formations, erosion, and more
• Mystery objects (such as the ones on the last page of Science Scope) for discussions or bell-ringers
• Photos of class activities for bulletin boards, instead of commercial posters or other decorations
• Special event “scrapbooks”
• “Good news” photos to send to parents—in print or electronically—showing the students engaged in science activities
• Photos of ongoing observations (e.g., a butterfly in the stages of metamorphosis, the location of the sun during the year, a class garden, crystal growth, plant growth)
• Illustrations of safety rules with students as models or student-created posters of safety rules
• Illustrations for student handouts or assessments
• Illustrations for vocabulary on a word wall
• Photos used with writing prompts
• Incorporate photos into presentations such as wikis, blogs, or Glogster

When you get the camera(s), ask the art teacher to help students learn the basics of photographic design. Establish class guidelines about the appropriate use and care of the cameras. In cooperative groups, one student could be assigned the role of photographer. He or she would be the one responsible for using the camera during the activity. If students are using the cameras in class, be sure they return them to you before you dismiss the class. Check the cameras periodically to delete any inappropriate photos.
Some students may not want to be photographed. Check with your school for any policies about photographing students (parental permission may be required) or posting pictures of students on public websites, including blogs, wikis, social media sites, and online photo galleries.
At an NSTA conference, I saw a technology demonstration that connected cameras and computers wirelessly. As soon as the picture was taken, it was sent to the computer. It was quite a time-saver. Your tech staff may have more information on camera and network compatibility and with this technology.
The NSTA journals have published articles on photography in science classrooms with many more ideas. I’ve assembled a collection of articles in the NSTA Learning Center.
Good luck with your proposal!