By Mary Bigelow
Posted on 2011-09-27
It’s almost October and it’s time to celebrate science. Get ready for Earth Science Week this year (October 9–15, 2011). The theme is “Our Ever-Changing Earth.” You can move right into National Chemistry Week (October 16–22, 2011) The theme this year is “Chemistry—Our Health, Our Future.” Both of these websites have lots of resources, and it shouldn’t be hard to find some that align with your curriculum and standards.
Astronomy gets into the lineup of October events, too. Check out the Great World Wide Star Count in which your observation data can be uploaded and shared with participants from around the world during the October 14 — October 28 time period.
It’s not too early to plan events for Mole Day, celebrated on October 23 (10/23) from 6:02 a.m. to 6:02 p.m. The timing of this event celebrates Avogadro’s number: 6.02 · 1023. See SciLinks for more information on Avogadro: you’ll get a list of websites related to moles and to the work of this scientist. This day is also used to celebrate the science of chemistry and its applications. The National Mole Day Foundation’s website has background information, themes, and some suggested activities.
And then, top off the month by attending the NSTA conference in Hartford, CT from October 27 to October 29.
Photo http://www.flickr.com/photos/sfantti/53940691/
It’s almost October and it’s time to celebrate science. Get ready for Earth Science Week this year (October 9–15, 2011).
By Debra Shapiro
Posted on 2011-09-27
Students in Rochester, Minnesota, are studying zebrafish as part of Integrated Science Education Outreach (InSciEd Out). The program has brought teachers from all disciplines together to create a new curriculum that allows “the language of science to emerge in multiple contexts throughout the [school] day,” explains InSciEd Out’s coordinator, Chris Pierret. InSciEd Out’s success has brought it national attention and praise from President Obama, as you’ll read in this NSTA Reports story.
By Christine Royce
Posted on 2011-09-27
The question for this issue of the Leaders Letter focused around professional learning communities people are involved in as well as the benefits that each person has received. In Professional Learning Communities for Science Teaching the definition of a PLC included several key components around which they are defined – 1). a focus on learning; 2); collaborative culture focused on learning; 3). collective inquiry; 4). action orientation and experimentation; 5). continuous improvement; and 6). results orientation. The authors are quick and clear to also point out that a group of people simply working together on a task may not meet the definition of a PLC.
I actually find myself in groups somewhere between “not PLCs” (or as I often call them some departmental/university committees) and “PLCs” (one such was the NSELA Summer Leadership Institute in June of this year where we used this exact book). In thinking about all of the particular reasons as to why I think I end up in quasi PLCs, I come up with ONE major reason and that is related to commitment of time on my part as well as the part of others. An example of this definite interest but lack of time comes from the last academic year. Our university sets up teaching teams of faculty members where we are grouped in fours or fives based on some common characteristic that we have identified – the one last year I was on was related to faculty who had an interest in science (yes that vague). The colleagues I was assigned to as a teaching team member were engaging and we started the year with a meeting that set dates for the entire semester but as you can imagine as the semester went on and meeting dates approached the initial enthusiasm waned – people including me couldn’t make it for a variety of reasons – they had papers that had to be graded; another meeting came up; needed to work on an upcoming presentation etc. All aspects of our daily jobs and necessary to be completed, however, all reasons why our own PLC fell short of being successful and thus the reason I say I find myself in quasi-PLCs.
I guess my question for my fellow educators out there is not only what benefits you obtain by being involved in PLCs but also, how do you sustain the momentum of a PLC when other responsibilities seem to be looming. I guess my other question would be how do you coordinate a PLC that might have people in various geographic locations – since my science education colleagues across the country are often the ones that have similar interests and provide me with great learning opportunities. Just some questions for thought as I get ready to head into the office this morning for a day filled with “non PLCs.” 🙂
The question for this issue of the Leaders Letter focused around professional learning communities people are involved in as well as the benefits that each person has received. In Professional Learning Communities for Science Teaching the definition of a PLC included several key components around which they are defined – 1). a focus on learning; 2); collaborative culture focused on learning; 3). collective inquiry; 4). action orientation and experimentation; 5). continuous improvement; and 6).
By Mary Bigelow
Posted on 2011-09-25
I’ve recently been asked to mentor a new teacher in the science department. I’ve never had this role before. I want to help her, but I don’t want to be too intrusive or judgmental. What should I do?
—Erica, Abilene, Texas
The first year of teaching is difficult, and a recent study indicates that 8% of beginning teachers who were assigned a mentor were not teaching in the following year, compared with 16% of those who were not assigned a mentor. NSTA recognizes the importance of this mentorship/induction process in its position statement Induction Programs for the Support and Development of Beginning Teachers of Science. This document has a good description of the roles and responsibilities of mentors and mentees.
I’ve had experience both as a mentor (and mentee) and in creating induction plans. I’ve seen how an effective mentor is a “critical friend”—a role model, a good listener, a provider of feedback, a source of suggestions and resources, and a shoulder to cry on. You’re right to want to be helpful, but not overbearing. She’ll do some things very well, and you can celebrate with her. She’ll make some mistakes, and you can help her learn from them.
Mentors share their expertise in a non-supervisory relationship. A mentor is not judgmental or a “sage on the stage” demanding the new teacher do things in a prescribed way. A good mentor should be a “guide on the side” offering advice and suggestions. A good mentor will encourage the mentee to try new strategies and help the mentee reflect on the results. The mentor may even learn something new as part of the process.
How can you help your new science colleague?
Find out from your principal or personnel director if there are required meetings, with forms to document the meeting times and events. If your school has a formal induction program, you should receive a handbook or other documentation describing the components and requirements. If your school does not have a formal program, I’d suggest that you and your mentee keep a log or journal of your activities and conversations.
If you and your mentee have the same planning period, it makes it easier to meet. But if you have different planning periods, it makes it easier to observe each other’s classes. Or you could cover a class for her as she observes another teacher for ideas or suggestions.
Encourage your mentee to join NSTA (or enroll her as a gift!). Teachers in their first five years of teaching get a discount rate, with access to all of the NSTA resources (journals, listserves, newsletters, discussion forums, and the NSTA Learning Center).
When I mentored new teachers (both officially and unofficially), I often shared stories of my big “aha” learning moments as a mentee. For example, when I was relieved to find out some of the students causing problems in my class were causing problems in other classes, too—I learned not to take their misbehavior personally. I taught several different subjects the first year, so I learned the value of color-coding to organize materials, especially for lab activities. I learned having the day’s agenda on the board helped students to focus on the learning activities. I learned not to take myself too seriously and to have fun with the students (in a purposeful way, of course). I was grateful to have an individual who took the time to mentor me, and I was glad to return the favor.
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jjlook/7152722/sizes/s/in/photostream/
I’ve recently been asked to mentor a new teacher in the science department. I’ve never had this role before. I want to help her, but I don’t want to be too intrusive or judgmental. What should I do?
—Erica, Abilene, Texas
By Mary Bigelow
Posted on 2011-09-21
By admin
Posted on 2011-09-21
Oil Spill, Gulf of Mexico (NASA, International Space Station Science, 05/04/10)
Oil is a stew of hydrocarbon molecules. Oil doesn’t sink, it floats, and when it spills, it spreads out in a thin sheen. Parts of the oil spill, asphaltenes, froth up and emulsify in waves, becoming tarry globules of hydrocarbon chains mixed with other molecules (nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur, as well as trace amounts of vanadium and nickel.). The spill byproducts get sticky and messy.
With 4% of the world’s population, we in the U.S. use 25% of the oil produced, spending nearly half a trillion dollars each year on oil. Neither a spike in prices, nor footage and news reports from last year’s BP oil spill changed oil usage significantly–we have cut it by just 2.4%. So, we’re not going to stop using oil any time soon, and since spills occur at every step in the oil production pipeline, they’re going to continue to occur.
So, how can chemistry help us deal with those spills?
You may have seen Dawn commercials last summer showing workers cleaning ducks with Dawn detergent. Dawn works as a surfactant, breaking the hold the oil and tar has on the duck’s feathers, and allowing it to rinse away in water. Those are cute commercials–these oil-covered brown pelicans don’t look so cute– but how do we deal with spills on a larger scale?
That’s what this week’s Chemistry Now videos are about. The fall release of the weekly, online, video series “Chemistry Now” is under way, and we’re uncovering dispersants as a source of interesting video and lessons. As we’ve written before, please view the video, try the lessons, and let us know what you think.
Photos: NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Through the Chemistry Now series, NSTA and NBC Learn have teamed up with the National Science Foundation (NSF) to create lessons related to common, physical objects in our world and the changes they undergo every day. The series also looks at the lives and work of scientists on the frontiers of 21st century chemistry.
Video: On the anniversary of the final capping of the gushing oil well in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, NBC Learn explains the chemistry of dispersants and immiscibles, in “How to Wash an Ocean.” They also mark the International Year of Chemistry with a video outlining chemistry’s “10 Big Questions,” as selected by their content partner, Scientific American.
Middle school lesson: In The Chemistry of Oil Spills, students evaluate several methods of cleanup used in the recent BP oil spill, and learn about the importance of chemistry in oil spill cleanup.
High school lesson: In the high school version of the lesson, students conduct an experiment to determine the contributing factors to the solubility of a system and the role of polarity in the solubility of a system, so that they understand the effect of dispersants on the system.
You can use the following form to e-mail us edited versions of the lesson plans:
[contact-form 2 “ChemNow]
Oil Spill, Gulf of Mexico (NASA, International Space Station Science, 05/04/10)