I feel recharged and activated after attending a conference and taking a few weeks to reflect and prepare to put the new understandings into practice. Whether or not you attended the 2018 NSTA national conference you can access files uploaded by presenters. Two sources provide information about the 2018 NSTA national conference sessions and presenters: the online NSTA website conference events schedule where you may have added sessions to your personal scheduler, and the NSTA app.  Note: the NSTA personal scheduler and app do not sync, so changes made in one tool do not automatically transfer to the other.

The events schedule is the place to find posted resources from the sessions and evaluate the sessions you attended. The app is the place to find contact information about presenters, upload your photographs, and rate the session. Please do the evaluating and rating to help the conference team know which sessions were most helpful.

There were many sessions and special event I wish I had time to attend—did you get to everything on your wish list? Here is my recap of some of the sessions I attended. Click on the photos to see a larger view. 

Geology Rocks—Go beyond rock collecting and add geological investigations to your class! Activities aimed at preschool to grade 2, but can be adapted for all elementary classes. Resources provided.

Presenter(s): Anne Lowry (Aleph Academy: Reno, NV).

It is a knowledgeable presenter who uses her 60 minutes of session time to engage participants without using slides. Anne Lowry who teaches preschool is knowledgeable and she shared what she knows about geology and young children with us. Lowry confirmed that earth science is the heart of everything we humans do, influencing what we eat and manufacture, and a factor in our travel and constructions. Tables for three rows of seating had “provocations” to engage us in learning about landforms, become familiar with rocks and soil. This collection of materials could be used for a family science event. 

Tips for consideration: 

• For safety she uses crumbled bits of tissue paper instead of sand to represent windblown soil and plants.
• Reflect with children on their observations. Get them to explain and discuss why by asking, “What is your theory on _______?”
• Invite someone from your state Bureau of Mines, or a jeweler to come talk and share resources.
• Children who start a rock collection often focus first on colors, shapes, and counting. Some activities can involve using spatial thinking.

Look up this session and download the handout!

Engineering for the Gingerbread Baby—Let’s help our youngest learners be engineers! Come engage in designing a structure based upon the story Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett. Leave the session with lessons straight from kindergarten classrooms where engineering is seamlessly integrated throughout content areas.

Presenter(s): Valerie Patel (William B. Gibbs, Jr. Elementary School: Germantown, MD), Erin Del Balzo (William B. Gibbs, Jr. Elementary School: Germantown, MD), Karen Anderson (William B. Gibbs, Jr. Elementary School: Germantown, MD)

Kindergarten teachers Valerie Patel, Erin Del Balzo, and Karen Anderson said that what their students came up with in this engineering experience was amazing—not the structures they designed and built but their learning. In their presentation about the gingerbread design and construction project they used the definitions of engineering from A Framework for K-12 Science Education (NRC 2012, p. 11-12): “We use the term “engineering” in a very broad sense to mean any engagement in a systematic practice of design to achieve solutions to particular human problems. Likewise, we broadly use the term “technology” to include all types of human-made systems and processes—not in the limited sense often used in schools that equates technology with modern computational and communications devices. Technologies result when engineers apply their understanding of the natural world and of human behavior to design ways to satisfy human needs and wants.” These kindergarten teachers took their children deeply into an engineering design process by providing time over a week to work, setting constraints, involving measurement, including choices, assigning jobs for each team member, and making reflection and improving a design part of the process.

Tips for consideration:

• Invite 5th graders to assist by asking questions to promote thinking—not to help with the building.
• Have children reflect on their structure before piling on the decorations. 
• Through reflection on failures children feel successful.
• Ask, “What didn’t work?” and have children draw a plan of what they would try next.
• Use related children’s literature in discussions about alternative solutions to problems.

For more specifics, look up this session and download the slides and handout!

ASTC-Sponsored Session: STEM Starts Early “Get a Taste of PASTE”—Learn to create concrete STEM interactions with simple supplies to elevate the understanding of your students. Don’t just use the teachable moments but create them.

Presenter(s): Rachel Cahill (Lancaster Science Factory: Lancaster, PA)

Rachel Cahill, a STEM Educator at the Lancaster Science Factory in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, charmed us with her skill at communicating how to create teachable moments and her confidence in the abilities of young children to engage in science explorations and explain what they learned. 

Tips for consideration:

• Hot glue the clear tubing (aquarium supplies) to the syringes and be sure the amount of liquid doesn’t exceed the volume of the smallest syringe. 
• Start with plastic dishes to build children’s confidence and move on to china and glassware when they have grasped how to pull the tablecloth.
• Build children’s understanding of charts and graphs by having them build one putting egg bottoms and egg tops together following the color on the chart.

How would you use these activities within an investigation?

Leveraging Partnerships to Support Urban STEM Education—Implementing successful STEM Education in an urban elementary school can be a daunting task. They are many barriers including funding, perceptions of who “can and should do STEM” and expertise. Learn how to use partnerships to overcome these barriers.

Presenter(s): Melanie Johnson (M. Agnes Jones Elementary School: Atlanta, GA), Margul Woolfolk (M. Agnes Jones Elementary School: Atlanta, GA)

Melanie Johnson and Margul Woolfolk of M. Agnes Jones Elementary School, Atlanta, GA tell how they lead their school to become the first state of Georgia STEM certified school.

It was moving to hear this administrative partnership talk about leading their school’s journey to become the first state of Georgia STEM certified school. The school’s mantra is “Powered by STEAM…Led by Students.” Through partnerships with parents, local congregations,  Georgia-Pacific, the Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture, Georgia State University, HATponics, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Park Trust, the students have participated in quarterly engineering design challenges, learned various methods to grow food, and taken field trips to state parks. Read more about their journey in their newsletter.

Elementary Extravaganza—This Extravaganza is not to be missed! Join elementary groups of professionals for an exceptional opportunity. Gather resources for use in your classroom immediately. Engaging hands-on activities, strategies to excite and encourage your students, a preview of the best trade books available, information about award opportunities, contacts with elementary science organizations, sharing with colleagues, door prizes, and much more will be available to participants.

Because I was presenting as part of the Elementary Extravaganza I did not circulate to the many tables so I missed  much! Many presenters posted resources on the NSTA 2018 Atlanta National Conference session schedule for your use. I presented about the March 2017 Early Years column on Exploring Biodiversity through a plant scavenger hunt, using photos of plants in the school yard or a nearby area. Look up this session and download the many handouts.

AMSE-Sponsored Session: Unpacking Race in a Science Classroom–How does racial identity correspond to or counter that of the content narrative that is commonly shared in our classrooms? What are the implications?

Presenter(s): Deb Morrison (University of Washington: Seattle, WA), Jason Foster (Niles West High School: Skokie, IL), Michael Nocella (Niles West High School: Skokie, IL)

Questions “How does racial identity correspond to or counter that of the content narrative that is commonly shared in our classrooms?” and “What are the implications?” were raised at the AMSE-Sponsored Session: Unpacking Race in a Science Classroom. Thank you to the presenters for sharing their vision and talking about what we need to do to work across the divisions of race. Some notes I jotted down: “Every little strand in the fabric of our country is part of building the strength, excellence and beauty of our nation.”

Tips for consideration:

• Audio record children saying their own names to learn the correct pronunciation.
• Create an “affinity group” with other teachers in your program to discuss you ideas on critical race theory and social justice and have a core understanding of your reason to gather. 
• The website they list on the conference session scheduler is a Google doc full of ways to connect, learn, share resources on race that you know about, and find others for use in your classroom. 

Sing for the Planet–The path to the mind goes through the heart. Begin with 14 songs from Pete Seeger, with his Grammy-winning Fourth Graders. Look at easy lessons to support the songs. Then enjoy research on positive approaches to environmental ed.

Presenter(s): Juliana Texley (Central Michigan University: Mount Pleasant, MI)

Juliana Texley, former NSTA President and teacher made the connection between the arts and STEM: “When music is used as a vehicle for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) or social studies learning, we nurture deeper and more lasting understanding.” See and download her presentation on the online conference session schedule.

A River Story: Expanding Science Access to Urban Second Graders and Their Teachers–Find out how community partners worked with an urban district to enhance training opportunities for grade 2 teachers and support three-dimensional science learning for their ALL their students.

Presenter(s): Sarah Sterling-Laldee (Paterson Public Schools: Paterson, NJ), Nakeia Wimberly (Paterson School No. 2: Paterson, NJ), Elizabeth Nunez (Paterson Public Schools: Paterson, NJ), Norma Menchon (Paterson School No. 2: Paterson, NJ)

It often happens that an unrelated group of conference participants follow roughly the same schedule and end up in several of the same sessions. It was fun to find out that someone I had talked with in a previous session was presenting in this one! 

Through partnering with a local foundation and the state Audubon Society this group of educators were able to provide training opportunities to increase teacher and student engagement with each other and with discourse. Teachers became more open to new instructional practices. There were 28 second grade teachers in the first year cohort and 28 first grade teachers in the second year cohort. In the second year the 2nd grade teachers returned as mentors for the new cohort. Teachers met twice a month, took field trips, and held family science events.

Tips for consideration:

• Teachers were required to apply as a school team so they had support in their building.
• They have an initial meet-and-greet, and an ending celebration with both cohorts.
• They held a reception with administrators at the school and district levels.

STEM and the Urban Elementary Classroom–An urban elementary school STEM teacher discusses using three-dimensional STEM instruction as a vehicle for building critical thinking skills and positive impact on student learning.

Presenter(s): Natalie Rachel (Fulton County Schools: Atlanta, GA)

STEM teacher Natalie Rachel of Fulton County Schools, Atlanta, GA talks about how she engages the school’s K-5 students in science through an inquiry-based NGSS strategy.

Every week, for 45 minutes for each class, STEM teacher Natalie Rachel engages the school’s K-5 students in science through an inquiry-based NGSS strategy. Their work may take place over several weeks. She plans and works together with the classroom teachers to create a professional learning community so the instruction can be extended in the regular classroom. Look up this session to see the slides to learn more about how literature, gardening, technology, and after school programs are incorporated in her work. 

The Early Childhood Science Interest Forum (ECSIF) of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) held an informal meeting to share resources, get to know other early childhood educators, make plans to support ECE sessions at NSTA conferences, and present the Golden Hand Lens Award to Linda Froschauer. 

Learn more about the ECSIF on the NAEYC Hello site and on Facebook.  

Science and Language: Natural Partners–Science is a natural vehicle for supporting language development for all children. A brief hands-on exploration and video will be used to promote discussion about approaches and strategies that support language development while keeping the focus on children’s science experiences, observations, and ideas.

Presenter(s): Cindy Hoisington (Education Development Center, Inc.: Waltham, MA)

In previous years sessions by Cindy Hoisington have been worthwhile, because she has extensive experience in early childhood education and really digs into the ideas. But another session was also important to me so I am grateful that Cindy posted her slides. See and download her presentation on the online conference session schedule. 

Tips for consideration:

She prompts us to remember to…

• Focus your questions on children’s experiences, observations, and ideas
• Provide all children with opportunities to contribute.
• Encourage children to talk to one another.
• Use exploration materials, photos, children’s representations, and books as props
• Wrap-up before children lose interest.

Starting STEM at an Early Age–STEM starts at an early age. Join us on how to engage early learners in an NGSS early childhood curriculum.

Presenter(s): Kendra McKoy (Liberty Science Center: Jersey City, NJ)

Kendra McKoy  shares children’s literature and activities to consider using as part of ongoing science and engineering design inquiries.

This Liberty Science Center session shared many activities to consider using as part of ongoing science and engineering design inquiries. Kendra emphasized the effectiveness of introducing vocabulary, such as, “transparent,” “translucent,” and “opaque,” after children have first-hand experiences when they need the words to describe their

Participants in the Liberty Science Center session exploring how light travels through different materials.

observations. Starting with a drawing of their design and saying what materials they need helps children be creative. Kendra also emphasized the importance of including time for children to re-design their boats or other work, and test their new designs. In one of the activities we built model sailboats and tested them on “a solid” (a table representing land) but at the center children also test their boats on “a liquid,” a tub of water. 

Supporting Early STEM Inquiry Through Learning Partnerships–Supported by 100kin10—the District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), DC Public Schools (DCPS), and the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) have partnered to improve active STEM learning in the early grades by providing rich professional development for teachers and connecting young learners to STEM in their community. We will share the program’s progress and will lead participants through a hands-on inquiry STEM experience focused on preK learners.

Presenter(s): Lauren Allen (D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education: Washington, DC), Sarah Massie (Plummer Elementary School: Washington, DC)

Another session that shows how having strong administrative support of teachers builds good outcomes for children. The admin-ECE pair, Lauren Allen and Sarah Massie, told us how a partnership among institutions brought professional development to early childhood teachers of 3 and 4 year olds. [Full disclosure, as a contractor I provide some of the professional development.] And then we got to try out some of the open explorations! Supported by 100kin10—the District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), DC Public Schools (DCPS), and the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) involve classroom teachers in a program that has continued from its beginnings as the NASM’s “Science in PreK” program. Opportunities for teacher growth as STEM educators include writing for the NSTA Early Years blog, presenting about the specific science and engineering inquiries that take place in their classrooms, and supporting family science events at the NASM. See resources from this partnership at: https://padlet.com/semassie0/hrq548wcfnvq 

NSTA Press® Session: Bringing the S-T-E-M Together in Early Childhood Using Science and Engineering Practices–Increase your understanding of science and engineering practices while seeing how young children use them in STEM explorations. Discuss examples and NSTA’s early childhood position statement.

Presenter(s): Peggy Ashbrook (Author/NSTA Early Years Columnist: Alexandria, VA)

Identifying the NGSS science and engineering practices being used by children as they engage in explorations helps educators who are new to the 3-dimensional teaching and learning with a way to begin implementing this structure, although much of early childhood education has always been multi-dimensional. Reading A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas,  especially pages 29-34, “Chapter 2 Guiding Assumptions and Organization of the Framework,” is a good introduction. In this session I briefly talked about the foundational research for the Next Generation Science Standards and showed an example of how all the science and engineering practices are used by children during a science inquiry about earthworms. Then participants looked at additional photos of children at work and discussed which of the practices they could identify in use. I appreciate the contributions to the discussion of how to move from single unrelated activities to full inquiry using the practices integrating science, engineering, and math, and using technology. Look up this session to see the slides.

The Benefits of Applying Spatial Learning within a STEM Classroom–Spatial ability is an important aspect of STEM education. Join in to engage in different spatial activities to promote awareness of spatial learning in the classroom.

Presenter(s): Steve Pauls (Fresno Pacific University: Fresno, CA)

Presenter Steve Pauls said he tries to be the bridge between research and the classroom. In a wide ranging discussion he noted the correlation between use of early spatial language and math ability related to parents’ spatial language and interactions,  reported on research by Dr. Nora Newcombe, Dr. Jean Piaget, Dr. Susan Levine, and and Dr. Jonathan Wai, and recommended books including Spatial Reasoning in the Early Years by Brent Davis and the Spatial Reasoning Study Group. 

Tips for consideration—Steve noted that: 

• Spatial ability develops at an early age.
• Spatial ability is not fixed, it is malleable.
• Children and adults do learn spatial thinking (see work by Sorby, Metz, and Ribe). 
• A little bit of spatial training can have a long lasting, durable effect.
• Spatial learning is transferable to other areas, including STEM.

Primary Grade Engineers: Integrating STEM and Literacy in K–2 Classrooms–Learn about methods, activities, and resources to engage primary grade students in engineering while meaningfully integrating reading, vocabulary, writing, and digital literacy.

Presenter(s): Patricia Bricker (Western Carolina University: Cullowhee, NC), Melissa Faetz (Western Carolina University: Cullowhee, NC), Delaney Smith (Hayesville Elementary School: Hayesville, NC), Kimberly Sanders (South Macon Elementary School: Franklin, NC)

I wasn’t able to attend this session but the presenters posted extensive resources on the conference session schedule site (thank you!), including engineering design challenges posed by the teachers and one related to a real-life problem at their school.  Look up this session to access the resources.

In the conference Exhibit Hall I picked up a cloud chart from NOAA, a bird feeder and other free materials from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology , took a photo in the suit I wore on my last mission in space, and restocked my pen supply (and chocolates) from the many vendors. Did you add a pin to the map at the NSTA Booth to show where you teach science? 

Get ready for the 2019 national conference in St. Louis, April 11-14 by submitting your proposal by April 16th of this year!

This week in education news, GAO finds federal STEM education programs lack coordination; Juneau School District considers teaching climate change; teaching kids not to be afraid of math might help them achieve; virtual dissection provides high school students with as real an experience with the body and its workings as they can get; new report finds thousands of teachers forced to pay back their federal grants; Alaska program fosters thousands of students in STEM education;  and a new study finds elementary students matched with the same teacher two years in a row show improvement in test scores.

Mailing To Teachers Highlight A Political Fight Over Climate Change In The Classroom

Last spring, science teachers across the nation began receiving unsolicited packages containing classroom materials from a libertarian group that rejects the scientific consensus on climate change. This spring, some of the same teachers are opening packages containing very different materials: A book written by a Cornell University affiliate called “The Teacher-Friendly Guide to Climate Change,” which embraces the prevailing science, explains the phenomenon in detail and includes recommendations for how to teach the subject to children. Read the article featured on PBS Frontline.

Federal STEM Education Programs Lack Coordination, Watchdog Finds

Education in the STEM fields continues to be a priority for federal legislators, agencies, and even President Donald Trump. But according to a report released Friday, the group charged with coordinating the myriad federal STEM programs shirked several key duties, making it harder to assess the fruits of that investment. Read the article featured in Education Week.

Juneau School Officials Consider Teaching Climate Change

Juneau school officials are considering adopting national science education standards that include teaching middle and high school students about climate change. The Juneau School District is borrowing some core ideas from the Next Generation Science Standards, which include providing students with an understanding of the relationship between human activity and climate change, Alaska’s Energy Desk reported. Read the article by the Associated Press.

Teaching Kids Not To Be Scared Of Math Might Help Them Achieve

American students are bombing math. In 2015, a mere 25 percent of high school seniors were proficient in the subject, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, which produces the most reliable data on academic competency. Efforts to improve these numbers have abounded. Dozens of states have incorporated more rigorous standards through the implementation of the Common Core. Many schools have tweaked math classes to include more visualization and lessons that relate more to real life. Read the article featured in The Hechinger Report.

Digital Dissection May Be Heading To An Anatomy Class Near You

Cadaver dissection is the traditional way that medical students have learned about the human body’s parts and functions. But the practice is expensive and study cadavers aren’t easy to come by. The virtual dissection table has solved these problems for universities and now it’s a way for high schools to provide aspiring doctors with as real an experience with the body and its workings as they can get. Read the article featured in Education Week.

Thousands of Teachers Forced To Pay Back Their Federal TEACH Grants, Report Finds

More than 60 percent of teachers who received a grant from the U.S. Department of Education prior to July 2014 were forced to repay the money as an unsubsidized loan, a government report says—even though many of those teachers were still meeting the program’s teaching requirements. Read the article featured in Education Week.

With Drones, Students Tackle Complex Topics

Projects like these are heightening drone awareness among K–12 educators across the country. The latest Horizon Report for K–12 lists drones among a handful of consumer technologies that weren’t originally designed for education but “may serve well as learning aids and be quite adaptable for use in schools.” But drone adoption faces pushback. Teachers may resist adding one more initiative to an already-full day. Administrators and budget managers may view drones in the classroom as not worthy of investment when funds are limited. Read the article featured in Ed Tech.

Native Alaskans In STEM Program Work To Make Lives Better

With its grand, rural expanse and rugged terrain, Alaska has challenges made for experts in STEM. Remote areas lack basic clean water facilities, with dozens of communities still reliant on the “honey bucket” for waste, forcing residents to gather at “washeterias” to do laundry or bathe. The state is hard hit by climate change, with melting glaciers and rising sea levels threatening coastal communities. But finding people with the STEM backgrounds to address those issues is a daunting challenge of its own. Alaska has one of the lowest high school graduation rates in the country. Kids from communities where fishing is the family business might feel they don’t need higher education, and have few college-educated elders to act as models. Merely traveling to a university city inside the state is cumbersome, requiring two flights for many far-flung Alaskans. Read the article featured in U.S. News & World Report.

Looping’ With Students Boosts Learning, Especially for Kids Of Color, Study Says

Elementary students matched with the same teacher two years in a row show improvement in test scores, according to a new study. 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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It gets easier.

Even after two summers of writing NGSS-aligned curriculum units with the Michigan Science Teaching and Assessment Reform (MiSTAR) project, I found my first pilot experience teaching a MiSTAR NGSS-aligned unit last year to be exhausting. The unit was three-dimensional, 21st century challenge-based, student-driven, and full of phenomena and productive talk. It had street cred: written by teachers partnered with engineers and research scientists. It was real-life, current, local, and engaging. My kids were thriving, and I was excited. It was science teaching like you’ve always known it’s meant to be. And it was exhausting. Like first-year-teacher exhausting. How could I keep up this pace?

But after running through a couple of pilots back to back last year, I launched two different MiSTAR units simultaneously this past October: one in my sixth grade classes, and one in my eighth grade honors class. Two, at one time! And here it is, December. We’re wrapping up. And I haven’t just survived, but I’ve found that I can really see myself doing this long term, on a big scale. In fact, I can’t see myself ever going back. Indeed, it gets easier.

Teaching MiSTAR NGSS-aligned units the first time is very difficult. The content might be new – and now it includes engineering concepts. The modified 5E structure of the lessons might be new as well. Certainly using phenomena and storylines is new. And then there are driving question bubble maps, and unit summary tables, and a Gotta Have Checklist and embedded assessments and 3D summative assessments . . . and you feel like your head might explode … everything is 100 percent new, 100 percent of the time. It is exhausting. And then it gets easier.

In the last few weeks, it’s occurred to me that I’m not so exhausted. That it’s really working. My kids are learning. I’m seeing their growth in the embedded assessments, which are written in different contexts and seemed far too difficult, even unfair, at first. Even my at-risk kids, who underperform in other classes, are learning and growing. My kids can do this.

And my kids are engaged. They say things like, “Is it already time to go? This class went by fast!” And for me, time is flying too. But I’m not nearly as frazzled. I don’t forget major parts of the lesson any more, because I’ve internalized the pattern. I’ve learned to play up the phenomena to generate the lesson questions. Most of the time, I remember not to immediately affirm, but instead asking those probing questions as we uncover and share evidence. I’m learning to remind kids of the relationships between what we’re learning, and the 21st century problem we’re trying to solve—not just occasionally, but throughout the lessons.

I’m not a master yet, but I’m improving. After two or three times through, I have a good handle on systems models, and criteria and constraints, and claim, evidence, reasoning is making more sense. I’m finally understanding the value of driving question bubble maps and selling kids on the idea that they’re determining their own learning. About half of what I need to do every day is now automatic and intuitive. My kids are learning. And they like it.

It gets easier.

Hang in there, and NGSS will remind you of why you wanted to be a teacher in the first place. I promise.

Children often use ordinary objects to represent other objects—a block might become a phone, or a rock might become a cookie, during their play. This imaginative play means they understand that the “phone” and the “cookie” aren’t real but are chosen because they are very basic models of real objects, in that they have a certain shape and size that allows them to represent the real objects in play. The children are not trying to explain what a phone, or what a cookie is, but to use an object to represent another object as part of their play.

I’m wondering how accurate the models we adults use in teaching about a phenomenon have to be to avoid introducing or supporting misconceptions about that phenomenon. Is it important to accurately represent the body parts of a worm or is it okay to show them with eyes and smiling mouths? Is a blob of shaving cream floating on top of water a model that will help children understand the properties of a cloud of water vapor and how rain forms? 

Conceptual models “allow scientists and engineers to better visualize and understand a phenomenon under investigation” (Framework page 56). How do you know if what you are presenting to children as an example, or conceptual model, of a natural phenomenon is scientifically accurate? And how do you know when a model has to be accurate to avoid introducing or supporting misconceptions about that phenomenon? In A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas (National Research Council 2012) it is noted that, “Although they do not correspond exactly to the more complicated entity being modeled, they do bring certain features into focus while minimizing or obscuring others. Because all models contain approximations and assumptions that limit the range of validity of their application and the precision of their predictive power, it is important to recognize their limitations.”

The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown is helpful at identifying what it is about an object that defines it (to the writer/speaker). Wise writes, “The important thing about snow is that it is white. It is cold, and light, it falls softly out of the sky, it is bright, and the shape of tiny stars, and crystals. It is always cold  And it melts. But the important thing about snow is that it is white.”

We might use “instant snow” to represent actual snow, precipitation in the form of ice crystals, in play. If children have experienced snow they will be able to describe what is important about it and how the instant snow product resembles it, beyond both being white in color. To recognize the limitations of this model of snow I might say, “The important thing about instant snow is that it is white. It is cool, and light, it falls softly from my hand, it is bright, and the shape of tiny pieces. It does not melt. And it dries up. But the important thing about instant snow is that it is not real snow.”

The way we phrase our ideas can help children understand when a model more accurately represents a phenomenon or is a very simple “looks-like” model. We can say, “The shape of my cookie is like the Moon,” or, more accurately, “The shape of my cookie looks like how the Moon looks sometimes” (because the Moon is a three dimensional body in space, not a flat circle). 

Read more about the use of models in A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas (National Research Council 2012) pages 52-57. 

I’m exhausted. I just got back from a whirlwind NSTA ed-venture. I had to check to see what the students covered with the SUB while I was gone, I had to submit lesson plans for the week. I have to catch up on grading as the quarter comes to a close before spring break next week! I started to wonder, what are conferences for?

Then it hit me. Conferences, like #NSTA18, are for making you feel uncomfortable, for increasing the chances of connections, and slowing mastering the art of creating change within each of us.

Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortble

Conferences are for making you feel like you are in over your head. Yes, you read right! If you don’t feel you are in over your head, you aren’t pushing your limits. While walking around NSTA’s conference sessions and the exhibitor hall, I felt in over my head while talking to most people. At first it can be overwhelming, but then I realized that it is exactly where I should be! As educators, we ask our students to think beyond, try new things, build new skills, and put themselves out there ALL THE TIME. Yet we sometimes hide behind our podiums and desks, behind familiar lessons on content we have taught for years and feel comfortable with. What example are we setting? Just as we ask our students to push, read between the lines, dig deep to develop new skills, we too need to continue doing so. We need to have those “OVER OUR HEAD” conversations with people who are WAYYYY smarter than we are so that we can learn new things. We too need to be open to trying that new experiment in class that we ourselves may not have complete dominion over and dive deeper into our content learning more about the NEW RESEARCH!

Like I said in my DAY 1 Post, my favorite part of my session was giving teachers the opportunity to create, test, and fail–reminding them what it’s like to be students. During our downlink with Astronaut Scott Tingle, he also reminded our students and the teachers listening, that “You are going to have to work hard, so get used to it”.  Getting comfortable in uncomfortable settings keeps us growing intellectually and emotionally.

Amplifying  through Connections

Conferences are also for connecting with people who can take your classroom and your career to the next level through, tools, class material, new lessons, innovative programs, STEMonstrations, (virtual or actual) Field trips and (visual or actual) visitors! Sometimes our classrooms make us feel like we are on an island. But conferences like these should remind us that we aren’t! We have organizations who are making it their JOB to design ways to help us as educators to align our lessons to the NGSS standards. They are helping us connect students with the real-time data they can collect from their experiments using different types of class probes or from experiments being run anywhere around the world (NOAA, USGS)  or in space (ISS_Research). There are organizations like NASA that are connecting astronauts orbiting in space at 17,500 mph with teachers on earth like myself who’s heart was beating too hard to hear myself ask my question during the downlink. There are organizations like PBSLearning Media that are turning data into stories to engage learners so that students embrace the fact that data doesn’t just mean numbers. There are organizations like Houghton MIlton Marcourt that are creating lesson plans for google expeditions to give students the opportunity to travel in your own version of Ms. Frizzle’s Magic School Bus.

We are not alone when trying to figure out ways to connect students with phenomena where they can problem solve, analyze, and provide evidence of their learning experience. Just look at platforms like Amplify and the opportunities they offer teachers for differentiation and designing personalized learning experiences for our students.

In the end, conferences like #NSTA18, are avenues to connect ourselves and our students with the real world! Essentially, we have a world of possibilities to show our students the value of SCIENCE in the wider context of life! We can connect students with their interests and create active learners who want to be in our classroom, not because we hold the key to all answers but because we are there, “Hombro a Hombro” (shoulder to shoulder) as we were told in the Peace Corps, learning alongside them and serving as connectors as best we can.

Shifting Perspectives

Conferences are for generating shifts in the way we view ourselves as educators. Ron Clark said in his keynote, “Our profession needs a MAKEOVER”.  I heard: “Teachers need a MAKEOVER”. To make students think that science is HOT & SEXY, we need to believe it and live it. We need to teach with the type of passion that ignites fires in our students to become the next generation of great thinkers, makers, and problem solvers. That kind of passion can’t be faked; students will detect it from a school zone away.  The only way to fuel that kind of passion that drives PHENOMENAL TEACHING is to recharge our own passion for what we do! We need to infuse our own careers with OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD internships, opportunities, connections, professional learning networks, knowledge, & projects that will make us feel most ALIVE. Learning about ways in which other teachers are transforming classrooms around the world shouldn’t scare us or threaten us. Instead of asking them to “CLOSE their doors” or “DIM THEIR LIGHTS”, we should walk right up to them and thank them for making us feel uncomfortable. Thank them for the opportunity for growth! And then JOIN THEM! Afterall, Ron Clark did say, WE ARE CREATING A REVOLUTION. And like most revolutions, they aren’t successful, unless support for the cause keeps growing.

We define learning as the transformative process of taking in information that, when internalized and mixed with what we have experienced– changes what we know and builds on what we do. It’s based on input, process, and reflection. It is what changes us.” –From The New Social Learning by Tony Bingham and Marcia Conner

In the midst of the back to school craziness, I am sitting in my class with earthquake structures adorning all surfaces and glue and pieces of wood complementing the flooring decor of a project I have never done before of a unit I’ve never taught before in my 6 years of teaching… and I feel like I’ve answered my own  question. Conferences like NSTA are for helping me embrace the art of discomfort, connections, perspective!

I’m so thankful for all the inspiring educators, professionals, organizations, and STEMstonauts I met this past week. I look forward to continuing to grow with your help, tools, insight, and friendships.  

Happy “Conferencing”  friends!

This week both the House and Senate have <finally> passed legislation on federal funding for fiscal year 2018, and President Trump is expected to sign the bill into law, ending the threat of  another government shutdown.

The news is good for federal education programs. 

In the spending package the U.S. Department of Education department would be funded at $70.9 billion in FY2018 which is a 6 percent increase over fiscal year 2017.

Congress provided $1.1 billion in FY18 funding for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Title IVA grants, known as the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant program. This is a $700 million increase over last year’s level of $400 million and should allow the program to operate as a formula grant program, as Congress mandated in the law. Title IVA grants will now go to all districts/schools where they will decide how to spend the funding to support well-rounded education learning opportunities, including science and STEM ed programs, and programs that support safe and healthy students and education technology.

The bill maintains $2.1 billion in funding for ESSA Title II grants which provide funds for teacher professional learning and class-size reduction efforts.

The FY2018 package also includes a $20 million boost for the ESSA 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, which provides funding for after-school programs, many which include STEM programs. Total funding for this program is $1.2 billion.

As you will recall, the Administration proposed eliminating ESSA Title IV, Title II and the 21^st Century programs, saying the programs were unnecessary, duplicative or ineffective.

Key highlights:

• ESSA Title IVA — $1.1 billion for FY2018, up from $400 million
• ESSA Title II, flat-funded at roughly $2.1 billion
• 21st Century Community Learning Centers up $20 million up to $1.2 billion
• Title I: 300 million for Title I-A grants, bringing the total funding for the program to $15.8 billion
• Special Education: $299 million for Special Education state grants, bringing the program total to $13.1 billion
• Charter Schools: a $58 million boost bringing the total funding to $400 million. Note that no other school choice plan floated by the Administration was funded by Congress
• Career and technical education programs — a $75 million increase bringing the total funding for career and technical education state grants to $1.2 billion
• National Science Foundation: NSF funded at $7.8 billion; the NSF Education and Human Resources would receive $902 million

The bill also includes a $50 million increase to the Education Innovation and Research program for evidence-based STEM education programs, including in computer science education. 

The STOP School Violence Act was also included in the spending package.  This bill funds training and other initiatives intended to enhance school safety including paying for physical improvements such as metal detectors, stronger locks and emergency notification technologies.

As you will recall from previous issues of the NSTA Legislative Update this budget is based on an earlier agreement to raise budget caps by $80 billion for defense programs and $63 billion for nondefense programs for fiscal year 2018.

Read more here and read the Achieve chart here. 

The Title IV-A Coalition, comprised of more than 30 educational organizations (NSTA is a member of the Steering Committee), sent out this statement shortly after the bill was filed: The Title IVA Coalition is thrilled that Congress has provided $1.1 billion in FY18 funding for the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant program. This figure represents a 250% funding increase over last year’s inadequate level of $400 million and should allow the program to operate as a formula grant program, as Congress mandated in the law. Most importantly, this level of funding will allow school districts to have true flexibility in determining how to meaningfully invest in and support programs that support safe and healthy students, a well-rounded academic curriculum, and an effective educational technology program. Due to last year’s low funding level, districts were stripped of this flexibility, and many did not have access to Title IV-A funds. We are extremely grateful for the recognition that this program needed more funds to operate successfully and look forward to continued appropriations at or above this level.”

Stay tuned, and watch for more updates in future issues of NSTA Express.

Jodi Peterson is the Assistant Executive Director of Communication, Legislative & Public Affairs for the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and Chair of the STEM Education Coalition. Reach her via e-mail at jpeterson@nsta.org or via Twitter at @stemedadvocate.

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

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