Although I encourage all of my students to consider a career in the sciences, I know it is probable that only the most persistent, passionate, and brightest will chose such a career path. I’ve been fortunate to teach many such students. This past May, a former student of mine earned the Best in Mathematics Award at the prestigious INTEL International Science and Engineering Fair. Such students are present in all of our classes and thus it is incumbent upon us to foster, nurture, and sustain student interest in engineering and the sciences. Many of these students are gifted; they are the kids who ‘get it’ after one explanation, who don’t need to review in to order pass tests with stellar grades, and who probably don’t need to do the majority of the drill and practice activities designed to develop comprehension of course content. These are the kids who finish everything early. While some may quietly read a book until the class catches up, others may drive you crazy with their antics and off-task behavior. Although you may be tempted to utilize these students as tutors, I caution you against this practice. All students have a right to learn, but tutoring does little extend or enrich learning; it merely reinforces what the student already knows.

Something that I’ve had success with in the past is requiring these students to participate in our school’s science fair. Although this can be a daunting prospect (for both the teacher and the student), tremendous growth can occur when students are scaffolded through the process. Probably the most difficult aspect of the science fair project is selecting the topic—but this is critical if we are to challenge our brightest thinkers. Choice allows our students to pursue a topic that they may otherwise not be able to study as part of the standard curriculum—especially critical when dealing with those students who have a focused and specific interest. Once the topic is selected, students need to engage in researching their topic so that they fully understand the real-world implication of their results. Designing a fair test, collecting and analyzing data, and drawing valid conclusions based on data are rigorous processes that will challenge most students while deepening their understanding of the nature of science—and of the disciplinary core content they investigated. There are numerous websites and materials available to help you guide your students through the steps involved in planning and carrying out a project.

Another vehicle for encouraging your students’ passion for science and engineering is to involve them in a competition (you’ll find the mention of monetary and other awards to be highly motivating for many students). NSTA competitions for middle school students include Toshiba Exploravision and eCybermission. Toshiba Exploravision challenges students to research a technology of interest and explain how that technology may change over the next 20 years. eCybermssion involves teams of students who work to identify a problem in their community and use scientific practices or the engineering design process to develop a solution to the identified problem. If you want the inside scoop on how these competitions run, consider volunteering to be a judge (for more information on how to volunteer, send an email to competitions@nsta.org).

I know some readers out there may be wondering if regular education and special education students can also participate in science fairs and science competitions. The answer is a resounding “YES!” I hope I’ve inspired you to reflect on how you plan to nurture and support the future scientists and engineers who are sitting in your classroom today. Who knows where such encouragement will lead? Perhaps one day you will be able to proudly say that you taught a student whose project was declared best in the world.

Get more involved with NSTA! 

Join today and receive Science Scope, the peer-reviewed journal just for middle school teachers; connect on the middle level science teaching list (members can sign up on the list server). Patty McGinnis teaches at Arcola Intermediate School in Eagleville, PA and is the editor of Science Scope.

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

Future NSTA Conferences

2017 Area Conferences

• Baltimore, October 5–7
• Milwaukee, November 9–11
• New Orleans, Nov. 30–Dec. 2

2018 National Conference

• Atlanta, March 15–18

2018 STEM Forum & Expo

• Philadelphia, July 11–13

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I did not have a formal mentor when I was a new teacher. As I struggled, several colleagues and an administrator must have seen some potential and offered me advice and support. I was glad to return the favor during my career as a classroom teacher and administrator by mentoring and providing professional development. However, when eligible for retirement, I was not ready to give up my role as a science educator. I saw this advice column/blog as a way to retool rather than retire!

Interacting with teachers through their questions (or informally over coffee at a conference or meeting), reflecting on issues of interest, and sharing concerns of new teachers as well as career-changers has been a rewarding opportunity.

However, after 10 years and 400 MsMentor blogs, it’s time to pass the baton to another. Thanks to all those who submitted questions, added comments, and shared resources through the blog and NSTA Reports.

Once again, I’m retooling not retiring. I still write professionally, and I’ll continue as an online advisor in NSTA’s Discussion Forums. I’m involved in local environmental groups, citizen science projects, and informal science organizations.

Helping students learn about the world around them as a science teacher is a noble calling. We have a responsibility to model our own interests while engaging students in STEM and environmental topics as they develop into informed residents of our communities who enjoy science as part of their lifelong learning.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jjlook/7152722/sizes/s/in/photostream/

Last week President Trump issued a presidential memorandum calling for a $200 million boost to STEM education and computer science in K–12 schools. The memorandum,  signed during an Oval Office ceremony attended by Ivanka Trump and U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, is intended to help make STEM education a bigger priority for schools.

“My administration will do everything possible to provide our children, especially kids in underserved areas, with access to high-quality education in science, technology, engineering and math,” Trump said during the ceremony.

To focus on STEM and computer science the Department of Education will be asked to create a priority for these areas in existing discretionary federal grants, to be determined by ED, to the tune of $200 million. Grants that emphasize female and minority students in STEM/computer science will be given additional priority. The Administration is expected to announce the priorities soon.

Education Secretary DeVos was also tasked by the President to explore administrative actions” that would enhance computer-science education.”

As you will recall, former President Obama also called for a push to include more coding and STEM in the school curriculum, but the initiative was never funded.

The day after the White House announcement, Ivanka Trump went to Detroit and met with a number of major tech companies—including Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, Accenture, General Motors and Pluralsight—that have pledged $300 million over the next five years to the administration’s efforts in STEM.  Read more the Detroit meeting here.  

More about the Administration’s STEM initiative here and here.

The Administration’s focus on STEM and computer science comes after  a proposed $9 billion cut to the Education Department funding, including the elimination of two key programs  in ESSA that would greatly benefit STEM and computer science—Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant (SSAEG)Title IV and the Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High-Quality Teachers, Principals, and Other School Leaders Title II.

Superintendents from California, Oregon and Washington Advocate for Title II Funding

State superintendents from California, Oregon and Washington have sent a letter to Congress advocating for the continuation of Title II funding in the 2018 federal budget. ESSA Title II funds are used for teacher professional learning and other initiatives that impact teachers; earlier this year the House of Representatives eliminated the Title II funding from its budget, which drew loud criticism and pushback from key administration and teaching groups, including NSTA.

Read more about Title II and how you can speak up and take action to save this program here.

Update on Every Student Succeeds Act

Most states have now complied with the Sept. 18 deadline to submit their plan to implement ESSA.   Understanding ESSA has a nice compilation of state plans here, take a look and see if your state has included language on science or STEM in their plan.

Education Week did a great one-stop-shopping guide to ESSA, check it out here.

They also answer the question How Are States Looking Beyond Test Scores?   noting that “states including Kentucky, Nebraska, Utah, Rhode Island, as well as Delaware and Louisiana, added science proficiency into the mix.”

James Brown, executive director of the STEM Education Coalition, joined Lab Out Loud co-hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler to talk about ESSA, how it impacts states and STEM education, and how teachers can get more involved as this law rolls out. Listen to the podcast here.  

NSTA’s  powerpoint on ESSA and Science/STEM can be found here

TITLE IV Coalition Holds Senate Briefing on SSAE Grant Program

NSTA was pleased to be part of the Title IV-A Coalition policy briefing in the Senate held earlier this month on the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant (SSAEG) program authorized in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

The briefing looked at three major aspects of the grant program, which supports well rounded programs (including STEM), technology, and health and safety programs.

Alyson Klein, a federal policy reporter for Education Week, moderated three round tables, one for each area. Senate staffers heard from a mix of education experts, parents, counselors, and doctors all in support of Title IV, Part A and its significance.

NSTA Associate Executive Director Al Byers served on the first panel, which discussed technology in education.  Byers spoke to the need for quality professional learning for all teachers, especially teachers of science. Panelists on the third panel advocated for well-rounded education and the importance of diverse academic programs, including STEM, music, art, and physical education.  Vanessa Ford, Director of Teacher Training, Curriculum and Evaluation at REAL School Gardens and a long-time advocate for STEM education, represented STEM on this panel.

The last group of panelists centered on health and safety programs and discussed the research supporting that a healthy lifestyle—physically and mentally—advances overall academic performance and success.

Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) keynoted the event, and thanked the Coalition for their continued advocacy and support for Title IV funding.

Although the program is authorized at $1.6 billion, FY17 programs are funded at only $400 million. With this low level of funding, the panelists stressed how school districts will soon have to make tough decisions on where to allocate their appropriations among the three priorities listed above. They urged Congress to fully fund Title IV. Learn more about the Title IV Coalition here.

And last but not least …

The Council of Chief State School Officers is out with a new “playbook” on preparing teachers that shares best practices from states.  Transforming Educator Preparation: Lessons Learned from Leading States can be found here.

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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I was at a conference proudly wearing my tee shirt that says “Play” when I was given a chance to reflect on what I meant by an esteemed colleague and mentor who asked, “Ah yes, but what kind of play?”

My reflection continues as I continue to work with children and other educators in early childhood settings. 

Adults in cooperative play during a session at NAEYC.

Participating in an NAEYC conference 3-hour sessions on play by members of the NAEYC Play, Policy, and Practice interest forum  included participating in both hands-on solo and cooperative play experiences using a variety of open-ended materials. As we reflected on our play by journaling about it, I considered how this experience was like the open-ended exploration children do when they are beginning to investigate a natural material such as water (Young Scientist series). The individual-directed (child or adult) play is also like Phase o of  Frances and David Hawkins’ “messing about,” a time for unstructured, open-ended play while teachers observe the children’s work.

Children play cooperatively building structures using “loose parts” of foam pieces, pom-poms, and wood blocks.

I wondered how the experience of play relates to science learning, asking myself, “Was exploring science concepts part of my play?” 

Co-facilitating a similar 3-hour session on play with colleague Jennifer Reynolds in the tradition of the NAEYC Play, Policy, and Practice interest forum and the Institute for Self Active Education for my local -AEYC affiliate allowed me to share the experience and these thoughts with early childhood educators in my area. 

The experience was meaningful to teacher Ms Gulilia Bismil who said, “When I made that structure I felt free…that moment I was who I am, just to enjoy to make something. That moment that was some feeling that came to me, I just enjoyed making something, relaxing. That moment I felt free.” 

Here are some questions for my colleagues when we meet for a second time to continue our play, reflecting on our own experiences and how our responsibilities for young children’s education can be centered on play.

Were you using the conditions of the physical world, the constraints like the presence of gravity, to guide your play? 

Did the physical world put limitations on your play or support it? 

Were exploring science concepts part of your play? Such as using our senses, or exploring balance of objects?

How does your play here today remind you of play children do in natural settings?

Would you like to challenge your middle school students to explain a range of phenomena—from how nylon thread can form from two clear, colorless liquids to how a snake that eats only eggs can make body structures that don’t look anything like an egg? Would your students enjoy building molecular models with Legos to understand how an herbicide prevents weeds from growing? If so, then Toward High School Biology: Understanding Growth in Living Things by AAAS/Project 2061 is the curriculum for you.

Developed by a team of scientists and science educators and funded by a U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences grant, Toward High School Biology was field tested extensively. Results show that students who used the unit had significant learning gains compared with students who used other materials. The unit’s 19 lessons support the Next Generation Science Standards and integrate all three dimensions of science learning, with a strong emphasis on supporting students in developing evidence-based explanations. The goal of the unit is to help middle school students overcome many common conceptual difficulties and provide the foundation in biochemistry that students will need for high school biology and beyond.

Jo Ellen Roseman, director of Project 2061 (a long-term initiative of the American Association for the Advancement of Science [AAAS]) explains, “High school biology is fairly molecular. There has to be something in middle school to give [students] the background they need for thinking about what is happening.”

In the Student Edition, each chapter of the Toward High School Biology unit consists of carefully sequenced lessons and activities designed to draw upon students’ prior knowledge and experiences relevant to classroom activities; support students as they investigate and make sense of phenomena and models; guide students in developing, analyzing, and critiquing explanations (e.g., of a hypothetical student, of their peers, and of those of the scientific community) in light of their experiences; provide opportunities for students to apply or extend science ideas and practices to new phenomena; and help students synthesize their ideas and reflect on changes in their thinking.

The Teacher Edition includes everything in the Student Edition, but it also is designed to provide easy access to essential background information and support needed for using the Toward High School Biology unit effectively in the classroom. Additional teacher support materials (e.g., brief video demonstrations, color images from the unit, and tutorials) are provided online. The Teacher Edition and the supplementary materials aim to provide a “big picture” sense of the unit and its goals as well as the specific information and guidance needed to teach each lesson and carry out each activity.

Learning theory and research-based evidence guided AAAS/Project 2061’s development of Toward High School Biology. The unit reflects the team’s understanding that students’ science conceptions develop from (a) having a wide range of experiences with the natural world that can be explained by a coherent set of ideas and (b) having an opportunity to interpret and make sense of experiences in terms of those ideas.

Moreover, student understanding of the learning goals increases when students (a) observe phenomena and representations that are explicitly targeted to the learning goals and are selected to address common student difficulties and (b) are actively engaged in interpreting the phenomena and representations in light of the learning goals and their own initial ideas.

Consistent with these views, the Toward High School Biology unit supports student learning by

• focusing on a coherent set of ideas and making the connections among those ideas clear,
• providing information about commonly held student ideas (both troublesome ideas and ideas teaching can build on) and questions to collect information about a particular group of students’ ideas and to monitor their progress,
• including a variety of relevant and engaging phenomena and representations, and
• including activities that foster students’ sense making, such as modeling tasks, to help students relate the phenomena and representations to the science ideas and to reconcile differences between their ideas and the science ideas.

With these design principles, Toward High School Biology is sure to be an effective tool for addressing specific goals for student learning.

These books are also available as e-books: Teacher Edition and Student Edition.

I am K-6 science specialist in Australia. I am keen to make contact with others in this unique employment situation. I’m interested in issues such as timetabling (scheduling), support from the school, and any issues with the teachers’ union. – C., New South Wales

Some U.S. schools have elementary science specialists. Depending on the school, these specialists can have a variety of roles: co-teacher, mentor, coach, resource coordinator, professional development. Some teach science to several classes as an elementary “special,” while the classroom teacher has a planning period and is not in the classroom. These positions are often funded by grants.

At one time, I was a K-12 technology specialist, and my school district also had a K-5 science specialist. We were both part of the bargaining unit and on the teacher salary scale (our district was unionized).

Even though we visited classrooms often, we had no supervisory or evaluative roles. We were coaches or mentors rather than administrators, and teachers were very receptive and responsive to us. If we did interact directly with students, it was a co-teaching experience to assist the teacher with a science or technology-enhanced lesson.

In terms of support, we each had “office” space to work and store materials (a corner of an unused classroom or conference room). Budget-wise we had some funds for materials and equipment, mostly from grants and federal programs in professional development or math/science/technology.

I posted your request on an NSTA Discussion Forum for input from colleagues in similar roles. (Even if you’re not an NSTA member, you can create a free account to respond to discussion posts, ask questions, or access NSTA resources through the Learning Center.)  

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/benwerd/329570851/