By Kate Falk
Posted on 2017-02-01
NSTA, in collaboration with 100kin10 and other key STEM leaders, has developed a new campaign designed to ensure that STEM and science/STEM teachers are a focus of the new federal education law at the state and local levels.
The goal of the Every Student Succeeds with STEM campaign is to support members of the STEM community with information, tools, and resources to catalyze action and support the kind of engagement with education leaders, policymakers, parents, STEM professionals, and others to ensure that STEM is a priority in new state plans submitted to the U.S. Department of Education as required under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). We also want to ensure this priority is reflected in the policy and funding guidance state education agencies (state departments of education) will provide to local education agencies (districts).
ESSA—which became law in late 2015 as the replacement to the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)—puts greater emphasis on ensuring a well-rounded education and equity, two issues that are critical to STEM learning.
ESSA provides states with flexibility to set new policy and funding priorities, and they can do that to support STEM learning. Every state is now developing a new plan, which includes new accountability measures, they will submit to the U.S. Department of Education detailing how they will implement ESSA. States must submit plans for approval on either April 3, 2017 or on September 18, 2017.
These plans will have an impact on the science/STEM education in your state for years.
As states develop new plans under ESSA, all members of the STEM community have an important role to play to keep great STEM teaching and great STEM learning a top priority for students and ensure that Every Student Succeeds with STEM.
What should I be saying about STEM and ESSA?
STEM learning opportunities and support for STEM teachers are mentioned specifically throughout ESSA. Making STEM a priority in every state under the new Every Student Succeeds Act is important because:
The Every Student Succeeds with STEM campaign website has these talking points and a wealth of information you can use to help make STEM a priority in your state, including information on the new law; updated information on where states are with their ESSA plan and links to the plans and implementation milestones; specific STEM programs in ESSA; messages about why STEM matters; how you can participate in the stakeholder engagement process; and tool kits, tips for crafting emails and phone calls to state leaders and your state team encouraging them to prioritize STEM learning.
Learn how you and teachers in your school/district can impact your state’s plan by promoting STEM here. Click here to also get all of our legislative updates and action alerts learn more about ESSA specifically here.
Jodi Peterson is 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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By Carole Hayward
Posted on 2017-02-01
Many students nowadays are dependent on electronic devices. In fact, it’s sometimes hard to separate them from their smartphones and tablets. As Donna Governor, Michael Bowen, and Eric Brunsell—the authors of Big Data, Small Devices—point out, “Today’s students see technology as an integral part of their world and find technology solutions for almost every need.”
It seems like a natural fit, then, to use these same devices for meaningful instruction. But it’s not always easy to turn digital devices into valuable learning tools. That’s why Big Data, Small Devices is such a helpful resource for science teachers who want to use smartphone and tablet apps that provide “real-time” data to explore Earth and environmental science concepts.
The authors point to several sites that provide real-time data (stream quality, groundwater levels, toxic waste amounts, sunrise and sunset times, earthquakes, and so on) collected by various government agencies. The data are free of cost and available as a public service. The book provides sample activities that use smartphones and tables for more than two dozen investigations using the real-time data. Each activity has a student handout, technology notes that provide appropriate websites and apps, and analysis and reflection questions.
As you can see from this sample chapter, each activity also provides teacher notes that include information on learning goals, disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and background information. Investigations are organized into groups that focus on using real-time atmosphere data, geosphere data, biosphere data, hydrosphere data, and celestial sphere data.
In addition to providing specific activities, the book offers an excellent overview for how real-time data can be used for Earth and environmental science investigations. The authors do a great job at providing tips and tricks for accessing the technology and for how real-time data can be used to help students develop a deeper understanding of scientific concepts.
With the help of this book, students can engage in the higher-order thinking that comes with analyzing and interpreting data. And, as the authors state in their book, “Allowing students to conduct investigations using their smartphone in app-based activities allows them to be more engaged in science investigations.”
This book is also available as an e-book.
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By Mary Bigelow
Posted on 2017-01-31
I finished a unit in middle school science two days ahead of our winter holiday break. We went on to the next unit, but my students didn’t seem focused, and I think I’ll have to review or repeat the activities when we come back. My colleagues advised that next time I should do holiday-themed activities, but this is my first year and I need suggestions. — L., CA
The days before a long break can be challenging. Some students may leave early for the break, and, as you noticed, others mentally leave in anticipation. I agree that jumping in to a new unit may be frustrating. But time is too valuable to spend on a study hall, a busywork activity, or an unrelated video (and students get bored with these, too).
I like ideas that recognize the season but add a science focus. For example, I noticed that my middle schoolers assumed that all evergreens were “pine” trees, so before our winter break we used references to identify a variety of specimens donated by a local nursery, and looked for patterns to identify characteristics for naming them (e.g., pines needles are in packages, spruces are sharp). And the lab smelled wonderful!
Other science/seasonal ideas:
These “extra” days are also good for vocabulary games, discussions of current events, design contests (e.g, paper airplanes, towers, egg drops), organizing notebooks, or review activities.
Legislative Update
By Jodi Peterson
Posted on 2017-01-30
Following a contentious confirmation hearing for Education Secretary nominee Betsy DeVos that evoked images of guns and grizzlies and showcased a lack of understanding of key education issues, the Senate HELP Committee postponed its planned confirmation vote on her nomination until Tuesday, Jan. 31, at 10 a.m. after Democrats said they didn’t have enough time to examine her financial holdings and that Republicans were moving too fast on her nomination.
If confirmed, DeVos has agreed to divest from a number of companies and investment funds to avoid potential conflicts of interest.
While most pundits anticipate that Republicans will support DeVos’ nomination, Senator Al Franken said in an interview with MSNBC that no Democrats will vote for DeVos, and that they are actively trying to engage Republicans to also vote against her nomination.
Politico is reporting that “Senators’ offices have been flooded with thousands of calls and letters opposing the nomination of Betsy DeVos — with some Democratic offices saying, the opposition to DeVos is stronger than for any other Cabinet nominee.” A petition opposing DeVos’ nomination that was ranked most “popular” last week on change.org had more than 318,000 signatures (as of Friday afternoon).
Science March on Washington
In other political news following the success of the Jan.21 Women’s March on Washington, a group of scientists have organized and are planning a protest march in the nation’s capital as a “starting point to take a stand for science in politics.”
A date has not been set for the event. Read more here, and visit the twitter page here.
Your How-To Guide on Federal Funding for STEM Education
The U.S. Department of Education issued a letter last week that will help states, districts and other stakeholders to better understand how to use Federal funds under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and other federal programs to support STEM education. This guidance will be critical as states and districts begin to receive funds and implement ESSA. Read it.
Trump Delays Implementation of ESSA rules on Accountability
The Trump administration has delayed the implementation of all pending federal regulations, including the Obama administration’s proposed ESSA accountability rules.
The Obama administration’s accountability rule was finalized last November but not slated to take effect until Jan. 30. The Trump administration has postponed the regulation to March 21, which is a few weeks ahead of the first initial deadline for states to submit their plans for ESSA on April 3. At her confirmation hearing, DeVos said she plans to stay with the schedule of having states submit plans by either April 3 or September 8, with implementation to begin in the 2018–19 school year. Many organizations are calling on states to move forward and continue developing their state plans. Read more here.
Help Every Student Succeed with STEM
This new campaign is designed to ensure that STEM education is a priority in the state plans required under the new federal education law, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). ESSA provides states and local districts with the flexibility and power to set new policy and funding priorities. Every state is now developing a new plan they will submit to the U.S. Department of Education detailing how they will implement ESSA. These plans will have an impact on the education in your state for years. Learn how you and teachers in your school/district can impact your state’s plan by promoting STEM here. Click here to learn more about ESSA.
ED Withdraws Supplement Not Supplant Regulation
In the final days of the Obama administration the Education Department withdrew their supplement, not supplant draft rule under the Every Student Succeeds Act, saying they simply ran out of time to issue a ruling. “I am glad the Education Department has listened to Congress and has chosen not to move forward with its proposed ‘supplement-not-supplant’ regulation,” said Senator Lamar Alexander in a statement on the action. “This proposal would have dictated from Washington how states and school districts should spend nearly all state and local tax dollars on schools in order to receive federal Title I dollars — which are only about 3 percent of total national spending on K-12 schools. A regulation like this is not authorized by law; in fact, it is specifically prohibited by law.”
Join our New Education Policy Listserv
NSTA is pleased to announce a new listserv for members. The Education Policy listserv will provide members with an opportunity to share information, thoughts, resources and research on federal and state education policies that affect the science/STEM classroom. We invite you to join the Education Policy listserv and bring us your questions, or stop by for critical information and thought-provoking conversations about key K-12 state and federal policy issues such as:
Please note that we encourage listserv users to discuss policy issues only; posts around specific individuals and/or politics will not be permissible topics for discussion.
You can subscribe to the Education Policy listserv by going to http://www.nsta.org/membership/listserver.aspx.
Stay tuned, and watch for more updates in future issues of NSTA Express.
Jodi Peterson is Assistant Executive Director of 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.
Follow NSTA
Following a contentious confirmation hearing for Education Secretary nominee Betsy DeVos that evoked images of guns and grizzlies and showcased a lack of understanding of key education issues, the Senate HELP Committee postponed its planned confirmation vote on her nomination until Tuesday, Jan. 31, at 10 a.m.
By Peggy Ashbrook
Posted on 2017-01-30
Noticing changes in the growth and habit of plants is part of the science of phenology. We do this casually when we comment on the buds swelling on the maple tree (yay! not as many branches are dead as I feared) or the daffodil leaves sprouting above the soil ( yay! they survived the winter). The USA National Phenology Network’s Activity Book for Children can give you some ideas about how children can document such changes.
Young children may notice weather changes more easily than more subtle changes in plant growth but they both can be part of a daily report, a form of collecting data. With a chart full of mostly “cool” days children can see a pattern when the season changes from winter to spring. Or perhaps the seasonal change in your area includes an increase in windy days, or more or less rain. Children can measure the size of sprouting leaves or a tree bud by comparison with a fingernail or finger length, or use a standard such as a cube block or centimeter rule. Making observations using a magnifier and drawing the details of plants is one way to collect data about plants.
The data that children collect is their evidence for any change they see in the weather or plant growth over time. Scientists, including citizen scientists, have collected this information over hundreds of years. Children can make predictions based on their evidence—how many cold, cool or warm days will we have next week?
Just as numerals marking the number of days in school are sometimes posted in one long line stretching across walls of the classroom, weather data can be collected and posted all year. Using symbols that both children and scientists recognize children can document the weather. I wrote about collecting weather data in the The Early Years: The Wonders of Weather in the January 2013 issue of Science and Children. I hope the data collection templates will be useful for your children as they make actual weather observations outdoors, describe and document them. Collecting data over the year or at least several months will be more meaningful than “doing” weather for a week. The children’s documented evidence will be a topic of discussion and the basis for developing math skills over time. Arguing for a “claim,” or knowledge statement, based on evidence is described in “Methods and Strategies: Claims and Evidence” by Julie Jackson, Annie Durham, Sabrina Dowell, Jessica Sockel, and Irene Boynton in the December 2016 Science and Children. With wonderful classroom examples they describe how first through fifth grade children learn to make scientific claims based on their evidence. Instead of asking “Why?” to prompt children to further explain their reasoning, they suggest teachers ask “Because?” because it is less threatening and “It invites the children to tell me more, to elaborate upon ideas, to support claim statements with evidence.” Articles from all National Science Teachers Association journals are free to members but if you aren’t yet a member of NSTA, this article is well worth the $0.99 cost.
To see how argument-based inquiry worked in a fourth grade classroom, read “Methods and Strategies: Using Argument-Based Inquiry Strategies for STEM Infused Science Teaching” by Mason Kuhn and Mark McDermott in the January 2017 Science and Children.
Engaging in argument from evidence is one of the science and engineering practices of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Read more about this and other practices in Appendix F – Science and Engineering Practices in the NGSS and look for ways to have your children use them in their science inquires and other areas of their life.
Noticing changes in the growth and habit of plants is part of the science of phenology. We do this casually when we comment on the buds swelling on the maple tree (yay! not as many branches are dead as I feared) or the daffodil leaves sprouting above the soil ( yay! they survived the winter).