This week I’m headed to the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in LA, where I’ll be blogging and tweeting about all things engineering and STEM! As an engineering educator, I am keenly interested in helping to prepare our future workforce and citizenry through meaningful, robust, and integrated instruction that includes engineering. In my career, I have worked as an engineer at IBM, owned a science/engineering education business, directed National Science Foundation grants focused on high-quality STEM instruction, taught first-year engineering, worked intensively with schools (especially high poverty; high needs and also gifted) to use engineering as a way to change the culture, and done research and lots of practice with the Engineering is Elementary team from the Museum of Science Boston.

As a consultant, my goal for the schools I work with are simple: That students will go on to the next level as (1) confident learners who can work productively with other people (2) problem solvers who can use data and evidence to make decisions and (3) people who can fail, and then recover from it, because that’s what humans do.

Engineering brings to the STEM table a myriad of things, not the least of which is a set of habits of mind that help develop good citizens. As reported in a 2009 National Academies of Engineering publication, the habits of mind of engineers are (1) communication (2) collaboration (3) creativity (4) optimism (5) ethical considerations and (6) systems thinking. Of course, many professions across the academic spectrum certainly develop and utilize similar skills sets. But let me tell you about them from the engineering point of view:

1. Communication: Clearly, the ability to communicate effectively will serve anyone well. In engineering, being able to speak, write and read about your ideas and solutions could make the difference between maybe changing the world or just having a good idea! I tell my engineering students—even the kindergarteners!—that you could have the best idea in the world but if you can’t share it effectively, it’s just that—an idea.
2. Collaboration: Engineers never work in isolation, despite some old misconceptions and stereotypes. As an engineering manager/mechanical engineer, I specialize not only in the process skills of engineering projects but also in the “moving parts” realm from the mechanical engineering end. When I worked for IBM, I traveled internationally to purchase a part built to our specifications. However, my mechanical part is of no good if I didn’t also collaborate with electrical engineering, computer science and manufacturing engineering colleagues—since my part went in their system. When I talk to students, I challenge them to think of one profession where someone works completely alone. Collaborating effectively is a life skill, one that needs to be taught early and often. Engineering is natural for this.
3. Creativity: It is said that engineers “create what has never been.” Indeed, while many engineers improve upon existing technologies (meaning ANYTHING designed by humans, even if it doesn’t use a plug!), engineering is primarily about innovation. Innovation relies on creativity—new ideas, new uses for old things and solving unfamiliar problems.
4. Optimism: This is an interesting word to associate with the public perception of engineering provided only by “Dilbert” for generations! In my world, optimism has huge and important meaning. For an engineer, it translates into persistence. The persistence to keep trying even after many “failures”; the persistence to try something completely new and often the persistence to be the lone voice in support of taking a chance. Optimism is a cornerstone of engineering.
5. Ethical Considerations: Especially with young children, ethical behavior is often left to the adults in any one child’s life. In only a few professions are ethics considered critical, and even then skepticism often abounds. In engineering, ethics are a required part of our training. For some of our disciplines, particularly those in the broader fields of civil, electrical and mechanical design, it is a requirement that one become licensed as an expert. This involves an 8-hour exam the last semester of college, four years under the direct supervision of a professional engineer, and then sitting for another comprehensive exam. All graduating engineers, regardless of discipline, are invited to take part in the Order of the Engineer professional commitment ceremony, pledging to use the skills they have developed, included training in ethics, for the benefit of society and the people they serve. At that ceremony, we are given a simple band to wear on the small finger of our writing hand, as a reminder of our professional pledge every time we sign our names. Teaching and talking about ethical behavior begins in kindergarten in my schools.
6. Systems Thinking: Rather than a personal characteristic of the engineer herself, “systems thinking” is more of an overall perspective engineers are trained in. We are taught to draw boundaries around our problem, identify inputs and expected outputs and use all of this in our problem definition and solution. Teachers are also trained this way, with different terminology! At the simplest level, the classroom walls are the first boundary; the primary input the students (!), standards, etc and the primary output is achievement.

I am most excited about this opportunity to blog from NSTA because every single time I’m around people who are doing really great work and are excited enough to share it, it’s contagious! I love to learn, and I’ve never left an NSTA gathering without learning. I’m also really excited to have the opportunity to interact with those in the science community who are experts in engineering, those who are just learning, and those who have no idea but want to learn. Please look for me in sessions about engineering or follow this blog, and please use hashtags #NSTA17 and #STEMninjaneer on any reposts—thanks so much!

Author Liz Parry is a guest blogger for NSTA for the 2017 National Conference; follow Liz on Twitter @STEMninjaneer.

More About the 2017 National Conference on Science Education

Browse the program preview, or check out more sessions and other events with the LA Session Browser/Personal Scheduler. Follow all our conference tweets using #NSTA17, and if you tweet, please feel free to tag us @NSTA so we see it!

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

Future NSTA Conferences

2017 STEM Forum & Expo
Kissimmee/Orlando, July 12–14

2017 Area Conferences

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

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Since the founding of our country, indeed since the beginning of western democracy, being well-informed includes being well-informed about science. “Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government,” said Thomas Jefferson, 228 years ago, not long before he established the first science agency in the U.S. government, the Survey of the Coast, and commissioned the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Today there is a growing rift between science as a way to understand the natural world and the formulation of public policy. We “debate” the causes of climate change; we think that evolution is “only” a theory; and many believe that vaccination causes autism. “Alternative facts” can be proclaimed with a straight face.

Years ago, Isaac Asimov noted, “There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.”

Now, more than ever, the need for science education is staggering and public support for science is undermined by deliberate misinformation and simple ignorance.

The March for Science is an effort to remind the public of the benefits of science and science education. These benefits range from meaningful careers for our children to improving our health to living sustainably on our planet to being well-informed in the voting booth. As educators—and as scientists—we have stayed in the shadows too long and I believe we must move into the spotlight of public attention. A bright light will sometimes expose weaknesses but we know that the only way to repair a weakness is to first see it.

In agreeing to partner with the March for Science, NSTA subscribed to a set of core principles and goals that I want to share with you:

Core Principles – We Support:

• Science that serves the common good
• Evidence-based policy and regulations in the public interest
• Cutting-edge science education
• Diversity and Inclusion in STEM
• Open, honest science and inclusive public outreach
• Funding for scientific research and its applications

Goals for the March:

• Humanize science
• Partner with the public
• Advocate for open, inclusive, and accessible science
• Support scientists
• Affirm science as a democratic value

I expect that each of these will receive some exposure at the March. None of these is political in a partisan way. And all of them are what we hope for in a science literate society. 

Please join me on April 22 as we Stand up for Students and Stand up for Science. 

Dr. David L. Evans is the Executive Director of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). Reach him via e-mail at devans@nsta.org or via Twitter @devans_NSTA.

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

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Nature play and exploration varies in early childhood (broadly: infant to grade 3) programs and are subject to the local and state licensing regulations, a program’s choice of curriculum, the local environment and weather, and the support of the administration. A conference is an effective way to get a lot of science content knowledge about that local environment and the living organisms that reside there, and to learn developmentally appropriate ways to share that information with young children as you give them experiences that will invite them to continue to explore nature over their lifetimes.

The “Getting Kids Outdoors in Nature” conference, organized by the early childhood committee of NoVA Outside, brought together educators in varied roles from the usual mix of early childhood programs, all interested in learning more about nature education. 

In her keynote address, Outdoor Education and Nature Connection Specialist  Amy Beam encouraged us to let children take risks that help develop their gross motor skills and their confidence in their own problem-solving abilities.  She spoke about those “tender conversations” when children are confronted with a robin eating a ‘friend’ worm and begin to understand the needs of living organisms. The examples she brought of the many different materials she and the children take with them on their long walks through natural areas helped us plan for our own programs. Beam works as an outdoor educator with Montessori schools in the Washington, D.C. area, and she appeared in the film Mother Nature’s Child. 

In her breakout sessions Beam taught fun activities, games, songs and techniques that awaken and deepen children’s innate love of nature and learning. 

 Lesley Romanoff, also the director of a half-day parent co-op program, has found that play gets a child closer to “ready to learn” than anything else, but adults/parents need to see that teachers are checking off the boxes of curriculum and standards. She advised directing attention to the value of play and playful learning by documenting and explaining to parents how nature play does more than check all the boxes, meeting education standards and especially incorporating the arc of human growth and development so children are taught in a developmentally appropriate way. For educators who plan to incorporate more time in natural areas, Romanoff recommends to “start small,” recounting how her first walking excursions were too far, leaving some children too tired and cranky to enjoy the natural space when they arrived. Now she pulls a wagon. When most children wanted to ride in the wagon, Romanoff talked with them, saying, “You want to go in the wagon but you don’t need to go in the wagon.” These conversations built empathy which was displayed at the park as children figured out how to partner with each other to accomplish tasks that were easier for one child and hard for another

Alonso Abugattas, Arlington Parks Naturalist and Capital Naturalist blogger, advises us to be flexible and use the “interpretive moment” to teach about whatever in nature has children’s attention. His enthusiasm for small wildlife was infectious: “Those millipedes are so cool!” making me excited about searching for them. If you have difficulty locating small animals like millipedes and isopods, use his technique of putting a board or old door down on the ground. After a few days, open this “Door to the Underground” to reveal millipedes, isopods, slugs, worms, and more. He cautioned us to always check for yellow jacket wasps before we turn over a log as they may be nesting under it. And to wash hands after outdoor explorations. 

This week in education news, education programs could still be vulnerable in President Trump’s budget; most U.S. public school students are taught by qualified teachers; and utility-value intervention with parents increases students’ STEM preparation and career pursuit.

One Reason Young People Don’t Go Into Science? We Don’t Fail Well

Learning resilience is fundamental to a successful career as a scientist. The experiments we try will fail many times before they work, whether as an undergraduate, a PhD student, or a postdoc gunning for a faculty position. I’m dealing with this right now in my third laboratory rotation: In trying to study a protein in zebrafish, I made a mistake and all my embryos died. So, I’m troubleshooting and doing the experiment again. Click here to read the article featured in STAT magazine.

What Education Programs Could Still Be Vulnerable in Trump’s Budget?

President Trump’s budget plan for education has singled out several programs to be slimmed down or eliminated. But all we know right know is based on a mere “skinny” federal budget the administration released last week. It doesn’t detail all of the cuts and additions Trump’s team wants to make. In the interim, we talked with Tom Corwin and Michele McLaughlin and they discussed which programs might be particularly vulnerable to proposed cuts, elimination, or some kind of lack of love from Trump. Click here to read the article featured in Education Week.

How Many U.S. Students Are Taught By Qualified Teachers?

It turns out, most U.S. public school students are taught by certified and experienced teachers, according to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics. Still, the numbers vary as you look across states, school districts, and by different school and student characteristics. The report uses data from the Schools and Staffing Survey and the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Click here to read the article featured in Education Week.

Getting Girls Into STEM: The Power Of Blended (And All-Female) Instruction

Jackie, the team captain of St. Mary’s all-girls robotics team, knows a thing or two about breaking the mold. During a panel on the importance of STEM education for women, she explained what it’s like to be a female student competing in a male-dominated program: “Not only were we the only all-girls robotics team,” she explained of a recent competition, “we were the only team that actually allowed girls to touch the robots.” Click here to read the article featured on EdSurge.com.

Utility-Value Intervention With Parents Increases Students’ STEM Preparation and Career Pursuit

When parents of high school students are given guidance on how to talk about the importance of science and math, their children are more likely to score well on a STEM standardized test and, years later, pursue a STEM career, finds a study from the University of Virginia and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Click here to 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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I have several students in my biology classes who are very disruptive. I know I should contact their parents, but as a new teacher I’ve never done this. How I should handle this? —C., California

I found at the secondary level, it was more effective to work with the students first, then contact parents (or guardians) about misbehavior after exhausting in-house strategies. Even if you typically e-mail or text, having a real-time voice conversation with parents or guardians may be the most effective way to express your concern.

Determine an appropriate time to speak (it may not be possible for all parents to talk while at work) through a text or e-mail. Or ask them to call you and suggesting times, such as early morning or late afternoon. (It’s a good idea in your welcome letter at the beginning of the year to ask parents the best way and time to communicate.)

Prepare notes to help stay focused on the problem and what you want to discuss.

Start with some positive comments about the student and emphasize you want what’s best for their child to be a successful learner. Provide examples of the behavior in question and how you tried to correct the situation. Ask for other ideas on how you can work together to resolve the issues. If the disruptive behavior occurs during a lab activity, remind the parents of the safety acknowledgement form they signed.

Give the parents time to respond and listen to them without interruption, using wait-time before you respond).

You can ask your mentor or administrator to be present (be sure to mention that he/she is there).

At the end, summarize what you and the parents will do and expectations for the student. Thank them for their time and input. Follow up on the conversation with any results.

Annotate your notes and keep a log of your communications.

Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/eclectic-echoes/6681499071/