How can two countries with vast cultural differences maintain a relationship in which they can share ideas on how to improve their educational system and focus on STEM literacy? That is the goal of a partnership between the United States and Japan—two superpowers willing to borrow each nation’s system and experience to improve one’s own.

In August 2016, U.S. and Japanese teachers and students witnessed the sharing of ideas between the two countries through the TOMODACHI Toshiba Science & Technology Leadership Academy (TTA). The TTA is a one-week, cross-cultural science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) exchange and leadership program for 16 high school students and eight teachers from Japan and the United States. High school students and teachers who promote strong achievements in science and mathematics education and international student exchanges were selected as the Japanese counterparts. The program was held from July 31 to August 7, 2016, at Yoyogi National Olympic Center.

Two Teams, Two Challenges

This year’s program presented two challenges to student teams. One was to propose solutions for developing a disaster-resilient, smart community of the future using learning experiences that are central to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the engineering design process. The second was to build a tower with miniature elevators that show the student’s engineering and creative skills. Both challenges were presented to an audience wherein the latter was critiqued by a panel of judges.

(Tower building)

Aside from working on their projects, participants were also given a chance to visit different sites in Tokyo specifically selected so that they could get inspiration in terms of engineering design and smart community to help them with their projects. Several sessions leading to the group’s final presentation were planned throughout the week. Team building, ice-breaking sessions, engineering design lessons, field trips, and group planning kept everyone busy. All the sessions had an impact on the group’s smart community project, because students applied the concepts learned from all the sessions leading up to their final presentation.

As the groups were starting to plan how to make their smart communities resilient to natural disasters, participants went to the Life Safety Center where they experienced a hurricane with wind speeds of 30km/hour, a magnitude 7 earthquake, and a simulated fire from a burning room. This experience gave the groups ideas on how to make their communities disaster resilient.

(Earthquake and fire simulations)

Smart, Sustainable, Resilient

In relation to preparing for natural disasters like earthquakes, the group visited the Tokyo Skytree, where the engineer of the tower discussed the properties and the structural design implemented for the tower to withstand strong winds and earthquakes.

A smart community of the future should be energy efficient and sustainable. The visit to the Toshiba Science Museum showcased an efficient building energy management system. Participants were exposed to smart homes; buildings equipped with a system to dramatically reduce energy consumption and make them environmentally friendly; technological innovations in transportation and alternative sources of energy including thermal energy and superconductors. This information gave the students more knowledge and confidence in building their smart communities.

One of the interesting lessons that we had involved the use of drones and the manner in which they can be used to produce an evacuation map (using drone-taken footage). Students were tasked with using an app to produce a 3D map of the surrounding buildings in Yoyogi Center. This session helped students learn how mapping can be an important tool for disaster preparedness.

(Introduction to using drones in mapping for disaster preparedness by Professor Taichi Furuhashi of Aoyama Gakuin University @mapconcierge)

But the week was not all work as we toured different sites showing Japan’s cultural heritage. We visited Asakusa Sensoji and Meiji Shrine and it opened our eyes as to why the Japanese are proud of their culture and traditions. The places we visited show history connecting the present and the future.

(U.S. and Japanese teachers at Asakusa)

To optimize the teacher experience, the teacher session was added to this year’s TTA. The sessions focused on discussions connected to implementing the NGSS and flipped classroom strategies. We were also introduced to Edpuzzle and Mix software as tools that can be used in a flipped classroom. In addition, the U.S. teachers had an open dialogue with the Society of Japan Science Teachers on science and engineering educational trends and best practices focusing on the NGSS.

(Teacher session with SJST and NSTA’s Dr. David Evans)

This program was designed to foster closer ties between American and Japanese teachers and students, nurture a strong sense of STEM literacy, and to inspire the use of science and technology to address some of the world’s most complex issues in the future.  At the end of the program, we not only achieved our goal but transcended beyond borders with a common aspiration–to learn from each other in bettering our future.

To showcase everything that we did for the week, we created this video, which I invite you to watch: https://vimeo.com/177743307.

Arlene Ramos teaches at the High School for Health Professions and Human Services in NYC

For more photos from this year’s TOMODACHI Toshiba Science & Technology Leadership Academy please click here.

The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. Learn more about the Next Generation Science Standards at theNGSS@NSTA Hub.

Future NSTA Conferences

2016 Area Conferences

• Minneapolis, Oct. 27-29
• Portland, Nov. 10-12
• 
  Columbus, Dec. 1-3

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“Stream”

Nouns are useful, but verbs are educational. So when Vernier released their LabQuest Stream sensor interface into the wild, the familiar grey box quickly proved to be much more than just a powerful and innovative radio station that broadcasts up to five data channels via Bluetooth to any device that can listen, but truly a hub of discovery. 

The form factor of the Vernier LabQuest Stream is similar to the LabQuest2. It is a rectangular block with ports and buttons surrounding three of the four edges. The back panel houses a replaceable rechargeable battery and necessary legalese, and the front panel contains the logo, indicator lights and port identification. The same shape and port locations also means the Lab!Quest Stream will charge in the Vernier docking cradle that works with the LabQuest2, as well as using the same rechargeable and replaceable battery.

As forward-thinking as the Vernier LabQuest Stream seems to be, I can’t help becoming a little nostalgic about the release of the LabPro back at the turn of the century. The LabPro was a AA battery-powered interface that translated the electrical signals from a data sensor into an intermediate language that software could understand, which was then further converted into a visual display that transcends all language differences: The language of Math. Or as Galileo so eloquently put it, “Mathematics is the language with which God has written the universe.” 

The LabPro had no display, and only three buttons. Communication with the user was through a series of blinking lights and audio beeps. The LabPro included a round mini DIN-8 Serial connector because USB was still in diapers, but the futuristic USB-B female connector was present but always behind a sliding door if the Series port is exposed. One magical thing I do remember clearly the moment I first held a LabQuest was the translucent plastic housing the gave a glimpse of the circuitry inside the unit. A “Visible” interface is not new for Vernier, but was absent in the Serial box interface that preceded the LabPro. Prior to that clear housings allowed an unobstructed view of the innerworkings inside the interface boxes.

Nuts and Bolts

The Vernier LabQuest Stream will accept up to three analog sensor connections and two digital ones all at the same time. And each and every sensor’s data point can fly invisibly through the air at 2.4 GHz up to 30 meters away to where a comptable Bluetooth enabled device running Vernier software can present the data in graphical form, table form, gauge form, or all of the above at once.

The Vernier LabQuest Stream will propel data wirelessly to iOS platforms including iPhones, iPads, and the iPod Touch. Desktops and laptops of both the Mac and Windows variety work equally well. Chromebooks are fully supported as are Android tablets and phones that are capable of loading the necessary Vernier software.

There are other wireless solutions available including the LabQuest2 and the GoWIreless Link, but nothing is as powerful as Vernier’s LabQuest Stream. In fact, you could think of the LabQuest Stream as a successful hybrid of the LabQuest2 and the LabQuest Mini, Vernier’s multi-port on-demand-powered un-wireless USB-connected interface box that has been the inexpensive multi-sensor mainstay until now. And I say until now because the price of the Vernier LabQuest Stream is only $50 more than the LabQuest Mini, but you get so much more given the wireless expectations that students today. And at only double the cost of a single GoWireless Bluetooth connector

Much has been written…

At the time of this writing it s 2016. That late into 16% into the 21st century or barely 84 years before the 22nd century. Eighty-four divided by 12 is seven. So? So it will take only seven students to go from first grade through high school before we say goodbye to this current century that so eloquently has been used to indicate the Future. In other words, our future is not their future because our future is now our present. Where am I going with this? Simply put, what we as teachers might be impressed with as new and innovative solutions to practical problems, the students of today consider the same advancement in technology to be both necessary and obvious. It is really hard to surprise a student with new technology. Instead of awe or even mild appreciation, the students to whom I introduce emerging technology “get it” right away, and often without even a passing hint of appreciation for how monumental a step the new technology really is. Oh well.

I’ve written much about data sensors, wired interfaces, wireless interfaces, and the magic they can add to the science classroom. What’s new about the Vernier LabQuest Stream is that it not only adds a dramatic upgrade in the dimensionality of wireless data collection, but it neutralizes the need for standardized device. Much of the expectations of students today includes the belief that…I mean expectation that…I mean demand that classroom technology will be as seamless, invisible, and easily connected as anything they use at home. In fact, it is a very reasonable expectation that things at school should work as well as they do in real life. That’s fair, isn’t it?

YouTube Stream video Link

Streaming

The Vernier LabQuest Stream has the latest in Bluetooth connectivity hardware onboard so it connects fast and stays connected. For those of us who have been with Bluetooth from the beginning are easily impressed when it works and stays working. But students today have a low tolerance for half-baked tech, and use technology that works as if it was always that way. So from my long-view perspective, the Vernier LabQuest Stream connects fast and hangs on to the device like a pit bull, and is re
membered by the iWhatever a week later. The Vernier LabQuest Stream locks onto the target machine like a missile. Even when the Vernier LabQuest Stream goes out of range of the device, it snaps back to life the moment the two are within 100 feet of each other or 30 meters for those in the rest of the world.

Ever since my students clicked “connect” between an iPad and a Bluetooth connected sensor I have been impressed by the potential in science education. Being able to measure the physical invisible with a wireless sensor provides the student a glimpse into the edges of our universe. And now the Vernier LabQuest Stream adds five data channels to the wireless mix. Thus far there are dozens and dozens of sensors that work with the Vernier LabQuest Stream.

Accepting both analog and digital sensors, the Vernier LabQuest Stream has two types of sensor ports that are mirror images of each other. The analog ports are left-handed British Telecom-type connectors. The digital ports are right-handed. While the British Telecom connectors (or BTs) are a bit dated having begun service in 1981, they are one of the more popular phone-type data jacks in the world even if you don’t trip over them everyday in the US.

While the ports might be similar but reversed, the difference between analog and digital is not. Digital signals are binary; on-off, all-nothing, yes-no, one-zero, etc. Analog signals, on the other hand, are mildly infinite being able to occupy a large degree of values between none and all. Luckily the auto-detect features of the Vernier sensors make the device identifying the sensor a non-issue for the students. For the technology to work seamlessly it must disappear in the excitement of discovery.

Radio Station

The Vernier LabQuest Stream can be a powerful radio station of many flavors; weather station, hydrology station, exercise physiology station, chemistry station, black box station, sound station, optics station, force station, and my favorite, the random station. With up to 84 sensors compatible with the Vernier LabQuest Stream (depending on the particular machine that the Stream is talking to) that puts the number of potential combinations of sensors well into the millions. So a random station is where you draw two or three or more sensors at random from the list and imagine what kind of science you could do. For example, a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor and a sound meter could be used to measure the atmospheric changes inside a car when the air conditioner is turned on.

Or, and this his one I have used often, running two hand dynamometers at the same time. Once the quest for maximum force is out of the student’s system as their right and left hands compete with each other, there are some other aspects to data visualization that can drive home scientific concepts and minimize misconceptions. For instance, using dual prediction lines, two sine waves 180 degrees out of phase presents a difficult problem for first time hand dynamometer users. The challenge is unusually difficult at first while the student conceptualizes what is necessary in order to make their squeezing of the sensors match the prediction lines of the graph. That is, however, until the graph is described as “milking a cow” at which point they rapidly learn to match their movements with the prediction.  Which also means they are conceptualizing 180 degrees out of phase.

Other more complex graphs can be presented that require mental gymnastics to model the forces necessary to replicate the lines. The examples below are just two of many you can create for when you pass the dynamometers and Vernier LabQuest Stream around the classroom. 

One of the physiological questions here is why some patterns are so much more difficult or confusing than others. Or how a basic explanation or visual description can simplify a complex interaction between two data inputs. Perhaps there is an untapped arena for Vernier data sensors to be used in psychology? Just a thought from someone who holds degrees in both science education and psychology.

How Many?

As noted, the number of sensors compatible with the Vernier LabQuest Stream depends on the device and software. Here are the current numbers:

84 sensors for a laptop or desktop (Mac or PC) running Logger Pro

72 sensors for a laptop or desktop (Mac or PC) running Logger Lite

64 sensors for a Chromebook running Graphical Analysis

53 sensors for an Apple iOS device running Graphical Analysis

53 sensors for an Android device running Graphical Analysis

And while we are on numbers, the Vernier LabQuest Stream will charge in about 8-10 hours through any of the options including the AC plug and USB port. The high-capacity lithium-ion battery should pump electrons for about 24 hours non-stop, and is good for 500 charge-discharge cycles and contains overcharge protection.

Should your power needs outsize one full day, and no AC is available, Vernier offers a Battery Boost option. For $119, a powerful external battery is available that includes a special cord to charge LabQuest devices using the circular charging port. Something I would like to see is the availability, or better yet, Inclusion of the cord so any of the external power source batteries we already have will work with the LabQuests. Luckily, the Vernier LabQuest Stream does charge through a mini-USB port so at least in this case, a battery to mini-USB cable will bridge the gap. I guess while I’m making requests, I’d like to see the USB micro become the standard charging port on the LabQuest Stream just as it has for non-Apple cell phones. Mini USB is going the way of the Dodo.

In another minor bout with nostalgia, one of the first software programs that David Vernier wrote to help teachers and students collect, manage and visualize data was named “Graphical Analysis.” That was over 30 years ago. Today, the pencil-thin supercomputers we carry in our pockets can run a Vernier App named “Graphical Analysis.”

King Bluetooth

The Vernier LabQuest Stream uses Bluetooth 4.1 which might seem dated in that
it went into service on December 4th, 2013. It was not a huge advance over 4.0 but was the most of the V4x options that could happen without a hardware upgrade. V5 or Bluetooth version 5 entered the wild in  June of 2016 so it is completely understandable why the  Vernier LabQuest Stream does not run the absolute latest and greatest version of Bluetooth radio. The protocol stack for Bluetooth runs backwards just fine so pretty much anything earlier in time will work. So if your Bluetooth experience is far from current, then you are in for a surprise with the Vernier LabQuest Stream since it connects rapidly, stays connected, and if the connection drops for some reason, it lock on again the moment it can. In other words, this is not your grandfather Bluetooth. This version makes you happy.

It’s a Wrap

So to wrap this up and get you out to the Vernier website to buy your own Vernier LabQuest Stream, let me just say that even though I have used all their interfaces since nineteen-ninety something, this is the most exciting thing since the personal computing power of the device-in-hand was harnessed (which is hugely powerful, by the way. Hugely!). So a strong, reliable, and deep connection between processor/screen and sensor is what makes everyone smile. especially your students because discovery is just the beginning.  🙂 

Guest post by Cindy Hoisington, with thanks to Karen Worth and other dear colleagues for their inspiration

Welcome guest blogger Cindy Hoisington, an early childhood science educator at Education Development Center Inc. (EDC) in Waltham, Massachusetts. A preschool teacher for many years, Cindy now works with early childhood teachers, coaches, and administrators in various settings to support young children’s STEM learning. Cindy loves to share stories about aha! teaching moments with other educators and believes that a story can be a valuable teaching and learning tool, especially when it captures a shared experience and stimulates reflection and discussion. In this post Cindy shares a story from her preschool teaching days about how she came to appreciate the power of children’s science ideas during a sinking and floating unit.

As an early childhood teacher I loved doing science with preschoolers but sometimes their crazy ideas seemed to get in the way of all the interesting science concepts I wanted to teach them such as: shadows are made when an object blocks the light; animals are adapted to habitats that meet their needs; and the properties of building materials influence how they can be used in structures. I thought that children’s ideas, such as shadows are living things because they run and jump like I do; birds are not animals because they don’t have fur; and only tall blocks can make tall buildings, were adorable and funny but I didn’t have a clue what to do with them. I didn’t want to inhibit children’s explorations with constant corrections and I worried that providing overly simplistic explanations would further confuse them. Lucky for me, several years into my teaching, I had the opportunity to work with an early childhood science mentor who suggested that I rethink my role in supporting children’s science learning and focus on three primary and mutually reinforcing science-teaching strategies: Get ALL of the children’s science ideas out on the table, Provide opportunities for children to investigate their ideas, Facilitate children’s reflection on the evidence.

Sinking and Floating Explorations

I had always begun a sinking and floating unit by holding up some familiar objects like a marble, a rock, a crayon, and a block and asking children to predict whether the objects would sink or float in water. I would chart children’s predictions, and we would test the objects and record the results in small groups. Later we would compare our predictions to what actually happened.  This time I was determined to dig more deeply into children’s science ideas and to extend their explorations over several weeks rather than several days.

I knew that the focal science concept in sinking and floating- density- was abstract for young children. I also knew that an explanation of density as a relationship between weight and size would be meaningless and do little to promote their thinking. I decided that my goal would be for children to investigate all the observable properties of objects, some of which might influence whether the objects sank or floated. I also wanted to promote children’s inquiry and their abilities to raise questions, plan and follow through on investigations, collect and record data, and especially, to rethink their current ideas based on new evidence.

 Get ALL of the Children’s Science Ideas out on the Table

I began our sinking and floating unit by asking children to make predictions as I always had. But this time I also asked them to share their ideas about why they thought certain items would sink or float. What properties (size, weight, shape, texture, material kind) did they think made a difference?  And why did they think so? When and where had they seen things floating? Or sinking? What did those objects look like? And feel like? By probing their thinking in this way I uncovered children’s ideas that I was previously unaware of including “round things float because my brother’s soccer ball floated in the pool;”  “green things float because leaves float in puddles“ “heavy things float because my dad’s boat floats;” and “small things sink because they’re not strong enough to swim without swimmies. “

I also encouraged children to share their predictions nonverbally. I invited them to place items on sink and float trays; to “stick” photos of the objects to a chart; and to draw their predictions on paper. Drawing enabled children to express their thinking more precisely than they could verbally since they could draw the objects suspended in the water at different levels as well as at the surface or the bottom of the tub. Finally I closely observed and recorded children’s behavior at the water table.  This enabled me to realize for example, that some children thought they could make objects sink or float if they just held them under the water, or at the surface, long enough! As children shared their ideas verbally in conversations, and nonverbally through their predictions, drawings, and behavior I collected and recorded documentation (observation notes, charts, photos, drawings) that revealed their ideas.

 Provide Many Opportunities for Children to Investigate their Ideas

The next thing I did was to bring children’s ideas to the large group so we could think and talk about them together, using all of our documentation as evidence of their thinking. One day for example we talked about one child’s idea that all round things float. Who agrees with the idea that all round things float? Why do you think so? Does anyone have a different idea? What kinds of round things have you seen floating? Sinking? Have you seen round things do anything else in water? I encouraged children with different ideas to talk directly with one another, sharing their evidence: I think round things float because…. and I think round things sink because… … As a group, we planned how we would investigate these ideas and began collecting round things to test in the water. I made sure to collect round things that sank, floated, and stayed suspended (some limes!) in water. In small groups we tested the items, made multiple observations, and collected and recorded data by taking photos, drawing pictures of the objects in the water, charting what happened, and placing objects in “it sank” and “it floated” piles.

 Facilitate Children’s Reflection on the Evidence from their Explorations

After our inve
stigations we came together and talked about what children had done and observed. I scaffolded our conversations using the objects themselves, the data we had collected, and our prediction charts and other documentation. First we discussed questions like: What happened when we put the round objects in water? Did each object always do the same thing? Did it make a difference if you dropped it from up high or down low? What happened when you held it at the surface or at the bottom of the tub? Which ones floated and which ones sank? How did what happened compare to what we predicted? Were there any surprises? What surprised us and why? Since I wanted to promote children’s willingness to share their ideas in the future, I was careful not to use words like “right” or “wrong” when we talked about their previous ideas and predictions.

All of the children now enthusiastically agreed that some round things floated and some round things sank and, as a result of the evidence, they were beginning to develop new ideas.  We decided to look for other differences between objects that sank and the ones that floated besides “roundness”. We considered questions like: Which one feels heavier or lighter? What material do you think it’s made of? Is the texture smooth or rough? Do you think it has air inside it?  What makes you think so? We made a list of what we noticed about round objects that sank (heavy, metal, spikey, squishy) objects that floated (light, plastic, has holes in it, smooth), and objects that stayed suspended in water (has holes in it and water inside, flat, floaty).  Next we generated some new ideas: maybe plastic floats because it’s lighter than metal; maybe things with holes float because air gets in and holds them up; maybe they will sink if water gets in the holes and some new questions: Does plastic always float and metal always sink? Aren’t some boats made of metal? What about wood? Do the number of holes make a difference? Most of the objects we tested were small….what about bigger objects?.  By listening closely it became clear to me that children had ruled out shape as a factor in sinking and floating and were now thinking about material kind, size, and weight (air or water inside the wiffle ball). Although I knew we weren’t done with shape yet (I would extend their thinking about shape by inviting them to make and test clay boats the following week) I stuck with their current line of thinking as we planned our next investigations. Maybe we would try floating and sinking some plastic and metal things of different shapes; a really big plastic block and a tiny plastic block; or wiffle balls with the holes plugged up with tape. These suggestions would drive another cycle of exploration and reflection, and children’s ideas about sinking and floating, and about how to investigate it, would continue to get increasingly specific and sophisticated over time.

Final Thoughts

My work with an early childhood science mentor helped me shift my focus from where I wanted children’s thinking to be to where it already was. Drawing out and acknowledging children’s current ideas made them available for investigation and empowered children to construct new knowledge because they had tested their ideas, and collected and analyzed the evidence. These experiences also helped me to address learning standards in a more in-depth way than I had before. In the sinking and floating explorations for example, children were learning about the properties of solids including size, weight, shape, texture, and material kind and they were being introduced to the concept of density at a foundational level. Children were also experiencing high-level inquiry. Not only were they asking questions, making predictions, and following through on investigations, they were analyzing and interpreting data in order to generate ideas and construct explanations. They were also being introduced to the nature of science and the concept that theories are formulated based on observable and testable evidence. Finally, they were developing scientific habits of mind including the ability to take risks with ideas and a willingness to be flexible with their ideas when the evidence no longer supported them.  

In my current work with teachers and other educators I sometimes tell stories like this to promote their thinking about the power of children’s ideas, and about responsive and research-based science teaching (I like sinking and floating stories because they are easy for all early childhood teachers to relate to, but children’s ideas can be the focus of any science topic). Through these stories I also aim to encourage teachers to take advantage of their own classrooms, their own students, and whenever possible mentors, coaches, and colleagues, to keep driving their own professional development forward. Never stop having aha! experiences and never stop sharing them with other teachers and educators!  You never know who will be listening!

When the children and I leave the school building for playground time or recess, I feel a sense of relaxation and heightened awareness. We can see farther and the input from the surrounding environment to our senses changes every minute as the wind blows, the sun moves across the sky, and we cross paths with animals such as a tiny ant or flying bird. We all look forward to the change of scene.

The length of outdoor learning time varies between early childhood educational settings. In “forest” early childhood programs children spend the entire school day outdoors. In some states, public schools mandate a minimum of 20 minutes a day for recess. This wide range of time spent outdoor raises the question, How much time outdoor is optimum for children’s learning in general, and for learning what skills, concepts and information?

Some of the reports compiled by the Children & Nature Network attempt to answer these questions. The Children & Nature Network seeks to connect all children, their families and communities to nature. Chapter 23, “Health Values from Ecosystems,” of the 2011 UK National Ecosystem Assessment: Understanding nature’s value to society describes the level of scientific certainty of the Key Findings related to how “observing natural ecosystems and participating in physical activity in greenspaces play an important role in positively influencing human health and well-being.”

I hope that all children and their teachers get to spend at least part of every school day outdoor, taking safety precautions as needed to avoid hazards.

Too much sunshine

Educators can sign up for The SunWise program, a free environmental and health education program to teach K–8 children about sun safety, UV radiation, and stratospheric ozone, at https://www.neefusa.org/sunwise

See additional tips for sun safety from the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), an independent non-profit organization complementary to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), extending its ability to foster environmental education for all ages and in all segments of the American public.

From the CDC, https://www.epa.gov/mosquitocontrol/general-information-about-mosquitoes

In the time of Zika

Ticks, stinging insects, and mosquitoes might only be common annoyances to watch out for, but they have the possibility of being a serious health hazard if carrying a harmful bacteria or virus, or if the person bitten has an allergic reaction to the insect venom or saliva.

In Miami, Florida where mosquitoes with the Zika virus have been found, school officials are providing cans of mosquito repellent and links to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) information and advisories about Zika to families and school staff. The application of mosquito repellent is not currently allowed in schools so families should apply it before children leave for school. In an interview on National Public Radio, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho says recess and sports will go on as usual. The Miami-Dade County Public Schools district provides pages with links to their own information to prepare employees for the recent school opening and to CDC and the Florida Department of Health resources. Children and teachers are advised to wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants, socks to cover the ankles, and safely apply mosquito repellent.

The US Administration for Children & Families’ “Fact Sheet: What Head Start or Child Care Programs Need to Know About Zika Virus” (July 6, 2016) provides guidance on applying insect repellent on children. Readers are referred to the EPA page, Using Insect Repellents Safely and Effectively, which lists important points to use repellents safely, including, “Do not apply near eyes and mouth, and apply sparingly around ears.”

Seasonal allergies and asthma

Ken Roy provides guidance in “Safety First: Safer Science Explorations for Young Children” in the March 2015 issue and, in “Safety First: Preventing Allergic Reactions” in the December 2015 issue, of Science and Children. He urges teachers to take simple precautions every day such as to be educated on allergy symptoms and emergency responses.

Adverse weather

An old (Scandinavian?) saying says, “There’s no bad weather, just bad clothing.” Yes, but…when we’re at school with a class of students and a few are not prepared for the rain or the cold temperatures we may have to keep the entire class indoors, at least one time until appropriate gear is available for all children. Summer heat advisories, warnings, and watches issued by the National Weather Service’s Forecast Office give us time to prepare for indoor recess or water activities to keep cool.

Each day, being outside is like being in a new classroom, one that needs to be checked for safety. The newly blooming flowers may be attracting bees, someone may have left hazardous trash overnight, and a squirrel or other rodent may have died where your children are going to play. (No need to remove the bees but we can alert children so they can safely observe.) Preparing yourself and your children to safely explore and play outdoors makes it a comfortable everyday ex
perience, where everyone can get the exercise, exposure to larger vistas, and opportunities to observe nature that we need.

Of all the safety concerns expressed by science teachers, class size is high on the list. Thus, occupancy loads in science laboratories should be restricted to create and maintain a safer learning environment.

Ever since the 1996 National Science Education Standards were put in place, science teachers have been encouraged or required to do more laboratory activities with their students. If such hazards as gas, electricity, and hazardous chemicals are present in K–12 science instructional spaces, they are classified as laboratories. The class size refers to the number of students in the lab, whereas occupancy load is the total number of individuals occupying the lab, including the teacher, students, and paraprofessionals.

Better professional practices for occupancy loads have been established by the National Science Teachers Association (see Resource). Generally, K–12 science laboratories require 50 square feet of space per occupant. To maintain a safer learning environment and to determine a safe exiting capacity, science laboratories must be analyzed, either by reading the school’s building plans or with help from the local or state fire marshal. Factors such as type of laboratory furniture, utilities, hazardous chemicals, sprinkler systems, and number of exits are considered in determining the occupancy load. This information usually can be found on the originally approved architectural plans for the science laboratory. If the plans are not available, science teachers must work with administrators and the local or state fire marshal to establish the appropriate occupancy load and to correct any code violation resulting from overcrowding.

Final thoughts

Occupancy loads for labs are both legal standards and a better professional practice, not recommended or suggested as some might believe. As licensed professionals, science teachers are held to a higher expectation by the legal system, as far as adhering to safety in the laboratory and classroom. Science teachers need to work with administrators to improve laboratory safety by having the appropriate occupancy load in place. Negligence and liability are legal issues that could arise from a laboratory accident that occurred while exceeding the occupancy load.

Be proactive by bringing your safety concerns to the attention of administrators in writing, and be supportive by working with them to create a safer working environment.

Submit questions regarding safety in K–12 to Ken Roy at safesci@sbcglobal.net,  or leave him a comment below. Follow him on Twitter: @drroysafersci.

Resource

NSTA: Overcrowding in the Instructional Space— www.nsta.org/docs/OvercrowdingInTheInstructionalSpace.pdf

NSTA resources and safety issue papers

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Keshia Gardner via Today.com

One of my favorite things about back-to-school time is to see my social media accounts blow up with pictures of kids’ first day back at school.  Even more entertaining is when the camera is turned on the parents. My recent favorite was featured on Today.com.

It’s also nice to see the explosion of news articles and blogs talk about the changes coming to schools and districts this fall.  In many schools, these changes include science. For example, check out this article from LaJolla, California.

It’s important for parents to understand the changes taking place in science education and to learn how they can support children’s science learning at home and at school. NSTA is offering a number of free resources to help them.

Prepare Children for The Next Generation of Science Learning

Many schools and districts around the country are using the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) to transform science teaching and learning. Parents can get a snapshot of why our country needs these new science education standards with NSTA’s infographic. A Parent Q&A and a video interview with NSTA Executive Director, David Evans, also provides a quick overview of standards and helps parents understand the exciting new way students will be learning science this fall.

Get Recommendations and Tips on Parent Involvement

Parents can and should talk with teachers to learn more about the schools’ science program. 10 Questions Your Kid’s Science Teacher Wishes You Would Ask will foster a better understanding of science learning at school and how it can be supported at home. The resource is perfect for back-to-school night, teacher conferences, or at any point during the school year.

Empower Young Inventors, Scientists, and Leaders

Fall is the perfect time to plan STEM learning opportunities that go beyond the school curriculum, such as after-school science competitions and clubs. NSTA offers a number of science competitions and awards programs that give students opportunities to explore their own science ideas…and be rewarded for their efforts.

Encourage Children to Curl Up with a Good Science Book

NSTA’s popular line of children’s picture books—NSTAKids—nurture the wonder and curiosity inherent in young minds. Need recommendations on great science trade books? Parents can find them in the Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K–12 selected by NSTA in conjunction with the Children’s Book Council.

The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. Learn more about the Next Generation Science Standards at the NGSS@NSTA Hub.

Future NSTA Conferences

2016 Area Conferences

• Minneapolis, Oct. 27-29
• Portland, Nov. 10-12
• Columbus, Dec. 1-3

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