JoinThe Vernier Motion Encoder System: Motion Encoding Made Personal
By Martin Horejsi
Posted on 2014-09-28
The Vernier Motion Encoder System marks a significant shift in the science teacher’s ability to transition between the conceptual, formula-based physics of motion to the “real world” application of those concepts and formulas—and here’s the big news—without the need for disclaimers explaining away anomalous data, inconsistent graphs, and the general background noise of low resolution measurements. While it is possible to argue that the essence of a motion activity transitions from concept to concrete without using meaningful data since the students at this level are able to imagine what was supposed to happen, by actually capturing accurate and precise motion data, the traditional conclusion of the motion lesson is actually just the beginning of what is now possible to experiment with and visualize.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/XhpRsUAG36Q[/youtube]
While it would be easy to dismiss all the good science taught with primitive methods, instead the simplicity, accuracy and operational speed of Vernier’s Motion Encoder System provides students not only a crystal clear insight into the nuts and bolts of motion, but also raises the bar on the subtitles and nuances of motion through actual hands-on experimentation and, if you will, science play.
Vernier describes their paradigm shift somewhat dryly as, “The encoder strip consists of alternating black and white bars with a 4 mm period, allowing the optical sensor to detect the passage of the bars as the cart moves. With two sensors appropriately placed, a change in position with 1 mm resolution can be determined, as well as the direction of travel. A narrow infrared beam transmits motion data to a receiver.”
This descriptive paragraph reminded me of a NASA STARDUST announcement where a sample return mission brought back some comet material that contained features known as CAIs or calcium aluminum inclusions. The excitement of CAIs is in their status as one of the first solids to condense out of the solar nebula after the birth of our solar system. What NASA should have announced is that comets contain material older than the earth! And let the details shake out once the reader’s attention was secured. Check out this link to a NASA/JPL instructional product that adds more humor and exclamation points to comet science.
Vernier, in their humble pursuit of elegant science teaching solutions, has produced a motion track the length of a tall student’s arm with carts the size of human hands and a motion resolution at the limit of our finger fine motor skill!
Well, OK, maybe it’s not quite as exciting as being truly older than dirt, but given the overwhelming quantity of our brain that is devoted to exploring the world with our hands, the Motion Encoder System has just brought the fundamental principles of motion into a bio-conceptual arena that we humans are uniquely prepared to explore.
Continuing the theme of the old ceiling becoming the new floor, the Motion Encoder System can first make the abstract concrete, and then provide a safe and power playground to visualize motion data as the actual motion is happening, but then become a testing instrument itself as students mentally explore motion beyond the fabricated universe of a metal track, low friction vehicles, and infrared sensors. In other words, once the foundations of motion are understood, the Motion Encoder System itself becomes a tool in a larger exploration toolbox.
For example, imagine what the motion vs. time graph looks like if you centered a car on the level track with the entire track able to roll back and forth on “bearings” of smooth round pencils. Consider sliding the track to the right while the sensor is on the left side of the track. Did the car move? Or is it relative? Was the motion uniform? Did the car continue to move when the track stopped? You might be asking, “What a practical application of this tangent of questioning?” How about the crash landing of the Genesis spacecraft?
[youtube]http://youtu.be/WFLGyCFeP_Q[/youtube]
Genesis was a NASA mission that collected solar wind particles on special tiles of various elements. The collection of impregnated hexagons were sealed in their sample return capsule and flown back to earth where upon reentering the atmosphere, the parafoil failed to deploy. Due to the extreme fragility of the pure elemental wafers, landing on the ground was ruled out and the plan was to pluck the floating spacecraft out of the air by a highly trained helicopter pilot using a giant hook suspended from his craft. Unfortunately, as often happens, Murphy’s Law came home from vacat
ion early and at just the wrong moment. And this particular instance is not just a loose reference to Murphy’s Law, but in fact a historical repeat of the foundational mistake that potentially created the so-called Law in the first place.
You see Murphy was a real engineer named Edward Murphy Jr. who did real science with real people and used real data collection sensors. During the rocket sled g-force deceleration testing in the late 1940s. Murphy thought it would be a good idea to insert strain gauges into the harness of the rocket sled in order to measure the actual g-forces experienced by the test subject. After the initial run using a chimpanzee, the sensors read zero. Upon further inspection, it was discovered that every sensor was wired backwards thus unable
to record the deceleration. In the case of the Genesis Sample Return Capsule, an onboard accelerometer was included to detect atmospheric resistance on the capsule through deceleration which would then signal the deployment of the drogue parachute further slowing the capsule velocity down to a safe parafoil release speed. Except the accelerometer was installed upside-down. The sensor never detected the slowdown. The drogue chute never deployed. The parafoil never unfolded. And the entire 450-pound sample return capsule never hesitated when it slammed into the Utah desert at 193 miles an hour. (From a purely scientific viewpoint, however, the impact did provide an excellent example of meteoritic cratering complete with crater rim, rays, and reverse stratigraphy.) http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/press_kits/genesisreturn.pdf
So back to the main question…what will the graph look like if the track moves instead of the car? And now try to visualize which direction an accelerometer should be pointed (up or down) in order to detect a spacecraft slowing due to the atmosphere. Should it point in the direction of travel or the opposite? Are you sure? Are you willing to bet $264 Million on it?
Or perhaps collisions are of interest. The Vernier Motion Encoder System includes two carts, one with a sensor, and one with a retractable spring plunger, and both carts with magnetic and hook-and-pile endcaps.
Inertia is another aspect that plays very well with real-time motion data collection. But first a minor digression. A funny thing happened on the way to the Newton’s Cradle demonstration. The teacher was prepared to share the magic of conservation of momentum when it occurred to her that the usual explanation of the balls motion is actually a violation of the very law she was excited to demonstrate. If momentum truly is conserved, then the dropping of two balls on one side would not produce two balls on the rising other side, but rather one ball rising with the conserved momentum of two balls. Physics is not a democracy. There is nothing that would divide up the momentum fairly between the two receiving balls giving them an equal chance to fly away. The solution must be that dropping two balls is not one event, but two. And on the far side, two corresponding results occur. In other words, one ball is dropped, then another ball is dropped, and one ball rises from the first event followed quickly by the second ball from the second event. Two balls is two events happening at two different moments in tim
e. Before the furthest out ball can fall, all inner balls must be out of the way. In fact it is quite similar to how we cause traffic jams on unobstructed highways, and why the interval lights on on-ramps keep traffic flowing. Explore the oxymoronic concept of “Moving Jams” if you want to learn more about traffic psychophysics.
Click for motion.
So back on task. When two carts are used on the track, basic applications of F=ma can be explored where one or both carts are moving in various combinations of speed and direction simulating head-on collisions and rear-end collisions. The spring plunger softens the impacts while preserving the result. And the inquiry can run from the carts to the graphs through prediction, or take the inference route where the graph is interpreted to hypothesize the nature of the collision.I could imagine a forensics presentation reenacting an accident using the Motion Encoder System from data graphs generated during the crime scene investigation.
Collisions can also be used to inspect dampeners such as those in shoe insoles. By inserting the insole between the spring plunger on the cart at the bottom of the inclined track, the rebound of the sensor cart can measure the difference between various insole’s ability to absorb shock.
And yet another tangent of exploration deals with seatbelt use. When turned loose with the track, I noticed a student place her iPhone on the cart. The iPhone was running a seismograph app, and the student was playing the with the “look” of an impact as measured by a “third party” along for the ride. If the iPhone was held in place, the majority of the impact force was consumed by the spring. If the iPhone could slide off the cart, a much stronger impulse was recorded when the iPhone eventually hit something with less elasticity than the spring cart.
In the end Vernier has again offered teachers a powerful tool that provides students with the ability to explore the intricacies of motion, this time with an arms-length of track using a hand-sized cart measuring at the resolution of finger dexterity. In other words, the Vernier Motion Encoder System makes motion personal.
The Vernier Motion Encoder System marks a significant shift in the science teacher’s ability to transition between the conceptual, formula-based physics of motion to the “real world” application of those concepts and formulas—and here’s the big news—without the need for disclaimers explaining away anomalous data, inconsistent graphs, and the general background noise of low resolution measurements.
Engaging in the Art of Teaching With the Next Generation Science Standards
By Guest Blogger
Posted on 2014-09-25
For the past 15 months, a four-letter acronym has been on the tip of science educators’ tongues: NGSS, the Next Generation Science Standards. Whether you personally are or your state board of education is “in favor of,” or “opposed to,” or you are simply “engaged with” the NGSS, there is no doubt that their release has been scrutinized in the media and intensively discussed within the science education community; it is an exciting time for science education.
Crosscutting concepts, disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, performance expectations, and assessment boundaries are all important aspects of the curricular process that science educators should consider while planning curriculums, units, and daily lessons. Considering the information the document contains, it is fair to say that the NGSS covers the “what” of teaching—the content students should know and understand—and up to a point, the “why” has been incorporated into the architecture, which used the learning progressions from A Framework for K–12 Science Education to design the performance expectations.
NGSS does not mention the “how” or method by which these core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and practices should be taught. An online search of the NGSS for the keywords “teaching” and “pedagogy” returned no hits for either. However, if we review the Framework, it has some valuable points to remember and continue to practice in our classrooms every day to engage students in learning. The Framework states, “[I]nstruction refers to methods of teaching and the learning activities used to help students master the content and objectives specified by a curriculum. Instruction encompasses the activities of both teachers and students. It can be carried out by a variety of pedagogical techniques, sequences of activities, and ordering of topics” (NRC 2012, p. 250). The overarching point of this quote connects with the “how” or method a teacher selects to engage students and assist them in discovering the content, concepts, and practices outlined in the NGSS. These decisions are not as clearly spelled out and require experience, skill, and creativity in selection.
In recent years, there has been discussion, discourse, and debate about direct instruction versus inquiry, which are on opposite ends of the spectrum. This debate has produced research results on both sides of the topic (some of which are published by the National Academy of Sciences, the publisher of the Framework and the NGSS). Furthermore, current generalized approaches in the educational arena too often bleed into the science area and focus on remediation, intervention, and test preparation skills, with little or no direct relationship to how students learn science.
In developing the Framework, the Committee on a Conceptual Framework for New K–12 Science Education Standards was not charged with addressing instruction, but rather content. However, they still felt the need to incorporate the chapter titled “implementation,” which discusses instruction. They quickly pointed out that they were not making formal recommendations, but understood the “[s]tandards provide a vision for teaching and learning, but the vision cannot be realized unless the standards permeate the education system and guide curriculum, instruction, teacher preparation and professional development, and student assessment” (NRC 2012, p. 241). So the area of instruction becomes the question of “how” and thus becomes personal to each teacher in each classroom each day. Decisions of “how” or what teaching methods to select are at the intersection of general educational understanding, content knowledge, and knowledge of how the students in an individual class will best learn. Some call the intersection of these three aspects pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Applied PCK is at the heart of decision-making in the moment; it is “the art of teaching.” Teachers need to take the individual components within PCK, combine them with their own passion and energy for learning and teaching, and encourage students to engage in the learning process. No two classes will be the same, no two lessons will follow the exact path, and no two students will arrive at the same outcome at the same moment. Each of these experiences for the students, class, and teacher will be an individual discovery. As the American poet and teacher Mark Van Doren stated, “The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery”—and I contend the ultimate answer to the question of “how.”
My certificate from the state of Pennsylvania certifies me “to practice the art of teaching and render services” in my certificated areas. I support and believe in the efficacy and importance of the NGSS, the focus they bring to what students should know and understand, as well as the explicit need to integrate the three dimensions within the classroom lessons. However, like each of you, I am a teacher who knows my students and needs to make informed decisions about how to best engage them in the instruction of the content presented in the standards. In the end, it is important to remember that we need to know about the content and resources available, as well as make decisions that will best bring that content alive for our students. This intersection among content, an understanding of education, and knowledge of our students is where we must all practice the art of teaching and help our students engage in discovery.
Today’s Blogger
Christine Anne Royce, a professor of education at Shippensburg University, where she also serves as department chair. For the past two years, she also has codirected the Master of Arts in Teaching in Science Education program and focuses on the integration of science and literacy for her research area. Royce earned an EdD in science education from Temple University and has taught science at all levels. She has served on the NSTA Board and Council. Email her at caroyce@aol.com or follow her on twitter @caroyce.
Editor’s Note
This article was originally published in the September issue of NSTA Reports, the member newspaper of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). Visit the NGSS@NSTA Hub at http://www.nsta.org/ngss to access NSTA’s growing collection of NGSS resources.
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For the past 15 months, a four-letter acronym has been on the tip of science educators’ tongues: NGSS, the Next Generation Science Standards.
Solace in the Solstice? Shedding Light on the Nature of Science
By David Evans, NSTA Executive Director
Posted on 2014-09-23
The coming of autumn at 9:29 EDT last night (which I was pleased to see featured in today’s Google Doodle) serves as the perfect segue to a theme of mine as Executive Director of the National Science Teachers Association: We must teach students to understand that there are testable predictions about that physical world that together comprise a body of knowledge known as “science.” And we cannot debate those “facts.” But what we can do, and must do better, is teach our students how those facts can be used to make societal decisions, such as whether daylight savings time is a benefit or not to our society.
Autumn began last night at 9:29 PM EDT as the sun crossed the equator. For those of us living at mid latitudes, the hours of daylight will now be fewer than those dark. Indeed the rate at which the day disappears is at its quickest, slowing only as we approach the dark and cold days of December and January. Our understanding of the tilt of the Earth’s axis and its motion around the Sun allows us forecast these changes with a high degree of confidence, a simple example of how science leads to testable predictions about the physical world.
Daylight Saving Time ends at 2:00 AM on Sunday November 2, at least here in most of the United States. But not everywhere, which leads to the debate over the use of daylight saving time–something that has been controversial since Benjamin Franklin proposed it. Arguments in favor point to better use of daylight and energy conservation. Opponents argue against the nuisance of changing clocks, disrupted sleep schedules, the risk to school children due to poor visibility in the early hours, the conflict with religious law and practice, and the fact that farm animals don’t use clocks at all.
Daylight saving time is based on the science mentioned above but in itself is not science. While we can debate the costs and benefits of changing our clocks twice a year, we can’t ignore or legislate against the seasonal change in the number of hours of daylight. We can debate how we will respond and we can use the science to inform that discussion, but we may decide that other factors are more important and accept the predictable consequences of our decision.
As the Sun continues its southward trip and the days shorten, we turn back the air conditioning and turn up the heat against winter’s chill. For over a hundred years science has told us that increased combustion of fossil fuels will lead to a change in the planet’s climate. In 1896 Svante Arrhenius calculated a value of the amount of that change that is quite close to modern estimates. And just as we measure the days shortening, so we have we measured the planet’s beginning to warm. We can and must debate what to do with that information but we cannot pretend that it does not exist any more than we can deny the solstice.
The coming of autumn at 9:29 EDT last night (which I was pleased to see featured in today’s Google Doodle) serves as the perfect segue to a theme of mine as Executive Director of the National Science Teac
NGSS and 21st century tools and skills
By Mary Bigelow
Posted on 2014-09-23
One of the perks of being an NSTA member is having access to all of the journals online. Regardless of the grade level you teach, the journals have ideas for authentic activities and investigations that can be used, adapted, or extended for different levels of student interest and experience.
In NSTA’s September K-12 journals, the overarching theme seems to be rethinking and expanding traditional learning experiences. The articles have ideas for helping students incorporate different ways of thinking and learning via activities incorporating the NGSS and 21st century technology applications.
Keep reading for more from Science & Children, Science Scope, and The Science Teacher.
Science & Children: NGSS and Nature of Science
The articles look beyond our previous teaching of THE scientific method to show how students can be involved in their own authentic explorations and discoveries. Here are some SciLinks that are connected to the content topics in several of the the articles:
- Teaching Through Trade Books: How Do We Know What We Know About the Universe? [Solar System Formation, Moon Phases, Astronomy]
- The Nature of Science in Early Childhood [Inference]
- Demystifying Nature of Science [Inference]
- Taking the “Mystery” Out of Argument [Characteristic Properties of Matter, How can Physical Properties Be Used to Identify Matter?]
- Three, Two, One…Blast Off! [Rocket Technology, Rocketry]
- Integrating the Nature of Science [Animal Camouflage, Predator/Prey, Populations, Communities, and Ecosystems]
- Sculpt-a-Scientist [Careers in Science]
- How Do Scientists Work? [Inference]
Science Scope: Assessing Student Progress Toward NGSS Learning Progressions
Assessment is an integral part of the learning process. Many of the lessons described in this issue use the 5E model (which has an Evaluate component congruent with the learning goals and activities) and describe ways to expand our assessment repertoires with performance tasks, learning progressions, pre-assessments, alternate conceptions, journaling, and self-assessment, and observation. Here are some SciLinks that are connected to the content topics in several of the the articles:
- Magnetism: More Than Just Objects Attracted to Refrigerators [Magnetic Materials, Magnetic Fields]
- Assessing Student Progress Along a Solar System Learning Progression [Origins of the Solar System]
- Just Do It! Performance Tasks in the Science Classroom [Plate Tectonics, Landforms]
- Gearing Up for Engineering [Forces, Simple Machines]
- Including Often-Missed Knowledge and Skills in Science Assessments [Ecosystems, Food Webs]
- Tried and True: What’s the Matter? Looking Beyond the Macroscopic [Types of Chemical Bonds, Matter]
If you’re interested in reading Developing Assessments for the Next Generation Science Standards from the National Research Council, you can download a PDF of the document at no charge.
The Science Teacher: 21st Century Tools and Skills
In 2014, we are well into the 21st century, and technology tools continue to evolve. The articles illustrate how these tools can enhance student learning, keeping in mind that in their future students will use tools that haven’t been invented yet. Having a foundation of basic skills with which to use the tools is critical. Here are some SciLinks that are connected to the content topics in several of the the articles:
- Using Mobile Devices in Field Science [Herpetology, Reptiles, Amphibians]
- Lights and Larvae [Genetic Engineering/Recombinant DNA]
- The Green Room: Too Much of a Good Thing [Eutrophication]
- Going Viral [Viruses]
- Cellulose Breakdown [Alternative Fuels]
This issue is the debut of a new column. Right to the Source: Exploring Science and History with the Library of Congress features descriptions of and links to primary source documents digitized by the Library of Congress. This month features communications between Alexander Graham Bell and Guglielmo Marconi.
One of the perks of being an NSTA member is having access to all of the journals online. Regardless of the grade level you teach, the journals have ideas for authentic activities and investigations that can be used, adapted, or extended for different levels of student interest and experience.
Five Essential Topics in the Journal of College Science Teaching
By Carole Hayward
Posted on 2014-09-17
Thousands of college freshmen have chosen their first-year science courses based on knowledge and experience from their K-12 years. College professors and instructors can use the award-winning Journal of College Science Teaching (JCST) to better ensure lectures, labs, and online instruction continue to inspire and promote science education.
JCST is a bimonthly peer-reviewed journal for instructors and professors at the university and two-year community college level as well as pre-service science educators. The journal offers the proven research, case studies, and perspectives for college-level science educators charged with bridging the gap and creating career-ready scientists and future science teachers.
Here are several different ways to spend 15 minutes with JCST (Note: Members need to log in to access the articles listed below; nonmembers can access them for a fee):
- STEM-Related Degrees
It’s never too early to encourage science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) interests in students, but studies show college students make career choices during the first two years of college. As institutions track the enrollment of STEM-related degrees, science professors and instructors must continue to cultivate successful retention of undergraduates in science majors.
Each issue of JCST serves up research and discussion on STEM education challenges and solutions at the college level, such as the following:
- General Chemistry II: Setting the Stage on the First Day With Jeopardy
- Examples From the Trenches: Improving Student Learning in the Sciences Using Team-Based Learning
- Explorations in Integrated Science
- Introducing Transdisciplinary Problem Solving to Environmental Management Systems and Geology Students Through a Case Study of Disturbed Coastal Systems
Learn about unique programs, innovative technology, reform updates, and case studies all focused on STEM education sustainability and growth.
- Focusing on research and case studies
Because professors and instructors may be teaching non-science majors, JCST publishes integrated, multidisciplinary approaches to research experiences. Here are a few sample articles:
- A Multidisciplinary Laboratory Course in Color Science
- Collaborative Projects Increase Student Learning Outcome Performance in Nonmajors Environmental Science Course
- Pitching Environmental Science to Business Majors: Engaging Students in Renewable Energy Choices
Two columns each month focus on student outcomes:
Research and Teaching reports the results of exemplary systematic educational research in college science teaching. Articles published in this column typically report on student outcomes in multicenter or multicourse studies.
- Project-Based Instruction With Future STEM Educators: An Interdisciplinary Approach
- Collaborative Testing: Evidence of Learning in a Controlled In-Class Study of Undergraduate Students
Case Studies column publishes original articles on innovations in case study teaching, assessment of the method, as well as case studies themselves along with teaching notes for classroom instruction.
- The Mystery of the Seven Deaths: A Case Study in Cellular Respiration
- From Gummy Bears to Celery Stalks: Diffusion and Osmosis
- Supporting community college teaching and learning
The Two Year Community column encourages the conversation about the unique challenges of teaching and learning in the two-year and community college classroom.
- Nurturing pre-service science teachers
Future preK-12 science educators are another important audience for the journal. Just as content and pedagogy taught at the university level will inform future science educators, the reforms and innovations of preservice educators are welcome by JCST.
- Exchanging peers’ points of view
In addition to an editorial from JCST Editor Ann Cutler, most issues of JCST features a Point of View column written by a science educator at the community college or university level. This forum allows educators to exchange ideas, experiences, and the specific challenges found in the administration and fundamentals of university teaching practices.
More Time?
Take it one step further by submitting your own manuscript. JCST is always looking for papers from members. Do you have a science investigation you think college professors across that nation should know about? Read the guidelines and write for JCST! Questions about submitting a manuscript to JCST? Please contact editor Ann Cutler at acutler@nsta.org.
Laura Berry of Cogberry Creative is our guest blogger for this series. Laura is a communications professional for the education community.
Using STEM Clubs as a Catalyst for Change in K-12 Education: A Statewide Model
By Guest Blogger
Posted on 2014-09-16
The growing abundance of research supporting the importance of incorporating increased Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) into schools, combined with the recently vocalized excitement in regard to STEM by high profile individuals appears to be having only minimal impact in our classrooms. This appears to be the case despite all of those who have rushed to create and market STEM resources for educators. Even the growing support from industry for an increase in the integration of STEM into schools, which they have graciously shown in the form of financial support and shared expertise, has not been enough to truly ignite successful large scale integration of STEM in schools (Ryan, 2012). 
Unfortunately this reality, however frustrating, is not new to educational reform efforts. History has shown that many well intended, research backed educational reform efforts have failed due to a lack of understanding and support for such change. Although this appears to be the path that many of the efforts in regard to STEM are on, there are signs of hope. In Arizona, over the past three years, we at Science Foundation Arizona have seen our efforts in regard to STEM clubs ignite a statewide movement which is beginning to serve as a catalyst for helping educators, students, parents, and the larger community to understand and support the need for increasing the integration of STEM into our schools. While we acknowledge that this may only be a first step in the process to fully integrate STEM into our schools, we see it as a vital one to move forward toward large-scale sustainable integration of STEM into our classrooms.
Three years ago, defining STEM clubs as “any gathering of students that meets regularly in an informal environment to work on inquiry-based STEM related activities,” Science Foundation Arizona piloted STEM clubs in eleven schools. Each school received supplies, teacher stipends, and professional development. What we learned from these efforts was that there was an interest in STEM clubs across the state and that STEM clubs opened up possibilities that other types of specialized clubs, such as full robotics clubs, did not. Unlike these specialized clubs, STEM clubs appealed to all grade levels, especially K–8, and they allowed teachers and students to adjust the level and focus of the club in order to meet student needs and interests. With this knowledge in hand, we set out to develop a STEM club model that could be replicated on a large scale. At this time we were also working on developing a statewide network of Informal STEM Providers, which included representatives from education, business, government, and non-profit organizations with an interest in Informal STEM. Early in our second year of these efforts our work in these two areas came together when we realized that a number of our Informal partners had also been experimenting with STEM clubs. As a result, we began to coordinate our efforts and our lessons learned. Within six months we had developed an inexpensive STEM club model, and an online STEM Club Guide, which not only provides schools with guidance on how to setup and support a STEM club, but also has the ability to connect these clubs to one another, allowing them to share resources, collaborate on projects, and provide each other support regardless of geographic limitations. This free online resource can be found at stemclubguide.sfaz.org.
With all of this in place, we launched this new club model and online guide at the first Arizona STEM Club Conference in July 2013. This conference attracted over 120 educators from over 90 schools in 9 Arizona counties. Following this conference we provided 70 of the attending schools seed funding of approximately $750 to help them setup and support a STEM club. Supported with these minimal funds, these 70 clubs ran through the 2013–2014 school year directly serving over 1000 students, and many of these clubs are continuing for the next school year. Working with these clubs throughout the year, we quickly learned that the beauty in this simple, inexpensive STEM club model was that it could be tailored to the needs of the school, teachers, and students. Teachers involved in these clubs claim they were not overwhelmed by resources and content that they did not understand, and as a result many saw these clubs as a way to “test” ideas they had for teaching in the STEM 
disciplines while working on improving their own content knowledge, without the threat of standardized accountability. Similarly students in these clubs have shared with us that they were excited because these clubs “made science and math interesting and fun.” We are already seeing this having an initial impact on students’ interest in school, in STEM, and in some cases on their achievement in the STEM disciplines. In addition, most of these clubs did community events and outreach, which helped them to gain community support for STEM, and in some cases additional funding for their efforts. Finally, schools appear to be supportive of these clubs most likely because they are inexpensive and were initiated by interested teachers and students.
Moving into our third year of these efforts, we held the 2nd Annual Arizona STEM Clubs Conference in June 2014. At this year’s event we had over 220 educators from over 150 schools representing 13 of the 15 counties in Arizona. This summer we will provide seed or expansion funding, at approximately $500 per club, to over 110 clubs, 90 of which will be new clubs. This being the case, we expect to have almost 200 STEM clubs across the state networked through our online STEM Club Guide in the next few months. Based on last years impact rate, this gives us the potential to directly impact at least 2,000 to 3,000 students this year. In addition we have had inquiries from educators in three other states looking to use our STEM club model and online resources to start or expand STEM club efforts in their states.
Now, of course, the cynic may question, how will any of this impact student achievement? This criticism can be answered in a number of ways. First, research suggests that student achievement may be closely tied to motivation (Faryadi, 2007), and our efforts are already showing support for this claim. In a number of cases we are already seeing that these STEM clubs, which provide a simple way to motivate both students and teachers, are leading to increases in student achievement in the STEM disciplines. We intend to continue to monitor this in order to provide stronger support for this connection. In addition, there have been a number of recent studies showing a direct correlation between participation in out-of-school STEM activities and increased achievement in STEM disciplines (Sahin et. al., 2014). All of this being said, however, what is most exciting about the results we are seeing in our STEM club efforts in Arizona is that we have realized that we have not started a STEM club program, but rather a STEM club movement, and as Apple (2010) states, it is social movements that, “are the real engines of educational transformations.”
References
Apple, M. (2010). On Being a Scholar/Activist in Education. In E.C. Short & L. J. Waks (Eds.), Leaders in Curriculum Studies: Intellectual Self Portraits (pp. 1–17). Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.
Faryadi, Q. (2007). Instructional design models: What a revolution! ERIC, Retrieved from www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED495711.pdf
Ryan, R. (2012). Why STEM Isn’t Working: A dangerous disconnect between think and feel. Madison Magazine. Retrieved from www.madisonmagazine.com/Madison-Magazine/October-2012/Why-STEM-Isnt-Working/
Sahin, A., Ayar, M., & Adriguzel, T. (2014). STEM Related After-School Program Activities and Associated Outcomes on Student Learning. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 14(1), 309–322. doi:10.12738/estp.2014.1.1876
Today’s Guest Blogger
Stephaine Frimer, M.Ed. is the STEM Field Representative at Science Foundation Arizona. She can be reached at sfrimer@sfaz.org; the Science Foundation Arizona is on Twitter @ScienceFoundAz.
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The growing abundance of research supporting the importance of incorporating increased Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) into schools, combined with the recently vocalized excitement in regard to STEM by high profile individuals appears to be having only minimal impact in our classrooms.
Kindergarten teachers–webinar for you on Wednesday, September 17, 2014
By Peggy Ashbrook
Posted on 2014-09-16
Investigating motion.
Just a quick post to alert you to the National Science Teachers Association webinar, Teaching NGSS in Elementary School—Kindergarten, for Kindergarten teachers, underwritten by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Increase your understanding of the Next Generation Science Standards with kindergartners in mind. Just 90 minutes–see additional information below. Click here to see the entire series for all grades.
Teaching NGSS in Elementary School—Kindergarten
Review the general architecture of the Next Generation Science Standards and the specific expectations for kindergarten. Then learn how to use the standards to plan curriculum and instruction. During this 90-minute web seminar, you will also have an opportunity to
- deepen their understanding of how the three dimensions of NGSS (practices, core ideas, and crosscutting concepts) are designed to blend together during classroom instruction;
- dive in to one or two examples of what the teaching and learning to achieve NGSSlooks like in a Kindergarten classroom; and
- discuss instructional practices with other Kindergarten teachers and begin the development of a grade-level community in the NSTA Learning Center to support students learning.
Title: Teaching NGSS in Elementary School—Kindergarten
Target audience: Kindergarten teachers
Date: Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. CT / 4:30 p.m. MT / 3:30 p.m. PT
Duration: 90 minutes Note: New users should log in 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time for an introduction to NSTA web seminars.
Presenters: Carla Zembal-Saul, Mary Starr and Kathy Renfrew
Register today to participate in this web seminar. Upon registering you will receive an e-mail confirmation including information about the program and suggested links to visit in preparation of the event. Additional information about the web seminar will be e-mailed to you days before the program.
Each web seminar is a unique, stand-alone, program. Archives of the web seminars and the presenters’ PowerPoint presentations will be available through the links on this web page. Learn more about the features of the web seminar and read answers to frequently asked questions from participants.
Investigating motion.
Setting the Stage for Science
By Christine Royce
Posted on 2014-09-14
Now that we are back in school somewhere between a week and a month depending on where you live and what schedule your district adheres to, I thought it might be a great opportunity for all of us to step back and consider how we set the stage for science learning in our classrooms this year. The Leaders Letter that came out right as the Labor Day holiday hit and school started may still be sitting in your in-boxes and had as its theme Science Engagement on All Levels. Resources included information on the current Ebola outbreak, resources for parents related to the Next Generation Science Standards, a report titled The Progress of Education Reform: Science in the Early Years, which examines the benefits associated with science education in early learning and includes recommendations for state policymakers. It also provided safety resources and a variety of announcements. Hopefully something was interesting to and engaged the readership of the eNewsletter. So engagement was the topic of the newsletter and of this blog post that will hopefully generate conversation and a sharing of ideas.
How we engage people – whether it be students, peers, or parents requires strategy and thought. A popular commercial for a credit card has various character’s asking “What’s in Your Pocket?” in a whimsical way connects (at least in my mind) to the idea of engagement and ultimately “setting the stage for science.” Considering how we set the stage for science is a way of encouraging educators to consider how we engage students in science or how do we make science engaging.
Within the newsletter, the section of resource for professional development providers offers several websites related to the strategies to engage learners and create an atmosphere for your classroom. It is understandable that a classroom environment to include décor, structure, and management policies is sometimes controlled or limited by administrative policies. It is also understandable that approaches are often influenced by what a teacher feels comfortable doing. For example, I am NOT a person who can pull off the criss, cross applesauce and other clapping strategies with any sincerity at all – even when attempting to model them for my pre-service teachers.
Making students feel welcomed to the classroom is part of the role of the classroom teacher as one of the first steps in engaging the learner. The need to develop a classroom culture which represents a community of learners is an important task for the start of the school year, as is the need to begin to model expectations for student work and engagement. Some of the resources included in the leader’s letter provide suggestions and ideas for these tasks. You can continue the conversation by explaining what one strategy you utilize to welcome your students or staff back to the new school year by posting to this blog!
So, to start the conversation, I’d like to share an activity that I have conducted with upper elementary, middle school and high school students as well as most recently with my college pre-service education majors as shown in the photographs. The idea of creating a science notebook that will serve as a central location for classroom work such as making observations, developing procedures, illustrating two dimensional sketches, completing computations or drawing conclusions is a great way to set the stage for science learning while at the same time getting to know some of your students.
Depending on the age level of your students, this may need to be adapted to providing magazines to find pictures within class time, however having older students allows for some transfer of responsibility. I ask students to bring the following materials to class the first day (and always have extras for those who don’t accept the responsibility even at the college level)
- Bound composition notebook (fully described so they know it is not the spiral type notebook)
- Clear contact paper (again depending on your school district policies this may need to be provided)
- Pictures from magazines or the newspaper that represent the answer of “What does science look like or mean to you?”
The first part of the class asks students to cover their notebook in a collage type format with the pictures they have brought in and then how to cover the notebook with contact paper is modeled. While students are figuring out the arrangement of their pictures, it provides an opportunity for me to walk around and engage individually with students – asking them why they selected a picture; ask table groups if there is any common theme to the pictures selected; or when I have done this at the K-12 level, simply assist students who may need a bit more individual help which often puts them more at ease in the classroom environment. I find it absolutely amazing to see the pictures that represent science – it often demonstrates an interest area students have as well as sometimes providing insight into potential misconceptions based on the type of picture or article title they have chosen. Furthermore having students help students with the covering of the notebook begins to build collaboration within the classroom.
The second part of the class has students initially engage with the notebook idea. Information about the heading, date etc. is explained and modeled and then students are asked to complete one of several prompts which change based on the level I’m working with. These prompts can be:
- Draw a scientist (check out Barman’s work in the Science and Children archives)
- Explain their definition of what science is and how scientists go about engaging in science
- Provide a paragraph about their absolutely favorite experience in learning something about science and what made them remember it.
Students were asked to design and explain a Rube Goldberg
type of machine after watching the Honda Car Parts Commercial
Any prompt that asks students to draw on their own experiences of science will be helpful for setting the stage for science learning and particularly learning more about the student’s interest in and motivation towards science.
That is just one idea that I have utilized at the beginning of the year to set the stage for science. So my question to you is why not share “what’s in your pocket” and post yours?
Christine Royce
Sample Notebook Covers
Now that we are back in school somewhere between a week and a month depending on where you live and what schedule your district adheres to, I thought it might be a great opportunity for all of us to step back and consider how we set the stage for science learning in our classrooms this year.
Where Can I Find Inspiration for New Lesson Plans?
By Carole Hayward
Posted on 2014-09-12
NSTA member Todd Hoover, who now teaches preservice science teachers, began his career as an elementary and middle-level science teacher. When starting out, he didn’t know about NSTA. “One of my biggest regrets is that I didn’t become a member sooner,” he says. “I wish that I had joined NSTA when I was teaching K–12 because I missed out on a world of good ideas that I could have used in the classroom.” Hoover says that for busy teachers, NSTA provides a wealth of ideas that educators “can take and almost immediately use in the classroom with students.”
Hoover: I find it extremely important that I share information about NSTA with every one of my preservice teachers because I don’t want them to start their careers and not know about the association. When teachers have a resource that is readily available to them, particularly at their fingertips like the NSTA Learning Center, they save a lot of valuable time in planning and preparation.
NSTA provides a number of resources that range from how to write a grant to content knowledge support. There’s an endless amount of topics to choose from when you go to an NSTA Conference or when you’re using the Learning Center. I find that for me, personally, the part that is most beneficial are the lesson ideas that I can take and use right away.
Every NSTA Conference I attend, both regional and national, is filled with practical, real-world, hands-on, and effective ideas. I use those ideas in my college classrooms, and I teach my preservice students those same ideas so they can implement them in the K–12 system.
During one of the most recent conferences I attended, for example, I went to a session where the presenter showed educational science games that can be used in the classroom. He must have presented 30 or more games in just that one-hour time. I found practically every one of the games to be useful and have shared the games with my preservice teachers so that they can use them in their classrooms.
When I go to the NSTA Conferences, I also find that I leave there with ideas that are able to be implemented in the classroom at little or no cost. All teachers are trying to find ways to do good teaching without breaking the bank.
How else has your NSTA membership helped you in your career?
Hoover: I have served on committees such as the Science and Children Advisory Board and the planning committee for the 2015 NSTA area conference in Philadelphia. The networking opportunities have been huge. I have also gotten involved with NSTA’s state chapter here in Pennsylvania and in two years I’ll be serving as the chapter’s president. Through all of these different connections, I’ve been able to improve my own professional development. I get to network with some of the best science educators in the nation now. There are good ideas that come from that.
(Note from NSTA: How has NSTA helped you save time on lesson planning? We’d love to hear from you in the comments section below. Not a member of NSTA? Learn more about how to join.)
Jennifer Henderson is our guest blogger for this series. Before launching her freelance career as a writer/editor, Jennifer was Managing Editor of The Science Teacher, NSTA’s peer-reviewed journal for high school science teachers.
Middle school to high school
By Mary Bigelow
Posted on 2014-09-10
I’ve heard that there will be a vacancy in the high school science department next year. The position is for three sections of general biology and two sections of environmental science (not AP). I currently teach middle school general science but I’m credentialed in biology and tempted to make a change after 10 years. What culture shock would I experience in high school? How can I handle two different preparations?
—M. fromTexas
I had a similar situation, switching to a high school position after many years at a middle school. I think my middle school experience gave me an off-beat sense of humor and helped me to deal with the high schoolers who needed different instructional approaches. Engaging high school students in spirited discussions and in high-level investigations and projects was intellectually exhilarating, although I must admit I still have a soft spot for middle schoolers. But I don’t regret taking on a rewarding challenge that enabled me to grow professionally and expand my circle of colleagues.
In terms of “culture shock,” you’ll find the students are physically bigger and they have a lot on their plates in addition to their academic classes: extracurriculars, social issues, interactions with their peers, after-school jobs, and concerns about college and post-high school employment. In many places, the high school starts earlier than the other schools. Access to social media can be a distraction during the day. You might not have a high percentage of parents at back-to-school night.
Unless you are already familiar with the school and the faculty, you may feel like a new teacher again. You might not be part of a team as you were at the middle school. Your lessons will have to include investigations and activities that are at a higher level of complexity.
My big “aha” was noticing how high school students have definite ideas of how things are supposed to be in school. If you deviate from that, you might have some pushback at first until they see the benefits. For example, if you require open-ended discussion or non-cookbook investigations, some students may complain “just tell us what to do.” In a fair, firm, and friendly style explain why you expect them to take more responsibility for their learning and how you will help them.
I actually enjoyed teaching more than one course. When I taught six sections of middle school science, I found that by the end of the day, it was hard to remember what we did in each class (I learned how to make quick annotations after each one). I had to draw on my acting and presentation skills to make the last period as interesting as the first, and I had to remember that even if I had heard a question five times already, to a student in the last class it was a new idea. I also appreciated the opportunity to update my own content and skills in more than one specialized area.
Another advantage of teaching more than one course is that—with careful planning—you can schedule tests, projects, student presentations, and notebook reviews at different times, spreading out the work instead of dealing with 150+ assignments at once.
There are many strategies you can use to keep yourself (and the students) organized. Try not to have to set up two different labs on the same day. Divide your bulletin boards and shelves into two separate areas so students in each course know where things are and where to turn in their assignments. I used a different logo for each of the three courses I taught, putting it in the upper right corner of handouts, quizzes, or other documents. I used separate three-ring binders and separate folders (with the same logo) on my laptop for each course to organize lesson plans and other resources. I even had a bag for each course to keep materials from getting mixed up when I took things home.
A huge asset is that you will know many of the students from their middle school years. You know what is and is not part of that curriculum and what most of them should already know or be able to do (with a bit of a refresher).
Some of our colleagues are forced into a change on short notice, so you’re fortunate to have input into this decision and time to think about it, visit the school, and review the curriculum. Good luck!
I’ve heard that there will be a vacancy in the high school science department next year. The position is for three sections of general biology and two sections of environmental science (not AP). I currently teach middle school general science but I’m credentialed in biology and tempted to make a change after 10 years. What culture shock would I experience in high school? How can I handle two different preparations?
—M. fromTexas