Even if your program is moving to a new location over the summer, or you are beginning your summer job as soon as your school year job ends, you will probably find yourself reflecting on the past year. It is revealing to compare the children’s end of the school year self-portraits with those made in the first week of the school, to see students’ growth in understanding, and representing, themselves. I love to see what they thought was important to share about themselves. I reflect on how I grew over the year, past my first impressions about them:
Will that two-year-old ever be able to separate from his parents without tears?
Wow, that child is shy!
With those fancy clothes and shoes she’ll never want to engage in rough-and-tumble play.
Will this rambunctious child always be a disruption in circle time?
The two-year-old used the calm assurance of his teacher to build his understanding that parents come back and preschool is fun. Shyness turns out to be a preference for self-directed play where she is in charge. Fashion plate style does not keep a girl from running, rolling and sliding. The rambunctious child turns out to be the champion rule-follower once the class discusses their rules at circle time.
It can be satisfying to reflect on my own year too. Did I meet my goals, and how have I grown? Have I allowed new information to inform my understanding of the children, each week? What current research in early childhood education will help me consider my practice in a new light, keeping what works and revising what doesn’t? Where has my work supported others in early childhood? What have been some of the best parts of my school year?

I am a first grade teacher, applying for a STEM position as a Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA). This will be the first time a position like this has been offered in our district, and ours is the first elementary school to have a STEM focus. What should be the STEM teacher’s role? How do schools facilitate this? Any information that could be passed on would be appreciated.
—Elizabeth, Duluth, Minnesota
Schools are facing the challenge of providing professional development (PD) related to STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Should schools contract with outside consultants? Hire motivational speakers for once-and-done presentations? Expect (or require) teachers to learn on their own?
I’m interested that your school is thinking about using a staff member as a “Teacher on Special Assignment” (TOSA). TOSAs are experienced teachers given release time to assist teachers and administrators with projects related to curriculum and instruction. Often these positions are funded through grants or other special funds. These positions might last one year or several years. The TOSA maintains his or her position on the salary and seniority scale while performing the duties.
I was TOSA for K-12 technology, and my district also had a TOSA for elementary science. We often collaborated on PD projects integrating the two fields. We saw ourselves as “coaches” in these areas. (There is now a wealth of literature in effective coaching.) Basically, it boils down to supporting teachers rather than telling them what to do or doing things for them. TOSAs can support teachers by sharing resources and information, demonstrating strategies, asking questions, hosting PD sessions, and co-teaching. It’s important that teachers see you as a non-evaluative colleague rather than an administrator. This is sometimes a difficult role.
Before you accept the position (I’m being optimistic that you will receive the offer), I would definitely read the job description carefully. It seems like the role should be to build capacity within the faculty in terms of STEM content and practices. If you’re viewed as a “special” and teachers get (or assume they have) a planning period while you teach their classes, it would defeat this purpose. What happens then in those classrooms after you return to your first grade position?

Begin with the end in mind. Based on the current status of STEM subjects in your school, what should change as a result of your assignment? Discuss the goals and expectations with your administrator and share them with the teachers. Talk to the teachers in terms of what they need to know or be able to do to incorporate STEM topics at the elementary level.
Will you still be part of the teaching staff? What other duties might you be assigned? What resources and budget will you have? Will you be able to attend conferences? What happens after the end of the assignment? Work with your teacher’s association and ask for a written statement from the administration about your status and returning to your classroom and teaching assignment. You should definitely have a personal, secure space to work and store materials (i.e., an office).
You’ll probably be responsible for record-keeping related to the project. Keep a detailed log of your days and how you use your time, including preparation time finding information, organizing materials, and preparing demonstration lessons. Log time beyond the school day, too. Consider setting up a project website or using social media to communicate and share with teachers.
In addition to being a TOSA myself, in another position I worked with TOSAs on reading, science, and other PD projects. I think for all of us it was an eye-opening, career-changing experience that was a chance to develop as teacher-leaders, enhance our own classroom teaching, and provide an opportunity to share with and learn from other teachers—the ultimate in professional development.
From your letter, it sounds like you have a lot of STEM experiences to build on and share. Good luck!
 
Photo:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/benwerd/329570851/

A day in the life of a young child could be described as one big scientific experiment with its limitless opportunities for exploration of the natural world. Because these daily experiences are started in infancy, elementary students bring their preconceptions with them, which can impact how they think and process new information.
Now more than ever formative assessment is a critical tool in helping elementary science teachers uncover these student preconceptions and understand what they may be thinking at any point during an instructional cycle.
Bestselling NSTA Press® author Page Keeley understands that elementary teachers represent an important “first line of offense in addressing common misconceptions that follow students from elementary grades into middle school, into high school and even into adulthood.” That’s why her new book supports elementary science teachers’ capacity to continuously, seamlessly use formative assessment.
What Are They Thinking? Promoting Elementary Learning Through Formative Assessment is organized into 30 chapters, each featuring an article written for Science and Children’s monthly column, “Formative Assessment Probes: Promoting Learning Through Assessment.”
Each article was specifically written to illustrate how a probe (a two-tiered assessment specifically designed to reveal common misconceptions), often combined with a FACT (formative assessment classroom technique), can be used in a K-6 classroom. Each chapter includes a Reflection and Study Guide to help educators reflect on what they learned after reading the chapter. Keeley is well known for her research-based probes that are aligned with grade band expectations, easy to implement, and proven effective. The topics included span a wide-range of subject matter (from “Birthday candles” to “Pushes and Pulls” to “Catching a Cold” to “Were Did the Water Come From?”)
Whether you’re a teacher, teacher leader, mentor, science specialist, professional development provider, or preservice instructor, there is something for each of you in this book, in improving and supporting the teaching and learning of elementary students by embedding formative assessment into daily instruction.
This book is also available as an e-book.

Americans read more words each day than ever before, but in fewer consecutive minutes. As much as we would love to spend hours reading the award-winning NSTA journal The Science Teacher from cover to cover, it does not always work out that way. Instead, focus on the information most valuable to you. Here are five accessible ways to glean the most important information from your journal subscription in just 15 minutes.

1. Go digital.

Get your digital edition so you flip through the issue from anywhere: the car wash line, the salon, or even in front of a campfire. (You never know when science inspiration will strike!) In addition to everything in the print edition, you get videos and direct links to resources. But you can also stay in touch with the journal on social media by following The Science Teacher page on Facebook and through the NSTA Twitter feed. Get the latest updates to share with other educators and save for later.

2. Wonk out in Headline Science.

Science never stops. Need a round up on the most interesting new findings in science across the fields of earth and space science, life science, and physical science? Focus your energy on the Headline Science section of the journal, which will summarize recent studies and give you a link to explore further.

3. Invest in NSTA Recommends.

School budgets are tight, but you can shop smart. Before you spend cash on science-related books, DVDs, and other materials, vet your selections with this section of the journal. Each month includes a fresh crop of recommendations, but the online database has more than 4,000 reviews.

4. Curate your favorite columns.

Six short columns in the journal focus on specific interests each month for secondary science educators.

• Science 2.0 covers the digital trends used in science education and the web-based tools you can use in the classroom.
• The Green Room focuses on sharing environmentally friendly resources and best practices for teachers.
• The New Teacher’s Toolbox is the go-to column for educators just starting out and useful tips for teachers at all stages of their careers.
• Career of the Month are first-person interviews with scientists and engineers in different fields and industries around the world.
• Health Wise concentrates on helping students make healthy choices as they start making adult decisions.
• Safer Science shares best practices for science educators, who must consider the wellbeing of students in laboratory experiments.

5. Dive into case studies—and submit one of your own.

Every issue of The Science Teacher features real-life case studies from schools around the country based around the month’s themes. Interested in successful science lessons written by science educators? These stories share the human elements of thrilling discovery and human compassion that can make science education so special, while highlighting classroom-ready investigations and teaching strategies.
Take it one step further by submitting your own case study. The Science Teacher is always looking for papers from members. Do you have a success story to share or a lesson you think science teachers across that nation should know about? Read the guidelines and write for The Science Teacher!
More time?
Each issue of The Science Teacher is theme-related. Technology adoption, academic standards, and Earth and space science are just a few of the topics. Your membership entitles you to search the archives for issues tailored to your field of study or a particular lesson plan.
Learn more about The Science Teacher on the NSTA website.
Not a member of NSTA? Learn more about how to join.
Laura Berry of Cogberry Creative is our guest blogger for this series. Laura is a communications professional for the education community.
 
 

June 18 Update! We’re presenting these award-winning books at 10% off between now and midnight on June 27, 2014. Be sure to use promo code AWARD when you order any of the featured titles.

Years of teaching experience were rewarded last night when the National Science Teachers Association Press and Journal authors and editors were honored at the REVERE Awards Gala, hosted by the Association of American Publishers. The REVERE Awards program is the most prestigious and comprehensive recognition program in the learning resource community. So it’s particularly heartening that the judges valued our authors’ ability to help other educators see into the minds of young children, show readers fireflies and sunsets in a new light, makes links between inquiring scientists and readers, tie science education and literacy together, promote science that saves lives, get connected, and reveal the science identity of science students.
These authors’ expert knowledge, passion for science education, and ability to make learning come alive for students is evident to the NSTA staff and leadership every day, and we count on them to guide us carefully down the path of knowledge in the age of information-overload. As we work with them to better science education for all students, we are so proud and honored to see that their peers recognize their labors of love!
NSTA Press Authors Awarded
Emily Morgan, for the Beyond the Classroom Award for two titles:
Next Time You See a Firefly (peek inside a sample chapter)
Next Time You See a Sunset (peek inside a sample chapter)
Page Keeley, for the Distinguished Achievement Award in Professional Development/Assessment for the following title:
Uncovering Student Ideas in Primary Science, Volume 1 (peek inside at a sample chapter)
Jessica Fries-Gaither and Terry Shiverdecker, for the Distinguished Achievement Award in Supplemental Resources/Interdisciplinary, for the following title:
Inquiring Scientists, Inquiring Readers (peek inside at a sample chapter)
NSTA Journal Article Awarded
“Get Connected”
(Science and Children)
Winner of the Distinguished Achievement Award for Periodicals/Feature Article
Finalists for Distinguished Achievement Awards
“A Science That Saves Lives”
(The Science Teacher)
“The Science Identity of College Students”
(Journal of College Science Teaching)
Even More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons, K-5 (peek inside at a sample chapter)
Accepting the Awards
Representing the National Science Teachers Association at the REVERE Awards last night were David Beacom, NSTA Publisher and Associate Executive Director; David Evans, NSTA Executive Director, and his wife, Eva Griffith; Juliana Texley, NSTA President; Bill Badders, NSTA Retiring President; Claire Reinburg, NSTA Press Director; Wendy Rubin, NSTA Press Managing Editor; Amy America, NSTA Press Book Acquisitions Coordinator; Page Keeley, Author of Uncovering Student Ideas in Science in Primary Science, Volume 1 (and the series); Emily Morgan, Author of Next Time You See a Sunset and Next Time You See a Firefly (and the series); Jessica Fries-Gaither, Coauthor of Inquiring Scientists, Inquiring Readers; Terry Shiverdecker, Coauthor of Inquiring Scientists, Inquiring Readers; Valynda Mayes, Managing Editor of Science and Children; Caroline Barnes, Managing Editor of the Journal of College Science Teaching; and NSTA Press author Christine Royce.

I’m thinking ahead to how I will organize my classroom next year. Could you share some thoughts or resources? For example, should I let students choose where they sit each day or have a seating chart? Should I keep the desks separate or arrange them in groups? As a beginning teacher I want to do what’s effective.
—Jerry, Connecticut
Think back to a college class or multi-day professional development activity. After the first day or two, didn’t people tend to sit in the same place for the rest of the time? It seems that we like the routine of being in a familiar place with familiar people. Some of us like to be near a window or in the front of the room. The same will be true for students in your classroom.
I personally like to have a set seating chart at the beginning of the year. It helped me to learn the names of 150+ students, and it reduced some of the drama that occurs between middle school students. As they worked in their assigned groups, I could observe them interact and learn more about their strengths and challenges: who were the leaders, the slackers, the thinkers, the doers, the organizers, and the creators; which students needed closer supervision; and which students were struggling with the activities. Later on, we changed the arrangements with more input from the students. I had my input, too, based on my observations.
Whether you make a chart or allow students to choose their places, there are students (such as those with learning disabilities or visual/hearing conditions) who will need to be in specific places in order to participate in class activities, according to their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Students with assistive devices may need to be near electrical outlets. And you’ll find a few students who will stay focused better under your watchful eye. So even a well-laid plan will have to be modified.
The NSTA Learning Center has an extensive forum thread on the topic Seating Charts.
In terms of arranging the desks or tables, the type of task the students are doing should be the determining factor: working in teams, pairs, or independently. As you set up routines, students should learn to transition between activities efficiently. In a science classroom, safety is a concern, too, in terms of keeping aisles clear of backpacks or cords, and safety equipment accessible. If your classroom lessons include electronic technology such as tablets, laptops, smartphones, or calculators, students will need to be able to keep them charged.
Several Ms. Mentor columns from NSTA Reports/NSTA Blogs have discussed the topic:

• Classroom seating arrangements. I am trying to decide how to arrange my classroom with 22–27 chemistry students per class. Last year, my desks were arranged in the traditional manner: rows with an aisle. This year I’m thinking of setting the desks up in pods of four or in pairs. Do you have any advice on desk arrangements?

• Arranging a science classroom. I’m student teaching now at an elementary school, and I want to emphasize science. In the classrooms I observe, I see many different layouts and arrangements, but what is the best way to organize a classroom? When I get my own classroom, where do I start?

Several other educator blogs have addressed the issue:

• Does seat placement affect student scores? An educator describes the results of a study on seating assignments and achievement and shares his thoughts on the topic.

• Three reasons I was wrong about tables. A middle/high school math teacher shares her experiences with rearranging desks into tables. The comments are interesting, too.

There are a lot of variables in organizing a classroom: the subject area, the age or experience level of the students, the type of learning activities, the size of the classroom, the availability of resources and utilities, safety concerns, and even the time of day. The best way to determine if your plans are effective is to try them. Document which plans work and which ones didn’t (and why).
 

Today’s Guest Blogger is author Eric Brunsell, an Associate Professor of Science Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and Coordinator of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Recently I was thinking about my first experience with e-mail (in 1992) and how much communication has changed since then. Teaching, too, has gone through similar dramatic changes. In 1992, Project 2061’s Science for All Americans was three years’ old and the National Science Education Standards (NSES) were still a few years away from being published. These documents codified what the science education community knew about “best practices” at that time.  Over the past two decades we have learned a lot about how people learn science. We have used this knowledge to change the way we craft investigations, and how we assess our students and help them make sense of information.  It wasn’t a short process—the NSES didn’t transform science teaching overnight and changes have been far from universal. Instead, it is a process of gradual change over time—an evolution of how we teach science.
The ideas in the Framework for K–12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) didn’t just appear a year or two ago. These documents bring together what we’ve learned and what we now know about how best to teach science.  The writing teams labored to create a framework to point all of us in the right direction as our teaching of science continues to evolve. This is why the NGSS is so important for the future of science education in the U.S., even for teachers and administrators in states that do not adopt. The Next Generation Science Standards provide a rich, complex, and exciting vision for what science could look like in our schools. Some aspects will feel familiar, others will not. The realization of this vision will not happen overnight or even over the course of a year.  However, we owe it to our students and to our profession to have a sense of urgency as we move toward that vision.
Over the past few years, Deb Kneser, Kevin Niemi, and I (along with many other colleagues) have worked with hundreds of teachers and administrators to understand the “shifts” in the NGSS and Framework—an integration of three dimensions of science (core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and science and engineering practices) and how those shifts can be translated into instruction.  Deb has extensive experience working with districts on curriculum issues, including Common Core State Standards implementation and is the Chair of the Institute for Professional Development at Marian University. Kevin is a biologist, actively provides professional development related to teaching science, and is the Director of Outreach for the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Institute for Biology Education. I am a science teacher educator at the University of Wisconsin—Oshkosh and have lead a variety of professional development projects over the past 15 years.
During these workshops, we quickly realized that the vision of the NGSS resonated with teachers. There was a sense that the integration of these three dimensions of science had the potential to bring science “to life” and move students beyond knowing science content to being able to do things with the science that they are learning. Many teachers found comfort in realizing that they were doing some of the things described in the practices (e.g. questioning, modeling, etc.), but also found that they could deepen their understanding of how to engage students in these practices. However, there was also a high level of anxiety as to what the NGSS looked like in the classroom, and how implementation would impact the scope and sequence of an individual class, and the science curriculum within a district. We found that this anxiety often served as an obstacle to digging into other aspects of the NGSS. As a result, our professional development work often included a balance between developing an understanding of the three dimensions of science, while also providing teachers and administrators with tools and processes to begin discussing curricular issues.
Our book, Introducing Teachers and Administrators to the NGSS: A Professional Development Facilitator’s Guide, describes more than 20 activities that we have used early in the process to introduce and develop understanding of the Framework and the NGSS.  We have also included chapters on practical ways to facilitate professional development and address common sticking points that arise during workshops, and also included helpful tips for administrators as they engage in implementation.
Check out this free chapter (Introducing the NGSS) to see the first four activities. These four activities are intended to be used early in professional development efforts as you build awareness and understanding of the vision and structure of the NGSS. Participants dig into a standards progression as they explore how the “pieces” of a standards page fit together, define vocabulary related to NGSS, and develop an understanding of why the “shifts” in the NGSS are important. The remaining 20 activities provide structured experiences to help teachers and administrators begin to understand the curricular and pedagogical issues related to the standards. These activities include:

• Model activities and protocols to deepen understanding of all three dimensions of the NGSS;
• Processes for using “backwards design” principles for developing rich instructional units using the NGSS;
• Protocols for facilitating discussions about curriculum scope and sequence at the classroom and district levels; and
• Opportunities to explore connections to the Common Core State Standards and strategies for supporting all students’ science learning.

If you are in a state or district that has adopted the NGSS, we hope this book will provide you with practical guidance about how to begin implementation. If you are in a state that has not (or will not) adopt the NGSS, our hope is that the activities in this book can deepen your understanding of the vision for the Framework and the NGSS that will guide the continual improvement of science education for at least the next decade.
Editor’s Note: Visit the NGSS@NSTA Hub to access NSTA’s growing collection of NGSS resources.  If you are an NSTA member, you can engage with other educators on the NGSS listserve and access NGSS video sessions from the recent NSTA national conference. Not an NSTA member? Join us!