By Mary Bigelow
Posted on 2012-03-14
By Mary Bigelow
Posted on 2012-03-11
By Francis Eberle
Posted on 2012-03-09
By Teshia Birts, CAE
Posted on 2012-03-08
This week we are featuring a post from guest blogger, Chuck Hempstead, MPA, CAE. Chuck is the Executive Director of the Science Teachers Association of Texas (an NSTA Chapter). Chuck also serves as President of Hempstead and Associates, a full-service association management company based in Austin, Texas. He holds the designation of Certified Association Executive (CAE) from the American Society of Association Executives.
In the past few years, the Science Teachers Association of Texas (STAT) has ramped up its efforts to become a presence in the eye of public policymakers. We’ve advocated for new supplemental science materials, and urged our members to speak out. Advocacy is becoming one of our most important member benefits, because when people stand together, they can get a lot more done than when they act alone. Camaraderie is, after all, the basic reason for an association to exist.
Having advocated for non-profit educational associations for more than 30 years, I’ve made it my life’s work to make sure the voices of our educators are heard. STAT is becoming a force to be reckoned with. Our membership is in the thousands. We’ve become the “go-to” people when reporters, like Erika Aguilar of KUT News, need to get the facts on science-related breaking news (President Ross Ann Hill and TESTA Representative Gail Gant were interviewed recently regarding teaching climate change in Texas schools). We’re the first to know about important STEM-related issues, like STAAR updates and other TEA news. We get the word out to our members via social media and email, keeping teachers from across the state in touch with what’s happening in Austin.
We know the times are tough for teachers all across the country. Every year, without fail, we host the Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching (CAST), where teachers from Texas and beyond gather to collaborate and network. We had our biggest conference in 2010, when Federal money was still flowing in school districts. Last year, we still had over 6,000 attendees, even though that district money was long gone. We know times are tough, but we believe in the power of CAST to sustain our teachers.
Providing professional development opportunities and legislative advocacy are the marks of a great organization with real, year-round benefits. We’ve offered outstanding teacher awards, conference scholarships, and top-dollar giveaways to our members. Every year, CAST hosts over 600 sessions so teachers can get the most specific information for their grade level and subject matter. We are teachers teaching teachers. We advocate for and protect each other.
I’m proud to call myself the Executive Director of an association with a rich history and an even brighter future. In all my years of management, the Science Teachers Association of Texas is the association that shows the most promise and can make the biggest impact on the nation at large.
Chuck Hempstead, Executive Director, STAT
This week we are featuring a post from guest blogger, Chuck Hempstead, MPA, CAE. Chuck is the Executive Director of the Science Teachers Association of Texas (an NSTA Chapter). Chuck also serves as President of Hempstead and Associates, a full-service association management company based in Austin, Texas. He holds the designation of Certified Association Executive (CAE) from the American Society of Association Executives.
By Martin Horejsi
Posted on 2012-03-07
While much of the tablet-interested world was waiting for the latest iteration of the iPad to be announced today, there was another launch of a great looking “tablet” device yesterday. Vernier.com announced the next version of their LabQuest, the LabQuest 2.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNyKZaPFwXQ[/youtube]
Back in 2007, still years before the iPad was even in diapers, Vernier launched the LabQuest as stand-alone computer interface for their sensors that was more than a LabPro or TI84 graphing calculator, but less than a laptop computer. While revolutionary, and truly a game changer, science education continued advance over the past five years making a second version necessary.
The LabQuest 2 is a completely different form factor and appears to have embraced many of the features, operations, and shape we are used to with our other handheld devices.
It also appears that the fine folks at Vernier have not forgotten about the rest of our devices in that the LabQuest 2 can work with them as well through several connectivity options further changing the game. In fact, I’d go so far as to suggest that that very feature, called the Connected Science System, is an excellent example of a “disruptive technology” and will surely become an industry standard option in for all other similar devices in the future.
I cannot wait to get my hands on one! The release date is in April, but I suspect there will some on hand at our National Conference at the end of this month.
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While much of the tablet-interested world was waiting for the latest iteration of the iPad to be announced today, there was another launch of a great looking “tablet” device yesterday. Vernier.com announced the next version of their LabQuest, the LabQuest 2.
By Martin Horejsi
Posted on 2012-03-07
TED.com provides “Riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world,” as videos (streaming, downloadable, podcasts, etc.) captured during the conferences. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design.
Here are some of my favorite TED videos, and this list corresponds to the list published in our Science 2.0 column this month along with a few more. I have many more favorites as well, but would like to give readers a chance to add to this list.
If you have other science/teaching related TED videos you would like to contribute to the list, please add them in the comments section with a web address and a brief description.
Plus…
your turn… ——————–>TED.com provides “Riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world,” as videos (streaming, downloadable, podcasts, etc.) captured during the conferences. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design.
Here are some of my favorite TED videos, and this list corresponds to the list published in our Science 2.0 column this month along with a few more. I have many more favorites as well, but would like to give readers a chance to add to this list.
By Mary Bigelow
Posted on 2012-03-02
I’m starting a long-term substitute position teaching high school chemistry until the end of the year. I’ve subbed for this teacher before, so I’m somewhat familiar with the school. But do you have any suggestions for starting in the middle of the year? How can I get to know the students quickly? Should I continue the existing classroom management practices or come up with my own?
— Carrie from New Mexico
In the case of a teacher taking a leave of absence, some schools encourage (and might even pay for) the substitute to come in for a few days ahead of time to become familiar with the teacher’s classroom routines. It would also be helpful for you to meet with the teacher and discuss her grading practices, the lab safety contract the students (and parents) have signed, her use of science notebooks, students’ IEPs, and any questions you may have . Find out if she would like you to continue with class blogs, wikis, or other online projects (you’ll need passwords and account information). Ask the teacher or department chair to give you a tour of the lab and stockroom to see where and how materials and equipment are stored and for a refresher on the safety equipment in the lab. You’ll also need access to the storeroom inventory and material safety data sheets. Ask the technology coordinator for a school email address and passwords to any programs needed attendance, grading, lesson planning, or communications.
The teacher or department chair should also share the curriculum you’ll be expected to address during your time. Ask the teacher if she can share resources for these topics (e.g., teacher manuals, assignments, assessments, suggested lab activities, and presentations). Find out if you’ll able to contact the teacher by email or phone if you have any questions or if she would like updates. Also find out if the school will assign you a mentor or go-to person if you have questions or concerns.
Stepping into the classroom in the middle of the year is challenging. Even though the students know you from your subbing experiences, you may not know all of them. Treat the first few days as if they were the beginning of the school year. Introduce yourself and share a little bit about your background. (In my school, the principal would introduce the long-term sub to the class, reinforcing the idea that the sub was now part of the faculty.) Ask the students to introduce themselves so you can note their nicknames and correct pronunciation of their names. If the teacher has an established seating chart, use it at least until you can connect names and faces. If the teacher did not have a chart, create one to help you learn the students’ names. Review the safety procedures and rules.
Ask each student to record data on an index card: name, birthday, interests/hobbies, school activities, out-of-school activities (e.g., jobs, community organizations, volunteer work), and other conversation-starters. (Use a different color card for each class.) Then for each class each day, choose a few cards and make a point to interact with these students. During the class period, greet these students by name at the door, call on them for answers or to share a thought, or interact with them during seatwork or groupwork. The cards can also be used to randomly select a student for an answer or a job, ensuring that it’s not just the hand-raisers or those in the front of the classroom who participate.
Some other ways to get to know students:
In terms of classroom management, I’d keep using the existing routines, unless there are those you cannot live with or those that are ineffective or unsafe. Be sure to discuss any changes with the students, and be prepared for when they say “that’s not the way we did this before.” You may need to model the changes you want to make.
Keep a diary or log of your experiences and reflect on these as you apply for other positions next year.
Good luck!
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/daviddmuir/1410227652/sizes/m/in/photostream/