I have applied to multiple teaching programs for my time after college, but I’m worried that I look too young to be taken seriously as a teacher. How do you gain the respect of students who may not be much younger than you? —D., California

If you are thinking of teaching at the elementary or middle levels, don’t worry—you will look old to them!

I have seen young-looking, diminutive teachers manage classes with no problems. I say it comes down to leadership ability and presence in the classroom. How do you become the leader? Envision what your “perfect” class would look like: What are the students doing? How are they interacting? What are you doing? With that vision firmly in mind, you now have a basis to make all your decisions. You will know what big things to worry about and what little things to let slide and don’t let students try to make those decisions for you! In no time at all, students will see you as their educational leader.

I strongly discourage teachers from trying to get all students to like you or to become friends with them. That is counter-productive in my opinion and a big mistake. NSTA Learning Center online advisor, Pamela Dupree, adds: Don’t text or connect on social media with students…or parents!

Maintain your classroom with consistency and develop a caring attitude toward the students and you will not have any problems. Well.., maybe a few, but we all do!

Hope this helps!

Photo credit: Michelle Collins via Wikimedia

How does online learning through watching a webinar work for you? I am most engaged when I am able to participate in a live session where presenters might respond directly to my typed questions. But that means I have to be online at a set time so I often view the archived versions. Recorded sessions are more fun for me when I view with a colleague as we exclaim over insights, and I learn more when we discuss how the strategies might work in our programs. Program administrators support fun and effective use of webinars when they plan time for a group to view and work together. 

The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in Early Learning Series by the Preschool Development Grants of the US. Department of Education offers “research, practical application for classroom and home and provides examples of experiences that build scientific, technology, engineering, and mathematical learning for older toddlers and preschool children.” This 11-part series has two key objectives:

1. Provide early childhood professionals with background information and research on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning for young children.
2. Provide evidence-based strategies to support STEM learning in varied environments, including early learning settings, homes, and community settings such as museums and libraries.

Each of the 11 part sessions of the series has hands-on work and discussion questions for participants, with supporting documents to print and use during each session.

From the first to the eleventh module you will see children using technologies (see examples on slide 1.15 in Module 4) in STEM (science, engineering, and math) learning situations. You will gather information about integrated S-T-E-M learning strategies and curriculum that other educators are developing based on research and find useful strategies for your teaching environment. Indoors, outdoors, in a library and at a museum, STEM is more than an acronym! Here are just a few of my favorite snippets from the eleven modules:

See slides 1.36-1.38 in Module 2: Creating Environments That Promote STEM Learning presented by Cindy Hoisington and do the exercise of examining photos of “Science Centers” to see if they are accessible, inviting, and engaging so children will want to do sustained work with the materials.

Check out the Activities and Handouts for the modules. Questions such as, “What are intentional strategies you use to promote habits of mind in the block, housekeeping and art areas?” and “How do you support children’s systems thinking, creativity, optimism, collaboration, communication and attention to ethical considerations?” from Module 5: Engineering in Early Learning Environments presented by Beth Van Meeteren, help us engage with the ideas and consider our own practice. 

The importance of family engagement is addressed in Module 9, presented by Claudia Haines: “Parents and caregivers, their children’s first teachers, are a vital part of children’s lives, regardless of their race, background, socio-economic status. Children are more confident and successful learners when parents and caregivers are involved.” Family fort night at the library is one example of a family engagement event. Growing relationships with families develop through learning about and integrating families’ and caregivers’ interests, strengths, and knowledge into their children’s learning.  Another key strategy is to educate adults. “Adult programs…are designed to give adults time to learn and play in low pressure situations without the expectation of teaching and guiding their kids at the same time.” See slide 1.20 to learn about communication tools that will help you meet families where they are.

This set of modules is not a brief overview STEM but a thorough walk into STEM learning with activities for adult learners. There are explanations that help us understand the practices of science and engineering, like this description of a graphic design image used by a program to describe a design process: “Even though it looks like a linear process, it’s really important to note that design is really a very messy, organic, cyclical process that really must ebb and flow in order to be successful.” Paige Gordon, Module 11: STEM and Design Thinking in the Preschool Classroom.

Find your webinar buddy to watch and do the activities together, or use the Facilitator Toolkit to present these sessions for your program. Already a “STEM” expert? Download the resources to expand your own. Then visit the NSTA Learning Center and search for “STEM” in the elementary resources, and check “Type/Format” to find additional online learning presentations such as, “STEM Starts Early: Guidance and support from the NSTA Early Childhood Science Education Position Statement,” a 90-minute webinar archived from April 15, 2015. And add resources you find helpful in a comment below!

This week in education news, teacher-student relationships are important in boosting student learning; high schools across the nation are adding competitive video-gaming to its list of extracurricular activities for students; despite its reputation as a field flush with opportunity, even STEM can pose dead ends for students; former Arizona Department of Education employee resigns after she was told to make changes to parts of the draft Arizona Science Standards; current research results are in favor of early childhood experiences for students, especially those who are disadvantaged; diversifying the field of interesting and rigorous math courses could broaden students’ path to STEM and other careers; and former Kentucky Education Commissioner selected as the next president of the Southern Regional Education Board.

Introducing A Digital Science Program For Incarcerated Kids

One thing Michael Krezmien noticed about working with incarcerated teens, is that they’re not a population that typically catches the attention of education researchers—or educational funding organizations. And this is a problem, he realized, as research suggests that the consequences of failing to address the educational needs of incarcerated juveniles are dire. Because incarcerated teens are usually left out of the educational system—having either no access to good education or having been kicked out of school—they often fail to pass state mandated tests in science and cannot obtain a high school diploma. Read the article featured in Forbes magazine.

Two Studies Point To The Power Of Teacher-Student Relationships To Boost Learning

Two studies on how best to teach elementary schools students — one on the popular trend of “platooning” and one on the far less common practice of “looping” — at first would seem totally unrelated other than the fact that they both use silly words with double-o’s. “Platooning” refers to having teachers specialize in a particular subject, such as math or English, and young students switch teachers for each class. “Looping” is a term used when kids keep the same teacher for two years in a row. They don’t switch teachers for each subject and don’t switch each year. Read the article featured in the Hechinger Report.

E-sports In Schools Primed To Grow ‘Bigger Than The NFL’

More than 100 students tried out for just 30 spots when the innovation class at Noblesville High School in the Indianapolis suburbs launched an e-sports team in December 2016. And Noblesville is not alone—dozens of high schools across the nation are adding competitive video-gaming as it becomes one of the fastest-growing activities in both K12 and higher ed. Read the article featured in District Administration.

Unlocking STEM Pathways For All Students

Gateways can swing open, giving students opportunities to master the ability to think logically, reason, model solutions to problems, and troubleshoot, all of which are in demand among employers both in STEM fields and, increasingly in non-STEM ones. Or gateways can shut and lock, cutting off the ability to acquire those skills and putting students at a disadvantage, perhaps for the rest of their lives. Despite its reputation as a field flush with opportunity, even STEM can pose dead ends for students, such as the traps of remedial math education or course sequences that don’t lead to high-paying, satisfying careers. Read the article featured in Education Week.

Former Education Staffer Quits After Being Told To Change Evolution In Science Standards Draft

A former Arizona Department of Education employee says she resigned after she was told to make changes to parts of the draft Arizona Science Standards involving evolution. Lacey Wieser is a former high school biology teacher who began her career with the Arizona Department of Education 14 years ago. Wieser says her most recent title was director of science and STEM. In 2016, she began the process of reviewing and updating the science standards. Read the article featured on AZfamily.com.

E-Cubed Academy Students Win Civics Competition For Science-Lab Legislation

The E-Cubed Academy students who drafted a bill requiring up-to-date science labs at every high school in Rhode Island took top honors at Rhode Island Civics Day. The students, taught by E-Cubed history teacher John Healy, developed the idea for the bill, drafted its language and began advocating for it as part of their involvement in Generation Citizen, which inspires civic participation through civics class that give students the opportunity to experience democracy in action. Read the article featured in the Providence Journal.

How Early Should Kids Begin STEM Education?

Current research results are in favor of early childhood experiences for students, especially those who are disadvantaged. This education is the great equalizer because it provides a rich, common foundation for children who may have diverse backgrounds and experiences. Read the article featured in The Edvocate.

Is STEM Oversold As A Path To Better Jobs?

In report after report, government panels, business groups, and educators have sounded the alarm about the state of training in science, technology, engineering, and math. STEM, they conclude, serves as a gateway to higher-paying jobs and is an important linchpin to a growing economy, and therefore, K-12 education in those fields must be improved. In this vast echo chamber, it can be hard to separate fact from fiction. So Education Week reviewed dozens of research studies and interviewed experts on the challenge. The staff found that the conventional wisdom is generally correct—jobs in STEM are in demand and tend to be more highly paid—but the picture of the STEM pipeline is more nuanced than many of these predictions suggest. Read the article featured in Education Week.

Calculus Is The Peak Of High School Math. Maybe It’s Time to Change That

For more than 30 years, calculus has been seen as the pinnacle of high school math—essential for careers in the hard sciences, and an explicit or unspoken prerequisite for top-tier colleges. But now, math and science professionals are beginning to question how helpful current high school calculus courses really are for advanced science fields. The ubiquitous use of data in everything from physics and finance to politics and education is helping to build momentum for a new path in high school math—one emphasizing statistics and data literacy over calculus. Read the article featured in Education Week.

Former Kentucky Education Commissioner Stephen Pruitt Lands New Job

Barely a month after he was ousted as Kentucky’s top public education official, Stephen Pruitt has landed a new job as president of the Southern Regional Education Board, an organization of southern states formed to improve public education throughout the region. Read the article featured in the Louisville Courier-Journal.

To Hook Students On STEM, Start With Their Parents

There’s a fair amount of hand-wringing about how to get students interested and engaged in STEM subjects. We do know that the pipeline leading to STEM careers begins to leak in high school, when students are faced with decisions about taking advanced mathematics and science classes. Decades of research show that a key factor motivating adolescents to pursue these advanced courses is the perception of utility value. More recently, my research colleagues and I examined the role of parents in communicating utility value to their children. It turns out, it’s critical. Teachers, parents, and peers can all contribute to students’ perception of value. But parents, who are often an untapped resource, can play a crucial role in their children’s learning and motivation because they know what interests them. Read the commentary featured in Education Week.

A Case For Flipping Learning—Without Videos

When professor Lorena Barba talks to other educators about flipping their classrooms, the approach she hears is often similar. Faculty assign homework to expose students to a new concept before they arrive to class, and use class time to ask questions and do more-active learning. In most cases, what professors ask students to do outside the classroom is watch video lectures. Barba thinks that part of the flipped approach needs to go, and that professors are relying too much on videos as a crutch. Read the article featured in EdSource.

Stay tuned for next week’s top education news stories.

The Communication, Legislative & Public Affairs (CLPA) team strives to keep NSTA members, teachers, science education leaders, and the general public informed about NSTA programs, products, and services and key science education issues and legislation. In the association’s role as the national voice for science education, its CLPA team actively promotes NSTA’s positions on science education issues and communicates key NSTA messages to essential audiences.

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

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I am about to graduate and become a new teacher. Is it a good idea to use lesson plans that are handed to me and maybe need to be tweaked or is it better to write brand new lesson plans each year?
—G., Florida

Since I never had an entire class comprehend 100% of what I taught, I always made changes to my courses.
The most important thing, in my opinion, is to reflect on everything you do! You need to have a real willingness to learn and change in order to make things work in your classroom.

You do not need to create everything from scratch! There are a lot of bright and intelligent people out there producing great resources. You should make decisions about resources in this order:

1. If you find or are given a resource that, after thorough review, fits perfectly to what you want to accomplish in your classroom, then use it unmodified.
2. If you find a great-looking resource that doesn’t quite fit, then modify it.
3. If you can’t find a great resource— make your own.

Most of your lessons, obviously, will revolve around modifying something out there.

After your lesson reflect and re-evaluate everything you used and the impact it had on your students. Make modifications as necessary. Don’t beat yourself up if a lesson bombs…just figure out why it did and do something about it.

Hope this helps!

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“Mathematics is a tool that is key to understanding science.”

NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

How many? How soon? How big? How much more? These questions are of vital importance in young children’s lives and may be part of their science explorations and later investigations. “Using mathematics and computational thinking” is one of the practices described in Appendix F—Science and Engineering Practices in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

“Mathematical and computational thinking in K–2 builds on prior experience and progresses to recognizing that mathematics can be used to describe the natural and designed world(s).

• Decide when to use qualitative vs. quantitative data.
• Use counting and numbers to identify and describe patterns in the natural and designed world(s).
• Describe, measure, and/or compare quantitative attributes of different objects and display the data using simple graphs.
• Use quantitative data to compare two alternative solutions to a problem.”

-Appendix F—Science and Engineering Practices in the Next Generation Science Standards

We can use online resources on mathematical and computational thinking in early childhood to become more familiar with, and strengthen our own understanding of, math topics and ideas. 

The Erikson Early Math Collaborative describes key topics that exist in early math: Counting, Data Analysis, Measurement, Number Operations, Number Sense, Pattern, Sets, Shapes, and Spatial Relationships.

 The collaborative identifies 26 foundational key mathematical concepts, or “Big Ideas,” within the Early Math Topics such as, “Shapes can be combined and separated (composed and decomposed) to make new shapes,” “Shapes can be defined and classified according to their attributes,” and  “Sets can be compared using the attribute of numerosity, and ordered by more than, less than, and equal to.” Detailed explanations and examples shine a light on these ideas and show how they can be addressed in early childhood programs. I would use the first two ideas about shapes when talking with children about their building structures and the third idea when children show me their collections of rocks or are sorting their snack mix. 

Playing games is one way to provide experiences that build young children’s understanding of mathematical and computational thinking. The Iowa Regents’ Center for Early Developmental Education at the University of Northern Iowa lists games for children ages 3-8, some commercial and some they developed. Nearly every game can be printed out and all have rules rewritten to be kid-friendly. They are linked to standards and include notes for the educator for each game, indicating its value for mathematical learning.

Math resources for early childhood learning communities include articles in the journal Teaching Young Children from the National Association for the Education of Young Children: 

McLennan, Deanna Pecaski. Math Learning—and a Touch of Science—in the Outdoor World. Teaching Young Children. April/May 2017 10(4):

Reed, Kristen E., and Jessica Mercer Young. 2018. Play Games, Learn Math! Pattern Block Puzzles. Teaching Young Children. April/May 2018. 11(4): 20-23

Reed, Kristen E., and Jessica Mercer Young. 2018. Play Games, Learn Math! Two Numbers: Games with Cards and Dice. Teaching Young Children. February/March 2018. 11(3): 21-25 

Reed, Kristen E., and Jessica Mercer Young. 2018. Play Games, Learn Math! Explore Numbers and Counting with Dot Card and Finger Games. Teaching Young Children. October/November 2017. 11(1). 

“Jumping on the Lily Pads” game board.

Reed and Young’s work creating games that teach math concepts is also published online at the Education Development Center, Inc website and includes printable math mini-books for families. 

Learn how to play “How Many Are Hiding?,” “Two Numbers,” and “Jumping on the Lily Pads” and then engage your children in playing and learning math concepts.

What resources do you use to foster your children’s use of mathematics and computational thinking?

The use of power tools, such as table saws, drill presses, and miter saws, is becoming more common in science and STEM laboratories. All power tools have special mechanical and non-mechanical safety hazards that can result in injuries, including abrasions, burns, and fractures. This blog post describes machine-guarding safety protocols that schools need to develop to minimize such safety hazards.

Why machine guards matter

Machine guards are fixed, interlocked, or adjustable physical barriers critical to protecting their operators and those working in the surrounding area from hazards. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), machine guarding prevents such safety hazards as rotating parts, flying chips, and sparks.

Types of hazards

Machine operators should be mindful of the following hazards before using a machine or power tool.

• Operation points are locations where the machine bends, bores, cuts, or shapes the stock being fed through the machine.

• Hazardous movements are machine parts with rotating, reciprocating (up-down motions), and transverse motions (materials moving in a continuous line).

• Pinch/shear points are parts of a machine where a body part or clothing could be caught between a moving machine part and a stationary object such as a belt, cam, connecting rods, or other source of energy transmission.

• Non-mechanical hazards include chips, flying splinters, splashes, or sparks that are created while the machine is operating.

Safety rules for machine guards

The following list by North Carolina State University’s Department of Environmental Health Safety offers simple tips to follow when using machines and machine guards.

1. Be sure that moving mechanisms are clear of people and objects.

2. Be sure that workers are not wearing any jewelry or loose clothing that could get snagged in the machine.

3. Keep an eye on overheard moving parts, like pulleys, for potential hazards.

4. Check that guards are in place at all points where you could contact moving parts before turning the machine on.

5. Understand how to turn power on and off if you should have to do so quickly.

6. Read the manufacturer’s instructions on how to operate the machine safely and correctly.

7. Feed material into the machine with push sticks, not your hands.

8. Take it easy. Rushing through a job is one of the major causes of accidents.

9. Make sure maintenance is performed when required. If you think your equipment might have missed its scheduled maintenance let your supervisor know.

10. Use lockout/tagout procedures when a machine needs repair or maintenance. Turn the machine and the power to the machine off and tag it so that no one tries to use it. (This prevents the release of hazardous energy while employees perform servicing and maintenance.)

In addition, machine guards must be secure and tamper-proof so that no one can bypass or remove them. A guard that interferes with the operation in performing the job might be blocked or removed, but this is too dangerous to do. Guards need to be properly used to not only keep workers safe but to perform the job. Guards may need to oiled or greased occasionally to remain functional, but the guard should never be removed because doing so may cause the guard to not function properly or present a sharp hazard. Finally, a guard should never obstruct an operator’s view.

Conclusion

OSHA’s major goal for workers using power tools is to guard all machinery and equipment to eliminate a number of hazards. Always make sure safety guards are in place and that they are working properly, clean, and inspected before use.

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

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That was my response this week at our middle school science staff meeting.  We’ve spent the last two school years exploring the new Michigan standards (which are identical to NGSS) and trying out units from different curriculum programs.  While the pace has seemed excruciatingly slow at times, it’s been necessary to allow everyone to learn, grow, and come to consensus.  Which is where we were at this week – we’ve all agreed to pilot the two finalists in the first semester next school year, and then go back to our old curriculum while we prepare for full launch of the selected NGSS curriculum in the fall of 2019.

But I can’t do it.  I can’t ever go back.

For the past two years, I’ve been pilot-teaching the Mi-STAR (mi-star.mtu.edu) NGSS-aligned curriculum – in a 5E structure, with phenomena, modeling, arguing from evidence, and coming to consensus to evaluate and solve local problems, with engineering integrated in every unit – and it has become my joy.  While the teaching world reels with pay cuts and privatization and standardized testing and teacher shortages, making me frustrated and worried for our profession – I can still close my door, and have my joy.

I am joyful about the potential for NGSS curricula to change the world for our kids.  The ever elusive goals of leveling the playing field, closing the achievement gap, reaching all learners, is happening, right now, in my classroom.

My school is economically and racially diverse.  Located in an affluent community that borders one of the highest poverty neighborhoods in the country, we are a rich mixture.  Our lower income, minority kids, like their peers in every state, have often been “left behind.”  Until now.  And I’m positively joyful about it.

An NGSS-aligned curriculum like Mi-STAR starts each unit with a real-life, locally relevant problem, and none of my kids know the answer.  It doesn’t matter if they’ve traveled the world and can master college texts, or if they rarely leave their block and struggle to read at grade level.  Even learning disabilities aren’t barriers any more, because all of my kids can problem-solve in this unit structure.  All of my kids can ask good questions for our bubble maps.  All of them can uncover concepts in labs and activities, share their findings, connect them to the problem, and then apply their new skills and knowledge in another context.   All of them can use criteria and constraints, and optimize, and reason like engineers.  Even my cognitively impaired kids are learning with a little scaffolding from our incredible special ed teachers.   The typical compliance behaviors, like turning in homework on time, outlining chapters, and memorizing flashcards for tests, are no longer the focus of our classroom.  And my kids are thriving.

I’ve done a little action research, and here’s what I see:  while my at-risk kids’ pre-test scores are very low, their post-test scores are well within the range of the class average.   The minority kids in my heterogeneous classes have post-test scores nearly equal to my homogeneous honors class.  We’re literally leveling the playing field and closing the gap.  This works!  NGSS really works!

Which is why I can’t ever go back.  In an academic world full of stress, teaching NGSS has become my joy.

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