Latest from NSTA’s online outposts

By Howard Wahlberg | Published: March 10, 2010

Recent Activity on NSTA’s various online outposts

On our listservs, there are great conversations about moldy cats (yes, that’s right, moldy cats) on our Biology list,  engineering and Newton’s laws on our General Science list, class size on our Physics list, and whether or not poop is a living thing or not on our Elementary list.

In NSTA’s online professional learning communities, make sure to check out all the new presentation resources for our Philadelphia Conference.

On our “core site” (www.nsta.org): everyone’s gearing up for our National Conference on Science Education this March 17 – 21 in Philadelphia. Write your own declaration of independence and join your fellow educators this March in Philadelphia!

On Facebook, lots of folks have been discussing plans for the National Conference.

On LinkedIn, you can now find a jobs subgroup, that re-posts all of the listings on the NSTA Career Center.

And of course, on our twitter stream, science educators are tweeting and re-tweeting about our upcoming national conference in Philadelphia!

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The history of science—we’ve come a long way, baby!

By NSTANewProducts | Published: March 10, 2010

Philadelphia boasts several wonderful institutes and museums that bring the history of science alive.  The locations are throughout the city but provide the visitor with the ability to step into the world of science from a different vantage point.

Wagner Institute PhiladelphiaOne such location is the Wagner Free Institute of Science of Philadelphia.  The Institute began in 1855 as one of the earliest free adult science education programs in the United States. From the beginning it has combined public access to natural history and science materials with lively educational programs taught by acknowledged scholars.  Another location is the Chemical Heritage Foundation which fosters an understanding of chemistry’s impact on society.  There are several current exhibitsChemical Heritage Foundationavailable for viewing that help connect chemistry to everyday life.

There are other museums and institutes throughout the city as well that promote an understanding of science, however these two locations allow the visitor to step back in time and gain a deeper understanding of exactly how far we’ve come.

—Christine Royce, Conference Chairperson

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Exemplary science program monograph series

By AssocEditorNSTAReports | Published: March 9, 2010

Exemplary Science in Grades 9-12The seventh ESP monograph, now in final stages of editing, should be available for the three NSTA fall area conferences.  This series from NSTA Press has focused on meeting the reforms central to the National Science Education Standards. Titles available are

  1. Science for Grades PreK–4;
  2. Science for Grades 5–8;
  3. Science for Grades 9 –12;
  4. Professional Development of Science Teachers;
  5. Science in Informal Education Settings;
  6. Inquiry: The Key to Exemplary Science; and
  7. Science in a Social and Societal Contexts.

NSTA members are invited to use these monographs and to volunteer to help as members of the National Review Team for the future ESPs.

In addition, plans for ESP 8 are in the works.  It is to focus on NSES Goal 4, which seeks to identify exemplary situations that illustrate preparation of students for science- and technology-related careers.  Your nomination of potential authors (teachers) in your state would be of great help!  In addition, you are invited to assist some of your outstanding teachers in preparing an outline, and it would be great if you were not only encouraging, but also if you would consider being a co-author.

Please direct questions, suggestions, or ready-to-be contributors to Bob Yager, who coordinates the national efforts.  E-mail robert-yager@uiowa.edu; call (cell) 319-541-2857 or (office) 319-335-1189; or write to Room 769 VAN, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242.

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Looking for a challenge

By MaryB | Published: March 8, 2010

I’ve been teaching middle school science for 15 years, and I love my job. But I’m wondering what other opportunities there might be for sharing and expanding my experiences and knowledge. I don’t think I want to be an administrator, but I’m open to suggestions for a new challenge.
—Brita, Virginia Beach, VA

I’d be interested in seeing any formal research on the topic, but I’ve observed many teachers with 10 to 15 years of experience develop the same feelings. They have a good repertoire of teaching strategies, and they are comfortable with their content knowledge. Although they are very confident in their classroom role, they feel a need to explore additional ways to contribute to the teaching and learning processes.

Moving beyond the comfort zone of the classroom requires risk-taking and a willingness to take on additional challenges. The term “teacher leadership” covers a variety of roles teachers can play in their schools. You might investigate opportunities to serve as a science advocate on school committees and task forces, a department chair, instructional coach, mentor, advisory board member, grantwriter, team leader, or project director.

You could become more active in NSTA or your state affiliate by volunteering for committees or running for a leadership office. Consider sharing your experience, expertise, and enthusiasm by writing articles for NSTA journals or NSTA Reports, or presenting at NSTA’s regional or national conferences. Connect with others through the NSTA email lists and the NSTA Communities. You’ll meet interesting people who share your passion for science and will invigorate your intellect.
Read more »

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A picture is worth a thousand words

By NSTANewProducts | Published: March 7, 2010
"Tree of Knowledge" mural by Michael Webb. 1301 Market St., Philadelphia

"Tree of Knowledge" by Michael Webb. 1301 Market St., Philadelphia

A trivia fact that I once read about Philadelphia is that they have more public art than any city in the country. While I’m not sure if this is accurate, I can tell you that Philadelphia is a wonderful city for murals and art on the sides of buildings. This was one of my favorite parts of Philly while attending Temple University—being able to see the art work on the sides of buildings (yes I know I should have been paying attention to driving). The murals are part of the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program which is a public arts initiative.  Since 1984, more than 2800 murals have been produced and over 20,000  underserved youth in neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia have been educated.

If you are interested in browsing some murals that are part of this project, here is a map with locations. There are nearly 10 murals within walking distance of the convention center.

—Christine Royce, Conference Chairperson

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Seasonal scavenger hunt

By PeggyA | Published: March 5, 2010

Early spring flowers on a red bud tree.

Red bud tree leaves in fall.

Give your students practice making observations by doing a seasonal scavenger hunt that will require closer looks at the familiar landscape to see what has changed. (Thanks to the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research for the idea.)

Does the tree (with branches low enough to see) have tightly furled flower or leaf buds, leaves the size of a squirrel’s ear, or leaves that are fully grown and changing color? Checklists can use both words and pictures to list items.
Read more »

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New blog on the block

By Anne O'Donnell | Published: March 5, 2010

Welcome to the Chapter and Associated Groups (CAG) Blog!  Let me start by introducing myself.  I’m Anne O’Donnell, CAE.  I have been in association management for almost 20 years serving a wide variety of associations and professions.  I am pleased to be here at NSTA and hopefully will be able to meet many of you in Philly at the Annual Conference.

The Chapters and Associated Groups blog is dedicated to helping the past, current and future leadership of NSTA’s CAGs.  Highlighting helpful resources, providing leadership tips and association management solutions, this blog is designed to help keep our CAGs strong!

Your participation is critical to the success of this blog!  I encourage you to submit ideas, post, and guest blog!  As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please let me know—I’m just an e-mail away: aodonnell@nsta.org.

See you in Philly!

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Science Education Leadership

By Claire Reinburg | Published: March 5, 2010

Book cover image of "Science Education Leadership: Best Practices for the New Century"Leaders from diverse constituencies in science education bring their insights and advice together in an important new book from NSTA Press. Science Education Leadership: Best Practices for the New Century discusses how leaders at the local and national levels, from science teachers to district supervisors to university faculty, can forge new paths in the years ahead toward the goal of science literacy for all.  In the Preface, editor Jack Rhoton credits chapter authors for detailing for leaders at all levels “how to contribute to the success of science education and how to develop a culture that allows and encourages science education leaders to continually improve science programs.”  We’ve posted Rodger Bybee’s excellent chapter in which he summarizes five 21st century workforce skills that science education can focus on to better prepare students for jobs and professional fields in the global economy.  Visit the Science Store to learn more about Science Education Leadership, and scroll down below the book description to download the chapter “A New Challenge for Science Education Leaders: Developing 21st Century Workforce Skills.”

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Peering into students’ “private universe”

By AssocEditorNSTAReports | Published: March 4, 2010

Photo uploaded to Flickr.com’s Creative Commons by marcusrg

In the award-winning documentary A Private Universe, education researchers from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics sought to answer this question: Why don’t even the brightest students truly grasp basic science concepts? Teachers and teacher educators alike continue to search for ways to overcome students’ science misconceptions and to determine how they develop in the first place.

Get some insight on students’ “Private Universe” in Philadelphia. You’ll find sessions addressing misconceptions at all grade levels, in a range of science fields. Use the session browser with the keyword misconception to find them. Here’s a sample:

  • Centering Around the Science Standards, Grades K–2 (March 18). Find out how hands-on centers incorporate the learning cycle to address common misconceptions.
  • Everyone Knows That Heavier Things Fall First (March 19). Use misconceptions to teach intermediate-level physical science? You can do it with these classroom demonstrations and activities.
  • Using Diagnostic Assessment to Address Preservice Teachers’ Science Misconceptions (March 20). It’s never too late to identify these deep-seated incorrect beliefs. Learn how to create inquiry-based lessons to improve scientific understanding.

And picking up where A Private Universe left off, Neil Comins—astrophysicist, astronomer, and professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Maine—has identified nearly 2,000 commonly held misconceptions about astronomy and physics and has figured out “their origins, why we develop them, how to avoid them in the future, and how to get rid of old ones (which is the hard part).” Hear how he conquers them on March 20 at the Shell Science Seminar.

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So close, yet so far

By NSTANewProducts | Published: March 2, 2010

Amish fruit stand at Reading Terminal MarketWhen one thinks of Philadelphia, one cannot help but think of FOOD!  Okay—at least I can’t.  Philadelphia is known for its Soft Pretzels, Tastycakes, Italian Sandwiches, and the Cheesesteak!  However, there is one place that I absolutely recommend while you are at the conference … the Reading Terminal Market. It is just across the street from the Philadelphia Convention Center. So it is just close enough to run and grab lunch.

While there are LOTS of great “stands” within the market—there are a few favorites of mine that I would recommend—Profi’s Creperie  which offers both savory and sweet crepes made to order.  I strongly recommend nutella, bananas, peanut butter, and strawberries. However, if you insist on having lunch or dinner before desert—try the one that is like a hot Caesar salad wrapped up in a delicious crepe! Another favorite is the “Dutch Eating Place” which offers great “down home” cooking especially for breakfast.

Do you have a favorite place to dine in Philadelphia?

—Christine Royce, Conference Chairperson

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