Anticipating conference joy, 2012

By Peggy Ashbrook | Published: January 27, 2012
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I am so looking forward to the NSTA national conference in Indianapolis in March 2012! It’s not that I’m tired of my everyday life and teaching work—it’s that I’m eager to be back from the conference with fresh ideas and new connections to create in the curriculum. NSTA conferences are joyful events, populated with educators doing what they love best.

I want to:

  • learn more about the Next Generation Science Standards and the Framework from which they are being written, (Friday March 30, 9:30-10:30 AM, Featured Panel: Next Generation Science Standards, Indiana Convention Center, Sagamore Ballroom and Saturday, March 31, 2:00–3:00 PM, Exploring the Science Framework, JW Marriott Indianapolis, JW Grand Ballroom 3),
  • learn more about Developing Early Childhood Learners’ Inquiry Skills through Play-based Nature Study Activities (Thursday March 29, 9:30–10:30 AM, 235, Indiana Convention Center) and,
  • share my ideas on making connections between indoor and outdoor activities to draw students and teachers outdoors (Friday March 30, 11:00 AM–12:00 PM, Outdoor–Indoor Connections to Beguile Your Students into a Love of Nature, Chamber, Westin Indianapolis).

All of us who count astronauts as role-models can look forward to hearing NASA’s Associate Administrator for Education, Leland Melvin, speak on “Inspiring the Next Generation of STEM Leaders” (Thursday March 29, 9-10am, Indiana Convention Center, Sagamore Ballroom).

The NSTA Learning Center has a Professional Development Community Forum discussion going on with tips for attending conferences. Here are some of the ideas contributed by veteran conference-goers:

Tina Harris: Take your own flat-rate postal boxes and tape with you so you can pack and ship as you accumulate give-aways and purchases. 3 flat rate boxes = $50 extra suitcase and you don’t have to lug it through an airport! We here in Indy are also offering some wonderful field trips (check the conference schedule).

Carolyn Mohr: The exhibitors’ hall is not ‘doable’ in one day. Some socials provide free treats and beverages and you get a chance to mingle with like-minded teachers.

Susanne Hokkanen: I recommend at least two workshops at each time slot, because sometimes workshops fill up fast, and your first choice may not be available or open or may be too far away to reach in time. And try to leave a time slot open just for “absorb it all” time.

Laura Jones: I also would recommend the most comfortable shoes you have.

Ms. Mentor suggests visiting the Conference Newcomers’ Page. She made some recommendations for the 2011 conference which apply to area and national conferences in any year, such as, Introduce yourself to teachers at the sessions or events. You’ll meet lots of interesting people and make many new personal connections.

I hope to meet some of you in Indianapolis or at another conference. You can register online now, and the early bird price is good through February 3. My wishful-thinking schedule has three (gulp!) sessions for each time slot—guess I’d better re-evaluate the list and look for a slot to “absorb it all”—wait, isn’t that what the plane trip home is for!?

Peggy

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Budget ideas

By Mary Bigelow | Published: January 26, 2012
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Our school is facing a budget crunch. Each department was asked for suggestions for cost-saving measures. Do you have any suggestions the science department can add to the list?
— Brenda, New York

It’s heartbreaking (or outrageous, depending on one’s point of view) to see teachers and administrators expected to provide more services with fewer financial resources. I know of several public schools that are even asking parents to donate classroom supplies. This imposes a burden, especially in times when many families also are struggling at home. I’m sure you and your colleagues are thrifty, but I’ve talked with some colleagues for suggestions to supplement your efforts.

  • Determine which activities are essential for student understanding.  Make these your non-negotiables—activities that justify the expenses related to them. You also cannot skimp on expenses related to student safety and the safe storage or handling of materials and equipment.
  • Prioritize the rest of your requests. For example, you may decide that elaborate decorations aren’t necessary. The classroom could be just as attractive with student work on the display boards or with interesting objects students bring in to share.
  • Show your principal or business manager the price of consumables (such as cotton swabs or batteries) in science catalogs compared to the prices at local discount stores. Perhaps a procedure could be established for reimbursing bargain-hunting teachers for purchases of these discounted supplies. (Save your receipts, even if you are not reimbursed. You may be able to deduct out-of-pocket expenses as a teacher.)
  • During labs, put out smaller amounts of materials and consider microscale activities. Rather than laminating handouts, use reusable plastic sheet protectors. Be sure students are accountable for materials used in lab activities. Place a list in each group’s box or at each lab station so all materials are returned (tools, reference materials, glassware, and so on). Simulations are not the same as the real experience, but perhaps there are some activities for which they could be substituted. Continue reading …
Posted in Ms. Mentor | 1 Comment

Google’s Online Science Fair Winners

By Martin Horejsi | Published: January 24, 2012
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One year ago, this blog highlighted the unique opportunity of the Google’s Global Online Science Fair. Well, the fair was a success and the winners have been announced. According to a Google website, Over 10,000 students from 91 countries submitted amazing science experiments. With project topics ranging from “Can I program a robot in English?” to “Can I make a sailboat even faster with a winged keel,” to “How does marinade affect carcinogen levels in grilled chicken?,” we were fascinated, inspired and awed by the young scientific talent across so many fields all over the world.”

The winners are:

  • Lauren Hodge in the 13-14 age group. Lauren studied the effect of different marinades on the level of potentially harmful carcinogens in grilled chicken.
  • Naomi Shah in the 15-16 age group. Naomi endeavored to prove that making changes to indoor environments that improve indoor air quality can reduce people’s reliance on asthma medications.
  • Shree Bose in the 17-18 age group. Shree discovered a way to improve ovarian cancer treatment for patients when they have built up a resistance to certain chemotherapy drugs.

And here is an inspiring YouTube video of the winners describing their experiences and experiments.

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And for those ready to take the plunge in 2012, here’s the promo video inviting participation. Submissions are being accepted on the site until March 30, and regional finalists will be chosen in May, and 15 finalists will be selected in June. The winners will be announced at Google’s headquarters on July 23, 2012.

How to enter? Watch the video below.

YouTube Preview Image
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Earth, moon, sun

By Mary Bigelow | Published: January 21, 2012
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The other evening, as I was out walking, I noticed that the moon seemed exceptionally bright. I took out my binoculars and spent a few minutes gazing at the craters on the full moon. What a sight! Learning about and appreciating the relationship between the earth, sun, and moon can be a lifelong interest. The elementary years are the first (and, unfortunately for many students, the last) school-based experiences they have with the topic.

Seeing the Moon focuses on the most famous features of our moon—the craters. The article includes an activity that simulates impact craters. The formative assessment probe described in The Daytime Moon uncovers student misconceptions about the moon and would be a good introduction to a unit on the moon. [SciLinks: Moon Phases]

What Causes the Tides? As a SciLinks reviewer, one of the first sites I reviewed (and declined) stated that tides come in the morning and go out in the evening. It’s not hard to understand how people who have never experiences tidal activity can develop misconceptions or incomplete understandings. This article is a quick primer on this phenomenon. While you’re on the subject of gravity, Gravity and Weight has two activities to help students explore the concept. [SciLinks: Tides, Gravity]

Continue reading …

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Science and the Common Core language arts standards

By Mary Bigelow | Published: January 18, 2012
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Along with this month’s Science Teacher, the articles in this issue focus on reading and writing in science. Science teachers are the best ones to guide students in these literacy processes, given the content and structure of science text and science writing. The theme that seems to run through this issue is the importance of guidance and modeling.

Reading science text (whether a book or online) can be difficult for students, with advanced vocabulary and a style different from stories and novels. If your students have difficulty comprehending science text, Shake It Up With Reading has suggestions for reading strategies such as questioning the text. The Science Text for All: Using Textmasters to Help All Students Access Written Science Content shows how cooperative “literature circles” (often used in language arts or reading classes) can be adapted for science reading. Both articles have examples of rubrics and guides for students. [SciLinks: Earthquakes]

Science text also includes graphics and visuals. Teaching with Visuals in the Science Classroom differentiates between decorative visuals and those that convey information. The author lists seven suggestions for helping students process this information. Vocabulary is another challenge in reading science text. Jump-Start Your Middle School Students’ Background Knowledge and Vocabulary Skills introduces us to “jump pages,” online collections of resources on a topic created by teachers (or students). Each “card” focuses on a topic with links to videos, PowerPoint presentations, web pages, or word documents and assessments related to the topic. The authors provide directions and rubrics. [SciLinks: Current Electricity, Magnetism] The online tools Museum Box or Glogster could be used in this way, although Internet access and logins are necessary for these.

Continue reading …

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Chapters and Associated Groups: It’s Tax Time!

By Teshia Birts | Published: January 16, 2012
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Having worked with small organizations for a number of years now, inevitably I will hear one state chapter or component leader say, “We don’t have to worry about filing taxes…we didn’t have enough income.”

Well, this is partly true.  Your organization may not need to file a formal 990, but you will have to file something, regardless of how small the revenue.  Organizations with revenues beyond $50,000 must complete an IRS Form 990 or 990 EZ, but if the organization’s revenue is $50,000 or less ($25,000 or less for tax years after December 31, 2007 and before December 31, 2010) a Form 990-N (postcard) must be filed.

The 990-N is an electronic postcard and is simple to complete. You only need to complete eight basic items of information: (1) EIN or TIN; (2) Tax Year; (3) Legal name of organization and mailing address; (4) Any other aliases or names of the organization; (5) Name and address of principal officer; (6) Organization website address; (7) Confirmation that the organization’s annual gross revenue are $25,000 or less ($50,000 or less for tax years after December 31, 2010), and (8) If applicable, a statement that the organization has gone out of business.

The trickiest issue is trying to figure out WHEN to file your organization’s 990, 990EZ or 990-N – always remember five and 15th. Your organization’s tax filings are due the fifteenth day (just like our individual tax returns) of the fifth month after the end of your fiscal year.  For example, if the last day of your fiscal year is June 30th, your organization’s tax filings are due November 15th.  I always suggest that organization leaders/staff add this date to their operational timeline and policy and procedure manual.

For more information about the 990-N, visit Annual Electronic Filing For Small Exempt Organizations.

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When understanding science concepts becomes especially important

By Peggy Ashbrook | Published: January 14, 2012
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There is nothing like a family illness for making the point that it is important for the average person to have a basic understanding of science concepts. Several recent hospitalizations among family and friends have made me aware of how much there is for me to learn about medical science and engineering, even though I feel I have a good (but not advanced) understanding of physics, chemistry, biology and earth science, and some engineering. There are always choices for the patient and family to make, alternatives to weigh, and procedures to follow for better health. Some of those require us to understand what the blood tests are measuring, how blood pressure affects the body, which Continuous Positive Airway Pressure breathing mask to choose, and how medications work.

Child drawing an "x-ray" while pretending to be a doctor.Like imaginative play about Space, children enjoy pretending to be medical personnel, taking temperatures, looking at or drawing x-rays, and applying band-aides. This imaginative play supports childrens’ developing science understanding and an interest in learning more. Children’s play allows them to make beginning theories about how the world works. Undirected play also allows teachers to assess academic and social skills to see what we need to focus on in coming weeks.

After observing the children’s undirected play I ask myself, What materials can I add to the room to spur the students to extend their play using practices which will support their later learning in science and engineering? What group discussions will support students in the science and engineering practices of asking questions and defining problems, developing and using models, planning and carrying out investigations, analyzing and interpreting data, using mathematics and computational thinking, constructing explanations and designing solutions, engaging in argument from evidence, and obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information in unstructured and structured activities? What structured activities will focus on the concepts they appear to be exploring? And, how will all of this fit into the standards and curriculum of my program?

Children sorting manipulatives by color.One example is the frequent math play I see the three and four-year-olds doing with manipulatives and their snack items. They are trying out, on their own, the concepts they’ve been working on with teachers and through their observations of the world. For the math-exploring young five, I might introduce the idea of using a Venn Diagram when grouping, by offering two hoops to define the groups. For the snack-sorter who is demonstrating a strong interest in one-to-one correspondence, I might ask “How are these objects the same and how are they different?” and “How many do you have all together?”

Children comparing bare hands to mittened hands--which is more slippery?A playground sliding pole.Another example of how science concepts can be explored during undirected play is learning about the friction (or lack of) between winter mittens and the playground sliding pole as compared to the friction between bare hands and the metal of the pole. When a child went down too fast for his comfort, I was able to have him compare a bare hand to a mitten-covered hand on the pole—a short experience and discussion about the nature of materials.

These small moments are positive steps towards building scientific literacy.

Peggy

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Asking for help

By Mary Bigelow | Published: January 10, 2012
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During class, students seem to understand the concepts. However, they don’t do well on the tests. I offer extra help before and after school and at lunch, but few students take advantage of it. I’m a first-year biology teacher, so I’d appreciate some suggestions on how to encourage students to ask questions or seek help when they need it.
— Alisa, Boston, MA

It sounds like your question has several components. First of all, how do you know your students understand the lesson concepts? Teachers often say “Any questions? Good.” When there are no questions, the teacher assumes that everyone understands. Try to provide a context or focus, such as “Any questions about the difference between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells?” And then wait a few seconds for students to think about their learning and formulate their questions. Frequent formative assessments—bellringers, “ticket out the door,” brief quizzes, responses via clickers or white boards, thumbs up—may also help students to reflect on what they know or don’t know and give you some concrete feedback on their understanding during each lesson.

When can your students get extra help? It’s hard for students who ride busses to come in early or stay late. Many students are involved in extracurricular activities or have afterschool responsibilities. And it’s hard to blame students for not wanting to give up lunch, often the only chance they have to socialize or relax. Some teachers have virtual “office hours” in the evenings or on weekends to provide assistance via e-mail or a discussion forum. But as today’s students seem to prefer social media to e-mail, you could take advantage of this interest. For example, even though Edmodo looks like Facebook, it’s a microblogging site that a teacher can set up for students to collaborate, ask questions, and share resources. Teachers can also post their own resources such as quizzes or study guides. It’s accessible 24-7 via computers or smartphone apps. The teacher can moderate the site and delete inappropriate posts.

Continue reading …

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Science and literacy

By Mary Bigelow | Published: January 7, 2012
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There is much in the literature about the importance of reading in science, not just pronouncing or decoding words but comprehending informational text. Unlike what students might see in a reading or English class, science resources are not usually written in a story-telling style. Science text often uses headings, subheadings, abstracts, summaries, sidebars, footnotes, specialized vocabulary, and graphics. Students may not realize reading science text can be a slower process than reading a novel or story, and rereading a section is appropriate and even encouraged. Likewise, writing in science is usually purposeful and informative.

This issue of The Science Teacher examines topics related to literacy: reading, writing, information literacy, visual literacy, and data literacy. [SciLinks: Reading and writing in science] You may want to supplement this issue by reading the January Science Scope: Science and the Common Core Language Arts Standards

If a secondary student cannot decode words, there is certainly a need for intervention by reading specialists. But helping students develop strategies to comprehend text material is an important job of all content teachers, science included. I wonder if many secondary students’ reading “problems” are, in reality, a lack of guidance and experience in interacting with informational text. Reading to Learn describes some strategies for helping students make sense of informational text, including annotation and double (or triple) entry journals. The authors suggest making copies of text so that students can mark them up, since in most schools writing in the textbook is not permitted. (I wonder about the expense of duplicating). I’ve seen online textbooks with the capability for highlighting and creating sidebar notes or questions. The students were truly interacting with the text. The teacher I observed did a great job of modeling how to render the text by doing a think-aloud as he read the text and annotated it.

Continue reading …

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To our Chapter and Associated Group Leaders: HAPPY NEW YEAR!

By Teshia Birts | Published: January 6, 2012
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So, another year, another set of goals (or resolutions) made. That goes for us at NSTA as well. Over the past few months, we’ve discussed lots of new ideas and projects to support our members and other constituents. I’ve focused on what will benefit our state chapters, associated groups and student chapters.  Resources that will help these leaders set a direction that will move their organizations forward.

During the fall conferences, our team (Howard Wahlberg, Ken Rosenbaum and myself) listened to a lot of teachers; they discussed their challenges both in and outside the classroom.  I know from experience that when you add running a small association (local, state or national) to that mix, those challenges are multiplied.

So, we’re wondering, what can we do to help? Here are a few ideas…some are already in the works; others we’re still batting around.

  1. Re-establish quarterly newsletters to the chapter and associated group leaders. This project is actually in the works and we hope to have the first edition in your e-mailbox by March.
  2. Frequent conference calls and webinars. In talking to a few chapter leaders in Districts I and II, they asked if we’d create a forum for them to come together more frequently to share ideas and network. We’re certain doing this in targeted regions across the country will help a lot of leaders.
  3. Creating a Chapter & Associated Group Resource Center on the NSTA website. As staff, we’re connected in more ways than one.  We receive great ideas from many of you; we also network with other association execs that do what we do.  We’ve collected and have access to content, templates, samples and just general information on an array of topics like membership, programming, social media, board relations and so on.  This knowledge needs to be centrally located and shared among all of you!

We have other ideas percolating as well, but these are just a few.  The main point we want you to remember: NSTA is here to support you!  Having strong, grassroots partner organizations is essential to supporting (and growing) this profession and NSTA is committed to do what we can to help!

What do you think we can do to support your efforts and strengthen your chapter or associated group? Add a comment below or e-mail us at chapters@nsta.org.

Posted in Chapters & Assoc. Groups, NSTA Membership | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment