NSTA Executive Director Francis Eberle

Last week President Obama introduced his new American Jobs Act, which included provisions that will impact schools, teachers and, specifically, science labs.

A press release on the American Jobs Act claims that “as many as 280,000 education jobs are on the chopping block in the upcoming school year. These cuts could have a significant impact on children’s education, through the reduction of school days, increased class size, and the elimination of key classes and services. The president’s plan will support state and local efforts to retain, rehire and hire early childhood, elementary and secondary educators (including teachers, guidance counselors, classroom assistants, after-school personnel, tutors, and literacy and math coaches). These efforts will help ensure that schools are able to keep teachers in the classroom, preserve or extend the regular school day and school year, and continue to support important after-school activities.”

The President proposes to spend $30 billion to prevent layoffs of up to 280,000 teachers and $25 billion for school infrastructure, which includes modernization and/or development of science labs. We all know it is economically tough time right now, and these are pretty big numbers. The President’s proposals are meant to address both short and a long term strategies. While no one wants to see teachers out of work, I think including education in a jobs bill can be confusing to many. Here’s why.

The President often speaks about his long-term goal to invest in our country’s future by putting money into the education infrastructure that prepares the U.S. future workforce Most agree that science, technology, engineering and mathematics education drives a major part of U.S. economic development.

In the short term the proposed funding from this plan will help some teachers keep their positions because the tax dollars and tax revenues used to support teacher salaries have been low for a third year in a row. Many school systems are operating at a 2008 budget level.

Yet In recent months Congress has been vigorously debating the vision for the country, a debate that largely centers on whose taxes can be cut or what program or budget reductions can be made. The irony of this approach is that it can lead to even less tax revenues and there will be more layoffs. (I know I am being political, but it is hard not to being here in D.C.)

I am curious, do you know of any science and technology teachers who are being or have been laid off recently? And what shape are your labs in, are labs something we should be investing in now? Let me hear your stories about whether we need to modernize science labs and classroom internet capabilities? What stories do you have from schools or individuals that would help to justify the President’s proposal?

I’m having some classroom management problems in my middle school science classes. I think the classroom itself provides many distractions and contributes to the problem. My middle-school students sit at lab tables, facing each other.  Their chairs spin, they are able to open the drawers and put trash in, they can turn on the sinks, and they can stuff things down the drain. How can I train these kids to sit in a chair and not play with the sinks or cabinets?
—Anne, Postville, Iowa

You might be on to something about the relationship between student behavior and their environment. I taught in a similar situation—seventh grade students sitting at lab tables of four, facing each other. I actually liked this arrangement, because I did a lot of collaborative work and the students didn’t need to move around to work with a partner or in lab groups.

However, I noticed about middle schoolers (more so than high school) all have the fidgets. It’s hard for them to stay still for long periods of time, especially by the end of the day. Expecting these students (or anyone else for that matter) to sit still for long periods of time is unrealistic.

The key is to channel their energy and remove temptations for disruptive or destructive behavior (as you’re thinking). Are there valves at the tables to turn off the water (like on a sink at home)or a master valve for the room? If so, turn off the water except on days it’s necessary. To keep kids from putting trash in the sink, cover the sink with a small board. Attach  the cover to the table with a fabric hook-and-loop fastener, so that it can be removed for labs (and you’ll hear the skritch sound if a student tries to remove it!).  This obviously works only if the water is turned off. It also provides a bit more room on the table for students to work.

Can you trade in the swivel stools for rigid ones (or adjust something underneath to keep them from revolving)? The students will still rock on them, but at least they won’t be making you dizzy. Your bulletin boards should have items related to the unit, so when students are looking at them, they’ll still be focused on science.

My colleague did not use the drawers in his lab tables and they were not lockable. So he took the handles off. He made a wire tool so that he could open them, and he stored old textbooks in them to make them heavy to pry open. And if the tables have electrical outlets—can you turn the electricity off via the circuit breaker? Or at least cover them with outlet covers. (I learned this after a student inserted a pair of forceps into the outlet with “shocking” results—I still see him around town and we can now smile about it 20 years later).

You’ll still need some ways to channel their energy, varying the activities during class: cooperative learning, think-pair-share, bellringers, hands-on activities, notebooks, working at the smartboard, stand-and-stretch breaks. As you introduce an activity, model what it should look (and sound) like. When students are working individually or in teams, walk around the room, patrolling the perimeter to answer questions or provide support. Use an empty table in the back of the room or a desk or two along the side for students who need a time-out from their groups or from the stools or who want to be closer to the front during large group discussions. Establish routines for transitions between events. I used to chant “one, two, three, look at me” to get their attention and re-focus on the front of the room. Sounds silly, but middle schoolers would clap during the “one, two, three” part.

Be sure to differentiate between disruptive or destructive behaviors and those that are simply annoying. For example, I had a student who would unconsciously tap her pencil while she was thinking. Rather than making an issue out of this, I gave her a mouse pad to deaden the sound. Another student found it hard to sit at the end of the day, so I encouraged him to stand in the back of the room instead of rocking on the stool.

But whatever you decide to do, don’t make your classroom environment sterile, joyless, and regimented. Your science classroom should be a stimulating place where you and your students can focus on activities to explore and learn.

Photo:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/40964293@N07/4018106328/

For the past few years, I’ve had a self-contained fifth-grade class, and my students and I enjoyed doing many hands-on science activities and investigations. Next year, I’ll be teaching science to all of the sixth-graders. The science classroom is well equipped, but I’m looking for suggestions on managing five sections of science every day, especially labs.
—Elizabeth, Bowling Green, KY

In a self-contained classroom, you could be flexible with the schedule. If a science activity took a little longer than expected, you could adapt. But your new situation will be sensitive to the bell schedule. Your classes will be back-to-back, allowing little time between dismissing one class and welcoming the next. Preparation and organization will be important.

Plan your activity for the amount of time you have. If you have a single period (e.g., 45 minutes), you are limited to investigations that can be completed (including the introduction and cleanup) within that time or those that can be paused and continued at another time.

Prepare materials and equipment in advance. Have a surplus of materials so you won’t have to leave the room to get something. Assemble trays or boxes with materials for each lab group. A card in the box (or notes on the board) with an “inventory” helps students know what to return at the end.

If students get to class after the activity has started, allow them to work on the activity if and only if you first brief them on the safety issues (as you did with the rest of the class at the beginning of the activity). Prepare seatwork for those waiting for a turn or are not doing the activity. Students doing seatwork should remain at their desks.

Even the best class or most advanced students can run into difficulties. Resist the temptation to stay at your desk and grade papers or plan the next activity. Monitor your students as they work. In addition to looking for safety issues, you can do some formative assessment as you walk around. You can ask and answer questions, guide their thinking, and eavesdrop on their conversations. You can have a list of lab skills and check off students as they demonstrate them. Also note anything that you would change for the next class or the next time you do this activity.

Time flies during an activity, and if the bell rings while students are still working, they’ll want to rush on to their next class. Students must assume responsibility for cleaning up at the end of the period so that everything is in place for the next class. Set an alarm or timer to provide enough time to clean up the lab stations and debrief on the activity.

Have a sign at each lab station with a list of cleanup tasks. Check each group’s lab station and their box or tray to inventory the equipment and materials before they sit down. Do not dismiss the class until the cleanup is complete and all equipment and materials are accounted for.

Just as in a self-contained classroom, you’ll need organizational strategies, such as labeling or color-coding the paperwork for each section of students, designated routines to hand in assignments, and a place to store 100+ science notebooks.

Another challenge in teaching several sections of the same subject is maintaining your energy level. Even though you’re doing the same activity all day and hearing the same questions, it’s a new experience for each section of students. Your enthusiasm in the last period class has to be at the same level as first period.

And wear comfortable shoes on lab days—you won’t have a chance to sit down!

I started my first full-time teaching position this semester—high school biology. According to the students, they did not do many labs last semester. I’m eager to do inquiry activities with my students, and obviously I want to do so safely. The department chair gave me copies of the safety contracts and handouts to use. Do you have any other suggestions as to what I should consider before our first lab activity?
—Jena, Dover, Delaware

Congratulations on your new job! I’m sure your students will learn from and enjoy the lab investigations and activities. I would recommend investing in a copy of the NSTA Press book Investigating Safely, which has many suggestions and resources for high school science.

It’s hard to take over in the middle of the year, so before you do your first activity, take time for an “inspection:”

• Check the utilities. Note the location of electrical outlets. Avoid using long extension cords or outlet multipliers. If there is gas in the room, find out where the master valve is and keep the gas turned off when not in use. Report the location of any leaky faucets or nonfunctioning gas jets and electrical outlets to the maintenance staff. If there are appliances such as a dishwasher or refrigerator, put a sign on them that they are not to be used for non-science related materials (e.g., washing coffee mugs or storing lunches).

• Be sure that the eyewash station, emergency shower, and fume hood are functional and accessible to the students. Look at the date on the fire extinguisher for a recent inspection. Report any issues to the safety officer.

• Put cleaning materials such as a dustpan, paper towels, hand soap, and a box to dispose of broken glass or other sharp objects in accessible locations.

• Identify and label areas where students can get class materials (paper, pencils, stapler) and where you can set out the materials for lab activities. Teachers often put lab materials in trays or plastic boxes for each lab team.

• Inventory your student safety gear. You must have goggles or other appropriate eyewear for each student in a class and a way to sanitize them at the end of each class, unless students have their own individual ones. Other safety gear may depend on the subjects you teach (e.g., aprons, gloves, tongs)

• Check your room for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  Students who use wheel chairs may require extra room and lab tables should be at the appropriate height. If students use assistive technologies for vision or hearing, can they be used at your lab tables? Work with special education or guidance faculty to decide on the best way to accommodate student needs in advance so all can participate as fully as possible in the class activities. (Investigating Safely has a chapter on this topic.)

• Decide how many students can safely work at each lab station. Most are set up for a maximum of four students. If you don’t have enough lab stations for all students to work at once, you’ll have to plan to work in “shifts” during the period or across several days, including seatwork for students who are waiting their turn.

Before your first activity, do an orientation with your classes, reviewing safety issues and your routines. Show them where the safety equipment is, and demonstrate how/why/when to use it. Create your lab groups ahead of time. Your first activity should be one that does not require a lot of materials and that does not have many safety issues. During this “dry run” with full classes, circulate around the room and take notes. Remove anything blocking student access to the lab stations or exits, such as extra desks, extension cords, or carts. Decide where students should stow their backpacks, coats, and other personal gear. Stand at each lab table to determine if students can see the board or screen. Look for any corners where you can’t see the students. Adjust your plans and routines, if necessary, based on this assessment.

It is a challenge to engage students in planned and purposeful science investigations that are also interesting and relevant to them. Safety concerns can seem overwhelming, but planning (and over-planning), awareness, and common sense will see you through.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/40964293@N07/4018106328/

At the beginning of the year, I covered measurement, basic equipment, and other fundamentals I thought my students (seventh graders) needed before we started our labs. Now they seem to have forgotten everything and need to be taught this information again whenever we do a lab. What can I do to help them remember?
—Diane, Las Cruces, New Mexico

The first textbook I used had a chapter devoted to the metric system, so I dutifully “covered” it at the beginning of the year, with its emphasis on converting units. Following the advice of a colleague, I also had the students memorize the names of equipment (flasks, graduated cylinders, forceps, and so on) before they had a chance to use them. What a disaster! When it was time to use these concepts, skills, and vocabulary in subsequent lab activities, my middle-school students remembered little of what they had supposedly learned.

As I reflected on this, I realized I had expected the students to master these concepts and vocabulary without any meaningful context. It seemed difficult for them to apply procedures that had been introduced at the beginning of the year to a lab weeks later. I was certainly teaching the material (with the lesson plans to prove it), and the students seemed to know the material at the time—but they weren’t learning it well enough to apply it to new activities.

So I changed my approach.

I introduced lab-related concepts, procedures, and vocabulary on an as-needed basis within the context of investigations, rather than in isolated units of instruction. For example, the students learned how to use microscopes in the context of a unit on microbiology. They practiced focusing microscopes while examining prepared slides of cells. They made their own wet mount slides of algae, yeasts, and molds. They examined pond water and recorded their observations and inferences.

This worked well, but we still want students to connect what they learn to their previous experience and to transfer what they learn to new situations. When students are learning new lab procedures, you could have them create their own frequently asked questions, or FAQs. They could designate a section of their science notebooks for FAQs such as How do I use a balance? How do I make a wet mount microscope slide? What should I use to measure the volume of a liquid? What is the difference between an observation and an inference? The question is followed by a brief, step-by-step response or definition, including diagrams or pictures. Each student would be responsible for adding questions to his or her notebook. If the notebooks have a “glossary” section, students could add descriptions and sketches of equipment as they use it. This becomes a reference to use during a lab.

A variation is to provide index cards on which students write the questions. Punch a hole in the card and add it to a ring with other cards or to a binder. Keep a set at each lab station, and allow students to add to the set as the year progresses. There could also be cards on which students write names and draw diagrams of the equipment and materials they use (e.g., a glassware card) for future reference. During a lab, students can flip through the cards if they have questions (you may need to model this strategy for the students to help them become more self-sufficient).

You could make the cards, but it would be more meaningful if the students make the cards themselves and use their own words in the responses. Perhaps creating the cards could be one of the roles you assign in cooperative groups or at the end of a unit as a review. Each class period could add to the set, and the students can learn from each other’s questions. At the end of the year, you could give the card sets to the eighth grade teacher for the students to continue to use.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jkfid/4333769080/in/photostream/

I teach fourth and fifth graders in our school’s “Discovery Lab.” With over 700 students I am constantly brainstorming procedures to help the lab run smoother. One thing that I want to try is to assign student roles for group work. Do you have suggestions for these roles or any other information that might be helpful?
—Melody, Grenada, Mississippi

Defining roles is a key component of cooperative learning where students share the responsibility for learning. The literature on cooperative learning describes a variety of roles: ones commonly used in science classes include group leader, data recorder, measurer, equipment manager, liaison/questioner, artist/illustrator, researcher, timekeeper, and notetaker.

However, most of these traditional roles focus on logistics and procedures. I recommend the article “Teaching Students to Think Like Scientists During Cooperative Investigations” in the April/May 2008 edition of Science Scope. The authors (Voreis, et al.) describe how they use cognitive, or thinking, roles to help students develop inquiry skills and focus their activities on higher-order discussions and questions. The article has detailed descriptions of their roles (evidence collector, prediction manager, skeptic, and researcher), guidelines for the type of questions and responsibilities for each role, and an example of an evaluation sheet.

Regardless of what roles you decide to use, have job descriptions for each. These could checklists, a bulletin board display, index cards, or a page in the students’ science notebooks. The job descriptions could include mini-rubrics and conversation starters.

If you have students with unpolished interpersonal skills, start with brief and highly structured activities. Model cooperative behaviors and examples of appropriate language. Ask students to describe how they and their teammates did their jobs (this could be an exit activity). Rotate the roles so students have a variety of experiences. Once students are comfortable with these roles, they could create video clips of what the roles “look like” in the lab setting.

To keep the groups focused and on-task, be sure students understand the expectations for the project or investigation. Share the rubric ahead of time. Monitor the groups as they work, eavesdropping on their discussions and observing their interactions (this can be a formative assessment). Cooperative learning models emphasize the importance of both group work and individual accountability. You could have the group create some parts of a report together (perhaps in their notebooks or with a class Wiki or GoogleDoc page) and then have each student write an individual conclusion or summary. Some teachers hold each student responsible for one part of a project, evaluating the components separately and then assigning a holistic evaluation for the entire project.

Working with 700+ students in a lab setting is a challenge. In addition to your cooperative groups, there are other ways you can organize activities and materials to preserve your sanity:

• Establish a routine for getting ready for class, such as posting an agenda on the board with what students need for class (notebooks, textbook, pencil, assignments to turn in, etc.).
• Have a box or tray for each lab group to make it easier to organize and count the materials and to make sure everything is in place for the next class. Label or colorcode the trays so each group can find theirs.
• Have assigned seats, assigned lab groups, and assigned roles for lab group members. These, of course, can be changed periodically.
• Designate and label places to turn in assignments and equipment trays.
• Put labels on shelves or tables to help students locate materials they may need during class.
• Colorcode materials and handouts as much as possible to distinguish grade levels, homerooms, and lab groups. Have a graphic, number, or other code that students put on work they hand in so that you know to which section it belongs.
• Be sure everything is in order before students leave.

Establish communications with the homeroom teachers (assuming they also teach science lessons) to help students make connections between the lab and classroom activities. A quick glance at a few science notebooks would let you know what the students have been doing since their last visit to your lab. And the homeroom teacher can see what projects the students are doing with you. Perhaps one role would be class secretary—a student responsible for bringing the notebooks to the lab and updating you on their other science-related activities.

Photograph:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/kasimetcalfe/118471837/

Our school recently received grant funds to upgrade the technology in our science labs next year, and the funding organization requires an annual report. This is a new endeavor for us. Do you have some suggestions on what to include in the report?
—Patricia, Philadelphia, PA

Congratulation on your grant! It’s a lot of effort (and stress) to apply for funds, but in many respects your work has only begun. When you receive funds from government agencies or private foundations, the funders want to know how their money was used to accomplish the purpose of the project. However, the evaluation and reporting component is often an afterthought when schools receive grants. If you wait until the project ends, you might overlook some critical data documenting the success of your efforts. You’re very wise to think about evaluation before implementation.

Revisit your proposal to determine how your school described the project evaluation beyond documentation of expenditures. Find out if the funding agency has a template or rubric for the required report or if the website has example reports you could use as a model. Depending on the scope of the project, you could enlist assistance from your district office or contract with an external evaluator to design an evaluation plan and determine the scope of data to be collected.

Whether you’re evaluating a grant-funded project, a new curriculum effort, or a professional development program, most evaluation plans address several basic questions:

What progress are you making in implementing your project? This is the “what happened” part of your evaluation. Create a project calendar or timeline to document when key events happened and who the participants were. Be sure the events are related to the goals and objectives of the project.

• What equipment was purchased and when was it installed? What software, peripherals, or other instructional materials were included?
• What professional development workshops were provided (include dates, times, description, and attendance)? What follow-up activities were conducted?
• How did the teachers respond to the workshops? This should go beyond asking participants if they “enjoyed” a workshop. Ask them to describe what they learned and what they will do differently in their classroom as a result of having and using this new technology.
• How was the project publicized (newsletters, school website, letters to parents)?

To what level are you achieving the expected results or outcomes? This is the “so what” part and is often overlooked. Describe observable effects on teaching and learning and to what extent the goals and objectives of the project are being met.

• How was the technology used? (Classroom observations, videos, photographs)
• Which students had access to the technology? (Classroom observations, schedules, lesson plans)
• How did the teachers change their instructional strategies to take advantage of the technology? (Classroom observations, lesson plans, interviews, surveys)
• What is the impact on student learning? Is the project having a different impact on subgroups of students? (Formative assessments, test scores, student engagement/participation)
• Did attitudes toward science teaching and learning change on the part of students, teachers, or administrators? (Surveys, focus groups, interviews)

Collecting, organizing, and analyzing data from many sources provides the basis for documenting the implementation and impact of your project. You need to decide what kind of data should be collected, when it should be collected, how it should be organized, and who will be responsible for the data. Unless your project is a formal research study, you probably will not need more than a basic knowledge of statistics.

Having an evaluation plan ahead of time and collecting data as you move forward will help keep the project focused on the intended outcomes. But if something is not working as planned, be sure to document the unanticipated events (e.g., a key teacher leaving partway through the project or a delay in installing equipment).

In addition to meeting the requirements of the funding agency, well-organized data could be the basis of a needs assessment for future funding. There are many opportunities to share what you learned from the project through NSTA journals, NSTA Reports, and presenting at the national and area conferences. We’ll look forward to hearing more about your project!

Resource:

User-Friendly Handbook for Project Evaluation (National Science Foundation)

Photo: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2796/4333770330_61e3640dc1.jpg

My ninth grade students enjoy labs, but my colleagues say I do too many and the students aren’t learning anything. How many labs should I do each week?
—Carolyn, Billings, Montana

I’m curious as to what you mean by “labs.” Some teachers use the word lab to describe a variety of activities from investigations and experiments to cookbook demonstrations, small-group discussions, simulations, group writing assignments, laptop activities—anything students do in groups in science class. While all of these activities can be useful learning strategies, let’s assume you are referring to inquiry-based investigations and experiments.

NSTA’s position statement on Scientific Inquiry states, “Scientific inquiry is a powerful way of understanding science content. Students learn how to ask questions and use evidence to answer them. In the process of learning the strategies of scientific inquiry, students learn to conduct an investigation and collect evidence from a variety of sources, develop an explanation from the data, and communicate and defend their conclusions.”

Although you do not have to justify your choice of learning activities (or their frequency) to your colleagues, you may want to reflect on what you’re doing for your own professional piece of mind. While considering your activities, it may be helpful to parse the above position statement. Do your labs help students to

• understand science content—the processes and “big ideas” as well as facts and concepts;
• ask questions (not just answer ones that someone else asks);
• design and conduct various types of investigations, depending on the questions;
• collect and organize their evidence (data);
• analyze the evidence to develop an explanation; or
• communicate and defend their conclusions?

This is a lot to expect of students; they need guidance and modeling tailored to their level of experience. I had the opportunity to work with a middle school teacher who scaffolded the inquiry process for her students. She kept the unit’s “big idea” posted in the classroom and made sure to refer to it during every activity (lab or otherwise) to keep the students focused on the content. When she asked students for questions to investigate, she added a few of her own as a model. She guided the students through a discussion of how the experiment was designed and how the design related to the question (after experiencing various types of investigations, they took over more of the design process). She monitored them as they did the procedure and collected data, and she assisted or intervened when necessary. She worked with the students as they reviewed their data and determined  if their evidence answered the questions, and discussed why it did or did not. During the process, the students recorded the data and their conclusions in their notebooks. The teacher recognized this was a time-consuming process, but she was confident they were learning (and the assessment results supported this conclusion).

I really don’t have a numeric answer to your question. Regarding the number of activities, for scientific inquiry the quality of the activities is more important than the quantity. Doing an activity for the sake of doing an activity without any follow-up or reflection may lead to the second concern about what the students are actually learning and whether they truly understand the concepts. I attended a workshop with a middle school teacher who remarked, “I keep my students so busy they don’t have time to think.” I still wonder what—if anything—they learned.

Image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmiehomeschoolmom/3423116

We are opening a new academy for grades 10, 11, and 12. We’re going to have a science lab for combined use in biology, chemistry, and physics. I’ve taught in labs, but I’ve never designed one. Where do we start?
—K. D., Oklahoma

There’s nothing more exciting for a science teacher than walking into a new laboratory. The first thing we notice is the equipment. But there’s a lot more to designing a lab than selecting and installing the tables.

Whether you’re constructing a new facility or remodeling an existing one, planning the lab facilities is a complicated process. It’s better to work out all the details in advance than have to go back and correct any mistakes or omissions. I would strongly recommend that you start with the NSTA Guide to Planning School Science Facilities, available through the NSTA Science Store. This publication has a chapter on safety guidelines (including storage of materials), sample floor plans, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines, and even suggestions for “green” labs. It has user-friendly chapters on the steps of this planning process, lots of photographs, and checklists. It also is essential you research recommendations or requirements from your state department of education and your local building codes.

I assume you are going to meet with all of the science teachers for their input. Ask a lot of questions: What kind of science instruction would take place in the lab: lecture/discussion with supporting lab activities vs. an inquiry-based curriculum with ongoing activities? How many students will be in a class? What kinds of investigative processes are suggested or required in your state’s science standards? What will be the role of technology? The NSTA Guide has many discussion-starters.

The first priority should be safety: features such as showers, eyewash stations, fume hoods, air exchangers, fire extinguishers and blankets, sanitizing equipment for goggles, master shut-off switches (for gas, water, electric), adequate and uncluttered workspace dimensions, room size, and unobstructed exits from the lab. The NSTA Guide explores what should be in place so that students and teachers can work safely. The Council of State Science Supervisors also has recommendations in their publication, Science Safety: Making the Connection.

I talked to several other science teachers who suggested:

If anyone has other suggestions for K.D., please feel free to add a comment!

If you could have the science lab of your dreams for preK through 2 students, what would it include? What are the minimum required materials, what are the commonly found materials, and what is on your wish list? Would it be in your classroom or a separate lab in the school? Would you have group tables or individual desks? Does your state have offer guidelines? (Thanks to the NSTA elementary level list serve for these questions. The list serves are wonderful vehicles for information exchange.)

Peggy