For me, New Orleans will be “unforgettable, in every way,” to quote the old Nat King Cole ballad. I feel as though I left a part of my heart there. It was a privilege to be able to visit the Crescent City, and I thank NSTA for it. I also will never forget all of [...]
Mark your calendars for March 18–21, 2010. We’ll have to transition from po’ boys to cheesesteaks, from beignets to soft pretzels, from Bourbon Street to South Street, and from Jackson Square to Independence Hall. See you there!
There were many sessions that focused on promoting inquiry in science teaching. I wish I could have attended all of them, but the ones I could get to had some great ideas. Nancy Chesley and Lynn Farrin from the Main Mathematics and Science Alliance demonstrated the use of probes to determine students conception and misconceptions [...]
Sunday is a tough day for a presenter. A lot of conference-goers have early departures to get home for class on Monday, many are attending church services, and perhaps a few are recovering from Saturday evening events. But a team from the St. Louis (MO) Public Schools (Nancy M. Williams, Wanicha Disharoon, and Frank Neal) [...]
My favorite exhibit was Pasadena (TX) Memorial High School’s “Alternative Energy Digital Pipe Organ.” This was a full-size instrument (three keyboards and two octaves of pedals) with the sound of a pipe organ that was built by students at the school. I had a chance to talk with Matt Koby (the chief engineer) who is [...]
One of the conference highlights was a speech by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. He gave an inspiring talk on the importance of science and science education. For more information and a video of his speech, go to the NSTA website. Later in the Exhibit Hall, I stopped by the US Department of Education booth. [...]
Trying out new equipment, browsing through print materials, chatting with vendors, or gathering freebies for the classroom – something for everyone in the Exhibit Hall!
Earlier today, I heard Cheryl Charles present the Brandwein Lecture, The Ecology of Hope: Building a Movement to Reconnect Children and Nature. Charles, who is president and CEO of Children and Nature Network, says kids are spending more than 20 hours a week on “electronic umbilica,” some becoming obese as a result. Other unpleasant side [...]
Ted Koehn of Lincoln East High School in Lincoln, Nebraska, holds a homemade inclined plane he uses in a variety of physics lessons. With humor and insight into teachers’ struggles during this troubled economic time, Koehn told a packed room of budget-conscious teachers how to do more than 60 chemistry and physics labs with low- [...]
As I’ve talked to attendees, everyone has been so excited. Regardless of position or experience level, they all seem to be learning how they can make science teaching better in their classroom and school. Here are just a few of the comments I’ve heard. – Lynn Petrinjak Veteran Teacher: I enjoyed the share-a-thon events, the [...]
