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Every time I go to a NSTA conference I become better at picking the sessions that will best suit my needs. This year was definitely my best. I had a fantastic time in Portland! I spoke with dozens of teachers who traveled from all over the country - North Carolina, Texas, Illinois, and, of course, the Northwest - and they all had a great conference experience.
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| From PortlandConference |
I've come away from the conference a better teacher with new ideas and strategies to help my students learn science. One of my favorite presenters was Tara Richardson who talked about changing the way we use grading in the classroom. I plan on implementing her strategy slowly into most of my classes. What were your favorite sessions?
| The exhibit hall was a lot of fun. I met so many exciting people who were eager to help me find items to enrich my classroom. Kevin McAndrew from Earthwatch, an organization that sends students and teachers on research expeditions, was incredibly funny and nice to meet. Julie Mathern from Bio-Rad was also very helpful. I've always loved using their kits and was excited to learn that if I lead a training workshop in my district, Bio-Rad will reward me with one of their products! I'm certain that similar exhibitors probably offer the same deal if you just ask them. That's one of the reasons why I always encourage teachers to go to NSTA conferences and always ask lots of questions. You never know what little bonuses you will find! |
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What exhibitors did you come across that you liked?
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The Oregon Zoo brought a couple of cute (and not so cute) animals to their booth. Alas, I couldn't hold one, but they were fun to see.
The one thing I regretfully missed was the Mythbusters and the Jean Auel presentation! Anyone care to share any details? Overall, how was your conference experience? |
--Stacy Baker