Conference Blog

Books: Cutting the Cord

Tyson Brown — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:29:00 GMT

I love books. Not only do they overflow the various bookshelves in my house, but they also fill boxes (and boxes!) tucked away in many of my closets. So naturally I spend most of my conference time in the Science Store.

I am the managing editor of NSTA's book publishing program, and I feel the same pride and affection toward NSTA's titles that I imagine parents feel for their children. And at NSTA's conferences I get the chance to watch the books leave my protective custody and head out into the world.

Here in Ft. Lauderdale I've been delighted to meet the teachers and curriculum developers who use our books in their everyday lives. I've especially enjoyed watching the teachers interact with our authors. One teacher walked into the store, spotted Page Keeley (the best-selling and award-winning author of the Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series), and squealed, "I love her!" Another teacher, who after 20 years of teaching other grades, found herself again teaching sixth grade science and determined that Bill Robertson's eight Stop Faking It! books were exactly what she needed to refamiliarize herself with the subject matter. There was the teacher tasked with creating a new science curriculum, one that was not NSES dependent. I showed him a copy of Anne Tweed's Designing Effective Science Instruction, and his eyes lit up. And of course the Picture-Perfect books. Karen Ansberry and Emily Morgan's award-winning classroom approach blends fiction and nonfiction children's trade books with elementary science instruction. Their two books—and the handy book packs that collect all the trade books used in the lessons—have been particularly big hits here in Florida.

Thank you for introducing yourselves to me, for sharing how you use our books, and for giving us so many ideas for what other resources you'd also like to see. Your feedback is both helpful and gratifying, and reminds me why I love my job.

—Jennifer Horak

Inquiry, Evidence, and Thinking: The Heart of Science Teaching

Tyson Brown — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:07:00 GMT

An enthusiastic crowd joined NSTA Past President Michael Padilla Thursday and were rewarded with an engaging workshop on inquiry. Padilla's presentation emphasized the thinking skills all students will need in the workforce of the future, whether in a tire factory or a vaccine lab. Peppered with Gary Larson cartoons and beginning with a logic exercise, the workshop explored the attributes of inquiry and how teachers facilitate and structure inquiry. He also provided ideas on how to infuse the teaching of inquiry and critical thinking skills into a crowded curriculum. Bottom line: Make students think, every day!

Astronomy Resources (Mostly Free)

Tyson Brown — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:15:00 GMT

Judging by the large audience, teachers love teaching astronomy, and of course they love free resources, too. John McFarland of the Johannes Kepler Project delivered both (in period costume!), sharing an annotated list of software, props, songs (with an emphasis on They Might Be Giants Here Comes Science CD), websites, applets, activities, and more. Get the complete list at http://johanneskepler.org/.

--Valynda Mayes

Excursions

Tyson Brown — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:12:00 GMT

Looking for a little outdoors time in between sessions? If the beach doesn't do it for you, a short trip up the coast to Hugh Taylor Birch State Park will. Smack dab in the city, this "oasis of tropical hammocks" features native and exotic plants, plus an opportunity to see mangroves. It is well worth a visit, for "botanizing," wildlife spotting, or just some fresh air and exercise among the trees.

--Valynda Mayes

The Sun Also Rises

Tyson Brown — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:20:00 GMT

Good morning teachers. Welcome to the second NSTA area conference of the fall season, this time in Ft Lauderdale. If you're following along virtually, here's a look at a morning sunrise from the beach along Atlantic Blvd (A1-A).

Not that we're boasting. We spent the rest of the day in an exhibit hall, no sun to be seen.

Take a look for yourself at the NSTA flickr photo group for the fall conferences.

Muscling in on Physics

Lynn Petrinjak — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:10:00 GMT

Physics teachers have a chance to get physical—and biological—on Thursday at the NSTA Conference in Fort Lauderdale with a session called Muscular Physics. The hands-on workshop by Umadevi I. Garimella, director of the Arkansas Center for Mathematics & Science Education at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) in Conway, Arkansas, and William Slaton, an assistant physics and astronomy professor at UCA, will explore the physics of body movement.

“The skeletal-muscular system of the body can be modeled using the concept of torques and mechanical equilibrium. Participants will explore the three classes of lever systems and note the biologically equivalent systems in the body,” explains Slaton. “Of interest will be the mechanical advantage of each lever system and why the body has evolved to favor some lever systems as opposed to others. Participants will also get hands on experience taking data for all three lever systems.”

Garimella and Slaton provide worksheets and workbooks of the informational slides for attendees to keep.

And now I’ve got bad 80s aerobic work-out music stuck in my head. Great. Hope I haven’t infected anyone else!

—Lynn Petrinjak

Science Everywhere, For All Students

Tyson Brown — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:57:00 GMT

Your challenge: Show all of the students in your classroom how science affects every aspect of their lives. Need help? Randolf Tobias, an award-winning author, educator, and curriculum specialist, is going to provide it during his presentation at the NSTA conference in Fort Lauderdale.

Tobias will tell you how to reach students from all backgrounds and cultures, especially those at-risk of missing out on a good education. And he’ll explain how to make your classroom a place where students realize why they should learn science, and how fun learning it can be. As I read about his work, I’m struck by the range of his expertise. He has worked with teachers, schools, school districts, and universities, both here in the U.S. and internationally.

District Administration: The Magazine of School District Management calls his latest book—Ensuring Success in Math and Science: Curriculum and Teaching Strategies for At-Risk Learners—“one of the most useful resources for K–12 education.” Perhaps he’ll share some of the lesson plans and family activities from the book.

—Debra Shapiro

Tying Your Conference Experience Together

Lynn Petrinjak — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:35:00 GMT

Strands of silk woven into a tapestry. Single strands of thread twined into rope. Strands can be a simple foundation for something greater—more beautiful, stronger, or useful. Following a strand at an NSTA regional conference can have a similar result, combining several sessions into a comprehensive professional development experience.

Three strands run through the Phoenix conference. Conference attendees can focus their professional development experience by following a particular strand such as "Relationships: Building Professional Relationships for Transformative Learning." Thirteen sessions over three days (only two presentations overlap) explore how educators working together can enhance their students’ learning experiences, as well as their own. Each session offers a different view on professional relationships: some focus on peer outreach, one on professional organizations membership, another on participation in summer internships. The featured presentation from Page Keeley, retiring president of NSTA, will focus on professional learning communities and their potential to change science teaching and learning.

Whether you opt to follow a strand, or weave your own schedule, you’ll leave the conference a stronger educator, equipped with useful ideas (and perhaps samples!) to share with your colleagues and students at home.

—Lynn Petrinjak

Bill Robertson Helps One Teacher Explain "Why"

Tyson Brown — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:06:00 GMT

When I was in Minneapolis last week, I ran into Patrine Turnbloom just outside the exhibit hall. Patrine recently changed grades, and she wanted some help with a few content areas, so she could explain the "why" behind certain concepts. Here are her thoughts on how Bill Robertson's books help her do that (via Teacher Tube).

--Tyson Brown

Using SciLinks

Tyson Brown — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:15:00 GMT

At the NSTA conference in Minneapolis, last week, I asked a number of teachers how they use SciLinks. Here's Fran Weber's response via Teacher Tube.

How do you use SciLinks? What could we do to make it better? Please let us know via comment to this post, or zip me a note -- tbrown@nsta.org.

--Tyson Brown