 | | October 2, 2017 |
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| | | President Trump signs a memorandum calling for more STEM education funding in K–12 schools; superintendents from California, Oregon, and Washington advocate for Title II funding; and an update on the Every Students Succeeds Act, all in this issue of the NSTA Legislative Update. |  |
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| | | Lab Out Loud is proud to share Matt Blackman's physics games and apps. As physics teacher and adjunct instructor at Rutgers Graduate School of Education, Matt founded The Universe & More where he creates educational games and apps such as Crack the Circuit and Action Graphing. Blackman joins co-hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler to talk about his games, how they might supplement and enhance (but not replace) good teaching. | |
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| | | There's still time to join us in Baltimore this week for our first area conference on science education, happening October 5–7. Already registered? Download the app, and navigate the conference from the palm of your hand. | |
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|  | | | Can classroom play be like the open-ended exploration children do when they are beginning to investigate a natural material such as water? Read what early childhood science education expert Peggy Ashbrook has to say. | |
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| | | Join us on Wednesday, October 4, at 6:30 pm Eatern Time and learn more about the science of modern agriculture. Genetic modification goes by many names: Genetic Engineering, GMOs, Biotechnology, and Recombinant DNA. Though similar techniques have been used to save lives in the pharmaceutical industry (insulin) and to produce delicious cheeses (rennin), when it comes to crops, the technology comes with great controversy. Learn more and register here. | |
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| | | Most students don't want to miss lab investigations, but when they do, it can affect their learning in the rest of the unit. Finding time for make-up work outside of class can be difficult in a busy schedule or for bus riders. Read Ms. Mentor's recommendations for handling this situation. | |
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|  | | | Immerse yourself in one of NSTA's conveniently located two-day workshops with authors Karen Ansberry and Emily Morgan, you will learn how to use Picture-Perfect STEM Lessons in your classroom. Learn more and register for workshops in Portland, Oregon (October 12–13), San Bernardino, California (November 1–2), or Athens, Georgia (January 23–24, 2018). | |
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| | | In the second of a two-part series looking at assessment, the recent issue of Next Gen Navigator looks at the broader picture of assessment systems. Our articles come from a principal, a state science consultant, and a chief state school officer. Also read the August edition which looks at assessing three-dimensional learning in the classroom. Don't get it? Sign up for this free monthly e-newsletter. | |
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|  | | | A National Academies of Sciences committee will hold a public workshop on November 2 to gather information and provide guidance for designing and implementing science investigations and engineering design for middle and high school students. Registration is required for this free event but space is limited. Options are available to participate in person or via webcast. Read more about the project and register here. | |
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| | Sponsored by: AskAnAnthropologist.asu.edu | | |  What factors led to our unusually large brains? - When and why did we become upright walkers?
- What does geology have to do with fossils?
- What can DNA tell us about how we evolved?
- What do we learn about human behavior by studying primates?
- Why do people cooperate?
Many resources on the web provide facts about how we became human, but too few provide classroom teachers with curricular tools and content that engage young people in human origins and scientific investigations. Inspired by AskABiologist.asu.edu and the Webby-award winning BecomingHuman.org, AskAnAnthropologist.asu.edu aspires to build an online community of science and social studies educators focused on middle- and high-school learners. New stories, translations to Spanish, activities, and links to NGSS categories will expand this new resource and provide teachers and their students with invaluable tools to investigate our ancient past. | |
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| | | | | Lost in the uproar over New Mexico's proposal for controversial new science education standards is the question of how students across the state are faring with existing benchmarks. If the results of the Standards Based Assessments released earlier this month by the state's Public Education Department are any indication, the answer is not very well. Read the article featured in the Santa Fe New Mexican. |
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| | | Preschool instructors appear to lack the knowledge, skills and confidence to effectively teach their young students science—a problem that is likely contributing to America's poor global performance in this crucially important subject. A first-of-its-kind study by Michigan State University researchers found that early childhood educators' self-reported ability and enjoyment was high for literacy, but much lower for science and math. Read the article featured in MSU Today. |
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| | | Consider this: The states where software jobs grew fastest in the past two years are Kansas, Indiana, Mississippi, Idaho, and Louisiana. Let that sink in. None of those states are on the coasts: They're scattered across the Midwest. That fact, and other key findings from a report released last week by Software.org: the BSA Foundation, might surprise you. Read the article featured in The Hill. |
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| | | | | | | | This short film and lesson guide can be used to teach high school students the fundamentals of critical thinking, deductive reasoning, and scientific skepticism. |
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| | | | | | In this video, teachers Alice Severson and Dom Lark teach the three dimensions from the Next Generation Science Standards to their elementary students. They engage students in a problem-based learning unit, using driving question and final artifact to explore competition for resources and how traits influence the social behavior of the red-winged blackbird. |
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| | | | | | The videos explore topics in Earth, Energy, Ecosystems, Engineering, Human Impacts, Ocean, Space, and Weather and Climate, with content for use with every grade level, K–12. Ideas for using the videos in the classroom are also provided. |
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| | Sponsored by: Ask, Listen, Learn | | |  Ask, Listen, Learn: Kids and Alcohol Don't Mix is a completely free and web-based program, designed for kids ages 9-12 and their educators and parents. The program takes a scientific approach to underage drinking prevention, with a series of seven lesson plans and animated videos that take kids on a journey through the developing brain. Each unit focuses on a specific part of the brain, teaching kids how the brain works, how alcohol affects each part, and how that can affect them. Program content regarding the effects of alcohol on the developing brain has been reviewed by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and is consistent with currently available science. The lessons support Common Core State, Next Generation Science, and National Health Education Standards. | |
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| | Sponsored by: University of Nebraska Online | | | | Programs include This program exposes students to courses in laboratory and field experiences that provide a well-rounded education. Studies are emphasized through solving modern biological problems. A low student-faculty ratio insures guidance for successful program completion. This program enhances skills in science content inquiry and application: - Acquire new and enhanced science content knowledge
- Integrate content to age-appropriate pedagogy
- Apply content to real-world situations
- Develop relevant, standards-based curriculum materials
- Inspire students with science in action
This interdisciplinary program involves the departments of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Statistics, Physics and Physical Science, and Teacher Education. This online degree enables veteran teachers to gain knowledge in their content areas as well as an understanding of developments in math and science standards. | |
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