Conference Strands
To help you make the most of the professional development opportunities available at the Charlotte conference, the Conference Committee has planned the conference around three strands of current significance, enabling you to focus on a specific area of interest or need.
Biotechnology refers to a broad collection of tools and technologies that involve the manipulation of living cells and/or biological molecules to solve problems and make useful products. Recently, biotechnology has become an emerging field in education, providing exciting and lucrative opportunities in the areas of genomics, biomanufacturing, human health, agriculture, environmental sustainability, and industry. Science education is the avenue through which students can prepare for numerous job opportunities offered in the 21st-century workplace.
Elementary educators report that they feel least prepared to teach physical science. In order for teachers to examine students’ ideas and ways of thinking, teachers need an understanding of the misconceptions that students bring to the classroom and the confidence to ask students higher-order questions. This strand will improve participants’ understanding of scientific inquiry and the nature of science within the context of physical science concepts, including force and motion, magnetism and electricity, and properties of matter.
Do your students understand science? Can they apply the science concepts and principles that they have learned to solve problems? Formative assessment must be an integral part of the learning process. Teachers must probe students’ understanding by using specific challenges that require the application of science processes as well as content. They must also provide students with structured feedback and re-teach areas in which their students are deficient. Research indicates that implementation of formative assessment promotes conceptual understanding and increases student achievement.
For a list of sessions for each strand, click on the links above.