JoinAll Blog Posts
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What Are the Best Practices in Professional Development?
Budget dollars for teacher professional development can be scarce, particularly in these economic times. Evaluating the quality of the professional development options available is more critical than ever....
By Carole Hayward
Blog Post
Science and students' interests
Middle school students typically have a lot of energy and enthusiasm. Channeling these into learning opportunities is the challenge for teachers....
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
A Little Perspective Goes a Long Way
Elementary teachers can experience a sense of isolation when their schedules don’t allow a lot of interaction with their colleagues. I remember those days well....
By Carole Hayward
Blog Post
The Next Generation Science Standards are scheduled to be released this spring (after several drafts and comment periods)....
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Science of Innovation: self-driving cars
Imagine glancing over to the next car during your commute and seeing the driver with a coffee in hand AND a magazine! Okay—some of you have already witnessed such stupidity—but in the near future none of us will give it a second thought. Instead ...
By admin
Blog Post
Instant Inquiry with iPad and Hand Dryer
Have you ever wondered how fast the air comes out of those newly designed hand dryers? Or perhaps how loud in decibels the fan is. The iPad is a great device for answering this and many other questions on the fly....
By Martin Horejsi
Blog Post
Static electricity, something we experience before we're old enough to understand it
It was a beautiful sunny winter day in the mid Atlantic region in the mid 40s with little wind when I went walking in a wetlands park wearing a synthetic fleece jacket and nylon pants. The boardwalk over the water is made of recycled plastic “lumbe...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Becoming a Responsive Science Teacher
I always enjoy reading books that challenge my way of thinking. Working in education, I read many books for my professional development....
By Carole Hayward
Blog Post
Science of Innovation: Biometrics
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, security lines are here to stay. What if you could move through with just a sideways glance at a camera? That’s becoming a reality with the innovation highlighted in the latest installment of the “Science of Innovation�...
By admin
Blog Post
Getting the most from the NSTA conference
Are you attending the NSTA conference in San Antonio this spring?...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Who Doesn't Like a Good Argument?
Research indicates that many students do not develop proficiency in scientific practices, such as argumentation....
By Carole Hayward
Blog Post
Science teacher "wish list"
I’m newly credentialed as a principal and looking for a position at a middle school. I’m currently an English teacher, so I’m not familiar with the needs of other subject areas. What should I expect to see on a science teacher’s &...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Planning to teach about life cycles?
There is something about the changes in the natural world due to seasonal changes in spring time that inspire us to talk about baby plants, baby birds, and baby anything....
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
As an NSTA member, you subscribe to one or more journals in print/digital format. But you also have access to articles in the other journals....
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Reading With NSTA Kids: New Series of Children's Picture Books
When my children were very young, we really enjoyed our weekly trek to the public library for story time and checking out books. We would stagger out balancing stacks of what we called “fact books”. You name the subject, we checked out tr...
By Carole Hayward
Blog Post
Science, engineering, and technology
To illustrate the interconnectedness of science and engineering, the editor’s note this month is a crossword puzzle. I think I need to review the K-12 Framework in more detail to solve it. Or else I can see this connectedness through the featur...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Nonfiction Selections to Lead Your Students to Inquiry and Literacy
As elementary teachers continue to struggle to find time to teach science to their students in an already crowded schedule, particularly as the emphasis on literacy has actually reduced the amount of time designated for science study, authors Jessica...
By Carole Hayward
Blog Post
Science of innovation: smart concrete
Scientists and engineers don’t necessarily start out to innovate, but unexpected things happen! This installment of the “Science of Innovation” video series describes how Dr. Deborah Chung, an expert in composite materials and structural scienc...
By admin
Blog Post
I’m looking for professional development (PD) opportunities. I have a master’s degree, but as part of my PD plan, I’d like to earn additional graduate credits. In my current situation, commuting in the evenings or on weekends to a u...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Russian Meteor Fertile Ground for High Tech Exploration…On Your Classroom Computer
The fall of what is unofficially named the Chelyabinsk Meteor (soon to be meteorite) has produced a staggering number of videos. Whether police dashboard camera, cell phone, ATM camera, traffic camera, parking lot, or just one of hundreds of securit...
By Martin Horejsi
Blog Post
Science of innovation: electronic tattoo
As we approach President’s Day, which comes on the heels of Abraham Lincoln’s actual birthday, thoughts turn to … patents. Yes, patents! Those of us on the development team for the Science of Innovation video series were certainly surprised to ...
By admin
Blog Post
Birding and Engineering Makes for a Great Week
Two worthy programs to participate in this year or mark on your calendar for next year. Great Outdoor Bird Count ...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
In my volunteer work at a nature center, I get to see young children as they explore the natural world. They seem to have an intense interest in the animals and plants around them. This issue has several ideas to capitalize on this interest with rele...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Science by Design: Construct a Boat, Catapult, Glove, and Greenhouse
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By Carole Hayward
Blog Post
Now Trending: Science Evangelists
YouTube guru Paul Andersen and NSTA’s Teshia Birts (Chapter Relations)...
By Lauren Jonas, NSTA Assistant Executive Director
Blog Post
Science of innovation: bionic limbs
Look to the “Science of Innovation” video series from the team of NSTA, NBC Learn, and NSF to jump start your STEM efforts. These videos are sparked by innovative technologies issued patents by the United States Patent & Trademark Office. Use...
By admin
Blog Post
iPad Simple Harmonic Motion with Household Parts
Simple harmonic motion is not only a foundational topic in physical science, but also a major player in many different fields from music to engineering to architecture, to sports. The iPad can be used to generate a real-time visual presentation of ha...
By Martin Horejsi
Blog Post
Science of innovation: 3D printing
Imagine! Invent! Improve! Inspire! The “Science of…” series is back with a new twist—innovation. The “Science of Innovation” series highlights innovative technologies patented by some of the leading scientists and engineers in their field...
By admin
Blog Post
As the editor notes this month, for many students, their experiences in elementary and middle school are the end of any formal classes in the earth sciences. In high schools, earth science is often an elective (if it’s in the schedule at all). But ...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Web 4.0: ready or not, here it is
Experts say we are now in the Web 4.0 environment (where meaning can be created by the majority; web participation is a necessity; etc.). According to Yahoo! Finance, we’ll be able to purchase the first Web 4.0 tablet on or about March 15th. This i...
By Lauren Jonas, NSTA Assistant Executive Director
Blog Post
Teachers, students, and parents who have participated in a science fair have different perspectives on the experience. Students may feel both excited and nervous as they choose their topics, develop the projects, and present their findings....
By Carole Hayward
Blog Post
A fascinating feature of a popular astronomy app called Star Walk is the augmented reality feature that uses a device’s camera to blend educational imagery with reality....
By Martin Horejsi
Blog Post
Look for conferences near you…learn, share, drink coffee
If you have yet to experience a National Science Teachers Association conference, take a look at the multiple opportunities offered each year. Attend a conference to firm up your understanding of science and engineering concepts, learn teaching stra...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
I am curious about the effectiveness of group or team tests given (maybe a week) before the actual, summative test. I am just beginning my student teaching, and think a group test might be a great way for students to share the responsibility of revie...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
My dad was a map-reader. We could spend hours browsing through an atlas or USGS topographic maps. Whenever a conversation centered on a particular location, his response was “Let’s get out the map!” One of the chief roles in family ...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Does everyone need to be code literate?
A recent tweet alerted me to the fact that “we have a choice between two futures, everyone with code literacy or only an elite few.” Coding has been on my radar for a while, but lately I can’t get online without being bombarded with why...
By Lauren Jonas, NSTA Assistant Executive Director
Blog Post
Resources about technology use in early childhood education
The NAEYC Technology and Young Children Interest Forum has put together many resources for early childhood educators looking for guidance on what, when and how to use the broad range of digital and analog devices we have or are considering using in o...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
My school provides some professional development money every two years for summer travel. This summer I would like to take an educational trip to Italy to visit Pompeii, Herculaneum, Vesuvius, some Galileo astronomy sights, or others that would fit i...
By Mary Bigelow