JoinAll Blog Posts
Blog Post
Mixing colors combines art and science in one activity
Colored acetate sheets make new colors as they overlap. Give children just the primary colors–a dark pink, a blue, and a yellow—and they can create orange, green, purple, and deep grays and browns without any instruction....
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Educators share why they attended the conference
I’d like to share a few more comments from people who took the time to talk to me either after a session, in the exhibit hall, or on the bus. Thank you all for sharing your views on the benefits of attending the conference....
By Lynn Petrinjak
Blog Post
Looking for ideas to ring in Spring? Check out the S&C article Breaking the Sound Barrier by Tom Brown and Kim Boehringer for ideas on exploring sound and making simple instruments with everyday materials (e.g., rubber band guitars and string...
By ManagingEditorSC
Blog Post
Data collection, display, and analysis
Cockroaches, fast food, roadkill, rainfall—the articles in this issue of Science Scope show that middle level science students and teachers can use inquiry skills in studying almost any topic....
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Using tools to move water: observing children's creative problem solving
I’m looking for ideas on how children can move water in different ways outdoors when the weather warms up. Ideally we’d have a shallow, slow-moving stream of pristine water nearby…....
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
For me, New Orleans will be “unforgettable, in every way,” to quote the old Nat King Cole ballad. I feel as though I left a part of my heart there. It was a privilege to be able to visit the Crescent City, and I thank NSTA for it. I also ...
By Debra Shapiro
Blog Post
There were many sessions that focused on promoting inquiry in science teaching. I wish I could have attended all of them, but the ones I could get to had some great ideas. Nancy Chesley and Lynn Farrin from the Main Mathematics and Science Allianc...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Sunday is a tough day for a presenter. A lot of conference-goers have early departures to get home for class on Monday, many are attending church services, and perhaps a few are recovering from Saturday evening events. But a team from the St. Louis (...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
My favorite exhibit was Pasadena (TX) Memorial High School’s “Alternative Energy Digital Pipe Organ.” This was a full-size instrument (three keyboards and two octaves of pedals) with the sound of a pipe organ that was built by stud...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Secretary of Education addresses NSTA National Conference
One of the conference highlights was a speech by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. He gave an inspiring talk on the importance of science and science education. For more information and a video of his speech, go to the NSTA website....
By Lynn Petrinjak
Blog Post
Trying out new equipment, browsing through print materials, chatting with vendors, or gathering freebies for the classroom – something for everyone in the Exhibit Hall!...
By Debra Shapiro
Blog Post
Meet the expert in teaching physics and chemistry cost effectively
Ted Koehn of Lincoln East High School in Lincoln, Nebraska, holds a homemade inclined plane he uses in a variety of physics lessons....
By Debra Shapiro
Blog Post
Something for everyone at the conference
As I’ve talked to attendees, everyone has been so excited. Regardless of position or experience level, they all seem to be learning how they can make science teaching better in their classroom and school. Here are just a few of the comments I&#...
By Lynn Petrinjak
Blog Post
It's not lunch, it's science!
The National Academies of Science has some ideas for “Igniting a Passion for Science” in your students. The session this morning featured forensic anthropologist Diane France....
By Lynn Petrinjak
Blog Post
Multimedia lab reports and science podcasting
There are many sessions devoted to technology applications. Two that I attended on Friday afternoon were presented by dynamic teachers from New Jersey and Texas....
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
I’ve had a chance to talk to several teachers about why they attend the conference and what some of the highlights have been for them. Debra and I will be posting some of those comments here. Don’t forget to look for more in the April iss...
By Lynn Petrinjak
Blog Post
While waiting to catch a shuttle bus, I chatted with Amanda Jeffers and Melissa Kidder from Sunset, Louisiana. “I think the conference is going so well,” said Amanda....
By Debra Shapiro
Blog Post
The NSTA Bookstore is a popular place. For those of us who like to pick up and page through a book before making a purchase, this is the place to be. There are even tables and chairs (coffee is available in the lobby). Other NSTA merchandise is f...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
NASA's expanding field of vision
Credit: NASA, ESA, and C. Conselice (University of Nottingham)...
By Lynn Petrinjak
Blog Post
A peek at Informal Science Day
NSTA Informal Science Day offered a wide variety of networking opportunities and presentations. From noon to 2, attendees had a chance to have lunch while listening to Andrew Shouse and Philip Bell and their colleagues from the National Research Co...
By Debra Shapiro
Blog Post
I just have to say a quick “Wow!” I was walking by the ballroom and could hear music, shouting and laughing. I couldn’t resist looking in to see what was causing such a commotion. It was Grand Master Hank’s science lab. The p...
By Lynn Petrinjak
Blog Post
You never know who you'll see here
With thousands of people here, you’re certain to see someone you know. I ran into my grad school advisor, several people I had met before (virtually) on the NSTA listserves, and a vendor I had met in a previous life. I saw Bill Nye speedwalking...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
The Louisiana Science Teachers Association has a welcome booth here, with friendly faces and suggestions for sightseeing and learning more about this great city and state. And on the Exhibit floor there is a booth with information on next year...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
If you’re Blackberry-less like me and don’t want to tote your laptop around, there is a kiosk where you can check your email, update a blog, or contact your substitute. But, unlike Boston last year where the entire conference center w...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
The "cool" Darwin and the intersection of western science and native knowledge
Presenter Mark Plotkin seemed to enjoy being back in his native New Orleans earlier today as he talked about native cultures, Western science, and finding ways to use one to enhance the other. He encouraged attendees to make evolution relevant to the...
By Lynn Petrinjak
Blog Post
When I saw that the Planetary Society was sponsoring a session with Bill Nye and Neil deGrasse Tyson, I assumed that each would take the podium for a while. But those of us in the audience were treated to these two as dynamic copresenters!...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Looking inside the student brain to enhance learning
Understanding how a student’s brain works is vital to teaching and learning, says Kenneth Wesson, a neuroscience education consultant and vice president, international and western divisions, for Delta Education/School Specialty Science, durin...
By Debra Shapiro
Blog Post
Even in March the humidity here is high. Along with the morning fog, it makes for a place where “resistance is futile” in terms of coiffures!...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Busy morning at the conference
This is only my second NSTA national conference and I continue to be impressed by how eager everyone is to learn, regardless of whether he or she is an attendee or a presenter. Jeff Marshall of Clemson University conducted a session on the Four ...
By Lynn Petrinjak
Blog Post
So many sessions, so little time
I went over to the conference center this afternoon to pick up my badge holder, tote bag, and conference program. When I pulled out the program, my spouse remarked “That’s a big program.” His eyes got larger when I kept pulling ...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
How can we make time to teach science in preK-2 classrooms?
Observing the life cycle of an insect can include measuring growth and weight, counting calendar days and reading fiction, non-fiction, and writing poetry and descriptions—all ways to integrate science with other subjects in elementary school....
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Happy pi day (3.14)! I’m clearing out my mailbox and “to do” lists before heading to the NSTA Conference in New Orleans. Here are some items of interest:...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Our science teachers are discussing whether to allow students to use Wikipedia as a source for their research papers. What do you think of this source? — Jessica, Orem, Utah...
By MsMentorAdmin
Blog Post
Reading this issue’s articles on English Language Learners (ELLs) — Challenges and Solutions for ELLs and Making the Connection — brought back memories of many students in my classes, but especially of Philippe, who moved to my tow...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Snack sorting! It’s an interesting way to involve students in classifying and, while sitting together to eat, there is time to talk about why certain groupings were chosen....
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Activities get students focused
It takes my students a long time to settle down. By the time I take attendance and collect or return assignments, a lot of valuable time is gone. I’ve heard of “bell-ringer” activities. How would I use them? Do they really work?...
By MsMentorAdmin
Blog Post
Seed sprouting, activity and observation
It’s fun for children to plant seeds in a special container, but it can be hard to remember to water them, leading to disappointment if the plants don’t survive. Planting grass seed in some bare spots on any lawn is just as satisfying, perhaps mo...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
An admin's eye view of teaching lab activities
I think administrators are evil. Or maybe it’s more accurate (but much less inflammatory) to state that they’re dangerously misinformed. One of the reasons I feel this way is because of the teaching load (and therefore value) ascribed to laborato...
By AnnC