Most science teachers know that emergency showers and eyewash stations are needed in the presence of potential biological, chemical, and physical hazards. But which ones should they choose, and how should they be installed, operated, and maintained? The best place for answers is the American National Standard for Emergency Eyewash and Shower Equipment (ANSI/ISEA Z358.1).

Plumed vs. self-contained showers

Science labs and lecture rooms should only use plumbed showers (which are connected to a continuous source of drinking water) instead of self-contained showers (which contain their own flushing fluid). That’s because laboratory accidents require a continuous flow of water for at least 15 minutes. Note: Some elementary science classrooms with limited use of hazardous chemicals might only require an eyewash station. To make sure, conduct a hazards analysis and risks assessment to determine if a shower might also be needed.

Shower specifications

The ANSI/ISEA Z358.1 standard suggests that:

• the shower must provide tepid flushing fluid (15.6–37.8°C or 60–100°F).
• the valve can be activated in one second or less.
• the shower heads should be positioned from 208 to 244 cm above the work surface.
• the spray pattern will have a minimum diameter of 50.8 cm at 152.4 cm above the work surface.
• flow rate should be equal to 75.7 liters/minute for a minimum of 15 minutes at 20.7 Newtons per square centimeter.
• the center of the spray pattern must be located at least 40.6 cm from any obstruction.

Installation

• showers must be located in the same room as the hazard, in a well-lit area with appropriate signage and within reach to hazards such as caustic acids.
• the pathway to the shower must be free from obstructions.
• provisions must be made to prevent an unauthorized shutoff, if shutoff valves are installed in the supply line.

Maintenance and training

• plumbed emergency showers must be flushed weekly to make sure they operate correctly.
• all employees must be trained to use the equipment prior to working with or near hazards.
• all showers must be inspected annually to make sure they meet ANSI Z358.1 performance requirements.
• showers must have tags with the date of the last inspection printed on them.

Eyewash specifications

The installation and maintenance and training requirements for eyewash stations are virtually the same as emergency showers’. The specifications, however, are a bit different. The standard states that:

• eyewash stations must provide tepid flushing fluid (15.6–37.8°C or 60–100°F)
• valves should activate in one second or less.
• the fluid should flow between 83.8 to 134.6 cm from the work surface.
• eyewash stations should be 15.2 cm from the wall or nearest obstruction.
• stations should deliver 1.5 liters per minute of tepid water for 15 minutes, at 20.7 Newtons per square centimeter.
• shower heads and flushing fluid units must be covered with plastic caps to protect them from airborne contaminants.
• the removal of any protective devices, including eye and face protection and protective clothing, must not require a separate motion by the user.

Drench hoses

For some schools, emergency shower and eyewash stations may be outside of their budget. These schools may opt for the drench hose system instead, as long as it meets the performance requirements in the ANSI Z358.1standard.

A drench hose is a supplemental device connected to a laboratory sink. Drench hoses flush the eyes, face, and body. The installation and maintenance and training are the same as those of emergency showers and eyewash stations.

In the end

Contractors who install these units, facility managers, and/or safety compliance officers have the responsibility to certify that the emergency eyewash and showers meet the ANSI Z358.1standard. The custodian is usually responsible for inspecting and activating the emergency shower, eyewash station, and drench hoses each week. The annual inspection, as recommended by the ANSI standard, should check for problems such as valve leakage, clogged openings and lines, and adequate fluid volume. A work record of these inspections should be kept.

Submit questions regarding safety in K–12 to Ken Roy at safesci@sbcglobal.net, or leave him a comment below. Follow Ken Roy on Twitter: @drroysafersci.

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What is the purpose of science education? As science educators it’s important to take time to analyze and discuss the reasons why we teach science to children.

How does science affect our daily lives, how can it inspire and motivate us, how can it help to change the way we see the world? What solutions can we create? It’s essential to wrestle with these questions so that we can engage students in similar debates.

Perspectives on Science Education: A Leadership Seminar, the new NSTA Press book by Rodger Bybee and Stephen Pruitt, originated through a series of ongoing discussions begun a decade ago. These discussions have evolved as policies and practices have also evolved. This unique book is designed to have the feel of a seminar, where participants share different perspectives. It will appeal to education leaders at the national, state, district, and school levels who make decisions affecting education policies and curricula.

“This book is not so much about answers; it is more about questions. It is not about persuading you of the need to reform; it is more about developing your understanding of science education and recognizing the challenges and opportunities of leadership,” Bybee and Pruitt state in the preface.

Perspectives on Science Education addresses topics such as the purposes and goals of science education, national and state policies, and changes in classroom practices for science teaching.

The goal is to provide educators and education leaders with a clear and informed history of varying perspectives. “Looking at the science education community, there is a clear and – we think – compelling need to develop a new generation of leaders who understand science education and are willing to confront the challenges of reform. This book is our response to those ready to face the challenges and provide leadership for education reform,” Bybee and Pruitt state.

For example, in Chapter 3, “Science Education in America,” the authors examine several historical models of curricula programs and associated instructional practices. Tracing science education from the colonial period to today, the authors explore the central questions that have historically guided different models of science instruction and shaped how teachers, administrators, and curriculum developers have determined what information students will learn and how they will learn it. They also look at how social pressures and industrialization both affected science education and discuss how curriculum changes have been made in response to the larger social demands of the time.

Read the sample chapter “National Standards and Science Education: Historical Perspectives” to learn more about the discussions that have served to inform our national policies over time and to understand better how we arrived at the current Next Generation Science Standards.  

The book intends to foster an important discussion. Get your copy of Perspectives on Science Education here and join the conversation. This book is also available as an e-book.

Unexpectedly a butterfly flew around a group of preschoolers, repeatedly landing on one and then another. We had been outside on a hot day last week and were sweating underneath our sun screen lotion. What did the butterfly taste as it touched its proboscis to our skin? Hopefully nothing toxic! One child was extremely nervous about a close encounter with any insect but so proud of herself after she let it move from my arm onto her hand. Amazingly every child got a chance to have it on their hand as we gently encouraged the butterfly to move from one arm to the next hand to the next. The school has planted a pollinator garden with annual flowers and some native perennials such as the local variety of milkweed. This chance occurrence is the perfect opportunity to continue learning about pollinators and to celebrate Pollinator Week, June 19-25.

Yes, butterflies and many other animals can pollinate flowering plants. See if you can guess all the kinds of animals that pollinate plants in addition to insects (see the answer in an illustration by Paul Mirocha on the Forest Service Pollinators webpage). 

I attended a discussion at the National Museum of Natural History  where I learned about projects that are benefiting both people and pollinators in urban environments, including the Pollinator Partnership and the City of St. Louis’s Butterfly Project, “Milkweeds for Monarchs.” Pollinator Week was initiated by the Pollinator Partnership  and it has now grown into “an international celebration of the valuable ecosystem services provided by bees, birds, butterflies, bats and beetles.” Governors often issue proclamations declaring the importance of pollinators to agriculture and economic development. 

The Pollinator Partnership has information fact sheets about pollination for farmers, gardeners, and educators. The activities such as “How to Build a Pollinator Garden” include ideas to implement, such as, “A bowl with mud in the garden gives butterflies a place to drink and obtain minerals. (They need the mud in order to drink water, which they do through a process called “wicking”).” The website has a free Monarch Fueling Planting Guide for four East Coast regions.

Schools that have large areas of grass to mow (not including playing fields) might implement some of the modifications to maintenance recommended for roadsides to reduce costs while expanding habitat for pollinators—and providing an area for young scientists to observe pollinators in action. The modifications include planting or seeding native plants and reducing mowing. 

I’m going to bring magnifiers out to the play area so children can look closely at the flowering plants to see what pollinators are landing on when they visit. If we see the somewhat slow moving bumblebees, we may even get to watch them work. 

This week in education news, what President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris accord means for teachers; aquariums and zoos stepping up to try and make climate change easier to teach; the Nebraska Dept. of Education wants the public’s input to revise the state science standards; new survey shows room for STEM education improvement; senators call out phony science materials sent to teachers; and exploration is the gateway to magically transforming circle time into toddlers learning science.

Climate Science Meets A Stubborn Obstacle, Students

To Gwen Beatty, a junior at the high school in this proud, struggling, Trump-supporting town, the new science teacher’s lessons on climate change seemed explicitly designed to provoke her. So she provoked him back. Click here to read the article featured in The New York Times.

What Trump’s Decision To Withdraw From The Climate Accord Means For Teachers

President Donald Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Paris climate accord, the landmark pact that nearly 200 nations signed two years ago in an effort to curb global warming. When the Paris agreement was forged, that event caused at least some teachers to reconsider how they had been approaching climate change in the classroom. Noah Zeichner, a Seattle social studies teacher, wrote on the Center for Teaching Quality blog that he had previously “felt some pressure … to present the other side. … But facilitating a debate about the causes of climate change was probably the wrong move.” And it seems teachers are already now grappling with how to present the recent overhaul in the federal government’s stance on environmental issues. Click here to read the article featured in Education Week.

Climate Change Is Tough To Teach, So Aquariums And Zoos Are Stepping In

Climate change is one of those topics that can be difficult to teach. It’s complex. The science around it is evolving, and then there’s the contentious political debate over it as evidenced by the fallout this week from President Donald Trump’s decision to pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement. All of that combines to make it a subject some educators feel uncomfortable tackling. The New England Aquarium in Boston has founded a national network to try to make this tough subject easier to teach and to ensure that more members of the public, including students on class visits, get a complete picture of the climate-change problem and what can be done to solve it. Click here to read the article featured in Education Week.

Illinois Years Behind In Scoring State Science Tests; Officials Blame Budget

Three years after Illinois made a bold change in how science would be taught and tested, little is known about how students have performed because neither schools nor families have seen state science exam scores since 2013-14. But the delay in science scores — blamed largely on state budget woes — is unusual and problematic, given that federal law requires states to administer science exams at least three times from grade school through high school and make the results public. Click here to read the article featured in the Chicago Tribune.

Dept. Of Education Wants Public’s Input To Revise Science Standards

The Nebraska Department of Education says proposed science standards are a change in thinking. The department is in the process of updating the standards right now. What’s proposed focuses more on asking students to “think like a scientist” rather than memorize content. Click here to read the article featured on NTV.com

Best State-Level Practices for Teacher Leadership Outlined in Report

How can states meaningfully engage teacher leaders? A new policy brief from Chiefs for Change, a nonprofit organization for district and state education chiefs, outlines a broad framework for what makes an effective, sustainable teacher leadership system. Click here to read the article featured in Education Week TEACHER.

Survey Shows Room For STEM Education Improvement

A recent survey by Lockheed Martin asked middle and high school teachers about their students’ interest in STEM subjects, along with how their schools are preparing students, in an attempt to illustrate country’s potential preparedness to fill STEM workforce needs that could send humans to Mars. The survey found that 25% of educators said their current school curriculum is not adequately preparing students for a STEM career, and only 23% say their school is properly preparing students for the ability to pursue a career in space exploration, while 31% of educators reported that budgeting and resources at their schools were adequate to prep students for STEM careers. Click here to read the article featured in Education DIVE.

Michelle Obama: You Need Women At The Decision Table

Michelle Obama had words of advice and inspiration for several thousand students, developers and entrepreneurs at a private Q-and-A session at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose. In a sit-down interview with Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives, Obama touched on diversity in tech, STEM education, innovation and leadership. Click here to read the article featured in USA Today.

In Letter To DeVos, Senators Call Out Phony Science Materials Sent To Teachers Nationwide

Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Edward J. Markey (D-MA) wrote to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos today to highlight bogus materials sent by the Heartland Institute, a group with a long record of climate denial, to more than 300,000 public school science teachers across the country. Click here to read the press release.

Through Observation And Play, Toddlers Take On Science

Ashley Barajas watched intently as toddlers stacked foam blocks and examined colorful cylinders. It may look like child’s play, but Barajas, an early education science specialist, knows that exploration is the gateway to magically transforming circle time into toddlers learning science. At a recent playgroup in Oakland, she led the way by example. Click here to read the article featured in EdSource.

STEM Learning – International Best Practice

Queensland science teacher Sarah Chapman is passionate about engaging youngsters in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education and has travelled the world gathering evidence of international best practice. It’s a research journey that’s taken her to Singapore, Finland, the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand, visiting schools, businesses, tertiary institutions, STEM outreach programs, peak bodies and government departments. “The idea was to gain expertise and best practice across the whole STEM ecosystem, not just in schools,” Chapman tells Teacher. Click here to read the article featured in Teacher magazine.

National Science Competition Winners Agree Technology Is Taking Over

Milan Haiman, a 16-year-old high schooler from New York City, says there’s no reason to fear the robot/computer takeover. “Computers are replacing humans,” he says. “Yet computer science opens up new possibilities for everyone.” But Milan says not all jobs will be replaced by technology: The world will need humans to engineer and repair robots in the future. And those humans will need STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) education, he adds. Click here to read the article featured in The Washington Times.

Stay tuned for next week’s top education news stories.

The Communication, Legislative & Public Affairs (CLPA) team strives to keep NSTA members, teachers, science education leaders, and the general public informed about NSTA programs, products, and services and key science education issues and legislation. In the association’s role as the national voice for science education, its CLPA team actively promotes NSTA’s positions on science education issues and communicates key NSTA messages to essential audiences.

The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.

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Stem Sims: Dronopter

Introduction

STEM Sims provides over 100 simulations of laboratory experiments and engineering design products for application in the STEM classroom. One particular simulation found on this site, Dronopter, challenges students to build a drone in the form of a quadcopter (helicopter with four motors). Subsequently, students design, build, and fly their very own quadcopter in order to complete the simulation. This simulation’s mission is to challenge students to build the most efficient drone possible and fly it through a course of obstacles to reach its destination. In doing so, students can incorporate and develop STEM competencies in mathematics, science, and mechanical knowledge to complete this simulation. Dronopter is aligned with national (NGSS) standards  and is compatible with state standards as well:

• MS-PS2.B – Types of Interactions
• MS-PS3.C. – Relationship Between Energy and Forces
• MS-ETS1.B – Developing Possible Solutions

The simulation provides students with a brochure (see link below) with a pre-assessment quiz as well as introductory information about the uses of drones as well as basic concepts related to flight. Dronopter engages students who have a variety of learning styles by having them build and test their design. Moreover, students who struggle with science concepts but have interest in mechanical or mathematical areas will have a chance to contribute to the experiment. Students will utilize metacognitive strategies to determine why any given test failed and choose new strategies to try in future attempts.

Brochure: https://stemsims.com/simulations/dronopter/brochure/brochure.pdf?version=2017-01-10

Sample Assessment

STEM Sims provides a lesson plan for this simulation (see link below); once again providing an excellent learning opportunity for students while minimizing the planning needed by teachers.

Lesson: https://stemsims.com/simulations/dronopter/lessons/lesson-1.pdf?version=2017-01-10

Conclusion

Dronopter is an excellent learning opportunity for students that is challenges students to design a drone capable of flying through a difficult course. Students will learn about STEM concepts in a manner that brings enjoyment to learning concepts that are meaningful and relevant. Please consider taking the opportunity for a free trial to evaluate this simulation for your classroom to determine where this simulation fits into your classroom’s instruction.

For a free trial, visit https://stemsims.com/account/sign-up

Recommended System Qualifications:

• Operating system: Windows XP or Mac OS X 10.7
• Browser: Chrome 40, Firefox 35, Internet Explorer 11, or Safari 7
• Java 7, Flash Player 13

Single classroom subscription: $169 for a 365-day subscription and includes access for 30 students and 100 simulations.

Product Site: https://stemsims.com/

Edwin P. Christmann is a professor and chairman of the secondary education department and graduate coordinator of the mathematics and science teaching program at Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. Anthony Balos is a graduate student and a research assistant in the secondary education program at Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

There was excitement in the air as the conference attendees started pouring into the conference center in Los Angeles. Standing at the foot of the escalators, in bright green t shirts, were members of the National Middle Level Science Teacher Association (NMLSTA) and the NSTA Middle Level Committee handing out postcards inviting middle school teachers to attend the annual Meet Me in the Middle Day and introducing them to this fabulous organization. Founded in 1989 by a group of educators dedicated to represent the unique needs of middle school teachers, NMLSTA and the NSTA Middle Level Committee sponsors this day full of resources, professional networking, sharing of stories and winning great prizes for the classroom.

Friday morning the balloons went up, the posters went out and the people started coming! Over 400 middle school science teachers crowded in 24 roundtables, 15 workshops and visited over 75 share-a-thon presenters. Topics ranged from NGSS, safety, special education to earworms, photosynthesis and engineering. My room was packed! What a thrill to present to these energetic and enthusiastic teachers from around the country.

At the end of the day, I was tired. Board meetings, set up, several presentations were over. My bright green shirt was a little wrinkled, my feet were pretty sore and I thought about a comment a colleague had said to me before I left. He’d asked, “Do you get paid for this?”. Nope. My school had paid for the conference registration, but the airfare,hotels, food, etc., well, that was all mine. “Why then”, he had asked, “Do you do it? Why would you spend all that time preparing presentations and spend all that money and get nothing for it?”.

That was actually a difficult question. Oh, not because I don’t know why I go to these meetings (four national, one regional and four state meetings in four years), but because I cannot imagine why anyone WOULDN’T attend.

Quite simply, attending professional meetings gives me a chance to grow. I am THE Science teacher in our little junior high and I do not have in school science colleagues to share with, plan with or learn from. Attending meetings, presenting, serving on the board, gives me a chance to validate that what I am doing is right. I get to share my experiences and hear about how others teach the same topics. I get to compare – class sizes, budgets (or lack of budgets), debate block vs regular schedules or whether or not to have a science fair. I get to help make decisions. I learn about professional development opportunities, grant funding and career options. All this-in a city other than my own that I can also explore through field trips, dining with friends and touring on my own.

So why do I do it? Well, I must admit to liking the bright green shirt, but even more, I like what it allows me to become – a better science teacher.

Get more involved with NSTA! 

Join today and receive Science Scope, the peer-reviewed journal just for middle school teachers; connect on the middle level science teaching list (members can sign up on the list server).

The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.

Future NSTA Conferences

2017 STEM Forum & Expo
Kissimmee/Orlando, July 12–14

2017 Area Conferences

Baltimore, October 5–7
Milwaukee, November 9–11
New Orleans, Nov. 30–Dec. 2

As Retiring President of the National Science Teachers Association, I have witnessed an outpouring of dedication and energy from thousands of science educators across this nation. It is a number based on observations and participation. I would like to take this opportunity to share a BIG THANK YOU to them all. And I’d like to start by calling attention to those volunteers who took on the responsibility of hosting and coordinating a regional science conference, a national science conference, and/or a state science conference. Collaboration and team work was vital and that was so exemplary with the outstanding success demonstrating the collegial participation at all those events.

As President last year, I also witnessed dynamic volunteer participation from just about the best elected/appointed Board, Council, District Directors, Committee, and Advisory Board members that any leader could possibly dream about. I would like to share another BIG THANK YOU to these members who have the knowledge of what to do and how to do it, the dedication to science education for ALL, and the energy to get the job done. The most important criteria for this phenomenal group is PASSION. These science educators must have a great passion for science and science education at all levels, a passion for bringing divergent groups of people together based on common themes on scientific literacy, and a passion for developing a synergy of best practices.

But to achieve the goals for NSTA in stimulating, improving, and coordinating science teaching at all levels of instruction and to achieve the mission of promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning, we need to have the “glue’ that joins these parts into a common whole. I would like to share a most enthusiastic BIG THANK YOU to the staff at NSTA. These are the staff personnel who plan and coordinate vibrant science education activities and answer every and all questions for information that is sought by the membership; who help build the foundations for coordinating the presentations and science exhibitors for all the conferences; who coordinate the research based professional development for the membership; who foster communication using print and other digital resources; who advocate for best scientific practices with the legislature; who develop programs that foster leadership with and among other science organizations; who publish the highest quality science/science education resources; who engage teachers through the Learning Center with courses, on-line e books, and other resources that bring science to life; who work with outside agencies to develop competitive programs in science and engineering for our science students across the country; who work with outside agencies to celebrate the outstanding achievement of science teachers,

The National Research Council, in a recent report, has explained that deeper learning is gained through facilitating opportunities. NSTA does just that. We are the world’s leader is facilitating opportunities for students and for science educators. My presidential theme for last year was to Connect, Collaborate, Celebrate. Teachers Are The Key. Our NSTA members have made that a reality. So finally, I say a BIG THANK YOU to the members of our organization who made my year as President most rewarding.

Below, we especially recognize the Retiring Committee, Advisory Board, and Review Panel Members below for their service to NSTA for the time period of June 1, 2016 to May 31, 2017.

College: Richard Jones, Krassi Lazarova, Keith Prokopp

Coordination: James Blake, Jeffrey Patterson, Mary Poarch

High School: Emily Meyer, Christopher Nilsen, Eric Wilson

Informal: Alex Dzurick, Karen Hays, Sharon Morrell

Middle Level: Zoe Evans, Elizabeth Orlandi, Mary Patterson

Multicultural: Olukayode Banmeke, Deena Gould, Carol Suppes

Preschool-Elementary: Patti Born-Selly, Anne Durrance, Rebecca Kurson

Preservice: Patricia Bricker, Jeanelle Day, Sumi Hagiwara, Elizabeth Lewis, Elaine Scarvey

NSTA Teacher Accreditation: Jeanelle Day, Joseph Zawicki, Eric Pyle

Professional Development: Aoko Hope, Nancy Movall, Brian Terry

Research: Kathy Malone, James McDonald, Brian Plankis

Audit: Susan German

Awards: Olga Hunt, Ann Lopez, Diana Wiig

Budget: Christine Royce

Nominations: Michelle Daml, Elsa Bailey, Janice Koch, Barbara Morrow, Emily Schmitt Lavin

Advisory Board, Aerospace: Barbara Gosney, Paul Nordhaus, Katrina Lynn Robinson

Conference: Ana Appel

Development: Alan McCormack

NSTA members who would like to serve on the board or council can apply here. In the fall, we will open applications for our committees, advisory boards, and review panels, and information about them can be found here.

The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. Learn more about NSTA Membership. Mary Gromko is the retiring president of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). She began serving her one-year term on June 1, 2017. Gromko is currently a retired science educator in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

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This week in education news, a preview of what the science standards look like in the classroom; California students go online in record numbers to take standardized tests aligned with the Common Core; computational thinking brings extensive learning benefits; virtual reality offers real rewards in education; President Trump’s school choice plan could stall; Idaho lawmaker praises new proposed standards; and DeVos releases statement supporting President Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement.

Water Filters And Space: A Glimpse Into A Next-Generation Science Classroom

Sometimes showing is easier than telling. That’s certainly the case in trying to capture the Next Generation Science Standards—the K-12 learning benchmarks that 18 states and the District of Columbia have adopted and are now using in classrooms. Unlike some previous science standards that focused on the facts, these standards emphasize action. They ask students to construct models, interpret data, design structures, and make arguments. Click here to read the article featured in Education Week.

CA Students Go Online In Record Numbers To Take Common Core-Aligned Tests

Over the past several weeks, California students in record numbers have been taking once controversial standardized tests aligned with the Common Core. This is the third year that students in the grades 3-8, as well as 11th-graders, have taken the full battery of tests based on new Common Core standards in math and English language arts. The tests can take up to six hours to complete for students in grades 3-5, six-and-a-half hours for students in grades 6-8 and seven-and-a-half hours for 11th-graders. However, there is no time limit on the tests which are part of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress. The system also includes new pilot tests administered to students in grades 5, 8 and one year of high school based on the Next Generation Science Standards. Click here to read the article featured in EdSource.

Thinking Like A Computer Brings Wide Learning Benefits

A large gap between the number of computer science graduates and available jobs has led an increasing number of districts to boost instruction in computational thinking. The concept refers to the thought process of expressing a solution to a problem with a series of sequenced steps. It’s a critical part of computer programming and it can assist learning in all disciplines. Click here to read the article featured in District Administration.

Rethinking The Metaphors We Teach By

As teachers, teacher educators, and school leaders, we often discuss the implications of policies and working conditions on our ability to teach effectively. What we don’t say is that our common ways of describing teaching and learning—often metaphorical—pose hidden obstacles. Click here to read the article featured in Education Week.

Virtual Reality Offers Real Rewards In Education

The architecture, construction, engineering and health science industries already use virtual reality, and educators throughout the country are beginning to consider ways to introduce virtual, augmented and mixed reality to prepare students for college and the workforce. “It’s important to teach students early how to interact and engage with this technology because it’s going to be part of their professional lives,” says Mark Cheben, global marketing director of EON Reality. Click here to read the article featured in District Administration.

Trump’s School Choice Plan Could Quickly Stall In Washington, Analysts Say

Plans to expand school choice from President Donald Trump may be generating a lot of attention—but they should be taken with a dose of political reality, and not obscure other key issues. That was one of the main messages from a panel of K-12 advocates discussing the changing politics of education at the annual conference of the Education Writers Association here on Wednesday. Click here to read the article featured in Education Week.

GOP Lawmaker Praises Proposed New Science Standards

One Republican member of the House Education Committee said he is impressed with proposed academic science standards that a committee of teachers released last month. But a Boise Democrat, who pushed for an open dialogue on science and climate change, said the decision to remove references to global warming from the standards amounted to partisan politics and science denial. Click here to read the article featured in Idaho Ed News.

New Guide On Undergraduate STEM Education

The Association of American Universities, which works, in part, to improve math, science, engineering and technology education for undergraduates, released a report on “Essential Questions and Data Sources for Continuous Improvement of Undergraduate STEM Teaching and Learning.” It includes questions to aid faculty discussions on STEM education at the course, department, division and campus level on pedagogy, scaffolding and cultural change. Click here to read the article featured in Inside Higher Ed.

Betsy DeVos Applauds Trump For Pulling U.S. Out Of Historic Climate Accord

President Trump on Thursday announced his decision to pull out of the landmark Paris climate agreement — the one that virtually all countries in the world signed onto except Syria and Nicaragua — and his education secretary, Betsy DeVos, was part of the cheering section. Click here to read the article featured in The Washington Post.

Stay tuned for next week’s top education news stories.

The Communication, Legislative & Public Affairs (CLPA) team strives to keep NSTA members, teachers, science education leaders, and the general public informed about NSTA programs, products, and services and key science education issues and legislation. In the association’s role as the national voice for science education, its CLPA team actively promotes NSTA’s positions on science education issues and communicates key NSTA messages to essential audiences.

The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.

Follow NSTA

In science classes, do students work better in random groups or with their friends? I’m a student teacher in middle school. – S., Arizona

Most teachers will tell you there is no best way to set up groups. There are many variables, including the age of the students, the structure of the investigation, the students’ experience levels, and the classroom social climate.

Thoughts from my experience in middle school:

• Use random assignment for the first few activities. You can observe the students’ interpersonal skills, work habits, and which students do and do not work well together.
• With student-selected groups, I was concerned about the students who were selected last (or not at all) and that students wouldn’t learn how to work with a variety of people. Sometimes friends would focus more on social aspects.
• I found heterogeneous grouping by ability worked best for my classes most of the time, and single-gender groups provided more opportunities for equitable student participation.
• I usually structured the groups, changing them periodically. Sometimes, students with an intense interest on a topic worked together.
• Although I rotated cooperative roles, I would usually try to keep the groups intact for a unit. This also saved time, because the students knew who their partners were and which lab table was theirs.
• Check with the teacher of special needs students to determine any accommodations specified in their individual education plans.
• Regardless of how you structure the groups, you may need to model what cooperative behavior looks like, and work with them on appropriate language.

You have a great opportunity for action research as you try different configurations and note which ones seem to work better for your students.

Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ielesvinyes/6725332973