JoinHouse Speaker Boehner Resigns, What Now for No Child Left Behind?
By Jodi Peterson
Posted on 2015-09-25
On Friday, September 25, House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner resigned from Congress effective at the end of October.
This action caught everyone by surprise. With the Republican party in flux, the pundits are debating what will become of the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind in the aftermath of Boehner’s resignation (read more here), with many calling the ESEA rewrite “toast.” It will be harder for Rep. Kline, who is also retiring at the end of 2016, to get the support necessary to get a conferenced bill acceptable to the White House thru the House of Representatives.
Boehner, one of the original four architects of the original No Child Left Behind legislation (Rep. Boehner, former Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., late Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., and former Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H.) supported the House ESEA bill, the Student Success Act (HR 5), and is a proponent of voucher programs.
Expect much more in the weeks ahead as lawmakers debate the end of the fiscal year (and a possible government shutdown) as this story continues to develop.
NSTA and NCTM Call on Congress
The National Council of Mathematics and NSTA sent a letter to House and Senate appropriations leaders last week, calling on them to accept the Senate funding level of $141,299,000 for the Department of Education Title II B program as they negotiate FY 2016 funding for federal education programs (read the letter here).
The funding for this program, and other federal education programs, will be at stake in the next few weeks as Congressional leaders finalize a FY16 budget; strategies include shutting down the federal government on Oct. 1 if they cannot come to an agreement on a budget bill for the fiscal year. Read more.
Jodi Peterson is Assistant Executive Director of Legislative Affairs for the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and Chair of the STEM Education Coalition. e-mail Jodi at jpeterson@nsta.org; follow her on Twitter at @stemedadvocate.
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Teaching Science at a Museum Magnet School
By Debra Shapiro
Posted on 2015-09-25
Fifth graders from Ortega Elementary Museum Studies Magnet School in Jacksonville, Florida, use a hands-on wet lab at the Marine Science Education Center in Atlantic Beach, Florida, one of Ortega’s seven museum partners. Photo credit: ANN MCGLAUFLIN
Museums and school districts around the country have partnered to create museum magnet schools, which combine formal and informal learning. These schools offer some advantages for science classes. “Partner[ing] with The Discovery Museum and Planetarium lends itself to many opportunities exclusive to a ‘space’ museum,” says Janine Walsh, seventh- and eighth-grade science teacher at Interdistrict Discovery Magnet School (IDMS) in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The museum “has exposed my primarily urban students to events that they would not experience[in] their neighborhood schools,…[including] teleconferencing with NASA scientists from Operation Ice Bridge, a polar ice cap survey mission, [and] live viewing of the Orion Spacecraft.”
“Museum staff [co-teach] at the school, [and] our student coaches and interns [work] with younger children at the museum,” says Claire Gold, IDMS founder. She also notes that “most elementary teachers are weak in science and need expert, knowledgeable support” that museums can provide.
“A lot of people have a misconception about the word ‘museum;’ they associate it with having no interaction with the exhibits, just looking,” says Josh Hunter, seventh-grade science teacher at Moore Square Magnet Middle School in Raleigh, North Carolina. “Our idea is it’s all about interaction. [For example,] our students do experiments with scientists at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.”
“We’re able to take students to…an active research museum, and [they] see how the science they learn…is useful in the real world,” says Krista Adair, sixth grade science teacher at Moore. “We scaffold so at the beginning of the year, they do little experiments and some data tracking. Then they can see how it works in the museum setting, [which has] a lot more resources and equipment.”
Last year, “we took all 500 [Moore] students to the museum” for an event featuring “scientists with many different research areas and talents,” says Julianna Martinez, seventh-grade science teacher. “We [also] had an opportunity for young scientists to come to our school and present their work.” At these events, students heard from scientists who have succeeded despite having disabilities. “These kinds of experiences really touch the students,” she observes.
Museum magnet teachers cite the benefits of assessing students’ knowledge through the exhibits they create about what they learned. “Our students create exhibits that are more than just a bulletin board item. They try to make them museum-quality,” says Ann McGlauflin, fifth-grade science teacher at Ortega Elementary Museum Studies Magnet School in Jacksonville, Florida. Students’ exhibits “integrate more than just the topic” and can include “language arts, art, and music,” and “more critical-thinking skills [are involved], such as communication and language skills,” she contends.
For the science fair last year, her students created a large “wall quilt,” with each block illustrating a student’s project. “The artistic representation made them think at a different [and more creative] level,” she observes.
McGlauflin’s students scored two percentage points higher on state tests last year. “I knew it wasn’t a fluke; what we’re doing seems to be working,” she asserts.
“The magnet museum format has helped students understand the importance of reading and writing in English class as well as in science class,” says Raji Menon, grades 6–8 science teacher at New York City’s Museum Magnet School. After researching their topics and writing reports, four of her students presented their projects at the American Museum of Natural History last June.
“My students felt so proud. They were talking about their projects like experts—taking ownership of their own understanding,” says Menon. The museum gave them the opportunity “to explain their work to other people besides their teachers and classmates.”
Support for Teachers
Seven area museums work with teachers from Normal Park Museum Magnet School in Chattanooga, Tennessee. “We meet with museum partners two or three times a year [to] talk about what studies are coming up. They give us ideas, and we collaborate,” says Kara Semtner, sixth-grade science teacher.
Erin Woodrow, seventh-grade science teacher at Normal Park, worked with an art teacher on a unit that engaged students in “looking at how an artist conveys force and motion” in an exhibit at Chattanooga’s Hunter Museum of American Art. “Though the museum’s paintings and sculptures are stationary, they convey motion,” she maintains.
When Trey Joyner taught science at Normal Park, he was able to take “a backstage tour of the exhibits” at the Tennessee Aquarium. “The aquarium was breeding new species of jellyfish… The jellyfish exhibit fit right into our content,” he notes.
The aquarium offers courses for county teachers. “It’s like an open door. I can go and learn as much as I want to, anytime,” Joyner relates. In addition, museums “have access to the most current research,” he points out.
Maintaining Partnerships
As in any relationship, these partnerships face some issues. “[Our] partnership is still relatively young,” says IDMS’s Walsh. “Hampered by [the museum’s] leadership changes and staffing gaps, we have not had the ability to experience the full potential of this partnership.”
When grant funds ran out, “we bought less programs [from the museum],” says Mary Servino, IDMS science specialist. The museum also started charging fees for services that had been free. “We’re hoping [there will be] sufficient funding for the school and the museum to rebuild the relationship… We’re very positive it will happen,” she observes, noting that communication has improved since the museum’s new education director has attended school governance council meetings.
When it lost Title I funds in 2005, Normal Park created an Education Fund and hired a part-time executive director to raise money. “We’re paying $25,000 a year to raise $250,000 a year,” Principal Jill Levine explains.
Nevertheless, the teachers encourage colleagues at traditional schools to reach out to their local museums. “There’s a lot you can duplicate on a smaller scale,” with free resources from museums, says Woodrow. “Allow yourself to look at new ways to teach through an art or museum perspective. It helps teachers stay excited about what they’re doing, and will help kids stay excited about what they’re learning.”
This article originally appeared in the September 2015 issue of NSTA Reports, the member newspaper of the National Science Teachers Association. Each month, NSTA members receive NSTA Reports featuring news on science education, the association, and more. Not a member? Learn how NSTA can help you become the best science teacher you can be.
The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.
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The eCYBERMISSION STEM Competition Asks: What’s Your Volunteer Type?
By Korei Martin
Posted on 2015-09-25
“From my perspective as an advisor, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the interest and motivation eCYBERMISSION generates in my students. I use many of the website RESOURCES and videos to teach methods. The real learning comes from seeing a project of your own creation through to completion.” –2015 Team Advisor
Volunteers for the eCYBERMISSION STEM competition help create experiences for 6th-9th grade students all over the country. Last year, they mentored teams who used the kinetic energy captured through gears to power LED lights and measured air quality of homes within their community—just to name a few! How can you nurture such creativity? Let us help you figure out your volunteer type, so you too can help students unleash their creativity and have similar experiences online.
What is eCYBERMISSION?
As one of the Army’s Educational Outreach Programs, eCYBERMISSION enters its 14th year, bigger than ever with new features in the registration process and a fresh outlook. It’s also that time of year, when STEM professionals all over the country are eager to participate in the eCYBERMISSION competition. Unlike any other STEM competition, eCYBERMISSION offers an enriching opportunity for volunteers—you’ll use our online portal to grow professionally as you connect them with students and teachers in grades 6-9.
Volunteers are vital to success of the eCYBERMISSION program; the competing teams depend on the valuable resources provided by volunteers to help in the STEM learning process.
If you are looking for a fun and meaningful way to give back to the STEM community, a project for your workplace to get behind, or a way to get introduced to the eCYBERMISSION competitions, then we have options for you! All of our volunteers receive online training, tools, newsletters, and support to help them throughout the year.
Getting Started
See what volunteer type you are!
- Ambassador – Promotes the program by visiting schools in their community to encourage participation, reaching out to STEM or like-minded organizations, and recruiting colleagues and friends to volunteer.
- CyberGuides – Support student teams online using discussion forums, CyberGuide live chats, and “Team Talk” instant messaging.
- Virtual Judge – Scores team projects (Mission Folders), has a background or interest in STEM or education, and provides constructive feedback for students.
- Student Virtual Judge – Scores approximately 5 team projects (Mission Folders), is enrolled in college or a university program, and provides constructive feedback for students.
Once you’ve taken the test, the hard part is over. Now you can sign up and help build students’ interest in STEM! We’ll see you online soon.
For more information on volunteering and to register, visit http://ecybermission.com/Register.
View our Facebook albums from the 2015 eCYBERMISSION National Judging & Educational Event
If you’ll be at the NSTA 2015 Reno Area Conference, visit us at Booth #324. We’ll be answering all your questions.
Follow eCYBERMISSION on Facebook , Twitter @ecybermission, and Instagram @ecybermission.
The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.
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“From my perspective as an advisor, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the interest and motivation eCYBERMISSION generates in my students. I use many of the website RESOURCES and videos to teach methods. The real learning comes from seeing a project of your own creation through to completion.” –2015 Team Advisor
The TOMODACHI Experience
By Guest Blogger
Posted on 2015-09-23
Over the course of a day, 350 million photos are uploaded to Facebook. 6,000 Tweets are sent each second, and young adults send or receive about 100 texts per day (hopefully not all of them during class time!). Together, this creates 2.5 quintillion bytes of data—so much that 90% of the data in the world today has been created in the last two years alone.
Along with creating data, our students will be asked to interpret and use the data in the workplace. How do we prepare them for this quickly changing future?
Leadership and Learning
In August, U.S. and Japanese teachers and students worked together at the TOMODACHI Toshiba Science & Technology Leadership Academy in Tokyo to practice learning experiences central to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and engineering design process. Members and leaders from the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) were on hand to work with the students and gain new perspectives on science education.
Over the week, student teams were given two challenges: To design, build, and test a tower that could withstand a hurricane (wind from a fan), tsunami (water sprayed on the structure), and earthquake (the tower was on a base that was shaken on the test table), and to create a plan disaster resiliency plan for a city of the future.
The week was a mix of work, cultural experiences, and visits to museums and Toshiba sites. There wasn’t enough time for the American participants to be jet lagged!
As a teacher, things I learned were to not be afraid to challenge students with rigorous assignments, to give students scaffolding and support for these assignments, and to relate learning to the world around us.
The students worked hard. They were up at 7:00, busy by 8:00, and didn’t get excused for night often until 10 PM. Meals were sometimes eaten on a bus as we traveled across the city. At night, they were given new tasks to do. The students rose to the challenge, and seemed to thrive on the work.
The places we visited were carefully selected to both give us a cultural experience and to relate to the assignments. As we worked on the tower challenge, we visited Sky Tree Tower. At 634 meters tall, Sky Tree Tower is the tallest structure in Japan, and, at the time of its completion, the second tallest structure in the world. We met with Tower project engineers, and learned the details of the design and building of Sky Tree Tower. The Toshiba elevators in the Tower are alone worth a visit. Each is artfully designed to reflect the beauty of the seasons. The elevator engineering is remarkable. Traveling at speeds up to 600 meters per minute, the elevators move so smoothly that a quarter placed on its side at the start of the ride will still be standing on edge at the conclusion of the ride.
Back in the workroom, students thought back on the structure of Sky Tree Tower for inspiration in designing their own tower.
To get information about planning a disaster resilient city, we visited related sites.
We learned about using big data to build “smart” homes, cities, and businesses. The Toshiba Smart Home gives examples of how data can be used to make our lives comfortable. Imagine that your house will recognize each member of your family, and know what room temperature and light level each prefers. That’s what the Smart Home does. An LED light in the master bedroom can change color hues to enhance concentration when studying, wakefulness in the morning, and relaxation at night. I’d love to have these features in my house.
We visited the Disaster Preparedness Center and experienced hurricane force winds and rain, earthquake jolts, and simulated smoke from a fire. At the Toshiba Science Museum, we learned how technology has changed over time and may be used in the future.
By combining a feel for the impacts of natural disasters with information about how data can be used to make life more pleasant and efficient, students were given tools to use in their report planning.
Student teams were asked to describe how a city of the future could utilize technology and data to prepare for possible natural disasters. The teams presented their proposal to an audience that included the TOMODACHI group, Toshiba executives, NSTA Executive Director David Evans, Bill Nye, and representatives from the U.S. Japan Council and U.S. Embassy.
All students handled themselves with poise. Some Toshiba engineers took notes on the student ideas, showing that high school students can find solutions to big problems.
While the TOMODACHI Toshiba Science & Technology Leadership Academy experience included a unique chance to travel, the lessons learned can be applied in any classroom: challenge your students, give them tools for success, and you will see them thrive.
NSTA guest blogger Regina Brinker is a teacher on special assignment supporting STEM education. Brinker taught high school science/engineering through inquiry, creativity, and connections and now focuses on climate change, polar science, STEM careers, and PLTW engineering. Follow her on Twitter @brinkerscience.
The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.
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Over the course of a day, 350 million photos are uploaded to Facebook. 6,000 Tweets are sent each second, and young adults send or receive about 100 texts per day (hopefully not all of them during class time!). Together, this creates 2.5 quintillion bytes of data—so much that 90% of the data in the world today has been created in the last two years alone.
Building STEM careers
By Robert Yager
Posted on 2015-09-21
Emory University freshman Alexa Dantzler maintains the temperature of a solution that, after reacting it with several chemicals, will allow her to determine how much calcium carbonate exists in an antacid tablet.
As we work our way through the year 2015 (which is nearly three-fourths over!), STEM efforts are a focus in almost all classrooms across the U.S. and around the world. STEM included Science and Mathematics as major parts of the curriculum, and it also includes Technology and Engineering. The classrooms of today, as well as in the future, must include Technology and Engineering as equal facets of the new curriculum. STEM is expected to make changes involving teaching and hopefully encourage more students to pursue STEM careers. It will also provide students the experience of actually “doing” science.
STEM students need to be creative thinkers, as well as critical thinkers. Students need to make decisions based on information, not just guessing what needs to be done when trying to solve problems. Both teachers and students will make mistakes as they try to solve problems. But from these mistakes learning can be achieved!
STEM is a process of students working together as team players. Team efforts help build tolerance, respect for others, and valuing what others think. These STEM efforts will help students move from “individual thinkers” to “group thinkers” when working on problems which are personal, local, societal, and in some instances, even global problems.
A major goal facing science teachers today is making sure that students are ready for college and hopefully more interested in pursuing STEM careers after graduation from high school. But, we do not want students merely reading textbooks and following directions included in laboratory manuals. STEM teaching requires more than merely using typical teacher-directed lesson plans, textbooks, and lectures. Changes in science teaching will be slow because of expectations voiced by teachers, school administrators, parents, and likening typical teaching to mimic college teaching. How soon can we expect success with the needed changes? Will STEM efforts encourage today’s students to pursue STEM careers? Will future students be influenced by STEM efforts regarding their career goals? Can classroom efforts succeed with real learning that will be useful in dealing with everyday problems? Are these changes really helpful for students enrolled in college?
Robert E. Yager
Professor of Science Education
University of Iowa
Image courtesy of Isabelle Saldana, Intel Free Press.
Emory University freshman Alexa Dantzler maintains the temperature of a solution that, after reacting it with several chemicals, will allow her to determine how much calcium carbonate exists in an antacid tablet.
Ideas from NSTA September K–12 journals
By Mary Bigelow
Posted on 2015-09-20
Science and Children: Engineering and Design
Engineering and design are naturals for younger students. Just watch them play, invent things, and solve problems. The articles this month focus on these topics and how models (whether physical, two-dimensional, or mental) are important to the engineering and design process.
- Scampering Into Engineering! 5E learning-cycle mini-lessons in the library extend students’ experiences in designing and testing cars.
- Gimme an “E”! Here are seven strategies to support engineering practices in the classroom.
- Designing a Sound-Reducing Wall Extend studnets’ understanding of sound with a design challenge that fits in a shoe box. Science 101: How Do Acoustics Dictate the Design of a Concert Hall? has more information on the topic.
- The EDP-5E Adapt your 5E learning-cycle lessons, including Engineering as a substitute for Exploration.
- Engineering Encounters: Engineering Adaptations How can traditional science investigations be adapted to incorporate engineering design?
- Teaching Through Trade Books: Design Dilemmas Through stories and related activities, students in K-2 and 3-5 explore engineering and design processes used in solving problems and challenges.
- The Early Years: Integrating Design Students use their innate problem-solving abilities to create a system for moving materials from one place to another.
- Formative Assessment Probes: Where Do I Put the Switch? This probe examines students’ thinking about simple electric circuits.
- Methods and Strategies: Teaching in Real Time What does formative assessment “look like” during each step of the 5E learning cycle?
- Community-Based Engineering Students engage in “learning by doing” as they design and test solutions to a problem in a school garden.
[For more on the content that provides a context for these projects and strategies see the SciLinks websites for Inventions and Inventors, Simple Machines, Electric Current, Force and Motion, Sound Quality, Magnets, Magnetism, Mirrors]
Continue for Science Scope and The Science Teacher.
Science Scope: Three-Dimensional Instruction
As the editor notes,” It will take many lessons with various combinations and blendings of SEPs, CCs, and DCIs to get students to reach the competency goal of each performance expectation.” The NSTA journals show us many examples of how lessons and resources can incorporate the 3-Ds (Science and Engineering Practices, Cross-Cutting Concepts, and Disciplinary Core Ideas).
- The Controversy Over Pluto: Planet or Astronomic Oddball? The recent New Horizons mission is providing us with more data about Pluto. Remember when Pluto’s status was changed from planet to dwarf planet? Learn how studying scientific controversies can support scientific argumentation and increase science literacy.
- Botanical Heart Throbs: Heart Rate in Blackworms In this 5E learning-cycle lesson, students explore the effects of plant abstracts on the heart rate.
- Using Professional Noticing to Address Middle Level Students’ Alternative Conceptions of Lunar Phases How can we identify student misconceptions and help their understanding.
- Exploring the Science of Less-Familiar Forms of Animal “Flight” With these lessons, students explore other types of animal motion–falling, parachuting, and gliding.
- Everyday Engineering: Keeping It Together—Fascinating Fasteners In this 5E learning-cycle lesson, students design, construct and test types of fasteners.
[For more on the content that provides a context for these projects and strategies see the SciLinks websites for Planets, Space Exploration, Earth’s Moon, Moon Phases, Adaptations of Animals, Gravity, Design, Nervous System, Medicine from Plants, Earthworms]
The Science Teacher: Our Changing Earth
“Stability and Change” is one of the cross-cutting concepts in the NGSS. The editor raises the question about how much responsibility human activity has in changes that we see these days–in terms of population, urbanization, transport of invasive species, extraction industries, and pollution.
- A Rising Tide Students model the effects of global warming on the Earth’s oceans and predict sea level rise due to thermal expansion.
- Ocean Acidification In these six lessons, students examine the causes of ocean acidification and use a systems approach to this global problem from the perspective of several stakeholders.
- The Resource Beneath Our Feet Students investigate how a diversity of soils supports a diversity of organisms and how changes in can affect biodiversity and the health of an ecosystem.
[For more on the content that provides a context for these projects and strategies see the SciLinks websites for Sea Level Change, Causes of Climate Change, Acid Precipitation, Carbon Cycle, Soil, Soil Types]
Science and Children: Engineering and Design
Legislative Update
What’s Ahead for No Child Left Behind?
By Jodi Peterson
Posted on 2015-09-19
What’s ahead for No Child Left Behind (NCLB)? That’s the question education advocates are asking as Congress returns to work following a five-week summer break faced with a full slate of issues to address, including the threat of a government shutdown on October 1 if no budget agreement is reached.
So what does a full Congressional calendar mean for the reauthorized NCLB? (Read what happened this summer here and here). Congressional leaders [House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN); Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA); Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN); and Senate Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA)] have met and are working to reconcile the differences in the House and Senate versions of their bills to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (NCLB). Rep. Kline will lead the conference committee, and additional conference members are expected to be named in late September or early October. The goal is to reconcile a bill that will pass both chambers and the President will sign by the end of the year.
The big issues still to be resolved include the cuts in federal programs; a provision that would let students opt out of testing; and portability. Accountability issues also continue to dominate the conversation. The House bill has no accountability criteria, and the Senate bill requires states to have accountability systems, but there are no federal safeguards to intervene or report out low performing schools. Many groups continue to push conferees to include stronger provisions that would hold states accountable for identifying and addressing educational disparities.
In related news, Rep. Kline has announced that he will not be seeking re-election, and is optimistic that Congress will finish a bill this year (he will continue in his current role thru the end of 2016). If the House continues under Republican majority after the 2016 election, possible successors include Representatives Joe Wilson and Virginia Foxx.
Both the House ESEA bill (the Student Success Act, H.R. 5,) and the Senate ESEA bill (Every Student Achieves Act, S. 1177), would retain current-law requirements for states to continue to assess student performance in mathematics and science and that states be required to adopt rigorous standards in these subjects.
The Senate Bill contains a provision (Title II-E) that would provide each state with dedicated resources focused on improving teaching and learning in STEM subjects. This provision would support partnerships between schools, businesses, non-profits and institutions of higher education which would support a wide range of STEM-focused objectives, including recruitment, retention, and professional development of educators, expansion of learning opportunities both in and outside the classroom, and closing achievement gaps for at-risk and high-need student populations. We are hopeful that the conferenced bill will contain this Senate language.
Government Shutdown in Sight?
Lots of crystal ball gazing this week as political pundits from the left and the right are speculating as to whether the federal government will shut down on Oct. 1 if Congress cannot pass a budget bill for the fiscal year.
A continuing resolution, (CR) would extend FY 15 funding for another year, which would be the best scenario for Department of Education programs which would see major cuts in funding in the FY 2016 spending bills proposed to date.
To wit, the House of Representatives (once again) eliminated funding for the Mathematics and Science Partnerships (Title IIB) at the U.S. Department of Education under the 2016 Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education appropriations bill, stating “these activities can be carried out under other authorities funded in this bill and through other federal agencies such as the National Science Foundation.”
The Senate education funding bill did provide continued support for the Math and Science Partnership program at the Department of Education, at the level of $141,299,000.
The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) will be sending a joint letter asking members of Congress to support the Senate funding level for the Department of Education Math and Science Partnership program.
Another big issue for education this year is the effort to stop sequestration and take a more balanced approach to deficit reduction.
Nondefense discretionary (NDD) programs—ranging from education and job training, to housing and science, to natural resources and veterans services, to public health, safety and security—have been cut dramatically and disproportionately in recent years as lawmakers work to reduce the deficit. Many groups are urging Congress to replace sequestration with a balanced approach to deficit reduction that takes into account the deep cuts NDD has already incurred since 2010 and ensure sequestration relief is equally balanced between NDD and defense programs. Learn more here.
Stay tuned, much more to come in the weeks ahead.
Jodi Peterson is Assistant Executive Director of Legislative Affairs for the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and Chair of the STEM Education Coalition. e-mail Jodi at jpeterson@nsta.org; follow her on Twitter at @stemedadvocate.
The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.
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Positive parent communications
By Mary Bigelow
Posted on 2015-09-17
When I taught at the elementary level it was easy to communicate with the parents of 25 students. Now that I’m teaching science at the middle school, I’m overwhelmed by the thought of trying to communicate personally with more than 150 parents. I’d like to go beyond quarterly progress reports or just posting grades online. —B., Massachusetts
Contacting and communicating with parents* is important in forming a positive relationship to benefit the students. With 150 students in five to six different classes and several subjects, even a goal of weekly contacts is challenging, given the other responsibilities of teaching science.
From my experience, it seems that secondary parents are not in the schools as much. They are not as involved in parent-teacher organizations or in participating in open house events or conferences as they might have been when their children were younger. And many parents cannot take phone calls during their work hours or take time off for school events. So at the secondary level you may have to rely more on other forms of communication.
It may be helpful to develop a plan for parent involvement. What information is necessary to distribute to everyone? What information is student-specific? How can you document both kinds of communications? How much time do you have to spend on this? What kinds of communication are available in your school?
At the beginning of the year, you can send a newsletter or syllabus with information about you, your expectations, and what students will learn during the year. At this time you could also include your Safety Acknowledgment Form for a parent’s review and signature. If your school does not provide parent contact information, this could be a way of getting e-mail addresses or phone numbers. Some teachers send an updated newsletter for the spring semester, too.
Share your school e-mail address (rather than a personal one) for a record of your communications with parents. You should carefully consider whether or not you want to give out your home phone or personal cell phone number to parents or students. (I know teachers who use a separate cell phone for school business. Their greetings provide the school phone number for emergencies and request that callers provide a reason for the call and a time when they are available for a callback.) Explain in your newsletter and phone greeting you can’t always return calls or respond to email or texts immediately during the day when classes are in session, but you will reply as promptly as possible.
Throughout the year, you could send a quick e-mail or text about television programs related to your subject or interesting events at local museums, libraries, or science centers.
Instead of waiting until there is a problem, take the initiative and contact parents with good news about their child through a quick e-mail or text. Share information about an activity the student is doing in class or a project he or she is working on. Some teachers forward photos of the student engaged in a classroom activity (I’d be cautious about having other students identifiable in the photo because of privacy issues). This may sound like a lot of work, but if you do a few messages each day, it becomes part of your routine.
My high school had a “Good News” project. Teachers were encouraged to send postcards (provided by the school and created by graphic arts students) to parents to share positive student events: participation in a class activity, successful projects, or interesting discussions. The school secretary would address and mail them. E-mail works, too, but getting something in the mail is special, and it’s helpful for parents who do not have e-mail or texting capabilities. It was worth a few minutes of effort on my part and a postage stamp: I had a call from a parent who said that her son was feeling down after not making a traveling soccer squad. When they got the postcard describing his outstanding project, she said her son was elated. Another parent called in tears—it was the first time she had heard anything positive about her daughter from a school.)
You’ll eventually find that you have several templates for these communications that can be customized for each student. And you’ve set the stage for additional communications, if or when there is a problem.
—–
*I’m using word “parents” here, but I’m aware that other adults may play important roles in students’ lives: guardians, step-parents, grandparents or other relatives, foster parents, and other caregivers. These ideas apply to all. The school should have information on the relationship and contact information.
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/spcummings/361167519/
When I taught at the elementary level it was easy to communicate with the parents of 25 students. Now that I’m teaching science at the middle school, I’m overwhelmed by the thought of trying to communicate personally with more than 150 parents. I’d like to go beyond quarterly progress reports or just posting grades online.
Social Media Primer
By sstuckey
Posted on 2015-09-16
In this video, columnists Ben Smith and Jared Mader share information from their Science 2.0 column, “Social Media Primer,” that appeared in a recent issue of The Science Teacher. Read the article here: http://bit.ly/1OY0772
[youtube]https://youtu.be/_OUnckvPnnY[/youtube]
In this video, columnists Ben Smith and Jared Mader share information from their Science 2.0 column, “Social Media Primer,” that appeared in a recent issue of The Science Teacher. Read the article here: http://bit.ly/1OY0772
[youtube]https://youtu.be/_OUnckvPnnY[/youtube]
The Vernier Go Wireless Link: A Bluetooth Broadcaster for your Sensors
By Martin Horejsi
Posted on 2015-09-14
Vernier’s new Go Wireless Link is a small but effective solution to expand the scope and reach of over 40 sensors. Using a Bluetooth bridge between sensor and computer or tablet, and a usable range extending up to 30 meters, the Go Wireless Link provides an upgrade to existing sensors and a new frontier in what’s possible in data collection. For example, the increased distance between the sensor and student is helpful for many reasons including experimental opportunity, safety, and when measuring physical parameters inside a sealed container.
en the popularity of river surfing with high school students, and that another set of waves is planned in the river.
