Join
Menu Search Join
 

Fact or Faux?

Just Because It Sounds Plausible, Doesn’t Mean It’s True

The Science Teacher—March/April 2024 (Volume 91, Issue 2)

By Jonathan Osborne

Plausible scientific arguments abound. Those who wish to deceive often weave a tangled web of plausible scientific arguments to support their case. What can the science teacher do to prevent their students being duped? Given that many of the claims are scientific – which says something about the importance of scientific authority in our culture – science education must surely stand at the forefront of building students’ capacity to detect the true from the flawed – but seemingly plausible argument. Fact or faux? Equipping students to navigate the maze of misinformation, though, needs clarity about the challenge and clarity about the methods.
Plausible scientific arguments abound. Those who wish to deceive often weave a tangled web of plausible scientific arguments to support their case. What can the science teacher do to prevent their students being duped? Given that many of the claims are scientific – which says something about the importance of scientific authority in our culture – science education must surely stand at the forefront of building students’ capacity to detect the true from the flawed – but seemingly plausible argument. Fact or faux?
Plausible scientific arguments abound. Those who wish to deceive often weave a tangled web of plausible scientific arguments to support their case. What can the science teacher do to prevent their students being duped? Given that many of the claims are scientific – which says something about the importance of scientific authority in our culture – science education must surely stand at the forefront of building students’ capacity to detect the true from the flawed – but seemingly plausible argument. Fact or faux?
 

The Science of Artificial Intelligence: An Introduction

The Science Teacher—March/April 2024 (Volume 91, Issue 2)

By Sandy Watson

Over the past few years, computer science education has expanded globally, including aspects of artificial intelligence (AI), especially in graduate and undergraduate education settings. However, less has been accomplished regarding how to introduce AI to K-12 students. While many K-12 students regularly interact with AI in the form of predictive text, facial recognition, cellphone voice assistants, etc., there has been little effort made by educational researchers regarding how best to introduce K-12 students to AI and help them understand how it works. However, the AI for K-12 Working Group is developing national guidelines for K-12 AI education (Touretzky et al., 2019). AI has become ubiquitous, revolutionizing many of the fields it touches, from medicine to education to the business world, and its capabilities are rapidly expanding along with its role across the globe. AI is applicable across multiple contexts, including K-12 education, and students need to be learning what it is and how it works from a young age so they will be better prepared for a future where AI plays a prominent role. In this article, the author shares three lessons that serve to introduce high school students to artificial intelligence/machine learning.
Over the past few years, computer science education has expanded globally, including aspects of artificial intelligence (AI), especially in graduate and undergraduate education settings. However, less has been accomplished regarding how to introduce AI to K-12 students. While many K-12 students regularly interact with AI in the form of predictive text, facial recognition, cellphone voice assistants, etc., there has been little effort made by educational researchers regarding how best to introduce K-12 students to AI and help them understand how it works.
Over the past few years, computer science education has expanded globally, including aspects of artificial intelligence (AI), especially in graduate and undergraduate education settings. However, less has been accomplished regarding how to introduce AI to K-12 students. While many K-12 students regularly interact with AI in the form of predictive text, facial recognition, cellphone voice assistants, etc., there has been little effort made by educational researchers regarding how best to introduce K-12 students to AI and help them understand how it works.
 

The Power of Suggest…ed Practice:Using Optional Practice Instead of Assigned Homework in the High School Science Classroom

The Science Teacher—March/April 2024 (Volume 91, Issue 2)

By Lindsey Paricio-Moreau

How do we as teachers balance the need of students to practice class content with their intense schedules, extracurriculars, and need for a healthy and balanced life? An alternative to traditional, mandatory homework is offered herein, in the form of a Suggested Practice document and classroom routine for incorporating self-selected practice into your classroom structure. These documents break each unit down by topic, offer practice opportunities, provide resource links, and include reminders of labs, assessments, or extension opportunities that accompany the unit. By building a clear classroom routine around this optional practice, students are encouraged to take ownership over their own learning in a way that allows them to create balance in their own lives and prepare for college, while also providing immediate feedback and differentiation on practice materials. The author shares the impact such a routine had on her own classroom environment and engagement, and recommendations for building successful Suggested Practice documents of your own.
How do we as teachers balance the need of students to practice class content with their intense schedules, extracurriculars, and need for a healthy and balanced life? An alternative to traditional, mandatory homework is offered herein, in the form of a Suggested Practice document and classroom routine for incorporating self-selected practice into your classroom structure. These documents break each unit down by topic, offer practice opportunities, provide resource links, and include reminders of labs, assessments, or extension opportunities that accompany the unit.
How do we as teachers balance the need of students to practice class content with their intense schedules, extracurriculars, and need for a healthy and balanced life? An alternative to traditional, mandatory homework is offered herein, in the form of a Suggested Practice document and classroom routine for incorporating self-selected practice into your classroom structure. These documents break each unit down by topic, offer practice opportunities, provide resource links, and include reminders of labs, assessments, or extension opportunities that accompany the unit.
 

Establishing AI Literacy before Adopting AI

The Science Teacher—March/April 2024 (Volume 91, Issue 2)

By Fiona Hollands, Cynthia Breazeal

As applications of AI have proliferated, the call has grown for educating students about what AI is, how it works, and how it can affect us. In response, [an American University], in collaboration with an external implementation partner, developed 12 modular, short-format curricula for educators of students aged 5-18 years to use for developing AI literacy among students. The curricula incorporate the National Research Council’s core ideas of engineering design. This article describes the curricula, how they were implemented in 2022-23, and findings from an external evaluation on the impact of this AI literacy initiative. In survey responses and interviews, teachers reported that both they and their students gained knowledge about how AI works, key AI concepts, current uses of AI, and potential benefits and harms to society. In addition, learning more about AI increased their levels of optimism about the potential benefits of AI to society and about their own abilities to contribute to shaping the future of AI. The reported impact is impressive given how little time students engage in the curriculum content relative to other topics and subjects they study.

As applications of AI have proliferated, the call has grown for educating students about what AI is, how it works, and how it can affect us. In response, [an American University], in collaboration with an external implementation partner, developed 12 modular, short-format curricula for educators of students aged 5-18 years to use for developing AI literacy among students. The curricula incorporate the National Research Council’s core ideas of engineering design.

As applications of AI have proliferated, the call has grown for educating students about what AI is, how it works, and how it can affect us. In response, [an American University], in collaboration with an external implementation partner, developed 12 modular, short-format curricula for educators of students aged 5-18 years to use for developing AI literacy among students. The curricula incorporate the National Research Council’s core ideas of engineering design.

 

Knowing the ABCs of Teaching in an Age of AI

The Science Teacher—March/April 2024 (Volume 91, Issue 2)

By Tanya MacMartin

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has taken the world by storm, consequently bringing a hurricane to the seas of education. The purpose of this article is to encapsulate commonly used classroom strategies into practices that can effectively build content acquisition yet preserve academic integrity. Implementing these best practices is as simple as knowing the ABCs of Teaching with AI: Apply, Build, and Collaborate. Encouraging students to be responsible users of content gathered from AI while primarily focusing instruction on the Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) will support authentic learning in an age of AI. AI is here to stay; educators must adjust their methodology to allow students to grow and learn alongside its capabilities. By embracing the knowledge available through AI and adjusting instructional practices, educators can support using AI as a tool for growth and not a crutch hindering stride.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has taken the world by storm, consequently bringing a hurricane to the seas of education. The purpose of this article is to encapsulate commonly used classroom strategies into practices that can effectively build content acquisition yet preserve academic integrity. Implementing these best practices is as simple as knowing the ABCs of Teaching with AI: Apply, Build, and Collaborate.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has taken the world by storm, consequently bringing a hurricane to the seas of education. The purpose of this article is to encapsulate commonly used classroom strategies into practices that can effectively build content acquisition yet preserve academic integrity. Implementing these best practices is as simple as knowing the ABCs of Teaching with AI: Apply, Build, and Collaborate.
 

Using Lessons from History to Guide the Implementation of AI in Science Education

The Science Teacher—March/April 2024 (Volume 91, Issue 2)

By Aria Hadley-Hulet, Marc Ellis, Austin Moore, Emily Lehnardt, Max Longhurst

It is critical to understand past science education reform to know what could be explored in the future (Cheng et al., 2010). The purpose of this position paper is to describe a historical timeline of science education. Using historical documents and current science education research, the authors create an evolutionary description of science education changes over time and how these shifts could influence how Artificial Intelligence is used in science education. Teachers should meaningfully implement the use of AI in ways that focuses on student-centered learning and restore the progress made by the K-12 Framework and NGSS, including generating ideas about problems that students can solve in an interest area, analyzing large sets of real-world data, generating grade appropriate science readings to develop background knowledge, and using AI to grade unique student work to replace multiple-choice response exams. AI and science education may best be described by a Chat GPT response… “It's important to note that while AI can enhance science education, it should not replace human teachers. Instead, it should be used as a tool to augment and support their expertise, fostering a blended learning environment that combines the benefits of technology with human guidance and mentorship”.
It is critical to understand past science education reform to know what could be explored in the future (Cheng et al., 2010). The purpose of this position paper is to describe a historical timeline of science education. Using historical documents and current science education research, the authors create an evolutionary description of science education changes over time and how these shifts could influence how Artificial Intelligence is used in science education.
It is critical to understand past science education reform to know what could be explored in the future (Cheng et al., 2010). The purpose of this position paper is to describe a historical timeline of science education. Using historical documents and current science education research, the authors create an evolutionary description of science education changes over time and how these shifts could influence how Artificial Intelligence is used in science education.
 

Career of the Month

Metallurgical Engineer Wendi Cooksey

The Science Teacher—March/April 2024 (Volume 91, Issue 3)

By Luba Vangelova

An interview with metallurgical engineer Wendi Cooksey
An interview with metallurgical engineer Wendi Cooksey
An interview with metallurgical engineer Wendi Cooksey
 

Forests for Lemurs

An Ecological Restoration Dilemma

By Ariadna Mondragon-Botero, Susan M. Galatowitsch

Forests for Lemurs

Archive: Sponsored NSTA/ECA Science Kit Services - Partnering Together to Help You Manage Your Classroom Materials, May 9, 2024

In this web seminar Heidi Harlan Allen, Executive VP, ECA Science Kit Services, will share all the secrets of successfully managing science materials in school districts. She will give a peek behind the scenes of their science materials kitting and refurbishment operation and identify blindspot costs to plan for, and other ways to set your district up for success with materials management and kit-usage in the classrooms.

In this web seminar Heidi Harlan Allen, Executive VP, ECA Science Kit Services, will share all the secrets of successfully managing science materials in school districts. She will give a peek behind the scenes of their science materials kitting and refurbishment operation and identify blindspot costs to plan for, and other ways to set your district up for success with materials management and kit-usage in the classrooms.

In this web seminar Heidi Harlan Allen, Executive VP, ECA Science Kit Services, will share all the secrets of successfully managing science materials in school districts. She will give a peek behind the scenes of their science materials kitting and refurbishment operation and identify blindspot costs to plan for, and other ways to set your district up for success with materials management and kit-usage in the classrooms.

In this web seminar Heidi Harlan Allen, Executive VP, ECA Science Kit Services, will share all the secrets of successfully managing science materials in school districts. She will give a peek behind the scenes of their science materials kitting and refurbishment operation and identify blindspot costs to plan for, and other ways to set your district up for success with materials management and kit-usage in the classrooms.

 

Next to Nothing

Science Scope—March/April 2024 (Volume 47, Issue 2)

By Bob Riddle

Scope on the Skies March 2024
Scope on the Skies March 2024
Scope on the Skies March 2024
Subscribe to
Asset 2