STEMvisions Blog

We just finished our first week of LASER i3 Professional Development (PD) in Santa Fe, New Mexico! 86 science teachers, representing 17 schools and 12 districts joined us June 3-7 at Gonzales Community School for five intense days of PD.

Teachers spent the first half of the week diving deep into science content as adult learners. From first grade teachers exploring biological systems to sixth grade teachers revisiting physics formulas, participants were challenged as they became the student in inquiry-based discussions and activities.

Science can be intimidating even to those of us in the field, but particularly to students who find themselves struggling with STEM homework. The way we as educators talk about science can unintentionally contribute to students' self doubt about their potential in STEM. Too often, science is painted as the work of exceptional "geniuses". A superficial glance at history makes it seem as though scientific breakthroughs occur with ease and fanfare.

The tragedy brought about by natural disasters will leave your students with a lot of questions. Even students not directly affected by a damaging storm may find images of a twister and its aftermath scary.

As we enter the summer season, we must begin to look ahead to the next academic year. As with every school year, 2013-2014 will present educators and administrators with new students, new challenges, and new opportunities. In particular, K-12 educators will have at their disposal guidelines for enhancing and deepening their science curricula -- the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

When parents first approached Four Oaks Elementary School principal David Pearce about starting an after-school science club, the North Carolina parents estimated that 40 students would be interested. Shortly after Students learn about animal peltsannouncing the new science club, more than 160 students signed up. The anticipated small gathering of a few students quickly turned into nine separate groups: five K-2 Green Kids' Clubs, two 3-5 Green Kids' Clubs, and two Engineering Clubs.

Our LASER i3 grant looks at the impact of the LASER program on the STEM learning of over 75,000 students in North Carolina, New Mexico, and Houston. How do you evaluate the impact of something so enormous? What evidence for success are we seeing so far? Check out the video recorded and edited by our own Program Assistant, Dana Bulba

Come one, come all to this year's National Science Education Leadership Development Forum! Formerly held during NSTA's National Conference, this year's Forum will take place right in the Smithsonian's backyard. This half-day symposium offers science educators the unique opportunity to hear and experience the research of two distinguished scholars on the topic of scientific argumentation.

This summer we will be conducting three professional development workshops together known as the Smithsonian Science Education Academies for Teachers. These professional development opportunities are special for a lot of reasons, one of which is the opportunity to work with passionate scientists, researchers, and curators. These men and women are not only subject specialists, they are enthusiastic communicators and love to connect with kindred science spirits!

Here are some of the folks that will be working with us:

There have been a lot of changes around here, starting with our name! In order to better reflect our history and mission, we are now the Smithsonian Science Education Center (formerly National Science Resources Center). Our name has changed but our commitment hasn't: we are dedicated to a research-based approach to transforming science education and we continue to produce high-quality, inquiry-based curriculum.

Imagine this... it is early morning, and teachers, curriculum coaches, district staff, trainers, and facilitators from all over the country are gathered in a single room. During the weeks of February 25th and March 4th, 53 regional representatives from New Mexico, North Carolina, and Houston, TX, joined by Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) staff and contracted trainers, gathered in Oakland, California for an intense four-day, 30 hour training hosted by WestEd and the SSEC: the 2013 LASER i3 WestEd Facilitation Academies.

Our publisher Carolina Biological has this wonderful video we would like to share of a teacher working on science with her 1st grade students. Notice the emphasis on student questions in this video...as the teacher says, the students are well on their way to being great scientist.

In addition to science, the students get a chance to use math and math vocabulary while perusing their own questions. Who wouldn't want to be a student in this wonderful classroom?

Has this ever happened to you? You're talking about a science topic with your class and they are captivated (Go You! You are such an awesome teacher!). They are asking tons of questions: Can animals see colors we can't? How do we know? Is the color blue that I see the same as the color blue that you see? How can we tell?

Make a list with fellow science teachers about what might be difficult about a particular science topic.

Time to work together with colleagues can be rare, but a conversation you might consider having with your colleagues is: what is it that makes science, or better yet, specific science topics, "hard".

The NSRC's Investing in Innovation (i3) initiative supports and promotes high quality, inquiry-based science education programs and helps establish infrastructures to sustain those programs for decades to come. This initiative studies the effects of the NSRC's LASER Model in grades 1-8 in three regions: North Carolina, Northern New Mexico, and Houston Independent School District.

Washington, DC-based interns will be based at NSRC's DC offices and may be asked to travel to one or more regional sites to assist with summer workshops.

We're excited to announce that together with other museums and units of the Smithsonian, we will once again be offering the Smithsonian Science Education Academies for Teachers (SSEATS). SSEATS were started in 2005 to bridge the gap between formal and informal science education by combining training in science content and pedagogy with behind the scenes experiences at a wide variety of Smithsonian units, Smithsonian Affiliate partners, inquiry-based STC/ STCMS curriculum and world-class science research facilities throughout the Washington DC area.

Are you interested in science? Are you good at things? Do you like to work with nice, smart people? Is money useful for you in your pursuit of goods and services? Yes? Oh good, we're looking for you!

How do we prepare students for a world where the answers aren't always waiting for them in the back of the book?

In an age of standardized tests and even tests that prepare you for standardized tests, answers, especially that one, single, right one, seem to take on an inflated importance in our classrooms. Those right answers and those tests certainly have a place in our children's education. But where do questions go?

From the mountains to the sea, North Carolina boasts of rich cultures, varying businesses and industries, and diverse geographies. More than 50 years ago, North Carolina began a transition from a manufacturing and agriculture-centered economy to a global economy driven by science and technology. At the center of this movement is the Research Triangle Park (RTP), one of the most beneficial public private partnerships in our history: a model for research, innovation, and economic development that utilizes key stakeholders across the state.

Hello, my name is Katie Gainsback and I am the coordinator for NSRC's Building Awareness in Science Education initiative. I just got back from my first trip to Texas and first time working with Houston ISD. It was an overwhelmingly positive experience. I was inspired by educators, administrators, and community members who took time out of their hectic schedules to work toward improving science education for all students.