Join Mike Massimino, former NASA astronaut, as he relates his time in space with the feelings of isolation and loneliness that many of our teachers and students are experiencing in this distance/virtual learning environment. Mike’s message is a reminder to all of us, that in spite of the physical distancing, we can (and, should!) stay “connected” to one another.

SPEAKERS:
Mike Massimino (Columbia University: New York, NY)

So great, we got through this year: Now what? As we prepare for next school year, what digital tools are out there to support us in blended learning situations that will put us in the classroom, in the home, and back? Join us for a select list of flexible, easy-to-use tools that have the potential of opening up new possibilities for teaching and learning. We’ll keep it lively and engaging and along the way as we share a host of digital resources for Early Childhood education and elementary classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Robert Payo (Denver Urban Gardens: Denver, CO), Tim Blesse (Denver Museum of Nature & Science: Denver, CO), Elizabeth Garlick (North Mor Elementary School: Denver, CO), Will Allen (Graham Mesa Elementary School: Rifle, CO)

Scientists share a common framework for thinking: the crosscutting concepts described by NGSS. This is why someone studying goat stomachs can converse intelligently with someone studying La Niña. They may have different knowledge bases, but they use the same framework for thinking and communicating about their respective topics. Valerie and Mark invite you to consider that the crosscutting concepts are a framework, not only for scientists, but also for all human thinking. This is why we can see these concepts shouting and whispering in every children’s book we pick up. When we look closer, we can even see how this framework can help us understand social problems and offer solutions. Join Valerie and Mark as they ignite a conversation about how the crosscutting concepts inform how we understand children’s literature, our classrooms, and beyond.

SPEAKERS:
Valerie Bang-Jensen (Saint Michael's College: Colchester, VT), Mark Lubkowitz (Saint Michael's College: Colchester, VT)

So great, we got through this year: Now what? As we prepare for next school year, what digital tools are out there to support us in blended learning situations that will put us in the classroom, in the home, and back? Join us for a select list of flexible, easy-to-use tools that have the potential of opening up new possibilities for teaching and learning. We’ll keep it lively and engaging and along the way as we share a host of digital resources for middle level education and classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Robert Payo (Denver Urban Gardens: Denver, CO), Tim Blesse (Denver Museum of Nature & Science: Denver, CO), Ari Leventhal (West Middle School: Denver, CO), Elizabeth Johnston (Denver Public Schools: Denver, CO)

Join an interview with Kaitlin Graff, School and Higher Education Subject Matter expert at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as we navigate through the challenges of how to best educate our students around COVID-19 and its impact on their daily lives and the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Kaitlin Graff (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Atlanta, GA)

Join Mike Massimino, former NASA astronaut, as he relates his time in space with the feelings of isolation and loneliness that many of our teachers and students are experiencing in this distance/virtual learning environment. Mike’s message is a reminder to all of us, that in spite of the physical distancing, we can (and, should!) stay “connected” to one another.

SPEAKERS:
Mike Massimino (Columbia University: New York, NY)

Students with learning challenges can be particularly impacted by the transition out of high school and for some, the transition to online learning has compounded the struggle toward college readiness. This presentation will review Navigator PREP, a virtual transition program that works with students and their parents up to nine months before entering college. This proactive college readiness counseling initiative at Beacon College helps to increase success and decrease attrition for neurodiverse students entering the postsecondary environment. The results of the program also have important implications for ways educators can support students who learn differently in their transition out of high school. We will discuss ideas for educators on methods of social instruction, increasing self-awareness, building executive functioning and identifying strategies to enhance emotional awareness and regulation in a virtual learning environment.

SPEAKERS:
Alexander Morris-Wood (Beacon College: Leesburg, FL), Mary-Anne Primack (Beacon College: Leesburg, FL)

Join Mike Massimino, former NASA astronaut, as he relates his time in space with the feelings of isolation and loneliness that many of our teachers and students are experiencing in this distance/virtual learning environment. Mike’s message is a reminder to all of us, that in spite of the physical distancing, we can (and, should!) stay “connected” to one another.

SPEAKERS:
Mike Massimino (Columbia University: New York, NY)

Every day a small number of zoo nutritionists around the world apply any and every gram of knowledge they can find to ensure the nutritional welfare of the animals in our care. This isn’t just simply “STEM-ming the heck out of it,” but often taking it the next step to ensure all of those disciplines effectively collaborate to come up with practical solutions to help feed some of the rarest animals on the planet. We’ll share how we approach diet design for everything from ants to zebras, the true meaning of “comparative nutrition,” and how every component of STEM is engaged daily to help save species through appropriate nutrition. 

SPEAKERS:
Mike Maslanka (Smithsonian National Zoological Park: Washington, DC)

The coronavirus pandemic has exposed gaps in U.S. science education. Our curricula have not been prioritizing learning about the relationships between issues of social justice and scientific phenomena, like the inequitable impact of the pandemic or environmental degradation. Meanwhile, powerful protests against anti-blackness have made more and more science educators aware of the need to enact anti-racist science teaching. Discussion centers on principles and examples of teaching about Social Justice Science Issues (SJSI) in high school science courses, introductory college science courses, and in preservice science teacher education.

SPEAKERS:
Daniel Morales-Doyle (University of Illinois Chicago: Chicago, IL)