2021 Los Angeles Area Conference - Sessions

Inspiring Literacy and Science Interest with Data

We use data to do science; data literacy is its own set of skills. Young learners benefit when we integrate data, literacy, and science together.

Takeaways: 1. Identify how data literacy is a critical aspect of literacy and science literacy in the 21st century; 2. Explore strategies and resources to use to authentically integrate data into K–5 science instruction; and 3. Develop a plan for next steps to elevate data as an aspect of meaningful connections between literacy and science.

Speakers

Kristin Hunter-Thomson (Dataspire Education & Evaluation, Rutgers University: Princeton, NJ)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Materials are only accessible to NSTA Members)

Connecting NGSS to Student Interests and the Science That Surrounds Us in Real Life

Learn how to create engaging lessons, connecting to student interests and to the science and natural phenomena that surround us. Pick up strategies to engage K–6 students in explorations, helping them recognize and understand real-world science while creating a lifelong love of science. Handouts!

Takeaways: Attendees will learn: 1. innovative strategies to help children identify, explore, and understand a variety of interesting, real-life science that surrounds them in their everyday world; 2. how to design lessons that emphasize exploration, and give students the opportunity to test variables and analyze their effects; and 3. effective questioning strategies to engage students and increase the depth of student thinking, also helping to make student thinking visible; and to help teachers use effective questioning strategies to help students clarify and articulate their understanding of essential science phenomena and concepts.

Speakers

Donna Knoell (Educational and Technology Consultant: Overland Park, KS)

Does Black English Stand Between Black Students and Success in Science?

Discussion centers on tools to properly analyze Black students’ scientific work to determine if the misconceptions and misunderstandings are a learning issue or language issue. This workshop focuses on the use of language to reduce the ethnic achievement gap in science.

Takeaways: 1. Analyzing students’ work from a linguistic lens; 2. Recognizing biases when it comes to student language; and 3. Pushing Black students academically forward without making them feel torn between two language worlds.

Speakers

Jonte' Lee (Calvin Coolidge Senior High School: Washington, DC)

STEM Teaching Tools: Resources for Justice-Centered Science Instruction

Choose which of these free resources for equitable science instruction are most relevant to your work. Then read, discuss, and plan!

Takeaways: 1. Science learning is culturally rooted, and strong instruction should take an asset-based approach to young peoples’ ways of thinking and knowing; 2. Developing more inclusive classrooms is a constant process. There are always steps educators can take to support equity, no matter where they are in their journey; and 3. These resources offer tangible next steps educators can take toward equity in their classroom, from identifying meaningful anchor phenomena (stemteachingtools.org/brief/42) to teaching biology in more gender-inclusive ways (stemteachingtools.org/brief/76) to fostering more student talk (stemteachingtools.org/brief/35).

Speakers

Deb Morrison (University of Washington: Seattle, WA), Abby Rhinehart (University of Washington: Seattle, WA)

NSTA Press Session: Ignite Your Professional Teaching Practice with NSTA’s Trilogy of Three-Dimensional Resources

Join us as we explore how NSTA’s three-dimensional resources can be utilized to enhance your teaching. Walk away with effective strategies for science teaching and learning and hear from educators as they provide tips for using these resources.

Takeaways: 1. Hear from classroom teachers about how they are using NSTA Press publications; and 2. Leave with top-notch teaching tips and innovative lesson plan ideas that promote imaginative learning and student engagement.

Speakers

Tricia Shelton (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Wendy Binder (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

NSELA-Sponsored Session: How as Science Leaders Are We Supporting an Asset View of Science Learners?

Participants will learn about how some districts around the country are using an asset approach to post-COVID learning and will collaboratively share ideas with others.

Takeaways: 1. Some districts around the country are focusing on an acceleration rather than a remediation post-COVID approach to learning; 2. An asset approach to learning and learners supports social and emotional well-being; and 3. The NSELA Learning Center provides resources for continued learning about asset versus deficit approaches to learning.

Speakers

Larry Plank (Hillsborough County Public Schools: Tampa, FL)

Using Phenomena to Promote Sensemaking and Deepen Coherence

Dissect the differences between flashy engagers and phenomena to identify essential components of effective phenomenon-based teaching. Critically consider phenomena with personal relevance for your students.

Takeaways: 1. Build a deeper understanding of the differences between “hooks” and phenomena, 2. Consider and identify the benefits of using contextual, locally inspired phenomena to support all students, and 3. Identify potential local phenomena for their own classrooms to support more inclusive learning

Speakers

Martha Inouye (University of Wyoming: Laramie, WY), Ana Houseal (University of Wyoming: Laramie, WY)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Materials are only accessible to NSTA Members)

Partnering with NSTA to Reach Your Professional Learning Goals

Explore how to take advantage of NSTA’s vast resources and pathways, including both asynchronous and synchronous options, to create personalized professional learning.

Takeaways: 1. Discover the value of being a School or District NSTA Partner; 2. Explore how to maximize online professional learning for all teachers; and 3. Discover how to utilize NSTA's online learning resources to support in-person professional learning.

Speakers

Tricia Shelton (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Wendy Binder (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

Discover NSTA’s New Professional Learning Units to Earn Continuing Education Credit

Explore NSTA’s NEWProfessional Learning Units. Discover these bite-sized asynchronous professional learning experiences that support student sensemaking to earn credit to submit to your school or district.

Takeaways: 1. Discover how NSTA can provide asynchronous and bite-sized continuing education credit options (2 hours per PLU); 2. Explore how each PLU contains reflections or tasks connected to the classroom that are submitted to NSTA for review or feedback; and 3. Explore how we can support professional learning for individuals or schools/districts including the flexible options available for Professional Learning Unit topics, and how these fit into our Professional Learning pathways.

Speakers

Elizabeth Allan (University of Central Oklahoma: Edmond, OK), Tricia Shelton (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

Tools for Justice-Centered Climate Change Teaching and Learning

Our students are already impacted by climate change. How can we teach about it in ways that help them all thrive on a damaged planet?

Takeaways: 1. Justice-centered climate science instruction is possible and needed throughout the grade span, and intersects with a variety of other ecological topics; 2. Our young people are already aware of and experiencing the effects of climate change, and educators are in a unique position to help them better understand and process this new reality; and 3. There are many resources already available to support educators in this work, even if it may sound daunting at first.

Speakers

Deb Morrison (University of Washington: Seattle, WA), Abby Rhinehart (University of Washington: Seattle, WA)

Using Three-Dimensional Prompts to Drive Student Sensemaking

Learning science means engaging in DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs. Come explore how to generate authentic prompts that integrate all three dimensions to drive student learning.

Takeaways: 1. Practice creating 3-D prompts that explicitly promote the three dimensions and drive more integrated student learning and assessment; 2. Learn how to adapt your own questions and prompts to better target specific dimensions; and 3. Consider how framing of activities, through questions and prompts, can support specific DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs.

Speakers

Ana Houseal (University of Wyoming: Laramie, WY), Martha Inouye (University of Wyoming: Laramie, WY), Jessica Stephens (Rock Springs Junior High School: Rock Springs, WY)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Materials are only accessible to NSTA Members)

Fueling Success with Students—Win Up to $10K for You and Up to $15K for Your Classroom

Do you impact your school and community with STEM? If you teach K–12, then come learn how to apply to win one of eight Shell-supported awards, and a teacher competition.

Takeaways: 1. Share your passion and practice by applying for one of eight awards, and a teacher competition; 2. Learn from past Shell awardees, finalists, and judging panel members’ important tips to apply for this award; and 3. Learn how to win a trip to the 2022 NSTA Houston National Conference, March 31–April 3, 2022.

Speakers

Amanda Upton (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Ruth Ruud (Cleveland State University: Cleveland, OH)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Materials are only accessible to NSTA Members)

NSELA-Sponsored Session: Highlighting Stories of Successful (Formal and Informal Science) Partnerships from National Science Leaders

Participants will learn about the successful and varied informal and formal science partnerships developed by members of the NSELA leadership community.

Takeaways: 1. Successful partnerships between formal and informal science institutions increase student and community engagement in STEM education; 2. Success stories include STEM ecosystems; and 3. The NSELA Learning Center provides resources and support for ongoing learning about formal and informal science partnerships.

Speakers

Larry Plank (Hillsborough County Public Schools: Tampa, FL)

What Do I Do with This? Making Sense of Your Assessment Data

We are awash in assessment data, but often it’s overwhelming to make sense of it. Join us to learn tips and strategies for wrangling data.

Takeaways: 1. Explore new ways to organize data collection and raw data to aid in exploring the data for stories after it is collected; 2. Acquire skills in tying questions, data types, and data visualizations to enhance your ability to make sense of the assessment data; and 3. Identify next steps to better utilize and leverage your assessment data to help you measure students’ success and know what steps to consider next.

Speakers

Kristin Hunter-Thomson (Dataspire Education & Evaluation, Rutgers University: Princeton, NJ)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Materials are only accessible to NSTA Members)

Getting Students to Read in Science

Reading should not be limited to English courses. Leave with strategies on how to motivate students to explore science through scientific novels. Review three years of qualitative data on how novels increased  literacy, scientific fluency, scientific connectivity, and college preparation in a marine biology course.

Takeaways: Teahers will: 1. learn how to use articles to make their content more applicable to the lives of the students; 2. receive strategies on how to get students to read more scientific articles; and 3. receive resources on selecting grade-appropriate scientific articles.

Speakers

Jonte' Lee (Calvin Coolidge Senior High School: Washington, DC)

Smashing Classrooms Walls Through Virtual Events

Take your students beyond your classroom walls through virtual speakers and field trips with those on the front lines of science, exploration, and conservation.

Takeaways: 1. Discover the benefits of bringing exciting scientists, explorers, and conservationists live into your classroom through virtual guest speakers and field trips; 2. Explore how easy it is to do with exciting resources like Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants, Explorer Classroom, Google, and more; and 3. What to do before, during, and afterwards so your students get the most from these experiences.

Speakers

Joe Grabowski (Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants: Elora, ON)

Nurture Through Nature: How Teachers Stumbled Their Way into Building the Most Innovative School Club in the Country

Want to get your students outside enjoying nature and taking an active interest in improving the world around us, but don’t know where to start and how to sustain it? Join in for strategies to encourage critical thinking about environmental issues, methods to help students gain awareness of everyday resources and uses, budgeting and funding procedures, and ways to meet multiple subject areas. Empower your students to become part of the solution!

Takeaways: 1. Critical thinking about environmental issues methods to help students gain awareness of everyday resources and uses; and 2. Ways to meet multiple subject areas.

Speakers

Dawn Chehab (Millennia Gardens Elementary School: Orlando, FL), John Martinez (Millennia Gardens Elementary School: Orlando, FL)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Materials are only accessible to NSTA Members)

Leading Conversations Around Identity, Race, Belonging, and Bias in STEM Spaces

Join the UCLA Science Project as we explore structures and formats for science leaders looking to engage teachers around social justice in STEM classrooms.

Takeaways: 1. Co-construct a learning experience centered around inclusion and belonging within school site meetings; 2. Recognize how our identities and lived experiences impact our approaches to science education and leadership; and 3. Establish space and culture that sustains conversations around equity issues.

Speakers

Leticia Perez (UCLA Science Project: Los Angeles, CA), Zachary Cue (UCLA Science Project: Los Angeles, CA)

Infusing Your STEM Curriculum with Real-World Connections

Discover how students may use their mobile devices to document “science in action,” anytime, anywhere, in this unique intersection between socratic questioning and place-based learning.

Takeaways: How students may use their mobile devices: 1. to demonstrate their knowledge of scientific concepts in a real-world context; 2. connect this real-world context to crosscutting concepts; and 3. explore how this learning model may be used to support service learning in the science curriculum.

Speakers

Eric Walters (Marymount School of New York: New York, NY)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Materials are only accessible to NSTA Members)

Featured Presentation: Fostering Joy: Designing Science Learning Around Climate Justice and Action

The intersections of climate, justice, and science learning offer a multitude of challenges and opportunities. As we look forward to our shared future, there is a growing understanding for the need to accelerate just climate action in mitigation of fossil fuel emissions and climate change adaptation efforts. However, not all of the choices we make will foster justice and not all decision-making practices on how to act are foundationally equitable in nature. To ensure our communities, particularly our youth, are equipped and inspired to engage in just climate action, we need to design learning that crosses historic boundaries, shifts power dynamics, and engages all involved in transformative experiences.

Speakers

Deb Morrison (University of Washington: Seattle, WA)