Growing up in a single parent home on the south side of Chicago, IL, Justin J. Shaifer had little awareness of the potential of a STEM career. His worldview drastically transformed after experiences at Hampton University. Justin graduated with a bachelor's degree in marine and environmental science with the highest departmental GPA, and was also president of Hampton University's student body while receiving scholarships from NASA and NOAA that covered 100% of his tuition and room and board. Now 24 years old, Justin travels the country empowering young students to "embrace their inner nerd" despite their surroundings, and developing culturally responsive STEM curricula for New York City institutions.

Justin is executive director of Fascinate, Inc., an organization created to excite underrepresented students about STEM. He is known for his work on the Magic Cool Bus Project. Past partners of his organization include Microsoft, MIT Media Lab, and the Children’s Aid Society. Justin is studying these programs’ effects as a PhD student at Columbia University.

SPEAKERS:
Justin Shaifer (Fascinate, Inc.: New York, NY)

Hear about the new administration’s priorities and plans for supporting science and STEM educators and learn more about education and funding priorities in Congress. Bring your questions, and join us in this discussion about what’s going on in Washington, D.C.

SPEAKERS:
Jodi Peterson (: Arlington, VA)

Attendees will participate in a hands-on experience as they construct an understanding of the best practices for presenting hands-on activities remotely.

This session is targeted for novice attendees.

Materials needed:

• scissors
• several paperclips
• sheet of scrap paper

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Discover tips, techniques, and strategies for the successful facilitation of online activities; 2. Discover new activities appropriate for online delivery, including virtual field trips; and 3. Participate in an online activity to experience (as a student) what works and what doesn't.

SPEAKERS:
Michael DiSpezio (Master Educator, Presenter, and Author: North Falmouth, MA)

Virtual word walls support academic language acquisition. Three strategies will be presented for use in remote or in hybrid classrooms to strategically target vocabulary.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. How to use virtual interactive word walls to support academic language acquisition during remote or hybrid instruction; 2. Learn how to use virtual interactive word walls to highlight connections between science concepts and inquiry-based science activities while connecting scientific concepts and academic vocabulary; and 3. Experience three strategies that may be used, with virtual interactive word walls, to strategically target vocabulary during remote or in hybrid instruction.

SPEAKERS:
Julie Jackson (Texas State University: San Marcos, TX)

Sponsoring Company: Legends of Learning

With the amount of time for science instruction constantly under scrutiny, developing experiences beyond traditional classroom hours is critical. Learn how educators can leverage game-based learning to introduce, review, and deepen student content understanding. Through student-driven learning, Legends of Learning helps educators ensure that not a moment of time is lost.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. New ways to engage students through game-based instruction; 2. How student-driven learning resources can maximize instructional time; and 3. Strategies for using game-based learning to introduce, reinforce, and enrich student content experiences.

SPEAKERS:
Joselyn Whetzel (Legends of Learning: Washington, DC), Aryah Fradkin (Legends of Learning: Washington, DC), Sean Reidy (Legends of Learning: Washington, DC)

Sponsoring Company: The Walking Classroom

The Walking Classroom is a research-proven program of audio podcasts that students listen to while they walk. Our STEM program includes 60 science podcasts, including a science career series and supplemental resources. Elementary students learn better, retain information longer, and want to learn more about topics after listening and walking.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: 1. learn about the research-proven benefits of listening to podcasts while walking as experienced by students; 2. find out more about the podcast content provided by The Walking Classroom, which includes Earth science, physical science, life science, and a careers in science series; and 3. get an overview of the additional resources provided that supplement each podcast and include video clips, downloadable worksheets, suggested hands-on activities, virtual field trips, and more!

SPEAKERS:
Debra Ives (The Walking Classroom: Chapel Hill, NC)

Discover free age-appropriate "Cooped Up Kids" activities that connect kids to the outdoors and exciting science content whether in school, remote, or blended.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Discover free hands-on lessons that are tied to the NGSS and Common Core Standards and discuss how to implement them whether learners are at home or in school; 2. Describe the socio-emotional benefits of place-based outdoor experiences for diverse K–8 students; and 3. Learn how to access a variety of free educational interactives, online multimedia resources, and citizen science projects scaffolded by lessons that are perfect for K–8 settings.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Fee (The Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Ithaca, NY)

Bestselling author Max Brooks believes in the power of educating through entertainment, whether it’s learning survival skills through zombie fiction or better understanding our own history through graphic novels. What better way to reach students than through mediums they have fun using, such as video games? Join Max as he explains why he thinks the massively popular game Minecraft has the potential to be the greatest teaching tool since Gutenberg’s printing press.

SPEAKERS:
Max Brooks (Author: Venice, CA)

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

STEM is not just about integrating science, technology, engineering, and math. Dr. Carol O’Donnell discusses how schools can support STEM students and teachers of diverse backgrounds through curricula, professional development, and leadership development that take an integrated approach to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion in K–12 STEM. Participants will learn about several free Smithsonian resources to integrate inclusive design into K–12 STEM curricula, apply PD strategies for teaching English learners and girls in STEM, and diversify the STEM teaching workforce.

SPEAKERS:
Carol O'Donnell (Smithsonian Science Education Center: Washington, DC)

Sponsoring Company: Amplify

What have we learned during the past year about what we most value about teaching and learning? Where does science fit in a responsive relaunch? Join leaders from UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science as we reflect on these questions and begin to explore how to capitalize on a phenomenon-based approach to create a culture that values student voice and fosters curiosity and engagement.

SPEAKERS:
Rebecca Abbott (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Berkeley, CA)

Discover research-based approaches on how to build a strong makerspace community that taps into foundational scientific literacy skills. Participate in a makerspace project-based literacy challenge.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Improve culturally responsive teaching in an informal makerspace environment through the development of makerspace pop-up activities and training approaches following a makerspace project-based literacy process; 2. Increase scientific literacy achievement through informal literacy hands-on makerspace pop-up activities focused on STEM real-world activities; and 3. Describe opportunities and hands-on mobile approaches to build capacity of existing informal makerspace learning of remote communities, diverse learners, and STEM professionals serving underrepresented minority populations.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Miller (Sul Ross State University: Alpine, TX), Thomas Tomas (Little Singer Community School: Winslow, AZ)

Engage in this interactive session to find out how the idea of anchoring to a phenomena to begin a STEM unit lays out a plan for helping students to see how science impacts their community.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Understand why the scenario helps students connect the phenomena to their own community/ global issues; 2. Show how to move from the unit phenomena introduction to the crafting the storyline for the student learning; and 3. Teachers will have a chance to practice developing their own scenario based on a given phenomena.

SPEAKERS:
Jo Anne Vasquez (Rocks to Rainbows, LLC: Gilbert, AZ), Michael Comer (Savvas Learning Co.: Paramus, NJ)

Alejandro understands that students arrive each day with an abundance of cultural wealth. He will share how establishing authentic relationships with his students and strategically integrating culturally relevant instruction has increased student motivation, morale, and engagement in his class. He will also provide insight to some of the challenges that our students from underrepresented populations face, and how providing his students access to a variety of people, programs, resources, and experiential learning opportunities has been critical to his students’ success.

SPEAKERS:
Alejandro Diasgranados (Aiton Elementary School: Washington, DC)

In this session participants will get an overview of how environmental and climate justice have been introduced to classrooms through partnerships, expos, and educational programming. Participants will also get an overview of key terms, focus areas, and resources for learning more about environmental and climate justice through a local lens.

SPEAKERS:
Taylor Morton (WE ACT for Environmental Justice: New York, NY)

Hear about the new administration’s priorities and plans for supporting science and STEM educators and learn more about education and funding priorities in Congress. Bring your questions, and join us in this discussion about what’s going on in Washington, D.C.

SPEAKERS:
Jodi Peterson (: Arlington, VA)

Experience a contact tracing activity and explore how a storyline unit supports SEL during the pandemic while emphasizing health equity. Print http://bit.ly/MSContactTracing ahead of time.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. learn how discussions of a pandemic can be attentive to students’ social-emotional needs; 2. consider how COVID-19-focused learning can and should provoke students' thinking about how their actions affect others and can help end pandemics; and 3. experience a contact-tracing activity that supports students’ thinking about issues of trust in public health.

SPEAKERS:
Dan Voss (Northwestern University: Evanston, IL), Dawn Novak (Science Educator: Grayslake, IL)

Attendees will participate in a hands-on experience as they construct an understanding of the best practices for presenting hands-on activities remotely.

This session is targeted for novice attendees.

Materials needed:

• scissors
• several paperclips
• sheet of scrap paper

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Discover tips, techniques, and strategies for the successful facilitation of online activities; 2. Discover new activities appropriate for online delivery, including virtual field trips; and 3. Participate in an online activity to experience (as a student) what works and what doesn't.

SPEAKERS:
Michael DiSpezio (Master Educator, Presenter, and Author: North Falmouth, MA)

Sponsoring Company: BrainPOP

Learn how to build on the core concepts of WISE interventions to integrate social-emotional learning competencies into science teaching and learning with the new BrainPOP Science.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to: 1. reduce ambiguity for students to build self-efficacy and confidence in science; 2. provide immediate and precise feedback for students through formative assessments incorporated throughout the lesson; and 3. incorporate reflection questions at the end of each science lesson, and pause points throughout the lesson to promote meaning-making.

SPEAKERS:
Maneeza Dawood (BrainPOP: New York, NY)

Sponsoring Company: University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

In this workshop, participants will discuss how sustainability can be an integrative thread throughout STEM topics, such as climate change and environmental science. Participants will identify strategies for integrating sustainability into their existing curricula and will define sustainability in terms of systems thinking and future orientation. This workshop will be led by faculty and staff from the University of Wisconsin-Steven Point’s Ed.D. in Educational Sustainability Program.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. discuss how sustainability can be an integrative thread throughout STEM topics; 2. be able to identify strategies for integrating sustainability into their existing curricula; and 3. be able to define sustainability in terms of systems thinking and future orientation (e.g., beyond reduce, reuse, recycle).

SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Potter-Nelson (University of Maine at Farmington: Farmington, ME), Erin Redman (University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point: Stevens Point, WI), Rachael Rost (University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point: Stevens Point, WI)

Sponsoring Company: Simulation Curriculum Corp.

Simulation Curriculum is a pioneer in developing online simulation-based curricula to help enhance students’ understanding of Earth science topics as diverse as climate change, plate tectonics, volcanism, Earth materials, and geological processes on Earth’s surface. NGSS-focused lessons engage students with interactive simulations and thought-provoking exercises. Designed for online learning and compatible with iPads, Android tablets, PCs, Macs, and Chromebooks. Free trial access provided!

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Online science simulations are effective tools to compliment your instruction; 2. Become familiar with Layered Earth as a resource for teaching Earth science; and 3. Learn how to integrate Earth science and literacy.

SPEAKERS:
Martin Gabber (Retired Educator: Toronto, ON)

Sponsoring Company: Texas Instruments

Learn how to create a project-based camp or classroom lesson that enable students to apply concepts, such as photosynthesis and the water cycle, to design a smart irrigation system. Inspired by real-world events, students are motivated to apply problem-solving skills and learn some basic programming to come up with innovative solutions to using water more efficiently.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Developing models to better understand a process; 2. Constructing explanations and designing solutions; and 3. Introducing students to coding to solve a science problem with an engineering solution.

SPEAKERS:
Jessica Kohout (Howard County Conservancy: Woodstock, MD)

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes

Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) is a way for students to explain observed phenomena in a scientific way. This structured approach allows students to use observations and data from an investigation. Students use critical reasoning to connect the claim and evidence together. CER is an acclaimed and highly successful instructional strategy that is changing how students understand concepts and write explanations for phenomena.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will explore how to: 1. encourage student curiosity and engagement in authentic science and engineering practices; 2. engage students in deeper skills of inquiry; and 3. empower students to lead discussions about scientific phenomena, based on logical protocol for using evidence to make a claim.

SPEAKERS:
Kristen Wheat (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, MS), Michele Cozza (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX)

Sponsoring Company: Amazon Future Engineer

Give your students real-world computer science and career exposure through Amazon Future Engineer's new live, virtual, and interactive Fulfilment Center Tours! From our online store to doorstep, students will discover how computer science, state-of-the-art engineering, and incredible people deliver customer orders at Amazon.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn: how Amazon uses computer science, engineering, and amazing people to deliver customer orders around the globe; 2. how algorithms, sensors, cloud computing, machine learning, databases, and more all help make Amazon possible; and 3. what it's like to be an engineer at Amazon.

SPEAKERS:
Trinidad Cisneros (Amazon Corporate Affairs: Seattle, WA), Tony Wallin (Amazon Corporate Affairs: Seattle, WA), Hilah Barbot (Amazon Corporate Affairs: Seattle, WA)

Using COVID data and multimedia sources, teachers can elevate students’ understandings of science as a human endeavor, and explore diverse contributions and other nature of science themes.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: 1. acquire multiple classroom resources for COVID data, updates, and multimedia; 2. examine connections among pandemic examples and grade level nature of science (NOS) themes in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS); and 3. explore opportunities to enhance science lessons with key NGSS NOS themes such as science as a human endeavor, diverse contributions and cultures, using a variety of methods, and knowledge open to revision in light of new evidence.

SPEAKERS:
Daniel Bergman (Wichita State University: Wichita, KS)

Explore using the SEPs to make remote STE instruction inquiry based. Participate in a remote hands-on investigation. Receive a toolkit of resources, strategies, and instructional tools.

Materials needed:

• Markers or crayons
• Large sheet of heavy weight paper (11x17 or 8.5 x14)
• 4–6 ice cubes all about the same size
• 4 paper cups big enough to hold 2 ice cubes
• Cooler or access to freezer to keep ice frozen
• Aluminum tray
• Black or white tray (take-out container will work)

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Leave with a toolkit of distance-learning practices and investigations to enhance students’ use of the SEPs; 2. Learn about distance-learning tools that support the engagement of all students in STE; and 3. Develop new ideas for performance-based assessments using distance-learning strategies.

SPEAKERS:
Rosemary Rak (Wade Institute for Science Education: Quincy, MA), Angela Damery (Wade Institute for Science Education: Quincy, MA), Sandra Ryack-Bell (Wade Institute for Science Education: Quincy, MA), Margaret Brumsted (Education Specialist: Riverside, RI)

Participants explore strategies and resources for engaging students during face-to-face and virtual instruction. Equity, differentiation, and nonlinguistic representations of instruction and learning will be targeted.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: 1. learn research-based strategies that increase student engagement so that all students are involved in the learning process; 2. learn new ways to increase the confidence of learners who may be reluctant to engage in classroom activities and discussions; and 3. obtain numerous activities, templates, games, resources, etc. they can use with their students. These can be used “as is” or modified to include other content based on the needs of the attendees.

SPEAKERS:
Iris Mudd (Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools: Winston Salem, NC)

Want your students to read and write science more effectively? Join the author of the Once Upon A Science Book series for lessons from her newest book integrating literacy and physical science content.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. There are three main impediments to students becoming confident science readers: they do not expect what they are reading to make sense, they lack the background knowledge assumed in the text, and they have found shortcuts around doing classroom reading; 2. Using a literacy learning cycle (exploration, reading, writing) makes reading science easier; and 3. Participants will also try out a literacy learning cycle that they can use with their classes (so they will learn a new lesson plan).

SPEAKERS:
Jodi Wheeler-Toppen (Author/ Staff Development: Atlanta, GA), Karen Kraus (Retired Teacher: Goodyear, AZ), Matthew Hackett (Delta Woods Middle School: Blue Springs, MO)

Join us as we outline and present classroom applications of a four-part framework for equitable science instruction incorporating issues of identity, diversity, justice, and action.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. How to use the four-part framework (identity, diversity, justice, action) to incorporate issues of social justice into classroom practices or science curricula; 2. How the four domains of social justice meet the call for equitable instruction outlined by the NGSS appendix “All Standards, All Students”; and 3. How to empower students to explore scientific issues and their personal identities within the scientific community.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Redick (The Ohio State University: Columbus, OH), Laura Blue (The Ohio State University: Columbus, OH)

Teachers will learn to integrate bias recognition as part of the normal science curriculum.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Recognizing bias requires practice; 2. Recognizing bias requires critical thinking; and 3. Recognizing bias can be integrated as part of the normal learning process.

SPEAKERS:
Bailey O'Reilly (Academie Da Vinci Charter School for the Arts and Technology: Dunedin, FL)

Explore a set of in-person and distance learning instructional strategies to support multilingual students' sensemaking through science and engineering practices.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. To support equitable science instruction, all students must have their voice heard and be provided opportunities for rich sensemaking through science and engineering practices; 2. Multilingual students are a diverse group of students with a wealth of knowledge that need to be leveraged in the science classroom; and 3. In real-time, teachers can utilize a set of instructional routines for distance and in-person learning to support their multilingual students' sensemaking through science and engineering practices.

SPEAKERS:
Samuel Lee (Boston College: Chestnut Hill, MA), Karina Méndez Pérez (The University of Texas at Austin: Austin, TX), Sage Andersen (The University of Texas at Austin: Austin, TX), María González-Howard (The University of Texas at Austin: Austin, TX)

Engage in this interactive session to find out how the idea of anchoring to a phenomena to begin a STEM unit lays out a plan for helping students to see how science impacts their community.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Understand why the scenario helps students connect the phenomena to their own community/ global issues; 2. Show how to move from the unit phenomena introduction to the crafting the storyline for the student learning; and 3. Teachers will have a chance to practice developing their own scenario based on a given phenomena.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Comer (Savvas Learning Co.: Paramus, NJ), Jo Anne Vasquez (Rocks to Rainbows, LLC: Gilbert, AZ)

Based on three-dimensional learning and field-tested in high school classes, Virtual Field Labs can be used synchronously, asynchronously, or in hybrid classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Hands-on virtual tool for teaching climate change concepts; 2. Student-generated data activities led by climate change scientists; and 3. Generate, graph, and analyze data on the way to making claims supported by evidence related to the investigation.

SPEAKERS:
Louise Huffman (U.S. Ice Drilling Program: Hanover, NH), William Grosser (Curriculum Designer: Auburn, CA)

An informal discussion with former eCYBERMISSION Team Advisors about how to find success with student competitions.

TAKEAWAYS:
How to: 1. engage students in STEM competitions; 2. take part in STEM competitions with limited time; and 3. help students find success in STEM competitions.

SPEAKERS:
Matthew Hartman (BrainPOP: Pittsburgh, PA), Sarah Rahman (Cabrillo Middle School: Santa Clara, CA), Debra Las (John Adams Middle School: Rochester, MN), Andi Suter (Serrano Intermediate School: Lake Forest, CA), Vonda Fruhwirth (Kings Junior High School: Kings Mills, OH)

The fascinating phenomena of Earth and space science take on heightened relevance in learners’ lives when presented through the frameworks of geoheritage and place-based education.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. There are practical approaches for accentuating the excitement of Earth and space sciences as they are shown to intersect with human life, history, and culture; 2. The connection of geoscience with human history and culture—what is increasingly known as geoheritage—has great potential in education as a reference framework that encourages learning as well as promoting conservation of significant natural features; and 3. The dimensions of the NGSS, the big ideas of geoheritage, and the design principles of place-based education are mutually supportive—which together lead to strategies for meaningful learning in Earth and space science.

SPEAKERS:
Aida Awad (Education Consultant/ Adjunct: Ormond Beach, FL), Missy Holzer (Great Minds PBC: No City, No State), Rebecca Dodge (Midwestern State University: Wichita Falls, TX), Eric Pyle (James Madison University: Harrisonburg, VA), Dawna Cerney (Youngstown State University: Youngstown, OH), Dianna Gielstra (Prescott College Online Graduate Degree Program: Prescott, AZ), Ed Robeck (American Geosciences Institute: Alexandria, VA)

Explore how to use argumentation and explanations supported with the CER framework and the KLEWS chart to engage in the science and engineering practices in the science classroom—both virtually and in person. These ideas will support students to actively participate in inquiry-based, phenomenon-centered activities.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Students need a scaffolding of supports to fully participate and grow in their ability to use the SEPs; 2. Teachers can use many different supports, in different ways for varied learners, to help all students be successful in science. ALL students can be successful!; and 3. These supports can be tailored to all topics in science.

SPEAKERS:
Kelly Moore (Tennessee Tech: Cookeville, TN)

Inclusive approaches to teaching and learning include probing questions that all students can relate to, that provide multiple entry points for engagement, and that create a desire to want to figure it out. Learn how to use the Uncovering Student Ideas probes and strategies to support a classroom where all students' ideas matter!

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Learn about an NSTA Press resource for formative assessment; 2. Explore key points from research on learning that support using formative assessment probes; and 3. Gain new strategies for eliciting all students' ideas and building a classroom culture where everyone's ideas matter.

SPEAKERS:
Page Keeley (NSTA Past President: No City, No State)

Virtual word walls support academic language acquisition. Three strategies will be presented for use in remote or in hybrid classrooms to strategically target vocabulary.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. How to use virtual interactive word walls to support academic language acquisition during remote or hybrid instruction; 2. Learn how to use virtual interactive word walls to highlight connections between science concepts and inquiry-based science activities while connecting scientific concepts and academic vocabulary; and 3. Experience three strategies that may be used, with virtual interactive word walls, to strategically target vocabulary during remote or in hybrid instruction.

SPEAKERS:
Julie Jackson (Texas State University: San Marcos, TX)

Discover lesson plans and teaching resources to better integrate science and engineering practices in our food system.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Engage in the practice of phenomena-based learning through the phenomena of photoperiodism; 2. Improve critical thinking while investigating food production systems; and 3. Integrate STEM concepts through design thinking.

SPEAKERS:
Andrea Gardner (Utah State University: Logan, UT), Tessa Matuszak (National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization: Palm Coast, FL)

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes

In this workshop, we will utilize a simple yet effective talk process that can encourage students to more fully own their thinking and effectively communicate their ideas to peers. Join us in this interactive session to learn various talk strategies that support the NGSS Science and Engineering Practices, Argument-Driven Inquiry (ADI), and best-practice instruction for all learners!

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Setting the stage for student-centered talk success; 2. Shared experiences around the power of talk; and 3. Resources to support the implementation of science talk.

SPEAKERS:
Pam O'Brien (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Kristan Buckman (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX)

Sponsoring Company: Discovery Education

The 16 units in Discovery Education’s brand-new Science Techbook for middle school are driven by engaging anchor phenomena that prompt students to ask driving questions. Students engage in storylines using the science and engineering practices to collect evidence that answers their questions, learning both core ideas and crosscutting concepts along the way.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Curriculum units should begin with an anchor phenomena that stimulates student questions; 2. A unit should be designed to allow students to collect evidence from investigative phenomena that they can use to answer their questions; and 3. Students should make sense of phenomena by engaging in practices that lead them to develop disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts.

SPEAKERS:
Hailey Adams Mangum (Discovery Education: Chicago, IL), Ted Willard (Discovery Education: Silver Spring, MD)

Sponsoring Company: Legends of Learning

It is no surprise that the more engaged a student is with their learning, the more knowledge they retain. One significant takeaway from this past year is that many students thrived in an asynchronous learning environment. Learn how to support educators within any instructional model through game-based learning, increasing student engagement and content retention.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. How asynchronous learning can help engage students through content experiences; 2. How to support educators within any instructional model through game-based learning; and 3. Understanding of how game-based learning can increase engagement while teaching content.

SPEAKERS:
Joselyn Whetzel (Legends of Learning: Washington, DC), Aryah Fradkin (Legends of Learning: Washington, DC), Sean Reidy (Legends of Learning: Washington, DC)

Sponsoring Company: Texas Instruments

In this session you will learn how to use a simulation of an aquatic ecosystem to help students see the relationships between biotic and abiotic factors such as dissolved oxygen, pH, and temperature. The simulation makes it possible to model environments that would otherwise be very difficult to monitor and experiment with. Plus, the fish animations are really cool!

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Using simulations with students can help them better visualize the mechanisms behind phenomena; 2. Simulations are a great complement to hands-on learning and work best when hands on isn't possible/practical; and 3. Effects of changes to certain variables in aquatic ecosystems can have negative effects on the organisms that live there.