Join the members of NSTA as they share how to create a classroom culture that supports equitable participation, and learn how to implement these best practices within your own classroom. A roundtable discussion will follow.

TAKEAWAYS:
Sharing of ideas on creating a classroom culture that supports equitable participation

SPEAKERS:
Kate Soriano (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Kristin Rademaker (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Holly Hereau (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

1) Using Micro-Credentialing to Support Teacher Growth
This session features an innovative school/university partnership that utilizes strategic mentoring, high-quality professional development, and stackable competency-based micro-credentialing badges to improve STEM educator preparation.

2) The Importance of Being a Leader in Professional Organizations
Participants will discover ways to get involved in professional organizations, including NSTA and their state chapters, as to avoid the "essence drain" amid the challenges of education today.

3) Giving non-science majors the option to put the “A” in STEAM.
This session discusses how student learning can be assessed in a more equitable manner, allowing students the option to communicate comprehension using non-traditional responses.

SPEAKERS:
Angela McMurry (The Ohio Academy of Science: Dublin, OH), Dewayne Morgan (University System of Maryland: Adelphi, MD), Heather Minges Wols (Columbia College Chicago: Chicago, IL)

1) Don't Reinvent the "STEM Lesson" Wheel
Creating meaningful lessons takes time. Finding helpful resources shouldn't.

2) Filling the STEAM Pipeline through Scholarships / Internships
This session will provide participants with information that teachers can share with their students relating to scholarship and internship opportunities that are offered to them for pursing studies and STEAM careers.

3) STEAM Practices to Support Identity And Equity in Learning
STEAM, or integrating art with STEM, can broaden participation in science learning. We will cover a set of core STEAM practices, developed in our work with both youth and educators, that support diverse learners and contribute to the creation of equitable learning environments.

 

SPEAKERS:
Nancy McIntyre (Robotics Education & Competition Foundation: Greenville, TX), Perrin Teal Sullivan (University of Alaska Fairbanks: Fairbanks, AK), Jessica Strauss (Mabry Elementary School: Tampa, FL), David Rosengrant (University of South Florida St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg, FL)

1) Try EarthKAM: A Real Mission for Students Using a Camera on the International Space Station (ISS); Get a Unique Perceptive of Earth and its  Features
Participants will get the nuts and bolts as to how to implement EarthKAM, a program on the ISS for students to request images of Earth.

2) A Crucial First Step: Modifying the CER Framework to Incorporate Initial Data Descriptions
Learn how including a ‘data description’ step before making a scientific claim helps students to write higher-quality scientific explanations when interpreting messy real-world datasets.

3) Applying Time Management Techniques to Assist Students in Classroom Labs/Activities
Are your students disorganized and their labs/activities are not getting completed? This session presents time management techniques to support students efficiently using time during labs/activities and assignments.

SPEAKERS:
Sally Jensen (Retired Educator: Campton, NH), Alison Betz Seymour (Science Teacher: Winchester, 0), Andrea Drewes (Rider University: Lawrenceville, NJ)

1) Designing Projects to Address Community Needs
Join the presenter to discuss the benefits of creating connections between community needs and scientific studies to boost student engagement and increase the cultural relevancy of learning. Examples of community needs projects and full lesson plans will be given to all attendees.

2) Professional Learning Programs for Chicagoland at MSI
The Museum of Science and Industry supports teachers in enacting NGSS-aligned 3-dimensional teaching, facilitating after school programming, and manifesting whole school change through science leadership.

3) Pollinator Investigations with Budburst Community Science
Investigate local phenomena with Budburst, a community science project. Learn how to address the NGSS through student participation in authentic research on plant-pollinator interactions.

 

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Jones (Chicago Botanic Garden: Glencoe, IL), Lauren Slanker (Museum of Science and Industry: Chicago, IL), Karin Klein (Museum of Science and Industry: Chicago, IL)

1) Using art to introduce topics and to promo
te critical thinking in the biological sciences.This session discusses how using various art forms to introduce topics engages students, maintains their interest, and provides unique connections to the subject matter.

2) Virtual STEAM Fair
Virtual STEAM fairs endow students with the ability to adapt, learn and master skills ranging from presentation skills to research skills. A Virtua STEAM Fair helps avoid large gatherings by using a virtual platform.

3) Using art to describe the structure and function of the Muscular System
Teaching about the muscle system can be very content-heavy, so I wanted to find a creative way to engage students with a more inclusive and interdisciplinary activity.

 

SPEAKERS:
Heather Minges Wols (Columbia College Chicago: Chicago, IL), Adriana Andrade (Sacred Heart Greenwich: Greenwich, CT), Melanie Rodriguez (Los Angeles Unified School District: Sherman Oaks, CA)

1) Building an Inquiry-based STEAM Class & Curriculum
The methodology for building and piloting a middle school inquiry STEAM elective class with emphasis in Social Emotional Learning, Mentoring, and Goal-Setting will be discussed.

2) Reciprocal Teaching in the Inquiry-Based Science Classroom
The methodology for building and piloting a middle school inquiry STEAM elective class with emphasis in Social Emotional Learning, Mentoring, and Goal-Setting will be discussed.

3) 3D printed models for sense making in science
Using 3D printed models to reinforce observational skills that connect simple to complex structure concept, making science visible and accessible to all students, thus facilitating the sense making process.

SPEAKERS:
Marjorie Miles Dozier (Polk County Public Schools: Bartow, FL), Annamarie Vandrevala (Deer Path Middle School - District 67)