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Assessment tasks for NGSS classrooms are different from the typical tasks that require students to recall what they know. A Framework for K–12 Science Education and the NGSS call for assessment tasks that ask students to use and apply the three dimensions of science proficiency: disciplinary core ideas, scientific and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts. With three-dimensional tasks, the expectation is that students will use and apply the three dimensions of science proficiency together to make sense of phenomena or solve problems.

In this session, we focus on designing three-dimensional assessment tasks for classroom use with an emphasis on assessment for teaching and learning. A good assessment task should provide actionable information of value to teachers and their students. Importantly, it should provide insight into how students are building toward an NGSS performance expectation.

How can we use performance expectations to construct assessment tasks that can be used during instruction? Participants will learn an approach for designing three-dimensional assessment tasks and explore how to use them formatively in classrooms to help students build toward the performance expectations.

Participants will also be able to preorder our assessment book Creating and Using Instructionally Supportive Assessments in NGSS Classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn: 1. what is meant by three-dimensional assessment; 2. how to design classroom-based assessment tasks aligned with the NGSS; and 3. how to make use of formative assessment tasks to support instruction.

SPEAKERS:
Joseph Krajcik (CREATE for STEM Institute, Michigan State University: East Lansing, MI), Christopher Harris (WestEd: No City, No State)

Since its release, the NSTA Quick-Reference Guide to the NGSS has become an essential tool for many educators across the country. A new version titled the Quick-Reference Guide to the Three Dimension has been developed to not only support teachers in all states that have standards based on the Framework for K-12 Science Education. This new version of the Quick-Reference Guide still contains the most useful features of the original, including descriptions of the practices and the crosscutting concepts from the Framework of K-12 Science Education and K-12 progressions of the elements of all three dimensions. In addition, the new Quick-Reference Guide contains several new features that should make it even more helpful. For example, every element now has a unique code (based on the codes in the NSTA Atlas of the Three Dimensions) that makes it much easier to reference a particular element. In addition, there is an entire chapter devoted to the Performance Expectations. Finally, the guide also contains a number of tools for working with standards. This session will outline all of the features of the guide through the process of unpacking the crosscutting concepts to better understand how to make curriculum, instruction, and assessment more three-dimensional.

TAKEAWAYS:
A deeper understanding of the Crosscutting Concepts and how a well-designed reference guide can make it easier to unpack the three dimensions for work in curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

SPEAKERS:
Ted Willard (Discovery Education: Silver Spring, MD)

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines are a tool that can be used to design learning experiences that meet the needs of all learners (CAST, 2018). Instructional designers and teachers can use these principles to create learning environments that reduce barriers to access for all students, while keeping in mind the learning goals of the lesson. The three guiding principles of UDL are engagement, representation, and action and expression. In this session educators will be provided with examples of these principles in action in sample materials from OpenSciEd and classroom videos. In these examples, participating will identify how the materials have been purposefully designed with multiple avenues for engagement, representation, and action and expression. Additionally, they will identify the built-in supports for teachers to highlight student assets and to address potential barriers to learning for their local student population. Teachers will utilize a tool to help them analyze their own lessons to identify goals, potential barriers, and ways to use the UDL Principles to remove barriers and create flexible paths to learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will utilize a tool to help them analyze their own lessons to identify goals, potential barriers, and ways to use the UDL Principles to remove barriers and create flexible paths to learning.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Delaney (OpenSciEd: San Francisco, CA)

According to the 2018 NSSME Survey, 77% of elementary teacher’s self-report that they feel very well prepared to teach reading/language arts and only 31% rate their preparedness for science at the same level. Furthermore, the description of activities that elementary teachers indicate students participate in show reading about science or engaging in hands-on laboratory activities at just under 50%. Furthermore, students gain a deeper understanding of a text when they make authentic connections. Science investigations that incorporate phenomenon are perfect vehicles for students to make authentic connections. Students who make connections while reading are better able to understand the text they are reading. It is important for students to draw on their prior knowledge and experiences to connect with the text. Students are thinking when they are connecting, which makes them more engaged in the reading experience. The Framework even stresses that “students should be asked to engage in the communication of science, especially regarding the investigations they are conducting…” (p. 76) This session will focus on the expansion of a common strategic reading strategy related to “text to connections”, elementary teachers can support students in constructing understanding and connecting it to their own life.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will explore and learn how to how to expand a common literacy strategy of “text to” connections when using picture books in the elementary science classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Christine Anne Royce (Shippensburg University: Shippensburg, PA)

The purpose of the presentation is to model how to flip a classroom from the traditional methods to more innovative methods to engage students. The participants will be able to create a deck by the end of the session. Participants will be given the background and research based strategies that Pear Deck uses to ensure that equity and inclusion are met while ensuring the seamless integration of the platform. Participants will be given the pedagogy of why this tool is needed in their classroom. Participants will be introduced to EdPuzzle and Screencastify to highlight how these tools can be used as well to flip their classrooms. A Pear Deck interactive slide will be presented to the audience. The audience will log in with the given code. As I present the audience will have my screen on their device. The audience will participate in a series of interactive activities designed to immerse them platform and give them the experience that students will have. The presentation is highly interactive with the first half of the presentation be using to interact with the platforms and the second half given for participants to explore and ask questions. The audience will be engaged with device-based activities from the beginning to the end of the presentation. The presentation style will be catch and release. I will capture their attention for some time and then I will release them to navigate through the platforms while I offer support. Attendees will learn how to create a Pear Deck, a screencastify recording and how to navigate through EdPuzzle to either create or utilize existing videos. Attendees will learn how to take the materials they are already using to flip them into a more blended learning model. The attendees will walk away with a Deck that can be used immediately in their classroom and my information to reach out to me if they have any questions during implementation.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will walk away with the basic knowledge of how to flip their classroom and be able to implement the strategies immediately into their classroom so that they are able to increase equity and inclusion.

SPEAKERS:
Cecelia Gillam (Hahnville High School: La Place, LA)

As a K-5 English Learner Teacher, I work with all grades, and for the last five years I've been helping students reach NGSS Performance Expectations through inductive, hands-on science lessons. I’m also a Science Methods Professor at North Central College, where I coach pre-service teachers in how to create and teach NGSS-aligned, three-dimensional science lessons. In this session, teachers will experience several hands-on mini-lessons and explore the meaning of inductive learning in science. Teachers will inductively discover how circuits work and engineer solutions for erosion. We’ll also use digital microscopes to explore the needs of plants and the structure and function living things, so please bring a device with a USB port if you can. Throughout the session, I’ll showcase digital portfolio examples from my K-5 students over the last 5 years. Elementary teachers are often intimidated by teaching and assessing the ambitious performance expectations of the NGSS, especially given the limited class time available for science instruction. Incorporating experiential science lessons with reading, writing, and speaking allows cross-curricular connections with ELA. Teachers will see many examples of digital notebooks used with English Learners and special education students for ongoing performance assessment of both Science and ELA standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
Inductive, and inclusive hands-on science experiences and the use of digital portfolios lead to deeper learning as well as ELA & Math connections for K-5 students.

SPEAKERS:
Melissa Eaton (Cowlishaw Elementary School: Naperville, IL)

Hexagonal Thinking ensures the learning environment features a high degree of student engagement by providing a framework for academic discussion where all students participate. Participants will collaborate with colleagues to experience Hexagonal Thinking using science and math content vocabulary and visuals that will then be used to synthesize information into a piece of critical writing.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn a strategy for making thinking, learning and content connections visible in the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Michelle Yates (Aledo ISD: Aledo, TX), Miranda Rosenhoover (Aledo ISD: Aledo, TX)

One of the key features of the NGSS and other standards based on the Framework for K-12 Science Education is the idea that a “a progression of knowledge occurs from grade band to grade band that gives students the opportunity to learn more complex material, leading to an overall understanding of science by the end of high school.” (NGSS Appendix A, p. 2) The NSTA Atlas of the Three Dimensions has a set of 62 maps that illustrate the how the elements of the three dimensions build on each other and connect to one another. Each map focuses on a particular topic and shows the progression students are expected to make in that topic from one grade-span to the next. Arrows connecting individual elements on a map indicate that competency in one element is useful in learning to achieve the other element. Educators can use maps to deepen their understanding of the standards to plan or improve curriculum, instruction, and assessment. This session will provide participants guidance on how to read the maps in the Atlas and use this powerful tool to deepen their understanding of elements of the standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
A careful review of the connections between elements of the three dimensions can provide a clearer understanding of science standards and important guidance in planning instructional sequences to support three-dimensional teaching and learning.

SPEAKERS:
Ted Willard (Discovery Education: Silver Spring, MD)

Sponsoring Company: Anatomy in Clay

In this workshop, attendees will build replicas of human anatomy using clay and a specially designed skeletal model in a classroom setting. Educators will learn how to implement a unique curriculum system which helps students create a kinesthetic map of the human anatomy. They will acquire the knowledge to engage science students with immediate, hands-on learning using a proven method that is nationally recognized to increase student retention and test scores. This workshop will emphasize directional terms, planes, cavities and landmarks on the skeletal model and then build several skeletal muscles. Emphasis will be placed on building the rotator cuff showing their origin and insertion, their movement and discuss exercises to strengthen these muscles.

TAKEAWAYS:
They will acquire the knowledge to engage science students with immediate, hands-on learning using a proven method that is nationally recognized to increase student retention and test scores.

SPEAKERS:
Christine Simonsen (Billings Career Center: Billings, MT)

Learn about the novel approach taken by Illinois to include teacher voice in developing a statewide three-dimensional science assessment.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn about the process of developing a state-wide assessment written by local educators.

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Rademaker (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Harvey Henson (Southern Illinois University Carbondale: Carbondale, IL), ANGELA BOX (Southern Illinois University Carbondale: CARTERVILLE, IL)

This session explores two key challenges faced by elementary school teachers for promoting 3D learning as outlined by the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). These are: (1) how to make sense of 3D proficiency based on student responses to assessment tasks, and (2) how to use student responses to inform next steps in instruction. We will address these challenges by guiding participants as they explore a set of 3D assessment tasks that are freely available online. These tasks have been developed in collaboration with teachers for performance expectations in physical science, life science, and earth and space science. During the session, we will highlight how the tasks help elicit what students know and can do. Participants will then learn about the features of the associated rubrics and practice applying rubrics to make sense of student responses. We will also share how information from rubric use can inform next steps in instruction and engage participants in a discussion about instructional decision making. Through this process, participants will learn about rubric features that will inform their own creations and adaptations of rubrics. Furthermore, participants will learn about various resources that are freely available.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about the features of a new rubric that has been designed based on feedback from elementary school teachers. Through examples and discussions, attendees will learn how the rubric can help them evaluate student responses in a timely manner and provide detailed information about what students know and can do. This information can be valuable in linking student responses to 3D proficiencies and in determining instructional next-steps for teachers.

SPEAKERS:
Sania Zaidi (University of Illinois Chicago: Chicago, IL), Samuel Arnold (Research Assistant: Chicago, IL)

Come learn about simple, applicable strategies to support your students' executive function skills in the science classroom, with an emphasis on project planning, organization, flexible thinking, and time management.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will identify the educational impact of the 11 main executive functions, as well as learn concrete strategies for supporting their students in both general and special education settings.

SPEAKERS:
Krista Northcutt (New Way Academy: Phoenix, AZ)

Small group instruction belongs in science too! Learn how to create and use formative assessments to support differentiated small group instruction.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to support all students through differentiated small group instruction.

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Luthi (Gwinnett County Public Schools: Suwanee, GA)

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

If you're using STEMscopes (or wanna-be), this session is for you. Come see examples of the EXCITING and NEW ASPECTS to the most popular digital science curriculum during this showcase. Discover program enhancements, Google integration, streaming, coding, engineering, and much more.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn about STEMscopes' various components and programs by experienced users in a hands-on setting.

SPEAKERS:
Dr. Kenneth Heydrick (: Houston, TX), Amanda McGee (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Ashley Mathis (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Bobby Barron (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Jacque Garcia (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Tammy Motley (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX)

This session is intended to discuss the importance of formative assessment as a tool for guiding students and helping all students to make progress. A variety of formative assessment tools will be explored. Most importantly, the use of individual feedback on formative assessments will be demonstrated and we will discuss how this leads to improved metacognition and critical thinking skills for students. Attendees will see sample student work on formative assessments and accompanying sample teacher feedback. They will practice making comments of there own, in addition to discussing logistical concerns with the practice of individualized feedback.

TAKEAWAYS:
This session is intended to discuss the importance of formative assessment as a tool for guiding students and helping all students to make progress.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Maguire (Virginia Tech: Blacksburg, VA)

This session focuses on improved outcomes for students’ written science explanations when including data description prompts and instructional facilitation to adapt the CER framework.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn about the importance of a preliminary step of incorporating data descriptions when utilizing the CER framework to guide students’ written explanations and reasoning of data visualization.

SPEAKERS:
Andrea Drewes (Rider University: Lawrenceville, NJ)

Sponsoring Company: LaMotte Company

Help students discover the value of aquatic macroinvertebrates as living indicators of water quality. Determining the biotic index helps students connect the dots between water quality chemistry tests and what is actually living in that body of water. Creates opportunities for mapping skills, observation, reading, art, and math skills. Students can develop their own experiments. Observe aquatic macroinvertebrate specimens, conduct activities, learn classification skills and calculate a biotic index in this hands-on introduction to stream ecology. A totally flexible tool that can be adapted for varying time limits, number of students and grade levels.

TAKEAWAYS:
Help students discover the value of aquatic macroinvertebrates as living indicators of water quality. A totally flexible tool that can be adapted for varying time limits, number of students and grade levels.

SPEAKERS:
Tara Muenz (Stroud Water Research Center: Avondale, PA)

Do the test questions you use adequately reflect your students’ true understanding of science? We’ll share guidelines for writing effective questions that don’t leave any of your students out and will help you determine whether your students are making sense of phenomena they are investigating - do their ideas match science ideas of the NGSS? Using a research-based “citizen science” approach, teachers can volunteer their favorite items and help improve our existing MOSART questions. Crucial item characteristics will be measured and reported, such as difficulty, effectiveness, gender, and racial/ethnic bias. Write new questions or revise ones you already have to address how well students make sense of elements outlined in the NGSS DCIs. The following is a question that is too difficult for middle school students: Matter is made of tiny bits called atoms. What is between the helium atoms in a balloon? a)Tiny particles that bind atoms together. b)A chemical substance that attaches helium atoms together. c)Nothing; the helium atoms touch each other on all sides. d)Nothing, just empty space. e)Air. How would you revise this item? We’ll have “practice” opportunities to look at assessment questions that are difficult or biased and discuss possible revisions with other educators.

TAKEAWAYS:
Write assessment questions to address item characteristics of difficulty, effectiveness, gender, and racial/ethnic bias

SPEAKERS:
Cynthia Crockett (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian: Cambridge, MA), Philip Sadler (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian: Cambridge, MA)

This session will provide an introduction to the freely available Next Generation Science Assessment (NGSA) Elementary (Grades 3-5) task portal (https://ngss-assessment.portal.concord.org/elementary-school) and the companion virtual learning community (VLC), Understanding Progress in Science (https://www.upinscience.org/). The NGSA Elementary tasks are multidimensional and aligned with NGSS performance expectations. They were co-developed with teachers and can work with any curriculum. The Understanding Progress in Science VLC provides additional resources, support, and community of practice dedicated to using assessment tasks formatively in elementary science. Participants can learn more about why and how to use NGSA Elementary tasks, get help understanding student responses and using rubrics, and discuss how to use student responses to guide instruction. During this Bring Your Own Device hands-on workshop, we will share examples of how teachers have used the tasks, sample student responses, and instructional next steps. Then we will guide attendees as they explore the NGSA Elementary tasks and consider how to integrate them into their teaching. Participants will also have the opportunity to explore the resources within the Understanding Progress in Science VLC that can support the formative use of tasks in their classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to access and use two related, freely available online resources that support elementary teachers’ use of NGSS-aligned assessment and instruction: A website with tasks aligned with the performance expectations for Grades 3-5 and a virtual learning community around using assessments formatively in the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Liz Lehman (American Medical Association: Chicago, IL), Brian Gane (University of Kansas: No City, No State), Sania Zaidi (University of Illinois Chicago: Chicago, IL)

Academic discourse is a vital part of promoting student sensemaking. Learn how discourse can be used to promote equity and access in the science classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to use discussion strategies in the classroom to move student thinking forward, use talk as a formative assessment, and build a classroom culture that promotes student discussion.

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Rademaker (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Cheryl Knight (Orland Junior High School: Orland Park, IL)

In this self-directed session, you will be able to: Interact with educators in face-to-face poster presentations; Watch short video submissions from educators around the world; and Participate in hands-on/minds-on, takeaway learning experiences.

TAKEAWAYS:
Science education occurs everywhere on this planet. We can get ideas and best practices from collegues around the world.

SPEAKERS:
Alison Betz Seymour (Science Teacher: Winchester, 0)

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) is a way for students to explain observed phenomena in a scientific way, allowing students to use observations, data, and critical reasoning. CER is an acclaimed and highly successful instructional strategy that is changing how students understand concepts and write explanations for phenomena.

TAKEAWAYS:
Understand the benefits of using the CER Framework.

SPEAKERS:
Tammy Motley (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Ashley Mathis (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX)

Sponsoring Company: Mosa Mack Science

Not all phenomena are created equally. How you kick off your unit sets the tone for the entire unit itself. In this workshop, you’ll learn what sets apart the best phenomena and complete phenomena-based lessons.

TAKEAWAYS:
How to choose, implement and maximize learning around the best science phenomena. You’ll also receive free access to phenomena lessons.

SPEAKERS:
Lissa Johnson (Mosa Mack Science: Fairfield, CT), Lorraine Gueye (Mosa Mack Science: Fairfield, CT)

Arguing from evidence can be an integral part of the knowledge-building work students do as part of any three dimensional science learning, as students make sense of their findings and use them to develop and evaluate competing models and explanations. But how do we help students grow in sophistication in this practice over time? This presentation will provide an overview of the learning progression, tasks, and scaffolding used to help students refine and assess their arguments in the OpenSciEd middle school program, focus is on the support and growth embedded within a 7th grade chemistry unit. Participants will have opportunities to analyze curriculum supports, students’ written work, and video of discussions of students engaged in this practice using classroom artifacts from implementations of the OpenSciEd Bath Bomb unit.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn what the practice of arguing from evidence can look like in middle school classrooms, tools that can support scaffolding practice, and how teachers can use it to assess where students are at in their sense-making.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Novak (Northwestern University: Evanston, IL), Brian Reiser (Northwestern University: Evanston, IL)

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

Using the data from Part 1 of this session, we will apply our learning to an engineering design challenge and share additional CER tips. You’ll see the connection between lesson design, inquiry-based instruction, and application of learning with ONE activity that requires minimal preparation but elicits lots of participation! Attendance to Part 1 is recommended but not required. Takeaways: Understand the benefits of using the CER Framework as it applies to engineering.

TAKEAWAYS:
Understand the benefits of using the CER Framework as it applies to engineering.

SPEAKERS:
Tammy Motley (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Ashley Mathis (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX)

Toshiba America Foundation wants to work together with teachers who are looking for a better way to engage the community in STEM. Participants will hear from educators that have won money for their school and communities to implement STEM action projects.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how they can receive cash awards and acknowledge for STEM action projects.

SPEAKERS:
John Anderson (Toshiba America Foundation: New York, NY)

The Vision set forth by A Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards emphasize science as the integration of practices (SEPs), content (DCIs), and big ideas (CCCs). By using all three dimensions, students are able to make sense of phenomena while learning science concepts and processes. However, this way of thinking and learning takes practice and guidance. Teachers play a pivotal role in helping their students to engage with this kind of science learning. Therefore, they must find ways to explicitly integrate and embed all three dimensions in activities, lessons, and assessments. This participatory presentation will explore how teachers can explicitly embed SEPs, DCIs, and CCCs into prompts (questions and guiding statements) to promote more integrated opportunities for student sense-making. By generating prompts that include SEPs, DCIs, and CCCs, teachers can guide students to think in a more three-dimensional way and gain the skills to do so outside of the classroom. Attendees will identify strategies for posing integrated prompts, consider the benefits of multi-dimensional prompts for students, practice asking and improving prompts, and apply these strategies to use in their own classroom context.

TAKEAWAYS:
Creating prompts (questions and guiding statements) that explicitly promote the three dimensions can drive more integrated, equitable student learning

SPEAKERS:
Ana Houseal (University of Wyoming: Laramie, WY), Clare Gunshenan (University of Wyoming: Laramie, WY)

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

If you're using STEMscopes (or wanna-be), this session is for you. Come see examples of the EXCITING and NEW ASPECTS to the most popular digital science curriculum during this showcase. Discover program enhancements, Google integration, streaming, coding, engineering, and much more.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn about STEMscopes' various components and programs by experienced users in a hands-on setting.

SPEAKERS:
Dr. Kenneth Heydrick (: Houston, TX), Amanda McGee (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Ashley Mathis (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Bobby Barron (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Jacque Garcia (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Tammy Motley (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX)

Dive into (equitable) three-dimensional learning and promote STEM teaching and sensemaking strategies that place equity at the center of learning, making science connections to local context.

TAKEAWAYS:
Explore how placing equity at the center of STEM education changed teacher attitudes about science teaching and learning, developed supportive networks for formal and informal educators to advance science education, created opportunities for teachers to design three-dimensional learning experiences, and provided equitable opportunities for students and families in an urban high-needs district.

SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Nunez (New Brunswick Public Schools: New Brunswick, NJ), Sarah Sterling-Laldee (Paterson Public Schools: Paterson, NJ), Ashley Delgado-D'Amore (Lord Stirling Community School: New Brunswick, NJ), Grace Lugo (New Brunswick Public Schools: New Brunswick, NJ)

Let Me Upgrade Ya! This fun and engaging session is designed for science teachers, teacher leaders, instructional coaches, administrators, and anyone else who enjoys teaching. Participants will explore researched based strategies for engaging the brain and retaining information. Reviewing the research of these strategies will give validation for their classroom use. A demonstration of the strategy will create buy in and a reference point for all participants on how they can implement these strategies in their classroom. This session will engage participants to actively dance, sing, draw, reflect, and play games all while learning science. The researched based strategies that will be highlighted in this session promote the diversity of learners in every classroom and multi-learning styles.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn high leverage strategies to engage students in science instruction.

SPEAKERS:
Jeremy Harden (Dallas ISD: Dallas, TX)

Data meetings are as much of a reality to K–12 teachers and students as high-stakes testing. In this session we will share a data tool, as well as the surprising results we have collected so far, to help teachers in understanding students' struggles by asking the students directly what aspect of the assessment they struggled with the most. Our findings are serving students and teachers by improving Tier 1 instruction planning and delivery as well as leading to a much richer and in-depth conversation during data meetings.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will be given the knowledge and tools to implement our Metacognitive Data Tracker in order to improve Tier 1 instruction.

SPEAKERS:
Rocco Williams (Fort Worth ISD: Fort Worth, TX)

Marshall Escamilla, one of the co-hosts of the freely-available Tumble Science Podcast for Kids, will share some of the basics of creating a podcast with your class. Classroom podcasts are a great way for students to share their learning with the broader community, and can be used both as assessment and communication tools--and it's a lot easier to do than you'd think. Beginning with a brief description of what features make Tumble free and accessible, Marshall will walk educators through all the thing they'll need to consider when creating a podcast. We'll start by asking questions like: -Who is the intended audience for this podcast? -What is the overall topic for it? -How many episodes do we want to create, and how often do we want to release them? Then we'll move on to some of the technical elements. What are the requirements for creating a podcast studio in your classroom? What equipment do you need to buy? What software do students need to have access to? how do you ensure that students can have access to what they need in order to be successful? Finally, we will discuss some of the basic skills teachers will need to ensure student success: knowledge of best audio recording practices, and how to use a few easily-accessible software tools to make students' work sound its best.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees at this ession will learn the very basics of how to create a classroom podcast from a professional podcaster.

SPEAKERS:
Marshall Escamilla (Tumble Media Production: Greenfield, MA)

Sponsoring Company: Mosa Mack Science

Discover an NGSS resource you can use in class next week. Award-winning phenomena, mysteries, labs, and engineering—all in one teacher-friendly resource. (Common Sense Education Learning Selection 2021)

TAKEAWAYS:
Experience the excitement of Mosa Mack Science, see real student work, and walk away with free interactive lessons for your classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Lissa Johnson (Mosa Mack Science: Fairfield, CT), Lorraine Gueye (Mosa Mack Science: Fairfield, CT)

In this panel discussion, we will discuss the ways that audio content like podcasts can be used in the classroom to increase student engagement. This discussion between several leaders in the field of audio education will share some of the ways that teachers can and should use audio content to enhance science learning at all grade levels.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to include audio in their lesson plans in ways that are effective, engaging, and inclusive.

SPEAKERS:
Marshall Escamilla (Tumble Media Production: Greenfield, MA)

The Brick Masters virtual summer camp was designed to create challenge-based lessons to teach STEAM concepts and the eight science and engineering practices.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees of this program will be able to: 1. develop a virtual experiential STEAM learning experience for youth; and 2. identify, explain, and use knowledge and skills of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics to create a successful program.

SPEAKERS:
Whitney Thames (UF/IFAS Extension Miami-Dade: Hialeah, FL)

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

If you're using STEMscopes (or wanna-be), this session is for you. Come see examples of the EXCITING and NEW ASPECTS to the most popular digital science curriculum during this showcase. Discover program enhancements, Google integration, streaming, coding, engineering, and much more.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn about STEMscopes' various components and programs by experienced users in a hands-on setting.

SPEAKERS:
Dr. Kenneth Heydrick (: Houston, TX), Amanda McGee (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Ashley Mathis (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Bobby Barron (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Jacque Garcia (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Tammy Motley (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX)

1) Multidimensional Assessment Tasks and a Virtual Learning Community for Elementary Science Teachers
Learn about two free online resources: NGSS-focused assessment tasks for Grades 3—5 and a website to help teachers use those assessments in their classes.

2) Invasive Species Science + CS: An Intentionally Inclusive Module
Learn about an integrated science and computer science module that uses inclusive instructional strategies to address the needs of all students.

SPEAKERS:
Liz Lehman (American Medical Association: Chicago, IL), Brian Gane (University of Kansas: No City, No State), Sania Zaidi (University of Illinois Chicago: Chicago, IL)

1) Let's Wrap it Up: A post-test learning strategy
When returned tests end up crumpled in lockers, important learning opportunities are lost. Help build metacognitive awareness, identify trends, and reward students’ grit using assessment "wrappers."

2) RAM (Rubric for Assessing Modeling)
How do you assess a model?  I developed a rubric to assess my middle school models for their pre,mid-point, and post assessment.

3) 3 Effective Discourse Strategies for Creating Inclusive Science Classrooms
This presentation supports teachers’ knowledge and understanding of  instructional strategies to help facilitate students’ academic discourse and support inclusive science and STEM classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Rebecca Smith (Harpeth Hall School), Rebecca Garelli (Arizona Science Teachers Association)

Are you used to having your students keep a notebook, but aren’t sure how to transition it into a digital version? Have you ever wanted to try an Interactive Notebook but don’t know where to start? Are you having trouble keeping your students organized in the digital school world? Interactive Notebooks are a meaningful way to transfer a student’s learning, practice, and reflection into an engaging digital environment. Research has shown that benefits range from allowing students space to record and reflect on their experiences, guiding teacher instruction, and providing more opportunities for differentiation. As classes have shifted between in-person, hybrid, and completely online instruction, digital learning options are becoming an even more necessary part of our curriculum. During this workshop, you will learn about different types of digital notebooks, their uses/benefits, and how to find or create your own resources for student use. By converting an interactive notebook into a digital notebook, students can now access multi-media resources all in one place creating opportunities for greater flexibility and autonomy in learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Create and manage digital notebooks resources from materials you already use.

SPEAKERS:
Joy Barnes-Johnson (Princeton High School: Princeton, NJ), Mridula Bajaj (Mount Laurel Schools: Mount Laurel, NJ), Shefali Mehta (Princeton High School: Princeton, NJ)

This session focuses on practical application of three-dimensional assessment to evaluate student learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will gain a stronger understanding of how to use three-dimensional assessments to evaluate student learning.

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Rademaker (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Bridina Lemmer (Illinois Science Teaching Association: Jacksonville, IL)

The free NASA STEM lesson plans introduce the practice of computational thinking and include elements of a real NASA mission. NASA’s Artemis program will return humans to the lunar surface for the first time since 1972, the year of the agency's last Apollo moon landing. This Educator Guide provides four standards-aligned activities to help students learn about NASA's Orion spacecraft that will take astronauts to the Moon and beyond. In this session, we will design and build a crew module model that will secure two 2-cm astronaut figures during a drop test. The PowerPoint will be available to all participants. The PowerPoint will include the videos and activities including the tips and pointers. Session Outline: 5 min - Welcome and Introduction to NASA Artemis Mission 10 min- STEM Engagement strategies and culturally relevant teaching 10 min- Introducing the Engineering Design Challenge 20 min- Teams Design a Crew Vehicle 10 min- Testing the Crew Vehicle 5 min- Reviewing the Resources and Q and A https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/np-2020-02-2805-hq.pdf

TAKEAWAYS:
NASA provides free educational resources that include educator guides with standards-aligned activities to help students use computational thinking while including elements of real NASA missions.

SPEAKERS:
Susan Kohler (NASA Glenn Research Center: Cleveland, OH)

Turn any multiple-choice review into an exciting escape! Learn to create digital and in-person escapes to help keep students interested, engaged, and motivated.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn tips for designing escape boxes, plus how to add riddles, puzzles, games, and small prizes. The digital escape uses Google Forms, and the physical escape uses lockable boxes with resettable combination locks. Links to a customizable digital and physical escape will be available to attendees.

SPEAKERS:
Sharon Beck (Davidson County High School: Lexington, NC)

The Illinois Science Assessment is written by Illinois science teachers for Illinois science students. Learn more about the format of this test and how you can model test clusters in your classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Illinois Science Teachers will gain insight into how to better prepare students for the ISA by learning how to create clusters for use in their classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Carol Baker (NGSS: Orland Park, IL), Harvey Henson (Southern Illinois University Carbondale: Carbondale, IL), ANGELA BOX (Southern Illinois University Carbondale: CARTERVILLE, IL)