We will share how we implemented current educational research to create a learning environment that supports learners of all abilities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will understand the educational research supporting a shift away from traditional grading and describe methods of implementation that address issues of equity, differentiation, peer interactions, and more.

SPEAKERS:
David Frangiosa (Pascack Valley Regional High School District: Montvale, NJ)

This session is intended for secondary science teachers with multilingual learners (MLLs). MLLs bring important science ideas that contribute to learning. This session will emphasize meaningful language instruction for all students and provide ideas for how to support emergent multilingual students.

TAKEAWAYS:
In this session, participants will engage with meaningful examples of teaching techniques to support higher-level thinking for all students, especially multilingual learners. These examples can be implemented in any secondary science classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Monica Davies Davies (AVID curriculum Developer: , WA), Angela DiLoreto (Bellevue School District: Bellevue, WA)

Many states are adopting policy that promotes the use of high-quality standards-aligned curriculum for all grade levels. However, educators may question the accessibility of these units for all students. In the Science Curriculum Adaptation Project for Special Educators (SCAPE) program, science specialists from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education worked with special educators to adapt the NYU SAIL “Garbage” unit for students with moderate to severe disabilities. Science specialists provided learning activities around the structures and routines in the unit and guided teachers through key lessons. Teachers then identified barriers and used Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to adapt the unit for their students to access ideas and SEPs in the unit. Each teacher participant left with an adapted unit to pilot with students. In this presentation we will outline the program and share examples of adaptations made for students with disabilities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Session attendees will learn about a MA program designed to support special education teachers in using the high quality “Garbage” unit with their students. Attendees will also see examples of UDL-based adaptations that can be used with science students with moderate to severe disabilities.

SPEAKERS:
Angela Palo (Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing: Boston, MA), Casandra Gonzalez (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: Malden, MA)

This session will feature a combination of presentation and interactive activities to provide classroom teachers with immediate feasible and practical implementation strategies to support all learners in their general education science classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave this session with research-based and practical pedagogies of how they can support all learners, including students with disabilities in their general education science classrooms in their very next lessons.

SPEAKERS:
Lauren Madden (The College of New Jersey: Ewing, NJ), Dina Secchiaroli (Professional Learning Specialist: No City, No State), Sami Kahn (Princeton University: Princeton, NJ), Jonté Taylor (Penn State: University Park, PA), Lacey Huffling (Georgia Southern University: Statesboro, GA), Michele Koomen (Research Professor: No City, No State)

We will explore the what, why, and how of integrated science and language teaching. We will describe, illustrate, and model research-based strategies, tools, and resources teachers can use to support inquiry, sense-making, and language development with their young multilingual learners (MLs)

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave with some research-based strategies, tools, and resources to support planning and facilitation of language-enriched and inclusive science experiences that leverage science as a context for language and for building skills across the developmental domains with a focus on MLs

SPEAKERS:
Mandell Academy (Connecticut Science Center: Hartford, CT), Rachel Shurick (Connecticut Science Center: Hartford, CT), Becky Fahey (Connecticut Science Center: Hartford, CT), Cindy Hoisington (Education Development Center, Inc.: Holbrook, MA)

Equip all students with the ability to succeed. Two high school teachers pair up to create lessons for special education biology students to focus on student achievement.

TAKEAWAYS:
Gain ideas and strategies to help reach all students at all levels of learning.

SPEAKERS:
Jessica Minton (Houston High School: Germantown, TN)

In this session, participants will work on hands-on activities and test a prototype to learn about genetics using the engineering design model and translanguaging for middle grades.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to teach about genetics for middle grade level using an engineering activity and translanguaging (English/Spanish).

SPEAKERS:
Maggie Lewis (Student: Dawsonville, GA), Lorraine Ramirez Villarin (University of North Georgia: Dahlonega, GA), Victoria Hunter (Student), Max Vazquez Dominguez (University of North Georgia: Dahlonega, GA)

This session will share research collected through a study on Georgia FIRST Robotics. We will examine the benefits of FIRST Robotics for SWD, factors that create barriers to SWD involvement, strategies to mitigate these barriers, and will facilitate a hands-on activity illustrating FIRST involvement

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn the benefits of STEM extracurricular programs, using FIRST Robotics as an example, and accommodation strategies for students with disabilities through a presentation and hands-on robotics activity and how educators can improve inclusion in these programs.

SPEAKERS:
Kania Greer (Georgia Southern University: Statesboro, GA), Karin Fisher (Associate Professor: STATESBORO, GA), Andre Grossberg (GeorgiaFIRST Robotics CTSO President: , GA)

Participants will learn practical strategies to build a more equitable and inclusive class culture in this LSSS aligned session. Participants will engage in an original environmental science-based anchoring phenomenon to explore proven routines that support student articulation of ideas for investigation and development of models. In particular, the session will examine the importance of leveraging student experiences and resources to drive modeling discussions which help students understand key aspects of the phenomenon. Participants will also learn strategies for moderating focused student-led discussions. These strategies include development of student norms for dialog, methods for planning student discussions and sharing of teacher and student "Talk Moves". Session materials will include references, background readings and "ready to go" classroom materials.

TAKEAWAYS:
Three dimensional and phenomena-based teaching routines build classroom equity and inclusion, developing clear norms together are key to helping students find their voice and productive student talk requires planning, but student and teacher tools are available.

SPEAKERS:
Steven Babcock (Louisiana State University Laboratory School: Baton Rouge, LA)

Houston we have a problem... We need more inclusive science classrooms and curricula! Explore the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and learn how to use the UDL Guidelines to identify and overcome barriers to student learning and make science accessible for ALL students.

TAKEAWAYS:
By the end of this session, participants will understand how the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework can be used to plan more inclusive learning experiences and classroom environments so that every student can be a successful learner in the science classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Dodie Resendez (Region 4 Education Service Center: Houston, TX)