Feeling overwhelmed by all there is to see and do at an NSTA conference on science education? Join us for an interactive exploration through the conference app and NSTA’s social media. By the end of the session, you will know just how to get the most from your conference experience in addition to bu

Explore the NSTA Website with us! NSTA provides high-quality digital resources and opportunities—all within a professional community—that supports professional learning and classroom instruction. NSTA staff will be available to answer questions.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will become knowledgeable about the plethora of digital resources available on NSTA’s website, about the live events, and professional learning community that can help them enhance their knowledge and improve their teaching practices.

SPEAKERS:
Michelle Phillips (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Flavio Mendez (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

As part of the SCAFFOLD project, district science coordinators develop and implement strategic plans. In this session, coordinators will share their experience with this process and faculty will share ideas for supporting the development of your own strategic plan.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn about strategic planning and gain support for developing their own plan.

SPEAKERS:
Brooke Whitworth (Clemson University: Clemson, SC), Julie Luft (University of Georgia: Athens, GA)

What will be describe in this session is are community science events that can be organized with themes that use natural phenomena or NGSS standards, practices, and outcomes that a school would like to promote.

TAKEAWAYS:
How to update these events to go beyond the traditional Family Science Events that are superficial. One main takeaway are example indepth activities and resources that can be used for use with families and students

SPEAKERS:
Annabelle Fortine (Central Michigan University: Eagle, MI), Lavender Bertsch (Central Michigan University: Mount Pleasant, MI), Hannah Smock (Central Michigan University: Mount Pleasant, MI), Morgan Glann (Central Michigan University: Mount Pleasant, MI), Nicole Merner (Central Michigan University: Mount Pleasant, MI), Makayla Spencer (Central Michigan University: Mount Pleasant, MI), Emma Harma (Central Michigan University: Mount Pleasant, MI), Jim McDonald (Central Michigan University: Mount Pleasant, MI)

This session will highlight the coaching up of intentional literacy instruction during science time for coaches and teachers. School districts select goals based on their district improvement plans to support writing, reading, and/or academic productive talk. Facilitation guides provided.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will engage in a model for cross-disciplinary work during science instruction to take to their districts, supporting both instructional coaches and teachers.

SPEAKERS:
Jackie Presson (Early Literacy Coach: Muskegon, MI), Christi Gilbert (Literacy and EL Coach), Wendi Vogel (Kent Intermediate School District: Grand Rapids, MI)

Come learn three discussion routines that can transform your science lessons: “I Notice, I Wonder, I Predict”, “Data Discussions”, and “Let’s Make Sense of It All”. Together we’ll explore key features of each talk, participate in enactments, and brainstorm ways to have more talk time in our lessons

TAKEAWAYS:
For young students, talking is learning as students learn as they talk through their own ideas and listen to the ideas of others. This session highlights three whole class science discussion routines that can transform elementary science lessons.

SPEAKERS:
Michelle Forsythe (Texas State University: San Marcos, TX)

This is the first session in the PL Committee CCCs Pathway and is designed to support K-12. This session is an opportunity for members of the Professional Learning Committee to recruit and connect with fellow NSTA members. Attendees will be introduced to topics included in the pathway, highlighting how CCCs are used as tools in service of DCIs and SEPs, student sensemaking, and assessment of CCCs to guide further instruction. Using the Framework progression documents and STEM Teaching Tool #41, attendees will have the opportunity to collaborate with fellow participants to uncover vertical progressions of CCCs and leave with tools to use in the classroom to elicit student sensemaking. The PL Committee will utilize research from Jeffery Nordine and Okhee Lee’s book, Crosscutting Concepts: Strengthening Science and Engineering Learning, to ignite the call to action for realizing the power of CCCs.

TAKEAWAYS:
This session is a call to action for realizing the power of CCCs. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with members of NSTA’s PL Committee, gain an overview of the connected sessions included in the pathway, and leave with an invitation to further understandings of sensemaking and CCCs.

SPEAKERS:
Zoe Evans (Bremen City Schools: Bremen, GA), Kimberley Astle (Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction: Olympia, WA), Rebecca Garelli (Arizona Science Teachers Association), Holly Baldwin (Instructional Support Specialist), Christopher Soldat (Grant Wood Area Education Agency: Cedar Rapids, IA), Leah Litz (Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium: No City, No State)

In this session we will look at how engaging students in the practice of Developing and Using Models over the course of a unit can be used for different purposes. Participants will experience building a consensus model and reflect on how building a class consensus model is an important step in ensuring that all members of the learning community can contribute to the knowledge building and that ALL students have access to the ideas the class agrees moves the understanding forward. We will also highlight how models are a powerful way to uncover new questions students may have, requiring students to dig for a deeper understanding.

TAKEAWAYS:
Developing and using scientific models allows all students to be integral members of the knowledge-building community.

SPEAKERS:
Holly Hereau (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

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)

During this session, participants will discuss the significance of culture in STEAM learning. Additionally, participants will obtain and practice using a tool to include culturally inclusive practices in STEAM lessons.

TAKEAWAYS:
Why are culturally inclusive strategies important in STEAM classrooms? How can you synthesize strategies that challenge and engage a diverse group of learners? In this session, we will reveal a planning tool that you can use to support learner success in STEAM classroom settings.

SPEAKERS:
Deanna Taylor (Interactive Learning Solutions LLC: Columbia, SC), Regina Ciphrah (Verbalizing Visions, LLC)