2023 Kansas City National Conference

October 25-28, 2023

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Rooms and times subject to change.
65 results
Save up to 50 sessions in your agenda.

Finding a North Star for STEM Equity

Thursday, October 26 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2215 A


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

In this session educators will be presented with the following equity frameworks: (1) Equity and NGSS, (2) Inclusive Ed Tech, (3) Culturally Responsive and Sustaining STEM, (4) Anti-Racist STEM, and (5) Environmental Justice. Educators will work in small groups to learn more about their equity framework of choice and summarize their learning for a larger group. Next, groups will unpack equity moves to identify how they support or hinder equity work through the lens of the framework they selected and identify next steps. By the end of the session, each group will share out actions they can take in their classroom to create a more equitable STEM classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will leave with knowledge of equity frameworks and unique next steps that can be implemented into their classroom for a more equitable, inclusive, culturally responsive, and anti-racist classroom community.

SPEAKERS:
Kelly Houston (STEM Ed Innovators: Saratoga, CA)

Capacity Building for Out-of-School Time STEM Educators

Thursday, October 26 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2214


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

The Jackie Joyner-Kersee Food Agriculture Nutrition Innovation Center (JJK FAN) is a collaboration between the Danforth Plant Science Center, the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, and the JJK Foundation that serves K-12 youth, predominantly Black/African American, and low-income students in East St. Louis, IL. To ensure high-quality programming in out-of-school time (OST) settings, capacity development for OST staff is critical. The JJK FAN developed a culturally responsive mentoring program to provide STEM professional development for racially minoritized staff. The pilot paired racially minoritized male part-time staff (mentees) with full-time educators (mentors) for a year. We used community-based participatory research methods and culturally responsive pedagogy. Mentors and mentees will share their experiences and examples of OST activities. We will present research findings and highlight the benefits and challenges of working on educator capacity building in underserved communities.

TAKEAWAYS:
This project provides a model for engaging out-of-school time staff in professional development designed around their specific needs and cultural wealth in historically minoritized communities that is broadly adaptable.

SPEAKERS:
Ruth Kaggwa (Donald Danforth Plant Science Center: Saint Louis, MO), Kristine Callis-Duehl (Donald Danforth Plant Science Center: Saint Louis, MO)

Video Games as Portals To Young People’s Socio-political Imagination

Thursday, October 26 • 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - Grand Ballroom 2501


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

Portals are “a gateway between one world and the next,” Arundhati Roy offers. As young people use video games, they are accessing and developing portals, revealing how they imagine new social possibilities, futures, and worlds. In this keynote, Cortez will share insights and vignettes from The Learning To Transform (LiTT) Video Gaming Lab, a space he founded that supports undergraduates, community members, and Black and Latinx high school students in jointly re-imagining the role of everyday gaming as a robust site for learning. Through these examples, Cortez will offer new pedagogical portals for how social justice, the socio-political imagination, play, and STEM converge in everyday learning contexts.

TAKEAWAYS:
Through examples, Cortez will offer new pedagogical portals for how social justice, the socio-political imagination, play, and STEM converge in everyday learning contexts.

SPEAKERS:
Arturo Cortez (Assistant Professor: Boulder, CO)

Transforming Science Teaching and Learning Through Curriculum-Based Professional Learning: Change Management

Thursday, October 26 • 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Kansas City Marriott Downtown - Colonial Ballroom


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

Curriculum implementation is complicated and requires significant planning so that the system, including everyone in it, can make the needed shifts in practice to reap the benefits of using high-quality instructional materials to strengthen science teaching and learning. Participants will have a common experience with “a change” and consider important lessons that can help them lead change in their systems.

TAKEAWAYS:
Leaders can create a culture that is conducive to the significant changes in knowledge, beliefs, and practices required to support the implementation of high-quality instructional materials for next generation science.

SPEAKERS:
Janna Mahfoud (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Susan Gomez Zwiep (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Jody Bintz (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

Next Gen Standards for Next Gen Students: Supporting the Teacher as the Designer of Science Instruction

Thursday, October 26 • 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Kansas City Marriott Downtown - Truman A


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

Supporting the teacher as the “designer” of science instruction is essential to cultivating a learning environment in the science classroom that leverages sense-making. Participants will learn about “look for’s” for high quality instruction, their implications for evaluation and the value of giving teachers both confidence and inspiration to innovate.

TAKEAWAYS:
Administrators will learn practical ways to support teachers in shifting instructional practices that support the demands of the NGSS.

SPEAKERS:
Zoe Evans (Bremen City Schools: Bremen, GA), Michael Fumagalli (Assistant Director of Teaching & Learning: Glen Ellyn, IL)

A Phenomenal Partnership: Considerations for Supporting Customized Curriculum-Based Standards Implementation

Thursday, October 26 • 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 3501 H


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

This session will outline work that Saint Paul Public Schools, BSCS Science Learning, and OpenSciEd have done to adapt OpenSciEd materials to support standards implementation and district equity goals. The session will explain key considerations and modifications needed to align materials with domain-specific standards, while maintaining curricular coherence from the students’ perspective. The team will share professional learning strategies to develop teachers’ professional capacity to use the goals and key instructional elements of OpenSciEd as lenses for enhancing standards alignment and enhancing the meaningfulness of students’ learning. The team will share features of responsive partnerships that attend to local context and support teachers and leaders as they shift classroom practices and partner together in the adaptation work. Participants will then apply lessons learned to consider implementing or adapting OpenSciEd curriculum in their local contexts.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn what considerations are important for developing a well-crafted plan for implementing and adapting OpenSciEd for use in their local contexts. Presenters will highlight key resources that can be instrumental for supporting desired shifts.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Novak (Northwestern University: Evanston, IL), Whitney Mills (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Abraham Lo (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Molly Leifeld (Saint Paul Public Schools: Saint Paul, MN), Matt Krehbiel (OpenSciEd: New York, NY)

Find your PASSION -- CREATE Opportunity -- LEAD

Thursday, October 26 • 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Kansas City Marriott Downtown - Trianon E


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

Find opportunities to grow. Nurture your passion. Create your opportunities. Find opportunities to grow -- I volunteered to serve on committees to evaluate and write curriculum. I went to meetings and conferences. I applied to help write the Next Generation Science Standards. Nurture your passion -- I read journals and blogs, I asked questions, and I attended conferences even when my school district wouldn’t support me. I stretched myself. Create your opportunities -- Stop waiting for the ‘right’ opportunities to present themselves. Reflect on HOW to turn your passion into opportunity. Share your dream with others. Find a mentor. My passion -- my niche -- is educating students and teachers about the science of food production. What’s your passion? What’s your niche? How are you going to conquer that mountain?

TAKEAWAYS:
Chris will share her winding journey through valleys and over mountains in search of her passion. She often struggles to find the confidence to step out into the unknown, but has found inspiration and encouragement from others along the way as she pursues her passion to make a difference.

SPEAKERS:
Chris Embry Mohr (Olympia High School: Stanford, IL)

How to Use EdReports to Select High-Quality Instructional Materials (Grades K-12)

Thursday, October 26 • 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 3501 E



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
NSTA_Selecting HQ NGSS-Aligned K-12 IM.pdf

STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

In this session, participants will learn about the characteristics of high-quality instructional materials, and how to use EdReports’ reports to identify these characteristics in a curriculum adoption process. Participants will participate in a mock materials adoption where they will learn how to use EdReports’ resources to identify priorities and compare and contrast sample programs around the identified criteria. Through this process participants will learn how to effectively read and leverage EdReports reports and how to begin to narrow materials selection through a critical lens, through guided practice and discussion. Finally, we will orient participants to EdReports' complete reviews of instructional materials, existing adoption and selection tools, as well as other resources for making materials selections for their school or classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Through engaging in a sample materials selection process, participants will gain an understanding of the characteristics of high-quality instructional materials and how to use EdReports' free resources.

SPEAKERS:
Teresa Eliopoulos (EdReports.org: Alexandria, VA), Sam Shaw (EdReports.org)

Intro to curriculum anchored assessment systems

Thursday, October 26 • 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 3501 A


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

What would it look like if we designed all aspects of the assessment system to prioritize impact on instruction and students? Traditional ideas about assessment systems describe assessment systems in the ideal world, where state summative assessments have the smallest footprint, and meaningful classroom assessments are the most important component. However, in practice, we know this is not always the case–because of the stakes and funding attached to large scale testing (both perceived and real), assessments that are not meant to inform instruction end up shaping a lot of the decisions educators make about student learning. In this session, we will discuss how we rectify this in assessment system design, including examples and implications for state, district, and classroom assessments. The session will include opportunities for participants to inform the development of policy documents to inform assessment system development.

TAKEAWAYS:
Systems of assessment can center students and instruction, and simultaneously surface trustworthy information for decision-making – if they are intentionally designed to do so.

SPEAKERS:
Sara Cooper (Contextus), Kelley Turner (Winchester Public Schools: Winchester, VA)

A Walk in our Shoes: Our Science Ed Journey from Pre Service to New Classroom Teacher

Thursday, October 26 • 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2211


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

Three first year elementary teachers will share their stories of the science educational journey they’ve begun. They will share their ah-ha moments, key learnings, and challenges from their adventures: taking their first science methods course, attending and presenting at their first national NSTA conference last summer, completing their student teaching experience, and beginning their first year of their educational career. Their stories of teaching science in the elementary classroom can provide insight on the demands of elementary teachers, the challenges they face related to science instruction, and the solutions they’ve designed to ensure their students engage in science in their classrooms. The session will provide an authentic perspective on how they are working to be change agents for elementary science education. The session will be moderated by their elementary science methods professor, who continues to serve as a mentor on their journey.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers face a variety of challenges when it comes to science instruction in the elementary classroom. These stories will provide an authentic lens to view these challenges and how these teachers are working to change the narrative of science education in the elementary classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Ava Hauser (Rising STAR Elem Sch: Shawnee Mission, KS), Abigail Depperschmidt (Solomon USD 393: No City, No State), Beth Pesnell (Kansas State University: Manhattan, KS)

Transforming Science Teaching and Learning Through Curriculum-Based Professional Learning: Immersion into Science Curriculum and Curriculum-Based PL

Thursday, October 26 • 2:20 PM - 3:20 PM

Kansas City Marriott Downtown - Colonial Ballroom


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

Curriculum implementation requires a robust professional learning program to support teachers in making the shifts toward the three dimensional phenomenon-and-problem-driven science teaching and learning called for in NRC’s Framework for K-12 Science Education. This experience is grounded in BSCS Science Learning’s new instructional model, Anchored Inquiry Learning (AIL), and an immersion model of professional learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Leaders can support teachers with making the instructional shifts called for in the NRC’s Framework through immersive, curriculum-based professional learning programs.

SPEAKERS:
Jenine Cotton-Proby (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Cynthia Gay (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Jody Bintz (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

Lessons Learned in 3D Assessment Development

Thursday, October 26 • 2:20 PM - 3:20 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 3501 A


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

In this interactive session, we share important lessons learned through our work with states, educators, and developers to support equitable systems of science assessment. These lessons can help us develop better 3D assessment tasks, processes, and systems that lead to better outcomes for learners. With over a decade of assessment evaluation and design experience, our team is excited to share ideas for how to improve the 3D assessment design process. These lessons range from shifting assessment development to focus on 3D sensemaking to thinking holistically about unpacking and design to taking an assessment system lens throughout the development process. We will engage participants in activities that demonstrate our lessons learned and connect to how these lessons lead to equitable curriculum-anchored assessment systems. The resources and processes shared in this session are applicable to K-12 science learning. The session will be interactive.

TAKEAWAYS:
Three-dimensional assessment design is tricky -- come join us to discuss how we can take a systems approach and develop better 3-D assessments.

SPEAKERS:
Kelley Turner (Winchester Public Schools: Winchester, VA), Sara Cooper (Contextus), Dawn Novak (Northwestern University: Evanston, IL)

Building Future STEM Leaders: Incorporating Science Olympiad in Pre-Service Teacher Education

Thursday, October 26 • 2:20 PM - 3:20 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2211


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

In Oklahoma, The University of Central Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University are working to prepare future STEM teacher/leaders by integrating Science Olympiad volunteering into each institution's pre-service teacher (PST) education programs. With partial funding through a grant from the Science Olympiad USA Foundation, the teacher education programs are partnering with the Oklahoma Science Olympiad (OKSciOly) to provide PSTs who serve as peer-mentors to OkSciOly member schools and Event Supervisors for OKSciOly tournaments as a part of their science education program expectations. The program goals are supported by prior studies that indicate that such a program could be associated with improving PSTs’ confidence, increasing opportunities for practicing skills in planning and assessment, and supporting intrinsic motivation associated with coaching Science Olympiad. We will describe the development and activities, and what we learned from PSTs and member schools about the experience.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how Universities and Science Olympiad can increase STEM education support to local schools and develop capacity within their pre-service teacher candidates to use Science Olympiad’s high quality, NGSS aligned science, math, and engineering experiences with their future students.

SPEAKERS:
Bob Melton (University of Central Oklahoma: Edmond, OK)

School and District Leaders: Learn About NSTA Professional Learning Opportunities for Groups of Teachers

Thursday, October 26 • 2:20 PM - 3:20 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 3501 G



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
NSTA-National-Conference-KC-10-26-2023-Admin-Final.pdf

STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

School and district leaders will learn about the variety of professional learning opportunities that NSTA offers, delivered in-person, online, and blended, that give their teachers the power to personalize their learning as well as the ability to learn with their peers. Presenters will share how to utilize NSTA's online learning resources to support in-person professional learning experiences. A few case-studies will be presented representative of different professional learning options available, including coaching, in-person workshops, online book studies, and district/school partnerships.

TAKEAWAYS:
School and district leaders will learn about the variety of professional learning opportunities that NSTA offers, delivered in-person, online, and blended, that give their teachers the power to personalize their learning as well as the ability to learn with their peers.

SPEAKERS:
Flavio Mendez (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

Elevate the Innovator : Inspiring Teachers in the Shift to 3-Dimensional Learning

Thursday, October 26 • 2:20 PM - 3:20 PM

Kansas City Marriott Downtown - Truman A


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

This session will help administrators to answer: What should I see and not see in a 3-dimensional science classroom? How do I provide effective feedback to the teacher? How do I support instructional innovation as an instructional leader?

TAKEAWAYS:
Administrators will feel empowered to lead science instruction in their schools, even without a science background.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Fumagalli (Assistant Director of Teaching & Learning: Glen Ellyn, IL)

Educational Leader as Coach

Thursday, October 26 • 2:20 PM - 3:20 PM

Kansas City Marriott Downtown - Trianon C/D


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

Much of the work of an educational leader is really coaching adults. It’s important to know that adult learning is different. When educational leaders deeply understand what drives social behaviors, then we can reflect on how to approach coaching conversations to promote the targeted change in practice. To address this, participants will explore the domains of SCARF: a brain-based model for collaborating with and influencing others. Participants will experience and practice the critical coaching skills of committed listening/listening with empathy and paraphrasing/fostering dialogue. Participants will leave with a coaching frame strategy to use in facilitating productive coaching conversations as they work to promote change in the educators they support.

TAKEAWAYS:
In short, adults learn differently than our students. So educational leaders need an aligned mindset and appropriate skills to coach science teachers through any change needed to improve.

SPEAKERS:
Derek McDowell (Frisco ISD: Frisco, TX)

Multi-Tiered System of Leadership and Support for Implementing NGSS and Other Three-dimensional Science Standards

Thursday, October 26 • 2:20 PM - 3:20 PM

Kansas City Marriott Downtown - Trianon E



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
NSTA Presentation-2.pdf

STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

Learn how one district moved from individual teachers' curriculum-based professional learning to adopting and implementing high-quality instructional materials in middle school classrooms district wide. Hear the story from different perspectives within our multi-tiered system.

TAKEAWAYS:
Practical guidance for moving your multi-tiered system forward with implementation of high-quality instructional materials.

SPEAKERS:
Richard Bacolor (Wayne RESA: Wayne, MI), John Tafelski (Assistant Superintendent: Allen Park, MI)

Fueling Success for Students - Win up to $20K for your students and school

Thursday, October 26 • 2:20 PM - 3:20 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2202


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: NSTA - Shell Science Teaching Awards and Competitions

In this hands on workshop you will begin your application for one of three programs sponsored by Shell USA, Inc. You will learn key components to creating a strong application, and strengthen your chances to win for your students, school. Prizes and gift cards will be given in a drawing.

SPEAKERS:
Adrine Williams (Jackson State University: Jackson, MS), Amanda Upton (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

Transforming Science Teaching and Learning Through Curriculum-Based Professional Learning: Key Elements and Enabling Conditions

Thursday, October 26 • 3:40 PM - 4:40 PM

Kansas City Marriott Downtown - Colonial Ballroom


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

Leaders will study the Core Design Features and Structural Design Features of curriculum-based professional learning to figure out how they can use them together to support teachers in making the shifts called for in NRC’s Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards. These shifts promote three-dimensional phenomenon and problem-driven science teaching and learning. Participants will read and discuss excerpts of the report from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, The Elements: Transforming Teaching Through Curriculum-Based Professional Learning. They will have opportunities to make connections from the text to the previous two sessions in this series and/or to their prior experiences.

TAKEAWAYS:
By attending to Core and Structural Design Features of curriculum-based professional learning, leaders take a systems approach to supporting teachers in the instructional shifts called for by NRC’s Framework. These shifts promote three-dimensional phenomena/problem-driven science teaching and learning.

SPEAKERS:
Amy Belcastro (Science Educator/Grad Student), Jody Bintz (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

Check Your Bias at the Door: How to Apply Anti-Bias Work Into the STEM Classroom

Thursday, October 26 • 3:40 PM - 4:40 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2215 A


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

Content will be delivered through Google Slides: participants discuss what bias is and the different types of biases that can show up. Participants will be asked to share biases they may hold (inside or outside of the classroom). We will watch a short video clip, then participants will engage in an activity called "How diverse is your universe?" Several prompts will be read and participants will indicate which racial group the prompt identifies with. An example prompt: "the people I grew up with in my household were...," and participants will indicate which racial group the prompt identifies with. Next, as a group, we will come up with our own definition of bias, and come up with examples of the different types of biases and what they look like in the classroom. We will then look at strategies on how to keep these biases in check. Next, we will discuss how to apply anti-bias work in STEM classrooms. We will develop and share content-specific lessons that we can implement.

TAKEAWAYS:
Anti-bias work in the classroom can be implemented in all curricular areas, especially in STEM/STEAM.

SPEAKERS:
Anissa Williams (Niper Middle School: Kirkwood, MO)

How to Use Instructional Vision Setting to Impact Adoption of High Quality K-12 Instructional Materials

Thursday, October 26 • 3:40 PM - 4:40 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 3501 E



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
NSTA_Instructional Vision Setting in Adoption.pdf

STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

EdReports is well known for its reports evaluating high-quality instructional materials (HQIM), however this session will support participants in understanding EdReports beyond the reports. We will dig into how to identify local priorities and set an instructional vision that will serve as a benchmark for a smart instructional materials adoption process. We will deliver strategies for engaging local educators and stakeholders in decision making and equip leaders with how to be advocates for HQIM. Participants will engage in large and small group conversations to reflect on their local adoption practices and learn about how to utilize EdReports resources to improve current practice. Participants will be provided with resources highlighting the resources EdReports offers around materials adoption as well as aspects of the review tools and reports.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to develop local priorities and establish an instructional vision, will engage with EdReports reviews of instructional materials to make informed decisions based on local context, and will leave with materials to support replicating this process with local educators.

SPEAKERS:
Teresa Eliopoulos (EdReports.org: Alexandria, VA), Sam Shaw (EdReports.org)

Are My Teachers Really Incorporating 3-D Learning Or Just Hands-On Activities?

Thursday, October 26 • 3:40 PM - 4:40 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2211



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Are my teachers really incorporating Three-Dimensional Learning or just hands-on activities_ (1).pptx

STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

School administrators are tasked with evaluating classroom instruction in all subject areas and many do not have the training to understand the difference between Three-Dimensional Learning and basic hands-on activities and/or demonstrations. This session is designed to equip attendees with the basic understanding of how to parse out the differences and resources will be shared to continue their learning beyond this session.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will have a better understanding of how to identify true Three-Dimensional instruction.

SPEAKERS:
Christina Hilton (Central Indiana Educational Service Center: Indianapolis, IN)

Shifts Happen! What counts as evidence of three-dimensional teaching and learning for classroom observations?

Thursday, October 26 • 3:40 PM - 4:40 PM

Kansas City Marriott Downtown - Truman A


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

N/A

TAKEAWAYS:
Gain strategies and resources to support your evaluation and instructional coaching cycles.

SPEAKERS:
Zoe Evans (Bremen City Schools: Bremen, GA)

We Built a Large-Scale Summative Science Assessment with In-Service Educators You Should Too!

Thursday, October 26 • 3:40 PM - 4:40 PM

Kansas City Marriott Downtown - Trianon E


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

Presenters will discuss how a partnership with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the SIU STEM Education Research Center @ Carbondale, IL built a 100% IL-developed Science Assessment. There was a concerted effort by SIU to include willing and qualified IL educators to score constructed responses and item development. It proved to be a powerful professional learning experience. Participants improved their understanding of NGSS (Illinois Learning Standards in Science (ILS-S/NGSS) and classroom practices. Participants report this experience was rewarding personally and professionally, and their classroom instruction benefited students. We will present participant survey data and testimonials to support our claims. Teachers often say there is a lack of meaningful and rewarding NGSS/science professional learning opportunities. We found the Illinois Science Assessment Project is one of the few. We suggest other states, agencies consider the same.

TAKEAWAYS:
Meaningfully including in-service educators in developing your state assessment will transform the black box of large-scale summative assessment to a joint endeavor that will see teacher buy-in and professional development increase, and student learning and scores go up.

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

What are the NGSS Really Asking? Lessons Learned From the Classroom, District, and State Levels As We Figure It Out!

Friday, October 27 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 3501 B


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

The three presenters: a classroom teacher, a district science coordinator, and a state science supervisor, will share the different roles and perspectives we each hold in Kansas science education and how that has shaped our different paths to understanding NGSS through collaborative work with each other over the last 6+ years. We will highlight multiple resources that have helped our understanding and implementation of the NGSS in various contexts. During this session, resources will include: unpacking tools, administrative book studies, PLC guidance, and recommendations for how tools might be modified while maintaining integrity of the standards in different contexts.

TAKEAWAYS:
The session will provide resources to collaborate with various stakeholders to improve capacity and efficacy with the NGSS. We will share processes for how we have unpacked the science standards which resulted in better understanding of classroom practices, instruction, & assessment across Kansas.

SPEAKERS:
Meg Richard (Piper School District USD 203: No City, No State), Stephanie Alderman-Oler (Washington High School: Kansas City, KS), Spencer Martin (Kansas City Kansas Public Schools: Kansas City, KS)

Empowering Elementary Educators to Become Science Rock Stars – How to Design Professional Learning Guaranteed to Impact Students

Friday, October 27 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2211


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

This presentation helps administrators learn how to develop a science professional development program that is research-based, overcomes local challenges, and is guaranteed to impact science teacher practices and student learning. Information shared is the result of six years of grant-funded research and development. 1) Discuss our current limited and ineffective elementary science instruction nationwide and its impact on students (based on research). 2) Discuss a vision for effective elementary science instruction in every classroom (what it looks like in practice). 3) Discuss challenges to executing that vision. 4) Discuss science professional learning research-basis and best practices (including science instructional best practices and professional learning best practices). 5) Introduction of strategies to overcome time, curriculum, location, and funding challenges. 6) Introduction of an administrator professional learning planning tool to create a district action plan.

TAKEAWAYS:
Administrators will learn how to develop a science professional learning program that is research-based, overcomes local challenges, and is guaranteed to impact science teacher practices and student learning.

SPEAKERS:
Emily Starr (STEM Specialist: Clinton, IA)

Transforming Teaching Through Curriculum-Based Professional Learning: The Essentials

Friday, October 27 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 3501 F


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

Look across the Essential Elements of Leadership, Resources, and Coherence, to identify enabling conditions for curriculum-based professional learning to ensure that ALL teachers are prepared to leverage high-quality materials as they provide meaningful learning experiences for ALL students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Gain concrete ideas about how you, as a leader, can plan for effective curriculum-based professional learning.

SPEAKERS:
Nancy Hopkins-Evans (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

Federal STEM Education Resources - Where can I find them?

Friday, October 27 • 9:20 AM - 10:20 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 3501 E



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Presentation slides
2023 NSTA Interagency Federal Session: STEM resources and where to find them

STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

Have you ever wondered where to find Federal STEM education resources that can provide authentic learning experiences for your students? Come join many federal agencies including but not limited to: Dept of Education, NOAA, EPA, and NIH , to learn more!

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will learn what K-12 STEM learning resources are offered by federal agencies. In addition, teachers will engage in two-way conversations with federal representatives about the STEM resources, programs, and opportunities that are available. Educators will leave with a one-page resource guide.

SPEAKERS:
Rachel Crowley (NIGMS, National Institutes of Health: No City, No State), Jorge Valdes (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office: Alexandria, VA), Kayla Smith (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Silver Spring, MD), Patti Curtis (U.S. Department of Education: No City, No State), Melissa Anley-Mills (U.S. EPA: Washington, DC)

SHELL Science Education Leadership Pathways

Friday, October 27 • 9:20 AM - 10:20 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - Grand Ballroom 2501


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

Dr. Conerly will lead a discussion with other past Shell awardees about strategies and pathways for science educators to develop their leadership skills and advance in their careers while advocating for and promoting opportunities for students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Dr. Conerly will lead a discussion with other past Shell awardees about strategies and pathways for science educators to develop their leadership skills and advance in their careers while advocating for and promoting opportunities for students.

SPEAKERS:
Alicia Conerly (Marion County Schools: Columbia, MS), Roy Basa (Zuni Public School District: Zuni, NM), Adrine Williams (Jackson State University: Jackson, MS), Cecelia Gillam (Benjamin Franklin High School: No City, No State)

Multiple Paths to Equitable Assessment

Friday, October 27 • 10:40 AM - 11:40 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 3501 A


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

A key goal of this work is to consider how NGSS assessments can be developed and used to advance equity. This framework draws upon interdisciplinary research and best practices to describe student-centered systems of science assessment. The framework explicitly connects what the field has learned about supporting students in becoming confident, savvy, scientific thinkers with best practices in measuring, monitoring, and providing feedback toward multidimensional science expectations.Participants will receive an equity framework for assessment that has been intentionally designed to help users (1) identify features of high-quality tasks, (2) examine effective assessment implementation practices, and (3) interrogate how assessments are used to support the diversity of students who engage in science learning in finding success. This equity framework has been used with teachers to (re)design assessments to be equitable for their population of students. The resources and processes shared

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will use a newly developed equity framework to consider multiple ways to center equity in assessment tasks and systems. Participants will use this equity framework to analyze example assessments for alignment to multiple equity goals.

SPEAKERS:
Sara Cooper (Contextus)

Innovative school program and professional development models for integrating science & engineering practices, problem-based learning, and authentic STEM experiences

Friday, October 27 • 10:40 AM - 11:40 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2211


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

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This session provides insight for administrators, professional developers, curriculum coordinators, instructional coaches, higher education faculty, and teachers related to models of STEM instruction focused on SEPs at the K-8 level. Collaborative efforts between school leadership and university faculty have led to the development of STEM programming in two school districts in Southeast Missouri. Using and integrating the expertise of local STEM education professionals (university faculty specializing in STEM education), these school districts (one urban, one rural) designed and implemented very different STEM integration models. Attendees will learn about each model from those integral to the development process. Presenters will share elements of their strategic plans, including curricular structures, human capital/roles, resource/budget considerations, instructional components, and other sustainability aspects, such as environmental and political support and community partnerships.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about STEM program development and STEM professional development models. STEM Education frameworks and a toolkit used as a foundation for strategic planning and sustainability will be shared and available for attendees.

SPEAKERS:
Andi Maddox (Director of Curriculum and Instruction: Kennett, MO), Tyler Lappe (Instructional Coach: Cape Girardeau, MO), Trudy Giasi (Valle Catholic Schools: Ste. Genevieve, MO)

Supporting Transgender and Non-Binary Students in the Classroom

Friday, October 27 • 10:40 AM - 11:40 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2209


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

Given the current political situations surrounding transgender, non-binary, and intersex individuals, we want to make sure there is a session to give current and future teachers an understanding of what students might be going through. We will be sharing experiences from current teacher's, students, and ourselves. We will also give out resources for teachers to share in their classroom with students and ways that they can get involved in helping their students. The session will begin with an introduction of myself (a gay, transgender pre-service teacher who leads a middle school trans. peer-to-peer group) and co-presenter (a straight, cisgender associate professor of science education). We'll include both an overview of vocabulary and terminology used in the LGBTQIA+ community and real-life classroom and school scenarios of LGBTQIA+ students' and teachers' experience. The session will conclude with time for attendees to ask questions they have about teaching LGBTQIA+ students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees with gain an understanding for, and information about, the LGBTQIA+ community, some of the struggles the students face everyday, and how teachers can create a classroom to make students feel welcome and safe. Focusing on the transgender and non-binary experience.

SPEAKERS:
Megan Beckam (University of Nevada, Reno: Reno, NV), Samson Stynen (Student/pre-service Teacher)

NSELA Sponsored Session: Highlighting Stories of Successful Formal and Informal Science Partnerships from National Science Leaders

Friday, October 27 • 10:40 AM - 11:40 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 3501 B



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Google Slides Presentation

STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

As an organization that focuses on developing and supporting science education leaders, NSELA provides professional learning and resources as well as opportunities to work collaboratively and to advocate for quality science education for all. Session participants will learn about successful formal and informal science partnerships happening across the country and will work in groups to collaboratively discuss strategies for developing successful science partnerships within their own communities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Successful partnerships between formal and informal science institutions increase student and community engagement in STEM education.

SPEAKERS:
Trisha Herminghaus (Alaska Science Education Consultants: Anchorage, AK), Matthew Christiansen (Oceanside High School #7: Oceanside, NY)

Anchoring Science Leadership in Equity Principles

Friday, October 27 • 10:40 AM - 11:40 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 3501 F


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

To realize the vision of the Next Generation Science Standards and NRC’s Framework for K-12 Science Education, the NEXUS Academy for Science Curriculum Leadership (a project of WestEd and BSCS Science Learning) developed three guiding equity principles for leaders to consider. These equity principles are integrated with other leadership knowledge bases to support science leadership work to ensure equitable outcomes for all learners as part of implementing high-quality science curriculum. In this session, participants will 1) experience a sample leadership learning experience to reflect on their values and approaches to equity work; 2) engage with the NEXUS Equity Principles and make connections to their own ideas and science leadership roles; 3) consider how the specific tools and resources shared could influence their science leadership work in their context.

TAKEAWAYS:
Beliefs, knowledge, context, and lived-experiences shape approaches to equity work. The NEXUS Academy for Science Curriculum Leadership has developed Equity Principles to consider and intertwine with other leadership knowledge bases as leaders work to ensure equity for all learners in the system.

SPEAKERS:
Susan Gomez Zwiep (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Jenine Cotton-Proby (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Janna Mahfoud (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

Raising the Final M in STEMM: Strategies and outcomes from a STEMM planning institute for K-12 campus and district teams

Friday, October 27 • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - Exhibit Hall, Poster Session Aisle


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

Since the early 2000s when the NSF coined the acronym “STEM” to increase attention and national investment in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the “S” in STEM provided the foundation for the accompanying “TEM” disciplines. The pandemic exposed the need for increased public literacy around biomedicine, paving the way for an additional “M” (medicine) in STEM. Building a successful STEMM ecosystem includes increasing access to biomedicine across disciplines to advance equitable access for all students. Campuses and/or districts must reach consensus on the action plan for transdisciplinary STEMM curricular development. At BCM, we developed a 3-day STEMM Planning Institute for K-12 campus teams (administrators, support staff, and key educators) aimed at creating, building, or restructuring STEMM programs. This poster will highlight the planning tools, preliminary findings regarding the planning process, and thematic barriers/successes of STEMM implementation.

TAKEAWAYS:
This poster will highlight the planning tools, preliminary findings regarding the planning process, and thematic barriers/successes of STEMM implementation for K-12 school campuses and districts.

SPEAKERS:
Matthew Blank (Assistant Professor: Houston, TX)

Partnerships Bring STEAM To Students

Friday, October 27 • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - Exhibit Hall, Poster Session Aisle


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

We will share the collaboration between Westminster College and local elementary schools to enhance the learning of science. At Westminster, we conducted a STEAM Night for the local elementary schools. Education and Science majors teamed up to create stations that covered science topics such as structure & function, force & motion, the engineering design process, the structure of DNA, botany, art & geometry, and robotics. Elementary students and their families participated in hands-on experiences to reinforce science concepts taught in the classroom. Our poster shares the benefits of collaboration that provide learning experiences which students may not have in the classroom. Not only do these activities have benefits for elementary students and their teachers, but it also gives college students experience in how to work with children and conduct impactful science lessons. This experience creates opportunities to build bridges between schools and colleges to learn STEAM together.

TAKEAWAYS:
Science education can be transformed through partnerships between colleges and schools. Elementary teachers sometimes lack time to focus on the subject of science. Colleges can collaborate with schools to give students science learning experiences they may not get otherwise.

SPEAKERS:
Tami Ensor (Westminster College: Fulton, MO), Annette Ramirez (Preservice Teacher/Student: No City, No State), Courtney Street (Student: No City, No State)

Explore NSTA’s Online Professional Learning Opportunities

Friday, October 27 • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - Exhibit Hall, Poster Session Aisle



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Poster - Online Opportunities

STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

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Join us to explore the variety of online professional development opportunities for educators. We will be highlighting all the opportunities to gain NSTA certificates that could be used as continuing education certificates, including many that are free!

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn about the variety of professional learning opportunities that NSTA has to offer.

SPEAKERS:
Michelle Phillips (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

NSTA District Professional Learning: Find Out What NSTA Can Do For You to Support Science Teaching and Learning!

Friday, October 27 • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - Exhibit Hall, Poster Session Aisle



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Poster - NSTA District Professional Learning

STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

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A Framework for K–12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) encourages students to engage in science and engineering practices to develop deeper understanding of disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts. As a partner in the development of the NGSS, NSTA has been at the forefront of the shift toward improving the quality of science instruction for all students. Let us support your school or district efforts to implement three-dimensional standards and transform classroom instruction.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to bring NSTA professional learning services to your school, district, or organization (face-to-face, virtual, and hybrid).

SPEAKERS:
Michelle Phillips (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

Unpacking the Crosscutting Concepts with a New NSTA Quick-Reference Guide to the Three Dimensions

Friday, October 27 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2215 C


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

The NGSS and other standards based on the Framework of K-12 Education are quite complicated and often tricky to interpret. What teachers need is an easy-to-use reference guide to the standards, and since its release in 2014, the NSTA Quick-Reference Guide has become a perennial best-seller and an essential tool for many educators across the country. This session will be hosted by Ted Willard, the editor of the Quick-Reference Guide and formerly the in-house standards expert at NSTA. Ted will review the features listed above and how educators can use the Quick-Reference Guide to unpack the standards in their work developing curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Specifically, we will spend time exploring the crosscutting concepts in the standards using the tools and other resources in the Quick-Reference Guide.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to unpack the three dimensions using the tools and resources in the Quick-Reference Guide and will gain insights into the meaning of the crosscutting concepts.

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

Re-remembering and re-affirming why we became teachers in the first place

Friday, October 27 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2505 A



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Wysession_NSTA_ReaffirmationOfTeaching.pdf
Slides on the importance of teaching science and how that provide for a satisfying and meaningful career.

STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Savvas Learning Company

Join Professor Michael Wysession in an inspirational session to reconnect you with the reasons you chose teaching as your profession. Through the lens of a modernized ancient concept (the Japanese “Ikigai”), participants will reflect on their teaching careers and rediscover the rewards (personal, societal, financial) of the teaching profession.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Wysession (Washington University in St. Louis: Saint Louis, MO)

NextGen TIME: A Toolkit for Materials Evaluation

Friday, October 27 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 3501 F


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

We know two things: 1) the purchase of new instructional materials represents a significant district investment and 2) effective classroom use of high-quality instructional materials improves student learning. NextGen TIME can help districts ensure investment in the best possible instructional materials and provide guidance on preparing teachers for effective use. NextGen TIME is a suite of tools and processes to support districts in evaluating, selecting, and implementing instructional materials designed for the NGSS. NextGen TIME is also designed as a professional learning experience for teachers to deepen their understanding of NGSS as they analyze instructional materials. It addresses the needs of states, districts, and schools for a deep understanding of the NGSS to make selection decisions for instructional materials, plan for implementation of those materials, and provide teacher professional learning that enables effective implementation of NGSS‐aligned teaching and learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how NextGen TIME supports the evaluation of current instructional materials to strengthen their design for NGSS and how NextGen TIME tools and processes can serve as critical components of curriculum-based professional learning. You’ll walk away with free access to NextGen TIME resources.

SPEAKERS:
Susan Gomez Zwiep (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Jody Bintz (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Jenine Cotton-Proby (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

KATS: Kansas Association of Teachers of Science supports YOU!

Friday, October 27 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2211


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

The Kansas Association of Teachers of Science (KATS) is the District 11 chapter of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). The purpose of the KATS shall be the advancement, stimulation, extension, improvement, and coordination of science teaching in all fields of science at all educational levels. This session will explain the purpose of KATS to science teachers in Kansas, explain leadership opportunities that KATS provides its members, and share the amazing professional development opportunities and network events that will bridge Kansas science teachers together. Teachers will be introduced to members of the board of directors of KATS who desire to create a support system to science teachers.

TAKEAWAYS:
Kansas teachers will learn about the Kansas Association of Teachers of Science, the professional development opportunities they provide, and the system of networking they create to bridge science teachers together in the state of Kansas.

SPEAKERS:
Betsy Lawrence (Summit Trail Middle School: Olathe, KS)

Climate Optimists: Fighting "climate fatigue" through teaching advocacy skills and nurturing hope within our students

Friday, October 27 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 3501 B


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

In this session, participants will consider the ramifications of climate fatigue on generations who are and will continue to be responsible for climate-affecting decisions as scientists and citizens as well as the means to apply social-emotional learning (SEL) to equip educators and students with hope. Participants will explore the benefits (for educators and students) of integrating SEL concepts and benchmarks with the NGSS throughout educator and student learning experiences. We will identify connections between and opportunities for educator- and student-led discussions, advocacy opportunities, and giving educators and students ownership and agency in their learning through utilizing their backgrounds, interests, abilities, and voice. Participants will have access to strategies and tools that support the integration of SEL within climate science instruction and overviews of instructional units that lend themselves to building climate optimism.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with a set of strategies and tools to implement with regard to their own relationships with climate science, as well as those they can use with other educators and their students to shift toward hope and advocacy.

SPEAKERS:
Erin Lark (Kognity: Stockholm, 0)

Putting 3-D Assessments to the Test: Building Common Assessments Together

Friday, October 27 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2211


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

Develop your knowledge, skills, and confidence to lead your school or district toward successful NGSS assessment development. We will share one district’s journey to engage teachers in developing NGSS-aligned common assessments focused on SEPs, access, and equity.

TAKEAWAYS:
Develop your knowledge, skills, and confidence to lead your school or district toward successful NGSS assessment development with a focus on SEPs, access, and equity.

SPEAKERS:
Julia Smith (Riverside Unified School District: Riverside, CA)

Embracing Empathy: Applying Human-Centered Design Principles to Support the Implementation of NGSS

Friday, October 27 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 3501 B


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

Learn to design moments people will remember and experiences that can have immediate impacts by adopting a human-centered mindset. Human-centered design thinking lets you better understand people's needs, motivations, and concerns to create highly-effective learning experiences for teachers and students. Implementing NGSS and three-dimensional teaching and learning requires ongoing support and high-quality professional learning opportunities for all stakeholders in science education. This session will explore how strategies and methods found in human-centered design can be leveraged to create professional learning to address the complexities teachers face in shifting practices to meet the vision of A K-12 Framework and the three-dimensional pedagogy of the NGSS. These strategies will enable designers to create inclusive spaces and environments to enhance professional development. Likewise, these strategies can be used by teachers to facilitate the student sensemaking process.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will experience practical human-centered design processes, methods, and tools used to deeply understand the people they are looking to serve and to continuously innovate solutions. Participants will leave this session equipped with strategies to design impactful learning experiences.

SPEAKERS:
Abby Tolley (Learning Analyst), Brian Beierle (Relevant Classroom, a Division of Vivayic, Inc.: No City, No State)

PEAC2H: Data Based Feedback That Teachers are Excited to Recieve

Friday, October 27 • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2103 C


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

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Collaborating with teachers to support their professional growth is a key role for coaches and leaders. How we deliver feedback designed to strengthen instruction determines if teachers will apply it or not. This session looks at a 6-step structure that positions coaches and administrators as instructional leaders. The structure includes clarity on what is being shared, evidence of how the suggestions are connected to practice, and actionable ideas that, when implemented, will make an immediate impact on teaching and learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Gather specific evidence from classroom observations and frame relevant feedback in a way that partners leaders/coaches with teachers and leaves them feeling valued, supported, and empowered to improve instruction tomorrow.

SPEAKERS:
Connie Hamilton (Author/Consultant: , MI)

Successful Teachers = Successful Students: Supporting Teaching and Learning Through a Science Teacher Leader Professional Learning Community

Friday, October 27 • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 3501 E


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

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We believe that to transform science teaching and learning to benefit all students, we as district leaders need to foster educator interest and capacity. A Framework for K-12 Science Education states, “Alignment of teacher preparation and professional development with the vision of science education advanced in this framework is essential for eventual widespread implementation of the type of instruction that will be needed for students to achieve the standards based on it” (p256). The NSTA position paper on Elementary Science declares that to support high-quality elementary science learning, school and district leaders should create time and space to facilitate collaborative professional learning communities for teachers. In the 2023-2024 school year our Howard County Public School System (Maryland) Elementary Science Teacher Leader (ESTL) cohort will be going on its eighth consecutive year. We'd like to share this cohort as an exemplar model for supporting the aforementioned goals.

TAKEAWAYS:
Whether you're starting small with limited resources or looking to enhance an existing structure, join us in this interactive session to learn specific strategies for facilitating -- starting and maintaining -- a collaborative professional learning community for science teacher leaders.

SPEAKERS:
Kelley Hatcher (Hollifield Station Elementary School: Elkridge, MD), Jenn Brown-Whale (Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE): Baltimore, MD)

Unlocking the Power of STEM Identity in K-12 Education

Friday, October 27 • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2209


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

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Participants will understand the importance of building a positive STEM Identity and integrating it into the K-12 curriculum. Demonstrated strategies will create an environment that promotes competency, curiosity, and confidence in students to pursue STEM fields. Hands-on activities will showcase how to implement this mindset, and two lessons will demonstrate layering activities to reinforce confidence and competency. Attendees will learn to utilize students' "working knowledge" to engage in STEM activities, reinforcing this mindset and science standards. Practical tools and resources will be provided to support students in developing a positive STEM identity. This session is ideal for educators empowering their students in STEM, regardless of their background or experience. Participants will leave inspired and prepared to positively impact their students' STEM identity.

TAKEAWAYS:
Unlock students' STEM IDENTITY with hands-on strategies that inspire confidence, curiosity, and STEM skills. Learn how aviation and aeronautics can promote a growth mindset and create real-life engineering scenarios and career connections. Get free resources and actionable steps at this session.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Stormer (3-6 STEM Teacher/ Elementary and Teacher Curriculum Specialist, Air Camp USA: Union, OH), Christina Davis (Air Camp USA, Inc.: Dayton, OH)

Lab Safety with Superheroes!

Friday, October 27 • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2207


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

News reports of accidents and hazards reinforce the need for ongoing leadership and advocacy for safe science classrooms (Gerlovich et al., 2007; West et al., 2003). In this session, participants will review free resources on school science safety (NGSS, 2013; NSTA, 2015). To enhance training and learning about safety, participants will also examine multiple superhero examples to use as case studies. Superheroes have been a mainstay in popular culture for decades. Science teachers can harness this widespread interest to elevate instruction and advocacy for science safety. Example illustrations include reporting accidents (Spider-Man, Hulk/She-Hulk), never working alone (Flash), keeping a tidy workspace (Moon Girl), handling living organisms (Ant-Man), and more. In addition to specific case studies, teachers will practice analyzing popular culture and research for wider engagement. They will also review important copyright parameters and “fair use” in classroom instruction.

TAKEAWAYS:
In this interactive session, participants will explore multiple superhero case studies as tools for enhanced science safety training and advocacy, applying materials and policies from NSTA and other sources. Attendees will also examine copyright “fair use” with multimedia resources in the classroom.

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

Strategies for Differentiating Professional Learning

Saturday, October 28 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 3501 E



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Strategies for Differentiating Professional Learning Presentation - NSTA 2023
Presentation Slides
Teacher Profiles

STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

At its core, differentiation stems from the recognition that individual learners arrive in classrooms each day with ranging knowledge, experiences, abilities, ways of thinking, curiosities, and dispositions. A one-size-fits-all approach to teaching and learning undermines the potential of all students to achieve successfully, yet we struggle with how to meet the needs of individual students in our classrooms. Similarly, we know that one-shot workshops are not an effective means of professional development (PD). Yet, we continue to provide one-shot workshops to teach and rarely, if ever, do we consider how PD may need to be differentiated for teachers. We may differentiate by focusing on different content areas, grade levels, or contexts, but rarely do we take time to look at what individual teachers need. Just like students, we need to consider the individual needs of all teachers. This session will provide several strategies for differentiating PD for teachers.

TAKEAWAYS:
Differentiation is not just for the classroom, it is also a component of designing effective professional learning.

SPEAKERS:
Brooke Whitworth (Clemson University: Clemson, SC)

Building Teacher Capacity & Leadership Using Collaborative Spaces

Saturday, October 28 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2215 B


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

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How do we build teacher capacity and leadership skills using collaborative opportunities and content-focused coaching in an urban, high needs district? In New Brunswick, NJ, science supervisors, specialists, and district leaders worked together to support teachers in becoming science/STEM leaders and agents of change in the science field through the creation of a variety of collaborative spaces including high-quality professional development focusing on data-driven instructional practices, content-focused coaching sessions, and teacher-facilitated community events. Cohorts of grade 3-5 teachers engaged in the development of personal and district-wide content and pedagogical goals, reflected on the effectiveness of current science instructional practices & identified areas for growth, designed an implementation plan for the enactment of high-quality Science Instruction & 3D Assessments, and developed action steps to raise the profile of science education in the district and community.

TAKEAWAYS:
We will explore how to successfully and effectively build teacher capacity and leadership skills through high-quality professional development, focusing on data-driven instructional practices, content-focused coaching sessions, and teacher-facilitated community events.

SPEAKERS:
Cynthia Ruszczyk (New Brunswick Middle School: New Brunswick, NJ), Elizabeth Nunez (New Brunswick Public Schools: New Brunswick, NJ)

The Amazing Power of Nature!

Saturday, October 28 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 3501 B



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
The Amazing Power of Nature! Slides

STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

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Nature, we vacation near it, we immerse ourselves in it, we need it for survival. A student’s natural curiosity about nature and the world around them can drive science learning and outcomes. Investigating natural phenomena within your state and close to your school creates authentic and relevant opportunities for students to research their local ecosystems. Experiences with nature not only promotes learning, but can help close the achievement gap (Liberman, 1998. Closing the Achievement Gap.) Citing studies, we will discuss how spending time in nature is healthy for students, faculty, and staff. Nature can lower blood pressure, calm anxiety, and improve mood. Using Missouri Department of Conservation’s Discover Nature Schools Curriculum as an example, we will discuss how taking learning outside can meet NGSS Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics and the Earth and Human Activity Strands. We will discuss ways to find and/or create nature experience near you.

TAKEAWAYS:
Nature is everywhere, accessible to everyone; from studying a crack in the sidewalk, where ants and other insects travel, to studying ponds, prairies, and forests. I can find and create nature study opportunities at my school, whether it is urban, suburban, or rural.

SPEAKERS:
Kathi Moore (Conservation Educator: HANNIBAL, MO), Sherri Russell (State Wildlife Veterinarian: Jefferson City, MO)

Viewpoints: A Narrative Study of Memorable Science Experiences for Women -- Indoor Agriculture Participants

Saturday, October 28 • 9:20 AM - 10:20 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2211


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

Findings from this qualitative narrative inquiry that explored the lives of six women participants in an indoor agriculture associates in applied science (AAS) program in the United States, tell the stories of their memorable science experiences. The narrative process of restorying the women’s memorable science experiences gave voice and agency to their lives and provided perspective on the lives of women who have persisted and succeeded within the newly emerging STEM field of indoor agriculture. Narrative threads that emerged from the women’s stories included family and school influence, their pivotal and transformational participation in the indoor agriculture AAS program, and a theme of identity around science identity construction. Concerning their participation in this narrative inquiry process, the women conveyed appreciation for the opportunity to reflect upon and give voice to their memorable science experiences while making sense of their lives in the process.

TAKEAWAYS:
Gain viewpoints into the lives of women who have persisted and succeeded in the newly emerging STEM field of indoor agriculture, better understanding the themes of family and school influence, pivotal and transformational experiences in indoor agriculture, and science identity construction.

SPEAKERS:
Dr. Kim Kolasa (Assistant Vice-President, Partnership Development)

How do you science? Facilitating conversations about K-12 science

Saturday, October 28 • 9:20 AM - 10:20 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2202


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

This session will consider current learning models, instructional strategies, and professional development opportunities to support growth in STEM and innovation. In sharing my experiences as a K12 science teacher and department leader, I hope to stimulate conversation, collaboration, and networking to support each other as we work to move STEM education forward. Methods will progressive learning, PBL, and teacher-designed professional growth experiences. This session will be a hybrid session that will include both presentation and discussion.

TAKEAWAYS:
We will connect and engage in critical conversations about our experiences as science teachers and leaders to imagine a path for growing our scientific future. Attendees will leave with new ideas, connections, and vision for the future.

SPEAKERS:
Tara Bonebrake (The Summit Preparatory School: Springfield, MO)

Teacher Leader: Standards to live by

Saturday, October 28 • 10:40 AM - 11:40 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 3501 E


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

In May 2008 a group of educators exanimated current research and the critical role that teacher leaders play in education. Upon reviewing this data, they believe that teacher leadership is the most powerful method to promote effective and collaborative teaching practices leading to student success. The Teaching Leadership Exploratory Consortium developed the Teacher Leader Model Standards. This set of seven domains describes the knowledge base and skills needed by a teacher leader to assume a leadership role in all aspects of education. In this session participants will examine and discuss the Teacher Leader Model Standards. Digging into the standards they will describe key actions and practices for each of the seven domains. Participants will be asked to reflect on their role as a teacher leader and select one of the domains to focus on as they begin or continue their work as a teacher leader.

TAKEAWAYS:
Digging into the standards, participants will describe key actions and practices for each of the seven domains. They will be asked to reflect on their role as a teacher leader and select one of the domains to focus on as they begin or continue their work as a teacher leader.

SPEAKERS:
Jenne VandePanne (Michigan Technological University/Newaygo Public Schools: Newaygo, MI), Jessica Wagenmaker (Holton Middle School: Holton, MI)

CIFT: Collaboration and Instructional Feedback Teams

Saturday, October 28 • 10:40 AM - 11:40 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 3501 B


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

Job-embedded professional learning helps bridge the gap between a workshop and the implementation of strategies in the classroom. CIFTs work with a cohort of teachers to observe one another over multiple sessions. Each teacher takes a turn hosting a lesson to provide the backdrop for professional learning based on specific classroom, students, and curriculum the teachers have. CIFTs help teachers to use evidence to reflect on instruction and learning. Each observer is tasked with specific data to collect and then build efficacy as a team by offering glows and grows for teaching team members. Attendees will be provided the framework and the necessary tools and templates to implement this intensive professional learning structure tomorrow!

TAKEAWAYS:
A system, structure, and tools will be provided so school leaders can implement their own CIFT teams immediately. Learn how to choose a team, where to find a facilitator, and how to create an agenda. Template provided for easy transition to put into practice.

SPEAKERS:
Connie Hamilton (Author/Consultant: , MI)

Presentation to Publication: You Are Almost There!

Saturday, October 28 • 10:40 AM - 11:40 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 3501 G


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

Join this session to learn how to take your workshop or presentation to the next level -- published in one of the NSTA journals. NSTA has five journals spanning Pre-K to College: Science and Children (S&C), Science Scope (SS), The Science Teacher (TST), Journal of College Science Teaching (JCST), and Connected Science Learning (CSL). Each journal looks for new, innovative ideas for classroom application. In this session, you will learn how to prepare your work for submission, understand the review process, and the steps toward publication. What better way to reach a broader audience than publishing your work in an NSTA journal? The bulk of the work is done -- you've already created a workshop or presentation; now is the time to share your work with others by memorializing it in a journal. The publication process is straightforward and rewarding. So don't hesitate to take that next step in leadership and advocacy to get your work published.

TAKEAWAYS:
Come find out how to take your NSTA presentation to the next level -- published in an NSTA journal. Attendees will learn and be encouraged to reach even more people by publishing what was shared in their workshops and presentations.

SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Barrett-Zahn (National Science Teaching Association)

Experiencing Engagement in Science

Saturday, October 28 • 10:40 AM - 11:40 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2101



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Presentation
This is the Canva I made for the presentation and it saved as a power point.

STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

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Teachers and students are still adjusting to life in a post-pandemic classroom. There were many educational impacts in the wake of school closings during the pandemic. One of these was a dependence on technology that still lingers in the classroom today. While technology is important, it cannot replace the impact of a classroom environment that supports collaborative, student-centered, personalized learning. Teachers and students need to refresh themselves on how to engage in experiential learning again and how setting the right tone in your classroom can develop a supportive classroom environment. In this session, we will discuss different strategies and activities to build relationships with our students, how to incorporate student-centered learning, and how student engagement leads to motivation.

TAKEAWAYS:
The main takeaway from this session is a collection of engagement strategies and best practices to use in a classroom setting to establish a classroom culture supportive of student-centered, personalized learning.

SPEAKERS:
Michelle Norwood (Sangaree Middle School: Ladson, SC)

Science Leadership While in the Classroom

Saturday, October 28 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2104 A



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
National Science Education Leadership Association Homepage
NSTA Committee Membership Application
Science Leadership Presentation Slides
Science Olympiad Brochures
Science Olympiad Homepage

STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

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Dedicated educators are often faced with a "Sophie's Choice" when it comes to impacting the profession or advancing their careers through leadership opportunities. They can take advantage of opportunities as department chairs, instructional coaches, or administrators at a variety of levels, but those new positions too often mean that they leave teaching and direct interactions with their students behind. While education and the profession benefiting the students ultimately lose. This session will show attendees that there is a different option. By examining examples from Science Olympiad, as well as other after-school programs and science leadership organizations such as NSAT and NSLEA, attendees will be introduced to the numerous ways that they can gain leadership experience and contribute beyond their four walls of their classroom without leaving that classroom. We will discuss options that range from running programs at their school to joining organizations in a leadership role.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about leadership opportunities through programs such as Science Olympiad, NSTA, and NSELA that they can take advantage of while remaining in the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
John Loehr (Science Olympiad: Oakbrook Terrace, IL)

Teachers Share Teachers

Saturday, October 28 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 3501 E


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

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Struggling with your PLC community? Going to Teacher Pay Teachers and spending your money to find lesson plans? We can find a better way to support teachers through an open resource PLC. Due to increasing teacher burnout, teacher shortages, and high teacher turnover our team felt inclined to find ways to better support teachers in the day-to-day classroom environment (new teachers, substitutes, long term absences). Our science PLC will present the strategies, resources, and digital tools we utilize to create a PLC that functions at a higher level. We will discuss strategies for reducing turnover, keeping up teacher morale, and implementing large projects for large groups.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about our method for streamlining science planning within our PLC.

SPEAKERS:
Samantha Huber (Science Teacher: Topeka, KS), Kathryn Louderback (Washburn Rural Middle School: Topeka, KS), Mackenzie Casey (Science Teacher: Topeka, KS)

Ways to Support Teachers as They Learn How to Facilitate 3-D Instruction

Saturday, October 28 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2207


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

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The session will give leaders an opportunity to see how the features of instructional-material-based professional learning can be used to support teachers who are learning how to facilitate 3-D instruction. The agenda for this session is: • A discussion of the challenges associated with learning to facilitate 3-D instruction (10 minutes). • A overview of the 10 key features of instructional material based professional learning (20 minutes). • Examples of what 2 features look like in practice (15 minutes). • An opportunity to modify an PD agenda to make it more aligned with instructional-material-based professional learning (10 minutes). • Questions and opportunities to learn more (5 minutes).

TAKEAWAYS:
Key features of instructional-materials-based PL include (1) providing HQIMs, (2) modeling instruction, (3) content specific, (4) equity front and center, (5) reflection, (6) teaching rehearsals, (7) feedback, (8) examine student thinking, (9) remove problems of practice, and (10) time.

SPEAKERS:
Todd Hutner (The University of Alabama: Del Valle, TX)

Developing a Framework for Multidimensional Science Education

Saturday, October 28 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 3501 B



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
FWISD Science Instructional Framework
Slides

STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

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The Fort Worth ISD Science Framework takes a culturally responsive, multidimensional approach to science instruction and assessment. When these multiple dimensions are intentionally planned for and incorporated into science instruction and assessment, students move from being receivers of knowledge to active constructors of knowledge, increasing educational excellence for all and moving students toward becoming scientifically informed, ethical, and responsible citizens who can advocate for justice-centered solutions to societal challenges. Participants will learn about the process taken to develop the Fort Worth ISD Science Framework and how district science coordinators worked to get stakeholders on board as they prepared for the adoption and implementation of new standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
The creation of a framework for multidimensional science education can support the implementation of new standards and help to get stakeholders on board.

SPEAKERS:
Jessica Hilbert (Fort Worth ISD: Fort Worth, TX), Genedra Trotter (Fort Worth ISD), Brooke Whitworth (Clemson University: Clemson, SC)

Raising the Final M in STEMM: Strategies and outcomes from a STEMM planning institute for K-12 campus and district teams

Saturday, October 28 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2205


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

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Since the early 2000s when the NSF coined the acronym “STEM” to increase attention and national investment in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the “S” in STEM provided the foundation for the accompanying “TEM” disciplines. The pandemic exposed the need for increased public literacy around biomedicine, paving the way for an additional “M” (medicine) in STEM. Building a successful STEMM ecosystem includes increasing access to biomedicine across disciplines to advance equitable access for all students. Campuses and/or districts must reach consensus on the action plan for transdisciplinary STEMM curricular development. At BCM, we developed a 3-day STEMM Planning Institute for K-12 campus teams (administrators, support staff, and key educators) aimed at creating, building, or restructuring STEMM programs. This presentation will highlight the planning tools, preliminary findings regarding the planning process, and thematic barriers/successes of STEMM implementation.

TAKEAWAYS:
This presentation will highlight the planning tools, preliminary findings regarding the planning process, and thematic barriers/successes of STEMM implementation for K-12 school campuses and districts.

SPEAKERS:
Matthew Blank (Assistant Professor: Houston, TX)

Green Schools: Modeling Sustainability, Fostering Hands-On Learning, and Nurturing Student Leaders

Saturday, October 28 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2204


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

OPENING: Define 'green school'; Introduce pillars; Provide examples; “Green Lens” Evaluation: Attendees rate their school for each pillar. 'Challenges' reflection for incorporating green schools practices. WHOLE-SCHOOL SUSTAINABILITY (WSS) & SHOW-ME GREEN SCHOOLS: Define WSS - work within campus, curriculum, culture. Show-Me Green Schools explained with video testimonials: Green Schools Quest (student-driven, project-based contest; community mentors assist lead teacher with project development & implementation); Missouri Green Schools (annual recognition for systems approach to WSS; roadmap for achievement); U.S. Depart. of Education Green Ribbon School Award (national award for demonstrated excellence & innovation of designated pillars); Green Schools Network BENEFITS: Increased job satisfaction, student engagement & achievement, better health for school community, social-emotional well-being; ADDRESSING CHALLENGES: Team development, staff collaboration, whole school support; CLOSING: Programs in US.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn what green schools are and how they benefit students, staff, and administration. Participants will walk away with some ideas for getting started, addressing common challenges, and connecting with green school teams in their state.

SPEAKERS:
Traci Jansen (Kirkwood School District: KIRKWOOD, MO)

STEM Internships Create Future Leaders

Saturday, October 28 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 3501 B


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

This presentation outlines a summer research program for high school students that integrated social-emotional learning with STEM research methods. Due to the impact of remote learning during the pandemic, students lost opportunities for rich science research experiences out of school, which impacted their interest in science and engineering. The 8-week summer program included an internship at a university research lab with practicing scientists and engineers, with daily opportunities for SEL activities, such as mindfulness strategies, goal setting, collaboration, communication, and feedback on specific 21st-century skills using a job readiness rubric. The program culminated in students presenting research posters to a community of faculty, students, and parents, which allowed them to communicate scientific research in a formal setting. We share the program development, implementation, and key outcomes related to self-efficacy, 21st-century skills, and science research skills.

TAKEAWAYS:
How to develop a program that engages students in authentic science and engineering research while explicitly incorporating SEL strategies.

SPEAKERS:
Johnna O'Neal (Instructional Specialist: No City, No State), Katrina Halasa (Akron Public Schools: Akron, OH)

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