Join us at the Kansas City Convention Center for an opening reception to mark the start of NSTA Kansas City23! We’ll keep it casual—enjoy beverages and small bites while networking with old and new friends. The event is complimentary and open to all registered conference attendees.

Grab a cup of coffee (or tea) and join us for an informal get-together with your peers. Each day of the conference will feature a morning coffee chat with opportunities to share ideas and experiences, expand your network, and connect with colleagues and friends from around the country.

Sponsoring Company: Amplify

Learn how multimodal instruction and embedded language scaffolds, such as language frames, vocabulary routines, and writing supports create a learning environment that help Multilingual Learners – and all learners – successfully access science instruction.

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

Let’s explore several intervention strategies to help struggling students in STEM. Let's move beyond differentiation & scaffolding. Come learn proven intervention techniques to help students. Let’s modify our traditional outreach to connect with students so that they gain greater understanding.

SPEAKERS:
Margo Dye (Accelerate Learning Inc.: Houston, TX)

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

Experience how science lessons can be structured using teacher instructional slides, where students work in groups, with specific roles, to develop claims [about how motion energy moves and changes] based on evidence observed through hands-on experiences. Leave with classroom resources.

SPEAKERS:
Hoover Herrera (Carolina Biological Supply Co.: Burlington, NC)

In today’s fast-paced world, chronic stress is common, but your mind and body can pay a high price. Learn to recognize overwhelming stress—and what you can do about it. Most importantly, learn how to use the power of your senses to relieve stress on the spot and stay calm, productive, and focused—no matter what life throws at you.

TAKEAWAYS:
Tips on how to manage stress.

SPEAKERS:
Michelle Phillips (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Azra Chughtai (NSTA: McLean, VA)

Sponsoring Company: BIOZONE Corporation

BIOZONE's innovative, interactive worktext approach is a departure from traditional textbook learning; providing flexible, engaging, student-centered resources. Teacher Toolkit helps teachers plan, deliver, and assess. Attendees receive a FREE print copy and a 1-year ebook license.

Sponsoring Company: Amplify

Elementary students deserve science! Experience a research-based approach to teaching science that leverages the mutually supportive aspects of phenomena-based science instruction and literacy. Explore how this approach can help you increase instructional time for science while making ELA gains.

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

N/A

SPEAKERS:
Leslie Spaeny (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX)

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Science Education

Spark your students’ curiosity and prepare them for high school–and the world beyond. Learn how to introduce concepts to your students using the Go Direct Temperature Probe to measure the temperature of the palm of their hand, discover the reflectivity of various colors with the Go Direct Light and Color, measure sliding friction with the Go Direct Force & Acceleration Sensor, and determine the power of their grip with the Go Direct Gas Pressure.

SPEAKERS:
David Carter (Vernier Science Education: Beaverton, OR)

Sponsoring Company: Amplify

High-quality instructional materials are essential for equitable access to science, but materials are only the start of the instructional journey! Examine the importance of YOUR role as a teacher in leveraging NGSS-designed curriculum to inspire your students to figure out phenomena.

Sponsoring Company: Stile Education

Join our session to learn strategies for teaching data analysis and modeling in line with the NGSS. Empower your students to analyze real-world data, create accurate models, and apply their knowledge with easy-to-implement techniques. Participate in and win CHARTY PARTY while enhancing your toolkit!

SPEAKERS:
Hailey Vogel (Head of Teaching and Learning: Los Angeles, CA)

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

Come experience a model lesson from OpenSciEd for Middle School and see how the new Carolina Certified Edition makes these high-quality instructional materials even better! Leave with classroom resources.

SPEAKERS:
Cory Ort (Carolina Biological Supply Co.: Burlington, NC)

As teachers, it is important for us to understand how the brain works when students are learning. Brain science research has not been easy to transfer to the classroom setting. We are beginning to bridge the gap with real-world, classroom research. By joining this session, you will uncover some of the newest neuroscience/learning research and ways to use the information in your classroom. Retrieval practice, interleaving, spaced practice, and elaborate encoding are a few of the topics we will learn about. In addition, you will leave with plenty of short 5-minute tools you can use right away in your classroom, as well as a deeper understanding of the pros and cons of neuroscience research and classroom settings.

TAKEAWAYS:
Not all research is equal, especially when it comes to classroom teaching. This session will help you understand the research, it's strengths and limitations, and provide you with usable tools to start using right away.

SPEAKERS:
Kirsten Landry (Kent Denver School: Englewood, CO)

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)

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

Looking for ways to increase student ideas in the development of investigative phenomena? We will work in collaborative teams to develop a driving question board. Let’s discuss the types of phenomena and how they can be used effectively in the STEM classroom. Bring relevancy to students’ lives!

SPEAKERS:
Laurie Thompson (Accelerate Learning, Inc.: Houston, TX)

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

Discover new ways to help students think & work like scientists and engineers. We will model instruction and resources that support 3-dimensional teaching and learning including teacher instructional slides, student friendly materials, simulations, and student investigation sheets.

SPEAKERS:
Hoover Herrera (Carolina Biological Supply Co.: Burlington, NC)

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

If you're using STEMscopes (or wanna-be), this session is for you. Come see the most popular digital curriculum during this session. Discover assessment packages, streaming videos with activities, coding with app building, hands-on engineering projects, STEM teacher certification, and much more.

SPEAKERS:
Angela Campana (Accelerate Learning, Inc.: Houston, TX)

Sponsoring Company: hand2mind

Discover how to effectively use STEM Bins® as a foundational, developmentally appropriate form of engineering for elementary students. Learn simple ways to implement STEM Bins® for early finishers, enrichment, morning work, centers, makerspaces, and literacy and math extensions.

SPEAKERS:
Brooke Brown (Roosevelt Elementary School: Norman, OK)

Sponsoring Company: Aidmics Biotechnology

This workshop supports teachers to implement inquiry-based science learning and helps students to develop meaningful scientifically literate views of the world by using the uHandy Microscope that acts as your second pair of eyes, which ignites your curiosity and your genuine passion for science!

SPEAKERS:
Jolanda Hsu (Aidmics Biotechnology: Taipei City, Taipei City)

Grab a cup of coffee (or tea) and join us for an informal get-together with your peers. Each day of the conference will feature a morning coffee chat, providing you an opportunity to share ideas and experiences, expand your network, and connect with colleagues and friends from around the country.

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)

Sponsoring Company: BIOZONE Corporation

Discover BIOZONE WORLD - a new platform bringing all our digital resources together for easy access and delivery. Incorporating BIOZONE’s eBooks with our rich collection of presentation slides, 3D models & curated videos, it provides powerful options for delivering your high school science programs.

SPEAKERS:
Richard Allan (BIOZONE International Ltd.: Hamilton, New Zealand)

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

N/A

SPEAKERS:
Leslie Spaeny (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX)

Sponsoring Company: Savvas Learning Company

N/A

SPEAKERS:
Christopher Moore (University of Nebraska Omaha: Omaha, NE)

Countless studies have found that teachers are struggling to support students in maintaining focus, finding self-worth, and being intrinsically creative learners. Gamification provides the building blocks for engagement, community, healthy competition, and self motivation, and works with any grade level and any subject. With gamification, students can use their creativity in learning choices and earn incentives based around curricular and extracurricular themes. Student examples from a sixth grade science classroom include reviewing challenges that emphasize content and game elements. Participants in this session will gain the initial building blocks to create their own game for their classrooms that is manageable and can be enhanced over time. Activities will include defining gamification and creating their own game theme. During the session, the participant will participate in a game challenge by using a choice board to explore and expand the strategies and methods of gamification.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will begin the journey of gamifying their classroom right away. They will also leave with resources to use to continue their gamification journey.

SPEAKERS:
Michelle Simmons (Klahowya Secondary School: Silverdale, WA)

The NSTA Atlas of the Three Dimensions maps out learning progressions based on the Framework for K–12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The 62 maps in the Atlas organize all of the elements from standards on a particular topic (e.g., modeling, patterns, or definitions of energy) on a single page. The elements from grades K–2 are at the bottom of the page, and those from grades 9–12 are at the top. Arrows connect elements to indicate how ideas in a particular topic build on each other and how elements in different topics connect to one another. Studying the maps in the Atlas and the additional resources in the appendixes can provide educators with new insights about the standards. This session will provide an overview of how to read a map, the other features of the Atlas, and how educators can use this powerful navigational tool to develop and implement curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to read the maps and use other tools in the Atlas to understand and interpret standards, and plan instructional sequences as part of their work in curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

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

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

CER gets students to explain phenomena in a scientific way. Let’s use investigations to demonstrate how to use data collection to drive data-based conclusions. Guide students in how to think deeper, write scientifically, & incorporate vocabulary that strengthens their understanding of a phenomenon.

SPEAKERS:
Margo Dye (Accelerate Learning Inc.: Houston, TX)

Sponsoring Company: Texas Instruments

Bring a friend with you to attend, "Zombie Apocalypse!" Just make sure you can run faster! Zombies provide an excellent way to get students interested in understanding how diseases move through a population. Great for middle and high school students.

Sponsoring Company: ExploreLearning

This interactive session will explore a digital interface that develops models to capture students' thinking when designing and testing solutions to real-world problems. We will immerse ourselves in solving a puzzling STEM Case to develop a model and use it to optimize a solution.

SPEAKERS:
Patricia Low (ExploreLearning: Charlottesville, VA)

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Science Education

Inspire your students’ curiosity about the world around them through hands-on activities using the Go Direct® Temperature Probe, Go Direct® Magnetic Field Sensor, and Go Direct® Motion Detector. See how age-appropriate, sensor-based experiments teach students about data collection and analysis—practices that promote scientific inquiry, build STEM literacy, and boost test scores.

SPEAKERS:
David Carter (Vernier Science Education: Beaverton, OR)

Sponsoring Company: Savvas Learning Company

Techniques such as CRISPR, mitochondrial transfer, and mRNA therapeutics have opened new possibilities for genetic manipulation, bringing with them new opportunities to energize the biology curriculum.

SPEAKERS:
Kenneth Miller (Brown University: Providence, RI)

University/college instructors at several institutions in the US and Canada are using NSTA resources in lieu of a textbook when teaching preservice teachers. Participants will meet some of these instructors and learn how they integrate NSTA resources in their courses and the benefits of the program. Preservice teachers using NSTA create a library of resources, grow their network of professional colleagues, and enhance their content and pedagogical knowledge of science. Instructors receive a class landing page to manage their course and a private forum for asynchronous discussions. They also gain access to an administrator's dashboard to monitor and assess their students' engagement within the NSTA website. All instructors receive a free NSTA membership. Students can become members of the Association through graduation and add to the website's library all of NSTA’s Interactive E-Books+ Professional, professional learning units, and other fee-based resources to use in class and beyond.

TAKEAWAYS:
University/college instructors are using NSTA resources in lieu of a textbook when teaching preservice teacher courses. Participants will meet some of these instructors and learn how they integrate NSTA resources in their courses and the benefits of the program.

SPEAKERS:
Flavio Mendez (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

Lecture and PowerPoint are so 20th Century. Move beyond the traditional lecture approach to your introductory college science classes. Put research into practice as you experience these engaging, relevant, and real approaches to teaching non-majors. Your colleagues will share how they use embedded lab and investigation, real time data,, placed-based pedagogy, and other methods to make learning an active process. Question and Answer time is built into this session as is time to share your successful approaches.

TAKEAWAYS:
Make your college science classes more engaging, relevant, and real for your non-majors.

SPEAKERS:
Rhea Miles (East Carolina University: Greenville, NC), Matthew Blank (Assistant Professor: Houston, TX), Richard Jones (University of Hawaii-West Oahu: Kaploei, HI)

For many students, an undergraduate general education life science (GELS) course may be the only one where they are exposed to scientific reasoning at the collegiate level. In order to contribute to a scientifically literate and informed society, the Interactions in General Education Life Sciences (IGELS) project aims to engage students in reasoning skills around topics that are highly relevant to students. We describe the goals and activities of IGELS and provide preliminary results of our survey of GELS instructors that assesses their current knowledge and implementation of the “Vision and Change” (AAAS, 2009) framework in their courses. These data will inform our future activities to provide faculty development and develop curricular models that support reasoning and relevancy in GELS courses while implementing principles of “Vision and Change.”

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will be able to describe the mission of IGELS and envision how future projects can assist educators in increasing reasoning skills in learners in ways that are relevant to their lives.

SPEAKERS:
Heather Rissler (North Iowa Area Community College)

This poster presentation will use the Krebs Cycle of Creativity as created by Dr. Neri Oxman as a framework for a new approach to interdisciplinary sciences. I will explore the intersectionality of art, science, engineering, and design. This will include how the synergy between these disciplines creates opportunities to study how art and design affect our behavior, how design and engineering impact utility, how engineering and science creates knowledge, and how science and art portrays information. I will use examples from my own classes to highlight how the Krebs Cycle of Creativity can provide a new lens to view interdisciplinary teaching in the science discipline. This will include examples of projects, teaching materials, and student samples. Visitors will leave with a tangible understanding of how their school can move away from the siloed STEAM approach and move towards a more holistic approach that connects the many different disciplines of science.

TAKEAWAYS:
Visitors will leave with a new lens to view interdisciplinary science teaching including examples of projects, teaching materials, student samples, and a tangible understanding of how their school can move away from the siloed STEAM approach and towards a more holistic take on teaching science.

SPEAKERS:
Adam Vorel (6th Grade Science Teacher: Webster Groves, MO)

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)

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)

Coaching Science Olympiad 30+ years and my science teaching cousin still a rookie, we offer tips and tricks on team startup or management. Join us to hear how I took a tiny Nebraska school to win B and C Divisions at Regionals my first year at Arcadia. Having been a veteran coach at four public schools, this amazing educational science event molded careers for my students, cousin, and four children. My cousin started a team in western Nebraska which added travel challenges across our state. We will share ideas on how to manage 2 teams of 30+ students to compete in 24+ events that coaches rarely get to see. Nebraska coaches often make tests for 2 events in 4 time slots to judge. Balancing team preparation and meeting NGSS/state science standards is a challenge while teaching a full day with 3-7 preps. The NE Director asked me to mentor more S.O. coaches so here we are. Teachers will be enlightened with a poster, slide show, paper examples and 3-D visuals to help coaches find success.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will gain ideas to start their own Science Olympiad Team/s. How to select students for various events to earn team points in each, make user-friendly maps with schedules, reminders and information students can follow, and build unity by wearing team designed school shirts .

SPEAKERS:
Marie Wadas (Arcadia Public School: Arcadia, NE)

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)

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

Models such as diagrams, drawings, physical replicas, mathematical representations, analogies, and computer simulations are helpful tools for representing ideas and developing explanations related to phenomena. This training will introduce educators to the ways in which models can be used to deepen student understanding of scientific concepts. Participants will also identify connections to the use of models in their instruction while examining their state standards and/or frameworks.

SPEAKERS:
Laurie Thompson (Accelerate Learning, Inc.: Houston, TX)

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)

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)

N/A

TAKEAWAYS:
Tips on how to relieve pressure and regain control.

SPEAKERS:
Michelle Phillips (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Azra Chughtai (NSTA: McLean, VA)

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)

Preservice teachers using NSTA in lieu of a textbook create a library of resources, grow their network of professional colleagues, and enhance their content and pedagogical knowledge of science by actively engaging with NSTA digital resources, virtual programs, and community members within the NSTA website. Instructors receive a class landing page to manage their course and to easily access the digital resources, a private forum for asynchronous discussions, and an administrator's dashboard to monitor their students' engagement within the website. All instructors using NSTA in lieu of a textbook receive a free NSTA membership, and their students can become members of the Association through graduation. Students gain the ability to add NSTA’s Interactive E-Books+ Professional, professional learning units, and other fee-based resources to their library.

TAKEAWAYS:
Preservice teachers using NSTA as a Textbook (or as instructional materials supplement) create a library of resources, grow their network of professional colleagues, and enhance their content and pedagogical knowledge of science.

SPEAKERS:
Flavio Mendez (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

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)

Sponsoring Company: PASCO

Help students develop a better understanding of mole ratios, stoichiometry, and limiting reactants through this hands-on activity using household chemicals and a Wireless Pressure Sensor.

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

Looking for an engaging and innovative way to get your students to understand the meaning of a word? Experience ways to zoom in and zoom out of science content using a variety of differentiated strategies. Take these ideas straight back to your classroom for immediate use, or for interventions.

SPEAKERS:
Margo Dye (Accelerate Learning Inc.: Houston, TX)

Sponsoring Company: Texas Instruments

The King of all sensors in most science departments is the temperature probe. Probes make it easier for students to quickly and reliably collect data so they can spend more time making sense of it. Come to this hands-on session and interact with, "The Lord of the Probes!"

Sponsoring Company: Savvas Learning Company

N/A

SPEAKERS:
Joseph Levine (Science Writer and Producer: Concord, MA)

Sponsoring Company: Texas Instruments

Graphs are great ways to illustrate patterns/trends in data, but many students do not understand how to use them. By using a motion detector and calculator, students are challenged to "Match a Graph" by changing their position and speed. Come give it a try!

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

Come experience a model lesson from OpenSciEd for Middle School and see how the new Carolina Certified Edition makes these high-quality instructional materials even better! Leave with classroom resources.

SPEAKERS:
Cory Ort (Carolina Biological Supply Co.: Burlington, NC)

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

If you're using STEMscopes (or want to be), this session is for you. Come see the most popular digital curriculum during this session. Discover assessment packages, streaming videos with activities, coding with app building, hands-on engineering projects, STEM teacher certification, and much more.

Sponsoring Company: Savvas Learning Company

Questions are an important aspect of effective science teaching. This session will arm you with questioning strategies including SHARE (Wilcox et al., 2021) that use students’ responses to drive the conversation forward, in addition to convergent/divergent questions.

SPEAKERS:
Jesse Wilcox (University of Northern Iowa: Cedar Falls, IA)

Calling all yoga enthusiasts! Regardless of whether you’re a newbie or veteran, join yoga teacher, Azra Chughtai, RYT, for a warm-up with breathwork; hatha yoga (gentle stretching exercises to wake up the body); and, of course, meditation for relaxation and de-stressing. Beginner friendly!

TAKEAWAYS:
Recharge: Energizing and Stress Relief

Grab a cup of coffee (or tea) and join us for an informal get-together with your peers. Each day of the conference will feature a morning coffee chat, providing you an opportunity to share ideas and experiences, expand your network, and connect with colleagues and friends from around the country.

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)

Throughout teaching Anatomy and Physiology (A&P) and General Biology, students often face academic challenges surrounding these two foundational courses. One intended method to overcome these challenges is to implement a preliminary online course that students can complete before starting the academic year. Attendees will discuss how to design their own preliminary online course through an interactive workshop (in electronic and hard-copy formats) with group-based activities (e.g., discussions and demos) for any college-level biology course. We will also demonstrate various methods and assessments (e.g., recorded videos, quizzes, virtual escape rooms) best suited for students who choose to take the prep course through our findings at our current college. A sample of our current preliminary online courses can be found via this link: https://sites.google.com/springfieldcollege.edu/bioprepcoursessc/general-biology-online-course

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about our experience using a preliminary online course for undergraduates. Attendees will then learn how to design their own prep courses focusing on what students require in general biology and anatomy.

SPEAKERS:
Gemma Bartha (Instructor: Springfield, MA), Joseph Kele (Professor of Biology)

Sponsoring Company: Pivot Interactives

Learn how to use Pivot Interactives as a source of phenomena to quickly bring data analysis into all parts of the learning cycle. Unlock the science practices with your ready to go data and easily implement into your instruction.

SPEAKERS:
Eric Friberg (Pivot Interactives: Minneapolis, MN)

Sponsoring Company: Stile Education

N/A

SPEAKERS:
Kat Gentry (Head of Stile USA: Portland, OR)

Sponsoring Company: hand2mind

Unleash the power of wonder with phenomenon-based lessons that nicely integrate the 5E instructional model.  We’ll explore how each lesson evokes investigations to gain conceptual understanding, and it’s done in 30 minutes or less!

SPEAKERS:
Madison Evans (hand2mind: Vernon Hills, IL)

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

N/A

SPEAKERS:
Amanda Buckwalter (Lyons High School: Lyons, KS), Penny Blue (Lyons High School: Lyons, KS)

Sponsoring Company: American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture

Learn how transfer tasks can be used as summative assessments to help students apply knowledge through authentic learning experiences through the context of food and agriculture. Open to all teachers K-12!

Sponsoring Company: CloudLabs Virtual STEM

Discover how gamified classrooms enhance STEM, creativity, and autonomous learning. Get engage with gamified environments, exploring benefits, challenges, and best practices for integrating technology in education.

SPEAKERS:
Jiovany Orozco (CloudLabs LLC)

Case studies are stories with an educational goal. Subject matter suddenly makes sense. Learn how to craft a case study to achieve your teaching objectives while providing students with a compelling story that is relevant and thought provoking. Bring your laptop – you will create 2 case studies.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to write case studies that engage learners in context-rich problem solving, encourage critical thinking and communication skills, and can be used as authentic assessments. Learn how to transform an online video or news article into an engaging learning activity.

SPEAKERS:
Annie Prud'homme-Généreux (University of British Columbia: No City, No State)

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)

Join us for a speed-sharing session on the latest research in secondary science education and how it can be applied to the classroom. This is a great opportunity to learn about the latest research and how it can help you make a difference in your students' learning.

STEM IRL: STEM Trailblazers for children of color
Addressing inequity in STEM professions starts with exposing students to current minority trailblazers in the field. If students see successful people who look like them, they can begin visualizing themselves in those roles, which can ignite a spark of curiosity and lead to a future in STEM.

Curricular Interventions to Improve Rural High School Students' Relatability to Scientists
Scientist Spotlights homework assignments that feature non-stereotypical scientists can help students see their possible selves in science. Students that author assignments on diverse scientists improve their science identity more than students that complete teacher-authored assignments.

Connecting electrochemistry to materials science: From modeling redox reactions to exploring materials science with dye-sensitized solar cells
Presentation of lab-based modeling approach to metal-metal ion (“single replacement”) reactions. Discussion of ways to integrate materials science concepts, specifically electrochemical cells and dye-sensitized solar cell construction, into the chemistry curriculum.

TAKEAWAYS:
Hear from experts in the field about innovative approaches to teaching science, as well as practical tips for improving your own practice.

SPEAKERS:
Christa Buccola Henriquez (MS 363 The Academy for Personal Leadership and Excellence: Bronx, NY), Fabiola Perez (Student: Edwardsville, IL), Maurina Aranda (Assistant Professor: Edwardsville, IL), Aaron Musson (Omaha Public Schools: Omaha, NE)

Sponsoring Company: Pivot Interactives

What do hands-on labs do well? What not well? Are you open to considering a paradigm shift? Come see how Pivot Interactives expands the options to implement phenomena, the science practices, feedback, and scaffolding easily across the learning cycle.

SPEAKERS:
Eric Friberg (Pivot Interactives: Minneapolis, MN)

Sponsoring Company: Stile Education

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SPEAKERS:
Shawna Jensen (Stile Education: Portland, OR)

Sponsoring Company: Phenomenon Science Education

You will do phenomenon based, 3D activities explicitly linked to the three dimensions and student-centered nature of K-12 Framework based science education. We show teachers how they can center science education on student investigation and explanation of a phenomenon with sensemaking strategies.

SPEAKERS:
Joshua Smith (Phenomenon Science Education: Amherst, MA), Sharon Cates (Phenomenon Science Education: Amherst, MA)

Sponsoring Company: Kognity

Incorporating aspects of the NGSS into lessons can be difficult, daunting, and overwhelming. Join us while we break down how to understand, interpret, and model the application of three-dimensional learning into your instruction. Sponsored by Kognity for High School Science.

SPEAKERS:
Sasha Ferreira (Senior Curriculum Specialist)

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

Let’s explore several intervention strategies to help struggling students in STEM. Let's move beyond differentiation & scaffolding. Come learn proven intervention techniques to help students. Let’s modify our traditional outreach to connect with students so that they gain greater understanding.

SPEAKERS:
Margo Dye (Accelerate Learning Inc.: Houston, TX)

Throughout teaching Anatomy and Physiology (A&P) and General Biology, students often face academic challenges surrounding these two foundational courses. One intended method to overcome these challenges is to implement a preliminary online course that students can complete before starting the academic year. Attendees will discuss how to design their own preliminary online course through an interactive workshop (in electronic and hard-copy formats) with group-based activities (e.g., discussions and demos) for any college-level biology course. We will also demonstrate various methods and assessments (e.g., recorded videos, quizzes, virtual escape rooms) best suited for students who choose to take the prep course, through our findings at our current college. A sample of our current preliminary online courses can be found via this link: https://sites.google.com/springfieldcollege.edu/bioprepcoursessc/general-biology-online-course

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about our experience using a preliminary online course for undergraduates. Attendees will then learn how to design their own prep courses focusing on what students require in general biology and anatomy.

SPEAKERS:
Gemma Bartha (Instructor: Springfield, MA)

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has a clearinghouse of free STEM education resources covering a wide range of health and biomedical research topics for students in grades K through 12. On science.education.nih.gov, you’ll find links to great content from NIH, as well as materials developed through our education grants. The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS, part of NIH) has created a section of its Biomedical Beat blog called the Educator’s Corner (biobeat.nigms.nih.gov/educators-corner) with a collection of carefully curated blog posts designed to align with existing NIGMS science education resources, such as its Pathways collection for middle and high school students. You’ll find tools and ideas to enhance lesson plans, building upon existing science education material that’s already available at no cost. We hope these websites will be useful tools to bring STEM materials into the classroom and to encourage students toward health science careers.

TAKEAWAYS:
The National Institutes of Health has a wide range of free curriculum resources for teachers in the health science space. Materials vary from online interactives, Kahoot! games, and blog posts, to free printed magazine copies with teacher guides. Find them all at science.education.nih.gov.

SPEAKERS:
Rachel Crowley (NIGMS, National Institutes of Health: No City, No State)

Due to the increasing environmental concerns among consumers, governments worldwide are focusing on adopting clean mobility solutions through alternative fuel. The team decided to gather leftover seeds to extract oils that will serve as our source of FAMEThe team used grape, pumpkin, watermelon, pomegranate, and cactus seed oils as a source of fatty acid methyl esters or biodiesel as an Alternative Biofuel. Results show that all plant seeds are a feasible source of biodiesel, pumpkin. on the other hand, oil from the pumpkin seeds shows remarkable results wherein it produces 100 mL of oil from 500 grams of seeds and it has also the highest height (9 inches) of flame when measured. It was also observed that it easily captured the fire during the flammability test. On the other hand, the team observed that the flame color of most of the biodiesel was orange, except for the grape seed which shows a more yellow flame.

TAKEAWAYS:
Making of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (Biodiesel) Out of Native Plant Seeds

SPEAKERS:
Roy Basa (Zuni Public School District: Zuni, NM)

Attendees will learn techniques and strategies for incorporating scientific sketching and nature journaling into students’ science notebook routines by engaging in the activities themselves. Materials and natural physical specimens will be provided for journaling and sketching activities. Student examples and free resources will be shared. This workshop is appropriate for all K-12 teachers and informal science educators.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will be introduced to, and participate in, several nature journaling activities from the free John Muir Laws "How to Teach Nature Journaling" book, as well as receive some scientific sketching guidance from the California Academy of Sciences. Special attention to integrating math will be included.

SPEAKERS:
Dana Atwood-Blaine (University of Northern Iowa: Cedar Falls, IA)

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)

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

Do you want to take your STEM instruction or school to the next level, but not sure how? We have you covered! Come hear from a STEAM school principal with an established program in which a STEM certification for all instructional staff has greatly impacted a positive culture of creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking among the entire school community! Get information on becoming STEM-certified, including details about the process and the proven impact on instruction and culture. You will also get specific ideas to enhance your STEM journey, such as project-based learning, 3D printing, STEM in specials, and much more!

SPEAKERS:
Kate Authier