Science teachers in deaf education: A national survey of K-8 teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaw, Cynthia

A survey was conducted with 67 science teachers who taught deaf children at the elementary school level. Teacher background variables, information about teacher preparation and certification, preferred teaching methods, communication methodologies, curriculum, and the use of technology were gathered. A purposeful, convenience sampling technique was employed. Utilizing a non-experimental, basic research design and survey methodology, the researcher reviewed both quantitative and qualitative data. The majority of science teachers in this survey at the elementary school level are female and hearing. More than half have deaf education masters degrees. Few have science degrees. The majority of teachers had less than 10 years teaching experience with deaf students. Sixty percent were highly qualified in science; only forty percent were certified in science. They were equally employed at either a state residential school or a public day school. Two-way chi-square analyses were carried out. Hearing teachers preferred to observe other teachers teaching science compared to deaf teachers chi2 (1, N = 67) = 5.39, p < .05, deaf teachers were more familiar than hearing teachers with the ASL/English Bilingual Star School program (chi2 (1, N = 67) = 8.49, p < .01). Deaf teachers participated more in the Star Schools training compared to hearing teachers (chi2 (1, N = 67) = 14.15, p < .001). Deaf teachers compared to hearing teachers were more likely to use the bilingual strategy, translanguaging than hearing teachers (chi2 (1, N = 67) = 4.54, p < .05). Hearing teachers used the computer more often in the classroom than deaf teachers (chi 2 (1, N = 67) = 4.65, p < .01). Hearing teachers had their students use the computer more regularly than deaf teachers (chi2 (1, N = 67) = 11.49, p < .01). Teachers who worked in residential schools compared to working in public schools attended more state department of education science workshops chi2 (1, N = 67) = 6.83, p < .01, attended

Examining Learning through Modeling in K-6 Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Louca, Loucas T.; Zacharia, Zacharias C.

2015-01-01

Despite the abundance of research in Modeling-based Learning (MbL) in science education, to date there is only limited research on MbL practices among K-6 novice modelers. More specifically, there is no information on how young/novice modelers' modeling enactments look so that researchers and educators have an idea of what should be expected from…

The Development of a Conceptual Framework for New K-12 Science Education Standards (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keller, T.

2010-12-01

The National Academy of Sciences has created a committee of 18 National Academy of Science and Engineering members, academic scientists, cognitive and learning scientists, and educators, educational policymakers and researchers to develop a framework to guide new K-12 science education standards. The committee began its work in January, 2010, released a draft of the framework in July, 2010, and intends to have the final framework in the first quarter of 2011. The committee was helped in early phases of the work by consultant design teams. The framework is designed to help realize a vision for science and engineering education in which all students actively engage in science and engineering practices in order to deepen their understanding of core ideas in science over multiple years of school. These three dimensions - core disciplinary ideas, science and engineering practices, and cross-cutting elements - must blend together to build an exciting, relevant, and forward looking science education. The framework will be used as a base for development of next generation K-12 science education standards.

Differentiated Instruction for K-8 Math and Science: Activities and Lesson Plans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamm, Mary; Adams, Dennis

2008-01-01

This book offers practical recommendations to reach every student in a K-8 classroom. Research-based and written in a teacher-friendly style, it will help teachers with classroom organization and lesson planning in math and science. Included are math and science games, activities, ideas, and lesson plans based on the math and science standards.…

Small Schools Student Learning Objectives, K-8: Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics. K-3; Science, Social Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartl, David, Ed.; And Others

Developed by 40 primary teachers and 10 elementary principals from small school districts in Washington, this handbook contains sequenced student learning objectives for grades K-3 in science and social studies and for grades K-8 in reading, language arts, and mathematics. The handbook is designed to assist teachers with the improvement of…

A Review of Resources for Evaluating K-12 Computer Science Education Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Randolph, Justus J.; Hartikainen, Elina

2004-01-01

Since computer science education is a key to preparing students for a technologically-oriented future, it makes sense to have high quality resources for conducting summative and formative evaluation of those programs. This paper describes the results of a critical analysis of the resources for evaluating K-12 computer science education projects.…

Survey of K-12 Science Teachers' Educational Product Needs from Planetary Scientists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slater, Stephanie J.; Slater, Timothy F.; Olsen, Julia K.

2009-01-01

Most education reform documents of the last two decades call for students to have authentic science inquiry experiences that mimic scientific research using real scientific data. In order for professional planetary scientists to provide the most useful data and professional development for K-12 teachers in support of science education reform, an…

The Village Green Project: Lesson Plans for K-8 Educators ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document contains lesson plans spanning kindergarten through 8th grade, that are written to connect next-generation science standards (USA) to the Village Green Project and related air quality topics. This document contains a series of classroom lesson plans to support connections between the Village Green Project and the USA National Science Standards at various education levels.

Changes needed in U.S. science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zielinski, Sarah

2006-10-01

Improvements in U.S. science education require a coordinated curriculum from kindergarten through grade eight (K-8), with standards focused on several core ideas, according to a 21 September report from the National Research Council of the U.S. National Academies. The committee that authored the report recommended that K-8 science education offer students the opportunity to become versed in knowing, using, and interpreting scientific explanations of the natural world, and in other `strandsrsquo that comprise proficiency in science. Students also should receive a variety of learning experiences, including conducting investigations, sharing ideas with their peers, and using models. The report urges policymakers,researchers, and leaders in education to tackle gaps in science achievement that persist between white students and non-Asian minority students, and between economically advantaged and disadvantaged children. In addition, the committee found that although studies show that children can think in sophisticated ways, science education usually assumes that children are simplistic thinkers.

Integrating Science Content and Pedagogy in the Earth, Life, and Physical Sciences: A K-8 Pre-Service Teacher Preparation Continuum at the University of Delaware

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madsen, J.; Allen, D.; Donham, R.; Fifield, S.; Ford, D.; Shipman, H.; Dagher, Z.

2007-12-01

University of Delaware faculty in the geological sciences, biological sciences, and the physics and astronomy departments have partnered with faculty and researchers from the school of education to form a continuum for K- 8 pre-service teacher preparation in science. The goal of the continuum is to develop integrated understandings of content and pedagogy so that these future teachers can effectively use inquiry-based approaches in teaching science in their classrooms. Throughout the continuum where earth science content appears an earth system science approach, with emphasis on inquiry-based activities, is employed. The continuum for K-8 pre-service teachers includes a gateway content course in the earth, life, or physical sciences taken during the freshman year followed by integrated science content and methods courses taken during the sophomore year. These integrated courses, called the Science Semester, were designed and implemented with funding from the National Science Foundation. During the Science Semester, traditional content and pedagogy subject matter boundaries are crossed to stress shared themes that teachers must understand to teach standards-based science. Students work collaboratively on multidisciplinary problem-based learning (PBL) activities that place science concepts in authentic contexts and build learning skills. They also critically explore the theory and practice of elementary science teaching, drawing on their shared experiences of inquiry learning during the Science Semester. The PBL activities that are the hallmark of the Science Semester provide the backdrop through which fundamental earth system interactions can be studied. For example in a PBL investigation that focuses on kids, cancer, and the environment, the hydrologic cycle with emphasis on surface runoff and ground water contamination is studied. Those students seeking secondary certification in science will enroll, as a bridge toward their student teaching experience, in an

The Next Generation Science Standards: An Historic Opportunity for K-12 Earth and Space Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, R. M.; Passow, M. J.; Holzer, M. A.; Moore, J.

2014-12-01

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) provide an historic opportunity to significantly improve Earth and space science (ESS) education nationally at the K-12 level. The increased emphasis on ESS related topics in the NGSS relative to previous standards provides a real opportunity for ensuring all K-12 students in adopting states learn about the ESS - allowing us to reach many more students than are currently are exposed to our discipline. The new standards are also exciting in that they explicitly couple science and engineering practice, cross-cutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas in such a way that student must actively demonstrate their understanding through actions rather than through mere regurgitation of memorized responses. Achieving mastery of NGSS Performance Expectations will require practice with higher-order learning skills - with students engaging in the practices of scientists and engineers. Preparing students for this mastery will be a challenging task for teachers, since in many states professional development support is limited at best for the current curriculum - let alone the curricula that will be developed to address the NGSS. As adoption of the NGSS expands across the country, states will be at various levels of implementation of the new standards over the next several years - and there is real concern that teachers must have sufficient professional development to be able to be successful in preparing their students - particularly in view of likely coupled assessments and teacher evaluations. NESTA strongly supports implementation of the NGSS, and the rigorous and compelling ESS education it will engender, when coupled with a strong emphasis nationwide on teacher professional development. For the past two years, the National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA) has continued our leadership in K-12 ESS education through workshops, web seminars, events and publications that emphasize implementation of the NGSS in ESS

Assessment Strategies for Implementing Ngss in K12 Earth System Science Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McAuliffe, C.

2016-12-01

Several science education researchers have led assessment efforts that provide strategies particularly useful for evaluating the threedimensional learning that is central to NGSS (DeBarger, A. H., Penuel, W. R., Harris, C. J., Kennedy, C. K., 2016; Knight, A. M. & McNeill, K. L., 2015; McNeill, K. L., KatshSinger, R. & Pelletier, P., 2015; McNeill K.L., et.al., 2015; McNeill, K.L., & Krajcik, J.S., 2011; Penuel, W., 2016). One of the basic premises of these researchers is that, "Assessment is a practice of argument from evidence based on what students say, do, and write" and that "the classroom is the richest place to gather evidence of what students know (Penuel, W., 2016). The implementation of the NGSS in Earth System Science provides a unique opportunity for geoscience education researchers to study student learning and contribute to the development of this research as well as for geoscience educators to apply these approaches and strategies in their own work with K12 inservice and preservice educators. DeBarger, A. H., Penuel, W. R., Harris, C. J., Kennedy, C. K. (2016). Building an Assessment Argument to Design and Use Next Generation Science Assessments in Efficacy Studies of Curriculum Interventions. American†Journal†of†Evaluation†37(2) 174192Æ Knight, A. M. & McNeill, K. L. (2015). Comparing students' individual written and collaborative oral socioscientific arguments. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education.10(5), 23647. McNeill, K. L., KatshSinger, R. & Pelletier, P. (2015). Assessing science practices-Moving your class along a continuum. Science Scope. McNeill, K.L., & Krajcik, J.S. (2011). Supporting Grade 5-8 Students in Constructing Explanations in Science: The Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning Framework for Talk and Writing. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson. Penuel, W. (2016). Classroom Assessment Strategies for NGSS Earth and Space Sciences. Implementing†the†NGSS†Webinar†Series, February 11, 2016.

The Role of Public Policy in K-12 Science Education. Research in Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeBoer, George E., Ed.

2011-01-01

The goal of this volume of "Research in Science Education" is to examine the relationship between science education policy and practice and the special role that science education researchers play in influencing policy. It has been suggested that the science education research community is isolated from the political process, pays little attention…

Science Communication versus Science Education: The Graduate Student Scientist as a K-12 Classroom Resource

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strauss, Jeff; Shope, Richard E., III; Terebey, Susan

2005-01-01

Science literacy is a major goal of science educational reform (NRC, 1996; AAAS, 1998; NCLB Act, 2001). Some believe that teaching science only requires pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Others believe doing science requires knowledge of the methodologies of scientific inquiry (NRC, 1996). With these two mindsets, the challenge for science educators is to create models that bring the two together. The common ground between those who teach science and those who do science is science communication, an interactive process that galvanizes dialogue among scientists, teachers, and learners in a rich ambience of mutual respect and a common, inclusive language of discourse . The dialogue between science and non-science is reflected in the polarization that separates those who do science and those who teach science, especially as it plays out everyday in the science classroom. You may be thinking, why is this important? It is vital because, although not all science learners become scientists, all K-12 students are expected to acquire science literacy, especially with the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). Students are expected to acquire the ability to follow the discourse of science as well as connect the world of science to the context of their everyday life if they plan on moving to the next grade level, and in some states, to graduate from high school. This paper posits that science communication is highly effective in providing the missing link for K-12 students cognition in science and their attainment of science literacy. This paper will focus on the "Science For Our Schools" (SFOS) model implemented at California State Univetsity, Los Angeles (CSULA) as a project of the National Science Foundation s GK-12 program, (NSF 2001) which has been a huge success in bridging the gap between those who "know" science and those who "teach" science. The SFOS model makes clear the distinctions that identify science, science communication, science

Sputnik and United States K-12 science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hare, Donna Leigh

The intention of this study was to examine the relationships of the United States space program, education (especially science education), politics, and the National Science Foundation (NSF) to each other and the effects set in motion by the Russian's launch of Sputnik I upon those entities and their relationships. It provides a preliminary assessment of developments in United States rocket science as well as science education to the early 1950s. The scope of this investigation was confined to the historical development of four distinct yet related entities; (1) U.S. science education, (2) space exploration, (3) government and politics, and (4) the National Science Foundation. Its focus was on the years 1957 to 1966. The launch of Sputnik I in 1957, the passage of the National Defense Education Act (NDEA) in 1958, the Secondary Education Act in 1965 and the end of the Gemini program in 1966 represent the defining benchmarks for this study. 169 The most significant and durable outcomes of the Sputnik crisis in relation to science education were: (1) a formalized linkage between science education and national defense; (2) federal funding to education; (3) the passage of the NDEA with its entitlements; (4) the alignment of the NSF with precollege science education issues; (5) NSF Summer Institutes for Science Teachers and NSF Science Course Improvement Projects; and (6) the establishment of response to perceived threat to national defense as a legislative and funding support mechanism for science education.

K-8 Collection.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Web Feet, 2001

2001-01-01

This annotated subject guide to Web sites for grades K-8 focuses on biography, dinosaurs, fairy tales and folk tales, history, math, science, and calendar connections for December observances. Specific grade levels are indicated for each annotation. (LRW)

A Supplementary Program for Environmental Education, Science, Grades K Through 12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warpinski, Robert

Presented in these 13 teacher's guides for grades K-12 are lesson plans and ideas for integrating science and environmental education. Each lesson originates with a fundamental concept pertaining to the environment and states, in addition, its discipline area, subject area, and problem orientation. Following this, behavioral objectives and…

K-12 science education reform will take a decade, and community partnerships hold best hope for success

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Keever, J.R.

1994-12-31

Fundamental change in K-12 science education in the United States, essential for full citizenship in an increasingly technological world, will take a decade or more to accomplish, and only the sustained, cooperative efforts of people in their own communities -- scientists, teachers, and concerned citizens -- will likely ensure success. These were among the themes at Sigma Xi`s national K-12 science education forum.

Bibliography of Research Support for K-8th Grade Inclusive Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Center on Schoolwide Inclusive School Reform: The SWIFT Center, 2014

2014-01-01

Presented here are references to books, chapters, and peer-reviewed journal articles that provide evidence for improved student outcomes through inclusive education in elementary and middle schools (K-8th grades). Not included here are the broad evidence bases for each feature in the SWIFT framework.

Catalyzing Effective Science Education: Contributions from the NASA Science Education and Public Outreach Forums

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Denise A.; Bartolone, L.; Eisenhamer, B.; Lawton, B. L.; Schultz, G. R.; Peticolas, L.; Schwerin, T.; Shipp, S.; Astrophysics E/PO Community, NASA; NASA Astrophysics Forum Team

2013-06-01

Advancing scientific literacy and strengthening the Nation’s future workforce through stimulating, informative, and effective learning experiences are core principles of the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) education and public outreach (E/PO) program. To support and coordinate its E/PO community in offering a coherent suite of activities and experiences that effectively meet the needs of the education community, NASA SMD has created four Science Education and Public Outreach Forums (Astrophysics, Planetary Science, Heliophysics, Earth Science). Forum activities include: professional development to raise awareness of the existing body of best practices and educational research; analysis and cataloging of SMD-funded education materials with respect to AAAS Benchmarks for Science Literacy; Working Groups that assemble needs assessment and best practices data relevant to Higher Education, K-12 Formal Education, and Informal Science Education audiences; and community collaborations that enable SMD E/PO community members to develop new partnerships and to learn and share successful strategies and techniques. This presentation will highlight examples of Forum and community-based activities related to astronomy education and teacher professional development, within the context of the principles articulated within the NRC Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards. Among these are an emerging community of practice for K-12 educators and online teacher professional development and resources that incorporate misconception research and authentic experiences with NASA Astrophysics data.

Evaluation of Online Teacher and Student Materials for the Framework for K-12 Science Education Science and Engineering Crosscutting Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwab, Patrick

2013-01-01

The National Research Council developed and published the "Framework for K-12 Science Education," a new set of concepts that many states were planning on adopting. Part of this new endeavor included a set of science and engineering crosscutting concepts to be incorporated into science materials and activities, a first in science…

Making Curriculum Decisions in K-8 Science: The Relationship between Teacher Dispositions and Curriculum Content

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eidietis, L.; Jewkes, A. M.

2011-01-01

This study examined teachers' dispositions toward and choices to teach ocean science using a survey design. A sample of 89 in-service K-8 teachers in the United States reported their (1) feelings of preparedness to teach about ocean literacy and (2) attitudes toward ocean science on three measures. Results of multiple linear regression showed that…

Predicting the implementation of environmental education in Indiana K--8 schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Li-Ling

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors from the literature that influence teachers' implementation of environmental education (EE), and to predict the implementation of EE in the Indiana K--8 Schools by knowledge of these factors. By adapting two earlier instruments, a complete EE assessment instrument was developed, consisting of scales measuring teachers' implementation of EE, their pre-/in-service environmental training, their attitudes toward and competencies in teaching EE, their perceived barriers in teaching EE, and their significant life experiences related to the environment or EE. A questionnaire was sent to 1,200 randomly selected K--8 teachers in public schools throughout Indiana in April 2003, and 385 completed surveys were returned (32.1% return rate). The demographic characteristics of the respondents and the Indiana teacher population were found to be similar. Thus, the results from this study can be generalized to the Indiana teacher population. The construct validity and reliability of each scale were examined after the completion and return of the questionnaires by using factor analysis, item-test correlation analysis, and ANOVA, and also by assessing their alpha indices. It was found that all nine scales were homogeneous, valid, and reliable. Multiple regression analysis was calculated to predict the level of EE implementation in Indiana K--8 schools. Regression analyses indicated that the extent of the teachers' exposure to EE during their pre- and in-service training, the teachers' attitudes toward and competencies in teaching EE, and the barrier "EE not relevant to what I teach" were significant in the full model. This model accounted for 63% of the variance in the teachers' implementation of EE. The teachers' attitudes toward EE had the greatest effect on the teachers' EE implementation when compared to the other significant predictors in the model. The net effects of the extent of the teachers' pre-service and in

Perspectives and Visions of Computer Science Education in Primary and Secondary (K-12) Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hubwieser, Peter; Armoni, Michal; Giannakos, Michail N.; Mittermeir, Roland T.

2014-01-01

In view of the recent developments in many countries, for example, in the USA and in the UK, it appears that computer science education (CSE) in primary or secondary schools (K-12) has reached a significant turning point, shifting its focus from ICT-oriented to rigorous computer science concepts. The goal of this special issue is to offer a…

Tech-Savvy Science Education? Understanding Teacher Pedagogical Practices for Integrating Technology in K-12 Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hechter, Richard; Vermette, Laurie Anne

2014-01-01

This paper examines the technology integration practices of Manitoban K-12 inservice science educators based on the Technological, Pedagogical, and Content knowledge (TPACK) framework. Science teachers (n = 433) completed a 10-item online survey regarding pedagogical beliefs about technology integration, types of technology used, and how often…

Science Fairs Plus: Reinventing an Old Favorite. Grades K-8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cusick, Judy, Ed.; Duval, Carol, Ed.; Smith, Betty, Ed.

This book presents a selection of articles published in "Science and Children", "Science Scope", and "The Science Teacher", all journals published by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), that cover all grade levels from elementary through secondary education. It describes how to organize and conduct a successful science fair. Contents…

K-8 Charter Schools: Closing the Achievement Gap. Innovations in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Department of Education, 2007

2007-01-01

This guide is part of a series produced by the U.S. Department of Education, and it builds on two previous works: "Successful Charter Schools" (ED493615) and "Charter High Schools Closing the Achievement Gap" (ED494482). It profiles seven K-8 charter schools that are making headway in narrowing gaps in achievement. It examines…

Engaging Scientists in NASA Education and Public Outreach: K - 12 Formal Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartolone, Lindsay; Smith, D. A.; Eisenhamer, B.; Lawton, B. L.; Universe Professional Development Collaborative, Multiwavelength; NASA Data Collaborative, Use of; SEPOF K-12 Formal Education Working Group; E/PO Community, SMD

2014-01-01

The NASA Science Education and Public Outreach Forums support the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and its education and public outreach (E/PO) community through a coordinated effort to enhance the coherence and efficiency of SMD-funded E/PO programs. The Forums foster collaboration between scientists with content expertise and educators with pedagogy expertise. We present opportunities for the astronomy community to participate in collaborations supporting the NASA SMD efforts in the K - 12 Formal Education community. Members of the K - 12 Formal Education community include classroom educators, homeschool educators, students, and curriculum developers. The Forums’ efforts for the K - 12 Formal Education community include a literature review, appraisal of educators’ needs, coordination of audience-based NASA resources and opportunities, professional development, and support with the Next Generation Science Standards. Learn how to join in our collaborative efforts to support the K - 12 Formal Education community based upon mutual needs and interests.

Problem-Based Learning in K-8 Mathematics and Science Education: A Literature Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merritt, Joi; Lee, Mi Yeon; Rillero, Peter; Kinach, Barbara M.

2017-01-01

This systematic literature review was conducted to explore the effectiveness of problem-based and project-based learning (PBL) implemented with students in early elementary to grade 8 (ages 3-14) in mathematics and science classrooms. Nine studies met the following inclusion criteria: (a) focus on PBL, (b) experimental study, (c) kindergarten to…

Fermilab Science Education Office - Educators/Teachers

Science.gov Websites

- FAQ - Fermilab Friends - Fermilab Home Fermilab Office of Education & Public Outreach Fermilab MS Prairie Exhibits Leon M. Lederman Science Adventures Teacher Resource Center The Leon M. Lederman Science Education Center houses hands-on exhibits for ages 10+, technology and science labs, a store and the K-12

Scientists Involved in K-12 Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robigou, V.

2004-12-01

The publication of countless reports documenting the dismal state of science education in the 1980s, and the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS) report (1996) called for a wider involvement of the scientific community in K-12 education and outreach. Improving science education will not happen without the collaboration of educators and scientists working in a coordinated manner and it requires a long-term, continuous effort. To contribute effectively to K-12 education all scientists should refer to the National Science Education Standards, a set of policies that guide the development of curriculum and assessment. Ocean scientists can also specifically refer to the COSEE recommendations (www.cosee.org) that led to the creation of seven regional Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence. Scientists can get involved in K-12 education in a multitude of ways. They should select projects that will accommodate time away from their research and teaching obligations, their talent, and their interest but also contribute to the education reform. A few examples of effective involvement are: 1) collaborating with colleagues in a school of education that can lead to better education of all students and future teachers, 2) acting as a resource for a national program or a local science fair, 3) serving on the advisory board of a program that develops educational material, 4) speaking out at professional meetings about the value of scientists' involvement in education, 5) speaking enthusiastically about the teaching profession. Improving science education in addition to research can seem a large, overwhelming task for scientists. As a result, focusing on projects that will fit the scientist's needs as well as benefit the science reform is of prime importance. It takes an enormous amount of work and financial and personnel resources to start a new program with measurable impact on students. So, finding the right opportunity is a priority, and stepping

Scientists and K-12: Experience from The Science House

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haase, David G.

2003-03-01

In working with K-12 science and mathematics education, scientists may take on many different roles - from presenter to full-time partner. These roles are illustrated in the activities of The Science House, a K-12 education program of North Carolina State University, (www.science-house.org) which partners with teachers and students across the state to promote inquiry-based learning in mathematics and science. While it is important to involve scientists in K-12, most universities do not have effective means to make the connections. In our efforts to do so, which began with a few teacher workshops and now encompasses six offices across NC, we have sought to join the interests of the university (research, teaching, student recruiting) to the needs of K-12. Our programs now include teacher training workshops, student science camps and curriculum projects in several states. We are reminded that K-12 science education is interdisciplinary; local and political; and a process, not a problem to be solved and forgotten. Partially supported by NSF (CHE-9876674 and DBI-0115462), the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.

Rural K-8 Special Education Teachers' Perceptions of Their Positional Status as Special Education Teachers Who Co-Teach with Regular Education Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LaPorte, Kristy L.

2010-01-01

This exploratory qualitative case study investigated rural K-8 special education teacher perceptions of their positional status as special education teachers who co-teach with their regular education peers. Four special education teachers participated in journal prompts, one-on-one interviews, and a focus group interview. The conceptual lens for…

A phenomenological case study concerning science teacher educators' beliefs and teaching practices about culturally relevant pedagogy and preparing K-12 science teachers to engage African American students in K-12 science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Underwood, Janice Bell

Due to the rising diversity in today's schools, science teacher educators (STEs) suggest that K-12 teachers must be uniquely prepared to engage these students in science classrooms. Yet, in light of the increasing white-black science achievement gap, it is unclear how STEs prepare preservice teachers to engage diverse students, and African Americans in particular. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to find out how STEs prepare preservice teachers to engage African American students in K-12 science. Thus, using the culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) framework, this phenomenological case study explored beliefs about culturally relevant science teaching and the influence of reported beliefs and experiences related to race on STEs' teaching practices. In the first phase, STE's in a mid-Atlantic state were invited to participate in an electronic survey. In the second phase, four participants, who were identified as exemplars, were selected from the survey to participate in three semi-structured interviews. The data revealed that STEs were more familiar with culturally responsive pedagogy (CResP) in the context of their post-secondary classrooms as opposed to CRP. Further, most of the participants in part one and two described modeling conventional ways they prepare their preservice teachers to engage K-12 students, who represent all types of diversity, without singling out any specific race. Lastly, many of the STEs' in this study reported formative experiences related to race and beliefs in various manifestations of racism have impacted their teaching beliefs and practices. The findings of this study suggest STEs do not have a genuine understanding of the differences between CRP and CResP and by in large embrace CResP principles. Secondly, in regards to preparing preservice teachers to engage African American students in science, the participants in this study seemed to articulate the need for ideological change, but were unable to demonstrate pedagogical changes

Science Education Partnerships. Manual for Scientists and K-12 Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sussman, Art, Ed.

Many involved in science education reform agree that one ingredient of future science education programs should be effective partnerships. Partnerships often will embrace people and organizations who traditionally have not been involved in science education. This book offers "how to" guidelines for forming effective science education…

The Windows to the Universe Project: Using the Internet to Support K-12 Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gardiner, L.; Johnson, R.; Bergman, J.; Russell, R.; Genyuk, J.; La Grave, M.

2003-12-01

The World Wide Web can be a powerful tool for reaching the public as well as students and teachers around the world, supporting both formal and informal science education. The Windows to the Universe Project, initiated in 1995, provides a case study of approaches for the use of the web to support earth and space science education and literacy efforts. Through the use of innovative approaches such as easy to use design, multi-level content, and science concepts presented in a broader background context that includes connections to culture and the humanities, Windows to the Universe is an accessible format for individuals of various ages and learning styles. A large global audience regularly uses the web site to learn about earth and space science as well as related humanities content such as myths from around the world. User surveys show that the site has over 4 millions users per year, 65 percent of which are K-12 teachers and students. Approximately 46 percent of users access the site once per week or more. Recently, we have had the opportunity to expand our efforts while we continue to update existing content based on new scientific findings and events. Earth science content on Windows to the Universe is currently growing with a new geology section and development efforts are underway to expand our space weather content with a new curriculum. Educational games allow users to learn about space in a playful context, and an online journaling tool further integrates literacy into the learning experience. In addition, we are currently translating the entire Windows to the Universe web site into Spanish. We have included educators in the project as co-designers from its inception, and by aggressively utilizing and providing professional development opportunities for teachers, the web site is now used in thousands of classrooms around the world. In the past year we have continued to support K-12 educators by adding to our suite of classroom activities and leading

The Role of the National Science Foundation in K-12 Science and Math Education. Hearing before the Committee on Science, House of Representatives, One Hundred Ninth Congress, Second Session (May 3, 2006). Serial Number 109-46

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US House of Representatives, 2006

2006-01-01

The purpose of this hearing was to review the effectiveness and value of the National Science Foundation's (NSF's) past and present programs in support of improvement of K-12 science and math education and to examine what role the Foundation should play in future federal initiatives for strengthening K-12 science and math education. This hearing…

Evaluation of the National Science Foundation Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Julia; Levine, Roger; Gonzalez, Raquel; Bitter, Catherine; Webb, Norman; White, Paul

The GK-12 program of the National Science Foundation is an innovative program for enriching the value of graduate and advanced undergraduate students' education while simultaneously enriching science and mathematics teaching at the K-12 level. GK-12 is a fellowship program that offers graduate students and advanced undergraduates the opportunity…

Climate Change Education Today in K-12: What's Happening in the Earth and Space Science Classroom?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holzer, M. A.; National Earth Science Teachers Association

2011-12-01

Climate change is a highly interdisciplinary topic, involving not only multiple fields of science, but also social science and the humanities. There are many aspects of climate change science that make it particularly well-suited for exploration in the K-12 setting, including opportunities to explore the unifying processes of science such as complex systems, models, observations, change and evolution. Furthermore, this field of science offers the opportunity to observe the nature of science in action - including how scientists develop and improve their understanding through research and debate. Finally, climate change is inherently highly relevant to students - indeed, students today will need to deal with the consequences of the climate change. The science of climate change is clearly present in current science education standards, both at the National level as well as in the majority of states. Nonetheless, a significant number of teachers across the country report difficulties addressing climate change in the classroom. The National Earth Science Teachers Association has conducted several surveys of Earth and space science educators across the country over the past several years on a number of issues, including their needs and concerns, including their experience of external influences on what they teach. While the number of teachers that report external pressures to not teach climate change science are in the minority (and less than the pressure to not teach evolution and related topics), our results suggest that this pressure against climate change science in the K-12 classroom has grown over the past several years. Some teachers report being threatened by parents, being encouraged by administrators to not teach the subject, and a belief that the "two sides" of climate change should be taught. Survey results indicate that teachers in religious or politically-conservative districts are more likely to report difficulties in teaching about climate change than in

Teaching and Learning about Complex Systems in K-12 Science Education: A Review of Empirical Studies 1995-2015

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoon, Susan A.; Goh, Sao-Ee; Park, Miyoung

2018-01-01

The study of complex systems has been highlighted in recent science education policy in the United States and has been the subject of important real-world scientific investigation. Because of this, research on complex systems in K-12 science education has shown a marked increase over the past two decades. In this systematic review, we analyzed 75…

Developing Partnerships between Higher Education Faculty, K-12 Science Teachers, and School Administrators via MSP initiatives: The RITES Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caulkins, J. L.; Kortz, K. M.; Murray, D. P.

2011-12-01

The Rhode Island Technology Enhanced Science Project (RITES) is a NSF-funded Math and Science Partnership (MSP) project that seeks to improve science education. RITES is, at its core, a unique partnership that fosters relationships between middle and high school science teachers, district and school administrators, higher education (HE) faculty members, and science education researchers. Their common goal is to enhance scientific inquiry, increase classroom technology usage, and improve state level science test scores. In one of the more visible examples of this partnership, middle and high school science teachers work closely with HE science faculty partners to design and teach professional development (PD) workshops. The PD sessions focus on technology-enhanced scientific investigations (e.g. use of probes, online simulations, etc.), exemplify inquiry-based instruction, and relate expert content knowledge. Teachers from these sessions express substantial satisfaction in the program, report increased comfort levels in teaching the presented materials (both via post-workshop surveys), and show significant gains in content knowledge (via pre-post assessments). Other benefits to this kind of partnership, in which K-12 and HE teachers are considered equals, include: 1) K-12 teachers are empowered through interactions with HE faculty and other science teachers in the state; 2) HE instructors become more informed not only about good pedagogical practices, but also practical aspects of teaching science such as engaging students; and 3) the PD sessions tend to be much stronger than ones designed and presented solely by HE scientists, for while HE instructors provide content expertise, K-12 teachers provide expertise in K-12 classroom practice and implementation. Lastly, the partnership is mutually beneficial for the partners involved because both sides learn practical ways to teach science and inquiry at different levels. In addition to HE faculty and K-12 science teacher

Big Outcrops and Big Ideas in Earth Science K-8 Professional Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baldwin, K. A.; Cooper, C. M.; Cavagnetto, A.; Morrison, J.; Adesope, O.

2014-12-01

Washington State has recently adopted the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and state leaders are now working toward supporting teachers' implementation of the new standards and the pedagogical practices that support them. This poster encompasses one of one such professional development (PD) effort. The Enhancing Understanding of Concepts and Processes of Science (EUCAPS) project serves 31 K-8 in-service teachers in two southeast Washington school districts. In year two of this three year PD project, in-service teachers explored the Earth sciences and pedagogical approaches such as the Science Writing Heuristic, concept mapping, and activities which emphasized the epistemic nature of science. The goals of the EUCAPS PD project are to increase in-service teachers' big ideas in science and to provide support to in-service teachers as they transition to the NGSS. Teachers used concepts maps to document their knowledge of Earth science processes before and after visiting a local field site in Lewiston, Idaho. In the context of immersive inquiries, teachers collected field-based evidence to support their claims about the geological history of the field site. Teachers presented their claims and evidence to their peers in the form a story about the local geologic history. This poster will present an overview of the PD as well as provide examples of teacher's work and alignment with the NGSS.

Teacher Field Research Experiences: Building and Maintaining the Passion for K-12 Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunton, K.; Schonberg, S.

2006-12-01

Academic scientists and researchers are increasingly encouraged to develop connections with K-12 educators to promote scientific literacy and bring excitement into the classroom. Such partnerships carry long-term benefits to both teachers and researchers. Teachers gain the tools, confidence, and knowledge to develop research activities with their students that promote scientific inquiry, and researchers benefit from outreach activities that improve communication skills for sharing scientific knowledge with the public. Our K-12 programs have been field based under a theme of Classrooms Without Walls, to take advantage of our local marine environment and a long-term research program on the Alaskan Arctic coast. Our professional development programs for teachers have included the creation of an annual summer graduate level course (Application of Field Research Experiences for K-12 Science and Math Educators) as an introduction to scientific methodology, observation, and inquiry based learning. We provide graduate students as resources in classrooms and for field trip experiences and provide supplies and instrumentation to teachers for K-12 field projects. Finally, teachers have an opportunity to join our researchers to remote sites under various competitive programs that receive federal support (e.g. GK-12, ARMADA). We provide examples of our activities, which are based on recent needs assessment surveys of science teachers; these included development of content knowledge and providing students with opportunities to connect concepts with experiences. Our goal is to provide field experiences to teachers and students that enable them to relate science concepts to the real world.

Practical Application of Research in Science Education (PARSE) -- A New Collaboration for K-12 Science Teacher Professional Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zwicker, Andrew; Lopez, Jose; Clayton, James

2008-11-01

A new collaboration between PPPL, St. Peter's College, the Liberty Science Center, and the Jersey City Public School District was formed in order to create a unique K-12 teacher professional development program. St. Peter's College, located in Jersey City, NJ, is a liberal arts college in an urban setting. The Liberty Science Center (LSC) is the largest education resource in the New Jersey-New York City region. The Jersey City School District has 28,000 students of which approximately 90% are from populations traditionally under-represented in science. The new program is centered upon topics surrounding energy and the environment. In the first year, beginning in 2009, 15-20 teachers will participate in a pilot course that includes hands-on research at PPPL and St. Peter's, the creation of new curricular materials, and pedagogical techniques. Scientists, master teachers, and education professors will teach the course. In subsequent years, the number of participants will be significantly expanded and the curricular material disseminated to other school districts. In addition, an outside evaluator will measure the educational outcome throughout the project.

Monitoring Progress: How the 2012 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education Can Inform a National K-12 STEM Education Indicator System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fulkerson, William O.; Banilower, Eric R.

2014-01-01

"Monitoring Progress Toward Successful K-12 STEM Education: A Nation Advancing?" (National Research Council, 2013) describes a set of 14 indicators for assessing and tracking the health of pre-college STEM education in the United States. This 2012 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education (NSSME), is the fifth in a series of…

Science Teacher Education: An International Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abell, Sandra K., Ed.

This book presents reform efforts in science teacher education from an international perspective. Chapters include: (1) "International Perspectives on Science Teacher Education: An Introduction" (Sandra K. Abell); (2) "The Development of Preservice Elementary Science Teacher Education in Australia" (Ken Appleton, Ian S. Ginns,…

Exemplary Science PreK-4: Standards-Based Success Stories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yager, Robert E., Ed.; Enger, Sandra

2006-01-01

Since their release in 1996, the National Science Education Standards have provided the vision for science education reform. But has that reform actually taken hold in elementary school? "Yes!," reports Robert Yager, editor of Exemplary Science in Grades PreK-4: Standards-Based Success Stories. "Probably the Standards have done more to change…

Increasing ocean sciences in K and 1st grade classrooms through ocean sciences curriculum aligned to A Framework for K-12 Science Education, and implementation support.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pedemonte, S.; Weiss, E. L.

2016-02-01

Ocean and climate sciences are rarely introduced at the early elementary levels. Reasons for this vary, but include little direct attention at the national and state levels; lack of quality instructional materials; and, lack of teacher content knowledge. Recent recommendations by the National Research Council, "revise the Earth and Space sciences core ideas and grade band endpoints to include more attention to the ocean whenever possible" (NRC, 2012, p. 336) adopted in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), may increase the call for ocean and climate sciences to be addressed. In response to these recommendations' and the recognition that an understanding of some of the Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs) would be incomplete without an understanding of processes or phenomena unique to the ocean and ocean organisms; the ocean Literacy community have created documents that show the alignment of NGSS with the Ocean Literacy Principles and Fundamental Concepts (Ocean Literacy, 2013) as well as the Ocean Literacy Scope and Sequence for Grades K-12 (Ocean Literacy, 2010), providing a solid argument for how and to what degree ocean sciences should be part of the curriculum. However, the percentage of science education curricula focused on the ocean remains very low. This session will describe a new project, that draws on the expertise of curriculum developers, ocean literacy advocates, and researchers to meet the challenges of aligning ocean sciences curriculum to NGSS, and supporting its implementation. The desired outcomes of the proposed project are to provide a rigorous standards aligned curricula that addresses all of the Life Sciences, and some Earth and Space Sciences and Engineering Design Core Ideas for Grades K and 1; and provides teachers with the support they need to understand the content and begin implementation. The process and lessons learned will be shared.

A survey of specific individualized instruction strategies in elementary science methods courses in Tennessee teacher education institutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hazari, Alan A.

The purpose of the study was to determine the status of individualized science instruction in Tennessee teacher education institutions. Specifically, the study sought to investigate the extent of teaching about and/or use of 31 strategies for individualizing instruction in elementary science teaching methods courses. The individualized instruction frameworks, with strategies for individualizing instruction, were developed by Rowell, et al. in the College of Education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. A review of the literature on the preparation of preservice elementary science teachers for individualized instruction in K-8 classrooms revealed very limited research. This investigation sought to identify how the elementary science teacher educators prepared their preservice elementary science teachers to (1) learn about the children they will teach, (2) determine differences among learners, (3) plan for individualized science instruction in the elementary school classroom, and (4) help attend to individual student differences. The researcher prepared and used a 31-item survey to poll elementary science teacher educators in Tennessee. The participants included K-8 educators from 40 state-approved teacher education institutions. The high teacher education institution response rate (72.5%) brought input from institutions of varying sizes, operated privately or publicly across the state of Tennessee. In general, Tennessee elementary science teacher educators reported that they tended to teach about and/or use a fair number of the 31 individualized instruction strategies that involve both learning about K-8 students and their differences. On the other hand, many of these educators provided preservice teachers with quite a bit of the strategies that lead to planning for individualized science instruction and to attending to individual student differences. The two strategies that were the most taught about and/or used in elementary science methods by Tennessee

Standards for K-12 Engineering Education?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academies Press, 2010

2010-01-01

The goal of this study was to assess the value and feasibility of developing and implementing content standards for engineering education at the K-12 level. Content standards have been developed for three disciplines in STEM education--science, technology, and mathematic--but not for engineering. To date, a small but growing number of K-12…

Turning K-12 Science Education Inside Out, Knocking Down Walls and Empowering the Disenchanted.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, A. Y. M.

2016-12-01

For a 'user' there are several genres of citizen science activities one can enlist themselves in, from microtasked analytics to data collection. Often times design conversation for these efforts are focused around the goal of collecting high quality data for an urgent scientific question. However, there is much to be discussed around the opportunity to expand upon the interaction experience of the 'user'. This is particularly relevant in the integration of citizen science in the classroom. Here we explore the role of citizen science in formal K-12 science education through the lens of "Project Based Learning", examining design challenges in classroom adoption (including standards alignment) as well as interaction design focused around long term user/student motivation and engagement in the science exploration.

Computer Visualizations for K-8 Science Teachers: One Component of Professional Development Workshops at the Planetary Science Institute

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kortenkamp, S.; Baldridge, A. M.; Bleamaster, L. F.; Buxner, S.; Canizo, T.; Crown, D. A.; Lebofsky, L. A.

2012-12-01

The Planetary Science Institute (PSI), in partnership with the Tucson Regional Science Center, offers a series of professional development workshops targeting K-8 science teachers in southern Arizona. Using NASA data sets, research results, and a team of PSI scientists and educators, our workshops provide teachers with in-depth content knowledge of fundamental concepts in astronomy, geology, and planetary science. Current workshops are: The Earth-Moon System, Exploring the Terrestrial Planets, Impact Cratering, The Asteroid-Meteorite Connection, Volcanoes of the Solar System, Deserts of the Solar System, and Astrobiology and the Search for Extrasolar Planets. Several workshops incorporate customized computer visualizations developed at PSI. These visualizations are designed to help teachers overcome the common misconceptions students have in fundamental areas of space science. For example, the simple geometric relationship between the sun, the moon, and Earth is a concept that is rife with misconceptions. How can the arrangement of these objects account for the constantly changing phases of the moon as well as the occasional eclipses of the sun and moon? Students at all levels often struggle to understand the explanation for phases and eclipses even after repeated instruction over many years. Traditional classroom techniques have proven to be insufficient at rooting out entrenched misconceptions. One problem stems from the difficulty of developing an accurate mental picture of the Earth-Moon system in space when a student's perspective has always been firmly planted on the ground. To address this problem our visualizations take the viewers on a journey beyond Earth, giving them a so-called "god's eye" view of how the Earth-Moon system would look from a distance. To make this journey as realistic as possible we use ray-tracing software, incorporate NASA mission images, and accurately portray rotational and orbital motion. During a workshop our visualizations are

Increasing participation in the Earth sciences through engagement of K-12 educators in Earth system science analysis, inquiry and problem- based learning and teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burrell, S.

2012-12-01

Given low course enrollment in geoscience courses, retention in undergraduate geoscience courses, and granting of BA and advanced degrees in the Earth sciences an effective strategy to increase participation in this field is necessary. In response, as K-12 education is a conduit to college education and the future workforce, Earth science education at the K-12 level was targeted with the development of teacher professional development around Earth system science, inquiry and problem-based learning. An NSF, NOAA and NASA funded effort through the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies led to the development of the Earth System Science Educational Alliance (ESSEA) and dissemination of interdisciplinary Earth science content modules accessible to the public and educators. These modules formed the basis for two teacher workshops, two graduate level courses for in-service teachers and two university course for undergraduate teacher candidates. Data from all three models will be presented with emphasis on the teacher workshop. Essential components of the workshop model include: teaching and modeling Earth system science analysis; teacher development of interdisciplinary, problem-based academic units for implementation in the classroom; teacher collaboration; daily workshop evaluations; classroom observations; follow-up collaborative meetings/think tanks; and the building of an on-line professional community for continued communication and exchange of best practices. Preliminary data indicate increased understanding of Earth system science, proficiency with Earth system science analysis, and renewed interest in innovative delivery of content amongst teachers. Teacher-participants reported increased student engagement in learning with the implementation of problem-based investigations in Earth science and Earth system science thinking in the classroom, however, increased enthusiasm of the teacher acted as a contributing factor. Teacher feedback on open

A Metasynthesis of the Complementarity of Culturally Responsive and Inquiry-Based Science Education in K-12 Settings: Implications for Advancing Equitable Science Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Julie C.

2017-01-01

Employing metasynthesis as a method, this study examined 52 empirical articles on culturally relevant and responsive science education in K-12 settings to determine the nature and scope of complementarity between culturally responsive and inquiry-based science practices (i.e., science and engineering practices identified in the National Research…

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Science Teacher, 2016

2016-01-01

Science teachers and mentors continue to be challenged to meet the high expectations of "A Framework for K-12 Science Education" and the "Next Generation Science Standards." Indeed the Framework urges teachers to help learners "[build] progressively more sophisticated explanations of natural phenomena..." while the…

Nebraska Science Standards: Grades K-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nebraska Department of Education, 2010

2010-01-01

This publication presents the Nebraska Science Standards for Grades K-12. The standards are presented according to the following grades: (1) Grades K-2; (2) Grades 3-5; (3) Grades 6-8; and (4) Grades 9-12.

Ocean Sciences Sequence for Grades 6-8: Climate Change Curriculum Developed Through a Collaboration Between Scientists and Educators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiss, E.; Skene, J.; Tran, L.

2011-12-01

aligns with the Ocean Literacy and Climate Literacy Frameworks, as well as multiple core ideas in the new National Academy of Sciences Framework for K-12 Science Education. In brief, the curriculum comprises 33 45-minute sessions organized into three thematic units that are each driven by an exploratory question: Unit 1 (11 sessions)-How do the ocean and atmosphere interact?; Unit 2 (8 sessions)-How does carbon flow through the ocean, land, and atmosphere?; and Unit 3 (12 sessions)-What are the causes and effects of climate change? The curriculum deliberately explores the ocean and climate as global systems, and challenges students to use scientific evidence to make explanations about climate change. The Ocean Sciences Sequence for Grades 6-8 is currently being classroom tested by teachers across the United States in a wide variety of classroom settings. Evaluation is also being undertaken to determine the efficacy of the sequence in addressing the curriculum's learning goals.

Differentiating Science Instruction and Assessment for Learners with Special Needs, K-8

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finson, Kevin D.; Ormsbee, Christine K.; Jensen, Mary M.

2011-01-01

Teachers are required to provide appropriate science instruction to all students, including children with special needs. However, educators are often left on their own to figure out how to effectively differentiate lessons and activities. This timely, practical guidebook shows general and special educators how to retool science activities and…

Integrating local environmental research into K-12 science classrooms and the value of graduate student-educator partnerships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward, N. D.; Petrik-Finley, R.

2015-12-01

Collaboration between researchers and K-12 educators enables an invaluable exchange of teaching philosophies and educational tools. Programs that partner graduate students with K-12 educators serve the dual purpose of training future educators and providing K-12 students with unique opportunities and perspectives. The benefits of this type of partnership include providing students with enhanced educational experiences and positive student-mentor relationships, training STEM graduate students in effective teaching strategies, and providing teachers with a firsthand resource for scientific information and novel educational materials. Many high school students have had little exposure to science beyond the classroom. Frequent interactions with "real-life" scientists can help make science more approachable and is an effective strategy for promoting science as a career. Here I describe my experiences and several lessons designed as a NSK GK-12 fellow. For example, a month-long unit on biogeochemical principles was framed as a crime scene investigation of a fish kill event in Hood Canal, Washington, in which students were given additional pieces of evidence to solve the mystery as they satisfied checkpoints in their understanding of key concepts. The evidence pieces included scientific plots, maps, datasets, and laboratory exercises. A clear benefit of this investigation-style unit is that students were able to learn the material at their individual pace. This structure allowed for a streamlined integration of differentiated materials such as simplified background readings or visual learning aids for struggling students or more detailed news articles and primary literature for more advanced students. Although the NSF GK-12 program has been archived, educators and researchers should pursue new partnerships, leveraging local and state-level STEM outreach programs with the goal of increasing national exposure of the societal benefits of such synergistic activities.

Internet Links for Science Education: Student-Scientist Partnerships (edited by Karen Cohen)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barden, Linda M.

1998-10-01

Plenum: New York, 1997. xx + 260 pp. Figs., tables, photos. 15 x 22.8 cm. ISBN 0-306-45558-7. $27.50. Science education is undergoing an upheaval more fundamental than the one that occurred in the aftermath of Sputnik. Research during the past 40 years has led to a radical change in the way we view children's learning of science. The National Science Education Standards (NSES) suggest a new model for teaching science based upon these research findings. Societal changes, particularly changes in business, have put pressure on schools to alter the emphasis of curricula from rote memory and individual competition to problem solving using a variety of technological skills and teamwork/team competition. This timely book addresses all these issues by describing projects that K-12 teachers can use to achieve the goals set forth by both NSES and business. It also provides scientists with examples of how they and their coworkers might better interact with K-12 science education to encourage a more scientifically literate society. Finally, it includes suggestions for future research in science education.

The Ridge 2000 Program: Promoting Earth Systems Science Literacy Through Science Education Partnerships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simms, E.; Goehring, E.; Larsen, J.; Kusek, K.

2007-12-01

Sponsored by the National Science Foundation, Ridge 2000 (R2K) is a mid-ocean ridge and hydrothermal vent research program with a history of successful education and public outreach (EPO) programs and products. This presentation will share general science and education partnership strategies and best practices employed by the R2K program, with a particular emphasis on the innovative R2K project From Local to EXtreme Environments (FLEXE). As a new project of the international NSF and NASA sponsored GLOBE earth science education program, FLEXE involves middle and high school students in structured, guided analyses and comparisons of real environmental data. The science and education partnership model employed by FLEXE relies on experienced education coordinators within the R2K and international InterRidge and ChEss science research programs, who directly solicit and facilitate the involvement of an interdisciplinary community of scientists in the project based on their needs and interests. Concurrently, the model also relies on the GLOBE program to facilitate awareness and access to a large, established network of international educators who are interested in the process of science and interacting with the scientific community. The predominantly web-based interfaces that serve to effectively link together the FLEXE science and education communities have been developed by the Center for Science and the Schools at Penn State University, and are based on researched educational pedagogy, tools and techniques. The FLEXE partnership model will be discussed in the context of both broad and specific considerations of audience needs, scientist and educator recruitment, and the costs and benefits for those involved in the project.

Sea Changes in Social Science Education: Woods Hole 2000. The Social Science Education Consortium Conference Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Charles S., Ed.

The agenda for the Social Science Education Consortium conference at Woods Hole (Massachusetts) was designed to continue a tradition of examining scholarship relative to the social sciences in K-12 education. The content focus for this volume, is political science, economics, and sociology. Following a "Foreword" (Matthew T. Downey; Joseph P.…

Science Anxiety and Gender in Students Taking General Education Science Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Udo, M. K.; Ramsey, G. P.; Mallow, J. V.

2004-01-01

Earlier studies [Mallow, J. V. (1994). Gender-related science anxiety: A first binational study. "Journal of Science Education and Technology" 3: 227-238; Udo, M. K., Ramsey, G. P., Reynolds-Alpert, S., and Mallow, J. V. (2001). Does physics teaching affect gender-based science anxiety? "Journal of Science Education and Technology" 10: 237-247] of…

Earth Science Content Guidelines Grades K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Geological Inst., Alexandria, VA.

Teams of teachers, other science educators, and scientists selected from a national search for project writers have proposed using the following set of questions to guide the inclusion of earth science content into the kindergarten through grade 12 curriculum. The Essential Questions are organized in a K-12 sequence by six content areas: (1) Solid…

What Did They Take Away?: Examining Newly Qualified U.S. Teachers' Visions of Learning and Teaching Science in K-8 Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts-Harris, Deborah

2014-01-01

This study investigated newly qualified K-8 teachers' visions of science learning and teaching after they had completed preparation in a science teaching methods course I taught. What visions of science learning and teaching were these newly qualified teachers taking away from my course? How did these visions compare with those advocated by reform…

Language in a Global World: A Case Study of Foreign Languages in U.S. K-8 Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hellmich, Emily A.

2018-01-01

Over the past decade, there have been numerous calls to update U.S. education to reflect an increasingly global world (Hull & Hellmich, 2018). Foreign languages (FLs) are often perceived as central to these efforts (American Academy of Arts & Sciences, 2017). Despite this centrality, less is known about how FLs are understood in U.S. K-12…

Science Curriculum Resource Handbook: A Practical Guide for K-12 Science Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheek, Dennis W., Ed.; And Others

This handbook is one of a series of practical references for curriculum developers, education faculty, veteran teachers, and student teachers. The handbook is designed to provide basic information on the background of the science curriculum, and current information on publications, standards, and special materials for K-12 science. Part 1 contains…

Enriching K-12 Science and Mathematics Education Using LEGOs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Keeshan; Igel, Irina; Poveda, Ronald; Kapila, Vikram; Iskander, Magued

2012-01-01

This paper presents a series of illustrative LEGO Mindstorms-based science and math activities, developed under an NSF GK-12 Fellows project, for elementary, middle, and high school grades. The activities, developed by engineering and science graduate Fellows in partnership with K-12 teachers, are grade appropriate, address pertinent learning…

How to Implement Rigorous Computer Science Education in K-12 Schools? Some Answers and Many Questions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hubwieser, Peter; Armoni, Michal; Giannakos, Michail N.

2015-01-01

Aiming to collect various concepts, approaches, and strategies for improving computer science education in K-12 schools, we edited this second special issue of the "ACM TOCE" journal. Our intention was to collect a set of case studies from different countries that would describe all relevant aspects of specific implementations of…

The SERC K12 Educators Portal to Teaching Activities and Pedagogic Approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsen, K.; Kirk, K. B.; Manduca, C. A.; Ledley, T. S.; Schmitt, L.

2013-12-01

The Science Education Resource Center (SERC) has created a portal to information for K12 educators to provide high-quality grade level appropriate materials from a wide variety of projects and topics. These materials were compiled across the SERC site, showcasing materials that were created for, or easily adaptable to, K12 classrooms. This resource will help support implementation of Next Generation Science Standards by assisting educators in finding innovative resources to address areas of instruction that are conceptually different than previous national and state science standards. Specifically, the K12 portal assists educators in learning about approaches that address the cross-cutting nature of science concepts, increasing students quantitative reasoning and numeracy skills, incorporating technology such as GIS in the classroom, and by assisting educators of all levels of K12 instruction in using relevant and meaningful ways to teach science concepts. The K12 portal supports educators by providing access to hundreds of teaching activities covering a wide array of science topics and grade levels many of which have been rigorously reviewed for pedagogic quality and scientific accuracy. The portal also provides access to web pages that enhance teaching practices that help increase student's system thinking skills, make lectures interactive, assist instructors in conducting safe and effective indoor and outdoor labs, providing support for teaching energy and climate literacy principles, assisting educators in addressing controversial content, provide guidance in engaging students affective domain, and provides a collection of tools for making teaching relevant in 21st century classrooms including using GIS, Google Earth, videos, visualizations and simulations to model and describe scientific concepts. The portal also provides access to material for specific content and audiences by (1) Supporting AGIs 'Map your World' week to specifically highlight teaching

Teaching Every Child to Read: Innovative and Practical Strategies for K-8 Educators and Caretakers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunn, Rita; Blake, Brett Elizabeth

2008-01-01

This book provides educators, parents and caretakers with a variety of instructional strategies for engaging K-8 students. These approaches are designed to enable all students to read easily and enjoyably by utilizing different styles and approaches. The techniques are not generally found in conventional classrooms, but are specifically targeted…

Scientists Interacting With University Science Educators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spector, B. S.

2004-12-01

Scientists with limited time to devote to educating the public about their work will get the greatest multiplier effect for their investment of time by successfully interacting with university science educators. These university professors are the smallest and least publicized group of professionals in the chain of people working to create science literate citizens. They connect to all aspects of formal and informal education, influencing everything from what and how youngsters and adults learn science to legislative rulings. They commonly teach methods of teaching science to undergraduates aspiring to teach in K-12 settings and experienced teachers. They serve as agents for change to improve science education inside schools and at the state level K-16, including what science content courses are acceptable for teacher licensure. University science educators are most often housed in a College of Education or Department of Education. Significant differences in culture exist in the world in which marine scientists function and that in which university science educators function, even when they are in the same university. Subsequently, communication and building relationships between the groups is often difficult. Barriers stem from not understanding each other's roles and responsibilities; and different reward systems, assumptions about teaching and learning, use of language, approaches to research, etc. This presentation will provide suggestions to mitigate the barriers and enable scientists to leverage the multiplier effect saving much time and energy while ensuring the authenticity of their message is maintained. Likelihood that a scientist's message will retain its authenticity stems from criteria for a university science education position. These professors have undergraduate degrees in a natural science (e.g., biology, chemistry, physics, geology), and usually a master's degree in one of the sciences, a combination of natural sciences, or a master's including

Engineering Education in K-12 Schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spence, Anne

2013-03-01

Engineers rely on physicists as well as other scientists and mathematicians to explain the world in which we live. Engineers take this knowledge of the world and use it to create the world that never was. The teaching of physics and other sciences as well as mathematics is critical to maintaining our national workforce. Science and mathematics education are inherently different, however, from engineering education. Engineering educators seek to enable students to develop the habits of mind critical for innovation. Through understanding of the engineering design process and how it differs from the scientific method, students can apply problem and project based learning to solve the challenges facing society today. In this talk, I will discuss the elements critical to a solid K-12 engineering education that integrates science and mathematics to solve challenges throughout the world.

Reading, Writing & Rings: Science Literacy for K-4 Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McConnell, S.; Spilker, L.; Zimmerman-Brachman, R.

2007-12-01

Scientific discovery is the impetus for the K-4 Education program, "Reading, Writing & Rings." This program is unique because its focus is to engage elementary students in reading and writing to strengthen these basic academic skills through scientific content. As science has been increasingly overtaken by the language arts in elementary classrooms, the Cassini Education Program has taken advantage of a new cross-disciplinary approach to use language arts as a vehicle for increasing scientific content in the classroom. By utilizing the planet Saturn and the Cassini-Huygens mission as a model in both primary reading and writing students in these grade levels, young students can explore science material while at the same time learning these basic academic skills. Content includes reading, thinking, and hands-on activities. Developed in partnership with the Cassini-Huygens Education and Public Outreach Program, the Bay Area Writing Project/California Writing Project, Foundations in Reading Through Science & Technology (FIRST), and the Caltech Pre-College Science Initiative (CAPSI), and classroom educators, "Reading, Writing & Rings" blends the excitement of space exploration with reading and writing. All materials are teacher developed, aligned with national science and language education standards, and are available from the Cassini-Huygens website: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/education/edu-k4.cfm Materials are divided into two grade level units. One unit is designed for students in grades 1 and 2 while the other unit focuses on students in grades 3 and 4. Each includes a series of lessons that take students on a path of exploration of Saturn using reading and writing prompts.

Interactive Teaching as a Recruitment and Training Tool for K-12 Science Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenberg, J. L.

2004-12-01

The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Teacher Preparation (STEMTP) program at the University of Colorado has been designed to recruit and train prospective K-12 science teachers while improving student learning through interactive teaching. The program has four key goals: (1) recruit undergraduate students into K-12 science education, (2) provide these prospective teachers with hands-on experience in an interactive teaching pedagogy, (3) create an intergrated program designed to support (educationally, socially, and financially) and engage these prospective science teachers up until they obtain liscensure and/or their masters degree in education, and (4) improve student learning in large introductory science classes. Currently there are 31 students involved in the program and a total of 72 students have been involved in the year and a half it has been in existence. I will discuss the design of the STEMTP program, the success in recruiting K-12 science teachers, and the affect on student learning in a large lecture class of implementing interactive learning pedagogies by involving these prospective K-12 science teachers. J. L. Rosenberg would like to acknowledge the NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Fellowship for support for this work. The course transformation project is also supported by grants from the National Science Foundation.

Culturally Responsive Peace Education: A Case Study at One Urban Latino K-8 Catholic School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buck, Brandon

2016-01-01

This paper presents a case study of a yearlong research-based peace education program at one urban K-8 private Catholic school situated in a community plagued by structural violence in an enclave of a large Midwestern city. To frame the analysis, the author employs concepts central to culturally responsive pedagogy (including cultural competence,…

Cataclysms and Catastrophes: A Case Study of Improving K-12 Science Education Through a University Partnership

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fennell, T.; Ellins, K. K.; Morris, M.; Christeson, G.

2003-12-01

The K-12 science teacher is always seeking ways of improving and updating their curriculum by integrating the latest research into their most effective classroom activities. However, the daily demands of delivering instruction to large numbers of students coupled with the rapid advances in some fields of science can often overwhelm this effort. The NSF-sponsored Cataclysms and Catastrophes curriculum, developed by scientists from the The University of Texas at Austin Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) and Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG), middle and high school teachers, and UT graduate students (NSF GK-12 fellows) working together through the GK-12 program, is a textbook example of how universities can facilitate this quest, benefiting education at both K-12 and university levels. In 1992, "The Great K-T Extinction Debate" was developed as an activity in the Planet Earth class at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy of Austin as an interdisciplinary approach to science. Taking advantage of the media attention generated by the impact scenario for the K-T extinction, the activity consists of students participating in a simulated senate hearing on the potential causes of the K-T extinction and their implications for society today. This activity not only exposes students to the wide range of science involved in understanding mass extinctions, but also to the social, political and economic implications when this science is brought into the public arena and the corresponding use of data in decision making and disaster preparedness. While "The Great K-T Extinction Debate" was always a popular and effective activity with students, it was in desperate need of updating to keep pace with the evolving scientific debate over the cause of the K-T extinction and the growing body of impact evidence discovered over the past decade. By adding two inquiry-based learning activities that use real geophysical data collected by scientists studying the buried Chicxulub feature as a

Earth Science Data and Applications for K-16 Education from the NASA Langley Atmospheric Science Data Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phelps, C. S.; Chambers, L. H.; Alston, E. J.; Moore, S. W.; Oots, P. C.

2005-05-01

NASA's Science Mission Directorate aims to stimulate public interest in Earth system science and to encourage young scholars to consider careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. NASA's Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC) at Langley Research Center houses over 700 data sets related to Earth's radiation budget, clouds, aerosols and tropospheric chemistry that are being produced to increase academic understanding of the natural and anthropogenic perturbations that influence global climate change. However, barriers still exist in the use of these actual satellite observations by educators in the classroom to supplement the educational process. Thus, NASA is sponsoring the "Mentoring and inquirY using NASA Data on Atmospheric and earth science for Teachers and Amateurs" (MY NASA DATA) project to systematically support educational activities by reducing the ASDC data holdings to `microsets' that can be easily accessible and explored by the K-16 educators and students. The microsets are available via Web site (http://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov) with associated lesson plans, computer tools, data information pages, and a science glossary. A MY NASA DATA Live Access Server (LAS) has been populated with ASDC data such that users can create custom microsets online for desired time series, parameters and geographical regions. The LAS interface is suitable for novice to advanced users, teachers or students. The microsets may be visual representations of data or text output for spreadsheet analysis. Currently, over 148 parameters from the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES), Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR), Surface Radiation Budget (SRB), Tropospheric Ozone Residual (TOR) and the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) are available and provide important information on clouds, fluxes and cycles in the Earth system. Additionally, a MY NASA DATA OPeNDAP server has been established to facilitate file transfer of

Culturally Relevant Science Instruction of K-8 Teachers of American Indian Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cloud, Karen L.

2017-01-01

American Indian/Alaska Native students are at the bottom of educational achievement, particularly in science where few American Indians enter into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. To meet the needs of American Indian students, teachers must understand the sociocultural nature of learning as it relates to students'…

A Needs Assessment for the Adoption of Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in K-12 Education in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Karleah; Sithole, Alec; Kibirige, Joachim

2017-01-01

Since its inception, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) blue print has attracted interest from more than 40 states in the United States. The overall objective of these proposed changes is to align K-12 science education with current trends in technology and career needs. However, the assessment of teacher preparedness and classroom…

RTI & Differentiated Reading in the K-8 Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bender, William N.; Waller, Laura

2011-01-01

In "RTI & Differentiated Reading in the K-8 Classroom," the authors argue that whole-group reading instruction in general education classes is no longer an appropriate learning environment. They outline three innovations that educators can integrate to dramatically improve reading instruction from kindergarten through the upper elementary…

Ice, Ice, Baby: A Program for Sustained, Classroom-Based K-8 Teacher Professional Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamilton, C.

2009-12-01

Ice, Ice, Baby is a K-8 science program created by the education team at the Center for the Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS), an NSF-funded science and technology center headquartered at the University of Kansas. The twenty-four hands-on activities, which constitute the Ice, Ice, Baby curriculum, were developed to help students understand the role of polar ice sheets in sea level rise. These activities, presented in classrooms by CReSIS' Educational Outreach Coordinator, demonstrate many of the scientific properties of ice, including displacement and density. Student journals are utilized with each lesson as a strategy for improving students' science process skills. Journals also help the instructor identify misconceptions, assess comprehension, and provide students with a year-long science reference log. Pre- and post- assessments are given to both teachers and students before and after the program, providing data for evaluation and improvement of the Ice, Ice, Baby program. While students are actively engaged in hands-on learning about the unusual topics of ice sheets, glaciers, icebergs and sea ice, the CReSIS' Educational Coordinator is able to model best practices in science education, such as questioning and inquiry-based methods of instruction. In this way, the Ice, Ice, Baby program also serves as ongoing, in-class, professional development for teachers. Teachers are also provided supplemental activities to do with their classes between CReSIS' visits to encourage additional science lessons, reinforce concepts taught in the Ice, Ice, Baby program, and to foster teachers' progression toward more reform-based science instruction.

Bringing Inquiry Science to K-5 Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schachtel, Paula L.; Messina, D. L.; McDermott, L. C.

2006-12-01

As a science coach in the Seattle School District, I am responsible for helping other elementary teachers teach science. For several years, I have been participating in a program that consists of intensive NSF Summer Institutes and an ongoing academic-year Continuation Course. Teachers in this program work through modules in Physics by Inquiry, a research-based curriculum developed by the Physics Education Group at the University of Washington.1 I will discuss how this type of professional development has deepened my understanding of topics in physical science, helped me to teach science by inquiry to my own students, and enabled me to assist my colleagues in implementing inquiry science in their K-5 classrooms. Sponsored by Lillian C. McDermott. 1. A research-based curriculum developed by L.C. McDermott and the Physics Education Group at the University of Washington, Physics by Inquiry, New York, NY, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (1996.)

Hanford`s innovations for science education

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carter, D.

1996-12-31

In recognition of declining science literacy in the United States and a projected shortfall of scientists, engineers and technologists to address environmental problems nationally and internationally during the 21st century, Westinghouse Hanford Company has launched several innovative science education projects at the US Department of Energy Hanford Site. The Hanford Site is very rich in resources that can be brought to bear on the problem: world-class technical experts, state of the art facilities and equipment, and the largest environmental laboratory in the world. During the past two years, several innovative science education initiatives have been conceived and pursued at themore » secondary education level including the International Academy for the Environment (residential high school with an environmental theme), Environmental BATTmobile Program (mobile middle school science education program), and Multicultural Experiences in Math and Science (education program based on cultural contributions to math and science). Hanford scientists, engineers and administrators have worked with the education community (K-12 and college-university) to develop innovative approaches to science education.« less

Distance Education in the Health Sciences. Readings in Distance Education, Number 8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Michael G. Ed.; Savrock, Joseph T., Ed.

This document contains 17 papers on distance education in the health sciences. The following papers are included: "Preface: Distance Education in the Health Professions: A Collection of Research" (Michael G. Moore); "A Historical Overview of Telecommunications in the Health Care Industry" (Joseph S. Anderson); "Distance…

CEEFAR and the Role of Scientific Societies in K-16 Science Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cardwell, Vernon B.

1996-01-01

Provides discussion of the lack of environment, food, agriculture, and renewable resources (EFAR) in national science education standards. Describes the concerns of both the science and education communities in terms of the goals of the Coalition for Education about Environment, Food, Agriculture and Renewable Resources (CEEFAR). (DDR)

Nihithewak Ithiniwak, Nihithewatisiwin and science education: An exploratory narrative study examining Indigenous-based science education in K--12 classrooms from the perspectives of teachers in Woodlands Cree community contexts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michell, Herman Jeremiah

This study was guided by the following research questions: What do the stories of teachers in Nihithewak (Woodlands Cree) school contexts reveal about their experiences and tendencies towards cultural and linguistic-based pedagogical practices and actions in K-12 classrooms? How did these teachers come to teach this way? How do their beliefs and values from their experiences in science education and cultural heritage influence their teaching? Why do these teachers do what they do in their science classroom and instructional practices? The research explores Indigenous-based science education from the perspectives and experiences of science teachers in Nihithewak school contexts. Narrative methodology (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000) was used as a basis for collecting and analyzing data emerging from the research process. The results included thematic portraits and stories of science teaching that is connected to Nihithewak and Nihithewatisiwin (Woodlands Cree Way of Life). Major data sources included conversational interviews, out-of-class observations and occasional in-class observations, field notes, and a research journal. An interview guide with a set of open-ended and semi-structured questions was used to direct the interviews. My role as researcher included participation in storied conversations with ten selected volunteer teachers to document the underlying meanings behind the ways they teach science in Nihithewak contexts. This research is grounded in socio-cultural theory commonly used to support the examination and development of school science in Indigenous cultural contexts (Lemke, 2001; O'Loughlin, 1992). Socio-cultural theory is a framework that links education, language, literacy, and culture (Nieto, 2002). The research encapsulates a literature review that includes the history of Aboriginal education in Canada (Battiste & Barman, 1995; Kirkness, 1992; Perley, 1993), Indigenous-based science education (Cajete, 2000; Aikenhead, 2006a), multi

Informal science education: lifelong, life-wide, life-deep.

PubMed

Sacco, Kalie; Falk, John H; Bell, James

2014-11-01

Informal Science Education: Lifelong, Life-Wide, Life-Deep Informal science education cultivates diverse opportunities for lifelong learning outside of formal K-16 classroom settings, from museums to online media, often with the help of practicing scientists.

New K-12 Science Education Standards May Face Implementation Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Mohi

2013-04-01

Kindergarten is not just a place to learn letters and numbers, practice finger painting, and listen to story time. If a new set of national science standards is adopted, it will also be the start of a carefully planned effort to engage students in science-based activities throughout their K-12 academic careers.

In Brief: Improving science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

2010-09-01

Over the course of the next decade, 100,000 science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) teachers should be recruited in the United States, and 1000 new STEM-focused schools should be created, according to a 16 September report, “Prepare and inspire: K-12 education in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) for America's future.” Noting that the United States lags behind other nations in STEM education at the elementary and secondary levels, the report, prepared by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, also recommends improving federal coordination and leadership on STEM education and supporting a state-led movement for shared standards in math and science. The release of the report coincides with President Barack Obama's announcement of the launch of Change the Equation, an organization that aims to help with math and science education. More information is available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp and http://www.changetheequation.org/.

K-12th Grade Math and Science Education: The View from the Blackboard. Hearing Before the Committee on Science, House of Representatives, 107th Congress, First Session (March 7, 2001).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House.

The hearing reported in this document focuses on mathematics and science education at the K-12 grade levels. The hearing includes the opening statements of Representative Sherwood Boehlert, Chairman, Committee on Science, U.S. House of Representatives and Representative Ralph Hall, Ranking Minority Member, Committee on Science, U.S. House of…

Integrating the New Generation Science Standards (NGSS) into K- 6 teacher training and curricula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinter, S.; Carlson, S. J.

2017-12-01

The Next Generation Science Standards is an initiative, adopted by 26 states, to set national education standards that are "rich in content and practice, arranged in a coherent manner across disciplines and grades to provide all students an internationally benchmarked science education." Educators now must integrate these standards into existing curricula. Many grade-school (K-6) teachers face a particularly daunting task, as they were traditionally not required to teach science or only at a rudimentary level. The majority of K-6 teachers enter teaching from non-science disciplines, making this transition even more difficult. Since the NGSS emphasizes integrated and coherent progression of knowledge from grade to grade, prospective K-6 teachers must be able to deliver science with confidence and enthusiasm to their students. CalTeach/MAST (Mathematics and Science Teaching Program) at the University of California Davis, has created a two-quarter sequence of integrated science courses for undergraduate students majoring in non-STEM disciplines and intending to pursue multiple-subject K-6 credentials. The UCD integrated science course provides future primary school teachers with a basic, but comprehensive background in the physical and earth/space sciences. Key tools are taught for improving teaching methods, investigating complex science ideas, and solving problems relevant to students' life experiences that require scientific or technological knowledge. This approach allows prospective K-6 teachers to explore more effectively the connections between the disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and scientific and engineering practices, as outlined in the NGSS. In addition, they develop a core set of science teaching skills based on inquiry activities and guided lab discussions. With this course, we deliver a solid science background to prospective K-6 teachers and facilitate their ability to teach science following the standards as articulated in the NGSS.

Business involvement in science education

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Winter, P.

1995-12-31

Science and math education in grades K through 12 directly affects America`s ability to meet tomorrow`s challenges. If America is to stay competitive in the world, we will need highly qualified scientists and engineers in industry and government and at universities. Jobs of the future will require greater technical and mathematical literacy than jobs of the past. Our goal is both to improve the quality of science education and to encourage more students to pursue science careers. General Atomics, a privately held research and development company, has joined the growing list of businesses that are committed to helping educators preparemore » students to meet these challenges.« less

Science Education Resource Assistant for Science Teachers. [CD- ROM].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

ERIC Clearinghouse for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education, Columbus, OH.

This CD-ROM provides a collection of Internet resources as well as K-16 related science materials and is divided into two sections. "Online Resources" includes information on the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), National Standards, AAAS Project 2061 Resources, U.S. Department of Education, Third International Mathematics…

Marshalling Corporate Resources for Public and K-12 Technical Education Outreach and Engagement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wynne, James

2011-03-01

In 1988, the Education Task Force of the Business Roundtable recommended that American corporations invest in pre-college education. Prior to that date, corporate investment was targeted at higher education. IBM and other corporations responded by encouraging their employees and their corporate philanthropic organizations to develop programs aimed at enhancing pre-college education. The IBM TJ Watson Research Center initiated a Local Education Outreach program, active for these past 23 years, that marshals the resources of our science-rich institution to enhance STEM education in our local schools. We have broad and deep partnerships between the Research Center and local school districts, including New York City. We have just completed our 19th consecutive year of Family Science Saturdays, which brings 4th and 5th grade children, along with their parents, to our Research Center for hands-on workshops in topics like States of Matter, Polymer Science, Kitchen Chemistry, and Sound and Light. The workshops are staffed by IBM volunteers, assisted by local high school student ``Peer Teachers.'' Since 1990, the IBM Corporation has joined with a coalition of other companies, professional engineering societies, and government agencies to sponsor the annual Engineers Week (EWeek) campaign of technical education outreach, serving as Corporate Chair in 1992, 2001, and 2008. In recent years, we have annually recruited around 5000 IBM volunteers to reach out to more than 200,000 K-12 students in order to increase their awareness and appreciation of technical careers and encourage them to continue their studies of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The speaker, who helped found the APS Forum on Education (FED) and served as FED Councillor for 8 years, will review these and other programs for Public and K-12 Technical Education Outreach and Engagement.

A Library approach to establish an Educational Data Curation Framework (EDCF) that supports K-12 data science sustainability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Branch, B. D.; Wegner, K.; Smith, S.; Schulze, D. G.; Merwade, V.; Jung, J.; Bessenbacher, A.

2013-12-01

It has been the tradition of the libraries to support literacy. Now in the realm of Executive Order, Making Open and Machine Readable the New Default for Government Information, May 9, 2013, the library has the responsibility to support geospatial data, big data, earth science data or cyber infrastructure data that may support STEM for educational pipeline stimulation. (Such information can be found at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/05/09/executive-order-making-open-and-machine-readable-new-default-government-.) Provided is an Educational Data Curation Framework (EDCF) that has been initiated in Purdue research, geospatial data service engagement and outreach endeavors for future consideration and application to augment such data science and climate literacy needs of future global citizens. In addition, this endorsement of this framework by the GLOBE program may facilitate further EDCF implementations, discussion points and prototypes for libraries. In addition, the ECDF will support teacher-led, placed-based and large scale climate or earth science learning systems where such knowledge transfer of climate or earth science data is effectively transferred from higher education research of cyberinfrastructure use such as, NOAA or NASA, to K-12 teachers and school systems. The purpose of this effort is to establish best practices for sustainable K-12 data science delivery system or GLOBE-provided system (http://vis.globe.gov/GLOBE/) where libraries manage the data curation and data appropriateness as data reference experts for such digital data. Here, the Purdue University Libraries' GIS department works to support soils, LIDAR and water science data experiences to support teacher training for an EDCF development effort. Lastly, it should be noted that the interdisciplinary collaboration and demonstration of library supported outreach partners and national organizations such the GLOBE program may best foster EDCF development. This trend in data

Science Anxiety and Gender in Students Taking General Education Science Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Udo, M. K.; Ramsey, G. P.; Mallow, J. V.

2004-12-01

Earlier studies [Mallow, J. V. (1994). Gender-related science anxiety: A first binational study. Journal of Science Education and Technology 3: 227-238; Udo, M. K., Ramsey, G. P., Reynolds-Alpert, S., and Mallow, J. V. (2001). Does physics teaching affect gender-based science anxiety? Journal of Science Education and Technology 10: 237-247] of science anxiety in various student cohorts suggested that nonscience majors were highly science anxious (SA), regardless of what science courses they were taking. In this study, we investigated science anxiety in a cohort consisting mostly of nonscience majors taking general education science courses. Regression analysis shows that the leading predictors of science anxiety are (i) nonscience anxiety and (ii) gender, as they were for different cohorts in the earlier studies. We confirm earlier findings that females are more SA than males. Chi-square analysis of acute science anxiety shows an amplification of these differences. We found statistically significant levels of science anxiety in humanities and social science students of both genders, and gender differences in science anxiety, despite the fact that the students were all enrolled in general education science courses specifically designed for nonscience majors. We found acute levels of anxiety in several groups, especially education, nursing, and business majors. We describe specific interventions to alleviate science anxiety.

Improving science literacy and education through space life sciences.

PubMed

MacLeish, M Y; Moreno, N P; Tharp, B Z; Denton, J J; Jessup, G; Clipper, M C

2001-01-01

The National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) encourages open involvement by scientists and the public at large in the Institute's activities. Through its Education and Public Outreach Program, the Institute is supporting national efforts to improve Kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) and undergraduate education and to communicate knowledge generated by space life science research to lay audiences. Three academic institution Baylor College of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine and Texas A&M University are designing, producing, field-testing, and disseminating a comprehensive array of programs and products to achieve this goal. The objectives of the NSBRI Education and Public Outreach program are to: promote systemic change in elementary and secondary science education; attract undergraduate students--especially those from underrepresented groups--to careers in space life sciences, engineering and technology-based fields; increase scientific literacy; and to develop public and private sector partnerships that enhance and expand NSBRI efforts to reach students and families. c 2001. Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving science literacy and education through space life sciences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

MacLeish, M. Y.; Moreno, N. P.; Tharp, B. Z.; Denton, J. J.; Jessup, G.; Clipper, M. C.

2001-01-01

The National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) encourages open involvement by scientists and the public at large in the Institute's activities. Through its Education and Public Outreach Program, the Institute is supporting national efforts to improve Kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) and undergraduate education and to communicate knowledge generated by space life science research to lay audiences. Three academic institution Baylor College of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine and Texas A&M University are designing, producing, field-testing, and disseminating a comprehensive array of programs and products to achieve this goal. The objectives of the NSBRI Education and Public Outreach program are to: promote systemic change in elementary and secondary science education; attract undergraduate students--especially those from underrepresented groups--to careers in space life sciences, engineering and technology-based fields; increase scientific literacy; and to develop public and private sector partnerships that enhance and expand NSBRI efforts to reach students and families. c 2001. Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Wilkins Institute for Science Education: A science-centered magnet school

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilkins, Gary Dean

The problem that this study addressed is that excellent science instruction is not consistently provided by traditional public schools. This study utilized a review of the literature, interviews, surveys, and focus groups. This study provides the basis for the proposed design of a school that can be the solution to the problem. Conducted in 1995, the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) showed that our efforts to improve U.S. education have had some successes, but overall have been ineffective in raising U.S. performance from a middle-of-the-pack position. At the end of secondary schooling, which in the U.S. is 12 th grade, U.S. performance was among the lowest in both science and math, including our most advanced students (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2001). For this research project I surveyed 412 students and 218 parents or guardians. I conducted interviews and focus groups with 10 participants who were science teachers or educators, and 10 participants who were scientists. The surveys presented 12 factors, believed to be valued as part of an excellent science education, which were security, social activities, sports, computers, reading and writing, hands-on equipment, industry support, and cafeteria. The survey participants rated each factor from most to least important. The focus groups and the interviews covered science education in general, as well as these same 12 topics. Students and parents agreed that qualified instructors is the item that is most important to provide quality science instruction. Students and parents disagreed most on the item reading and writing, which students ranked 9th, but parents ranked 2nd, a difference of 7 rankings. Considering only the item that was ranked number 1, students identified sports most often as most important, but parents disagreed and ranked this 8th, a difference of 7 ranks. After this dissertation is completed, it is my intent to benefit students with the implementation of the

Implementing the Next Generation Science Standards: Impacts on Geoscience Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wysession, M. E.

2014-12-01

This is a critical time for the geoscience community. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) have been released and are now being adopted by states (a dozen states and Washington, DC, at the time of writing this), with dramatic implications for national K-12 science education. Curriculum developers and textbook companies are working hard to construct educational materials that match the new standards, which emphasize a hands-on practice-based approach that focuses on working directly with primary data and other forms of evidence. While the set of 8 science and engineering practices of the NGSS lend themselves well to the observation-oriented approach of much of the geosciences, there is currently not a sufficient number of geoscience educational modules and activities geared toward the K-12 levels, and geoscience research organizations need to be mobilizing their education & outreach programs to meet this need. It is a rare opportunity that will not come again in this generation. There are other significant issues surrounding the implementation of the NGSS. The NGSS involves a year of Earth and space science at the high school level, but there does not exist a sufficient workforce is geoscience teachers to meet this need. The form and content of the geoscience standards are also very different from past standards, moving away from a memorization and categorization approach and toward a complex Earth Systems Science approach. Combined with the shift toward practice-based teaching, this means that significant professional development will therefore be required for the existing K-12 geoscience education workforce. How the NGSS are to be assessed is another significant question, with an NRC report providing some guidance but leaving many questions unanswered. There is also an uneasy relationship between the NGSS and the Common Core of math and English, and the recent push-back against the Common Core in many states may impact the implementation of the NGSS.

Content Analysis of Selected Features of K-8 Environmental Education Research Studies in Turkey, 1997-2007

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erdogan, Mehmet; Marcinkowski, Tom; Ok, Ahmet

2009-01-01

This study aimed to analyze environmental education research (EER) in Turkey conducted in Grades K-8 and published over the years 1997-2007. Due to the fact that there had been no systematic reviews of EER in Turkey prior to this time period, it was more appropriate to explore the implications of the results of this review for research policies…

A Comparative Analysis of Online Learning Materials Aimed toward Integrating Great Lakes Science into the K-8 Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eidietis, Laura; LaPorte, Elizabeth; Rutherford, Sandra

2010-01-01

We surveyed the use of Great Lakes online learning materials by a sample of K-8 teachers. Analyses tested for correlation of use with 1) whether teachers learned about the resources in pre- or in-service education, 2) geographical significance, and 3) whether teachers taught about the topics emphasized in the online learning materials. We compared…

Designing Successful Science Contests for K-12

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwerin, T.; Colleton, N.

2006-12-01

Contests can engage, motivate, instruct and inspire students of all grade levels and interests. What are the ingredients necessary for a successful science contest? The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) has recommendations for designing science-based competitions that are both fun and educational for for elementary and secondary students. These recommendations were developed as a result of IGES' experience gained through two annual student competitions that focus on Earth science topics: An annual art contest, for grades 2-4, challenges U.S. students to explore a specific Earth science topic. For example, past themes have included Polar Explorations: Going to Extremes (2006); Connect-4: Air, Land, Water, and Life (2005); and Picture Me: What Kind of Earth Explorer Would I Be? (2004). The contest supports national science education standards for grades K-4, and includes suggested classroom activities, books, and movies. The Thacher Scholarship was founded in 2000 by IGES in honor of the late Peter S. Thacher, a former IGES board member and leader in promoting the use of satellite remote sensing. The $4,000 scholarship is awarded to exceptional high school students displaying the best use of satellite remote sensing in understanding our changing planet.

Improving science literacy and education through space life sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacLeish, Marlene Y.; Moreno, Nancy P.; Tharp, Barbara Z.; Denton, Jon J.; Jessup, George; Clipper, Milton C.

2001-08-01

The National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) encourages open involvement by scientists and the public at large in the Institute's activities. Through its Education and Public Outreach Program, the Institute is supporting national efforts to improve Kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) and undergraduate education and to communicate knowledge generated by space life science research to lay audiences. Three academic institutions—Baylor College of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine and Texas A&M University—are designing, producing, field-testing, and disseminating a comprehensive array of programs and products to achieve this goal. The objectives of the NSBRI Education and Public Outreach program are to: promote systemic change in elementary and secondary science education; attract undergraduate students—especially those from underrepresented groups—to careers in space life sciences, engineering and technology-based fields; increase scientific literacy; and to develop public and private sector partnerships that enhance and expand NSBRI efforts to reach students and families.

Science Teachers in Deaf Education: A National Survey of K-8 Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaw, Cynthia

2009-01-01

A survey was conducted with 67 science teachers who taught deaf children at the elementary school level. Teacher background variables, information about teacher preparation and certification, preferred teaching methods, communication methodologies, curriculum, and the use of technology were gathered. A purposeful, convenience sampling technique…

Proceedings of the Redesign in Science Education Conference (RISE) (Columbus, OH, October 20-21, 2000).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beeth, Michael E., Ed.; Kwon, Hyeoksoon, Ed.; Lee, Gyoungho, Ed.

This document contains the papers presented at the Redesign in Science Education (RISE) Conference. Papers include: (1) "A Model Development Concept (MDC) for Education: A Framework for Change" (C. K. Barsky, K. G. Wilson, and B. Daviss); (2) "Teaching Science Everyday" (K. L. Scott); (3) "Science Teacher Licensure…

The Village Green Project: Lesson Plans for K-8 Educators

EPA Science Inventory

This document contains lesson plans spanning kindergarten through 8th grade, that are written to connect next-generation science standards (USA) to the Village Green Project and related air quality topics.

Science and Engineering Education: Data and Information.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buccino, Alphonse; And Others

Science and Engineering Education data and information are presented in six chapters, each chapter containing detailed statistical charts and tables. Resources data contained in chapter 1 are grouped into four categories: K-12, higher education, funding, and informal education. Resources may take the form of capital, personnel, and teaching…

Creating opportunities for science PhDs to pursue careers in high school education.

PubMed

Doyle, Kari M H; Vale, Ronald D

2013-11-01

The United States is confronting important challenges at both the early and late stages of science education. At the level of K-12 education, a recent National Research Council report (Successful K-12 STEM Education) proposed a bold restructuring of how science is taught, moving away from memorizing facts and emphasizing hands-on, inquiry-based learning and a deeper understanding of the process of science. At higher levels of training, limited funding for science is leading PhDs to seek training and careers in areas other than research. Might science PhDs play a bigger role in the future of K-12 education, particularly at the high school level? We explore this question by discussing the roles that PhDs can play in high school education and the current and rather extensive barriers to PhDs entering the teaching profession and finally suggest ways to ease the entrance of qualified PhDs into high school education.

Cool Science: Engaging Adult and K-16 Audiences in Climate Change Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lustick, D.; Lohmeier, J.; Chen, R. F.

2012-12-01

A team of educators and scientists from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and the University of Massachusetts Boston will report on an informal science learning research project using mass transit spaces in Lowell, MA. Cool Science (CS) uses advertising spaces on buses and terminals to engage the public with an Out of Home Multi-Media (OHMM) learning experience. K-16 classrooms throughout Massachusetts will submit original artwork that conveys a scientific concept central to understanding climate change. The best 6 works submitted will be printed and placed on every bus in the city over a 6 month period during the first half of 2013. CS aims to promote and evaluate learning about climate change science among the general adult public and k-16 students/teachers. Cool Science offers teachers an efficient and effective means of seamlessly bringing the study of climate change into classroom learning both within science and across disciplines. The products of this effort are then used to improve public engagement with the science of climate change in mass transit environments. Cool Science is an example of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math education (STEAM). The goals of CS are: 1) Engage professors, teachers, and their respective students in a climate change science communication competition. 2) Run the winning 6 selected placards and posters throughout the LRTA. 3) Identify how different communities of risk among the riding public approach and understand climate change. 4) Identify the advantages and disadvantages of using buses as a context for research on informal science learning. 5) Determine the extent to which student artwork serves as a trusted source of information. As advances in technology allow for more scientific knowledge to be generated, the role of informal education to improve adult understanding of science has never been greater. We see the convergence of circumstances (ISE, climate change, OHMM, mobile technology) as an enormous

Activities for Teaching K-6 Math/Science Concepts. Classroom Activities Series - Number 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farmer, Walter A.; Farrell, Margaret A.

This book is a revised edition of one of the products of a project, "Teaching Mathematics and Science Concepts, K-6, funded by the New York State Education Department. The project was a collaborative effort by mathematics and science education faculty at the State University of New York at Albany and representatives of eight school districts in…

Engineering in K-12 Education: Understanding the Status and Improving the Prospects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Katehi, Linda, Ed.; Pearson, Greg, Ed.; Feder, Michael, Ed.

2009-01-01

Engineering education in K-12 classrooms is a small but growing phenomenon that may have implications for engineering and also for the other STEM subjects--science, technology, and mathematics. Specifically, engineering education may improve student learning and achievement in science and mathematics, increase awareness of engineering and the work…

Universities Reaching Outwards: Science Education Partnerships with Urban School Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandifer, Cody

2013-03-01

The goals of this talk are to: (1) describe how universities, physics departments, and individual faculty can partner with urban school systems to benefit K-16 students, teacher education programs, and university instructors, (2) summarize research on effective university-school system education partnerships, and (3) offer advice and share lessons learned so that university partners can avoid common pitfalls and maximize the potential for collaborative success. Possible areas of university-school collaboration include resident teachers, curricular review, early teaching experiences, demo sharing sessions, ongoing professional development, on- and off-campus science outreach, RET programs, science education resource centers, and others. University-school educational partnerships offer numerous benefits but can be challenging to implement and maintain. Research shows that most successful partnerships possess the following characteristics: mutual self-interest, participant commitment, mutual trust and respect, shared decision-making, information sharing, and ongoing evaluation. K-16 course and curriculum redesign is a specific issue that has its own unique set of contextual factors that impact the project's chance at success, including available materials, administrative support, formative assessments, pilot-testing and instructor feedback, and ongoing professional development. I have learned a number of lessons in own science education collaborations with the Baltimore City Public School System, which is an urban school system with 200 schools, 84,000 students, and 10,700 teachers and administrators. These lessons pertain to: communication, administrative power, and the structure of the school system; relevant contextual factors in the university and K-12 schools; and good old-fashioned common sense.Specific advice on K-16 science education partnerships will be provided to help universities increase student and instructor satisfaction with their physics and teacher

kNOw Soil - kNOw Life: Integrating soil science across disciplines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindbo, D. L.; Kozlowski, D.; Robinson, C.; Chapman, S.

2014-12-01

Teaching primary and secondary school students (K-12) about science and art, although absolutely critical, can be difficult. Teachers have specific standards or subject matters that they are required to cover and often soils and soil science is not included in that list. We have struggled with ways to bring soil science information to the larger audience as the direct approach meets with resistance due to the time commitments to other standards. Our approach now is to use soils as a media or vehicle to teach key concepts in broad subject areas. We have developed several lesson plans in science, geography, math and art that focus on a concept but use soils to convey it. For example students make "mini" monoliths of a state soil. During this exercise students need to use skills in geography to find where their state soil occurs in their state and in the country. They need to understand colors in order to choose the correct colors to use to make their monolith. Finally, they must understand how scales work in order to make the monolith accurate in terms of horizon depths. Throughout the exercise discussion on my certain colors occur in the soil can be discussed. This discussion can lead to a qualitative understanding of chemistry and biology. This presentation will demonstrate this lesson and several others that have been developed and available through the Soil Science Society of America's K12 Education Committee and our International Year of Soil website.

Climate change science education across schools, campuses, and centers: strategies and successes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merrill, J.; Harcourt, P.; Rogers, M.; Buttram, J.; Petrone, C.; Veron, D. E.; Sezen-Barrie, A.; Stylinski, C.; Ozbay, G.

2016-02-01

With established partnerships in higher education, K-12, and informal science education communities across Delaware and Maryland, the NSF-funded MADE CLEAR project (Maryland Delaware Climate Change Education, Assessment, and Research) has instituted a suite of professional development strategies to bring climate change science into science education methods courses, K-12 classrooms, university lecture halls, and public park facilities. MADE CLEAR partners have provided consistent climate literacy topics (mechanisms, human contributions, local and global impacts, mitigation and adaptation) while meeting the unique needs of each professional community. In-person topical lectures, hands-on work with classroom materials, seed funding for development of new education kits, and on-line live and recorded sessions are some of the tools employed by the team to meet those needs and build enduring capacity for climate change science education. The scope of expertise of the MADE CLEAR team, with climate scientists, educators, learning scientists, and managers has provided not only PD tailored for each education audience, but has also created, fostered, and strengthened relationships across those audiences for long-term sustainability of the newly-built capacity. Specific examples include new climate change programs planned for implementation across Delaware State Parks that will be consistent with middle school curriculum; integration of climate change topics into science methods classes for pre-service teachers at four universities; and active K-12 and informal science education teams working to cooperatively develop lessons that apply informal science education techniques and formal education pedagogy. Evaluations by participants highlight the utility of personal connections, access to experts, mentoring and models for developing implementation plans.

Effective Strategies for Teaching in K-8 Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Kenneth D.; Hansen, Jacqueline

2011-01-01

Featuring a wealth of reflection activities and connections to standards, this concise, easy-to-read teaching methods text equips students with the content knowledge and skills they need to become effective K-8 teachers. The book maximizes instructional flexibility, reflects current educational issues, highlights recent research, and models best…

Providing Affordable, Community-Based Tutorial Services for K-8 Students Utilizing Master Teachers as Mentors to Preservice Education Majors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopez, Mary Kathryn

The preservice teacher education practicum described in this practicum paper sought to provide affordable, convenient reading tutorial services for K-8 children. Participants were mentor teachers, preservice teachers, and students from the community. A twilight school was established that provided professional development opportunites for teachers…

Migrant Child Education. Learning Activities Direct Instruction K-8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wheelock, Warren H., Ed.

The two major parts of a publication resulting from the 14th annual Arizona Migrant Child Teacher and Aide Institute discuss learning centers and resource units and provide four K-3 resource units, and three resource units for grades 4-8. Institute participants from 1983 and earlier years are listed. The discussion of learning centers as…

Education and Professional Outreach as an Integrated Component of Science and Graduate Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Staudigel, H.; Koppers, A. A.

2007-12-01

Education and Professional Outreach (EPO) is increasingly becoming a substantive and much needed activity for scientists. Significant efforts are expended to satisfy funding agency requirements, but such requirements may also develop into a mutually beneficial collaboration between scientists and K-16 educators with a minimal impact on science productivity. We focus here on two particularly high impact EPO opportunities, hosting of high school interns and the inclusion of an educational component to a graduate student's&pthesis work. We emphasize the importance of hands-on collaboration with teachers and teacher-educators, and the substantive benefits of highly leveraged customized internet-distribution. We will present two examples for how we integrated this K-12 EPO into our university-based science and education efforts, what types of products emerged from these activities, and how such products may be widely produced by any scientist and disseminated to the educational community. High school seniors offer a unique resource to university EPO because some of them can substantively contribute to the science, and they can be very effective peer-mentors for high and middle schools. Extended internships may be built easily into the schedule of many senior high school student programs, and we were able to involve such interns into a three-week seagoing expedition. The seniors were responsible for our EPO by maintaining a cruise website and video conferencing with their high school. They added substantially to the science outcome, through programming and participating in a range of shipboard science chores. Graduate theses may be augmented with an educational component that places the main theme of the thesis into an educational setting. We designed and supervised such a Master's graduate thesis with an educational component on the geochronology of hot spot volcanoes, including a high school lesson plan, enactment in the classroom and preparation of a wide range of web

Science & Technology Ideas for the Under 8s. SATIS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stringer, John, Ed.

Ever since the publication of the age 8-14 materials by the Science and Technology in Society (SATIS) Project of the Association for Science Education (ASE), teachers have been looking for a similar resource for younger children. This book of units is a first step to answering that request. In the SATIS project, science and technology have always…

Marrying Content and Process in Computer Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zendler, A.; Spannagel, C.; Klaudt, D.

2011-01-01

Constructivist approaches to computer science education emphasize that as well as knowledge, thinking skills and processes are involved in active knowledge construction. K-12 computer science curricula must not be based on fashions and trends, but on contents and processes that are observable in various domains of computer science, that can be…

Diffusing Innovations: Adoption of Serious Educational Games by K-12 Science Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vallett, David; Annetta, Leonard; Lamb, Richard; Bowling, Brandy

2014-01-01

Innovation is a term that has become widely used in education; especially as it pertains to technology infusion. Applying the corporate theory of diffusing innovation to educational practice is an innovation in itself. This mixed-methods study examined 38 teachers in a science educational gaming professional development program that provided…

Creating and Sustaining Successful K-8 Magnet Schools. Innovations in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Department of Education, 2008

2008-01-01

Magnet schools have developed strong national and local constituencies among parents and educators, who see them as vehicles for bringing equity and academic excellence to all students. Typically, these schools offer innovative programs through a specialized focus or theme. They may emphasize subjects like science or the arts, or they may adopt…

Mathematics in the K-8 Classroom and Library

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKinney, Sueanne; Hinton, KaaVonia

2010-01-01

Two experts on education offer a rich and diverse selection of children's literature and teaching strategies for the K-8 mathematics classroom. To date, a vast majority of classrooms continue to fall short in the implementation and direction of NCTM Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (PSSM), in part because most of these classrooms…

An Investigation of Science Educators' View of Roles and Responsibilities for Climate Change Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGinnis, J. Randy; McDonald, Chris; Hestness, Emily; Breslyn, Wayne

2016-01-01

This exploratory study investigates what science educators from differing groups (outside of higher education--informal and formal (K-12) and inside of higher education--content and pedagogy experts) believe are the roles and responsibilities (and what actions these might involve) in climate change education for: 1) their group of educators, and…

The Engaged Microbiologist: Bringing the Microbiological Sciences to the K-12 Community.

PubMed

Westenberg, David J

2016-03-01

Exposing K-12 students to cutting edge science that impacts their daily lives can bring classroom lessons to life. Citizen-science projects are an excellent way to bring high-level science to the classroom and help satisfy one of the cornerstone concepts of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), "engaging in practices that scientists and engineers actually use." This can be a daunting task for teachers who may lack the background or resources to integrate these projects into the classroom. This is where scientific societies such as the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) can play a critical role. ASM encourages its members to engage with the K-12 community by providing networking opportunities and resources for ASM members and K-12 teachers to work together to bring microbiology into the classroom. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education.

Environmental Education & Ecology in a Life Science Course for Preservice K-8 Teachers Using Project Wildlife in Learning Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Allan

2010-01-01

During laboratory sessions devoted to ecology, 182 preservice K-8 teachers participated in a Project Wildlife in Learning Design (WILD) workshop. Participants rated the workshop highly, indicated they would use more inquiry-based activities, and were more interested in teaching ecology following the workshop. Post-test scores indicated an…

Nebraska Earth Science Education Network: Enhancing the NASA, University, and Pre-College Science Teacher Connection with Electronic Communication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gosselin, David C.

1997-01-01

The primary goals of this project were to: 1. Promote and enhance K-12 earth science education; and enhance the access to and exchange of information through the use of digital networks in K-12 institutions. We have achieved these two goals. Through the efforts of many individuals at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), Nebraska Earth Science Education Network (NESEN) has become a viable and beneficial interdisciplinary outreach program for K-12 educators in Nebraska. Over the last three years, the NASA grant has provided personnel and equipment to maintain, expand and develop NESEN into a program that is recognized by its membership as a valuable source of information and expertise in earth systems science. Because NASA funding provided a framework upon which to build, other external sources of funding have become available to support NESEN programs.

Survey on Teaching Science to K-12 Students with Disabilities: Teacher Preparedness and Attitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kahn, Sami; Lewis, Anna R.

2014-12-01

Students with disabilities are increasingly included in general education science classrooms and are expected to demonstrate academic proficiency on standardized assessments. Teacher preparation and attitudes have been cited as major factors contributing to either the success or failure of students with disabilities in science. In order to assess the current state of what could be facilitative or inhibitory influences, a national online survey to which 1,088 K-12 science teachers responded was conducted. Mixed methods' analyses suggest that science teachers receive little formal training and feel underprepared to teach students with disabilities. Results identify specific gaps in science teachers' education, as well as attitudinal and institutional barriers that may inhibit students with disabilities' success. However, science teachers remain highly receptive to training and collaboration. Implications for science teacher education are discussed.

K-12 Science and Math Education across the Federal Agencies. Hearing before the Committee on Science, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Ninth Congress, Second Session (March 30, 2006). Serial Number 109-43

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US House of Representatives, 2006

2006-01-01

This document records testimony from a hearing held to examine how federal agencies can improve their individual and collective efforts to strengthen K-12 science and math education. Presenters and witnesses included: Representative Sherwood L. Boehlert, Chairman, Committee on Science, U.S. House of Representatives; Representative Bart Gordon,…

Promoting Physical Science to Education Majors: Making Connections between Science and Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Korb, Michele A.; Sirola, Christopher; Climack, Rebecca

2005-01-01

Elementary teachers have been identified as the single most important influence on student's future attitudes and motivations toward science. Research indicates that K-8 science teachers emphasize memorization more than the exploration of questions or critical thought as a result of their college science experiences. The reasons students gradually…

Capturing and displaying microscopic images used in medical diagnostics and forensic science using 4K video resolution - an application in higher education.

PubMed

Maier, Hans; de Heer, Gert; Ortac, Ajda; Kuijten, Jan

2015-11-01

To analyze, interpret and evaluate microscopic images, used in medical diagnostics and forensic science, video images for educational purposes were made with a very high resolution of 4096 × 2160 pixels (4K), which is four times as many pixels as High-Definition Video (1920 × 1080 pixels). The unprecedented high resolution makes it possible to see details that remain invisible to any other video format. The images of the specimens (blood cells, tissue sections, hair, fibre, etc.) are recorded using a 4K video camera which is attached to a light microscope. After processing, this resulted in very sharp and highly detailed images. This material was then used in education for classroom discussion. Spoken explanation by experts in the field of medical diagnostics and forensic science was also added to the high-resolution video images to make it suitable for self-study. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Microscopy published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Royal Microscopical Society.

A program to enhance k-12 science education in ten rural New York school districts.

PubMed

Goodell, E; Visco, R; Pollock, P

1999-04-01

The Rural Partnership for Science Education, designed by educators and scientists in 1991 with funding from the National Institutes of Health, works in two rural New York State counties with students and their teachers from kindergarten through grade 12 to improve pre-college science education. The Partnership is an alliance among ten rural New York school districts and several New York State institutions (e.g., a regional academic medical center; the New York Academy of Sciences; and others), and has activities that involve around 4,800 students and 240 teachers each year. The authors describe the program's activities (e.g., summer workshops for teachers; science exploration camps for elementary and middle-school students; enrichment activities for high school students). A certified science education specialist directs classroom demonstrations throughout the academic year to support teachers' efforts to integrate hands-on activities into the science curriculum. A variety of evaluations over the years provides strong evidence of the program's effectiveness in promoting students' and teachers' interest in science. The long-term goal of the Partnership is to inspire more rural students to work hard, learn science, and enter the medical professions.

Empirical Determination of Competence Areas to Computer Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zendler, Andreas; Klaudt, Dieter; Seitz, Cornelia

2014-01-01

The authors discuss empirically determined competence areas to K-12 computer science education, emphasizing the cognitive level of competence. The results of a questionnaire with 120 professors of computer science serve as a database. By using multi-dimensional scaling and cluster analysis, four competence areas to computer science education…

Preparing the 21st Century Workforce: Strengthening and Improving K-12 and Undergraduate Science, Math, and Engineering Education. Field Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Research, Committee on Science, House of Representatives, 107th Congress, First Session (April 22, 2002).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House.

The hearing reported in this document focuses on K-12 and undergraduate science, mathematics, and engineering education and the improvement of the educational system to prepare the 21st century workforce. The report includes statements from Ms. Narvella R. West, Executive Director for Science, Dallas Independent School District; Dr. Geoffrey C.…

Science teaching in science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Callahan, Brendan E.; Dopico, Eduardo

2016-06-01

Reading the interesting article Discerning selective traditions in science education by Per Sund , which is published in this issue of CSSE, allows us to open the discussion on procedures for teaching science today. Clearly there is overlap between the teaching of science and other areas of knowledge. However, we must constantly develop new methods to teach and differentiate between science education and teaching science in response to the changing needs of our students, and we must analyze what role teachers and teacher educators play in both. We must continually examine the methods and concepts involved in developing pedagogical content knowledge in science teachers. Otherwise, the possibility that these routines, based on subjective traditions, prevent emerging processes of educational innovation. Modern science is an enormous field of knowledge in its own right, which is made more expansive when examined within the context of its place in society. We propose the need to design educative interactions around situations that involve science and society. Science education must provide students with all four dimensions of the cognitive process: factual knowledge, conceptual knowledge, procedural knowledge, and metacognitive knowledge. We can observe in classrooms at all levels of education that students understand the concepts better when they have the opportunity to apply the scientific knowledge in a personally relevant way. When students find value in practical exercises and they are provided opportunities to reinterpret their experiences, greater learning gains are achieved. In this sense, a key aspect of educational innovation is the change in teaching methodology. We need new tools to respond to new problems. A shift in teacher education is needed to realize the rewards of situating science questions in a societal context and opening classroom doors to active methodologies in science education to promote meaningful learning through meaningful teaching.

NGSS and the Landscape of Engineering in K-12 State Science Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Tamara J.; Tank, Kristina M.; Glancy, Aran W.; Kersten, Jennifer A.

2015-01-01

Recent documents pertaining to K-12 education have fostered a connection between engineering and science education to help better prepare our students and future citizens to better meet the current and future challenges of our modern and technological society. With that connection, there has been a concerted effort to raise the visibility of…

Meaningful Science: Teachers Doing Inquiry + Teaching Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kielborn, Terrie L., Ed.; Gilmer, Penny J., Ed.

This publication relates the experiences of seven K-8 teachers who participated in a science education doctoral cohort group during which each of the teachers engaged in a different real-world scientific research project. The idea was to immerse teachers in scientific research so that they could experience inquiry in science first-hand and become…

Using the Geoscience Literacy Frameworks and Educational Technologies to Promote Science Literacy in Non-science Major Undergraduates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carley, S.; Tuddenham, P.; Bishop, K. O.

2008-12-01

In recent years several geoscience communities have been developing ocean, climate, atmosphere and earth science literacy frameworks as enhancements to the National Science Education Standards content standards. Like the older content standards these new geoscience literacy frameworks have focused on K-12 education although they are also intended for informal education and general public audiences. These geoscience literacy frameworks potentially provide a more integrated and less abstract approach to science literacy that may be more suitable for non-science major students that are not pursuing careers in science research or education. They provide a natural link to contemporary environmental issues - e.g., climate change, resource depletion, species and habitat loss, natural hazards, pollution, development of renewable energy, material recycling. The College of Exploration is an education research non-profit that has provided process and technical support for the development of most of these geoscience literacy frameworks. It has a unique perspective on their development. In the last ten years it has also gained considerable national and international expertise in facilitating web-based workshops that support in-depth conversations among educators and working scientists/researchers on important science topics. These workshops have been of enormous value to educators working in K-12, 4-year institutions and community colleges. How can these geoscience literacy frameworks promote more collaborative inquiry-based learning that enhances the appreciation of scientific thinking by non-majors? How can web- and mobile-based education technologies transform the undergraduate non-major survey course into a place where learners begin their passion for science literacy rather than end it? How do we assess science literacy in students and citizens?

Creating State-based Alliances to Support Earth and Space Science Education Reform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geary, E. E.; Manduca, C. A.; Barstow, D.

2002-05-01

Seven years after the publication of the National Science Education Standards and adoption of new state science education standards, Earth and space science remains outside the mainstream K-12 curriculum. Currently, less than ten percent of high school students in the United States of America take an Earth or space science course before graduation. This state of affairs is simply unacceptable. "All of us who live on this planet have the right and the obligation to understand Earth's unique history, its dynamic processes, its abundant resources, and its intriguing mysteries. As citizens of Earth, with the power to modify our climate and ecosystems, we also have a personal and collective responsibility to understand Earth so that we can make wise decisions about its and our future". As one step toward addressing this situation, we support the establishment of state-based alliances to promote Earth and space science education reform. "In many ways, states are the most vital locus of change in our nation's schools. State departments of education define curriculum frameworks, establish testing policies, support professional development and, in some cases, approve textbooks and materials for adoption". State alliance partners should include a broad spectrum of K-16 educators, scientists, policy makers, parents, and community leaders from academic institutions, businesses, museums, technology centers, and not-for profit organizations. The focus of these alliances should be on systemic and sustainable reform of K-16 Earth and space science education. Each state-based alliance should focus on specific educational needs within their state, but work together to share ideas, resources, and models for success. As we build these alliances we need to take a truly collaborative approach working with the other sciences, geography, and mathematics so that collectively we can improve the caliber and scope of science and mathematics education for all students.

The Iowa Chautauqua Program: Advancing Reforms in K-12 Science Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dass, Pradeep M.; Yager, Robert E.

1999-01-01

Describes the dissemination and implementation of the Iowa Chautauqua Program model of professional development for advancing science education reforms within the United States and in several settings abroad. Contains 15 references. (WRM)

Monitoring Progress toward Successful K-12 STEM Education: A Nation Advancing?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academies Press, 2013

2013-01-01

Following a 2011 report by the National Research Council (NRC) on successful K-12 education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), Congress asked the National Science Foundation to identify methods for tracking progress toward the report's recommendations. In response, the NRC convened the Committee on an Evaluation Framework…

Science Curriculum Guide, Level 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newark School District, DE.

The third of four levels in a K-12 science curriculum is outlined. In Level 3 (grades 6-8), science areas include life science, earth science, and physical science (physics and chemistry). Conveniently listed are page locations for educational and instructional objectives, cross-referenced to science area (i.e., life science, animals, genetics)…

From Laboratories to Classrooms: Involving Scientists in Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeVore, E. K.

2001-12-01

Scientists play a key role in science education: the adventure of making new discoveries excites and motivates students. Yet, American science education test scores lag behind those of other industrial countries, and the call for better science, math and technology education is widespread. Thus, improving American science, math and technological literacy is a major educational goal for the NSF and NASA. Today, funding for research often carries a requirement that the scientist be actively involved in education and public outreach (E/PO) to enhance the science literacy of students, teachers and citizens. How can scientists contribute effectively to E/PO? What roles can scientists take in E/PO? And, how can this be balanced with research requirements and timelines? This talk will focus on these questions, with examples drawn from the author's projects that involve scientists in working with K-12 teacher professional development and with K-12 curriculum development and implementation. Experiences and strategies for teacher professional development in the research environment will be discussed in the context of NASA's airborne astronomy education and outreach projects: the Flight Opportunities for Science Teacher EnRichment project and the future Airborne Ambassadors Program for NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). Effective partnerships with scientists as content experts in the development of new classroom materials will be described with examples from the SETI Institute's Life in the Universe curriculum series for grades 3-9, and Voyages Through Time, an integrated high school science course. The author and the SETI Institute wish to acknowledge funding as well as scientific and technical support from the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Hewlett Packard Company, the Foundation for Microbiology, and the Combined Federated Charities.

Progress and Setbacks in K-12 Earth and Space Science Education During the Past Decade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geary, E.; Hoffman, M.; Stevermer, A.; Barstow, D.

2005-12-01

Since publication of the National Science Education Standards in 1996, key Earth and space science concepts have been incorporated into the science education standards in virtually every state. However, the degree to which Earth and space science standards have been implemented in actual classroom curriculum and state science assessments varies greatly from state to state. In a similar vein, the No Child Left Behind legislation calls for a highly qualified teacher in every classroom: in Idaho over 96 percent of high school teachers are certified to teach Earth science, while in Illinois, less than 42 percent of teachers are certified. Furthermore, in some states, like New York, approximately 20 percent of high school students will take introductory Earth science each year, while in other states, like Texas, less than 1 percent of high school students will take introductory Earth science each year. Why do we have this high degree of variability with respect to the teaching and learning of Earth science across the United States? The answer is complex, as there are many institutional, attitudinal, budgetary, and policy factors affecting the teaching of Earth and space sciences. This presentation will summarize data on the current status of Earth and space science education in the United States, discuss where progress has been made and where setbacks have occurred during the past decade, and provide some suggestions and ideas for improving access to high quality Earth and space science education courses, curricula, assessments, and teachers at the state and local level.

Inscriptional Practices in Undergraduate Introductory Science Courses: A Path toward Improving Prospective K-6 Teachers' Understanding and Teaching of Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kindfield, Ann C. H.; Singer-Gabella, Marcy

2010-01-01

Inscriptions play a critical role in the creation and communication of scientific knowledge, yet are afforded little status in traditional science education research and practice. In the vast majority of science classrooms, K-12 and university alike, inscriptions are treated as transparent, unproblematic illustrations of the "content" rather than…

Revolutionizing Earth System Science Education for the 21st Century: Report and Recommendations from a 50-State Analysis of Earth Science Education Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoffman, Martos; Barstow, Daniel

2007-01-01

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) commissioned TERC to complete a review of science education standards for all 50 states. The study analyzed K-12 Earth science standards to determine how well each state addresses key Earth-science content, concepts and skills. This report reveals that few states have thoroughly integrated…

Science Education Resource Assistant for Researchers. [CD-ROM].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

ERIC Clearinghouse for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education, Columbus, OH.

This CD-ROM provides a collection of Internet resources as well as K-16 related science materials and is divided into two sections. "Online Resources" includes information on the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), National Standards, AAAS Project 2061 Resources, U.S. Department of Education, Third International Mathematics…

High-Stakes Testing in Education: Science and Practice in K-12 Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bovaird, James A., Ed.; Geisinger, Kurt F., Ed.; Buckendahl, Chad W., Ed.

2011-01-01

Educational assessment and, more broadly, educational research in the United States have entered into an era characterized by a dramatic increase in the prevalence and importance of test score use in accountability systems. This volume covers a selection of contemporary issues about testing science and practice that impact the nation's public…

WestEd Eisenhower Regional Consortium: Helping to Build a Presence for Science With Online Professional Development Opportunities for K-12 Educators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rognier, E.

2002-12-01

The WestEd Eisenhower Regional Consortium (WERC) is in its third year of offering two Earth Systems Science On-line Graduate courses from IGES - one for High School teachers, and one for Middle School teachers. These high-quality courses support WERC's commitment to "supporting increased scientific and mathematical literacy among our nation's youth through services and other support aimed at enhancing the efforts of those who provide K-12 science and mathematics education." These courses also support our NSTA-sponsored "Building a Presence for Science" program in California, providing professional development opportunities to help achieve our vision of increased quantity and quality of science education statewide. Our students have included classroom teachers from upper elementary through high school, community college science teachers, and environmental science center staff who provide inservice for teachers. Educators from Hawaii to New Jersey have provided diverse personal experiences of Earth Systems Science events, and add richness to the online discussions. Students have consistently embraced the concept of a systems-based approach to science instruction, commenting on how these courses have forever changed their teaching practices and provided a successful means for engaging and involving their students in scientific inquiry. Through offering these online courses, we have learned valuable lessons about recruitment, retention, team-building, and facilitating discussions for classes with no "face to face" component. This format is both rich and challenging, with teammates from diverse geographic regions and timezones, with a variety of connectivity and accessibility issues. In this third year of offering the courses, we are pleased to have students taking their second course with us, wanting to continue learning content and stragtegies to improve their skills as science teachers.

Fostering Science Education in an Online Environment: Are We There yet?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Kathleen S.; Snyder, Will

2012-01-01

Today, science teachers continue to seek ways to improve their instruction and become credentialed as "highly qualified" in their field. This paper describes how science and science education faculty at the University of Massachusetts and veteran K-12 science teachers, with funding from the National Science Foundation, designed Science…

The ongoing educational anomaly of earth science placement

USGS Publications Warehouse

Messina, P.; Speranza, P.; Metzger, E.P.; Stoffer, P.

2003-01-01

The geosciences have traditionally been viewed with less "aCademic prTstige" than other science curricula. Among the results of this perception are depressed K-16 enrollments, Earth Science assignments to lower-performing students, and relegation of these classes to sometimes under-qualified educators, all of which serve to confirm the widely-held misconceptions. An Earth Systems course developed at San Jos??e State University demonstrates the difficulty of a standard high school Earth science curriculum, while recognizing the deficiencies in pre-college Earth science education. Restructuring pre-college science curricula so that Earth Science is placed as a capstone course would greatly improve student understanding of the geosciences, while development of Earth systems courses that infuse real-world and hands-on learning at the college level is critical to bridging the information gap for those with no prior exposure to the Earth sciences. Well-crafted workshops for pre-service and inservice teachers of Earth Science can heIp to reverse the trends and unfortunate "sTatus" in geoscience education.

Taking Science to School: Learning and Teaching Science in Grades K-8

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duschl, Richard A., Ed.; Schweingruber, Heidi A., Ed.; Shouse, Andrew W., Ed.

2007-01-01

What is science for a child? How do children learn about science and how to do science? Drawing on a vast array of work from neuroscience to classroom observation, "Taking Science to School" provides a comprehensive picture of what we know about teaching and learning science from kindergarten through eighth grade. By looking at a broad range of…

Some Reflections on "Going beyond the Consensus View" of the Nature of Science in K-12 Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berkovitz, Joseph

2017-01-01

Hodson and Wong (2017, this issue) argue that, though the nature of science (NOS) is now an established focus of school science education and a key element in defining scientific literacy, "the consensus view" of NOS misrepresents contemporary scientific practice. They then propose a number of alternative approaches to science curriculum…

Science Identity in Informal Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schon, Jennifer A.

The national drive to increase the number of students pursuing Science Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) careers has brought science identity into focus for educators, with the need to determine what encourages students to pursue and persist in STEM careers. Science identity, the degree to which students think someone like them could be a scientist is a potential indicator of students pursuing and persisting in STEM related fields. Science identity, as defined by Carlone and Johnson (2007) consists of three constructs: competence, performance, and recognition. Students need to feel like they are good at science, can perform it well, and that others recognize them for these achievements in order to develop a science identity. These constructs can be bolstered by student visitation to informal education centers. Informal education centers, such as outdoor science schools, museums, and various learning centers can have a positive impact on how students view themselves as scientists by exposing them to novel and unique learning opportunities unavailable in their school. Specifically, the University of Idaho's McCall Outdoor Science School (MOSS) focuses on providing K-12 students with the opportunity to learn about science with a place-based, hands-on, inquiry-based curriculum that hopes to foster science identity development. To understand the constructs that lead to science identity formation and the impact the MOSS program has on science identity development, several questions were explored examining how students define the constructs and if the MOSS program impacted how they rate themselves within each construct. A mixed-method research approach was used consisting of focus group interviews with students and pre, post, one-month posttests for visiting students to look at change in science identity over time. Results from confirmatory factor analysis indicate that the instrument created is a good fit for examining science identity and the associated

Involving Practicing Scientists in K-12 Science Teacher Professional Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertram, K. B.

2011-12-01

The Science Teacher Education Program (STEP) offered a unique framework for creating professional development courses focused on Arctic research from 2006-2009. Under the STEP framework, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) training was delivered by teams of practicing Arctic researchers in partnership with master teachers with 20+ years experience teaching STEM content in K-12 classrooms. Courses based on the framework were offered to educators across Alaska. STEP offered in-person summer-intensive institutes and follow-on audio-conferenced field-test courses during the academic year, supplemented by online scientist mentorship for teachers. During STEP courses, teams of scientists offered in-depth STEM content instruction at the graduate level for teachers of all grade levels. STEP graduate-level training culminated in the translation of information and data learned from Arctic scientists into standard-aligned lessons designed for immediate use in K-12 classrooms. This presentation will focus on research that explored the question: To what degree was scientist involvement beneficial to teacher training and to what degree was STEP scientist involvement beneficial to scientist instructors? Data sources reveal consistently high levels of ongoing (4 year) scientist and teacher participation; high STEM content learning outcomes for teachers; high STEM content learning outcomes for students; high ratings of STEP courses by scientists and teachers; and a discussion of the reasons scientists indicate they benefited from STEP involvement. Analyses of open-ended comments by teachers and scientists support and clarify these findings. A grounded theory approach was used to analyze teacher and scientist qualitative feedback. Comments were coded and patterns analyzed in three databases. The vast majority of teacher open-ended comments indicate that STEP involvement improved K-12 STEM classroom instruction, and the vast majority of scientist open-ended comments

Science Education Standards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, John W.

1998-04-01

1.National Science Education Standards; National Research Council, National Academy Press: Washington, DC, 1996. 2.Benchmarks for Science Literacy; American Association for the Advancement of Science, Oxford University Press: New York, 1993. 3.Chemistry in the National Science Education Standards; American Chemical Society Education Division, Washington, DC, 1997. 4.Crosby, G. A. J. Chem. Educ. 1996, 73, A200-A201. 5.Ware, S. A. J. Chem. Educ. 1996, 73, A307-A308.

Undergraduates' Perceived Gains and Ideas about Teaching and Learning Science from Participating in Science Education Outreach Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carpenter, Stacey L.

2015-01-01

This study examined what undergraduate students gain and the ideas about science teaching and learning they develop from participating in K-12 science education outreach programs. Eleven undergraduates from seven outreach programs were interviewed individually about their experiences with outreach and what they learned about science teaching and…

Science, Math, and Technology. K-6 Science Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blueford, J. R.; And Others

Science, Math and Technology is one of the units of a K-6 unified science curriculum program. The unit consists of four organizing sub-themes: (1) science (with activities on observation, comparisons, and the scientific method); (2) technology (examining simple machines, electricity, magnetism, waves and forces); (3) mathematics (addressing skill…

A Framework for Quality K-12 Engineering Education: Research and Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Tamara J.; Glancy, Aran W.; Tank, Kristina M.; Kersten, Jennifer A.; Smith, Karl A.; Stohlmann, Micah S.

2014-01-01

Recent U.S. national documents have laid the foundation for highlighting the connection between science, technology, engineering and mathematics at the K-12 level. However, there is not a clear definition or a well-established tradition of what constitutes a quality engineering education at the K-12 level. The purpose of the current work has been…

Consumer's Choice: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Consumer Education. Developed for Grades K-4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allegheny Intermediate Unit, Pittsburgh, PA.

This manual suggests teaching strategies for integrating consumer education into art, language arts, mathematics, science/health, and social studies in grades K-4. The guide lists consumer education competencies, interdisciplinary structures for consumer education, and provides a chart which relates competencies to page numbers in the guide.…

Issues in Science Education: Changing Purposes of Science Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williamson, Stan

This paper addresses the role of science education in today's society and the objectives of instruction in science. Observing that science cannot solve all of the problems of the world, and that science education has had little effect on the willingness of the general public to accept superstitions, the author argues that instructional approaches…

Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Science Education and Its Integration in Grades 7 and 8 Canadian Science Curriculum Documents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Eun-Ji Amy; Dionne, Liliane

2014-01-01

Though science education has been prominent in the Canadian educational system, researchers increasingly recognize the scientific and educational value of integrating traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) into their curriculum. Despite national strategies to integrate TEK, Canada has yet to initiate a comprehensive study of its prevalence and…

A New Era of Science Education: Science Teachers' Perceptions and Classroom Practices of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Integration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hui-Hui

Quality STEM education is the key in helping the United States maintain its lead in global competitiveness and in preparing for new economic and security challenges in the future. Policymakers and professional societies emphasize STEM education by legislating the addition of engineering standards to the existing science standards. On the other hand, the nature of the work of most STEM professionals requires people to actively apply STEM knowledge to make critical decisions. Therefore, using an integrated approach to teaching STEM in K-12 is expected. However, science teachers encounter numerous difficulties in adapting the new STEM integration reforms into their classrooms because of a lack of knowledge and experience. Therefore, high quality STEM integration professional development programs are an urgent necessity. In order to provide these high quality programs, it is important to understand teachers' perceptions and classroom practices regarding STEM integration. A multiple-case study was conducted with five secondary school science teachers in order to gain a better understanding of teachers' perceptions and classroom practices in using STEM integration. This study addresses the following research questions: 1) What are secondary school science teachers' practices of STEM integration? 2) What are secondary science teachers' overall perceptions of STEM integration? and 3) What is the connection between secondary science teachers' perceptions and understanding of STEM integration with their classroom practices? This research aims to explore teachers' perceptions and classroom practices in order to set up the baseline for STEM integration and also to determine STEM integration professional development best practices in science education. Findings from the study provide critical data for making informed decision about the direction for STEM integration in science education in K-12.

Science education ahead?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1999-01-01

trialling of innovative approaches to science education in the medium to long term. It was felt that no significant changes should be made to the National Curriculum or its assessment unless they have been piloted in this way. Copies of the report (ISBN 1 871984 78 5) are available from Caroline Gill in the School of Education at King's College London, Cornwall House, Waterloo Road, London SE1 8WA (tel: 0171 872 3139, fax: 0171 872 3182). It can also be viewed on the King's College London website (http://www.kcl.ac.uk/education).

The Next Generation of Science Standards: Implications for Biology Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bybee, Rodger W.

2012-01-01

The release of A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas (NRC, 2012) provides the basis for the next generation of science standards. This article first describes that foundation for the life sciences; it then presents a draft standard for natural selection and evolution. Finally, there is a…

Bridging the Gap: The Role of Research in Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, M. L.; Michael, P. J.

2001-12-01

Teaching in K-12 science classrooms across the country does not accurately model the real processes of science. To fill this gap, programs that integrate science education and research are imperative. Teachers Experiencing Antarctica and the Arctic (TEA) is a program sponsored and supported by many groups including NSF, the Division of Elementary, Secondary, and Informal Education (ESIE), and the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). It places teachers in partnerships with research scientists conducting work in polar regions. TEA immerses K-12 teachers in the processes of scientific investigation and enables conveyance of the experience to the educational community and public at large. The TEA program paired me with Dr. Peter Michael from the University of Tulsa to participate in AMORE (Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge Expedition) 2001. This international mission, combining the efforts of the USCGC Healy and RV Polarstern, involved cutting-edge research along the geologically and geophysically unsampled submarine Gakkel Ridge. While in the field, I was involved with dredge operations, CTD casts, rock cataloging/ processing, and bathymetric mapping. While immersed in these aspects of research, daily journals documented the scientific research and human aspects of life and work on board the Healy. E-mail capabilities allowed the exchange of hundreds of questions, answers and comments over the course of our expedition. The audience included students, numerous K-12 teachers, research scientists, NSF personnel, strangers, and the press. The expedition interested and impacted hundreds of individuals as it was proceeding. The knowledge gained by science educators through research expeditions promotes an understanding of what research science is all about. It gives teachers a framework on which to build strong, well-prepared students with a greater awareness of the role and relevance of scientific research. Opportunities such as this provide valauble partnerships that bridge

Questioning the Fidelity of the "Next Generation Science Standards" for Astronomy and Space Sciences Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slater, Stephanie J.; Slater, Timothy F.

2015-01-01

Although the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are not federally mandated national standards or performance expectations for K-12 schools in the United States, they stand poised to become a de facto national science and education policy, as state governments, publishers of curriculum materials, and assessment providers across the country…

Effect of a Problem Based Simulation on the Conceptual Understanding of Undergraduate Science Education Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kumar, David Devraj; Sherwood, Robert D.

2007-01-01

A study of the effect of science teaching with a multimedia simulation on water quality, the "River of Life," on the science conceptual understanding of students (N = 83) in an undergraduate science education (K-9) course is reported. Teaching reality-based meaningful science is strongly recommended by the National Science Education Standards…

Supporting new science teachers in pursuing socially just science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruggirello, Rachel; Flohr, Linda

2017-10-01

This forum explores contradictions that arose within the partnership between Teach for America (TFA) and a university teacher education program. TFA is an alternate route teacher preparation program that places individuals into K-12 classrooms in low-income school districts after participating in an intense summer training program and provides them with ongoing support. This forum is a conversation about the challenges we faced as new science teachers in the TFA program and in the Peace Corps program. We both entered the teaching field with science degrees and very little formal education in science education. In these programs we worked in a community very different from the one we had experienced as students. These experiences allow us to address many of the issues that were discussed in the original paper, namely teaching in an unfamiliar community amid challenges that many teachers face in the first few years of teaching. We consider how these challenges may be amplified for teachers who come to teaching through an alternate route and may not have as much pedagogical training as a more traditional teacher education program provides. The forum expands on the ideas presented in the original paper to consider the importance of perspectives on socially just science education. There is often a disconnect between what is taught in teacher education programs and what teachers actually experience in urban classrooms and this can be amplified when the training received through alternate route provides a different framework as well. This forum urges universities and alternate route programs to continue to find ways to authentically partner using practical strategies that bring together the philosophies and goals of all stakeholders in order to better prepare teachers to partner with their students to achieve their science learning goals.

Fermilab Science Education Office - Field Trips, Study Units and Workshops

Science.gov Websites

World - Life Sciences (K-5) Phriendly Physics Program - Blog - Physical Sciences (3-5) The Prairie - Our Heartland - Life Sciences 6-9 (6-8) Energy and Ecosystems - Life Sciences (6-9) Beauty and Charm - Physical

Teacher to Teacher: Model Lessons for K-8 Foreign Language.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Redmond, Mary Lynn, Ed.; Lorenz, Eileen, Ed.

This book provides resources for foreign language teachers, supervisors, and others involved in developing and implementing a curriculum. It is the outcome of a 1997 institute, "National Standards for Foreign Language Learning: Curriculum Reform for K-8 Foreign Language Education." The model shows how the national standards can be used…

CAREER Educational Outreach: Inquiry-based Atmospheric Science Lessons for K-12 students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Courville, Z.; Carbaugh, S.; Defrancis, G.; Donegan, R.; Brown, C.; Perovich, D. K.; Richter-Menge, J.

2011-12-01

Climate Comics is a collaborative outreach effort between the Montshire Museum of Science, in Norwich, VT, the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) research staff, and freelance artist and recent graduate of the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, VT, Sam Carbaugh. The project involves the cartoonist, the education staff from the museum, and researchers from CRREL creating a series of comic books with polar science and research themes, including sea ice monitoring, sea ice albedo, ice cores, extreme microbial activity, and stories and the process of fieldwork. The aim of the comic series is to provide meaningful science information in a comic-format that is both informative and fun, while highlighting current polar research work done at the lab. The education staff at the Montshire Museum develops and provides a series of hands-on, inquiry-based activity descriptions to complement each comic book, and CRREL researchers provide science background information and reiterative feedback about the comic books as they are being developed. Here, we present the motivation for using the comic-book medium to present polar research topics, the process involved in creating the comics, some unique features of the series, and the finished comic books themselves. Cartoon illustrating ways snow pack can be used to determine past climate information.

Course Goals in Social Science, Grades K-12. Critique Draft.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Multnomah County Intermediate Education District, Portland, OR.

This document on course goals in the social sciences is one part of a critique series dealing with the development and evaluation of course goals in six subject matter areas for grades K-12. The series provides an initial pool of course-level goals that are expected to be of considerable value in assisting educators with goal definition related to…

Innovations in Ocean Sciences Education at the University of Washington

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robigou, V.

2003-12-01

A new wave of education collaborations began when the national science education reform documents (AAAS Project 2061 and National Science Education Standards) recommended that scientific researchers become engaged stakeholders in science education. Collaborations between research institutions, universities, nonprofits, corporations, parent groups, and school districts can provide scientists original avenues to contribute to education for all. The University of Washington strongly responded to the national call by promoting partnerships between the university research community, the K-12 community and the general public. The College of Ocean and Fishery Sciences and the School of Oceanography spearheaded the creation of several innovative programs in ocean sciences to contribute to the improvement of Earth science education. Two of these programs are the REVEL Project and the Marine Science Student Mobility (MSSM) program that share the philosophy of involving school districts, K-12 science teachers, their students and undergraduate students in current, international, cutting-edge oceanographic research. The REVEL Project (Research and Education: Volcanoes, Exploration and Life) is an NSF-funded, professional development program for middle and high school science teachers that are determined to use deep-sea research and seafloor exploration as tools to implement inquiry-based science in their classrooms, schools, and districts, and to share their experiences with their communities. Initiated in 1996 as a regional program for Northwest science educators, REVEL evolved into a multi-institutional program inviting teachers to practice doing research on sea-going research expeditions. Today, in its 7th year, the project offers teachers throughout the U. S. an opportunity to participate and contribute to international, multidisciplinary, deep-sea research in the Northeast Pacific ocean to study the relationship between geological processes such as earthquakes and

Making Earth Science Relevant in the K-8 Classroom. The Development of an Instructional Soils Module for Pre-Service Elementary Teachers Using the Next Generation Science Standards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baldwin, K. A.; Hauge, R.; Dechaine, J. M.; Varrella, G.; Egger, A. E.

2013-12-01

's STEP Center in the geosciences. The module goals are: 1) Pre-service teachers will apply classification methods, testing procedures and interdisciplinary systems thinking to analyze and evaluate a relevant societal issue in the context of soils, 2) Pre-service teachers will design, develop, and facilitate a standards-based K-8 soils unit, incorporating a relevant broader societal issue that applies authentic geoscientific data, and incorporates geoscientific habits of mind. In addition, pre-service teachers will look toward the NGSS and align activities with content standards, systems thinking, and science and engineering practices. This poster will provide an overview of module development to date as well as a summary of pre-semester survey results indicating pre-service elementary teachers' ideas (beliefs, attitudes, preconceptions, and content knowledge) about teaching soils, and making science relevant in a K-8 classroom.

Trans- and Interdisciplinarity in K-14 Climate Change Education: Trends Emerging from Recent Reports by the National Research Council

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Storksdieck, M.

2012-12-01

A recent report by the National Research Council placed climate change or climate science education deeply into the curriculum of K-12 science education in the US (A Framework for K-12 Science Education). The NRC Framework is currently being translated into the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), an effort by 26 states, representing 57% of the US school-aged population, under the leadership of the educational nonprofit Achieve. A first draft version of the NGSS was made available to public audiences in June of 2012, and a revised draft will be available for a second round of reviews in later November of 2012; the final version of the NGSS which will likely feature climate change and climate science as part of Earth Systems Science, but also embedded in other areas of the science curriculum, is expected to be released in the spring of 2013. It has already become apparent, though, that successful implementation of the new standards down into effective classroom-based instruction will require a deep analysis of current and likely future barriers and opportunities for engaging K-14 students in climate change education. A recently released report on an NRC workshop conducted in 2011 summarizes these discussions (Climate Change Education in Formal Settings, K-14: A Workshop Summary). The proceedings of the workshop highlight the need to think in trans- or interdisciplinary ways about educating children in primary, secondary and early post-secondary education. This report builds on a 2010 workshop that addressed how to best reach general audiences on the issue of climate change education, particularly if the desired outcome is seen as building adaptive capacity in children and adults alike. This workshop was summarized in a report entitled Climate Change Education: Goals, Audiences, and Strategies. Opportunities for engaging students in trans- or interdisciplinary exploration of climate science or climate change-related topics, while available to K-12 students

K-6 Science Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blueford, J. R.; And Others

A unified science approach is incorporated in this K-6 curriculum mode. The program is organized into six major cycles. These include: (1) science, math, and technology cycle; (2) universe cycle; (3) life cycle; (4) water cycle; (5) plate tectonics cycle; and (6) rock cycle. An overview is provided of each cycle's major concepts. The topic…

Twenty-First Century Literacy and Technology in K-8 Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, June; Bryan, Jan; Brown, Ted

2005-01-01

Using technology to enhance literacy has been viewed in different ways by educators. Some teachers believe that new developments will fundamentally change literacy instruction; others think that technology is simply a new tool to use with old teaching methods. The question of how new technologies impact literacy instruction in K-8 classrooms is…

Pedagogy of Science Teaching Tests: Formative Assessments of Science Teaching Orientations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cobern, William W.; Schuster, David; Adams, Betty; Skjold, Brandy Ann; Mugaloglu, Ebru Zeynep; Bentz, Amy; Sparks, Kelly

2014-01-01

A critical aspect of teacher education is gaining pedagogical content knowledge of how to teach science for conceptual understanding. Given the time limitations of college methods courses, it is difficult to touch on more than a fraction of the science topics potentially taught across grades K-8, particularly in the context of relevant pedagogies.…

K-12 Education

Science.gov Websites

reached out to elementary and high school students to expose them to earthquakes in a hands-on products laboratories publications nisee b.i.p. members education FAQs links education Education Program Internships K-12 Education Contact the PEER Education Program PEER's Educational Affiliates Student Design

Health and Nutrition Curriculum. Informative and Fun for K-8!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Heart Savers Association, Omaha, NE.

This health and nutrition curriculum for students in grades K-8 teaches students good health habits in order to improve their quality of life. The curriculum consists of a series of activity sheets that offer entertaining and educational activities designed to motivate students to learn while they have fun. Each activity sheet contains a…

Earth Science Education for the 21st Century: A Planning Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Geological Inst., Alexandria, VA.

In response to the growing national concern about precollege science education, this guide was developed to assist school administrators, curriculum planners, teachers, and scientists in incorporating earth science in K-12 science curricula. The guide is divided into four main sections that provide a framework for planning and implementing earth…

Islam, Science and Science Education: Conflict or Concord?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loo, Seng Piew

2001-01-01

Focuses on the relationship between science and Islam in the context of science education. Describes Islamic science and whether it is a valid philosophy of science. Discuses islamisation or marginalization of science education. Discusses implications and offers suggestions for science education. (Contains 63 references.) (ASK)

Environmental Education, K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomson, Janet

The Environmental Education program of Great Falls Public Schools, which was Montana's state winner in the National Science Teacher Association 1986 Search for Excellence in Science Education, is described in this report. An overview is presented of the district's policies, administrative procedures, staff development plans, and curriculum and…

Inquiry-Based Course in Physics and Chemistry for Preservice K-8 Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loverude, Michael E.; Gonzalez, Barbara L.; Nanes, Roger

2011-01-01

We describe an inquiry-based course in physics and chemistry for preservice K-8 teachers developed at California State University Fullerton. The course is one of three developed primarily to enhance the science content understanding of prospective teachers. The course incorporates a number of innovative instructional strategies and is somewhat…

Women and girls in science education: Female teachers' and students' perspectives on gender and science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crotty, Ann

Science is a part of all students' education, PreK-12. Preparing students for a more scientifically and technologically complex world requires the best possible education including the deliberate inclusion and full contributions of all students, especially an underrepresented group: females in science. In the United States, as elsewhere in the world, the participation of girls and women in science education and professional careers in science is limited, particularly in the physical sciences (National Academy of Sciences [NAS], 2006). The goal of this research study is to gain a better understanding of the perspectives and perceptions of girls and women, both science educators and students, related to gender and participation in science at the time of an important course: high school chemistry. There is a rich body of research literature in science education that addresses gender studies post---high school, but less research that recognizes the affective voices of practicing female science teachers and students at the high school level (Bianchini, Cavazos, & Helms, 2000; Brown & Gilligan, 1992; Gilligan, 1982). Similarly, little is known with regard to how female students and teachers navigate their educational, personal, and professional experiences in science, or how they overcome impediments that pose limits on their participation in science, particularly the physical sciences. This exploratory study focuses on capturing voices (Brown & Gilligan, 1992; Gilligan, 1982) of high school chemistry students and teachers from selected urban and suburban learning communities in public schools in the Capital Region of New York State. Through surveys, interviews, and focus groups, this qualitative study explores the intersection of the students' and teachers' experiences with regard to the following questions: (1) How do female chemistry teachers view the role gender has played in their professional and personal lives as they have pursued education, degree status, and

Career Activities in Science: Grades 7, 8, 9.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boise City Independent School District, ID.

The career activities guide in science, part of an Idaho State Department of Vocational Education career exploration series for grades 7, 8, and 9, is designed as supplementary material to enrich the regular curriculum. Any one activity in the guide might be used without involving any other activities. The cross-referenced index indicates grades,…

Science Education Reform in Qatar: Progress and Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Said, Ziad

2016-01-01

Science education reform in Qatar has had limited success. In the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS), Qatari 4th and 8th grade students have shown progress in science achievement, but they remain significantly below the international average. Also, in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), Qatari…

Living in a Materials World: Materials Science Engineering Professional Development for K-12 Educators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anne Seifert; Louis Nadelson

2011-06-01

Advances in materials science are fundamental to technological developments and have broad societal impacs. For example, a cellular phone is composed of a polymer case, liquid crystal displays, LEDs, silicon chips, Ni-Cd batteries, resistors, capacitors, speakers, microphones all of which have required advances in materials science to be compacted into a phone which is typically smaller than a deck of cards. Like many technological developments, cellular phones have become a ubiquitous part of society, and yet most people know little about the materials science associated with their manufacture. The probable condition of constrained knowledge of materials science was the motivationmore » for developing and offering a 20 hour fourday course called 'Living in a Materials World.' In addition, materials science provides a connection between our every day experiences and the work of scientists and engineers. The course was offered as part of a larger K-12 teacher professional development project and was a component of a week-long summer institute designed specifically for upper elementary and middle school teachers which included 20 hour content strands, and 12 hours of plenary sessions, planning, and collaborative sharing. The focus of the institute was on enhancing teacher content knowledge in STEM, their capacity for teaching using inquiry, their comfort and positive attitudes toward teaching STEM, their knowledge of how people learn, and strategies for integrating STEM throughout the curriculum. In addition to the summer institute the participating teachers were provided with a kit of about $300 worth of materials and equipment to use to implement the content they learned in their classrooms. As part of this professional development project the participants were required to design and implement 5 lesson plans with their students this fall and report on the results, as part of the continuing education course associated with the project. 'Living in a Materials World

Anticipating Change: An Exploratory Analysis of Teachers' Conceptions of Engineering in an Era of Science Education Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sengupta-Irving, Tesha; Mercado, Janet

2017-01-01

While integrating engineering into science education is not new in the United States, technology and engineering have not been well emphasized in the preparation and professional development of science teachers. Recent science education reforms integrate science and engineering throughout K-12 education, making it imperative to explore the…

Soil Science Society of America - K-12 Outreach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindbo, David L.; Loynachan, Tom; Mblia, Monday; Robinson, Clay; Chapman, Susan

2013-04-01

The Soil Science Society of America created its K12 Committee in 2006 in part to compliment the Dig It! The Secrets of Soil exhibit that opened in July 2008 at the Smithsonian's Institution's Nation Museum of Natural History (of which SSS was a founding sponsor). The committee's work began quickly with a website designed to provide resources for K12 teachers. The first accomplishments included reviewing and posting links to web based information already available to teachers. These links were sorted by subject and grade level to make it easier for teachers to navigate the web and find what they needed quickly. Several presentations and lessons designed for K12 teachers were also posted at this time. Concurrent with this effort a subcommittee review and organized the national teaching standards to show where soils could fit into the overall K12 curriculum. As the website was being developed another subcommittee developed a soils book (Soil! Get the Inside Scoop, 2008) to further compliment the Dig It! exhibit. This was a new endeavor for SSSA having never worked with the non-academic audience in developing a book. Peer-reviews of this book included not only scientist but also students in order to make sure the book was attractive to them. Once the book was published and the website developed it became clear more outreach was needed. SSSA K12 Committee has attended both the National Science Teachers Association (since 2008) the USA Science and Engineering Festival (since 2010) with exhibits and workshops. It has cooperated and contributed to the American Geologic Institutes' Earth Science Week materials with brochures and lesson plans and with National Association of Conservation Districts by providing peer-review and distribution of materials. The most recent developments from the committee include a web redesign that is more student and teacher friendly, the development of a peer-review system to publish K12 Lesson Plans, and finally the publication of a new soils

Explorations in K-12 Education and Public Outreach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Limaye, S. S.; Pertzborn, R. A.; Sromovsky, L. A.

1997-07-01

Space exploration remains a topic of immense interest and excitement for children and the general public. A diverse approach has been utilized at the Space Science and Engineering Center to initiate outreach and K-12 education activities. The hands-on experience gained through a working relationships with educators has been useful in understanding the challenges, usefulness and limitations of scientists' involvement in the education process. Our efforts have included school visits, development of lesson plans (KidSat), internet based activities (Planet Exploration Toolkit for Live from Mars, a Passport to Knowledge Project), World Wide Web, Public Lectures, summer teacher enhancement workshops, internships, and substitute teaching in science classes. The feedback and comments from teachers and students has demonstrated the usefulness and need for these efforts. The experience has also demonstrated that a committed effort in outreach is ultimately satisfying although immensely time consuming. Our outreach efforts have been partially supported by a NASA/IDEA grant, Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium, NOAA and more recently, the Evjue Foundation (Madison-Wisconsin).

Inspiring the Next Generation: Astronomy Catalyzes K12 STEM Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borders, Kareen; Thaller, Michelle; Winglee, Robert; Borders, Kyla

2017-06-01

K-12 educators need effective and relevant astronomy professional development. NASA's Mission Science provides innovative and accessible opportunities for K-12 teachers. Science questions involve scale and distance, including Moon/Earth scale, solar system scale, and distance of objects in the universe. Teachers can gain an understanding of basic telescopes, the history of telescopes, ground and satellite based telescopes, and models of JWST Telescope. An in-depth explanation of JWST and Spitzer telescopes gave participants background knowledge for infrared astronomy observations. During teacher training, we taught the electromagnetic spectrum through interactive stations. The stations included an overview via lecture and power point, the use of ultraviolet beads to determine ultraviolet exposure, the study of lenticulars and diagramming of infrared data, looking at visible light through diffraction glasses and diagramming the data, protocols for using astronomy based research in the classroom, and infrared thermometers to compare environmental conditions around the observatory. An overview of LIDAR physics was followed up by a simulated LIDAR mapping of the topography of Mars.We will outline specific steps for K-12 infrared astronomy professional development, provide data demonstrating the impact of the above professional development on educator understanding and classroom use, and detail future plans for additional K-12 professional development.Funding was provided by Washington STEM, NASA, and the Washington Space Grant Consortium.

Initiatives in US Science Education to Enhance Partnerships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Sophia

This presentation examines some successful examples in partnerships between science teachers, industries, business and scientists to promote science education locally and nationally. Star night VIII is a cooperative project conducted by high school teachers and elementary teachers for elementary students and their families. Service-learning strategy is applied to high school students. Summary of the past eight years' activities will be presented. Partnership is established between industry/ business and schools to promote science education. Several local industries such as Hawaii Electric Company and Atlantis submarine have sponsored various projects for schools in Hawaii. Students' activities will be presented. DataStreme project is a National Science Foundation-supported teacher enhancement program conducted by the American Meteorological Society in cooperation with the U.S. National Weather Service and the State University of New York at Brockport. K-12 teachers have the opportunities to study the principles of meteorology based on the simultaneous delivery of real-time environmental data and learning activities which can be used in the classroom. Details of the partnership between teachers and scientists will be shown by brochures and websites. For 5 years, meteorologists at NWS and at UH, with one high school science teacher have formed a Local Implementation Team (LIT) to mentor k-12 teachers. More than 40 teachers from Hawaii and three from Micronesia have successfully completed this weather course.

Instituting a Standards-Based K--12 Science Curriculum Supplement Program at the National Institutes of Health: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Witherly, Jeffre

2010-01-01

Research on student achievement indicates the U.S. K-12 education system is not adequately preparing American students to compete in the 21st century global economy in the areas of science and mathematics. Congress has asked the scientific entities of the federal government to help increase K-12 science learning by creating standards-based…

Report on a Boston University Conference December 7-8, 2012 on How Can the History and Philosophy of Science Contribute to Contemporary US Science Teaching?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garik, Peter; Benétreau-Dupin, Yann

2014-09-01

This is an editorial report on the outcomes of an international conference sponsored by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) (REESE-1205273) to the School of Education at Boston University and the Center for Philosophy and History of Science at Boston University for a conference titled: How Can the History and Philosophy of Science Contribute to Contemporary US Science Teaching? The presentations of the conference speakers and the reports of the working groups are reviewed. Multiple themes emerged for K-16 education from the perspective of the history and philosophy of science. Key ones were that: students need to understand that central to science is argumentation, criticism, and analysis; students should be educated to appreciate science as part of our culture; students should be educated to be science literate; what is meant by the nature of science as discussed in much of the science education literature must be broadened to accommodate a science literacy that includes preparation for socioscientific issues; teaching for science literacy requires the development of new assessment tools; and, it is difficult to change what science teachers do in their classrooms. The principal conclusions drawn by the editors are that: to prepare students to be citizens in a participatory democracy, science education must be embedded in a liberal arts education; science teachers alone cannot be expected to prepare students to be scientifically literate; and, to educate students for scientific literacy will require a new curriculum that is coordinated across the humanities, history/social studies, and science classrooms.

The Tragedy of the Unexamined Cat: Why K-12 and University Education Are Still in the Dark Ages and How Citizen Science Allows for a Renaissance.

PubMed

Dunn, Robert R; Urban, Julie; Cavelier, Darlene; Cooper, Caren B

2016-03-01

At the end of the dark ages, anatomy was taught as though everything that could be known was known. Scholars learned about what had been discovered rather than how to make discoveries. This was true even though the body (and the rest of biology) was very poorly understood. The renaissance eventually brought a revolution in how scholars (and graduate students) were trained and worked. This revolution never occurred in K-12 or university education such that we now teach young students in much the way that scholars were taught in the dark ages, we teach them what is already known rather than the process of knowing. Citizen science offers a way to change K-12 and university education and, in doing so, complete the renaissance. Here we offer an example of such an approach and call for change in the way students are taught science, change that is more possible than it has ever been and is, nonetheless, five hundred years delayed.

Finding Meaningful Roles for Scientists in science Education Reform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, Brenda

Successful efforts to achieve reform in science education require the active and purposeful engagement of professional scientists. Working as partners with teachers, school administrators, science educators, parents, and other stakeholders, scientists can make important contributions to the improvement of science teaching and learning in pre-college classrooms. The world of a practicing university, corporate, or government scientist may seem far removed from that of students in an elementary classroom. However, the science knowledge and understanding of all future scientists and scientifically literate citizens begin with their introduction to scientific concepts and phenomena in childhood and the early grades. Science education is the responsibility of the entire scientific community and is not solely the responsibility of teachers and other professional educators. Scientists can serve many roles in science education reform including the following: (1) Science Content Resource, (2) Career Role Model, (3) Interpreter of Science (4) Validator for the Importance of Learning Science and Mathematics, (5) Champion of Real World Connections and Value of Science, (6) Experience and Access to Funding Sources, (7) Link for Community and Business Support, (8) Political Supporter. Special programs have been developed to assist scientists and engineers to be effective partners and advocates of science education reform. We will discuss the rationale, organization, and results of some of these partnership development programs.

Preparing the Future Workforce: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Policy in K-12 Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickman, Anneliese; Schwabe, Amy; Schmidt, Jeff; Henken, Rob

2009-01-01

Last December, the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Coalition--a national organization of more than 600 groups representing knowledge workers, educators, scientists, engineers, and technicians--wrote to President-elect Obama urging him to "not lose sight of the critical role that STEM education plays in…

CESAME: Providing High Quality Professional Development in Science and Mathematics for K-12 Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hickman, Paul

2002-04-01

It is appropriate that after almost half a century of Science and Mathematics education reform we take a look back and a peek forward to understand the present state of this wonderfully complex system. Each of the components of this system including teaching, professional development, assessment, content and the district K-12 curriculum all need to work together if we hope to provide quality science, mathematics and technology education for ALL students. How do the state and national standards drive the system? How do state policies on student testing and teacher licensure come into play? How do we improve the preparation, retention and job satisfaction of our K-12 teachers? What initiatives have made or are making a difference? What else needs to be done? What can the physics community do to support local efforts? This job is too big for any single organization or individual but we each can contribute to the effort. Our Center at Northeastern University, with support from the National Science Foundation, has a sharply defined focus: to get high quality, research-based instructional materials into the hands of K-12 classroom teachers and provide the support they need to use the materials effectively in their classrooms.

INSPIRE: Initiating New Science Partnerships in Rural Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pierce, Donna M.; McNeal, K. S.; Bruce, L. M.; Harpole, S. H.; Schmitz, D. W.

2010-10-01

INSPIRE, Initiating New Science Partnerships in Rural Education, is a partnership between Mississippi State University and three school districts in Mississippi's Golden Triangle (Starkville, Columbus, West Point). This program recruits ten graduate fellows each year from geosciences, physics, astronomy, and engineering and pairs them with a participating middle school or high school teacher. The graduate fellows provide technology-supported inquiry-based learning in the earth and space sciences by incorporating their research into classroom instruction and using multiple resources such as Google Earth, geographic information systems (GIS), Celestia, and others. In addition to strengthening the communication skills of the graduate fellows, INSPIRE will increase the content knowledge of participating teachers, provide high-quality instruction using multiple technologies, promote higher education to area high-school students, and provide fellows and teachers with international research experience through our partners in Australia, The Bahamas, England, and Poland. INSPIRE is funded by the Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education Program (GK-12; Award No. DGE-0947419), which is part of the Division for Graduate Education of the National Science Foundation.

Exploring the Solar System Activities Outline: Hands-On Planetary Science for Formal Education K-14 and Informal Settings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, J. S.; Tobola, K. W.; Lindstrom, M. L.

2003-01-01

Activities by NASA scientists and teachers focus on integrating Planetary Science activities with existing Earth science, math, and language arts curriculum. The wealth of activities that highlight missions and research pertaining to the exploring the solar system allows educators to choose activities that fit a particular concept or theme within their curriculum. Most of the activities use simple, inexpensive techniques that help students understand the how and why of what scientists are learning about comets, asteroids, meteorites, moons and planets. With these NASA developed activities students experience recent mission information about our solar system such as Mars geology and the search for life using Mars meteorites and robotic data. The Johnson Space Center ARES Education team has compiled a variety of NASA solar system activities to produce an annotated thematic outline useful to classroom educators and informal educators as they teach space science. An important aspect of the outline annotation is that it highlights appropriate science content information and key science and math concepts so educators can easily identify activities that will enhance curriculum development. The outline contains URLs for the activities and NASA educator guides as well as links to NASA mission science and technology. In the informal setting educators can use solar system exploration activities to reinforce learning in association with thematic displays, planetarium programs, youth group gatherings, or community events. Within formal education at the primary level some of the activities are appropriately designed to excite interest and arouse curiosity. Middle school educators will find activities that enhance thematic science and encourage students to think about the scientific process of investigation. Some of the activities offered are appropriate for the upper levels of high school and early college in that they require students to use and analyze data.

Towards a truer multicultural science education: how whiteness impacts science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le, Paul T.; Matias, Cheryl E.

2018-03-01

The hope for multicultural, culturally competent, and diverse perspectives in science education falls short if theoretical considerations of whiteness are not entertained. Since whiteness is characterized as a hegemonic racial dominance that has become so natural it is almost invisible, this paper identifies how whiteness operates in science education such that it falls short of its goal for cultural diversity. Because literature in science education has yet to fully entertain whiteness ideology, this paper offers one of the first theoretical postulations. Drawing from the fields of education, legal studies, and sociology, this paper employs critical whiteness studies as both a theoretical lens and an analytic tool to re-interpret how whiteness might impact science education. Doing so allows the field to reconsider benign, routine, or normative practices and protocol that may influence how future scientists of Color experience the field. In sum, we seek to have the field consider the theoretical frames of whiteness and how it might influence how we engage in science education such that our hope for diversity never fully materializes.

Fostering Change from Within: Influencing Teaching Practices of Departmental Colleagues by Science Faculty with Education Specialties.

PubMed

Bush, Seth D; Rudd, James A; Stevens, Michael T; Tanner, Kimberly D; Williams, Kathy S

2016-01-01

Globally, calls for the improvement of science education are frequent and fervent. In parallel, the phenomenon of having Science Faculty with Education Specialties (SFES) within science departments appears to have grown in recent decades. In the context of an interview study of a randomized, stratified sample of SFES from across the United States, we discovered that most SFES interviewed (82%) perceived having professional impacts in the realm of improving undergraduate science education, more so than in research in science education or K-12 science education. While SFES reported a rich variety of efforts towards improving undergraduate science education, the most prevalent reported impact by far was influencing the teaching practices of their departmental colleagues. Since college and university science faculty continue to be hired with little to no training in effective science teaching, the seeding of science departments with science education specialists holds promise for fostering change in science education from within biology, chemistry, geoscience, and physics departments.

Fostering Change from Within: Influencing Teaching Practices of Departmental Colleagues by Science Faculty with Education Specialties

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Globally, calls for the improvement of science education are frequent and fervent. In parallel, the phenomenon of having Science Faculty with Education Specialties (SFES) within science departments appears to have grown in recent decades. In the context of an interview study of a randomized, stratified sample of SFES from across the United States, we discovered that most SFES interviewed (82%) perceived having professional impacts in the realm of improving undergraduate science education, more so than in research in science education or K-12 science education. While SFES reported a rich variety of efforts towards improving undergraduate science education, the most prevalent reported impact by far was influencing the teaching practices of their departmental colleagues. Since college and university science faculty continue to be hired with little to no training in effective science teaching, the seeding of science departments with science education specialists holds promise for fostering change in science education from within biology, chemistry, geoscience, and physics departments. PMID:26954776

City Districts Embracing K-8 Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gewertz, Catherine

2004-01-01

This article deals with school districts' K-8 configurations. Cincinnati, Cleveland, Milwaukee, New York, and Philadelphia are among the districts making the change, driven by a small body of research and a rising pile of anecdotes suggesting that K-8 configurations help academic performance, decrease discipline problems, enhance parent…

HANDBOOK, TEACHING SCIENCE TO EDUCATIONALLY DISADVANTAGED YOUTH.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

BINGHAM, N.E.; AND OTHERS

DESCRIBED ARE PROCEDURES AND LABORATORY MATERIALS WHICH ARE OUTGROWTHS OF A RESEARCH PROJECT OF THE SOUTHEASTERN EDUCATION LABORATORY FOR THE TEACHING OF SCIENCE TO DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS IN GRADES 7, 8, AND 9. PART 1 DEALS WITH THE CRITERIA USED IN DEVELOPING PROCEDURES AND MATERIALS FOR USE WITH EDUCATIONALLY DISADVANTAGED. INCLUDED ARE (1) THE…

Analyzing the Watershed Dynamics project as an example of successful science and education partnerships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buzby, C. K.; Jona, K.

2009-12-01

The Watershed Dynamics project is a partnership between Northwestern University, the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science (CUAHSI), and the GLOBE Program (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment). The goal of the project is to develop inquiry-based educational materials that use authentic scientific data and analysis techniques to teach students about the watershed. The relationship between Northwestern, CUAHSI, and GLOBE allows each partner to contribute to the development of the project in the area of their expertise. Science researchers from CUAHSI share science content knowledge and data access through the development of their Hydrologic Information System (HIS). Curriculum developers at Northwestern write inquiry-based curriculum using GIS technology to access and analyze live data. The GLOBE Program is a worldwide hands-on, primary and secondary school-based science education program that provides teacher training opportunities to a network of teachers around the world. This partnership allows each partner to bring their area of expertise to the project and make the best use of one another's resources. The Watershed Dynamics project can serve as a model for future partnerships between the science and education communities. The Office of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education Partnerships (OSEP) at Northwestern is a service organization that supports Northwestern researchers in developing proposals and implementing research projects that incorporate K-12 educational components, particularly in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). OSEP assists faculty with the development of sound plans for education and outreach that reflect current research on learning and educational reform and provides expertise in STEM education materials development, learning technologies, and professional development for K-12 teachers and facilitators in informal education institutions

Science Education Notes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

School Science Review, 1983

1983-01-01

Discusses current topics in science education including increasing adult education through innovation in course planning/recruitment methods, a course in microelectronics/digital control, and need for increased human genetics topics in biology/health education. Also discusses changing role of biology teachers, preschool science, and teaching a…

Technology Integration in K-12 Science Classrooms: An Analysis of Barriers and Implications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hechter, Richard P.; Vermette, Laurie Anne

2013-01-01

This paper examines the barriers to technology integration for Manitoban K-12 inservice science educators (n = 430) based on a 10-item online survey; results are analyzed according to teaching stream using the Technology, Pedagogy, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework. Quantitative descriptive statistics indicated that the leading barriers…

NASA Wavelength: A Full Spectrum of NASA Resources for Earth and Space Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, D. A.; Schwerin, T. G.; Peticolas, L. M.; Porcello, D.; Kansa, E.; Shipp, S. S.; Bartolone, L.

2013-12-01

The NASA Science Education and Public Outreach Forums have developed a digital library--NASAWavelength.org--that enables easy discovery and retrieval of thousands of resources from the NASA Earth and space science education portfolio. The system has been developed based on best practices in the architecture and design of web-based information systems. The design style and philosophy emphasize simple, reusable data and services that facilitate the free flow of data across systems. The primary audiences for NASA Wavelength are STEM educators (K-12, higher education and informal education) as well as scientists, education and public outreach professionals who work with K-12, higher education, and informal education. A NASA Wavelength strandmap service features the 19 AAAS strandmaps that are most relevant to NASA science; the service also generates all of the 103 AAAS strandmaps with content from the Wavelength collection. These maps graphically and interactively provide connections between concepts as well as illustrate how concepts build upon one another across grade levels. New features have been developed for this site based on user feedback, including list-building so that users can create and share individual collections within Wavelength. We will also discuss potential methods for integrating the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) into the search and discovery tools on NASA Wavelength.

Enrichment of Science Education Using Real-time Data Streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDonnell, J. M.; de Luca, M. P.

2002-12-01

For the past six years, Rutgers Marine and Coastal Sciences (RMCS) has capitalized on human interest and fascination with the ocean by using the marine environment as an entry point to develop interest and capability in understanding science. This natural interest has been used as a springboard to encourage educators and their students to use the marine environment as a focal point to develop basic skills in reading, writing, math, problem-solving, and critical thinking. With the selection of model science programs and the development of collaborative school projects and Internet connections, RMCS has provided a common ground for scientists and educators to create interesting and meaningful science learning experiences for classroom application. Student exposure to the nature of scientific inquiry also prepares them to be informed decision-makers and citizens. Technology serves as an educational tool, and its usefulness is determined by the quality of the curriculum content and instructional strategy it helps to employ. In light of this, educational issues such as curriculum reform, professional development, assessment, and equity must be addressed as they relate to technology. Efforts have been made by a number of organizations to use technology to bring ocean science education into the K-12 classroom. RMCS has used he Internet to increase (1) communication and collaboration among students and teacher, (2) the range of resources available to students, and (3) opportunities for students and educators to present their ideas and opinions. Technology-based educational activities will be described.

Toward enhanced learning of science: An educational scheme for informal science institutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, Midori

Current educational operation for informal science institutions tend to be based on the staff's experience and intuition rather than on educational theories or research findings. This status study sought research evidence for an educational scheme to give informal science institutions. Evidence for this scheme came from surveys to determine specific circumstances of educational operations and visitor behaviors. The Provus discrepancy model, seeking gaps between the actual and desired states, guided this investigation of how informal science education institution staff view the nature and status of educational operations. Another investigation sought visitors' views of the effectiveness of the main idea for exhibit understanding (n=68 for each group of with the main idea and without the main idea), effective labels (n=68), expectations toward on-site lessons(n=22 and 65 for student groups, and n=2 for teachers), and possibilities for assessments of museum operations. Institutional data were collected via a web portal, with a separate site created for administrators (n=41), exhibit developers (n=21), and program planners (n=35). The survey asked about actual and desired states in terms of goals and roles of staff, contents of exhibits and programs, assessment, and professional development. The four visitor surveys were administered individually at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. The institutional survey found that most institutions focus on attitudinal reinforcement rather than visitor learning, do not overtly value research or long-term assessment, and value partnerships with K-12 schools more than other groups. It is also clarified that the staff do not have a clear vision of the nature or function of an operations manuals. Large gaps were found between the actual and desired states in terms of assessment (administrators, exhibit developers, and program planners), professional development (exhibit developers and program planners), and partnerships

Unequal Distribution of Resources for K-12 Science Instruction: Data from the 2012 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, P. Sean; Nelson, Michele M.; Trygstad, Peggy J.; Banilower, Eric R.

2013-01-01

Equitable science education opportunities are shaped by factors originating inside and outside schools. Resources for science instruction--for example, laboratory equipment and course offerings--have historically been allocated unequally across schools serving different student communities. This paper addresses the equity of instructional resource…

Instituting a standards-based K--12 science curriculum supplement program at the National Institutes of Health: A case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Witherly, Jeffre

Research on student achievement indicates the U.S. K-12 education system is not adequately preparing American students to compete in the 21st century global economy in the areas of science and mathematics. Congress has asked the scientific entities of the federal government to help increase K-12 science learning by creating standards-based learning tools for science classrooms as part of a "voluntary curriculum." One problem facing federal entities, such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is the need to create science-learning tools that conform to the National Science Education Standards (NSES) for curriculum materials and, therefore, are standards-based and applicable to the K-12 curriculum. This case study sought to better understand the change process at one federal agency as it went from producing K-12 learning tools that were educational in nature to a program that produced K-12 standards-based learning tools: the NIH Science Curriculum Supplement Program (NIH SCSP). The NIH SCSP was studied to gain insight into how this change in educational approach occurred, what factors enabled or inhibited the change process, and what the long-term benefits of the NIH SCSP are to the NIH. Kurt Lewin's three-step theory of change guided data gathering and data analysis. Semi-structured interviews and programmatic document review served as the major data gathering sources. Details describing the process of organizational change at the NIH were revealed during analysis of these data following the coding of interview transcripts and written record documents. The study found the process of change at the NIH proceeded in a manner generally predicted by the Lewinian change model. Enablers to the change were cost-sharing with individual institutes, support of senior leadership, and crediting the role of individual institutes prominently in each supplement. The cost of creating a supplement was reported as the single inhibitor to the program. This case study yielded a

Career Activities in Social Science: Grades 7, 8, 9.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boise City Independent School District, ID.

The career activities guide in social science, part of an Idaho State Department of Vocational Education career exploration series for grades 7, 8, and 9, is designed as supplementary material to enrich the regular curriculum. Any one activity in the guide might be used without involving any other activities. The cross-referenced index indicates…

Science Proficiency and Course Taking in High School: The Relationship of Science Course-Taking Patterns to Increases in Science Proficiency between 8th and 12th Grades.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madigan, Timothy

This analysis uses data on science achievement and transcript reports of science course taking patterns of students from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) to estimate the relationship between science course taking and the change in science proficiency levels between 8th and 12th grades. It also explores the extent to…

Science education through informal education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Mijung; Dopico, Eduardo

2016-06-01

To develop the pedagogic efficiency of informal education in science teaching, promoting a close cooperation between institutions is suggested by Monteiro, Janerine, de Carvalho, and Martins. In their article, they point out effective examples of how teachers and educators work together to develop programs and activities at informal education places such as science museums. Their study explored and discussed the viability and relevancy of school visits to museums and possibilities to enhance the connection between students' visits in informal contexts and their learning in schools. Given that students learn science by crossing the boundaries of formal and informal learning contexts, it is critical to examine ways of integrated and collaborative approach to develop scientific literacy to help students think, act and communicate as members of problem solving communities. In this forum, we suggest the importance of students' lifeworld contexts in informal learning places as continuum of Monteiro, Janerine, de Carvalho, and Martins' discussion on enhancing the effectiveness of informal learning places in science education.

Does science education need the history of science?

PubMed

Gooday, Graeme; Lynch, John M; Wilson, Kenneth G; Barsky, Constance K

2008-06-01

This essay argues that science education can gain from close engagement with the history of science both in the training of prospective vocational scientists and in educating the broader public about the nature of science. First it shows how historicizing science in the classroom can improve the pedagogical experience of science students and might even help them turn into more effective professional practitioners of science. Then it examines how historians of science can support the scientific education of the general public at a time when debates over "intelligent design" are raising major questions over the kind of science that ought to be available to children in their school curricula. It concludes by considering further work that might be undertaken to show how history of science could be of more general educational interest and utility, well beyond the closed academic domains in which historians of science typically operate.

Educator Preparedness to Teach Environmental Science in Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guillory, Linus Joseph, Jr.

2012-01-01

This study assesses the environmental proficiency of Texas life science educators certified from 2003 to 2011 by analyzing their TExES 138 8-12 exam results in domains V and VI. The sample consisted of all the individuals that took and passed the TExES 138 life science 8-12 exam. During this period, approximately 41% of the individuals who took…

Science as a Web of Trails: Redesigning Science Education with the Tools of the Present to Meet the Needs of the Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karno, Donna; Glassman, Michael

2013-01-01

Science education has experienced significant changes since the mid-20th century, most recently with the creation of STEM curricula (DeBoer 1991; Yager 2000). The emergence of the World Wide Web as a tool in research and discovery offers Pre-K-12 science education an opportunity to share information and perspectives which engage students with the…

AIAA Educator Academy: Enriching STEM Education for K-12 Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slagle, E.; Bering, E. A.; Longmier, B. W.; Henriquez, E.; Milnes, T.; Wiedorn, P.; Bacon, L.

2012-12-01

Educator Academy is a K-12 STEM curriculum developed by the STEM K-12 Outreach Committee of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). Consisting of three independent curriculum modules, K-12 students participate in inquiry-based engineering challenges to improve critical thinking skills and enhance problem solving skills. The Mars Rover Celebration Curriculum Module is designed for students in grades 3-8. Throughout this module, students learn about Mars and the solar system. Working with given design criteria, students work in teams to do basic research about Mars that will determine the operational objectives and structural features of their rover. Then, students participate in the design and construction of a model of a mock-up Mars Rover to carry out a specific science mission on the surface of Mars. At the end of this project, students have the opportunity to participate in a regional capstone event where students share their rover designs and what they have learned. The Electric Cargo Plan Curriculum Module is designed for students in grades 6-12. Throughout this module, students learn about aerodynamics and the four forces of flight. Working individually or in teams, students design and construct an electrically-powered model aircraft to fly a tethered flight of at least one lap without cargo, followed by a second tethered flight of one lap carrying as much cargo as possible. At the end of this project, students have the opportunity to participate in a regional capstone event where students share what they have learned and compete with their different cargo plane designs. The Space Weather Balloon Curriculum Module is designed for students in grades 9-12. Throughout this module, students learn and refine physics concepts as well as experimental research skills. Students participate in project-based learning that is experimental in nature. Students are engaged with the world around them as they collaborate to launch a high altitude

Cool Science Explains a Warming World: Using Ice Core Science to Bridge the Gap Between Researchers and the K-12 Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huffman, L. T.

2017-12-01

Changing ice has urgent implications for people around the world. The Ice Drilling Program Office (IDPO) provides scientific leadership and oversight of ice coring and drilling activities funded by the US National Science Foundation and also has goals to enhance education and communication of current research information. In a time when misinformation is rampant and climate change science is suspect, it is essential that students receive accurate scientific information and engage in learning activities that model complex ideas through engaging and age appropriate ways, while also learning to validate and recognize reliable sources. The IDPO Education and Outreach (EO) office works to create resources, activities and professional development that bridge the gap between ice core science research and educators and their students. Ice core science is on the cutting edge of new discoveries about climate change and understanding better the past to predict the future. Hands-on inquiry activities based on ice core data allow teachers to lead their students to new discoveries about climate secrets hidden deep in the ice. Capitalizing on the inherent interest in the extremes of the Polar Regions, IDPO materials engage students in activities aligned with NGSS standards. Ice drilling technologies make an ideal platform for intertwining engineering concepts and practices with science research to meet the SEP (Science and Engineering Practices) in the NGSS. This session will highlight how the IDPO EO office has built a community of ice core scientists willing to take part in education and outreach projects and events and share some of the resources available to K-12 educators. We will highlight some of the successes and lessons learned as we continually evolve our work toward more effective science education and communication highlighting ice core and climate change science.

Vanishing Boundaries between Science and Art: Modelling Effective Middle Years of Schooling Practice in Pre-Service Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paige, Kathryn; Whitney, John

2008-01-01

This paper describes an innovation in science pre-service education that endeavours to increase student engagement in learning and doing science in the middle years through integrating science, mathematics and art. (Contains 8 figures.)

Preparing Science Teachers: Strong Emphasis on Science Content Course Work in a Master's Program in Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ajhar, Edward A.; Blackwell, E.; Quesada, D.

2010-05-01

In South Florida, science teacher preparation is often weak as a shortage of science teachers often prompts administrators to assign teachers to science classes just to cover the classroom needs. This results is poor preparation of students for college science course work, which, in turn, causes the next generation of science teachers to be even weaker than the first. This cycle must be broken in order to prepare better students in the sciences. At St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens, Florida, our School of Science has teamed with our Institute for Education to create a program to alleviate this problem: A Master of Science in Education with a Concentration in Earth/Space Science. The Master's program consists of 36 total credits. Half the curriculum consists of traditional educational foundation and instructional leadership courses while the other half is focused on Earth and Space Science content courses. The content area of 18 credits also provides a separate certificate program. Although traditional high school science education places a heavy emphasis on Earth Science, this program expands that emphasis to include the broader context of astronomy, astrophysics, astrobiology, planetary science, and the practice and philosophy of science. From this contextual basis the teacher is better prepared to educate and motivate middle and high school students in all areas of the physical sciences. Because hands-on experience is especially valuable to educators, our program uses materials and equipment including small optical telescopes (Galileoscopes), several 8-in and 14-in Celestron and Meade reflectors, and a Small Radio Telescope installed on site. (Partial funding provided by the US Department of Education through Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program grant P120A050062.)

The Blueprint for Change: A National Strategy to Enhance Access to Earth and Space Science Education Resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geary, E. E.; Barstow, D.

2001-12-01

Enhancing access to high quality science education resources for teachers, students, and the general public is a high priority for the earth and space science education communities. However, to significantly increase access to these resources and promote their effective use will require a coordinated effort between content developers, publishers, professional developers, policy makers, and users in both formal and informal education settings. Federal agencies, academic institutions, professional societies, informal science centers, the Digital Library for Earth System Education, and other National SMETE Digital Library Projects are anticipated to play key roles in this effort. As a first step to developing a coordinated, national strategy for developing and delivering high quality earth and space science education resources to students, teachers, and the general public, 65 science educators, scientists, teachers, administrators, policy makers, and business leaders met this June in Snowmass, Colorado to create "Earth and Space Science Education 2010: A Blueprint for Change". The Blueprint is a strategy document that will be used to guide Earth and space science education reform efforts in grades K-12 during the next decade. The Blueprint contains specific goals, recommendations, and strategies for coordinating action in the areas of: Teacher Preparation and Professional Development, Curriculum and Materials, Equity and Diversity, Assessment and Evaluation, Public Policy and Systemic Reform, Public and Informal Education, Partnerships and Collaborations, and Technology. If you develop, disseminate, or use exemplary earth and space science education resources, we invite you to review the Blueprint for Change, share it with your colleagues and local science educators, and join as we work to revolutionize earth and space science education in grades K-12.

The Iowa K-12 Climate Science Education Initiative: a comprehensive approach to meeting in-service teachers' stated needs for teaching climate literacy with NGSS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanier, C. O.; Spak, S.; Neal, T. A.; Herder, S.; Malek, A.; Miller, Z.

2017-12-01

The Iowa Board of Education voted unanimously in 2015 to adopt NGSS performance standards. The CGRER - College of Education Iowa K-12 Climate Science Education Initiative was established in 2016 to work directly with Iowa inservice teachers to provide what teachers need most to teach climate literacy and climate science content through investigational learning aligned with NGSS. Here we present teachers' requests for teaching climate with NGSS, and an approach to provide resources for place-based authentic inquiry on climate, developed, tested, and refined in partnership with inservice and preservice teachers. A survey of inservice middle school and high school science teachers was conducted at the 2016 Iowa Council of Teachers of Mathematics/Iowa Academy of Sciences - Iowa Science Teaching Section Fall Conference and online in fall 2016. Participants (n=383) were asked about their prior experience and education, the resources they use and need, their level of comfort in teaching climate science, perceived barriers, and how they address potential controversy. Teachers indicated preference for professional development on climate content and complete curricula packaged with lessons and interactive models aligned to Iowa standards, as well as training on instructional strategies to enhance students' ability to interpret scientific evidence. We identify trends in responses by teaching experience, climate content knowledge and its source, grade level, and urban and rural districts. Less than 20% of respondents reported controversy or negativity in teaching climate to date, and a majority were comfortable teaching climate science and climate change, with equal confidence in teaching climate and other STEM content through investigational activities. We present an approach and materials to meet these stated needs, created and tested in collaboration with Iowa teachers. We combine professional development and modular curricula with bundled standards, concepts, models, data

Modeling-Oriented Assessment in K-12 Science Education: A synthesis of research from 1980 to 2013 and new directions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Namdar, Bahadir; Shen, Ji

2015-05-01

Scientific modeling has been advocated as one of the core practices in recent science education policy initiatives. In modeling-based instruction (MBI), students use, construct, and revise models to gain scientific knowledge and inquiry skills. Oftentimes, the benefits of MBI have been documented using assessments targeting students' conceptual understanding or affective domains. Fewer studies have used assessments directly built on the ideas of modeling. The purpose of this study is to synthesize and examine modeling-oriented assessments (MOA) in the last three decades and propose new directions for research in this area. The study uses a collection of 30 empirical research articles that report MOA from an initial library of 153 articles focusing on MBI in K-12 science education from 1980 to 2013. The findings include the variety of themes within each of the three MOA dimensions (modeling products, modeling practices, and meta-modeling knowledge) and the areas of MOA still in need of much work. Based on the review, three guiding principles are proposed for future work in MOA: (a) framing MOA in an ecology of assessment, (b) providing authentic modeling contexts for assessment, and (c) spelling out the connections between MOA items and the essential aspects of modeling to be assessed.

A New Model for Building Digital Science Education Collections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niepold, F.; McCaffrey, M.; Morrill, C.; Ganse, J.; Weston, T.

2005-12-01

The Polar Regions play an integral role in how our Earth system operates. However, the Polar Regions are marginally studied in the K-12 classroom in the United States. The International Polar Year's (IPY) coordinated campaign of polar observations, research, and analysis that will be multidisciplinary in scope and international in participation offers a powerful opportunity for K-12 classroom. The IPY's scientific objective to better understand the key roles of the Polar Regions in global processes will allow students a window into the poles and this unique regions role in the Earth system. IPY will produce careful, useful scientific information that will advance our understanding of the Polar Regions and their connections to the rest of the globe. The IPY is an opportunity to inspire the next generation of very young Earth system scientists. The IPY's draft education & outreach position paper asks a key question that must guide future educational projects; "Why is the polar regions and polar research important to all people on earth?" In efforts to coordinate educational activities and collaborate with international projects, United States national agencies, and other educational initiatives, it is the purpose of this session to explore potential partnerships, while primarily recommending a model for educational product development and review. During such a large international science endeavor, numerous educational activities and opportunities are developed, but these educational programs can suffer from too many unconnected options being available to teachers and students. Additionally, activities often are incompatible with each other making classroom implementation unnecessarily complex and prohibitively time consuming for teachers. A newly develop educational activity collection technique developed for DLESE offers an effective model for IPY product gap analysis and development. The Climate Change Collection developed as a pilot project for the Digital Library

Predictors of cultural capital on science academic achievement at the 8th grade level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Misner, Johnathan Scott

The purpose of the study was to determine if students' cultural capital is a significant predictor of 8th grade science achievement test scores in urban locales. Cultural capital refers to the knowledge used and gained by the dominant class, which allows social and economic mobility. Cultural capital variables include magazines at home and parental education level. Other variables analyzed include socioeconomic status (SES), gender, and English language learners (ELL). This non-experimental study analyzed the results of the 2011 Eighth Grade Science National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The researcher analyzed the data using a multivariate stepwise regression analysis. The researcher concluded that the addition of cultural capital factors significantly increased the predictive power of the model where magazines in home, gender, student classified as ELL, parental education level, and SES were the independent variables and science achievement was the dependent variable. For alpha=0.05, the overall test for the model produced a R2 value of 0.232; therefore the model predicted 23.2% of variance in science achievement results. Other major findings include: higher measures of home resources predicted higher 2011 NAEP eighth grade science achievement; males were predicted to have higher 2011 NAEP 8 th grade science achievement; classified ELL students were predicted to score lower on the NAEP eight grade science achievement; higher parent education predicted higher NAEP eighth grade science achievement; lower measures of SES predicted lower 2011 NAEP eighth grade science achievement. This study contributed to the research in this field by identifying cultural capital factors that have been found to have statistical significance on predicting eighth grade science achievement results, which can lead to strategies to help improve science academic achievement among underserved populations.

Ability grouping and science education reform: Policy and research base

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lynch, Sharon

This article reviews current policy trends concerning the practice of ability grouping in K-12 science education. Relevant statements of key policy-making, policy-influencing organizations such as the NSTA, AAAS, NSF, the National Research Council, the U.S. Office of Education Department of Civil Rights, NAACP, the National Governors' Association, programs related to the Jacob Javits Grants for the Gifted and Talented, and others are summarized. The author's interpretation of the various positions are presented herein. The article also explores the research base supporting the various policies on grouping by examining selected general research literature on grouping, followed by research that is science education specific. Methodological issues color the research findings. The ethical and pragmatic implications of developing research and policy are discussed. The conclusions are that there is a dearth of recent empirical research specifically related to ability grouping in science, and that the time is ripe for the concerted development of a research agenda by key players in science education reform. Moreover, as controversial and value-laden as the topic is, it should be noted that grouping practices alone are unlikely to influence science education reform unless considered in the context of comprehensive restructuring efforts at the local school level.Received: 10 April 1993; Revised: 26 August 1993;

The National Space Science and Technology Center's Education and Public Outreach Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cox, G. N.; Denson, R. L.

2004-12-01

The objective of the National Space Science and Technology Center's (NSSTC) Education and Public Outreach program (EPO) is to support K-20 education by coalescing academic, government, and business constituents awareness, implementing best business/education practices, and providing stewardship over funds and programs that promote a symbiotic relationship among these entities, specifically in the area of K-20 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. NSSTC EPO Program's long-term objective is to showcase its effective community-based integrated stakeholder model in support of STEM education and to expand its influence across the Southeast region for scaling ultimately across the United States. The Education and Public Outreach program (EPO) is coordinated by a supporting arm of the NSSTC Administrative Council called the EPO Council (EPOC). The EPOC is funded through federal, state, and private grants, donations, and in-kind contributions. It is comprised of representatives of NSSTC Research Centers, both educators and scientists from the Alabama Space Science and Technology Alliance (SSTA) member institutions, the Alabama Space Grant Consortium and the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Education Office. Through its affiliation with MSFC and the SSTA - a consortium of Alabama's research universities that comprise the NSSTC, EPO fosters the education and development of the next generation of Alabama scientists and engineers by coordinating activities at the K-20 level in cooperation with the Alabama Department of Education, the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, and Alabama's businesses and industries. The EPO program's primary objective is to be Alabama's premiere organization in uniting academia, government, and private industry by way of providing its support to the State and Federal Departments of Education involved in systemic STEM education reform, workforce development, and innovative uses of technology. The NSSTC EPO

The "Next Generation Science Standards" and the Earth and Space Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wysession, Michael E.

2013-01-01

The "Next Generation Science Standards" ("NGSS"), due to be released this spring, represents a revolutionary step toward establishing modern, national K-12 science education standards. Based on the recommendations of the National Research Council's "A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting…

An analysis of United States K-12 stem education versus STEM workforce at the dawn of the digital revolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cataldo, Franca

The world is at the dawn of a third industrial revolution, the digital revolution, that brings great changes the world over. Today, computing devices, the Internet, and the World Wide Web are vital technology tools that affect every aspect of everyday life and success. While computing technologies offer enormous benefits, there are equally enormous safety and security risks that have been growing exponentially since they became widely available to the public in 1994. Cybercriminals are increasingly implementing sophisticated and serious hack attacks and breaches upon our nation's government, financial institutions, organizations, communities, and private citizens. There is a great need for computer scientists to carry America's innovation and economic growth forward and for cybersecurity professionals to keep our nation safe from criminal hacking. In this digital age, computer science and cybersecurity are essential foundational ingredients of technological innovation, economic growth, and cybersecurity that span all industries. Yet, America's K-12 education institutions are not teaching the computer science and cybersecurity skills required to produce a technologically-savvy 21st century workforce. Education is the key to preparing students to enter the workforce and, therefore, American K-12 STEM education must be reformed to accommodate the teachings required in the digital age. Keywords: Cybersecurity Education, Cybersecurity Education Initiatives, Computer Science Education, Computer Science Education Initiatives, 21 st Century K-12 STEM Education Reform, 21st Century Digital Literacies, High-Tech Innovative Problem-Solving Skills, 21st Century Digital Workforce, Standardized Testing, Foreign Language and Culture Studies, Utica College, Professor Chris Riddell.

How to Get Successfully Involved with K-12 Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duncan, D.; Fraknoi, A.; Bennett, M.

1998-05-01

Many astronomers now have some involvement in K-12 education, either through their children, through large projects with an education or outreach office, or through an educational component to their own grants. Some may need to incorporate education components into future proposals. For those new to education, it can be difficult to decide how best to use their limited resources without "re-inventing the wheel." Some astronomers are comfortable taking a direct role in the classroom or working with teachers, others prefer developing web-based or printed materials, while still others wouldrather work with local schools of education to enhance the training of future teachers. Which of these roles is most useful? In this session, participants will learn what has worked well in the past, with special attention paid to ways in which astronomers' and physicists' training and instincts may fail them when working in education. Invited teachers will describe their classrooms and how astronomers can be most helpful to them. Sample (successful) activities will be demonstrated, and information given about the wide range of existing astronomy and space-science education programs around the country. A full menu of useful ways that astronomers can get involved will be presented, as well as the organizations and institutions which can help in devising a meaningful education program. Handouts will include a catalog of national astronomy education projects, a list of educational web sites, information about the NASA OSS education brokers and facilitators, examples of successful educational materials, and a listing of roles astronomers have played or could play to enhance K-12 education. Registration is required; see the AAS Education WWW page or email aased@aas.org.

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Science Teacher, 2003

2003-01-01

Presents outstanding science trade books published in 2002 for students in grades K-12. Sections include Archaeology, Anthropology, and Paleontology; Biography; Environment and Ecology; Life Science; Physical Science; and Science-Related Careers. (KHR)

Transforming Elementary Science Teacher Education by Bridging Formal and Informal Science Education in an Innovative Science Methods Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riedinger, Kelly; Marbach-Ad, Gili; Randy McGinnis, J.; Hestness, Emily; Pease, Rebecca

2011-02-01

We investigated curricular and pedagogical innovations in an undergraduate science methods course for elementary education majors at the University of Maryland. The goals of the innovative elementary science methods course included: improving students' attitudes toward and views of science and science teaching, to model innovative science teaching methods and to encourage students to continue in teacher education. We redesigned the elementary science methods course to include aspects of informal science education. The informal science education course features included informal science educator guest speakers, a live animal demonstration and a virtual field trip. We compared data from a treatment course ( n = 72) and a comparison course ( n = 26). Data collection included: researchers' observations, instructors' reflections, and teacher candidates' feedback. Teacher candidate feedback involved interviews and results on a reliable and valid Attitudes and Beliefs about the Nature of and the Teaching of Science instrument. We used complementary methods to analyze the data collected. A key finding of the study was that while benefits were found in both types of courses, the difference in results underscores the need of identifying the primary purpose for innovation as a vital component of consideration.

Science education and worldview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keane, Moyra

2008-09-01

Is there a place for Indigenous Knowledge in the science curriculum for a Zulu community in rural Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa? This article argues "yes," based on a participative research and development project that discovered relevant science learning in a Zulu community. Among community concerns for relevant factual and performative knowledge, we found that culture and worldview are critical to community identity, to visioning educational outcomes, and to learning in school science. Cultural practices may contribute to pedagogy and curriculum; curriculum, in turn, may affirm cultural practices. Further, worldview needs to be understood as an aspect of knowledge creation. By understanding key aspects of an African worldview, science educators can contribute to both meaningful science education and community well-being. By fostering culture and worldview, a rural community can make a unique contribution to science education.

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Science and Children, 2002

2002-01-01

Introduces a list of outstanding science trade books for grade levels K-12 in the areas of Archaeology, Anthropology, Paleontology, Biography, Life Sciences, Integrated Science, Physical Science, Science Related Careers, and Technology and Engineering. Includes information on the selection process. (YDS)

Saint Mary's College Teacher Science Institute: Converting Teachers to Using Guided Inquiry for Science Curricula

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCarthy, Deborah; Bellina, Joseph J., Jr.

2003-01-01

In 1988 Saint Mary's College received a grant from Lilly Endowment, Inc. to create a program to improve the quality of science education in the local public and private schools. As part of applying that grant we created one-week summer work-shops for elementary and middle school teachers (K-8) based on guided inquiry methods of education. Each…

VISL: A Virtual Ice Sheet Laboratory For Outreach and K-12 Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halkides, D. J.; Larour, E. Y.; Cheng, D. L.; Perez, G.; Romero, V.; Saks, O.

2014-12-01

We present a prototype Virtual Ice Sheet Laboratory (VISL) geared to K-12 classrooms and the general public, with the goal of improving climate literacy, especially in regards to the crucial role of the polar ice sheets in Earth's climate and sea level. VISL will allow users to perform guided experiments using the Ice Sheet System Model (ISSM), a state-of-the-art ice flow model developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and UC Irvine that simulates the near-term evolution of the ice sheets on Greenland and Antarctica. VISL users will access ISSM via a graphical interface that can be launched from a web browser on a computer, tablet or smart phone. Users select climate conditions and run time by moving graphic sliders then watch how a given region evolves in time under those conditions. Lesson plans will include conceptual background, instructions for table top experiments related to the concepts addressed in a given lesson, and a guide for performing model experiments and interpreting their results. Activities with different degrees of complexity will aim for consistency with NGSS Physical Science criteria for different grade bands (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12), although they will not be labeled as such to encourage a broad user base. Activities will emphasize the development of physical intuition and critical thinking skills, understanding conceptual and computational models, as well as observation recording, concept articulation, hypothesis formulation and testing, and mathematical analysis. At our present phase of development, we seek input from the greater science education and outreach communities regarding VISL's planned content, as well as additional features and topic areas that educators and students would find useful.

PolarTREC: Successful Methods and Tools for Attaining Broad Educational Impacts with Interdisciplinary Polar Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Timm, K. M.; Warburton, J.; Owens, R.; Warnick, W. K.

2008-12-01

PolarTREC--Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating, a program of the Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS), is a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded International Polar Year (IPY) project in which K-12 educators participate in hands-on field experiences in the polar regions, working closely with IPY scientists as a pathway to improving science education. Developing long-term teacher- researcher collaborations through PolarTREC ensures up-to-date climate change science content will permeate the K-12 education system long after the IPY. By infusing education with the cutting edge science from the polar regions, PolarTREC has already shown an increase in student and public knowledge of and interest in the polar regions and global climate change. Preliminary evaluations have shown that PolarTREC's program activities have many positive impacts on educators and their ability to teach science concepts and improve their teaching methods. Additionally, K-12 students polled in interest surveys showed significant changes regarding the importance of understanding the polar regions as a person in today's world. Researchers have been overwhelmingly satisfied with PolarTREC and cited several specific strengths, including the program's crucial link between the teachers' field research experiences and their classroom and the extensive training provided to teachers prior to their expedition. This presentation will focus on other successful components of the PolarTREC program and how researchers and organizations might use these tools to reach out to the public for long-term impacts. Best practices include strategies for working with educators and the development of an internet-based platform for teachers and researchers to interact with the public, combining several communication tools such as online journals and forums, real-time Internet seminars, lesson plans, activities, audio, and other educational resources that address a broad range of scientific

PolarTREC: Successful Methods and Tools for Attaining Broad Educational Impacts with Interdisciplinary Polar Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warburton, J.; Timm, K. M.; Owens, R.; Warnick, W. K.

2008-12-01

PolarTREC--Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating, a program of the Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS), is a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded International Polar Year (IPY) project in which K-12 educators participate in hands-on field experiences in the polar regions, working closely with IPY scientists as a pathway to improving science education. Developing long-term teacher- researcher collaborations through PolarTREC ensures up-to-date climate change science content will permeate the K-12 education system long after the IPY. By infusing education with the cutting edge science from the polar regions, PolarTREC has already shown an increase in student and public knowledge of and interest in the polar regions and global climate change. Preliminary evaluations have shown that PolarTREC's program activities have many positive impacts on educators and their ability to teach science concepts and improve their teaching methods. Additionally, K-12 students polled in interest surveys showed significant changes regarding the importance of understanding the polar regions as a person in today's world. Researchers have been overwhelmingly satisfied with PolarTREC and cited several specific strengths, including the program's crucial link between the teachers' field research experiences and their classroom and the extensive training provided to teachers prior to their expedition. This poster will focus on other successful components of the PolarTREC program and how researchers and organizations might use these tools to reach out to the public for long-term impacts. Best practices include strategies for working with educators and the development of an internet-based platform for teachers and researchers to interact with the public, combining several communication tools such as online journals and forums, real-time Internet seminars, lesson plans, activities, audio, and other educational resources that address a broad range of scientific topics

The Indiana Science Initiative: Lessons from a Classroom Observation Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cook, Nicole D.; Walker, William S.; Weaver, Gabriela C.; Sorge, Brandon H.

2015-01-01

The Indiana Science Initiative (ISI) is a systemic effort to reform K-8 science education. The program provides teachers with professional development, reform-oriented science modules, and materials support. To examine the impact of the initiative's professional development, a participant observation study was conducted in the program's pilot…

Globalization and Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bencze, J. Lawrence; Carter, Lyn; Chiu, Mei-Hung; Duit, Reinders; Martin, Sonya; Siry, Christina; Krajcik, Joseph; Shin, Namsoo; Choi, Kyunghee; Lee, Hyunju; Kim, Sung-Won

2013-06-01

Processes of globalization have played a major role in economic and cultural change worldwide. More recently, there is a growing literature on rethinking science education research and development from the perspective of globalization. This paper provides a critical overview of the state and future development of science education research from the perspective of globalization. Two facets are given major attention. First, the further development of science education as an international research domain is critically analyzed. It seems that there is a predominance of researchers stemming from countries in which English is the native language or at least a major working language. Second, the significance of rethinking the currently dominant variants of science instruction from the perspectives of economic and cultural globalization is given major attention. On the one hand, it is argued that processes concerning globalization of science education as a research domain need to take into account the richness of the different cultures of science education around the world. At the same time, it is essential to develop ways of science instruction that make students aware of the various advantages, challenges and problems of international economic and cultural globalization.

Globalization and Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bencze, J. Lawrence; Carter, Lyn; Chiu, Mei-Hung; Duit, Reinders; Martin, Sonya; Siry, Christina; Krajcik, Joseph; Shin, Namsoo; Choi, Kyunghee; Lee, Hyunju; Kim, Sung-Won

2012-12-01

Processes of globalization have played a major role in economic and cultural change worldwide. More recently, there is a growing literature on rethinking science education research and development from the perspective of globalization. This paper provides a critical overview of the state and future development of science education research from the perspective of globalization. Two facets are given major attention. First, the further development of science education as an international research domain is critically analyzed. It seems that there is a predominance of researchers stemming from countries in which English is the native language or at least a major working language. Second, the significance of rethinking the currently dominant variants of science instruction from the perspectives of economic and cultural globalization is given major attention. On the one hand, it is argued that processes concerning globalization of science education as a research domain need to take into account the richness of the different cultures of science education around the world. At the same time, it is essential to develop ways of science instruction that make students aware of the various advantages, challenges and problems of international economic and cultural globalization.

Partnerships, Policy, and Educational Change: The Role of Mathematics and Science in K-16 Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maloney, Patricia A.

2007-01-01

Concerns about American competitiveness and innovation have led to increasing scrutiny of science, technical, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Leaders in the higher education, business, and legislative communities have all issued calls for expanded opportunities and training in STEM fields to improve the skills of the U.S. workforce.…

Integrating Inquiry-Based Science and Education Methods Courses in a "Science Semester" for Future Elementary Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madsen, J.; Fifield, S.; Allen, D.; Brickhouse, N.; Dagher, Z.; Ford, D.; Shipman, H.

2001-05-01

In this NSF-funded project we will adapt problem-based learning (PBL) and other inquiry-based approaches to create an integrated science and education methods curriculum ("science semester") for elementary teacher education majors. Our goal is to foster integrated understandings of science and pedagogy that future elementary teachers need to effectively use inquiry-based approaches in their classrooms. This project responds to calls to improve science education for all students by making preservice teachers' experiences in undergraduate science courses more consistent with reforms at the K-12 level. The involved faculty teach three science courses (biology, earth science, physical science) and an elementary science education methods course that are degree requirements for elementary teacher education majors. Presently, students take the courses in variable sequences and at widely scattered times. Too many students fail to appreciate the value of science courses to their future careers as teachers, and when they reach the methods course in the junior year they often retain little of the science content studied earlier. These episodic encounters with science make it difficult for students to learn the content, and to translate their understandings of science into effective, inquiry-based teaching strategies. To encourage integrated understandings of science concepts and pedagogy we will coordinate the science and methods courses in a junior-year science semester. Traditional subject matter boundaries will be crossed to stress shared themes that teachers must understand to teach standards-based elementary science. We will adapt exemplary approaches that support both learning science and learning how to teach science. Students will work collaboratively on multidisciplinary PBL activities that place science concepts in authentic contexts and build learning skills. "Lecture" meetings will be large group active learning sessions that help students understand difficult

Connecting K-12 Educators with Current Scientific Research Through the DataStreme Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brey, J. A.; Geer, I. W.; Mills, E. W.; Nugnes, K. A.; Stimach, A. E.

2016-02-01

One of the greatest challenges in scientific education is finding ways to incorporate recent discoveries into a classroom setting to help students engage in the subject. The American Meteorological Society (AMS) responds to this challenge by connecting K-12 teachers to current Earth science research through the DataStreme Project. The DataStreme Project is a free professional development program for in-service K-12 teachers. DataStreme Atmosphere, Ocean, and Earth's Climate System are offered each fall and spring semester by Local Implementation Teams (LITs) across the country in coordination with AMS Education Program scientists and educators who develop instructional materials, provide logistical support to the LITs, and administer the project. Teachers may receive 3 tuition-free graduate credits through State University of New York's The College at Brockport upon completion of each DataStreme course and construction of a Plan of Action for educational peer-training. This plan is the first step for participants to become an Earth system science education resource teacher for their students, peers, and community. While each DataStreme course focuses on its respective topic, there are many sections that accentuate the many ways that atmosphere, ocean, and climate science interact; for example, the effects of climate change on the ocean system are covered at the end of the DataStreme Ocean course. DataStreme emphasizes investigation of real-word and current NASA and NOAA data and utilizes resources from respected organizations in activities and assignments for participants, such as the IPCC and U.S. Global Change Research Program. Since 1996, more than 19,000 teachers have completed a DataStreme course, directly impacting hundreds of thousands of additional teachers and more than 1 million students. As more extensive research is done in the field of environmental science, DataStreme courses will continue to be an excellent resource for teacher professional

Is Religious Education Compatible with Science Education?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahner, Martin; Bunge, Mario

1996-01-01

Addresses the problem of the compatibility of science and religion, and its bearing on science and religious education, challenges the popular view that science and religion are compatible or complementary. Discusses differences at the doctrinal, metaphysical, methodological, and attitudinal levels. Argues that religious education should be kept…

Teaching Teachers about Energy: Lessons from an Inquiry-Based Workshop for K-8 Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tobin, R. G.; Crissman, Sally; Doubler, Sue; Gallagher, Hugh; Goldstein, Gary; Lacy, Sara; Rogers, C. B.; Schwartz, Judah; Wagoner, Paul

2012-01-01

We report results and impressions from a three-day inquiry-based workshop for K-8 teachers, aimed at improving their understanding of energy from a science and engineering perspective. Results suggest that the teachers made significant gains in understanding and appreciation of important energy concepts, but their comprehension of some key ideas…

Fermilab Science Education Office

Science.gov Websites

on the Education Server about Science Education, but turn on JavaScript to enable all this site's - About - FAQ - Fermilab Friends - Fermilab Home Fermilab Office of Education & Public Outreach @fnal.gov Lederman Science Education Center Fermilab MS 777 Box 500 Batavia, IL 60510 (630) 840-8258 * fax

Science Teaching in Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Callahan, Brendan E.; Dopico, Eduardo

2016-01-01

Reading the interesting article "Discerning selective traditions in science education" by Per Sund, which is published in this issue of "CSSE," allows us to open the discussion on procedures for teaching science today. Clearly there is overlap between the teaching of science and other areas of knowledge. However, we must…

Contributions of Basic Sciences to Science of Education. Studies in Educational Administration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lall, Bernard M.

The science of education has been influenced by the basic sciences to the extent that educational research now has been able to modernize its approach by accepting and using the basic scientific methodology and experimental techniques. Using primarily the same steps of scientific investigations, education today holds a place of much greater esteem…

Citizen Science and Event-Based Science Education with the Quake-Catcher Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeGroot, R. M.; Sumy, D. F.; Benthien, M. L.

2017-12-01

The Quake-Catcher Network (QCN, quakecatcher.net) is a collaborative, citizen-science initiative to develop the world's largest, low-cost strong-motion seismic network through the utilization of sensors in laptops and smartphones or small microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometers attached to internet-connected computers. The volunteer computers monitor seismic motion and other vibrations and send the "triggers" in real-time to the QCN server hosted at the University of Southern California. The QCN servers sift through these signals and determine which ones represent earthquakes and which ones represent cultural noise. Data collected by the Quake-Catcher Network can contribute to better understanding earthquakes, provide teachable moments for students, and engage the public with authentic science experiences. QCN partners coordinate sensor installations, develop QCN's scientific tools and engagement activities, and create next generation online resources. In recent years, the QCN team has installed sensors in over 225 K-12 schools and free-choice learning institutions (e.g. museums) across the United States and Canada. One of the current goals of the program in the United States is to establish several QCN stations in K-12 schools around a local museum hub as a means to provide coordinated and sustained educational opportunities leading up to the yearly Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drill, to encourage citizen science, and enrich STEM curriculum. Several school districts and museums throughout Southern California have been instrumental in the development of QCN. For educators QCN fulfills a key component of the Next Generation Science Standards where students are provided an opportunity to utilize technology and interface with authentic scientific data and learn about emerging programs such as the ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system. For example, Sunnylands Center in Rancho Mirage, CA leads Coachella Valley Hub, which serves 31 K-12 schools, many of

Safety Education and Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ralph, Richard

1980-01-01

Safety education in the science classroom is discussed, including the beginning of safe management, attitudes toward safety education, laboratory assistants, chemical and health regulation, safety aids, and a case study of a high school science laboratory. Suggestions for safety codes for science teachers, student behavior, and laboratory…

The Nation's Report Card: Science 2011. National Assessment of Educational Progress at Grade 8. NCES 2012-465

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Center for Education Statistics, 2012

2012-01-01

This report presents results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) U.S. science assessment in 2011. A representative sample of 122,000 eighth-graders participated in the 2011 NAEP science assessment, which is designed to measure students' knowledge and abilities in the areas of physical science, life science, and Earth and…

The 2004 Transit of Venus as a Space Science Education Opportunity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Odenwald, S.; Mayo, L.; Vondrak, R.; Thieman, J.; Hawkins, I.; Schultz, G.

2003-12-01

We will present some of the programs and activities that NASA and its missions are preparing in order to support public and K12 education in space science and astronomy using the 2004 transit of Venus as a focal event. The upcoming transit of Venus on June 8 offers a unique opportunity to educate students and the general public about the scale of the solar system and the universe, as well as basic issues in comparative planetology. NASA's Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum is offering a number of programs to take advantage of this rare event. Among these are a live web cast from Spain of the entire transit, a series of radio and TV programs directed at students and the general public, a web cast describing extra-solar planet searches using the transit geometry, and archived observations produced by public observatories and student-operated solar viewers. The NASA/OSS Education Forums will also partner with science museums, planetaria and teachers across the country to bring the transit of Venus 'down to Earth'. In addition to offering enrichment activities in mathematics and space science, we also describe collaborations that have yielded unique historical resources including online archives of newspaper articles from the 1874 and 1882 transits. In addition, in collaboration with the Library of Congress Music Division, we have supported a modern re-orchestration of John Philip Sousa's Transit of Venus March which has not been performed since 1883. We anticipate that the transit of Venus will be a significant event of considerable public interest and curiosity, if the newspaper headlines from the transit seen in 1882 are any indication.

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Science Scope, 2002

2002-01-01

Presents a list of outstanding science trade books published in 2001 for use in the K-12 grade levels. Includes the areas of archaeology, anthropology, and paleontology; biography; life sciences; integrated science; physical sciences; science related careers; and technology and engineering. Provides information on the books and the selection…

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Education Programs Demonstrations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

Reports from the session on Education Programs Demonstration include:Hands-On Activities for Exploring the Solar System in K-14; Formal Education and Informal Settings;Making Earth and Space Science and Exploration Accessible; New Thematic Solar System Exploration Products for Scientists and Educators Engaging Students of All Ages with Research-related Activities: Using the Levers of Museum Reach and Media Attention to Current Events; Astronomy Village: Use of Planetary Images in Educational Multimedia; ACUMEN: Astronomy Classes Unleashed: Meaningful Experiences for Neophytes; Unusual Guidebook to Terrestrial Field Work Studies: Microenvironmental Studies by Landers on Planetary Surfaces (New Atlas in the Series of the Solar System Notebooks on E tv s University, Hungary); and The NASA ADS: Searching, Linking and More.

Educating K-12 Students about Glacier Dynamics in a Changing Climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stearns, L. A.; Hamilton, G. S.

2005-12-01

Public awareness of climate change is growing in the United States. Popular movies, books and magazines are frequently addressing the issue of global warming - some with careful scientific research, but many with unrealistic statements. Early education about the basic principles and processes of climate change is necessary for the general public to distinguish fact from fiction. The U.S. National Science Foundation's GK-12 program (GK-12; grades K to 12) currently in its sixth year, provides an opportunity for scientific enrichment for students and their teachers at the K-12 level through collaborative pairings with science and engineering graduate students (the Fellows). The NSF GK-12 program at the University of Maine has three goals: to enrich the scientific education of the students by providing role models, expertise, and equipment that may not be accessible otherwise; to provide professional development for the teachers through curriculum enrichment and participation at science conferences; and to improve the teaching and communication skills of the Fellows. The University of Maine is one of over 100 U. S. universities participating in this program. During the 2004-05 academic year, 11 graduate and one undergraduate student Fellows, advised by University faculty members, taught at schools across the state of Maine. Fellows from, biology, earth science, ecology, engineering, food science, forestry, and marine science, and taught in their area of expertise. We created a hands-on activity for middle and high school students that describes glacier mass balance in a changing climate. The students make a glacier using glue, water and detergent ('flubber') and construct a glacier valley using plastic sheeting. Flubber behaves in mechanically similar ways to glacier ice, undergoing plastic deformation at low stresses and exhibiting brittle failure at high stresses. Students are encouraged to run several tests with different values for valley slope, glacier mass

C-MORE Science Kits: Putting Technology in the Hands of K-12 Teachers and Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Achilles, K.; Weersing, K.; Daniels, C.; Puniwai, N.; Matsuzaki, J.; Bruno, B. C.

2008-12-01

The Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education (C-MORE) is a NSF Science and Technology Center based at the University of Hawaii. The C-MORE education and outreach program offers a variety of resources and professional development opportunities for science educators, including online resources, participation in oceanography research cruises, teacher-training workshops, mini-grants to incorporate microbial oceanography-related content and activities into their classroom and, most recently, C- MORE science kits. C-MORE science kits provide hands-on classroom, field, and laboratory activities related to microbial oceanography for K-12 students. Each kit comes with complete materials and instructions, and is available free of charge to Hawaii's public school teachers. Several kits are available nationwide. C-MORE science kits cover a range of topics and technologies and are targeted at various grade levels. Here is a sampling of some available kits: 1) Marine Murder Mystery: The Case of the Missing Zooxanthellae. Students learn about the effect of climate change and other environmental threats on coral reef destruction through a murder-mystery experience. Participants also learn how to use DNA to identify a suspect. Grades levels: 3-8. 2) Statistical sampling. Students learn basic statistics through an exercise in random sampling, with applications to microbial oceanography. The laptops provided with this kit enable students to enter, analyze, and graph their data using EXCEL. Grades levels: 6-12. 3) Chlorophyll Lab. A research-quality fluorometer is used to measure the chlorophyll content in marine and freshwater systems. This enables students to compare biomass concentrations in samples collected from various locations. Grades levels: 9-12. 4) Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD). Students predict how certain variables (e.g., temperature, pressure, chlorophyll, oxygen) vary with depth. A CTD, attached to a laptop computer, is deployed into deep water

Integrated, Multidisciplinary and Technology-Enhanced Science Education: The Next Frontier

PubMed Central

Dinov, Ivo D.

2011-01-01

Contemporary science education at all levels presents several critical pedagogical and social challenges to educators and learners alike. Among these challenges are the widening Intergenerational Information Technology (IIT) divide and the need for a comprehensive and balanced multidisciplinary training. In the past few years, it has become clear that one significant hurdle impedes the efforts to integrate information technology in the classroom – the Intergenerational IT divide. The IIT gap reflects a different growing misalignment between providers and recipients of the science and technology educational content in terms of the expected vs. supplied, needed vs. perceived and contextual vs. abstract specialized learning. The common K-12 teacher or college instructor is much less familiar with, and slower to adapt to, the new ether of communication and novel IT resources. The transfer and blending of data, research challenges and methodologies between diverse areas of science is also critical in motivating wider spectra of students, demonstrating cross-disciplinary methodological concepts and synergies, as well as for engaging students in research projects. This article discusses the problems faced by modern science educators and suggests some methods and vision for coping with the increasing IIT divide and the social need to train “complete” and broadly educated citizens. PMID:21552453

Investigation of science faculty with education specialties within the largest university system in the United States.

PubMed

Bush, Seth D; Pelaez, Nancy J; Rudd, James A; Stevens, Michael T; Tanner, Kimberly D; Williams, Kathy S

2011-01-01

Efforts to improve science education include university science departments hiring Science Faculty with Education Specialties (SFES), scientists who take on specialized roles in science education within their discipline. Although these positions have existed for decades and may be growing more common, few reports have investigated the SFES approach to improving science education. We present comprehensive data on the SFES in the California State University (CSU) system, the largest university system in the United States. We found that CSU SFES were engaged in three key arenas including K-12 science education, undergraduate science education, and discipline-based science education research. As such, CSU SFES appeared to be well-positioned to have an impact on science education from within science departments. However, there appeared to be a lack of clarity and agreement about the purpose of these SFES positions. In addition, formal training in science education among CSU SFES was limited. Although over 75% of CSU SFES were fulfilled by their teaching, scholarship, and service, our results revealed that almost 40% of CSU SFES were seriously considering leaving their positions. Our data suggest that science departments would likely benefit from explicit discussions about the role of SFES and strategies for supporting their professional activities.

Rethinking Diversity in Resegregated Schools: Lessons from a Case Study of Urban K-8 Preservice Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michael-Luna, Sara; Marri, Anand R.

2011-01-01

Using the research question "How do urban teacher candidates (TCs) understand socioeconomic, racial, and cultural diversity in resegregated urban educational contexts," this case study examines the perceptions of preservice K-8 teachers in an urban education program. These TCs complicated diversity by focusing on "unseen" elements that are often…

What K-8 Principals Should Know about Hands-On Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jorgenson, Olaf

2005-01-01

In an increasing number of schools and school systems, active, hands-on science is gaining momentum and realizing remarkable gains in students' science, literacy, and mathematics standardized test achievement. Two recent major research projects have documented significant improvements in objective test results, which are supported by extensive…

The Ways Character Strengths Support K-8 Mathematics and the Common Core State Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bier, Melinda C.; Sherblom, Stephen A.; Berkowitz, Marvin W.; Coulter, Bob

2016-01-01

Character strengths support academic learning and can and should be incorporated into all content areas. This article articulates ways character strengths, including self-efficacy, positive-attitude, perseverance, growth-mindset, intrinsic motivation, intellectual carefulness, and courage specifically support mathematics education (K-8) and can…

Making Philosophy of Science Education Practical for Science Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janssen, F. J. J. M.; van Berkel, B.

2015-04-01

Philosophy of science education can play a vital role in the preparation and professional development of science teachers. In order to fulfill this role a philosophy of science education should be made practical for teachers. First, multiple and inherently incomplete philosophies on the teacher and teaching on what, how and why should be integrated. In this paper we describe our philosophy of science education (ASSET approach) which is composed of bounded rationalism as a guideline for understanding teachers' practical reasoning, liberal education underlying the why of teaching, scientific perspectivism as guideline for the what and educational social constructivism as guiding choices about the how of science education. Integration of multiple philosophies into a coherent philosophy of science education is necessary but not sufficient to make it practical for teachers. Philosophies are still formulated at a too abstract level to guide teachers' practical reasoning. For this purpose, a heuristic model must be developed on an intermediate level of abstraction that will provide teachers with a bridge between these abstract ideas and their specific teaching situation. We have developed and validated such a heuristic model, the CLASS model in order to complement our ASSET approach. We illustrate how science teachers use the ASSET approach and the CLASS model to make choices about the what, the how and the why of science teaching.

Romanticism and Romantic Science: Their Contribution to Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hadzigeorgiou, Yannis; Schulz, Roland

2014-01-01

The unique contributions of romanticism and romantic science have been generally ignored or undervalued in history and philosophy of science studies and science education. Although more recent research in history of science has come to delineate the value of both topics for the development of modern science, their merit for the educational field…

The Three-Pronged Approach to Community Education: An Ongoing Hydrologic Science Outreach Campaign Directed from a University Research Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallagher, L.; Morse, M.; Maxwell, R. M.

2017-12-01

The Integrated GroundWater Modeling Center (IGWMC) at Colorado School of Mines has, over the past three years, developed a community outreach program focusing on hydrologic science education, targeting K-12 teachers and students, and providing experiential learning for undergraduate and graduate students. During this time, the programs led by the IGWMC reached approximately 7500 students, teachers, and community members along the Colorado Front Range. An educational campaign of this magnitude for a small (2 full-time employees, 4 PIs) research center required restructuring and modularizing of the outreach strategy. We refined our approach to include three main "modules" of delivery. First: grassroots education delivery in the form of K-12 classroom visits, science fairs, and teacher workshops. Second: content development in the form of lesson plans for K-12 classrooms and STEM camps, hands-on physical and computer model activities, and long-term citizen science partnerships. Lastly: providing education/outreach experiences for undergraduate and graduate student volunteers, training them via a 3-credit honors course, and instilling the importance of effective science communication skills. Here we present specific case studies and examples of the successes and failures of our three-pronged system, future developments, and suggestions for entities newly embarking on an earth science education outreach campaign.

Re-Imagining Science Education: Engaging Students in Science for Australia's Future. Australian Education Review 51

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tytler, Russell

2007-01-01

Australian Education Review (AER) 51 elaborates on issues raised by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) Research Conference 2006: "Boosting Science Learning--What Will It Take?" It challenges current orthodoxies in science education and proposes a re-imagining that charts new directions for science teaching and…

Effect of Robotics-Enhanced Inquiry-Based Learning in Elementary Science Education in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Jungho

2015-01-01

Much research has been conducted in educational robotics, a new instructional technology, for K-12 education. However, there are arguments on the effect of robotics and limited empirical evidence to investigate the impact of robotics in science learning. Also most robotics studies were carried in an informal educational setting. This study…

Earthwatch: Designing Environmental Education into the Curriculum. Volume II, Grades 6-8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schaefer, Larry, Ed.; Hungerford, Nancy, Ed.

The environmental education activities package for grades 6-8 contains activities in the following curriculum areas: (1) social science; (2) science; (3) language arts; and (4) mathematics. The activities are divided into seven sections based on seven environmental topics: (1) ecosystems; (2) population; (3) energy and resources; (4) economics,…

Science educators' perceptions of problems facing science education: A report of five surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallagher, James Joseph; Yager, Robert E.

Five groups of science educators representing faculty at graduate institutions, graduate students, teachers, supervisors, and leadership conferees were surveyed concerning their perceptions of current problems facing science education. A total of 144 participants provided an average of 4.7 responses. The responses were tabulated using an emergent set of categories that resulted in six major groupings, i.e. conceptual, organizational, teacher; related, student-related, university, and societal. The category with the most problems identified was in the area of conceptual problems. University related problems and organizational problems were the next two most frequently mentioned categories for problems. Specific problems in all categories most often cited include the following:1confusion and uncertainty in goals and objectives;2lack of vision and leadership in schools and universities;3absence of a theoretical base for science education;4poor quality teacher education programs;5inappropriate avenues for continuing education of teachers; limited dialogue between researchers and practitioners; declining enrollments; poor quality teaching and counseling; insufficient programs in science for the wide spectrum of students; and public and parental apathy towards science.

BioSIGHT: Interactive Visualization Modules for Science Education

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wong, Wee Ling

1998-01-01

-disciplinary in nature and requires expertise from many areas including Biology, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Education, and the Cognitive Sciences. The BioSIGHT team includes a scientific illustrator, educational software designer, computer programmers as well as IMSC graduate and undergraduate students. Our collaborators include TERC, a research and education organization with extensive k-12 math and science curricula development from Cambridge, MA.; SRI International of Menlo Park, CA.; teachers and students from local area high schools (Newbury Park High School, USC's Family of Five schools, Chadwick School, and Pasadena Polytechnic High School).

VISL: A Virtual Ice Sheet Laboratory For Outreach and K-12 Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, D. L. C.; Halkides, D. J.; Larour, E. Y.; Moore, J.; Dunn, S.; Perez, G.

2015-12-01

We present an update on our developing Virtual Ice Sheet Laboratory (VISL). Geared to K-12 classrooms and the general public, VISL's main goal is to improve climate literacy, especially in regards to the crucial role of the polar ice sheets in Earth's climate and sea level. VISL will allow users to perform guided experiments using the Ice Sheet System Model (ISSM), a state-of-the-art ice flow model developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and UC Irvine that simulates the near-term evolution of the ice sheets on Greenland and Antarctica. VISL users will access ISSM via a graphical interface that can be launched from a web browser on a computer, tablet or smart phone. Users select climate conditions and run time by moving graphic sliders then watch how a given region evolves in time under those conditions. Lesson plans will include conceptual background, instructions for table top experiments related to the concepts addressed in a given lesson, and a guide for performing model experiments and interpreting their results. Activities with different degrees of complexity will aim for consistency with NGSS Physical Science criteria for different grade bands (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12), although they will not be labeled as such to encourage a broad user base. Activities will emphasize the development of physical intuition and critical thinking skills, understanding conceptual and computational models, as well as observation recording, concept articulation, hypothesis formulation and testing, and mathematical analysis. At our present phase of development, we seek input from the greater science education and outreach communities regarding VISL's planned content, as well as additional features and topic areas that educators and students would find useful.

Improving Math and Science Education So That No Child Is Left Behind. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Science, House of Representatives, One Hundred Seventh Congress, First Session.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Committee on Science.

This document presents the hearing of the Subcommittee on Research, Committee on Science, House of Representatives, held May 2, 2001. The content of the hearing focuses on the educational improvement of science education at the K-12 level and includes the following speakers' statements: (1) Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, Ranking Minority…

K-12 Aerospace Education Programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

NASA, the United States Air Force Academy, the Air Force Space Command, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS), and the United States Space Foundation teamed to produce a dynamic and successful graduate course and in-service program for K-12 educators that has a positive impact on education trends across the nation. Since 1986, more than 10,000 educators from across the United States have participated in Space Discovery and Teaching with Space affecting nearly a million students in grades K-12. The programs are designed to prepare educators to use the excitement of space to motivate students in all curriculum subjects.

Science and Science Education Go Hand-in-Hand: The Impact of the NASA Science Mission Directorate Education and Public Outreach Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, D. A.; Peticolas, L.; Schwerin, T.; Shipp, S.; Manning, J. G.

2014-07-01

For nearly two decades, NASA has embedded education and public outreach (EPO) in its Earth and space science missions and research programs on the principle that science education is most effective when educators and scientists work hand-in-hand. Four Science EPO Forums organize the respective NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Astrophysics, Earth Science, Heliophysics, and Planetary Science EPO programs into a coordinated, efficient, and effective nationwide effort. The NASA SMD EPO program evaluates EPO impacts that support NASA's policy of providing a direct return-on-investment for the American public, advances STEM education and literacy, and enables students and educators to participate in the practice of science as embodied in the 2013 Next Generation Science Standards. Leads of the four NASA SMD Science EPO Forums provided big-picture perspectives on NASA's effort to incorporate authentic science into the nation's STEM education and scientific literacy, highlighting examples of program effectiveness and impact. Attendees gained an increased awareness of the depth and breadth of NASA SMD's EPO programs and achievements, the magnitude of its impacts through representative examples, and the ways current and future EPO programs can build upon the work being done.

Educational technology usage and needs of science education in Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turkmen, Hakan

The purpose of this study was to examine Turkish science teachers and pre-service teachers' attitudes towards the use of technological tools in their science lessons in Turkish colleges of education in the assist of Turkish government projects, and how science education teachers, who have earned a science education degree from western countries, influence the use technology in Turkish higher education. The research method employed were quantitative data sources, including a technology background questionnaire, which is cross-sectional design, and qualitative historical research data sources. The study analyzed the data under a cross-section or between subjects' method with four factors: Turkish science teachers; Turkish pre-service science teachers; Turkish science teachers who have earned science degrees from western universities; and Turkish graduate students whose majors are in science education in U.S. It was anticipated that an analysis of variance (ANOVA) would be used to analyze data and "level 0.05" was established. Major findings of the study include: (1) Science education faculty members who have earned science education degrees from western countries have a positive effect on the use of technological tools in science courses in Turkish higher education. (2) Science education faculty members who have earned science degrees from Turkish universities have a limited knowledge on the use of technological tools in science courses in Turkish higher education. (3) Science education graduate students who have been studying in science education in western countries have positive attitudes for the use of technological tools in science courses have potential to impact Turkish higher education, when they return to Turkey. (4) Most Turkish pre-service teachers know very little about effective use of technology in education. Gender differences are apparent and females consistently indicated that they knew less and hence may not integrate technological tools in their

Science-Technology-Society (STS): A New Paradigm in Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mansour, Nasser

2009-01-01

Changes in the past two decades of goals for science education in schools have induced new orientations in science education worldwide. One of the emerging complementary approaches was the science-technology-society (STS) movement. STS has been called the current megatrend in science education. Others have called it a paradigm shift for the field…

Educator Perspectives on Earth System Science Literacy: Challenges and Priorities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LaDue, Nicole; Clark, Scott K.

2012-01-01

The challenges and priorities of defining and achieving Earth System Science (ESS) literacy are examined through surveys of geoscience educators attending a professional geological meeting. Two surveys with Likert-style and free-response questions were distributed to geoscientists and K-12 teachers to elicit what instructors think are important…

Science as a Web of Trails: Redesigning Science Education with the Tools of the Present to Meet the Needs of the Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karno, Donna; Glassman, Michael

2013-12-01

Science education has experienced significant changes since the mid-20th century, most recently with the creation of STEM curricula (DeBoer 1991; Yager 2000). The emergence of the World Wide Web as a tool in research and discovery offers Pre-K-12 science education an opportunity to share information and perspectives which engage students with the scientific community (Zoller 2011). Students are able to access open, transparent sites creating common resources pools and autonomous working groups which can be used for shared problem solving. Science teachers should carefully build web 2.0 technology into their practice based on a changing pedagogy. Instead of focusing on teaching rule-based concepts and processes in which the teacher's role is that of expert, education should be focusing on possibilities of the web both in scientific research and understanding. In addition, web-focused education can also help remake scientific product as a public good in the lives of both science researchers and science consumers.

Staff Development Program in Science K-5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York City Board of Education, Brooklyn, NY. Div. of Curriculum and Instruction.

The need to reinforce the skills of science teachers and supervisors and the need to increase student performance in the sciences have become critical national concerns. The importance of quality science education grows as science and technology continue to be major factors in our daily lives. New York City has recognized the need to enhance…

Crowdfunding for Elementary Science Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reese, Jessica; Miller, Kurtz

2017-01-01

The inadequate funding of science education in many school districts, particularly in underserved areas, is preventing elementary science educators from realizing the full potential of the "Next Generation Science Standards" ("NGSS"). Yet many elementary science teachers may be unaware that millions of dollars per year are…

Opportunities for Space Science Education Using Current and Future Solar System Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matiella Novak, M.; Beisser, K.; Butler, L.; Turney, D.

2010-12-01

The Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) office in The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) Space Department strives to excite and inspire the next generation of explorers by creating interactive education experiences. Since 1959, APL engineers and scientists have designed, built, and launched 61 spacecraft and over 150 instruments involved in space science. With the vast array of current and future Solar System exploration missions available, endless opportunities exist for education programs to incorporate the real-world science of these missions. APL currently has numerous education and outreach programs tailored for K-12 formal and informal education, higher education, and general outreach communities. Current programs focus on Solar System exploration missions such as the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM), Miniature Radio Frequency (Mini-RF) Moon explorer, the Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP), New Horizons mission to Pluto, and the Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) Satellite, to name a few. Education and outreach programs focusing on K-12 formal education include visits to classrooms, summer programs for middle school students, and teacher workshops. APL hosts a Girl Power event and a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Day each year. Education and outreach specialists hold teacher workshops throughout the year to train educators in using NASA spacecraft science in their lesson plans. High school students from around the U.S. are able to engage in NASA spacecraft science directly by participating in the Mars Exploration Student Data Teams (MESDT) and the Student Principal Investigator Programs. An effort is also made to generate excitement for future missions by focusing on what mysteries will be solved. Higher education programs are used to recruit and train the next generation of scientists and engineers. The NASA/APL Summer Internship Program offers a

Scientific Literacy and Thailand Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yuenyong, Chokchai; Narjaikaew, Pattawan

2009-01-01

Education and political leaders worldwide are increasingly placing emphasis on developing scientific literacy. This also is the case in Thailand with science education influenced by educational reform in 1999, in which the goals of science education are shaped by the notion of scientific literacy. Thai science education emphasizes the scientific…

Scientific Participation at the Poles: K-12 Teachers in Polar Science for Careers and Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crowley, S.; Warburton, J.

2012-12-01

PolarTREC (Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating) is a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded program in which K-12 teachers participate in hands-on field research experiences in the polar regions. PolarTREC highlights the importance of involving teachers in scientific research in regards to their careers as educators and their ability to engage students in the direct experience of science. To date, PolarTREC has placed over 90 teachers with research teams in the Arctic and Antarctic. Published results of our program evaluation quantify the effect of the field experience on the teachers' use of the real scientific process in the classroom, the improvement in science content taught in classrooms, and the use of non-fiction texts (real data and science papers) as primary learning tools for students. Teachers and students both report an increase of STEM literacy in the classroom content, confidence in science education, as well as a markedly broadened outlook of science as essential to their future. Research conducted with science teams affirms that they are achieving broader impacts when PolarTREC teachers are involved in their expeditions. Additionally, they reported that these teachers making vital contributions to the success of the scientific project.

Science Teacher Education Partnerships with Schools (STEPS): Partnerships in Science Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kenny, John Daniel; Hobbs, Linda; Herbert, Sandra; Chittleborough, Gail; Campbell, Coral; Jones, Mellita; Gilbert, Andrew; Redman, Christine

2014-01-01

This paper reports on the STEPS project which addressed international concerns about primary teachers' lack of confidence to teach science, and on-going questions about the effectiveness of teacher education. The five universities involved had each independently established a science education program incorporating school-based partnerships…

Congressional Science Fellow tackles science policy for U.K.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moses, Julie J.

After an AGU Congressional Science Fellowship in 1997-1998,I decided to pursue science policy further. I spied an ad in the Sunday Washington Post advertising for someone with a science degree, who also had knowledge of the United Kingdom, and science policy experience on Capitol Hill. In addition to my Ph.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles and the Congressional Science Fellowship, I had spent two years in the U.K. as a post-doc at Queen Mary and Westfield College in London.I applied for the job, which was at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., and was hired. The UK Foreign Office has a tradition of hiring many of its embassy staff locally; they consider knowledge of local politics and issues very use ful for their interests. Now I cover hard science issues, including space and the Internet for Her Majesty's Government.

An Innovative Course Featuring Action Research Integrated with Unifying Science Themes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Otto, Charlotte A.; Luera, Gail R.; Everett, Susan A.

2009-01-01

In this article, we describe an innovative capstone course for preservice K-8 teachers integrating action research and a unifying theme in science (AAAS in Science for all Americans. Oxford University Press, New York, 1989; NRC in National science education standards. National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 1996). The goals of the capstone course…

What Technology Plays Supporting Role in Learning Cycle Approach for Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turkmen, Hakan

2006-01-01

There has been a movement nationally over past several decades to integrate technology into extent curriculum. This is true both at the K-12 level and in higher education. The purpose of this study is to show what role science education has played in this effort (i.e., what documents, research or associations provide positions on technology usage)…

Collaborating on global priorities: science education for everyone—any time and everywhere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tobin, Kenneth

2016-03-01

Building on the key ideas from Dana Zeidler's paper I expand the conversation from the standpoint that the challenges facing humanity and the capacity of Earth to support life suggest that changes in human lifestyles are a priority. Accordingly, there is an urgent need to educate all humans about some of the science-related grand challenges, such as global warming and wellness. The key is to enact programs that have relevance to all citizens, irrespective of: age, location, language proficiency, economic resources, religion, gender, sexual preference, and level of prior education. Since significant changes are needed in human lifestyles the current emphasis on preK-12 science education needs to be expanded to cover all humans and the places in which education occurs should be everywhere. I explore the use of a multilogical framework to conceptualize science and thereby transform science education in ways that better relate to priorities of wellness and harmony in the ecosystems that sustain life on Earth. I illustrate the potential of multilogicality in a context of complementary medicine, using three frameworks: Jin Shin Jyutsu, an ancient system of medicine; a diet to reduce inflammation; and iridology. Use of a multilogical framework to conceptualize science provides opportunities for science education to focus on education for literate citizenry (birth-death) and responsible action, connect to the massive challenges of the present, and select content that has high relevance to sustainability, wellness, and well-being at local, national, and global levels.

Educating for Social Justice: Perspectives from Library and Information Science and Collaboration with K-12 Social Studies Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naidoo, Jamie Campbell; Sweeney, Miriam E.

2015-01-01

Library and Information Science (LIS) as a discipline is guided by core values that emphasize equal access to information, freedom of expression, democracy, and education. Importantly, diversity and social responsibility are specifically called out as foundations of the profession (American Library Association, 2004). Following from this, there…

Arts Education Facilities Planner for Grades K-8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Carolina State Dept. of Public Instruction, Raleigh.

This reference document for public school facility designers addresses arts education programs and the facilities that support them. Some sections focus on concepts and features common to most or all arts education subject areas, such as sound management, acoustical design, teacher workstations, and performance facilities. Other sections describe…

The Impact of the Next Generation Science Standards on Future Professional Development and Astronomy Education Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buxner, Sanlyn

2013-06-01

The Next Generation Science Standards will have a profound impact on the future science education of students and professional development for teachers. The science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas laid out in the Framework for K-12 Science Education (NRC, 2011) will change the focus and methods of how we prepare teachers to meet these new standards. Extending beyond just the use of inquiry in the classroom, teachers will need support designing and implementing integrated experiences for students that require them to apply knowledge of content and practices. Integrating the three dimensions central to the new standards will pose curricular challenges and create opportunities for innovative space science projects and instruction. The science research and technology community will have an important role in supporting authentic classroom practices as well as training and support of teachers in these new ways of presenting science and technology. These changes will require a new focus for teacher professional development and new ways to research impacts of teacher training and changes in classroom practice. In addition, new and innovative tools will be needed to assess mastery of students’ knowledge of practices and the ways teachers effectively help students achieve these new goals. The astronomy education community has much to offer as K-12 and undergraduate level science educators rethink and redefine what it means to be scientifically literate and figure out how to truly measure the success of these new ways of teaching science.

Perceived barriers to online education by radiologic science educators.

PubMed

Kowalczyk, Nina K

2014-01-01

Radiologic science programs continue to adopt the use of blended online education in their curricula, with an increase in the use of online courses since 2009. However, perceived barriers to the use of online education formats persist in the radiologic science education community. An electronic survey was conducted to explore the current status of online education in the radiologic sciences and to identify barriers to providing online courses. A random sample of 373 educators from radiography, radiation therapy, and nuclear medicine technology educational programs accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology and Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology was chosen to participate in this study. A qualitative analysis of self-identified barriers to online teaching was conducted. Three common themes emerged: information technology (IT) training and support barriers, student-related barriers, and institutional barriers. Online education is not prevalent in the radiologic sciences, in part because of the need for the clinical application of radiologic science course content, but online course activity has increased substantially in radiologic science education, and blended or hybrid course designs can effectively provide opportunities for student-centered learning. Further development is needed to increase faculty IT self-efficacy and to educate faculty regarding pedagogical methods appropriate for online course delivery. To create an excellent online learning environment, educators must move beyond technology issues and focus on providing quality educational experiences for students.

Creating Science Education Specialists and Scientific Literacy in Students through a Successful Partnership among Scientists, Science Teachers, and Education Researchers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metoyer, S.; Prouhet, T.; Radencic, S.

2007-12-01

studies, survey results, and descriptive categories. Costs and benefits to the scientist are discussed through the use of case studies, surveys, and observations. Third, student learning outcomes from a case study are presented. It is argued that the partnership created the opportunity for the integration of imaginative tools of science (specifically GIS in the case study) and authentic science inquiry. The last component is the discussion of the various tools of science utilized by the scientists for their research, taught to the science teachers by the scientists, and then taught to the students by the science teachers. At each step the technology was modified to fit the levels and applications of the specific science teacher, the grade level taught, and the content area taught. Examples of imaginative tools utilized include Geographic Information System (GIS), Global Positioning System (GPS), Google Earth, time-lapse photography, digital microscopy, and Excel. In summary, by examining this collaborative partnership through the lens of the scientists, the science teachers, and the science teachers' students it is evident that this partnership has created new science education specialists and can ultimately improve scientific literacy in K-12 students. Reference: NRC (2005). How Students Learn. The National Academies Press. Washington D.C.

Building a Regional Science Education Infrastructure: The Accomplishments of the Sanford Science Education Center

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Inverness Research, 2016

2016-01-01

For the past five years, the education and outreach effort of the Sanford Underground Research Facility has been supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to plan, develop, prototype, and prioritize the suite of educational outreach activities of the lab. Now known as the Sanford Science Education Center (SSEC), education and…

Conversations about Science Education: A Retrospective of Science Education Research in "CJSTME"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pegg, Jerine; Wiseman, Dawn; Brown, Carol

2015-01-01

This review focuses on science education contributions to the "Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education" (CJSMTE) from January 2001 through December 2014. Through a combination of content and citation analysis, we examine the journal as a location for conversations around specific themes and broader ideas related…

Assessment in Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rustaman, N. Y.

2017-09-01

An analyses study focusing on scientific reasoning literacy was conducted to strengthen the stressing on assessment in science by combining the important of the nature of science and assessment as references, higher order thinking and scientific skills in assessing science learning as well. Having background in developing science process skills test items, inquiry in its many form, scientific and STEM literacy, it is believed that inquiry based learning should first be implemented among science educators and science learners before STEM education can successfully be developed among science teachers, prospective teachers, and students at all levels. After studying thoroughly a number of science researchers through their works, a model of scientific reasoning was proposed, and also simple rubrics and some examples of the test items were introduced in this article. As it is only the beginning, further studies will still be needed in the future with the involvement of prospective science teachers who have interests in assessment, either on authentic assessment or in test items development. In balance usage of alternative assessment rubrics, as well as valid and reliable test items (standard) will be needed in accelerating STEM education in Indonesia.

Collaborations in a Community of Practice Working to Integrate Engineering Design in Elementary Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lehman, James D.; Kim, WooRi; Harris, Constance

2014-01-01

The new standards for K-12 science education in the United States call for science teachers to integrate engineering concepts and practices within their science teaching in order to improve student learning. To accomplish this, teachers need appropriate instructional materials as well as the knowledge and skills to effectively use them. This mixed…

The Concept Currency of K-12 Science Textbooks Relative to Earth Science Concepts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Janke, Delmar Lester

This study was undertaken to determine the degree of agreement between science textbooks and scholars in earth science relative to earth science concepts to be included in the K-12 science curriculum. The study consisted of two phases: (1) the identification of a sample of earth science concepts rated by earth scientists as important for inclusion…

Multiple Strategies for Multiple Audiences: SJSU's Contributions to the Geoscience Education Community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Messina, P.; Metzger, E. P.

2007-12-01

Pre- and in-service teachers nationwide face increasing qualification and credentialing demands. This may be particularly true for secondary (9-12) science teachers and multiple subject (K-8) faculty. Traditional B.S. programs in Physics, Chemistry, Biology rarely require geoscience courses, yet those candidates wishing to pursue high school teaching may need to demonstrate Earth science content competency to qualify for a credential. If successful, they will likely be asked to teach a geoscience course at some point during their careers. Even more daunting is the plight of those in the K-8 arena: many current and prospective teachers have been forced to minimize science electives in lieu of increasing education requirements. National, state, and local teaching standards call for escalating emphases on the four geoscience sub- disciplines: geology, meteorology, oceanography, and space science. How can current and future teachers establish geoscience content and pedagogy competency when undergraduate curricula often substitute other (albeit valuable) requirements? How can current and future K-12 educators supplement their academic knowledge to substantiate "highly qualified" status, and (perhaps more importantly) to feel comfortable enough to share geoscience concepts with their students? How can we in higher education assist this population of already overcommitted, less experienced teachers? San Jose State University has developed a multi-pronged approach to meet several concurrent demands. Faculty from SJSU's Geology Department and Program in Science Education developed a course, Earth Systems and the Environment, that satisfies all four geoscience sub-disciplines' required content for teachers. While it is intended for future K-8 educators, it also carries general education certification, and has been adapted and delivered online since 2005. SJSU's in-service community can enroll in the 3 graduate credit, ESSEA (Earth Systems Science Education Alliance) courses

Nuclear Power in the Classroom: A Union of Science and Social Studies Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shillenn, James K.; Vincenti, John R.

This paper examines issues that K-12 science and social studies teachers need to keep in mind when teaching about nuclear power. The information needs to be presented in as objective a manner as possible. Science needs to become more social oriented. Team teaching should be encouraged. Elementary and secondary inservice teacher education is…

GMRI.org | Science. Education. Community.

Science.gov Websites

Coastal Communities Science Education Fisheries Convening Events Calendar Event Series Sustainable Seafood Literacy Supporting Sustainable Seafood Strengthening Coastal Communities Our Work Science Education | Cultivating Science Literacy | Supporting Sustainable Seafood | Strengthening Coastal Communities GMRI's

The Status of Science Education in Illinois Scientific Literacy Target Schools, K-6, 1994. A Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finson, Kevin D.; Beaver, John B.

The Illinois State Board of Education's Scientific Literacy Project provided extra funds to certain schools with the intent of creating demonstration schools useful as models for other schools to improve their science education programs. The study described in this document examined the impact of these funds on the target schools and attempted to…

The K-8 Aeronautics Internet Textbook

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Efforts were focused on web site migration, from UC (University of California) Davis to the National Business Aviation Association's (NBAA) web site. K8AIT (K-8 Aeronautics Internet Textbook), which has remained an unadvertised web site, receives almost two million hits per month. Project continuation funding with the National Business Aviation Association is being pursued. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between NASA Ames LTP (Learning Technologies Project) and Cislunar has been drafted and approved by NASA's legal department. Additional web content on space flight and the Wright brothers has been added in English and Spanish.

Cognitive Science and Science Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carey, Susan

1986-01-01

The premise behind the cognitive approach to teaching is that understanding results when new learning is integrated with existing knowledge. But the goal of science instruction is to replace existing ideas with new theories. Current research in science education seeks to resolve these conflicting instructional approaches. (Author/VM)

Infrared astronomy in science and education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayeur, Paul Anthony

This dissertation looks at the effects of an educator-scientist partnership on the creation of an inquiry based science lesson for the middle school classroom. The lesson was initially created by a scientist following their science research, but changed as the scientist began working with teachers. The changes in the lesson show that scientists and educators may not agree on what is considered appropriate for a science lesson because of time commitment and grade level. However, by working together the partnership is able to reach a compromise of the lesson that allows for the students to get the best possible outcome. This dissertation also shows that science research is a method of inquiry, which can be brought to the classroom through inquiry education. The science research the lesson followed looks at the interstellar dust cloud DC 314.8-5.1, which is unique because of the cloud's proximity to a B-type star with no known association. This thesis did a survey of the area looking for background sources that can be used for future spectroscopical studies. Further, the survey led to the discovery of two possible young stellar objects. In order to fuel educator-scientist interaction and to bring inquiry education into the middle school classroom a scientist created a web-based science lesson that incorporated real NASA data into the middle-school classroom. This lesson was based on the scientist's research in infrared astronomy within the broader context of astrobiology. The lesson includes students plotting real data; in the process the students learn about infrared radiation, star color, and the wavelength/temperature relationship. These are all topics that were studied in the scientist's research, which led the scientist to the idea of creating a lesson for the middle-school classroom. This lesson is based on the principles of inquiry-based learning. Inquiry lessons can bring together these ideas into one place and hopefully inspire new generations to explore the

Graduate Experience in Science Education: the development of a science education course for biomedical science graduate students.

PubMed

Markowitz, Dina G; DuPré, Michael J

2007-01-01

The University of Rochester's Graduate Experience in Science Education (GESE) course familiarizes biomedical science graduate students interested in pursuing academic career tracks with a fundamental understanding of some of the theory, principles, and concepts of science education. This one-semester elective course provides graduate students with practical teaching and communication skills to help them better relate science content to, and increase their confidence in, their own teaching abilities. The 2-h weekly sessions include an introduction to cognitive hierarchies, learning styles, and multiple intelligences; modeling and coaching some practical aspects of science education pedagogy; lesson-planning skills; an introduction to instructional methods such as case studies and problem-based learning; and use of computer-based instructional technologies. It is hoped that the early development of knowledge and skills about teaching and learning will encourage graduate students to continue their growth as educators throughout their careers. This article summarizes the GESE course and presents evidence on the effectiveness of this course in providing graduate students with information about teaching and learning that they will use throughout their careers.

Graduate Experience in Science Education: The Development of a Science Education Course for Biomedical Science Graduate Students

PubMed Central

DuPré, Michael J.

2007-01-01

The University of Rochester's Graduate Experience in Science Education (GESE) course familiarizes biomedical science graduate students interested in pursuing academic career tracks with a fundamental understanding of some of the theory, principles, and concepts of science education. This one-semester elective course provides graduate students with practical teaching and communication skills to help them better relate science content to, and increase their confidence in, their own teaching abilities. The 2-h weekly sessions include an introduction to cognitive hierarchies, learning styles, and multiple intelligences; modeling and coaching some practical aspects of science education pedagogy; lesson-planning skills; an introduction to instructional methods such as case studies and problem-based learning; and use of computer-based instructional technologies. It is hoped that the early development of knowledge and skills about teaching and learning will encourage graduate students to continue their growth as educators throughout their careers. This article summarizes the GESE course and presents evidence on the effectiveness of this course in providing graduate students with information about teaching and learning that they will use throughout their careers. PMID:17785406

ED20. Crisis or Opportunity? Earth and Space Science Education at the State and National Levels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brett, J. M.

2011-12-01

Scientists and researchers, those often in oversight positions and often control of the purse strings, have historically not been kind to the Earth Systems Science (ESS) discipline. This is puzzling to those of us who are ESS educators because we know that to appreciate how our planet works it is necessary to integrate and apply all the disciplines of science. With our amazing technologies and the increasing demands of a growing population we are dramatically changing our home planet. Perhaps a crisis? As the last century ended we found ESS in the same minor league position it was in when the 20th Century started. During the review period of what was to become the National Science Education Standards (NSES) draft after draft, no matter what color the cover was, seemed to ignore, omit, or severely limit ESS topics in meteorology and oceanography. Once published the NSES became the basis for the science standards in many states with what many said were critical gaps. In the years following 1996 different groups have worked to correct the omissions they found by developing guides...Ocean Literacy: Essential Principles of Ocean Science K-12 and Climate Literacy: The Essential Principals of Climate Science. An observer on the side might have considered each effort one of lobbying to get attention, funding and materials. Each effort was clearly interested in making an impact where it mattered...in the classroom. Now our Opportunity! The NAS process for developing "A Framework for K-12 Science Education" presented ESS educators with a real opportunity and we can proudly say we made our voices heard. And while there is great enthusiasm for the framework and the Chapter 7 Earth and Space we face critically important work to bring real Earth Space Science Education into the K-12 classroom. The possibility of the standards to be developed from the Framework becoming Common Core for the majority of states following the course of ELA and mathematics requires that those who

Earth system science K-12 scientist-student partnerships using paleontological materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harnik, P. G.; Ross, R. M.; Chiment, J. J.; Sherpa, J. M.

2001-05-01

Reducing the discrepancy between the dynamic science that researchers experience and the static fact-driven science education in which k-12 students participate at school is an important component to national science education reform. Scientist-student partnerships (SSPs) involving whole classes in Earth systems research provide a solution to this problem, but existing models have often lacked rigorous scientific data quality control and/or evaluation of pedagogical effectiveness. The Paleontological Research Institution has been prototyping two SSPs with an eye toward establishing protocols to insure both scientific and educational quality of the partnership. Data quality analysis involves making statistical estimates of data accuracy and employing robust statistical techniques for answering essential questions with noisy data. Educational evaluation takes into account affective variables, such as student motivation and interest, and compares the relative pedagogical effectiveness of SSPs with more traditional hands-on activities. Paleontology is a natural subject for scientist-student partnerships because of its intrinsic appeal to the general public, and because its interdisciplinary content serves as a springboard for meeting science education standards across the physical and life sciences. The "Devonian Seas" SSP involves classes in identifying fossil taxa and assessing taphonomic characteristics from Devonian-aged Hamilton Group shales in Central New York. The scientific purpose of the project is to establish at high stratigraphic resolution the sequence of dysoxic biofacies composition, which will shed light on the sensitivity of epeiric sea communities to environmental (e.g., sea level) changes. The project is undertaken in upper elementary school and secondary school Earth science classes, and in some cases has involved field-based teacher training and collection of samples. Students in small teams collaborate to identify taxa within the samples, then

Reconceptualizing the Nature of Science for Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dagher, Zoubeida R.; Erduran, Sibel

2016-03-01

Two fundamental questions about science are relevant for science educators: (a) What is the nature of science? and (b) what aspects of nature of science should be taught and learned? They are fundamental because they pertain to how science gets to be framed as a school subject and determines what aspects of it are worthy of inclusion in school science. This conceptual article re-examines extant notions of nature of science and proposes an expanded version of the Family Resemblance Approach (FRA), originally developed by Irzik and Nola (International handbook of research in history, philosophy and science teaching. Springer, Dordrecht, pp 999-1021, 2014) in which they view science as a cognitive-epistemic and as an institutional-social system. The conceptual basis of the expanded FRA is described and justified in this article based on a detailed account published elsewhere (Erduran and Dagher in Reconceptualizing the nature of science for science education: scientific knowledge, practices and other family categories. Springer, Dordrecht, 2014a). The expanded FRA provides a useful framework for organizing science curriculum and instruction and gives rise to generative visual tools that support the implementation of a richer understanding of and about science. The practical implications for this approach have been incorporated into analysis of curriculum policy documents, curriculum implementation resources, textbook analysis and teacher education settings.

Science Education in Three-Part Harmony: Balancing Conceptual, Epistemic, and Social Learning Goals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duschl, Richard

2008-01-01

Two major reform efforts in K-12 science education have taken place during the past 50 years. The first was the 1950-1970 curriculum reform efforts motivated by the launching of Sputnik and sponsored by the newly formed National Science Foundation (NSF) in the United States and by the Nuffield Foundation in the United Kingdom. The signature goal…

Trends in Science Education Research, 1998: Taking the Annual Pulse of the Science Education Research Community.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCann, Wendy Sherman, Ed.; Haury, David L., Ed.

This document contains summaries of research in science education for the year 1998 and provides easy access to research findings and a critique of research efforts. Contents include: (1) "Science Education Research Published in Professional Journals" (Judith Sulkes Ridgway and Hyonyong Lee); (2) "Science Education Research Papers,…

Science Education: The New Humanity?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Douglas, John H.

1973-01-01

Summarizes science education trends, problems, and controversies at the elementary, secondary, and higher education levels beginning with the Physical Science Study Committee course, and discusses the present status concerning the application of the Fourth Revolution to the education system. (CC)

Remodeling Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hestenes, David

2013-01-01

Radical reform in science and mathematics education is needed to prepare citizens for challenges of the emerging knowledge-based global economy. We consider definite proposals to establish: (1) "Standards of science and math literacy" for all students. (2) "Integration of the science curriculum" with structure of matter,…

PolarTREC-Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating: Science Education from the Poles to the World

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Timm, K. M.; Warburton, J.; Owens, R.; Warnick, W. K.

2008-12-01

PolarTREC--Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating, a program of the Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS), is a National Science Foundation (NSF)--funded International Polar Year (IPY) project in which K-12 educators participate in hands-on field experiences, working closely with IPY scientists as a pathway to improving science education. PolarTREC has developed a successful internet-based platform for teachers and researchers to interact and share their diverse experiences and expertise by creating interdisciplinary educational tools including online journals and forums, real-time Internet seminars, lesson plans, activities, audio, and other educational resources that address a broad range of scientific topics. These highly relevant, adaptable, and accessible resources are available to educators across the globe and have connected thousands of students and citizens to the excitement of polar science. By fostering the integration of research and education and infusing education with the thrill of discovery, PolarTREC will produce a legacy of long-term teacher-researcher collaborations and increased student knowledge of and interest in the polar regions well beyond the IPY time period. Educator and student feedback from preliminary evaluations has shown that PolarTREC's comprehensive program activities have many positive impacts on educators and their ability to teach science concepts and improve their teaching methods. Additionally, K-12 students polled in interest surveys showed significant changes in key areas including amount of time spent in school exploring research activities, importance of understanding science for future work, importance of understanding the polar regions as a person in today's world, as well as increased self-reported knowledge and interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics content areas. PolarTREC provides a tested approach and a clear route for researcher participation in the education community

K-12 Neuroscience Education Outreach Program: Interactive Activities for Educating Students about Neuroscience

PubMed Central

Deal, Alex L.; Erickson, Kristen J.; Bilsky, Edward J.; Hillman, Susan J.; Burman, Michael A.

2014-01-01

The University of New England’s Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences has developed a successful and growing K-12 outreach program that incorporates undergraduate and graduate/professional students. The program has several goals, including raising awareness about fundamental issues in neuroscience, supplementing science education in area schools and enhancing undergraduate and graduate/professional students’ academic knowledge and skill set. The outreach curriculum is centered on core neuroscience themes including: Brain Safety, Neuroanatomy, Drugs of Abuse and Addiction, Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, and Cognition and Brain Function. For each theme, lesson plans were developed based upon interactive, small-group activities. Additionally, we’ve organized our themes in a “Grow-up, Grow-out” approach. Grow-up refers to returning to a common theme, increasing in complexity as we revisit students from early elementary through high school. Grow-out refers to integrating other scientific fields into our lessons, such as the chemistry of addiction, the physics of brain injury and neuronal imaging. One of the more successful components of our program is our innovative team-based model of curriculum design. By creating a team of undergraduate, graduate/professional students and faculty, we create a unique multi-level mentoring opportunity that appears to be successful in enhancing undergraduate students’ skills and knowledge. Preliminary assessments suggest that undergraduates believe they are enhancing their content knowledge and professional skills through our program. Additionally, we’re having a significant, short-term impact on K-12 interest in science. Overall, our program appears to be enhancing the academic experience of our undergraduates and exciting K-12 students about the brain and science in general. PMID:25565921

K-12 Neuroscience Education Outreach Program: Interactive Activities for Educating Students about Neuroscience.

PubMed

Deal, Alex L; Erickson, Kristen J; Bilsky, Edward J; Hillman, Susan J; Burman, Michael A

2014-01-01

The University of New England's Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences has developed a successful and growing K-12 outreach program that incorporates undergraduate and graduate/professional students. The program has several goals, including raising awareness about fundamental issues in neuroscience, supplementing science education in area schools and enhancing undergraduate and graduate/professional students' academic knowledge and skill set. The outreach curriculum is centered on core neuroscience themes including: Brain Safety, Neuroanatomy, Drugs of Abuse and Addiction, Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, and Cognition and Brain Function. For each theme, lesson plans were developed based upon interactive, small-group activities. Additionally, we've organized our themes in a "Grow-up, Grow-out" approach. Grow-up refers to returning to a common theme, increasing in complexity as we revisit students from early elementary through high school. Grow-out refers to integrating other scientific fields into our lessons, such as the chemistry of addiction, the physics of brain injury and neuronal imaging. One of the more successful components of our program is our innovative team-based model of curriculum design. By creating a team of undergraduate, graduate/professional students and faculty, we create a unique multi-level mentoring opportunity that appears to be successful in enhancing undergraduate students' skills and knowledge. Preliminary assessments suggest that undergraduates believe they are enhancing their content knowledge and professional skills through our program. Additionally, we're having a significant, short-term impact on K-12 interest in science. Overall, our program appears to be enhancing the academic experience of our undergraduates and exciting K-12 students about the brain and science in general.

Solutions-based climate change education for K-Gray: Renewable energy and energy efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrone, C.

2017-12-01

Through the National Science Foundation-funded MADE CLEAR (www.madeclear.org) climate change education project's Informal Climate Change Education (ICCE) Community, funds were received to collaboratively train teachers, informal educators, students, and university docents in climate change basics and solutions, specifically renewable energy and energy efficiency. In all, 10 docents, 50 classroom teachers, over 600 K-16 students, and several hundred science-interested citizens participated in programs and workshops lasting between one and seven hours. Using commercially available kits and other DIY projects, program participants used science content and engineering to develop models of wind turbines, wind mills, solar cells, solar cookers, solar stills, and wind-powered cars. Using thermal imaging cameras, Kill-a-Watt meters, "Carbon Food Print" kit, "Energy Matters" kit, and other tools, program participants learned about energy efficiency as not only a global climate change mitigation strategy, but also a way to save money. ICCE Community members and external partners, such as local electric cooperative personnel, university researchers, and state-sponsored energy efficiency program personnel, provided content presentations, discussions, and hands-on activities to program participants.

Successful K-12 STEM Education: Identifying Effective Approaches in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academies Press, 2011

2011-01-01

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are cultural achievements that reflect our humanity, power our economy, and constitute fundamental aspects of our lives as citizens, consumers, parents, and members of the workforce. Providing all students with access to quality education in the STEM disciplines is important to our nation's…

The Status of Secondary Science Education in the United States: Factors That Predict Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Adrienne A.; Banilower, Eric R.; Nelson, Michele M.; Smith, P. Sean

2013-01-01

New K-12 science education standards emphasize teaching and learning grounded in authentic scientific practices. A first step toward supporting teachers' adoption of scientific practice-based pedagogies is to develop a clear picture of how teachers are currently teaching science, and what factors predict their pedagogical choices. A recently…

Romanticism and Romantic Science: Their Contribution to Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadzigeorgiou, Yannis; Schulz, Roland

2014-10-01

The unique contributions of romanticism and romantic science have been generally ignored or undervalued in history and philosophy of science studies and science education. Although more recent research in history of science has come to delineate the value of both topics for the development of modern science, their merit for the educational field has not been explored. Romanticism was not only an obvious historical period, but a particular state of mind with its own extraordinary emotional sensitivity towards nature. It is especially the latter which we hope to revisit and reclaim for science education. After discussing several key historical contributions, we describe nine characteristics of `Romantic Science' in order to focus on six ideas/possibilities that we believe hold much value for transforming current science education: (1) the emotional sensitivity toward nature, (2) the centrality of sense experience, (3) the importance of "holistic experience", (4) the importance of the notions of mystery and wonder, (5) the power of science to transform people's outlook on the natural world, and (6) the importance of the relationship between science and philosophy. It is argued that in view of a pragmatist/utilitarian conception of school science prevalent today the aforementioned ideas (especially the notion of wonder and the poetic/non-analytical mode of knowledge), can provide food for thought for both science teachers and researchers seeking to work out an aesthetic conception, one that complements current approaches such as inquiry science and conceptual change.

Cross-Cultural Collaboration in Earth Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sparrow, E. B.; Stephens, S.; Gordon, L. S.; Kopplin, M. R.

2006-12-01

Alaskan Native elders, other local experts, scientists and educators worked collaboratively in providing professional development science workshops and follow-up support for K-12 teachers. Cognizant of the commonalities between western science and Native knowledge, the Observing Locally Connecting Globally (OLCG) program blended GLOBE Earth science measurements, traditional knowledge and best teaching practices including culturally responsive science curriculum, in engaging teachers and students in climate change research. Native observations and knowledge were used to scaffold some local environmental studies undertaken by Alaskan teachers and their students. OLCG partnered with the Project Jukebox of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Oral History Program to produce digitized interviews of Native experts and a scientist on climate change. Sample interviews for students to use in asking Native experts about their observations and knowledge on environmental changes as well as other educational materials have been posted on the program website http://www.uaf.edu/olcg. Links to the climate change interviews, the Alaska Cultural Standards for Schools, Teachers and Students, and other relevant resource materials have also been included in the website. Results of pre- and post-institute assessment showed an increase in teacher comfort level with teaching science and integrating Native knowledge in the classroom. Teacher journals indicated the program's positive influence on their math and science teaching methods and curriculum. Student attitude and achievement assessments showed a significant increase in post-test (end of school year) scores from pre-test (beginning of the school year) scores. Other lessons learned from this project will also be presented.

Nevada Underserved Science Education Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nicole Rourke; Jason Marcks

2004-07-06

Nevada Underserved Science Education Program (NUSEP) is a project to examine the effect of implementing new and innovative Earth and space science education curriculum in Nevada schools. The project provided professional development opportunities and educational materials for teachers participating in the program.

Professional Development in Climate Science Education as a Model for Navigating the Next Generations Science Standards - A High School Science Teacher's Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manning, C.; Buhr, S. M.

2012-12-01

The Next Generation Science Standards attempt to move the American K12 education system into the 21st century by focusing on science and engineering practice, crosscutting concepts, and the core ideas of the different disciplines. Putting these standards into practice will challenge a deeply entrenched system and science educators will need significant financial support from state and local governments, professional development from colleges and universities, and the creation of collegial academic networks that will help solve the many problems that will arise. While all of this sounds overwhelming, there are proven strategies and mechanisms already in place. Educators who tackle challenging topics like global climate change are turning to scientists and other like-minded teachers. Many of these teachers have never taken a class in atmospheric science but are expected to know the basics of climate and understand the emerging science as well. Teachers need scientists to continue to reach out and provide rigorous and in-depth professional development opportunities that enable them to answer difficult student questions and deal with community misconceptions about climate science. Examples of such programs include Earthworks, ICEE (Inspiring Climate Education Excellence) and ESSEA (Earth System Science Education Alliance). Projects like CLEAN (Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network) provide excellent resources that teachers can integrate into their lessons. All of these benefit from the umbrella of documents like Climate Literacy: The Essential Principles of Climate Science. Support from the aforementioned networks has encouraged the development of effective approaches for teaching climate science. From the perspective of a Geoscience master teacher and instructional coach, this presentation will demonstrate how scientists, researchers, and science education professionals have created models for professional development that create long-term networks supporting

Building a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education Agenda: An Update of State Actions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomasian, John

2011-01-01

STEM--science, technology, engineering, and mathematics--is critical to and supportive of many education reforms being undertaken today, from adoption of common internationally benchmarked standards to better teacher preparation to enhanced coordination across the entire K-20 education system. In fact, STEM is not a separate reform movement at…

The Next Generation Science Standards: A potential revolution for geoscience education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wysession, Michael E.

2014-05-01

The first and only set of U.S.-nationally distributed K-12 science education standards have been adopted by many states across America, with the potential to be adopted by many more. Earth and space science plays a prominent role in the new standards, with particular emphasis on critical Earth issues such as climate change, sustainability, and human impacts on Earth systems. In the states that choose to adopt the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), American youth will have a rigorous practice-based formal education in these important areas. Much work needs to be done to insure the adoption and adequate implementation of the NGSS by a majority of American states, however, and there are many things that Earth and space scientists can do to help facilitate the process.

Basic Curriculum Guide--Science. Grades K-6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Starr, John W., 3rd., Ed.

GRADES OR AGES: K-6. SUBJECT MATTER: Science. ORGANIZATION AND PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: The guide is in two parts--the background, philosophy, and instructional principles of science teaching, including a resource unit model, and the development by grade level of the various basic scientific concepts. The guide also includes information of…

Multicultural Science Education and Curriculum Materials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atwater, Mary M.

2010-01-01