Photo courtesy Rich Niewiroski Jr.
Next week, 15,000 science educators will arrive in San Francisco for the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) National Conference. The conference, which runs from March 10-13, will feature hundreds of workshops, field trips, symposia, and speakers.
I first attended the NSTA National Conference six years when it was held in Anaheim, CA. From meeting the Mythbusters to learning how to construct paper roller coasters to a forensic science excursion to the Orange County Crime Lab, the ideas and experiences I learned that weekend continue to inform and enhance my own instruction. Four years ago I learned the 2011 conference would be coming to my hometown and decided that I’d submit a proposal to present ideas from my own classroom at a NSTA workshop.
Three accepted proposals later, I find myself frantically putting together workshop packets and keynote presentations in anticipation of next week’s conference. If you’re attending the conference, I hope you’ll stop by one of my presentations:
Rethinking and “Greening Classic Science Projects
Thursday, March 10, 2011, 2:00pm-3:00pm
Co-Presented with Liat Baranoff of Science is Elementary
“Tired of putting styrofoam/plastic projects into the landfill? Explore how to teach students to make “green” choices, while increasing critical thinking and creativity.”
Big Macs and Healthy Teens? A New Approach to Nutrition Education
Thursday, March 10, 2011, 5:00pm-6:00pm
“From analyzing nightmare meals to filming healthy eating music videos, persuasive curriculum empowers critical thinking.”
Send Inquiry Skills Soaring with Vinegar and Baking Soda Rockets
Saturday, March 12, 8:00am-9:00am
“With rockets flying high and Mythbusters-style video analysis, learn how baking soda, vinegar, and water bottles can send students’ inquiry and data analysis skills soaring!”
Day one of the NSTA conference is over and I already find myself energized with ideas and resources. I presented two of my three workshops today (including one in which my workshop was up against one by Bill Nye… and still had great attendance). One highlight of my Big Macs & Healthy Teens workshop occurred after my presentation while talking with a group of teachers visiting from Brazil. They shared some of their school’s work promoting healthy eating by redesigning their school lunch program around celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s work with childhood nutrition. You can find more info about Oliver’s work with school lunches here in the U.S. at Food Revolution website.