In this Issue

President's Message

NSELA Award Winners

National Plan for Addressing STEM Needs

Tech Support

PDI 2008 and beyond

Safe Science

Meet Your New Board Members

Regional News

Board Meeting Summary

2009: Celebrating with NSELA

1 Hour to Prepare a Lesson

Nominate a Colleague for an Award

Have you been getting NSELA emails? If not update your email address

Download a Membership Brochure: Page 1, Page 2

July 7 - 10, 2008
NSELA Summer Leadership Institute, Asheville, NC

March 18, 2009
NSELA Professional Development Institute, New Orleans

March 19-March 22, 2009, New Orleans
NSTA Convention

NSELA Leadership Team

News from Region B

Live from the Field: Your Science Teacher!

A late night walk on the beaches of Costa Rica may sound like a wonderful way to spend a honeymoon, but for Marymount School science teacher Jennifer Seshadri, it was an opportunity to work with leading researchers to study the behavior, physiology and migration patterns of the leatherback turtles.

During the week long expedition sponsored by Earthwatch and the National Geographic Education Foundation, Jennifer helped tag and identify turtles, record nest locations and help determine hatchling success at the Marine Biology field station in Playa Grande. Jennifer’s students were able to interact with her live during the expedition as they participated in a blog entitled “Live from The Field” where Jennifer regularly responded to student questions about the leatherback turtles and shared her daily experiences with her students. Students were also able to ask Jennifer questions live by video conference from the classroom. The study of the leatherbacks has been integrated into the 6th grade curriculum as an overarching theme in the study of adaptations, ecosystems, endangered species and evolution.

Jennifer’s fondest memories include seeing a “morning turtle” emerge from the water to lay eggs as well as seeing hatchlings emerge from their shells. Jennifer states “I was as giddy as a school girl watching the hatchlings emerge.” Jennifer’s goal is to keep this experience “alive in the classroom, in the school and in the community.”

For more information on the Earthwatch experience, read Jennifer’s blog.

First, I would like to say “thank you” to NSELA members in Region E. I am very proud and excited to now represent our region on the NSELA Board. I look forward to the opportunity to touch base with those of you who are my old friends, as well as to making new ones. I encourage everyone to let me know of news in your state that you would like to share and to communicate issues and concerns you would like addressed by NSELA. Since I am a new board member, I have not had the opportunity to receive updates from each of the states. As a result, I will share some news from my own state, Nebraska.

Region E is proud to recognize LeeAnn Vaughan, a teacher of nine years at North High School in the Omaha Public Schools (Omaha, NE). LeeAnn exemplifies not only quality teaching but also the positive results of innovative programs and leadership. She has, during the past year, received two prestigious awards in recognition of her teaching. During the past year she was named National Biotechnology Teacher of the Year and, just in April, received the Nebraska Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching. Importantly, LeeAnn recognizes the role of teacher support systems in her success. She was a member of the University of Nebraska-Omaha CADRE program. As a CADRE teacher, she completed her first year of teaching and, at the same time, earned a masters degree with the support of intensive mentorship. Following this experience, she completed a certificate in urban science education, through the support of the OPS Urban Systemic Program. In this effort she again received mentoring support but also pursued post-graduate credits in science content and pedagogy. It is this type of support from district leadership that helps us build our leaders of the future – and LeeAnn is clearly on the path to fill that role. It should encourage all of us to work even harder in our leadership roles.

A Creative Model for Middle School Science Professional Development

Currently, there are two Scottsdale, Arizona teachers that split their positions between teaching middle school science and providing professional development for other science teachers. Barbara Reinert, Copper Ridge Middle School and Mike Twilling, Desert Canyon Middle School, are currently serving sixty-two middle school science teachers.

The MSSPD lead teachers have been responsible for training all new science teachers to the district and current science teachers that change grade level, providing refresher trainings, and sharing the newest and latest pedagogy, methods and research with all science teachers. The program also provides technology training for all which includes books-on-line and various sites for simulations and other activities.

Another responsibility of the MSSPD team is to visit classrooms. During the first semester of this school year, fifty-four science teachers were visited.

Retention (for keeping middle school science teachers) has been very high for SUSD, due, in part, to the MSSPD program. With middle school science teachers having to now obtain a highly qualified status, many districts have difficulty finding and keeping qualified middle school science teachers. Since the implementation of this program, SUSD’s science teacher retention has improved consistently.

Below is a comment from a science teacher who is new to SUSD this year:

“The science kit trainings have been an enormous help this school year. I have learned a great deal, and the kit has helped me teach standards based lessons that are meaningful to the students. I have also really enjoyed collaborating with my co-workers about instructional tips from the kits and trading new techniques about teaching my 8th grade curriculum.”