Archives
Mentoring Practices for Working with Beginning Teachers
The time for new school supplies and fresh starts is here! When I was in the classroom I always loved the beginning of the school year, even though it marked the end of summer. Now, I’m working with pre-service science teachers and inevitably I’ll…
Balancing Professional Learning and Planning Time for Science Teachers
How often have you heard (or said) “Why doesn’t the District just give us planning time!” In the quest to provide high-quality education, science teachers face the dual challenge of needing time to collaborate and plan with their peers while also…
The Leaf Detective: A CASE Book Report
As an educator, I am forever looking for the perfect attention-grabbing hook for my lesson. How do I enthrall my students, encourage them to ask questions, and evoke curiosity? The Leaf Detective: How Margaret Lowman Uncovered Secrets in the…
Peaks and Valleys: A landscape study of environmental literacy implementation in and out of California’s TK-12 classrooms
The report, Peaks and Valleys: A landscape study of environmental literacy implementation in and out of California’s TK-12 classrooms, provides a baseline for the state’s educators and policymakers, who have identified environmental literacy as a key…
The California Mathematics, Science, and Computer Science Partnership: Science Leadership & Improvement
Every student in California accessing engaging, inquiry-based, student-centered science instruction and learning - that is the northstar for the statewide Science Steering Team, a layer of leadership within the vast network of the California…
The Conference is About Community!
The 2024 California Science Education Conference in Sacramento is right around the corner, November 8-10. Of course, the meat and potatoes of the conference are the workshops and short courses and the exhibit hall, where we science educators share…
Finding Balance and Growth at the California Science Education Conference
This article highlights the demands teachers face and emphasizes the California Science Education Conference, happening November 8-10, 2024, as a key opportunity for growth, networking, and inspiration. The conference offers valuable workshops,…
DEI Summer Assignment: Reflecting on Our Practices
The end of the school year is always a bittersweet transition. We are simultaneously thinking of the next school year as the eternal New Year’s Day of the future while reminiscing about the children who are walking out our doors, potentially for the…
5 Criteria for Selecting Great Teaching Phenomena
Phenomenon-based learning is a central component of the Next Generation Science Standards, and it’s a great practice: when we use real-world experiences and questions to introduce a science topic, students engage much more deeply.
My Experiences as an Eclipse Ambassador
The Solar Eclipse on April 8th was visible in parts of Mexico, United States & Eastern Canada. I wanted to share the eclipse with the students and families of my community.