Archives
Too Much Fun at the CASE Conference!
Get ready for fun at the CASE Conference in Palm Springs! From a poolside boat challenge to hiking Tahquitz Canyon and a STEAM painting session with John Muir Laws, there’s something for every science educator.
Ratchetdemic - Ratchet-what!?
Inspired by Dr. Christopher Emdin’s powerful keynote at the 2024 CASE Conference, a group of California educators launched a book study to explore “ratchetdemics”—the fusion of authenticity and academics in the classroom. Through deep reflection and…
Springing Forward: Advocating for Science and Finishing Strong
Spring is here, and the final stretch of the school year is underway. CASE is advocating for science education accountability to ensure science gets the time and resources it deserves in classrooms across California.
Igniting Passion and Pedagogy: Insights from New Teacher at the CASE Conference
Discover how the CASE Conference inspired new teachers Megan and Keegan with innovative teaching strategies, professional networking, and motivational insights from Dr. Christopher Emdin. Learn how to stay connected and energized in science…
Use Gale Interactive: Science As An Alternative Dissection Assignment
Discover Gale Interactive: Science, a free resource for California schools offering digital alternatives to animal dissection. Enhance biology, chemistry, earth science, and anatomy lessons with interactive modules and support humane, cost-effective…
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…
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…
Exploring Perspectives on Classroom Dissection: Insights from CASE, PETA, and Beyond
A few years back the California Science Teachers Association (CSTA then CASE now) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) found themselves on opposite sides of a dissection debate in Sacramento. PETA was supporting a bill to ban…
Why Animal-Free Anatomy Lessons are the Future of Education
Science is always evolving, so why are some of the methods we use to teach it—like dissecting dead animals—stuck in the past? We can better prepare students for the future by leaving behind old ways in favor of innovative and exciting new approaches…
Evaluating Alternatives to Dissection with the SynFrog
At the 2023 California Science Education Conference in Palm Springs, the Keynote Speaker was the inspiring Dr. Tyrone Hayes, who introduced himself as “a boy who loved frogs.” I asked him after the keynote, how he felt about frog dissection, and he…