Archives
Region 1 Update
It does not seem that long ago that the bell rang to conclude the last day of school; but, here we are, getting ready to start another school year. For many of us, summer included taking a well-deserved vacation or maybe, it was catching up on all…
Changing “Needs” to “Gots”
“I need time to plan with my team.” “I need to explore the standards more.” “I need help developing lessons.” “ I need to know how to appropriately assess student learning.”
SpaceCV and the Quest Institute: Pioneering STEM and ISS Education Through NGSS
Space, the next frontier. Today’s students will be tomorrow’s scientists, astronauts, and inventors. How can we as educators teach and inspire students for careers that are not yet created? We have the power to inspire students to look beyond Earth…
Let the Quarter of Transitions Begin
Every year, July is the beginning of a transition period within CSTA. This year, the transition is a bit more personal for me. Not only has our organization started searching for a new Executive Director, but on July 1st, I dropped the “elect” from…
Introducing Middle School Students to the Crosscutting Concepts
The crosscutting concepts are one of the three pillars upon which the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are built. The other two are the Science and Engineering Practices and the Disciplinary Core Ideas.
NGSS: A Case for Special Education Inclusion
The NSTA Press publication, NGSS for All Students: O.Lee, E. Miller, R Januszyk (Eds.) highlights the importance of providing high-quality science education for all, including students with disabilities.
Strong Leadership Is Collaboration
This is no ordinary President’s message. This June/July issue is special because it marks a clear line in the sand at CSTA – we shift the Presidency. On June 30, 2019, Jill’s presidency ends and on July 1, 2019, Shawna’s begins. In a figurative and…
Legislative Update – AB 1586
On May 1, 2019, the Assembly Education Committee heard AB 1586 (Kalra). The bill sought to ban all animal dissections in California, K-12, public and private classrooms and replace dissection with alternatives to dissection.
All Means ALL
My colleagues and I have been working with a lot of teachers who are in the early stages of NGSS implementation. Once instruction begins to shift, there are some fascinating student reactions. Students typically become highly engaged very quickly and…