It’s a linky kind of Friday …
Today I’ve got some links especially for science teachers. I’ll add this post to today’s STEM Friday round-up, but please feel free to forward it to the science teachers in your life, too.
First up, the American Museum of Natural History has published its slate of online classes for the fall, and they are pretty cool. (Space, Time, and Motion, anyone?) You’ll find full listings and course descriptions at the AMNF Seminars on Science webpage.
Also, the National Research Council has compiled a new framework for improved K-12 science education standards in the United States, and their report is available online for free. Go to the National Academies Press website and scroll to the “Dowload Free PDF” button. (Free registration is required in order to download.) I’ve begun reading it myself and am encouraged by the call to move science education away from rote memorization of facts and toward a hands-on approach wherein students actively participate in the scientific process. I know the transition to more experiential learning in the science classroom won’t be easy to implement, but good gravy, won’t it be more fun?
Finally, in the spirit of encouraging kids and teachers to actively participate in the scientific process, a sneak peak at my upcoming book about citizen science is now available on Goodreads. (You must be a Goodreads member to access the page; becoming one is free and easy.) If you read the chapter, I’d love to know what you think.
A round-up of posts from the kidlitosphere on the topics of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) can be found at Wrapped in Foil today. Check it out, and happy clicking!
Shirley Duke
August 12, 2011 at 1:42 pm
Loree,
Thanks for linking to the new science standards. They make a lot more sense than the old ones.
Loree Griffin Burns
August 12, 2011 at 9:43 pm
I’m glad you found it useful, Shirley!
Loree
Roberta
August 12, 2011 at 6:11 pm
What wonderful links you have shared. I will definitely look into the new standards, too.
I can’t wait for your new book to come out, it looks very interesting. Isn’t it exciting how citizen science is really taking off?
Loree Griffin Burns
August 12, 2011 at 9:43 pm
Thanks, Roberta. Yes — three cheer citizen science!
Loree
Roberta
August 12, 2011 at 6:13 pm
Loree,
I just thought, you might be interested in a citizen science I wrote about on by science blog
http://blog.growingwithscience.com/2011/08/citizen-science-project-about-ants/
Enjoy!
Loree Griffin Burns
August 12, 2011 at 9:51 pm
Thanks for sharing this link, Roberta. Have you tried this project? Is there any contact between the scientists who run the program and the citizen scientists who submit ant samples after submission?
One of the things that has struck me while reading the new science curriculum frameworks is the emphasis on encouraging scientific thinking in our students. Observation and data collection is a great start, but interpreting data and designing further experiments are the obvious next steps to encouraging kids to think like scientists. To me, in regard to citizen science, this means getting kids involved in longer-term projects so that they can begin to interpret the data they are collecting over time, and even develop their own hypotheses.
Sorry. That was a longer response than I intended … but all of this has got me thinking!
Thanks again for the link,
Loree
Jane Moore Houghton
August 16, 2011 at 7:05 pm
oh! I like this new home – very warm and welcoming !
Loree Griffin Burns
August 18, 2011 at 9:08 pm
Thank you, dear Jane. I hope to get more consistent with content once the school year starts.
ratzelster
September 5, 2011 at 4:27 pm
Thank you for starting this series. It’s critical our students see science as something “out there”…not inside our classroom walls and in the books. Citizen science is the easiest way to get involved in this idea. It was positively transforming for my oldest daughter (who is now a molecular geneticist)…..going into high school she traveled to Mexico and worked thru Earthwatch on a project. It was to track and categorize sea turtles…not something a Kansas girl had lots of personal knowledge about.
Working with those scientist and grad students, infused her with so much enthusiasm for the subject and kept her going back for more. Even when the classroom teachers weren’t so hot.
I would love to see all of us find a spectrum of ways from simple to complex to offer students as options. Thanks for this idea and I hope to see more and more and more.
Loree Griffin Burns
September 5, 2011 at 7:17 pm
I agree with you, Ratzelster. Making it clear that science is a process, a methodical way of exploring and understanding the world and, most importantly, that ANYONE can participate, is critical. Exposing students to hands-on science experiences and to people who are passionate about those experiences can make such a difference. My own journey as a scientist (and, later, as a writer) was inspired by Mr. Micarelli, my ninth grade biology teacher, who encouraged me to design and carry out my own research project. (On earthworms, of all things!)
Thanks for all YOU are doing to inspire a new generation of scientists …