Thursday and Friday of this week were spent in Ames, Iowa at the ISTS (Iowa Science Teaching Section) Conference. We started off at a leadership team meeting (after our GPS took us to a cornfield where we decided it probably wasn't, being that there weren't any buildings there). It was interesting to hear from the different AEA's what was going on in their necks of the woods. Money was a main issue, and trying to meet the needs of the teachers when they couldn't get the teachers off for meetings due to budget constraints. There were strategic conversations about how to best lead...and it was brought up that perhaps meeting with the teachers at the beginning or the end of the year might not be the most effective way to guide, but that a model being used in Cedar Rapids was quite effective, which had to do with helping the teachers along as they go and guiding them to lead themselves.
After this meeting we went to the NSF Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching Banquet. The award was for a Des Moines North High School Physics teacher, Jessica Gogerty. Her physics teacher was there to share in the honor (which I loved, because it made it a two for one honor). After her speech there was a presentation from IPTV (Iowa Public Television) on Iowa's One-Room School Houses. I sat by a man who had gone to a one room school. The thing I took away from that was that schools have changed a lot over the years, but I did not wish for them to go back to one room; but rather to remember that the bond between the teacher and the students was one of the most important things we shouldn't lose as we change through time.
On Friday we went to a church called the Cornerstone Church (because the original location had been flooded). The church was huge. I can't get over its size. It had 2 or 3 coffee shops in it, 2 auditoriums (one that holds over a thousand people) and a gymnasium, and a bridge that goes over water, and that's just a brief description of the massive building. Anyway, I started off in a session called "Must have STEM Resources from IPTV-'I had no idea'". I have a whole list of programs I want to check out from this session, but the one that I am most interested in is called, "NOVA- The Secret Life of Scientists and Engineers". I'm thinking that I want to get the grant sites to show several of these (spread out)to get the kids more interested in science as a career. They feature scientists and their hobbies...making scientists look more fun and less Geeky. The one I saw featured a female science college student at MIT who also was a cheerleader.
I went to a session called "Accessing NASA Professional Development", which was about some free professional development opportunities from NASA and how they can be brought to the school. There is one grant that has to do with space, so I will see if that fits their activities.
I accidentally went to a session about a curriculum on water and waste-water treatment (I meant to go to another session, but there was a room mix-up misprint). I got a CD that I may or may not use.
Next, I went to a session called "KISS the Wind", which was brought by Pat Higby of UNI, who was part of the Washington DC trip planning (although she said she isn't going). This activity was going, however, along with two of her students. This was a device that measures wind speed, which was used to test several things we built out of a motor and fan blades.
We went to a luncheon that honored several people with ISTS awards, and then we went to a program in the auditorium. This was a portrayal of Galileo through the presenter, Michael Francis, dressing up like Galileo and showing us how he discovered several things that were new to the time (and contradicted the teachings of Aristotle). He really knew his stuff, and took questions about his life, which he answered in depth with enthusiasm. This is actually a good assignment to give a student who is interested in theater in order to learn scientific thinking and historical science perspective.
The last session I went to was by Richard Heathcote and Erica on "Educational resource in geology and ecology at Whiterock Conservance, Coon Rapids". This was a presentation to feature the interesting geological features that could be used to enhance learning via a field trip to the Whiterock Conservatory and landscape.
There were exhibits in the foyer that I also looked at. One that Erica wanted me to be sure to catch was on some probes that we own at Grant Wood. I would be able to use these with schools, so I went and talked to the vendor to find out how they worked.
We got home at 6:30 or so, and it was a lot to take in, but worth the drive.
