Science Teachers From Across the Country Convene in Philadelphia for NSTA's 58th Annual National Conference on Science Education
Sessions to Address Issues Including National Science Standards, the Science Education Crisis and Climate Change -- Renowned Scientist and Filmmaker Greg Marshall, Bill Nye the Science Guy, and Meteorologist Glenn Schwartz, Scheduled to Speak
ARLINGTON, Va., March 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning, will meet in Philadelphia March 18 - 21 for its 58th National Conference on Science Education. At this year's conference, which is hosted in conjunction with the Philadelphia Science Teachers Association (PSTA), participants from across the country will learn about the latest in science content, teaching strategy and research; network with fellow education professionals; and hear thought-provoking presentations from world-renowned scientists and educators. The conference will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center and nearby hotels.
Designed to enhance and expand science educators' professional growth, the four-day conference will feature thousands of hands-on workshops, presentations about the latest breakthroughs in science, and demonstrations covering every discipline, grade level and teaching focus. Teachers will discuss popular topics, including the teaching of global climate change; incorporating quality inquiry-based lab experiences in the classroom; the science education crisis; and much more.
A highlight of the conference will be a presentation by Jan Cuny, senior director of professional and federal programs for National Lab Day. Cuny will discuss the new National Lab Day initiative, highlighted in President Obama's "Educate to Innovate" campaign, aimed at improving labs and discovery-based learning experiences for students in grades 6-12.
Other prominent conference speakers include Greg Marshall, distinguished scientist, inventor and filmmaker, who will share his experiences studying, exploring and documenting life in the oceans. Bill Nye, from the popular television series Bill Nye the Science Guy and The Science Channel's 100 Greatest Discoveries, will speak at the Planetary Society lecture about LightSail, an innovative new program that will launch three separate solar sail spacecraft over the course of several years. Terry Matilsky, professor of physics and astronomy at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J., will present, "Authentic Astronomical Data Analysis in Education Settings," at the Shell Science Seminar. Additionally, Pennsylvania Meteorologist Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz, will present a session entitled, "Explaining Global Warming to the Mass Audience," on Saturday, March 20, and Charles F. Bolden, Jr., NASA administrator, will entertain and inspire as the featured speaker at the President's Annual Banquet.
On Friday, March 19, NSTA will host a panel discussion on the federal response to the science education crisis. Panel members include Cora Marrett, assistant director for education and human resources at the National Science Foundation; Michael Lach, special assistant, STEM education, U.S. Department of Education; and Bill Valdez, associate director of workforce development for teachers and scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy. Moderated by NSTA Executive Director Francis Eberle, this panel will explore the effectiveness of the current federal investment strategy in science education.
NSTA is also celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Toyota TAPESTRY Grants for Science Teachers program and the successful partnership between NSTA and Toyota by welcoming several of this year's awardees to the conference. 79 teams of K-12 science educators from across the country have been selected to receive the 2010 grants, totaling nearly $550,000. Since the program's inception, 1,147 teams from all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Marianas Islands have received more than $9.2 million in grants.
In addition, more than 400 companies and organizations from across the country will display the latest, state-of-the-art science education materials, tools, products, and services available in NSTA's Exhibition of Science Teaching Materials.
The NSTA National Conference on Science Education begins on Thursday, March 18 at 8 a.m. and will conclude at noon on Sunday, March 21. Teachers interested in attending the conference can register online at http://www.nsta.org/conferences/2010phi/registration.aspx.
About NSTA
The Arlington, VA-based National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), www.nsta.org, is the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. NSTA's current membership includes more than 60,000 science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and others involved in science education.
SOURCE National Science Teachers Association
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