Stuffing Science Into Tight Schedules
Posted on March 6th, 2011 by Mary Lord
Elementary schools are struggling to fit science lessons into a school day packed with other subjects, particularly reading and math that are tied to accountability measures. The amount of science instruction varies by school and district, but many educators say students need more hands-on lessons beginning in elementary school to help prepare them for careers in science fields.
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Tags: Curriculum, Lesson Plan, Lesson Plans, Teachers
Microsoft founder Bill Gates says the nation isn’t getting its money’s worth in education, and faults two assumptions that have led to rising costs: that reducing class size will boost student achievement, and that teachers must be rewarded on the basis of seniority. He suggests identifying the top 25 percent of teachers and paying them more to teach more students. 
Teachers nationwide could face sharp reductions in their ranks as state and local governments tackle crippling budget shortfalls. Providence, R.I., sent notices to teachers last week warning all of them could lose their jobs. New York City’s preliminary budget calls for thousands of layoffs. How is your district faring? 
Teachers marching on the state capital. Legislators ducking out of town to stall a vote rather than let the governor abolish collective bargaining. For more than a week, mass demonstrations by public employees in Madison, Wisc., have given the nation a riveting a lesson in democracy — one that promises to continue now that educators have, at their union leader’s urging, returned to their classrooms.
Stanford University’s Center for Probing the Nanoscale (CPN) offers a one-week Summer Institute for Middle School Teachers. Daily sessions focus on content lectures and inquiry-based modules that explicitly address California’s 5-8th grade physical science content standards. Teachers will also receive a hands-on activity classroom kit with many fun activities that bring nanoscience into the classroom. Dates: July 18-22, 2011. Eligibility: Middle School teachers, grades 5-8. Stipend: $650, plus professional development units. Application deadline: May 1 , 2011.
NACME STEM Innovation Grants provide teachers in inner-city communities with funding (up to $1000) for projects that make students aware of opportunities to be found in engineering. The projects are aimed at turning classroom lessons into real-world applications that bring STEM concepts to life.
Teach for America is the latest player in the nation’s effort to improve STEM education. The alternative teacher-preparation program is getting a $500,000 financial boost from the ExxonMobil Foundation to recruit and train recent college graduates for math and science teaching positions in high-needs communities.
The Art of Science Learning explores ways in which the arts can help improve how people of all ages learn the sciences. Using hands-on, imaginative approaches to science education, the Art of Science Learning is convening scientists, artists, educators, business leaders, researchers, and policymakers in three conferences in Spring 2011.
A bill pending in the Kentucky legislature would pay extra sums to math and science teachers, including bonuses of up to $7,500 a year to those whose students score well on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate tests. But some teachers have mixed feelings about the proposal.
