San Francisco Program, Vol. 2: Friday - National Science Teachers ...

Friday, March 11
7:00–8:00 AM A Broad Spectrum for Science
Learning Breakfast (Informal Science Day)
Are Trees Alive Roles for Experts and Novices in
Informal Science Education (M-3)
(Tickets Required: $15) Yerba Buena Salon 9, Marriott
Gretchen Walker, Director of
Community and Visitor Programs,
Lawrence Hall of Science, University
of California, Berkeley
One of the biggest perceived challenges
facing the expansion of informal
science learning opportunities
into more settings is the lack of
science teaching expertise in those
working with youth. What could we achieve if we moved
beyond a deficit model and built instructional strategies that
leveraged youth development expertise What if we designed
learning experiences meant to complement, rather than be
the equivalent of classroom and museum science learning
Gretchen Walker is currently the director of Community and Visitor
Programs at the Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California,
Berkeley. In 2005, she completed a two-year project examining
the feasibility of adapting NASA curriculum materials for use in
community-based after-school programs, which has become the basis
for current efforts by The After-School Corporation to incorporate
science in after-school programs in New York City.
Her interest in science and specifically astronomy began at the
age eight when she “changed the color of the sky” after a planetarium
show. After working at Griffith Observatory, she became a high school
teacher and later was part of curriculum development for the NASA
mission Deep Impact. She also was recruited by the American Museum
of Natural History to work on its Einstein exhibition.
Tickets, if still available, must be purchased at the Ticket
Sales Counter in the NSTA Registration Area before 3:00
PM on Thursday.
Science Area
A science area category is associated with each session. These
categories are abbreviated in heavy type at the right immediately
following the session title. On page 131, you will find
the conference sessions grouped according to their assigned
science area category.
The science areas and their abbreviations are:
(Bio)
(Chem)
(Earth)
(Env)
(Gen)
(Phys)
= Biology/Life Science
= Chemistry/Physical Science
= Earth/Space Science
= Environmental Science
= Integrated/General Science
= Physics/Physical Science
Strands
The San Francisco Conference Committee has planned the
conference around the following four strands, enabling you to
focus on a specific area of interest or need. Strand events are
identified by icons throughout the daily program. For strand
descriptions, see page 6.
p
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Embracing Technology in the 21st-Century
Classroom
Accessing Language Through Science and
Mathematics Content
Exploring Earth, Wind, and Fire
Building Scientific Minds: Inspiring
Teaching and Effective Learning
Other Icons
The following icons will be used throughout this program.
Global Conversations in Science Education
Conference
NSTA Avenue Sessions
NSTA Press Sessions
7:00–8:15 AM Meeting
Development Advisory Board Meeting
(By Invitation Only)
Executive Boardroom, Hilton
PDI
Professional Development Institutes
NSTA San Francisco National Conference on Science Education
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