NCASE 2006 ARCHIVES:  This event is over, but we are maintaining this archive of the conference web pages for reference purposes.  Please see www.ncase.info for information on our current or next NCASE conference!

NSTA at the National Conference on Aviation and Space Education

Taking Professional Development to Scale with New Online Learning Opportunities

The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) is the largest organization in the world promoting innovation and excellence in science teaching and learning for all. NSTA works toward this mission by enhancing professional development for teachers of science, producing top quality resources and materials, and advocating for the needs of all science educators.

NSTA has had a long history of supporting the use of aeronautics and space to enhance the teaching of science, mathematics, and technology in our nation's classrooms. For years NSTA has collaborated with NASA to inspire a new generation of Earth and space scientists, and aeronautical engineers. Among the most exciting joint ventures is the popular NASA Explorer Schools program, which establishes a three-year partnership between NASA and school teams who participate in workshops at NASA Field centers and acquire and use new teaching resources and technology tools.

NSTA is working aggressively to find ways to bring more high quality professional development experiences to teachers of science. With this goal in mind, NSTA is developing a suite of electronic professional development resources for science teachers. NSTA is creating an electronic professional development (e-PD) portal that will be the "home base" for teachers in search of usable science content specifically tied to their school's needs. Teachers will be able to conduct an online search that will recommend various professional development opportunities and resources, and personalized tools will allow them to manage, track, document, and certify their learning.

At the center of the e-PD portal are NSTA Science Objects, which are online teacher tutorials that focus on individual scientific topics-from Newton's first law to the origin and evolution of the universe. The soon-to-be- released Science Objects engage teachers in a unique interactive learning experience promoting greater, more in-depth knowledge of complex scientific topics.

Science Objects will follow another great NSTA resource-SciGuides. Released in 2005, SciGuides enable science teachers to integrate the web into their teaching. Each guide consists of a rich library of web-accessible resources that have been aligned with the National Science Education Standards and reviewed using eight educational rubrics. Each SciGuide has associated lesson plans, short vignettes describing how the lessons can be implemented in the classroom, and samples of student work.

Providing professional development that combines both face-to-face and online follow-up opportunities for learning has many benefits. NSTA is now offering face-to-face Symposia combined with live Web Seminars and asynchronous threaded discussions delivered in partnership with NASA, NOAA, and NSTA Press. These events are delivered to educators attending NCASE and the NSTA conferences and are offered in many content areas.

NSTA is pleased to work together to participate in an important topical track at the National Conference on Aerospace and Space Education (NCASE) in October in Arlington, Virginia. Attendees will see and learn more about NSTA's innovative online learning opportunities for science teachers and how they can be integrated into any professional development plan. For those not attending the conference, all of NSTA's new e-PD tools can be found at www.nsta.org.

NSTA Exhibit Hall Activities:

You will be entered in a drawing for a free NSTA membership when you stop by the NSTA booth in the exhibit hall. Discover the NSTA latest online products and publications, to include Scipak and SciGuide. Live internet experiences and much more are all apart of the NSTA booth.

NSTA Sessions during NCASE

Session Title: NSTA SciPacks: Just-In-Time Online Learning of Core Science Content

Learn about NSTA's latest product to support your professional development to meet NCLB requirements. An opportunity to share an innovative teaching idea, results of research, or to discuss a topic of general or specific interest.

Come preview this innovative, 'just-in-time' and 'just-for-you' product from the NSTA. If you want to learn about professional development offerings to help meet the certification requirements of No Child Left Behind legislation, then this is the session for you!

Session Title: NSTA Sci/Guides! Sites, Solutions, Success

Tired of searching the internet for Science resources and ending up empty handed? NSTA's SciGuides provide evaluated we-based resources without a fruitless internet search and are specifically developed for three different grad bands, K-4; 5-8; and 9-12 allowing age appropriate resources and lessons to be included in each SciGuide. This session provides an opportunity to share an innovative teaching idea, results of research, or to discuss a topic of general or specific interest.

Preview of the latest online teacher resource product offered by NSTA to support educators. SciGuides are linked to National Science Education Standards.

Session Title: NSTA Symposia and Web Seminars: Face-to-Face and Online Professional Development

Learn about NSTA Symposia and Web Seminars, a blended model of face-to-face sessions at NSTA conferences and follow-up online professional development. This session provides an opportunity to share an innovative teaching idea, results of research, or to discuss a topic of general or specific interest. NSTA Web Seminars are 90-minute programs that use online learning technologies to allow participants to interact with nationally acclaimed experts from the convenience of a desktop computer.

Special Event:

Preview a professional development product offered at NSTA to support educators learning content and pedagogical practices.