Dec05

Hansel and Gretel Would be Lost for Days....

Porkopolis,  Queen City of the West, and the City of Seven Hills, Cincinnati is known by many names, but it's buildings are sweetest in miniature... gingerbread to be exact. This particular set of buildings is found in the lobby of the Hilton Netherlands Hotel, a beautiful art deco building that opened in 1931.
 
Here are more pictures of the Hilton Netherlands hotel.
 
--Tyson Brown
 
Published: Dec-05-08 | 0 Comments | 1 Link to this post

Dec04

Opening Session in Cincy

Duke Energy Center
Most of us looked tired this morning as we gathered at Duke Energy Center in the Queen City. From the faces around me, I could tell that Thanksgiving breaks weren’t as rejuvenating as we’d hoped, and there’s too much to do in the short weeks before the holidays. The weariness fell away, though, at the first session of the morning.

In a huge ballroom crowned with gold fabric waves, Homer Hickam spoke to the hearts of those of us in the crowd. He talked about the genesis of his best-selling book “Rocket Boys”, and about his successes and challenges growing up in Coalwood, West Virginia. But most of all, his clear reverence for the positive influence of a supportive mother and of
an exceptional science teacher left us in collective awe. It was a wonderful way to jump-start our enthusiasm.
 
--Ann Cutler
Published: Dec-04-08 | 0 Comments | 0 Links to this post

Dec04

Cincinnati Share-a-thon

It’s always hard to choose which sessions to attend, but this morning I visited the middle-level share-a-thon, and was amazed. What a perfect place for teachers to share great ideas! The presenters spoke one after another, each one talking briefly about a project or a lab or an approach that had worked for them. CD’s of the presentations with supporting materials were given out afterward, and there was a rush for these. This meeting was a fantastic way for new presenters to get their feet wet, and for seasoned teachers to share their great new approaches to the tried and true.
 
--Ann Cutler
Published: Dec-04-08 | 0 Comments | 11 Links to this post

Dec03

Cincinnati Wednesday

Setup day for NSTA staff here in Cincinnati and all is going smoothly. We're looking forward to thousands of attendees engaging in outstanding professional development and returning to their classrooms full of ideas and energy!
Not-to-miss events include the New Teacher/Preservice Teacher Luncheon (Ticketed Event M-4 at the Millennium Hotel, Colonnade Room A/B on Friday at noon), the Science Store, and the NSTA booth on the exhibit floor.
Recommendations for food include The Wah Mee, a very nice Chinese Restaurant (Yes the owner likes the word "The" in the name) and Cinci's two authentic chili parlors: The Skyline and Goldstar franchises, which is where I'm headed for lunch. --Howard
Published: Dec-03-08 | 0 Comments | 2 Links to this post

Nov26

The Portland Aerial Tram: A Room with a View
On my last day in Portland I was able to do a bit of sightseeing.  The aerial tram was quite impressive and perhaps my favorite sightseeing adventure.  The tram was completed in December 2006 for a cost of $57 million dollars.  It stretches 3,300 feet from the South Waterfront terminal to the main campus of OHSU.  I met some doctors who regularly use the train to commute to work.  Very cool!

It only takes just a few minutes to ride to the top, but you get a glorious view of the city.  Mount Hood was just barely peaking over the clouds on my trip.  The train attendant joked that he uses the mountain to determine the weather forecast.  He said, "If you can see the mountain, it's just about to rain.  If you can't see the mountain - it's raining."

I made a very short video of my trip on the tram.  For more information on the tram go to portlandtram.org.

I missed out on the OMSI and the Zoo.  Maybe next time!  I'd like to hear about teacher experiences at each of those venues.  Of course, I think most of us are still recuperating from all the fun and getting ready to sit down to our Thanksgiving dinner.

So, Happy Holidays!  I hope to see everyone again at the next NSTA conference!
Published: Nov-26-08 | 1 Comment | 4 Links to this post

Nov25

Report from Portland -- A Teacher's Perspective

Every time I go to a NSTA conference I become better at picking the sessions that will best suit my needs. This year was definitely my best.  I had a fantastic time in Portland! I spoke with dozens of teachers who traveled from all over the country - North Carolina, Texas, Illinois, and, of course, the Northwest - and they all had a great conference experience.
From PortlandConference

I've come away from the conference a better teacher with new ideas and strategies to help my students learn science.  One of my favorite presenters was Tara Richardson who talked about changing the way we use grading in the classroom.  I plan on implementing her strategy slowly into most of my classes.  What were your favorite sessions?

 
The exhibit hall was a lot of fun.  I met so many exciting people who were eager to help me find items to enrich my classroom.  Kevin McAndrew from Earthwatch, an organization that sends students and teachers on research expeditions, was incredibly funny and nice to meet.  Julie Mathern from Bio-Rad was also very helpful.  I've always loved using their kits and was excited to learn that if I lead a training workshop in my district, Bio-Rad will reward me with one of their products!  I'm certain that similar exhibitors probably offer the same deal if you just ask them.  That's one of the reasons why I always encourage teachers to go to NSTA conferences and always ask lots of questions.  You never know what little bonuses you will find!

What exhibitors did you come across that you liked?

The Oregon Zoo brought a couple of cute (and not so cute) animals to their booth.  Alas, I couldn't hold one, but they were fun to see.

 

The one thing I regretfully missed was the Mythbusters and the Jean Auel presentation!  Anyone care to share any details?  Overall, how was your conference experience?

 
--Stacy Baker
Published: Nov-25-08 | 0 Comments | 142 Links to this post

Nov20

200 feet, 15.6 Million Years

A town in which science is on display in the mass transit system is the perfect place for an NSTA conference. In Portland's only underground station (70 meters under ground), there is a 200-foot long core sample contained in a glass tube, representing 15.6 million years of geological activity. Click on the picture above to see more of the core sample and the accompanying exhibit information, as well as some images from the Hoyt Arboretum above. Better yet, hop on a MAX blue or red line train and head west.
Published: Nov-20-08 | 0 Comments | 0 Links to this post

Nov20

WOW, The Universe is REALLY Big

 
 
universe
More than 60 educators crowded into room C124 at the Convention Center this afternoon to ponder the imponderable: the size and scale of the universe? 
 
With humor and knowledge Herb Koller, a retired high school teacher representing Imaginova Corp, demonstrated how teachers can use the Starry Night astronomy program in the classroom to help students gain perspective on distances in space. Whether you were looking to learn about our solar system or prefer to consider all that is beyond, the program had something, and lesson plans, too.
 
 
Published: Nov-20-08 | 0 Comments | 121 Links to this post

Nov20

Write (Right) from the Start

journal cover
Have you ever thought about writing for an NSTA journal?
Get the tools you need at Write (Right) from the Start. After an overview of the manuscript submission process, editors of all four journals (Science and Children, Science Scope, The Science Teacher, and the Journal of College Science Teaching) give personal feedback to propsective writers.
 
You can get some of the benefits of this session online at http://www.nsta.org/pdfs/writestart.pdf.
Find calls for papers for all four journals at http://www.nsta.org/.
Look for the next Write For session in New Orleans!
Published: Nov-20-08 | 0 Comments | 127 Links to this post

Nov20

Global Climate Change

Overly political, endlessly complicated...and standing-room only, featured speaker Dr. Philip Mote had a receptive audience for his climate change talk. Coauthor (with 100+ participating scientists) of the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report, Mote's humor-filled talk began with the popular representations of climate change and how they affect public perception. The scientific portion focused on a "dialogue with a skeptic" and featured clear evidence (that only lost me on the modeling part). It's not every day you get to hear a Nobel Prize winning scientist speak!
For more information, visit http://www.ipcc.ch/index.htm
 
Published: Nov-20-08 | 0 Comments | 114 Links to this post

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