[November 13, 2017]

Science Education Takes Center Stage in New Orleans at NSTA's Area Conference on Science Education

Thousands of science educators from across the country will convene in New Orleans, Nov. 30-Dec. 2, 2017, for the third of three annual fall conferences hosted by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). Held in conjunction with the Louisiana Science Teachers Association (LSTA), the three-day conference features hundreds of workshops, presentations, and sessions focused on helping science teachers hone their skills in teaching and stay abreast of important new developments in science education. The conference will be held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and other local venues.

The conference offers educators an invaluable opportunity to participate in professional learning activities, examine the newest science teaching materials, and network with other educators.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to hear thought-provoking presentations from nationally renowned speakers in science and education. Featured speakers include:

• Keynote speaker Debbie Silver, will provide an entertaining and informative look at how science can be used as a natural springboard for engaging learners from preK through 12 and beyond. Laced with humor and prctical suggestions, she will have attendees laughing, thinking, and ready to champion science students at every level.
• Okhee Lee, a professor in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at New York University, will highlight how the instructional shifts associated with the Next Generation Science Standards and the language instructional shifts based on a range of registers and multiple modalities (e.g., physical replica, diagram, text, and computational model) are mutually supportive in promoting both science and language learning for all students.
• Milton Chen, a senior fellow and executive director emeritus at the George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF), will discuss how creative science educators are taking students beyond the four walls of their classrooms via "nature nearby" where they learn alongside scientists and naturalists of all ages, as well as online platforms, such as iNaturalist.
• Marshall Shepherd, director of the University of Georgia's (UGA) Atmospheric Sciences Program and as a full professor in the Department of Geography, will examine contemporary challenges associated with communicating weather and climate change to broader audiences and students. Using the lens of accessible analogies and his experiences, he will walk through six overarching challenges and provide solutions that can improve the narrative related to these pressing scientific topics.

The NSTA New Orleans Area Conference on Science Education will begin with concurrent sessions on Thursday, November 30 at 8 a.m. and will conclude on Saturday, December 2. Teachers interested in attending the conference can register onsite at the convention center. For updated information about the conference, visit http://www.nsta.org/conferences/area3.aspx.

About NSTA

The Arlington, VA-based National Science Teachers Association is the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence in science teaching and learning, preschool through college. NSTA's membership includes approximately 55,000 science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business representatives, and others involved in science education.

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