Lloyd Center’s Stronach and Moniz Present at the National Science Teachers Association Conference

Boston, MA – The Lloyd Center for the Environment’s Executive Director Rachel Stronach and Director of Education Elizabeth Moniz were honored to present at this year’s National Science Teacher’s Association (NSTA) Conference that was held at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in Boston MA. The NSTA, founded in 1944 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, is an association of science teachers in the United States and is the largest organization of science teachers worldwide. The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.

In conjunction with the Museum Institute for Teaching Science (MITS) and Zoo New England, the Lloyd Center presented a general science workshop geared for elementary education title ‘Elementary Investigations Strengthen Science and Literacy Skills’. Participants attended the workshop to “inquirize” their thinking with MITS and its partners to experience synergy of science and literacy and receive classroom-ready investigations.

At the workshop, MITS staff offered an overview of the rationale for linking science and literacy: the importance of synergizing in multiple modes of “Do It! Talk It! Read It! Write It!”  Targeting upper elementary, Lloyd Center for the Environment’s Stronach’s and Moniz’s roles in the workshop was to link science and engineering practices with literacy through an oil spill activity that investigates methods to clean up after an oil spill.  Zoo New England presented a hands-on activity directed toward lower elementary.  Participants in this session received investigations they can use in their classroom and be linked to resources through the NSTA Learning Center.

The session demonstrated how instructors, during the MITS Summer Professional Development Institutes, model the integration of science and engineering practices with science content and literacy. MITS promotes and enables inquiry-based interdisciplinary science through collaborations between formal and informal science and cultural institutions.  During the Summer Professional Development Institutes, MITS staff collaborate with educators from informal science and cultural centers to provide teachers with high-quality professional development that integrates science content, science and engineering practices, and pedagogy.  Instructors use a continuum of inquiry-based instructional methods from confirmation to structured to guided to open.  As a result, teachers experience hands-on, minds-on inquiry-based investigations that integrate across the disciplines with science as a context.

The Lloyd Center is the lead institution for the Southeast Region Professional Development Institutes and will be hosting the 2014 Institute “Practicing Progressions from Land to Sea: Bringing Engineering Design and Inquiry Into Your Classroom.”

“We were honored to present at the conference with MITS and represent the Lloyd Center’s Education programs on this national level.” ~ Rachel Stronach.

“I was thrilled to be part of a community of science teachers where the enthusiasm was evident.  There were so many innovative ideas for engaging students in science.” ~ Elizabeth Moniz

Workshop presenter(s): Jane Heinze-Fry (Museum Institute for Teaching Science: Quincy, MA); Rachel Stronach (Lloyd Center for the Environment: Dartmouth, MA); Liz Moniz (Lloyd Center for the Environment: Dartmouth, MA); Sandra Ryack-Bell (Museum Institute for Teaching Science: Quincy, MA); Marley O’Neil (Zoo New England: Boston, MA)

In addition to presenting at the NSTA Conference, the Lloyd Center was featured in a documentary filmed about the Museum Institute for Teaching Science that was played at the National Conference Convention Center and some area hotels.