Dallas, Texas: April 2, 2005
Linking Science and Literacy in the Classroom Conference
Second Science and Literacy Conference Scheduled for Dallas—Open to K–8 Teachers, Administrators, and Professional Development Providers
In response to the tremendous attendance at the National Science Foundation–funded science and literacy conference held prior to the Seattle area convention in November, NSTA will hold a second Linking Science and Literacy in the Classroom Conference on Saturday, April 2, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM, during the NSTA national convention in Dallas.
It was standing room only for the Seattle conference as almost 400 teachers, administrators, and other attendees learned about specific aspects of linking science and literacy, such as the criteria for selecting appropriate science literature, the roles that writing plays in the teaching and learning of science, and the creation of a school culture that supports integrating literacy and science. Participants also learned more about research on students’ science learning in a literature-rich environment, strategies for helping second-language learners, and practical issues related to implementation, assessment, and professional development.
According to Rowena Douglas, NSTA’s Assistant Executive Director, Professional Development, “This conference is the next step in NSTA’s expanding commitment to bring specific, meaningful, and practical professional development to science educators, and our enormously popular area and national conventions are the ideal gathering place for these special learning presentations. This highly focused, single-topic event is the second of such conferences to be presented at future NSTA conventions. The conference will complement NSTA’s Professional Development Institutes, which debuted at our Atlanta convention in 2004.”
Scheduled workshop presenters who will present their findings from their National Science Foundation–funded initiatives include experts in science education research, instructional materials development, school administration, and teacher professional development.
Teachers and administrators (principals and/or science supervisors) are encouraged to participate as a school team for the Conference.
Goals and Outcomes
The goals for the event are highly specific:
- To provide practitioners and policy makers with scientifically based research on the effective integration of literacy in the K–8 science curriculum;
- To describe potential roles of literacy in science instruction;
- To illustrate effective strategies for linking science and literacy; and
- To highlight best practices in science-literacy integration.
Outcomes are expected to include these:
- K–8 science teachers will be aware of appropriate roles of literacy in science instruction and strategies for integrating literacy components in their science curriculum;
- Administrators will understand the professional development needed to support the successful integration of literacy into science programs;
- Practitioners will be aware of research on the integration of literacy in science instruction and its impact on student learning in both areas; and
- Researchers will disseminate scientifically based research findings from projects in NSF’s portfolio that are investigating the roles of literacy in science learning.
Presenters
Plenary presenters include Michael Klentschy, superintendent of the El Centro Elementary School District, California; Professor Hubert Dyasi, director of the Workshop Center at City University of New York; Karen Worth, senior scientist at Education Development Center, Inc.; David Pearson, professor and dean, Graduate School of Education, University of California, Berkeley; and Wendy Saul, professor of education at the University of Missouri, St. Louis, and editor of Crossing Borders in Literacy and Science Instruction: Perspectives on Theory and Practice, published by the International Reading Association and NSTA Press®.
Breakout Sessions
The Conference also offers concurrent two-hour small-group workshops that focus on specific aspects of linking science and literacy, such as criteria for selecting appropriate science literature, roles of writing in the teaching and learning of science, creating a school culture that supports integrating literacy and science, and current research on students’ science learning in a literature-rich environment.
Participants must select breakout sessions when they register for the Conference. See “Registration” below.
Registration Fees
The registration fee of $225 includes the plenary session, breakout sessions, continental breakfast, and box lunch.
Registration
Participants in the Linking Science and Literacy in the Classroom Conference are required to register for the Dallas Convention. Online registration will provide you with the best opportunity to enroll in the breakout sessions of your choice. The Linking Science and Literacy in the Classroom Conference (Ticket #C-1) will sell out quickly, so register as soon as possible either online (best method) or by completing the Linking Science and Literacy in the Classroom registration form available by download (see below) and attaching it to the Dallas Advance Registration Form (included with the Science and Literacy form). Please note that if you have already registered for the Dallas convention and wish to purchase a ticket for the Science and Literacy Conference, you must submit a new Dallas Advance Registration Form with your payment...you cannot purchase a ticket for the Conference online.
You will be able to attend two breakout sessions. Complete descriptions of the breakout sessions (C-2 through C-17) are available by download (see below). Session attendance is limited, and sessions will be filled on a first come, first served basis. Rank the sessions in order of preference, putting a number (1–16) in front of every session. Every effort will be made to assign you your top choices.
Note: Participants in the NSTA Professional Development Institute “The Role of Literacy in Developing Student Scientific Understanding,” presented by the Education Development Center (EDC), are invited to participate in the Linking Science and Literacy in the Classroom Conference at no cost as long as space is still available.
To register for the Conference, please e-mail Dave Berenhaus immediately at dberenhaus@nsta.org. If the event is sold out, you will not be able to register. Participants for the other Professional Development Institutes may enroll at the regular price.
Click to:
- Download an agenda for the Conference (in Adobe Acrobat format).
- Download full descriptions of breakout sessions for the Conference (in Adobe Acrobat format).
- Download a registration form for the Linking Science and Literacy in the Classroom Conference (includes an Advance Registration Form for the Dallas convention) (in Adobe Acrobat format).