It's Time for Science

It's Time for Science Podcast Episode 9   This month on It's Time for Science, it's time for extended learning! Host Tom Racine talks with Dr. Bryan Méndez about the upcoming solar eclipse and Erica Beck Spencer about getting kids outside.   Dr. Bryan Méndez is an astronomer at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the Planetarium Director at the Lawrence Hall of Science, creates educational programming for NASA missions at the Space Sciences Laboratory, and teaches classes for the Astronomy Department. Dr. Méndez is a family man who loves to spend time with his wife and twin boys, a sci-fi/fantasy fan with particular obsessions for Star Wars and Star Trek, a saxophonist, and an amateur filmmaker. He is multicultural, of Mexican and European heritage, and strives to foster diverse perspectives in his work.    You can find Dr. Méndez on Instagram and Threads: @doctorstarlight You can find the Lawrence Hall of Science on Facebook, Instagram, and X.   Tom talks with Dr. Méndez about what an eclipse actually is, including what to expect from a total solar eclipse, how to look at the eclipse safely, and how to engage your students with this amazing celestial event.   A reminder on eclipse safety. As Dr. Méndez points out, it is safe to look directly at the eclipse during the "brief and spectacular period known as totality," this only applies to those folks who will be in the path of the total eclipse, and then ONLY for the small amount of time during the totality.    For more on safety and where/how to view the eclipse, visit these NASA sites.   https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/safety/ https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/where-when/
Erica Beck Spencer is a curriculum specialist with the Full Option Science System Project (FOSS) and spearheaded the Taking FOSS Outdoors initiative. In addition to her development work, she has collaborated with over 50 districts and tens of thousands of educators on implementing the FOSS program. She has worked with thousands of formal and nonformal teachers about teaching outside. She has served on the board of directors for the Maine Environmental Education Association, Rippleffect, and will be stepping up as the board president for the Maine Math and Science Alliance. Prior to working for FOSS she taught in urban schools in Cambridge, Boston, and Portland, Maine.    Ms. Beck Spencer discusses how going outside can benefit students' mental health, how starved they often are for outside time, some of her favorite activities (and how to successfully manage them), and connecting inside learning with outside learning. She also talks about connecting to local experiences, including local resources designed to help educators get kids outside.   It's Time for Science! To get in touch with us, whether to offer some feedback, ideas for future episodes or reviews, or just to say hi, send us a message at [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you!

Look for School Specialty and FOSS on X and Facebook. It's Time for Science is produced by School Specialty and the Full Option Science System (FOSS) at the Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley.

Welcome to It's Time for Science! For our first episode of 2024, host Tom Racine continues our conversation on equity in science education! Tom talks with Meagan Sternberg, a K-12 Science Instructional Coach in Oregon, and Channon Jackson, a Program Director at the Alameda County Office of Education.   We end the episode with a few words from Diana B. Vélez, author of this month's insight article, Access and Equity: Changing How We View and Support All Students [LINK NEEDED].   Meagan Sternberg is a K-12 Science Instructional Coach in North Clackamas School District, Milwaukie, OR. Sternberg taught middle school science for 16 years at two schools in the North Clackamas School District. During that time, she developed skills working with adults through professional learning facilitation and state standards implementation. In 2011, she transitioned into an instructional coach position that focused on supporting science teachers as Oregon began the transition to the Next Generation Science Standards. Her focus is now on supporting teachers in the implementation of curriculum with a focus on effective instructional practices through guiding teacher leader teams and facilitating professional learning sessions.   Channon Jackson is a Program Director at the Alameda County Office of Education in Hayward, CA. As an elementary teacher for 15 years, Ms. Jackson loved teaching science. She became a science lead teacher in the Oakland Unified School District and took a year off to work as a science curriculum writer at the Lawrence Hall of Science. As a program director, Channon uses her love for students, science, and integration to create supportive professional learning opportunities in her county and throughout the state.   Diana B. Vélez is a curriculum developer and professional learning provider for the Full Option Science System Project (FOSS K–8) at the Lawrence Hall of Science. She specializes in English language development and the integration of literacy in science teaching and learning. Ms. Vélez assists in the development and implementation of FOSS instructional materials and creates pedagogical resources that support access and equity. She also leads professional learning experiences for educators, administrators, families, and community members using FOSS instructional materials to develop scientific literacy, teacher capacity, and systemic change in schools and districts across the country and internationally. Before coming to the Lawrence Hall of Science, Ms. Vélez was the instructional leader for a science-centered elementary school in Oakland, California and was a founding-member and teacher in a Spanish dual-immersion program.   It's Time for Science! To get in touch with us, whether to offer some feedback, ideas for future episodes or reviews, or just to say hi, send us a message at [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you!

Look for School Specialty and FOSS on Twitter and Facebook. It's Time for Science is produced by School Specialty and the Full Option Science System (FOSS) at the Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley.

This month on It's Time for Science, host Tom Racine talks about equity in science education with Claudio Vargas and Holly Gil.   Claudio Vargas, a Science Education Consultant with a focus on Equity in STEM, works with Sci-Lingual Education and FOSS at the Lawrence Hall of Science. He provides keynote presentations on equity in STEM and professional learning experiences for educators in science, focusing on supporting Multilingual Learners with language and literacy development. Mr. Vargas has developed and led numerous professional learning programs throughout California, Washington, Texas, and Central America. Mr. Vargas served as a member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committee, which issued the national Call to Action to advance equitable science education.     Tom talks with Mr. Vargas about working on the committee that issued the national Call to Action, how the pandemic affected education and science, how to help teachers structure a more equitable classroom, the importance of a rigorous curriculum with an emphasis on active learning, and being aware of our own biases, just to name a few of the topics they discuss.   Holly Gil, an Instructional Specialist, Science Education/ELD Consultant has trained and mentored hundreds of teachers in the Santa Barbara area. She is a skilled facilitator and instructor and serves as a consultant to schools, districts and nonprofit organizations. Her expertise derives from nearly 30 years of professional experience as a bilingual classroom teacher, science education specialist, curriculum developer, instructional coach and leadership coach. Ms. Gil is currently an Instructional Specialist for Adelante Charter School, a dual language immersion K-6 elementary school. She is an advocate for multilingual students and an English Learner Leadership and Legacy Initiative (ELLLI) Fellow through Californians Together   Ms. Gil and Tom chat about supporting teachers as they work to overcome their fears of teaching science and difficulties in working to implement an equitable classroom, how to encourage and help teachers stay committed, the linguistic challenges inherent in the NGSS, how students' excitement can help drive them, and more!   Producer David Lippman also reviews the book Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers who Changed the World by Rachel Ignotofsky and published by 10 Speed Press. And we wish a happy birthday to Dr. Patrica S. Cowings!   It's Time for Science! To get in touch with us, whether to offer some feedback, ideas for future episodes or reviews, or just to say hi, send us a message at [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you!

Look for School Specialty and FOSS on Twitter and Facebook. It's Time for Science is produced by School Specialty and the Full Option Science System (FOSS) at the Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley.

It's Time for Science! This episode Tom talks with Leonor Rebosura from Newark Unified School District and Kimberly Astle from the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. We also remember FOSS co-director, Larry Malone. 
Leonor Rebosura, the Director of Teacher Induction at Newark Unified School District in Newark California, talks with us about how to get families involved with science. Ms. Rebosura touches on science resources for home, events that teachers and districts can do to get parents involved, and the difference parental involvement makes in helping kids learn.
Kimberly Astle, who we spoke with at the NSTA conference in Atlanta back in March 2023, is the Associate Director of Elementary Science and Integration for the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Ms. Astle spoke with us about funding for getting kids outside, their statewide project of integrating science, ELA, and math, teacher burnout, and getting the joy and fun back into science, among other things!   Laurence Edward Malone,1943-2023, passed away on June 13, 2023. Larry was passionate about science education and spent over 50 years working at the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley, California. At its inception, he provided the vision for the Full Option Science System (FOSS), was the major materials designer, writer, and voice of this highly successful national curriculum project, and served as the project co-director for over 20 years. We spend a few minutes remembering Larry and his legacy.   It's Time for Science! To get in touch with us, whether to offer some feedback, ideas for future episodes or reviews, or just to say hi, send us a message at [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you!

Look for School Specialty and FOSS on Twitter and Facebook. It's Time for Science is produced by School Specialty and the Full Option Science System (FOSS) at the Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley.

It's Time for Science--outdoors!  At the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) conference in Atlanta (March 2023), host Tom Racine interviewed two amazing educators about the importance of going outside when you teach.
Autumn Rivera, the Colorado Teacher of the year, and a Finalist for National Teacher of the Year, talks about the importance of taking kids outside and on day trips to local areas. She discusses the power of science to help integrate disciplines across the school and how to work with other curriculum areas. We also chat about teacher burnout and strategies on how to help both teachers and students recover after the pandemic.

Then it's Andrea Burrows' turn! Ms. Burrows is an award-winning science teacher in Santa Clara, California with many years of classroom experience. She talks about focusing on exploring the outdoors of your local area to give students real-life context and how science affects us all. We also touch on how impactful garden programs in schools can be, as well as the importance of teacher leadership and connecting with other teachers across all disciplines.   Producer David Lippman also reviews the game Photosynthesis from Blue Orange Games.    It's Time for Science! To get in touch with us, whether to offer some feedback, ideas for future episodes or reviews, or just to say hi, send us a message at [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you!

Look for School Specialty and FOSS on Twitter and Facebook. It's Time for Science is produced by School Specialty and the Full Option Science System (FOSS) at the Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley.

For this episode of It's Time for Science, we went to the world-renowned San Diego Comic Convention! We looked high and low for folks to talk with about the importance of science education and graphic novels, and it turns out it was super easy to find people on the same page!   Tom speaks first with Tracy Edmunds, a teacher, educational consultant, curriculum developer, editor, and writer with over 14 years of experience as an elementary teacher, in addition to authoring 25 resource books for educators.   They talk about what got Ms. Edmunds excited about using comics with kids, research about using science comics, creating meaning through interpreting comic visuals, resources and ideas for teachers working science comics into the classroom, and discuss a great number of resources and suggestions for teaching with comics in general.    Ms. Edmunds maintains a list of science comics as well as a number of other lists of comics/graphic novels recommendations.    Next Tom talks with Corinna Bechko, a Hugo- and Eisner-nominated New York Times best-selling author who works as a fossil preparator by day.   They discuss Ms. Bechko's creative work, why kids love dinosaurs, green dinosaur bones, how to spark wonder about the world, and the coolest bones she's had the opportunity to work with.   Then it's time to talk with Brandon M. Easton, a professional writer, screenwriter, and educator who is a NASA solar-system ambassador, and was a New York City public school teacher for 6 years.   Tom talks with Mr. Easton about the importance of understanding basic elements of science, the perspective offered by studying space science, resources offered by NASA, getting families involved, and getting kids engaged and excited about science using pop culture.   Finally, Tom talks with Laini Taylor and Jim Di Bartolo. Ms. Taylor is the award-winning, New York Times–bestselling author of the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy and the Strange the Dreamer duology, among other books. Mr. Di Bartolo is a mixed-media illustrator, painter, visual storyteller, and writer. They are the creative team behind the new book, Billie Blaster and the Robot Army from Outer Space, an out-of-this-world new middle-grade graphic novel about a genius scientist and her evil nemesis.   Tom talks with them about the importance of good science teachers, how history and science inform their creative process, and getting kids excited about reading. Ms. Taylor and Mr. Di Bartolo have never accidentally started an intergalactic war (at least according to their author bio) .   It's Time for Science! To get in touch with us, whether to offer some feedback, ideas for future episodes or reviews, or just to say hi, send us a message at [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you!

Look for School Specialty and FOSS on Twitter and Facebook. It's Time for Science is produced by School Specialty and the Full Option Science System (FOSS) at the Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley.

In this episode of It's Time For Science, we're talking about going back to school (yes, already!). 

Host Tom Racine talks with education leader Rosanna Ayers and is joined in a road table discussion with instructional coach Laruen Brown and curriculum developer Brian Campbell. 

Rosanna Ayers is the former director of youth education at the biomimicry institute and has been a county office science coordinator with 20+ years of classroom experience. 

Ms. Ayers has written an article about getting started with science on day 1: Getting Ready for a New School Year with Science: Tips for Teachers. She shares some tips to easily getting started with highly engaging science activities and discusses why starting with science is a great and effective way to start the year.

Lauren Brown is an instructional coach with Oakland Unified School District with 11 years of experience in education, including 8 years as a science teacher, winning the 2018 Grand Prize NSTA Shell Science Lab Challenge. Brian Campbell has been a curriculum developer with FOSS for the past 18 years, was a classroom teacher for 7+ years, and is the co-author of Science Notebooks: Writing About Inquiry.

Tom talks with Ms. Brown and Mr. Campbell about starting the year with science, establishing a safe classroom culture, some specific activities they recommend for starting with, and how to keep your science instruction going effectively throughout the year.

It's Time for Science! To get in touch with us, whether to offer some feedback, ideas for future episodes or reviews, or just to say hi, send us a message at [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you!

Look for School Specialty and FOSS on Twitter and Facebook. It's Time for Science is produced by School Specialty and the Full Option Science System (FOSS) at the Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley.

For this episode of It's Time For Science, we're going to space! Host Tom Racine talks with science teacher Dave Curry, winner of the NMLSTA Paul DeHart Hurd Award and renowned astrophysicist Dr. Erika Hamden from the University of Arizona.

Dave Curry is an experienced middle school science teacher and the 2023 recipient of the Paul DeHart Hurd Award, presented by the National Middle Level Science Teachers Association (NMLSTA), an affiliate of NSTA. Mr. Curry talks to us us about some of his early influences, working on an NSF-funded project to bring art into science instruction, interdisciplinary teaming at school sites, how to help teacher burnout, and how he works to keep his students engaged, including connecting local observations to concepts they're learning in the classroom.

Dr. Erika Hamden is a Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Arizona. She develops UV detector technology, builds telescopes for NASA, and observes galaxies and hydrogen all over the universe.Her last project was a UV telescope that flew on a high-altitude balloon, and she is currently leading a team designing a UV space telescope. We talk with Dr. Hamden about teachers that influenced her interest in science, the importance of failure in science, some of her ongoing projects, working at earning her pilot's license, and more!

Producer David Lippman also reviews "The Crew: Quest for Planet Nine" from Kosmos Games.

To get in touch with us, whether to offer some feedback, ideas for future episodes or reviews, or just to say hi, send us a message at [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you! Look for School Specialty and FOSS on Twitter and Facebook. It's Time for Science is produced by School Specialty and the Full Option Science System (FOSS) at the Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley.

Welcome to the very first episode of It's Time for Science!  We are creating a podcast aimed directly at the amazing and wonderful science teachers, educators and administrators out there, from Pre-K thru High School, who are engaging students and fostering curiosity about the world around them.

We start off with a fantastic round table discussion with three educators from South Carolina:  Yolanda Bennett, Ed Emmer, and Felipe AndreSilva.   We couldn't have asked for a more engaging and diverse group, and our conversation ran from discussing Equity in Teaching Science,  Dealing with Teacher Burnout in a Post-COVID world, and how science education can and should be a transdisciplanary subject, involving literacy, math, social studies and history.     Plus they give teachers some valuable nuggets of advice at the end.

It's Time for Science is produced by School Specialty, along with FOSS, the Full Option Science System, from The Lawrence Hall of Science.