New Science Teacher Night at Arizona Science Center

Dec. 7, 2011 - PRLog -- Tempe, Ariz. – December 1, 2011 –The Arizona State University STARR Noyce Scholarship Program is proud to partner with Arizona Science Center and Arizona Science Teachers Association (ASTA) to offer a New Science Teacher Night at Arizona Science Center from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. on January 28, 2012.   This free event will provide support and networking opportunities for 150 first and second year science teachers from across Arizona.

New Science Teacher Night evolved from the need to support science teachers during their induction to teaching.  Many new science teachers across the state find that they do not have anybody at their schools to ask questions about the science curriculum, assist them in obtaining lab equipment, or to even point them in the right direction by supplying catalogues for ordering their own equipment.  Many new science teachers are left to teach science labs in regular classrooms that are not equipped for labs. Some new science teachers are lucky enough to find individual mentors by chance, but many are left to their own devices.  In some cases, a new science teacher is the only science teacher at the school.  

“Beginning science teachers often feel isolated regarding the implementation of student-centered practices, particularly in schools that are under scrutiny for not making adequate yearly progress,“  explains Irasema Ortega, who received her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction-Science Education at Arizona State University and is currently an Assistant Professor  in the Department of Teaching and Learning at the University  of Alaska-Anchorage  “In these schools, remedial classes such as reading often take away instructional time from subject areas such as science.”

New Science Teacher Night will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a New Science Teacher mixer during which teachers will be given the opportunity to expand their support networks by connecting with other new teachers from across the state and visiting with representatives from educational support organizations like ASTA, Ask a Biologist, Arizona Science Center, and others.   Keynote Speaker Sharon Hall, Associate Professor in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University, will then address attendees in Arizona Science Center’s Dorrance Planetarium with a talk on her research in the field of urban ecology.  She will also provide ideas for first and second year science teachers on how to use “sense of place” in their home environments to connect students to science.  The talk will be followed by Q & A and a short introduction to ASTA and the National Science Teachers Association Learning Center, and followed by an hour of fun in the museum.

Suzanne Cassano, ASU STARR Noyce Scholarship Specialist, remarked, “New Science Teacher Night is a unique opportunity for new teachers to work on building their community by sharing ideas, stories, and contact information, and discover the wealth of STEM education support that is currently available.”

The evening will also include refreshments, discounted parking, free Educator Memberships to Arizona Science Center, door prizes, and information on STEM training for elementary school teachers.  This event is open to all first and second year teachers who teach science. To register, go to www.azsta.org.

The Robert Noyce Scholarship program, authorized under the National Science Foundation Authorization Act, responds to the critical need for K-12 teachers of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). STARR Noyce Scholarships are available to students and career changers entering the TEAMS graduate program leading to Arizona teacher certification at ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College.  Applicants must have an existing degree in one or more of the following disciplines: biology sciences; chemistry; physics; Earth and space science; and general sciences.  More information and the application can be found at www.education.asu.edu/noyce, on Facebook (ASU STARR Noyce),  or by contacting Suzanne Cassano at 480-965-2561 or at suzanne.cassano@asu.edu.

The mission of Arizona Science Center is to inspire, educate and entertain people of all ages about science.  The Center, located at 600 E. Washington St. in downtown Phoenix, features more than 300 hands-on exhibits, live demonstrations, the state-of-the-art Dorrance planetarium, and a five-story IMAX theater.  For more information please call 602-716-2000 or visit www.azscience.org.

ASTA represents science educators statewide—in every science discipline at every grade level, Kindergarten through University. ASTA demonstrates leadership in science education in the state by organizing and participating in statewide reform initiatives, and provides leadership opportunities for members who wish to serve on committees. ASTA publishes a b-monthly e-news packed with news, information, resources, ideas, and activities of current interest to science educators, and the ASTA Science Times Circular, a semi-annual newsletter designed to stimulate thought and dialogue about science education.  In addition, ASTA sponsors an annual conference, the largest state conference designed specifically for science educators statewide.  For more information please visit www.azsta.org or call 520-709-1886.

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The STARR Noyce Scholarship at ASU (NSF-funded) is intended for science professionals and students who want to become middle or high school science teachers and who commit to teach in "high-need schools" for at least two years following graduation.