the quasi-linear dynamics of a career in science education

The Quasi-Linear Dynamics of a Career in Science Education

Stephanie Chasteen

stephanie@sciencegeekgirl.comhttp://blog.sciencegeekgirl.com

Who are you?

A.Science

B.Writing & communication

C.Education

D.Business / Industry

E.More than one / something else

What is the main thing that interests you now (or that you are employed in)?

What interests you?

Introduce yourself to your neighbor. Explain at least one struggle you have / have had in choosing a life path.

Who am I now?

Who am I now?

Let’s try an activity

More like this at http://exploratorium.edu/snacks

Secret Bells or Head Harp

Who was I then?

What kind of a student was I?

Mentors:

Dr. Dennis Chasteen

Margaret Chasteen

High School

Mentors:

Dr. Dennis Chasteen

Mr. Perry

Brendan Crill

College: What to study?

PhysicsSocial PsychologyPhysicsNow what?

First, Peace Corps

Now what?

BA in Social Psychology

Peace Corps

?

What we can learn from bacteria:sense temperature

gradients or changes

where is the warm spot?

Figuring out how things work

Mentor:

Dr. Sue Carter

How to keep my love for science...?

BA in Social Psychology

Peace Corps

Physics research

?

Communicating Science

What is science journalism?

What techniques does the piece use to reach its audience?(David Kestenbaum and Marvin Marshak - NPR)

What is the purpose of that piece?A.To educate people

about science

B.To keep the listener informed about current research

C.To get the listener interested in science

D.To give the journalist a job

E.More than one / something else

Communicating Science

Mentors:

Dr. Sue Carter

Dr. Sarah Rabkin

Dr. David Kestenbaum

Some principles of good writingKnow your audienceBuild from the familiar (e.g., analogy)Tell a storyNo jargonShort simple sentences, active voiceWalk the line between accuracy and understandability (you won’t be as precise as you want to be!)

BA in Social Psychology

Peace Corps

Physics research

How to reach the public with exciting science?

freelance writingNPR intern

Now what?

Communicating Science... to Teachers & the Public

Mentor:

Dr. Paul Doherty

Communicating Science... to Teachers & the Public

Mentor:

Dr. Paul Doherty

Remember our warmup activity?

And another: Head Harp

More like this at http://exploratorium.edu/snacks

Let’s try an activity

Blue SkyNow you can explain why the

sky is blue and the sunset is

red

When sunlight travels through the

atmosphere, blue light scatters more

than the other colors, leaving a dominant

yellow-orange hue to the transmitted

light. The scattered light makes the sky

blue; the transmitted light makes the

sunset reddish orange.

A transparent plastic box, or a large

beaker, jar, or aquarium

A flashlight or projector (either a slide or filmstrip projector)

Powdered milk

Polarizing filter (such as the lens from an old pair of polarized sunglasses)

Blank white card for image screen

Paper hole-punch

Optional: Unexposed (black) 35 mm slide or photographic film, or an index card cut to slide size

(15 minutes or less)

Fill the container with water. Place the light source so that the beam shines through the container. Add

powdered milk a pinch at a time; stir until you can clearly see the beam shining through the liquid.

(15 minutes or more)

Look at the beam from the side of the tank and then from the end of the tank. You can also let the light

project onto a white card, which you hold at the end of the tank. From the side, the beam looks bluish-

white; from the end, it looks yellow-orange.

If you have added enough milk to the water, you will be able to

see the color of the beam change from blue-white to yelloworange

along the length of the beam.

If you want to look at a narrower beam of light, use a paper

hole-punch to punch a hole in the unexposed black slide or in a

piece of 35 mm film, or even in an index card cut to size. Place

the slide, film, or index card in the projector. (Do not hold it in front of the lens.) Focus the projector to

obtain a sharp beam.

Blue SkyNow you can explain why the

sky is blue and the sunset is

red

When sunlight travels through the

atmosphere, blue light scatters more

than the other colors, leaving a dominant

yellow-orange hue to the transmitted

light. The scattered light makes the sky

blue; the transmitted light makes the

sunset reddish orange.

A transparent plastic box, or a large

beaker, jar, or aquarium

A flashlight or projector (either a slide or filmstrip projector)

Powdered milk

Polarizing filter (such as the lens from an old pair of polarized sunglasses)

Blank white card for image screen

Paper hole-punch

Optional: Unexposed (black) 35 mm slide or photographic film, or an index card cut to slide size

(15 minutes or less)

Fill the container with water. Place the light source so that the beam shines through the container. Add

powdered milk a pinch at a time; stir until you can clearly see the beam shining through the liquid.

(15 minutes or more)

Look at the beam from the side of the tank and then from the end of the tank. You can also let the light

project onto a white card, which you hold at the end of the tank. From the side, the beam looks bluish-

white; from the end, it looks yellow-orange.

If you have added enough milk to the water, you will be able to

see the color of the beam change from blue-white to yelloworange

along the length of the beam.

If you want to look at a narrower beam of light, use a paper

hole-punch to punch a hole in the unexposed black slide or in a

piece of 35 mm film, or even in an index card cut to size. Place

the slide, film, or index card in the projector. (Do not hold it in front of the lens.) Focus the projector to

obtain a sharp beam.

Teacher Institute

Iron science teacher

The Exploratorium

What is the primary purpose of an interactive exhibit?A.To give hands-on

experience with a phenomenon

B.To motivate students to learn about science in school

C.To give the exhibit designer a job

D.To teach science content

E.More than one / something else

What I did at the Exploratorium

BA in Social Psychology

Peace Corps

Physics research

I want to know more about education...

freelance writingNPR intern

Now what?

Exploratorium &teacher education

An informed education activistDr. Steve Pollock

Mentors:

Dr. Kathy Perkins

Dr. Carl Wieman

Education ResearchThe teaching of science AS a scienceStudying how people learnDesigning instructional materialsTraditional lecture isn’t very effective!

Can we affect students’ beliefs?Shift (%)

-6-8-12-11-10-17

Real world connect...Personal interest........Sense making/effort...Conceptual................Math understanding...Confidence................

Attitude survey

Students come out of introductory classes with more negative views of physics than they came in with!

A. More positive

B. More negative

C. Stay same

how do you think intro physics classes affect student attitudes?

I think about the physics I experience in everyday life.

There is usually only one correct approach to solving a physics problem.

Spending a lot of time understanding where formulas come from is a waste of time.

Trad’l Model of Education

Common themes in Education & Communication

1. Motivation is essential for learning

2. People learn by actively constructing their own understanding.

3. Working memory limited (cognitive load)

4. People learn by building on what they know.

Principles of learning

Principles of communication1. Know audience

2. Hook people in

3. Help people relate to the topic

4. Keep it simple

5. Tell stories

BA in Social Psychology

Peace Corps

Physics research

Now how to use all this?

freelance writingNPR intern

Exploratorium &teacher education

physics education research

Tying it all together: sciencegeekgirl enterprises

BA in Social Psychology

Peace Corps

Physics research

A non-specialized specialist

freelance writingNPR intern

Exploratorium &teacher education

physics education research

remember the bacteria?

BA in Social Psychology

Peace Corps

Physics research

freelance writingNPR intern

Exploratorium &teacher education

physics education research

I found a warm spot

What my mentors gave meFLEXIBILITY

encouragement

expertise feedback enthusiasm

benefit of the doubt

What I’ve learnedDon’t hesitate to try

It doesn’t hurt to ask

You are not a prisoner of your choices

The world needs eclectic generalists too

Generosity yields returns

Seek inspiration

So does hard workPay attention & be curious

Thank you!Thank you!

Please ask me questions!Please read my blog!Please contact me anytime!Please hire me!

http://blog.sciencegeekgirl.comstephanie@sciencegeekgirl.com