Two Newman Teachers Present at National Science Conference

Last month over the Spring Break holiday, Lower School Science Teacher Jennifer Williams and Middle School Science Teacher Lisa Swenson attended the annual meeting of the National Science Teachers Association in Nashville. There they participated in educational sessions and collaborated with leaders in science education, and both were asked to present at the prestigious conference.

Williams presented Story Starts to Science: Using Children’s Literature to Enhance Your Science Curriculum Content. The hands-on presentation promoted understanding of scientific concepts by integrating children’s literature into project-based science activities. “Educators walked away from my presentation able to have their students experience the seamless blend of ‘story time’ and science,” Williams said.

Swenson presented Developing Teachers into Master Educators and Leaders: National Board Certification, which examined the process of certification and how the pursuit of certification can deepen content and pedagogical knowledge for teachers. Both presentations were very well received.

In addition, Williams attended to promote and finalize the planning of the 5th Annual STEM Forum and Expo, to be hosted by NSTA in July. Williams is a chairperson of this specialized professional development event. Click here for a video interview with Williams promoting the STEM Forum at the NSTA Conference.

Participation in conferences is a major component of faculty professional development at Newman. By attending conferences, teachers are able to collaborate with and learn from educators within their subject areas and at similar schools. In so doing, they also serve as ambassadors for Newman’s excellent academic programs.

Thank you to these remarkable teachers for their promotion of Newman science on a national level!