It's Time for Science

It's Time for Science

di Tom Racine
Educazione
Stagione 3
It's Time for Science Podcast Episode 19: FOSS Pathways Awarded Design Review Badge
It's Time for Science is back in 2025 to celebrate being FOSS awarded a design review badge by Johns Hopkins University! Host Tom Racine talks with Dr. Steven Ross and Dr. Alan Reid from Johns Hopkins, before having a conversation with FOSS director Linda De Lucchi. Steven M. Ross, PhD is a professor and Executive Director at the Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Ross is the author of six textbooks and over 140 journal articles in the areas of educational technology, at-risk learners, educational reform, extended learning time programs, and research and evaluation. He is a noted lecturer on school programs and educational evaluation, Editor Emeritus of the research section of the Educational Technology Research and Development journal, and a member of the editorial board for four other professional journals. He was the first faculty recipient of The University of Memphis Eminent Faculty Award for teaching, research and service, and held the Lillian and Morrie Moss Chair of Excellence in Urban Education and a Faudree Professorship at The University of Memphis. In 2019, he was awarded the prestigious Michael Spector Career Achievement Award from the Association of Educational Communications and Technology. He has testified on school restructuring research before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth, and Families, has been a consultant to the National Science Foundation on project evaluation design, and is a technical advisor and researcher on current national initiatives regarding the evaluation of out-of-school learning, STEM instruction, technology integration, and social-emotional learning. Alan J. Reid, PhD is an assistant research scientist at the Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University. He specializes in mixed-methods evaluation research in the fields of instructional design, STEM, and educational technology. He has published several books, journal articles, and book chapters that explore the intersectionality between technology, human behavior, and learning. Dr. Reid continues to teach graduate courses in research writing, instructional design, and educational research at various institutions. Learn more about Dr. Reid here: https://alanjreid.my.canva.site/ Tom and Drs. Ross and Reid discuss FOSS Pathways being awarded the Instructional Design Review FOSS Pathways (PK-5) Tier 4 ESSA badge. They discuss the importance of curriculum design and evaluation; how the Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins works to support the publishing industry to evaluate their own curricula and the importance of said curricula being scientifically based and able to be refined over time. They discuss what is involved in the design review process and what the tiers of evidence of ESSA mean; and how ESSA tier 4 is a good foundational basis for a curriculum. They discuss the badge as a type of accreditation for school districts, allowing schools to be able to validate a program; what made FOSS Pathways stand out; specific elements and rubrics from the evaluation process; and the challenges teachers and administrators face in having to continually adjust to policy changes. They close with talking about the value of these types of reviews, not just for teachers and administrators, but for students; the badge lets users know that a product has been vetted by an experienced third party (a validation that certain elements exist within the product awarded a badge). Linda De Lucchi is co-founder and director of the Full Option Science System Project (FOSS K–8). She has developed instructional materials in K–8 science education (FOSS), environmental education (OBIS), health education (HAP Project), and special education (SAVI/SELPH) for 50 years at the Lawrence Hall of Science. In addition to curriculum development, Ms. De Lucchi has directed numerous teacher pre
S3 · E1
20 gen 2025
51:02
Stagione 1
It's Time for Science Podcast Episode 1: Educator Insights from NSTA
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.
S1 · E1
22 mag 2023
40:23
It's Time for Science Podcast Episode 29: English Language Development and Translanguaging
It's Time for Science and it's time to talk about English Language Development (ELD) and translanguaging! Tom talks with Diana Vélez and Claudio Vargas about ELD in the science classroom and discusses their work on translanguaging. Diana 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. She has two bachelor's degrees from the University of California, Berkeley and bi-lingual teaching credentials from California State University, East Bay. Claudio Vargas is an educational consultant with Sci-Lingual Education and FOSS at the Lawrence Hall of Science. He delivers keynote presentations on equity in STEM and creates professional learning experiences for science educators, emphasizing support for 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 serves on the Board of Directors of the California Association of Science Educators (CASE), a statewide organization dedicated to promoting access and equity in science education. He also served on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committee that issued the national Call to Action to advance equitable science education. Previously, Mr. Vargas served as the Coordinator of K-12 Science Programs at the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), where he led the district's implementation of the NGSS. Tom begins with Diana and Claudio by discussing translanguaging in the science classroom; including asking what exactly IS translanguaging? They discuss working towards having the mindset that all resources students bring in are assets, including different languages; a brief history of translanguaging–this work is approximately 40 years old, beginning in Wales; in science, having students use ALL their repertoire of knowledge in sense-making; expanding the idea of bringing in prior knowledge to include bringing in understanding in different languages; letting students use everything they bring in to enhance the learning experience (a way students can connect their own individual lived experiences and cultures); learning languages as learning ways of interacting with the world; and how a feeling of belonging and being able to contribute helps students engage in the science classroom. They talk about the ways that translation tools make using different languages more accessible in the classroom; how showing an interest in the language of your students can help them feel valued; a change in mindset for teachers to look at multilingualism as an asset and not a barrier; and how research shows that letting students switch in and out of languages can be beneficial–including for sense-making. They go on to discuss how it's not only "okay" to go back and forth between languages, but it can be beneficial; in science in particular, allowing students to not be limited and to pull upon all their resources; using opportunities to include other languages and seeing those opportunities as opportunities to deepen student le
11 nov 2025
31:56
It's Time for Science Podcast Episode 28: Science Communication
It's Time for Science, and it's time to talk about science communication! Tom talks with Erin Winick Anthony, science communicator and founder of STEAM Power Media, about what it means to be an effective science communicator, the importance and many components of effectively communicating about STEM/STEAM, her recent time on an ocean mapping expedition aboard the EV Nautilus, and being a competitive pinball player! Tom then talks with Kelly Guarino, Ocean Exploration Trust Communications Lead, about her organization, their ocean expeditions on the EV Nautilus, the fellowship opportunities available to educators of all types (from informal to formal), and internship opportunities available to community college, undergraduate, graduate students, and recent graduates. Erin Winick Anthony is the founder of STEAM Power Media, a science communication company focused on digital storytelling. Her clients include everyone from lunar rover company Astrolab to women in STEM-focused TV show Mission Unstoppable to parabolic flight company Zero-G. She holds a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Florida, and uses her technical background to serve as a translator between scientists and the public. Erin even sailed on a 2-month ocean expedition aboard the JOIDES Resolution as an onboard outreach officer, and as a science communication fellow aboard E/V Nautilus. Erin previously worked as a science communication specialist at NASA's Johnson Space Center for the International Space Station where she was awarded NASA's Silver Snoopy, and as a reporter for MIT Technology Review. She has a social media following of more than 250K (@erinwinick) to whom she shares space, science and pinball content. In her free time you can find her playing competitive pinball, hiking, and going to local musicals in Houston, Texas. https://www.erinwinick.com/ Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, Bluesky, X: @erinwinick YouTube: @erinwinickanthony LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/erinwinick Tom and Erin talk about growing up a part of a family of teachers and engineers, becoming the fusion of the two; watching shuttle launches from her front yard as a kid in Florida; the teachers that made an impact on her; the importance of hands-on education in science; engineering as an application of science, and the best way to experience that as through hands-on and figuring out why something doesn't work; figuring out the fun in failure–the process of figuring out what didn't work; the many components and importance of STEM/STEAM education; creativity in science and math and showing students those creative elements; girls and women in STEM; the importance of representation; what it is to be a science communicator, who can be a science communicator (anyone!), and how she became a science communicator; her journey into figuring out her path in school; finding her people within a larger/tougher environment in college; her experiences flying on research flights and how micro-gravity on a parabolic flight works; her work for NASA and the International Space Station (including a family connection to the Apollo missions!); the collaborative nature of being a science communicator; her sea-mapping journey on the EV Nautilus, learning about what areas of the ocean need to be projected–talking with classrooms while at sea; how educators can be involved with the EV Nautilus mission; thinking about what humans bring to science and science communication, including on social media, during the rise of AI; and her involvement playing competitive pinball! Kelly Guarino is the Communications Lead and Education Program Coordinator for the Ocean Exploration Trust. She is in charge of communicating with and scheduling all of the live interactions between the EV Nautilus and venues across the world, including schools, museu
17 ott 2025
38:13
It's Time for Science Podcast Episode 27: Back to School: Student Collaboration, Academic Vocabulary, and More!
It's Time for Science, and it's time to talk about going back to school–with a first on It's Time for Science–talking to actual students! Tom talks with teacher Lisa Lacey about embedded assessment, student collaboration, academic vocabulary, and more! AFTER listening to an interview Ms. Lacey conducted with two students–talking about their experiences in the science classroom! Lisa Lacey is currently a third-grade teacher living in England. She has spent her career living and working in military communities. She has 26 years of teaching experience in elementary schools, with a language arts reading specialization and a Masters in Education. Ms Lacey has led several writing initiatives and enjoys transferring her passion for teaching writing into helping students develop their scientific responses. She finds it a rewarding experience to witness students' confidence grow as they begin to facilitate sense making discussions and collaborate with others. Tom and Ms. Lacey begin by discussing what students bring to science, how they can take ownership over collaboration, and she works to empower students with the learning process. They discuss why she chose the students she did to interview, how the students prepared for the interview, and why the interview process was so valuable. Then we have the treat of listening to the students discuss their experiences during science! After the interview, they discuss how focussing on the embedded assessment notes helped assist Ms. Lacey in helping students better answer the focus questions; they discuss the importance of sense-making at the end of the lesson; her use of hand signals to help include all students, even the more quiet students, then moving on to using academic vocabulary, then later using a student to facilitate a discussion in the classroom; how hand signals can help students feel more comfortable in establishing a safe and engaging classroom environment; the importance of student collaboration and how it applies to everything students do in the classroom; the growth Ms. Lacey sees in students from the beginning to the end of the year in working collaboratively; the critical use of claim, evidence, and reasoning, and how Ms. Lacey brings in other tools and elements from literacy lessons to help students gain the skills and confidence to successfully engage with and answer focus questions; how the word wall can help students and take pressure off of students to remember how to spell; how science notebooks help students make claims; students learn from each other as well, so when some students begin using academic language, the class takes ownership over language; the real importance of the embedded assessment notes and using student notebooks. Past Episodes on Going Back to School: Back to School with Science [https://www.foss-science.com/back-to-school-with-science/] Back to School Readiness [https://www.foss-science.com/back-to-school-readiness/] Tips and Tricks on Starting Back to School: Set Goals and Prepare Your Science Classroom for Back to School [https://www.foss-science.com/set-goals-and-prepare-your-science-classroom-for-back-to-school/] Getting Ready for a New School Year with Science [https://www.foss-science.com/getting-ready-for-a-new-school-year-with-science-tips-for-teachers/] Want to read more about our guests and catch up on the podcast? Visit our new and improved blog: https://www.foss-science.com/category/podcast/. It's Time for Science! To get in touch with us, wh
30 set 2025
24:04
It's Time for Science Podcast Episode 26: Cross-Cutting Concepts and Sense-Making Discussions
It's Time for Science, and it's time to talk about cross cutting concepts and sense-making discussions! Tom talks with Dr. Samantha Messier and professional learning specialist Leslie Lausten about those deep fundamental ideas that span across all science disciplines and how to facilitate students making sense of the data they collect while engaging with phenomena and cross-cutting concepts. Dr. Samantha Messier is a retired educator and biologist from Boulder, Colorado. She served as Director of Standards and Instructional Support for the Colorado Department of Education and in multiple roles for the Boulder Valley School District, including Science Director and Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services and Equity. Her Ph.D. research was on the evolutionary ecology and behavior of termites. Tom begins the discussion with Dr. Messier on cross-cutting concepts (CCC) and making sense of data, with discussing how one of the most critical components of a science-learning experience for a student is making sense of what they've experienced in the classroom. Tom and Dr. Messier talk about how, as educators, we often think of aiming towards a specific performance expectation (PE), but that PE almost always weaves together discipiinary core ideas (DCI), practice, and CCC; how those CCC provide connections across multiple disciplines of science; how we ultimately want students to be able to apply to different contexts and solve different types of problems; CCC help to build conceptual frameworks, which help students to better understand, organize their thinking, and retrieve ideas more easily. They talk about CCC across grades and how CCC change and deepen; Dr. Messier talks about her own deepening of understanding in college, using structure and function as an example; how beginning or less experienced teachers can work at helping students with sense-making; how as a teacher do you help students develop conceptual understandings and move on to the next level?; the importance of high quality instructional materials (HQIM), naming FOSS and the resources FOSS provides in helping facilitate sense-making through clear storylines; examining the DCI and CCC before beginning instruction to understand where a lesson is going; rephrasing DCIs in student-language, how students might say it in their own words, as one way of preparing to teach; how to help teachers with concerns that data collection will go awry–pay attention to groups as they collect data and help facilitate adjustment if needed; the learning opportunities presented by conflicting sets of data from different groups–how do we figure out which outcome is better supported by the data?; the importance of asking good questions as a teacher, rather than understanding all aspects of the science; how teachers might apply CCC to their local context to give students immediate and concrete pieces that relate to their everyday lives–science is literally everywhere! Leslie A. Lausten has a rich background in science instruction. She taught multiple elementary grades, was a literacy coach and science lead teacher for over 30 years in Virginia. She has an MEd in Science Education (K-8) and a Reading Specialist endorsement. Currently, she is the East FOSS Professional Learning Specialist and enjoys helping teachers implement best practices into their science classrooms through meaningful experiences and sensemaking. Tom and Ms. Lausten continue the CCC and sense-making conversation, beginning with discussing how sense-making is something many folks just don't understand the importance of when teaching a lesson; how science can help interdisciplinary connections; the importance of sense-making in all disciples; demystifying CCC–how are we already doing those things in other disciplines, and how can we transfer that to science?; the importance of HQIM in helping structure sense-making for students; how the exploration of concepts changes across grades, but also how it stays
15 ago 2025
31:32
It's Time for Science Podcast Episode 25: A Multimodal Approach to Science Education through Noticing, Wondering, and Connections Routines
Want to read more about our guests and catch up on the podcast? Visit our new and improved blog: https://www.foss-science.com/category/podcast/. It's Time for Science, and it's time to talk about the importance of activating prior knowledge and a multimodal approach to science education through establishing noticing, wondering, and connections routines! Tom talks to Dr. Joel Donna, professor of teacher education, about routines that help students access prior knowledge and lived experiences, setting the stage for learning by centering student thinking. They also discuss teachers leveraging their own prior knowledge, how AI might begin to fit in to the science classroom, and much more! Joel Donna is a professor of teacher education at the University of Wisconsin–River Falls, where he prepares future elementary through high school teachers to teach science by engaging students in doing science. After earning his degree from UW–River Falls, he taught science in Kasson-Mantorville, MN, then earned a Ph.D. in Science Education from the University of Minnesota. He served as STEM Specialist at the Minnesota Department of Education, overseeing Math Science Partnership Grants and leading state STEM initiatives. He's been a Lecturer at the University of Minnesota, a Bush Fellow, and Assistant Professor of Physics at Winona State. He also founded 3Ring, a nonprofit supporting new science teachers. He's taught science at elementary, middle, high school, and college levels, consults with schools, and has served on regional science education committees. He contributed to the development of the OpenSciEd middle school curriculum. His research focuses on curriculum design for teacher learning and exploring teacher purposes of teaching science. He has published five peer-reviewed articles and two book chapters and led over 20 professional development workshops for districts. He's presented at 60+ teacher conferences. He lives in River Falls with his wife and son and enjoys time in the water. Tom talks with professor Joel Donna about the importance of activating prior knowledge—asking in the classroom what can we do together collectively as a science community?; how teachers coming into elementary science often believe they don't have the experience or knowledge to teach science and how important it is to leverage a teacher's prior knowledge, and then how modeling to do that with students. They discuss the the process of noticing, wondering, making some connections, slowing down, making space to see what we're seeing and hearing and what does it make us think of and connect to; asking teachers to bring in relevant experiences to bridge to students experiences; how when we engage in routine, we have a goal together, and need to make space for time for students to think. Dr. Donna describes the silent count—waiting and giving students time to think, which positions the teacher as co-learner; following routines of noticing, wondering, making connections, and then into group discussion; how high quality instructional materials (HQIM) then fit in; positioning teachers as co-learner BOTH for the teacher AND students. They discuss the importance of no right answers in initially activating prior knowledge and how these techniques can be taken into other disciplines, such as social studies; the importance of HQIM and Dr. Donna's shift from thinking teachers should design materials to partnering with them in appraising and evaluating HQIM; the importance of facilitating sense-making. Tom and Dr. Donna talk about the importance of kids seeing themselves in science and valuing the experiences and language they bring; bringing in vocabulary after students have worked to make sense of phenomena using observations and data; dealing with phenomena-fatigue through connection to real-world experiences and thinking. How teaching is not about perfection; practice mak
15 lug 2025
41:36
It's Time for Science Podcast Episode 24: student-centered learning and successful implementation
It's Time for Science, and it's time to talk about student-centered learning and successful implementation! Tom talks to science specialists Lynn Gutzwiller and Rachael Coleman from Jordan School District in Utah about how they best support teachers and how they were able to use ELA and technology funds to help fund their science curriculum purchase. Tom then talks with international classroom teacher Kendra Villalpando about keeping students engaged and her love of science! Lynn Gutzwiller has worked in education for over 20 years, with extensive experience in middle school classrooms, administration, and instructional coaching. She holds a Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction and multiple endorsements including Secondary English, Elementary STEM, Instructional Coaching, and Educational Technology. For the past 5 years, Ms. Gutzwiller has worked as a Science Specialist in Jordan School District. Her consulting work includes museums, universities, and school districts throughout Utah. After parenting 4 boys to adulthood, she enjoys exploring new places in Southern Utah and hanging out with her granddaughter. Rachael Coleman has taught middle and high school science for twenty years. For 6 years she has worked as a Science Specialist in Jordan School District. She holds Masters Degrees in Instructional Design and in Curriculum and Instruction, in addition to multiple teaching endorsements. Outside of work, Ms. Coleman enjoys outdoor adventures of any kind and spending time with her 4 children. Her consulting resume includes Discovery Gateway, Utah State Board of Education, Murray School District, School Specialty, Utah State University, and Canyons School District. Tom talks with science specialists Lynn Gutzwiller and Rachael Coleman about how they approach supporting teachers in science instruction, including building resources and professional development; their beginnings as classroom teachers; the importance of hands-on science (nothing better than doing something with your hands while your brain is engaged!); how doing things with your own hands and watching data change is so critical to analysis; how being able to touch and interact with supplies is critical to answering focus questions. They discuss their journey to implementing FOSS; beginning with looking for a curriculum based on SEP and CC (not just slid in at the end); how they knew going into exploring implementation that they didn't have enough funds to purchase a curriculum just with science funds, so they included ELA in the conversation and decision, allowing them to use some ELA and tech funds to purchase FOSS. They discuss how ELA has their own curriculum in district and their work to balance science and ELA; how they've found that as kids are building vocabulary doing science, they're able to access more difficult texts; the shift for teachers to introduce vocabulary in context during an investigation and how it helps students understand vocabulary better; the advantages to having a district-wide curriculum, better able to support that curriculum across 42 schools. They talk about how their visits to every school helps teachers who are less comfortable with science as well as those who have a wider understanding of science; the importance of professional development and what it offers to assist both new and established FOSS teachers; fostering collaboration between teachers; what it was like adopting during lockdown; their favorite FOSS modules; and how disappointed kids are when it's recess! Kendra Villalpando has taught all over the world. Ms. Villalpando is a newer teacher, currently teaching upper elementary, who holds a master's degree in curricular instruction. Tom and Ms. Villalpando discuss her love of science; how science is best learned through active investigation; how she draws on her own childhood experiences with the natural word, bringing the spirit of curiosity and exploration to the classroom; the adva
24 giu 2025
36:20
It's Time for Science Podcast Episode 23: STEM for All Students and Technology Integration
It's Time for Science, and it's time to talk again providing access to STEM for all students and technology integration! Tom talks to Dr. Leena Bakshi McLean (founder of STEM4Real, and author of the book "STEM for All: How to Connect, Create, and Cultivate STEM Education for All Learners") and Nicole Czaplicki, a principal in the Upper Dauphin Area School District. Dr. Leena Bakshi McLean is the founder of STEM4Real, a nonprofit professional learning organization dedicated to integrating science, mathematics, and STEM content with principles of justice-centered teaching and leadership. She has served as an adjunct professor of teaching methods and Universal Design for Learning at UC Berkeley and Claremont Graduate University. Dr. McLean is a former district and county-level administrator as well as a mathematics, science, and health teacher. She currently serves as the Director of Multicultural Education for the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) and previously served on the CASE Board of Directors. A sought-after international speaker, global consultant, and trusted advisor to schools, districts, charter networks, and nonprofit organizations, Dr. McLean leads research at the intersection of equity and STEM education. Her work focuses on creating access and opportunity for every student, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or socioeconomic status. She is the author of the children's book "There's Something in the Water" and her latest book, "STEM for All: How to Connect, Create, and Cultivate STEM Education for All Learners." Each year, she convenes education leaders from across the globe at the STEM for ALL Leadership Symposium, a powerful gathering dedicated to advancing equity, access, and opportunity in STEM education—for ALL, #4Real. Tom talks with Dr. McLean about the importance and interdisciplinary nature of stem; looking at art and history through a STEM lens; why it's important for students from all backgrounds to see themselves in STEM and industry; looking at the gaps for where we are loosing different students as not a way to divide or pit us against each other, but questions we can ask so we can have some important conversations about what can we do to meet the needs of all students. They discuss teaching students to be real world change makers; Dr. McLean's experiences as a woman of color in STEM; what happens when students fail and how to help them learn from failure; the importance of all students seeing themselves in books, in STEM; how social media can fit in to online education; the power of combining pedagogy and leadership and being able to put both into practice together; the importance of connecting with administrators, teachers, and community members; and how to connect experiences for students, making experiences local and bringing excitement to STEM! Here are some of the links Dr. McLean discusses: STEM4Real Homepage: www.stem4real.org Children's Book: www.stem4real.org/book STEM for ALL Book: www.stemforallbook.com STEM for ALL Leadership Symposium: www.stem4real.org/symposium Nicole Czaplicki was a health & physical education teacher for 21 years at Halifax Area School District. In March of 2022, she joined Upper Dauphin Area School District and spent two years as a secondary instructional coach before becoming an elementary principal in February of 2024. She has two master's degrees: one in Health Education and one in Educational Technology. Tom and Ms. Czaplicki discuss her background and the point when she was invited to help train teachers and introduced to FOSS, being asked to help with the transition to new state standards using FOSS; her transition to becoming a principal; the importance of hands-on learning and STEM; how providing more pathways to learn
14 mag 2025
49:13
It's Time for Science Podcast Episode 22: Fostering Safe Hands-On Science Environments
It's Time for Science, and it's time to talk again fostering safeR hands-on science environments! Tom talks to safety expert Dr. Kenneth R. Roy (Director of Environmental Health & Safety for Glastonbury Public Schools in Connecticut) and 2025 Paul deHart Hurd Award winner Kenneth L. Huff! Dr. Kenneth R. Roy is currently the Director of Environmental Health & Safety for Glastonbury Public Schools (CT). In addition, he is the Chief Science Safety Compliance Adviser/Chief Safety Blogger for the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) and the Safety Compliance Officer for the National Science Education Leadership Association (NSELA). He also serves as the manager and senior consultant for National Safety Consultants, LLC. He has published 13 recognized science and STEM laboratory safety books and manuals, and authored over 850 safety articles in professional journals and associations including NSTA, NSELA, CSSS, ITEEA and more, covering safety education focused on science, technology education and STEAM disciplines based on legal safety standards and better professional safety practices. Dr. Roy has been actively involved with aspects of risk management and mitigation for decades and is recognized as an 'Expert Witness' in litigation cases specializing in the area of legal liability in K-12 laboratories. His career in science and mathematics education has included many, many roles and research positions, and includes the teaching of chemistry, physics & mathematics at the high school level, biology and general science at the college level, and central office administration as a K-12 science curriculum director. Dr. Roy has received numerous professional acknowledgement awards over the years for his outstanding work in the field of science education. Tom talks with Dr. Roy about the importance of safety in the science classroom; Dr. Roy's role as Director of Environmental Health & Safety for Glastonbury Public Schools; putting the "R" on "safe" through training and responsibility taking; why labs take some of the safety precautions they take through engineering controls; how teachers can make sure any necessary controls are in place before they teach; different kinds of hazards in a lab; how teachers who may have not be trained by their credential programs can be safer; naming some of the differences between elementary and middle/high safety issues; safety seminars they offer at NSTA as preservice; the importance of hands-on science for and explaining safety issues to students; the need for administrator support for safety; proper storage AND proper disposal; knowing the safety policies in writing for field trips and other outside time; surveying outside areas for any risks before bringing students; checking in with any outside speakers to make their presentations safer. Dr. Roy shares some stories of safety skirting; his origin story of why safety matters so much to him personally and professionally; some of the great safety resources available; and a reminder to always put it in writing! NMLSTA 2025 Paul deHart Hurd Award Winner Kenneth L. Huff has been a public-school science teacher for over 33 years and is currently teaching in the Williamsville Central School District in New York. He is also a Teacher in Residence with Harvard University-LabXchange. Mr. Huff served two terms on the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) Board of Directors and as president of the Science Teachers Association of New York State and of the Association of Presidential Awardees in Science Teaching. He was a member of the writing team for the Next Generation Science Standards. Mr. Huff was awarded the NSTA Distinguished Teaching Award, National Science Education Leadership Association Outstanding Leadership in Science Education Award, State University of New York Buffalo State Distinguished Alumnus Award, and the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Mr. Huff is also a Fellow of the American Asso
14 apr 2025
54:10
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