M i d d l e L e v e l E d i t i o n
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GLOBAL SCIENCE TEACHINGScience teachers worldwide share many of the same challenges, aspirations, and demands. Teachers everywhere have limited budgets and increasing pressure to improve students' test scores. This issue is devoted to sharing the experiences and efforts of science teachers in countries other than the United States. Gaining perspective on how we are alike and how we are different can bring a better understanding of how we all teach science. NSTA's international efforts will be reported to you through a new column Global Science Teaching, which will appear monthly in Science Class beginning in September. This month NSTA President Anne Tweed was the keynote speaker at the 8th annual GLOBE conference in Boulder, Colorado. She spoke on NSTA's efforts to engage an international community of science educators. To learn more about GLOBE, visit http://www.globe.gov/fsl/html/aboutglobe.cgi?intro?&lang=en&nav=1&. Global Science Teaching in the News Article summaries provided by the NSTA WebNews Digest (Visit http://www.nsta.org/mainnews for nationwide news for science educators). International Science Education News Stories Stories selected for this issue discuss eliminating science labs and chemistry from the curriculum. Two articles report on studies that rank countries in scientific research and compare students' scholastic aptitude in science. Another article discusses the differences in student attitudes toward science. Click here to read more: http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2004-08/news_stories_elementary.htm International Education News Stories Educational issues that affect America's teachers are similar to those affecting educators in other countries. Read about a plan in Japan to address the issue of school safety and how Canadian schools are boosting test scores. You can also learn about a unique effort by officials in England to improve students' academic performance—and about how educators in that country feel about the teaching profession. http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2004-08/news_stories_middle.htm Global Science Teaching on the Net NSTA's Position Statement: International Science Education Science and education play a key role in developing global awareness that leads to appropriate understanding, attitude, and action. Click here to read the complete position statement: http://www.nsta.org/positionstatement&psid=14 Books, Books, Books NSTA has put together a catalog of the latest books for the middle teacher. To view the catalog, click here: http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2004-08/middlecatalog.pdf Professional Development This month's Research Brief discusses Teacher Professional Development in High-Stakes Accountability Systems. Click here to read more: http://www.ascd.org/publications/researchbrief/volume2/v2n13.html NSTA Opportunities Science Scope (Grades 6-9) has issued a Call for Papers on selected topics. Click here to read more: Next Month's Theme: Tools for Teachers If your colleagues would like to subscribe to Science Class, please direct them to: http://www.nsta.org/newsletters. THE FINE PRINTThis
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