Conference to help K-12 educators inspire future scientists

Educators from districts across Michigan will gather at Grand Valley State University to expand their K-12 teaching strategies during the annual Fall Science Update.

The conference, sponsored by Grand Valley’s Regional Math and Science Center, will take place from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. on November 14 in the Kirkhof Center on the Allendale Campus.

Kathy Agee, RMSC science program coordinator, said this year’s conference theme is “inspiring science.”

“With all the demands on teachers, we thought that they could use a positive theme during a day of encouragement,” said Agee. “We hope teachers will be inspired as they hear about the content and pedagogy of science, and feel encouraged to inspire their students to pursue science and careers in STEM.”

The Fall Science Update keynote presentation, which will take place at 8:30 a.m., will feature Terra Tarango and Patrik Brundin. Tarango serves as the Van Andel Research Institute’s director and education officer. She will share her vision of what a “wonder-filled” classroom looks, feels and sounds like.

Brundin is the Van Andel Research Institute's associate director of research and director of the Center for Neurodegenerative Science. He is one of the top cited researchers in the field of neuroscience with more than 300 publications on Parkinson’s disease and related topics. Brundin was also recently involved in a research study showing that removing the appendix early in life reduces the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease by 19-25 percent. During the conference, Brundin will speak about the inspiration that led him to become a scientist.

Break-out sessions designed for elementary and secondary school educators will include a variety of topics, including technology used to track animals, introducing cutting-edge astronomy into the classroom, using robots to promote STEM education, how to inspire future scientists, and more.

“Teachers are so busy in their classrooms and pouring their energy into their students, so they can really use a break from that routine to learn and collaborate in these sessions, while discussing strategies with their colleagues from other school districts,” said Agee.

In addition to the various sessions, attendees will also have the opportunity to visit Grand Valley’s Atomic Object Technology Showcase to learn how to incorporate technology into their classrooms. Attendees will also visit the 3,000-square-foot Barbara Kindschi Greenhouse to explore how to incorporate plants into curriculum.

The deadline to register is November 9, but registration can also be completed the day of the event. For more information and to register, visit the Fall Science Update website. or contact Agee at (616) 331-3031.