UCAS applications great result for STEM teachers

by Yvonne Baker

Today’s UCAS application stats could hardly be better news for everyone who has worked so hard in recent years to encourage more young people to consider a future in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics.  Even for those who don’t follow a career in STEM, studying the subject leads to an overall improvement in their life, with higher earnings and a greater chance of engagement with the major decisions which will shape the future of our planet.  It’s hard not to be evangelical about the improvements that have come about in recent years – we’ve seen a steady rise in the number of young people taking science subjects at GCSE and A Level, and it appears that this is now crossing over into applications for places at university.  Fundamental to this is the quality of teaching young people receive; research shows that professional development for subject teachers has far reaching consequences for their pupils, with impact on both engagement and achievement, it is marvellous to see this translated into a rise in the number of young people choosing to study the mathematical, physical, biological and computer sciences and engineering.

Yvonne Baker on careers advice – a response to Telegraph’s Brian Cox interview

by Yvonne Baker

On the 22nd January 2013 the Telegraph published an interview with Brian Cox. Here is my response to the interview:

Brian Cox was right to be upset that British children don’t want a career in science.  After all, although the number of UK pupils studying science subjects is on the rise, it remains a challenge to give young people high quality advice about the career pathways and opportunities to available to them.  Anyone who has worked in the scientific industries knows how complex it is to explain exactly what their job entails.  The term “engineer” or “scientist” doesn’t even begin to describe the enormous range of opportunities that are available to those with scientific qualifications from school or university – qualifications which, it is estimated, deliver an uplift for STEM graduates of £250k in earnings over their lifetime.

A new statutory duty on schools in England to secure access to independent, impartial careers guidance for their pupils came into force in September 2012, but schools need a lot of support in implementing these responsibilities. The House of Commons Education Committee summed up the situation in its recent report thus: “Schools cannot simply be left to get on with it.”  The National STEM Centre is playing its part by helping teachers and careers advisors to embed careers-related learning into subject lessons, and there is a host of organisations on hand to help schools make the changes required of them, not least the high tech industrial giants such as Rolls-Royce and BP that Cox so rightly highlights.

STEM Education Current Affairs

by Yvonne Baker

Every month I email our key stakeholders and partners a round up of interesting news and events relating to Myscience and also general STEM news.  Here are the links to past emails for your information.  If you would like to be added to the circulation list please email us at marketing@slcs.ac.uk with your full name, job title and organisation.

January 2013 STEM Education Current Affairs

December 2012 STEM Education Current Affairs

November 2012 STEM Education Current Affairs

October 2012 STEM Education Current Affairs

Curiosity on Mars sparks curiosity in the classroom

By Tom Lyons

On 6^th August, 2012, NASA’s Curiosity Rover (aka the Mars Science Laboratory) touched down on the surface of Mars.  After taking months to reach the red planet, Curiosity took only seven minutes from entry to the Martian atmosphere to touch down.  A feat made even more remarkable when you know that it takes 14 minutes for a signal from the rover to reach Earth – Curiosity landed on autopilot.  A three stage landing finally dropped the rover at a gentle speed of 1 mph on the surface.

The 7 minutes of Terror

How GCSE Science is important for the Mars programme

Forces: The landing of Curiosity could not take place without the application of Newton’s Laws.  Without knowledge of gravitational force, drag forces and the conservation of momentum, Curiosity would not have left Earth, let alone get to Mars.  Now it’s arrived it is powered by…

Electricity: Curiosity runs on batteries.  Those batteries are charged either by the Sun through solar panels, or by using a radioactive source to generate power.  Motors drive the wheels, the drill and cameras needed to explore the surface.  The batteries even power a laser which is used to burn tiny holes in the rocks to analyse the…

Organic chemistry: One of Curiosity’s main science goals is to see if there was, or still is life on Mars.  It is the first rover able to detect the critical elements to life as we know it – oxygen, nitrogen, carbon and hydrogen.  In addition to finding out if there is (or was) life on Mars, the rover will also take measurements of…

Radiation: If we are ever to travel to Mars ourselves we must know about the radiation environment, so that we can assess the danger to humans, and the protection needed.

The list goes on…

Exciting times for budding space scientists

As well as looking for life on Mars, astrophysicists are now using telescopes to search for life outside the solar system.  The number of exoplanets discovered now runs into the thousands, with new discoveries each day.  Bigger and better ground and space based telescopes are allowing us to look further back in time as we gaze to the edge of the observable universe in ever greater detail.  Our understanding of black holes, dark matter and dark energy remain as elusive as their names suggest.

If you are planning a range of GCSE space related lessons you may be interested in the RCUK (Research Councils UK) astrophysics  contemporary science course.

The ESERO collection http://stem.org.uk/cx5k on the National STEM Centre eLibrary contains over 200 space related resources covering astronomy, cosmology, human space flight, Earth observation, satellites, and the solar system.  The collection includes practical resources, videos, images and up-to-date articles relevant from primary up to post-16.

Rolls-Royce Science Prize

By Lynne Cooper

I attended the Rolls-Royce Science Prize awards evening on Monday (7 Nov 2011) at the Science Museum, London. I was really looking forward to hearing Professor Lord Robert Winston the keynote speaker who indeed lived up to expectation. However the real stars of the evening were the teachers I met who were all in the running for the prize. Entries ranged from building greenhouses out of CD cases to making and taste testing smoothies.

It was also great to catch up with teachers who had been on courses that I had led on. My day job is as a professional development leader devising and leading on a variety of courses and conferences at the National Science Learning Centre but I moonlight as a judge for the Rolls-Royce Science Prize.  The other link is that for a school to be eligible to enter the Rolls- Royce Science Prize they must have sent a member of staff on a cpd course at the National Science Learning Centre or enter throug one of the network of Science Learning Centres.  Not only do the winners receive £15,000 in prize money but the fifty merit award prize winners receive £1000 to go towards improving their science departments. I really enjoyed hearing tales recounted of the exciting high impact projects they did for the competition, as well as  what the excited winners planned to do with the money.

And the winners are….

Staunton-on-Wye Endowed Primary School, Hereford, and Mulberry School for Girls, London, beat off competition from 2,000 UK schools to be declared this year’s joint winners. They each receive £15,000 in prize money to advance science teaching in their schools, along with the chance to spend the day with the Red Arrows display team. Presenting the awards, John Rishton, Rolls-Royce Chief Executive, said: “In the future, all of our lives will critically depend on the engineers, scientists and mathematicians who will discover how to produce enough low carbon energy to power the world, build planes that travel non-stop to the furthest corners of the world, using less fuel and travelling more quietly than any aircraft today. “

He went on to say “It is hard to think of a profession more important than teaching. The Rolls-Royce science prize was set up to recognise inspirational science teaching and reward outstanding teachers. I am extremely proud to award this year’s prize to two schools whose projects demonstrate that science teaching can be innovative, creative and fun. Both schools set a fantastic example and I congratulate them both.”

Staunton-on-Wye Primary School

Staunton-on-Wye Primary School

Pupils at Staunton-on-Wye Primary School carried out open ended investigations to research the environmental and social impacts of various building materials, which were then used to construct a play house in the school grounds. Staff, Parents, and local experts brought their skills in, which culminated in a local builder constructing the frame allowing pupils to build the walls and roof. The pupils also pitched to a local architect who helped them weigh the pros and cons of different materials .Science Co-ordinator, Karen Williams, said: “Our whole school has been immersed in exciting, practical science activities related to our Rolls-Royce project and our children have learned how to apply their knowledge and skills in the best way possible. We are all very proud of the house we have built and of the children’s commitment to using science responsibly.”

You can read their development diary and watch the video here.

Mulberry School for Girls

Mulberry School for Girls, London, Team Leader Deborah Colvin (centre front).

Mulberry School for Girls used a hydroponic greenhouse, powered by renewable energy to conduct experiments and learn about sustainable energy and food production. This was a very ambitious project in which the school also raised the money for the solar powered system. They involved students in harvesting and marketing the food, while another team researched the optimum conditions for the plants.  Some feedback I had from the participants included

“The best thing was the opportunity to discuss the issues with colleagues”

“It was brilliant to bring people together who are passionate about solving the issues”

Director of STEM Learning for the school, Deborah Colvin, said: “It’s a great honour to accept this award on behalf of everyone at the school, whose hard work and dedication to science made the project possible. We shall invest the prize money wisely within the science department.”

Read about their progress and watch the video here.

The Rolls-Royce Science Prize is an annual awards programme. It is open to anyone who attends courses at the network of Science Learning Centres in the UK, including those taking advantage of Project ENTHUSE.  Entries are accepted in three age categories: 3–11, 11–16 and 16–19.

Find out more about the Rolls Royce Science Prize here,  including a video.

I’d be interested in comments and opinions on the competition.

• Have you entered it?  Did you find it worthwhile?
• What would you do with the prize money?
• If you didn’t enter it -  why not?  What were the barriers to entry?
• How could we help in future?

I look forward to the conversation.

ASE/NSLC National Technicians Conference 2011 round up

By Simon Quinnell

On the 7th and 8th of July 2011 we ran the ASE/NSLC National Technicians Conference here at the NSLC in York. It was the second joint conference and the 15th ASE National Technicians Conference.

The two days were extremely busy with over 300+ technicians from across the UK attending, from as far away as the Channel Islands, Shetland and Northern Ireland.

The conference set up started on the Wednesday afternoon with the exhibitors setting up in the Atrium. We had over 20 suppliers this year and I think next year we’ll have to look at hiring a marquee to accommodate all our exhibitors.

The Wednesday evening participants who arrived early and stayed over were invited to join the deliverers and the ASE technicians committee for dinner and a drink down in Hesligtion village.  It was a great opportunity to get to know everyone a bit better.

Following introductions by myself and Michelle Mcgaughey, the Thursday morning conference started with a vengeance . The first keynote lecture was by Annette Smith CEO of ASE who spoke about her own experience and the possibility of registered technician status.

After a quick break participants had a selection of workshops to go to including:

• SAPS plant science
• Physics ideas
•  Handling dangerous chemicals
•  Working in the classroom
•  Health and safety
• Senior technicians leadership
• Forensics

The workshops were repeated on both days, followed by an afternoon of exciting demos which nearly brought the house done in more ways than one!

A big thank you to our evening quiz sponsors Timstar who looked after the entertainment in the evening again for those staying over.

Gratnells Technician of the Year winner with Kathy Sykes at NSLCS

Our Friday keynote speaker was Kathy Sykes; Kathy is Professor of Sciences and Society at Bristol University and has appeared regularly on radio and television, including the Open University, the  BBC’s Rough Science and Alternative Therapies series. We were very excited to have Kathy present and this was one of the highlights of the conference. She spoke about her own science story and the importance of science education. Kathy also presented the Gratnells science technician of the year award.  This was won by Sandra Wollerton from Danum School Technology College in Doncaster.  Congratulations Sandra!

The conference is a massive operation to put on, but it was great to see so many technicians at an event that extols their virtues.  I can’t wait until next year’s!  Keep an eye on our website for next year’s technicians conference.

Simon.

P.S if you’ve got any photos or video or comments from the conference, we’d love to see them and publish them to this post.

Exam Results 2010

In this video, Professor Sir John Holman, discusses the encouraging increase in the number of pupils electing to study triple science and the implications for schools and colleges.

Exam Results 2010

►

Accessing support

The Science Learning Centres run a number of courses to support the delivery of triple science:

Triple Science Support Programme

Shaping Your Future in a Challenging Landscape

Professor Sir John Holman discusses the new government’s emerging priorities and proactive strategies for managing change:

Shaping-your-future-in-a-challenging-landscape

►

Related courses

Moving Forward with New Curriculum Developments
This course will provide an opportunity for primary and secondary schools to consider transition with a particular focus on progression in skills and assessment.
Find out more

News on the Primary Curriculum

Zoe Crompton, Senior Professional Development Leader at the National Science Learning Centre

The Department for Education has announced this week that they do not intend to proceed with the proposed new primary curriculum. Schools are to continue using the existing primary curriculum in 2011/12. For the future DfE ministers feel that schools should be given more flexibility. With this in mind the government intends to return the national curriculum to a minimum entitlement organised around subjects. The next steps in this process will be announced on the DfE’s website. Also, QCDA have confirmed that we are NOT to use the new level descriptors, instead teachers are to base their Teacher Assessment on the 2000 level descriptors.

Related Courses

Assessment for Learning and Assessing Pupils’ Progress

In this practical course you’ll learn to plan for creative enquiry using children’s ideas and encouraging independent thinking in science.

Find out more

About the author

This post was written by Zoe Crompton, primary development group lead for the Network of Science Learning Centres.

Synthia Sets the Agenda

Jeremy Airey, senior professional development leader at the National Science Learning Centre

Hot topic of the moment is Craig Venter’s announcement that his group has created a synthetic life form (dubbed Synthia by the media). This attention-grabber raises interesting discussion points for biology classrooms.

Amongst these is the meaning of “synthetic”. It certainly is not true that Venter’s group has “created life”. The functions of too many biological tools were required to make that claim – not least within the cells that received the new genome. However, it is a technical tour de force: to construct a new genome according to information on a computer, transplant it into a prepared cell, and to persuade that cell to “boot up” the genome. It’s also an important proof of concept for synthetic biology.

Why are biologists so excited? Synthetic biology is a burgeoning discipline, with practical applications projected to include clean biofuels, new polymers and cheaper medicines. Most synthetic biology is focused on less ambitious strategies than Venter’s. But, as he did with human genome sequencing, Venter has really upped the stakes, raising the prospects for much faster progress.

There are philosophical issues aside from the practical aspects. For me, though vitalism has no place in my understanding of life, Synthia is a sharp reminder that it’s all nuts and bolts. I doubt I am the only one who’s slightly disappointed. I need to get over my romantic side, recall that there are plenty of mysteries still to solve, and remember that for a scientist, understanding how something works does not diminish its wonder. Is that what our learners think?

Related courses

The Bringing Cutting Edge Science into the Classroom: Genetics course at the regional Science Learning Centres will provide you with the opportunity to keep up to date with latest developments in the field of biology, and use a variety of activities and approaches to integrate contemporary genetics into your teaching.

Find out more

About the author

This post was written by Jeremy Airey, senior professional development leader at the National Science Learning Centre.