EAC Photo: Science teachers unite for the 67th annual ASTA conference.
By Lori Dugan/EAC
THATCHER —Ten local science educators were among 300 educators from across Arizona who attended the 2021 Arizona Science Teachers Association (ASTA) annual conference, “Teaching Science in an Evolving Climate,” last semester, virtually and in-person at the Challenger Space Center of Arizona.
Dr. Phil McBride, EAC Dean of Instruction (who also served as the 2021 ASTA President and Conference Director), and nine other Graham and Greenlee County educators attended, including Ethan McBride, Thatcher High School; Becky Booth, Duncan High School, and ASTA Region V (Graham and Greenlee counties representative); Paula McBride, EAC Adjunct Instructor; Jodi Klayman, Pima High School; Diana Palmer and Tawnie Anger, Pima Jr. High School; Adamaris Hernandez and Lea Elam, EAC Education Students; and Paul Anger, director of EAC’s Discovery Park Campus and chair of the Eastern Arizona Science Initiative.
The annual conference is a two-day professional development opportunity that provides science-based educators the opportunity to learn and practice new ideas and work together in advocating the best, standards-based, science teaching and learning for all of Arizona’s children.
The conference opened Thursday with a welcome and a chemistry activity with Dr. McBride and continued with a selection of three-hour sessions on astronomy, habitat, 3-dimensional learning, and chemistry that participants could choose to attend.
Friday began with amazing keynote speakers Dr. Jerry and Micky Sarquis, with a talk on, “Sparking Interest & Learning in Science.” Sarquis is a professor emeritus in chemistry and biochemistry from Miami University, in Ohio. Micky Sarquis is an internationally recognized leader in chemical education and creator of “Terrific Science” professional development and resource books for educators.
“Together they are exciting presenters and educators, as well as authors of many chemistry and science activity books for classroom and home education,” said Anger. The conference was full of lessons and activities to improve teachers in all grades and types of STEM education that focus on Arizona State Standards, exploring strategies to encourage, engage, and empower students, and by applying effective distance education tools.
Each year at the conference, outstanding STEM educators statewide are recognized as “ASTA Teachers of the Year” at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
Ethan McBride, a biology instructor at Thatcher High School, attended for the third time this year and stated, “The information I receive and the things I learn at this conference are exactly what I need. I look forward to implementing these new ideas into my classroom!”
Becky Booth, ASTA Graham & Greenlee County Representative, and active participant in the Eastern Arizona Science Initiative’s Summer Science Camps Program explained she was, “excited to take back new science activities and ideas for both the classroom and the annual science camps to share with as many local youths as possible.”
For more information on the Arizona Science Teachers Association, or the Eastern Arizona Science Initiative (EASI), please contact Anger, at (928) 428-6260 or email at paul.anger@eac.edu.
