CATALyST

CATALyST Staff Attend and Present at LSTA (2004)

Members of CATALyST were not only in attendance at the annual Louisiana Science Teachers Association Convention, they were integral parts of the three day presentation schedule. Cathi Cox, Mary Helen Blanchard, and Carolyn Smith joined CATALyST Director Linda Ramsey in presenting two highly successful short courses at the event held in Lafayette, Louisiana, on October 28-30, 2004.

Following the theme of "Sharing the Wonder of Louisiana's Wetlands," the team presented a three hour component of the highly interactive Field Trip in a Box. Developed at Louisiana Tech University, the workshop focused on "Water Quality Quandary" and participants were engaged in the real world scenario of analyzing stream samples and the organisms that exist in them. Driven by science process skills and inquiry, the session proved to be both beneficial and rewarding for both participants and presenters.

In addition to this successful experience, the CATALyST team also presented a special short course for participants from its C3 (Chemical Concepts and Connections for Teacher Leaders) projects. Twenty-seven C3 teachers from Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas joined together to engage in a lively workshop session entitled "Learning to Be Leaders While Livin' It Up in Lafayette."

Mole Day projects were honored and cooperative groups engaged in a series of "Meaningful Mind Games" before exploring "Broken Colored Squares." The teachers then used this experience as a means of looking at effective communication skills while problem solving. The "Two Foot Feat" challenge followed as each group worked together to construct a two foot tower using only 50 straws and just as many paper clips. The whole group then dove into "Leading Into Inquiry," a series of experiences focused on implementing inquiry into the science classroom.

It was a lively time of fun as the teachers worked together to become more effective leaders and facilitators in science education.