Science Education at the Crossroads: Difference between revisions

'''Science Education at the Crossroads''' is an annual national [[academic conference]], initially funded by the [[National Science Foundation]], designed to enable variousand upskill stakeholders in [[science education]] to confer in a legitimate and productive manner. The conference also claims to offer an alternativealternatives to the standard model of conferring and professional development. The conference Conferencewas creators andcreated coordinatorsby are [[John Settlage]] of the [[University of Connecticut]], and Adam Johnston of [[Weber State University]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Johnston |first1=Adam |last2=Settlage |first2=John |title=SCIENCE EDUCATION AT THE CROSSROADS |url=https://theaste.org/pubs/proceedings/2006proceedings/Johnston_A%201%20.htm |website=Association for Science Teacher Education |access-date=5 September 2024}}</ref>

ManyThere are many organizations and conferences that exist for science educators. These, includeincluding the [[National Science Teachers Association]] (NSTA), the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST), the Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE), and many others dedicated to specific fields (e.g., physics and chemistry) within science education. While theseThese organizations arefocus adept aton presenting research results or at sharing innovations in teaching.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Website |first=NSTA |title=Homepage for . org |url=https://www.nsta.org/ |url-status=live |website=National Science Teaching Association website}}</ref> Crossroads uses a different approach for conference sessions, organizersthe [[Vexation and manyVenture]]. participantsThis informat Crossroadshas feelbeen thatdescribed noneas ofan them"incubator provideforum" awhich meansallows for newan researchinteractive, questionsdiscussion-based, policyand directivesdynamic intersection of views.<ref>Johnston, orA. general& Settlage, J. (2008). [https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs10972-008-9112-9] Framing the professional development of members of the science teacher education goalscommunity. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 19, 513-521.</ref><ref>Johnston, A. & Settlage, J. (2006, January). [http://physics.weber.edu/johnston/research/crossroads_ASTEproceedings_2006.pdf Science Education at the Crossroads]. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Science Teacher Education, Portland, OR.</ref> This mode of interaction has been shown to engage presenters and participants in a way that new ideas and problems can be discussedproposed, and deliberatedthe group takes on responsibility for a generative session.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}}

Crossroads uses the [[Vexation and Venture]] format for conference sessions in which an "Incubator Forum" allows for an interactive, discussion based and dynamic intersection of views.<ref>Johnston, A. & Settlage, J. (2008). [https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs10972-008-9112-9] Framing the professional development of members of the science teacher education community. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 19, 513-521.</ref><ref>Johnston, A. & Settlage, J. (2006, January). [http://physics.weber.edu/johnston/research/crossroads_ASTEproceedings_2006.pdf Science Education at the Crossroads]. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Science Teacher Education, Portland, OR.</ref> This mode of interaction has been shown to engage presenters and participants in a way that new ideas and problems can be proposed, and the group takes on responsibility for a generative session. In this format, problems (vexations) are dissected, and their possible specific solutions (ventures) are proposed. In this manner, the process of research and innovation is presented in a public forum in its early development stages, rather than after its completion, as would be the case in other [[academic conference]] formats.<ref>Johnston, A. & Settlage, J. (2008). [https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs10972-008-9112-9] Framing the professional development of members of the science teacher education community. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 19, 513-521.</ref><ref>Settlage, J., Johnston, A., Meadows, L., Harkins, H., Kittleson, J. (2007, January). [http://physics.weber.edu/johnston/research/ASTE%202007workshop.pdf Professional Development at a Crossroads. Using Vexations as the Focal Point.] Workshop presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Science Teacher Education, Clearwater, FL.</ref>

Crossroads originated from a disenchantment with more [[professional conference|traditional education conferences]]. As a consequence, Crossroads was designed, utilizing the [[Vexation and Venture]] formatformats, to make generative discussions a deliberate feature of the conference.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}}

Crossroads has a history of finding a specific place and space each year for conferring. Oscillating from venue to venue has allowed each year to have its own character, as well as allow people from specific regions to have more access to the conference. Crossroads has been held at the following venues:

* PortlandiaPortland, OR (2014)

Crossroads has a history of inviting poets as keynoteskeynote speakers to its conferences. These have included:

Additionally, illustrator/, artist/, and educator Fred Lynch contributed the keynote address in 2012.

Crossroads has also established a line of work that has called for scholarly work in science education to reach out to create a significant impact in education. This has been referred to as "scholar activism" by David Moss, Crossroads' first keynote speaker in 2005.<ref>Moss, D. M. (2005). Toward scholar activism. Keynote address given at the Science Education at the Crossroads Conference, October 9–11, University of Connecticut.</ref> Other speakers have included John Settlage in 2006,<ref>Settlage, J. (2006). Prospects of pragmatism: The generation of science education adventurists. Keynote address given at the Science Education at the Crossroads Conference, September 28–30, Ogden, UT.</ref> Adam Johnston in 2007,<ref>Johnston, A. (2007). Orchestrations of Science Education Adventurism. Keynote address given at the Science Education at the Crossroads Conference, September 23–25, Amherst, MA.</ref> Heidi Carlone in 2008, and Magnia George in 2009. Conference organizers have contributed joint addresses in 2011 and 2012.{{cn|date=July 2024}}

''Science Education at the Crossroads'' has moved itsthe location of their conference each fall, from east to west and back again, through the year 2009. Most notably, [[National Science Foundation]] funding was established to fund the conference from 2007 -to 2009.{{cn|date=July In 2010, the conference organizers are considering next steps for future sequences of the event.2024}}