Summaries+of+our+meetings

ASERA Meeting 29 June 2010
Present: Clare, Pedro, Marianne, Cheryl, Hywel, Dorothy, Siddique, Tahmina, Jane, Ian, John, Debbie, Larry, Kathy, Peter, Christine, Ralph Interests: Clare – (Griffith, Brisbane) Risk and ssi Pedro – (Lisbon and Santarem) Discussion of issues leading to local action Marianne – (Southern Cross) (works with secondary science and early childhood teachers), health and SSI Cheryl – (Melbourne) (primary science); young children and scientific words as cultural tools Hywel – (Newcastle) science and students in lower socio-economic groups Dorothy – (La Trobe) science literacy as necessary for everyone Siddique – (Monash/Bangladesh) Links between science and religion Tahmina – (Monash/Bangladesh) junior curriculum Jane – (La Trobe) (secondary biology) Wonder of primary children Ian – (La Trobe) co-ordinates DipEd programme at La Trobe John – (Deakin) Science communication; cultural-historical theory Debbie – (University of Sunshine Coast) Pathways for teachers towards research; citizenship in the curriculum; evidence-based practice; NOS and argumentation Larry – (OISE, Toronto) (pre-service and graduate studies) Engaging students in project work for taking action <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kathy – (Univ of S. Australia, Adelaide) (primary and middle schools, pre-service teachers) Confidence of teachers in inter-disciplinary programmes; Just and green teachers; urban ecology: educating for sustainability <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Peter – (QET and Monash) NC project, SSI and helping future citizens make decisions <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ralph – science education, democracy and social justice; teaching and learning of risk <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//Risk// (Ralph giving feedback) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//Social Justice// (Larry giving feedback) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//Curricular issues// (Peter giving feedback)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Feedback from groups **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">narrative and risk
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">tendency to perceive risk in things we can’t see
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">personal values
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">incorporating statistical literacy
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">SSI as engaging differently advantaged children. As you gain cultural capital you destroy planet. Bring in stronger meta science approach
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">helping to become part of the elite? Cultural capital A and B in dialectical relationship (?).
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Many SSIs adversely affecting poor people, people of colour and females
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How to develop dialogue between disparate groups? Skills and abilities to work with these in the classroom
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How is teaching of SSI facilitated by NC? Need case studies
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Effect of schools as compared with teachers. How is science as a human endeavour compromised?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Potential – to what extent are teachers taking up lack of interest in science through a humanistic approach?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Argumentation – role is small. Problem of evidence. Getting money to do this.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Theoretical frameworks/methodologies
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Clare – young adults’ accounts of dealing with uncertainties (mobile phones) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Clare's components of a theoretical framework for including SSIs in science: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Clear aims – what we expect student outcomes to be <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><Reference mentioned: Ekborg et al (2009) in NorDiNa, 5(1) pp 35-46> Clare has list of articles developing theoretical frameworks, to be listed <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What kinds of citizens are we? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Action competence – environmental education (EE) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How did science get separated from EE? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Helping students to have options for action <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Science teachers taking parents into the classroom; transfer of EE between generations <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mentioned Derek Hodson, Time for Action <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Projects that are do-able <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Klafki on pedagogy: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">what is this topic an example of? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What significance has this topic had in past life and future life of students? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Teacher pondering the significance of this. Useful or significant to whom? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Notion of ‘respectful tasks’ (Linda Darling Hammond – someone mentioned this name but I seem to recall wasn’t quite sure of the name – corrections?) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Rich tasks and higher cognitive thinking; simple, practical learning <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Members agreeing to co-ordinate group <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Pedro, Debbie, John, Larry, Kathy, Clare, Ralph
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">a contemporary view of NOS
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">a view of Teaching & Learning
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">a view of discourse
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">an approach to controversy
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">what view of society do we have
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">the role of concept knowledge
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Plans for future (suggestions) **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">creating a website (ongoing)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">edited book
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">collection of position papers
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">online community using Ning (Pedro)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">JASTE, Journal for Activist Science and Technology Education (Larry)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Wiki spaces, 3 or 4 people to facilitate
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Educating for sustainability
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Getting people interested in sustainability
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Meeting on SSI at IOSTE in Tunisia (2012)

Clare agreed to set up an online bibliography of papers on SSI.
Meeting 4/5 October 2010 <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Clare's notes: Discussion focussed on 3 main areas- <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 Our online discussion <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We agreed to continue with the Wiki but to also join Larry’s teaching site to see how it works. We will keep our Wiki discussions going and add more topics, including SSI & pedagogy. PDFs on Wiki breach copyright so these need to be removed – Clare happy to do, leaving references <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2 Involvement of wider group <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We talked about how to include the wider group of people interested in SSI and when and how this relates to longer term goal of edited book, also the problem of sustaining engagement in online discussions. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Decided for now to keep to this smaller group but email ASERA SSI group (Clare & Ralph have list) to share what we are doing and to flag ASERA 2011 (after emailing Kathy). Larry suggested we could have a mini-conference this time, with video link ups. Clare & Deb will draft email for ASERA participants and circulate to all for comment. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Language Pedro drew attention to much good SSI work being done in non-English speaking countries & the problem of dissemination, Ralph acknowledged English language hegemony. Larry referred to work also by French Canadians, e.g. Laurence Simonneaux. Pedro will seek review of Portugese work from colleagues, Ralph & Larry talk with Laurence. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3 Bibliography <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Debbie & Clare to set up references on Endnote and then in Word document on Wiki or wherever we want. We can then choose areas of interest, perhaps writing small reviews which generate questions for discussion.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was agreed that we would begin with an online site for our smaller group. Pedro agreed to set this up in the next two weeks.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The focus of our work together online would be to aim towards a punblication around the first topic. The agreed topic was:
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What do we mean by socio-scientific issues? Looking at this from different perspectives and from different theoretical frames. Would we include SSI education or is that a separate topic? Look at this in a larger context of society and environment.
 * 4) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ralph suggested for example the Roth book on standpoint theory the line between school and the outside world is a diffuse one. SSI is really something linked to the school.
 * 5) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Further discussion regarding this will be undertaken at the next meeting when we have an idea what the online environment looks like.
 * 6) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kathy agreed to maintain links to one day on SSI’s again prior to ASERA in 2011. Kathy also agreed to identify some further information and circulate this on the journal special issue.
 * 7) The group agreed to use Skype as the communication tool for the next meeting. Everyone needs to circulate their skype name to all on the list and set everyone up on their individual skype accounts. Pedro agreed to lead the next meeting on Skype. Same time of day on Monday 4th and Tuesday 5th October. Brisbane 7am Tuesday, Adelaide 6.30am Tuesday, Canada 5pm Monday and London/Portugal 10pm Monday. Please check whether there are any local changes to times due to moved away from or towards summer time in any of your locations.

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Some discussion re using Larry’s Knowledge-e-Commons site when we open up discussion to others. Larry described it as offering capacity for threaded conversations, folders, online chat, notes & embedded resources including video. ====== <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kathy & John’s absence noted, Clare to email both and ring Kathy, particularly re plans for ASERA 2011 <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Main action is for everyone to participate as much as possible on the Wiki, including adding to bibliography. And thinking re focus questions for next year. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Next meeting 29/30 November same time. Clare to send email reminders.

Meeting 29/30 November, 2010 Kathy shared details re ASERA 2011 – preconference date will be Wed 29 June, videoconference can be arranged. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Title for meeting is currently “SSIs and sustainability” – some discussion re interpretation of sustainability, seen by many in terms of environment only, “wellbeing” a possible term. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kathy will play around with title & abstract for meeting to be advertised on conference website and share with us by email for comment. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Some discussion re international perspective, how to include different countries/cultures, how to group in book. Alternative of using themes for chapters. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Pedro offered to add references in Portugese/Spanish, Ralph suggested inclusion of Arabic communities, also China, Korea. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Talk re book. Pedro suggested something different, e.g. online publication, advantage of accessibility to all, especially relevant in developing countries. Open source generally agreed to be a good idea, such as Wikipaedia with different sections, but some editorial control. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Agreed that Larry should ask Jim Hewitt to set up a site for us. Next meeting we shall discuss how to structure it. Focus questions can be nodes for discussion. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Some discussion initiated by Larry relating to types of questions/perspectives and globalisation, Ralph re how we are mainstream and care needed in making assumptions about perspectives, e.g. many different groups in India. Ralph referred to Karen Tonso(?) in Roth’s book on standpoint theory. (Sorry this last discussion was complex & these notes inadequate – please amend/add!) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Main action now agreed for everyone to come up with a focus question/provocative statement or claim, with references, perhaps a paragraph of say 250 words with an invitation to discuss – Post on Wiki by end December. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Next meeting January 24/25. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Clare <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">PS We seem to have lost John – I emailed but no reply. Meeting 24/25 January 2011 Re ASERA 2011 <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kathy reported re ASERA 2011 meeting title & description – request to remove link with sustainability. Clare will put 2010 description on Wiki for comment. Aim by next meeting to be ready to send this to ASERA organisers for advertising on conference website. //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Discussion re 3 focus questions currently listed on Wiki // <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Agreed to use action/social action instead of activism <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ralph asked Is it controversial to include SSIs in school curricula? Some discussion re the ideology of science in school discourse, nature of science understanding in positivist terms – these lead to a feeling that it is controversial? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Clare sees one aim of SSI inclusion as to open up NOS to its broader context, including links with ethics //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Role of concept knowledge // <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Deb noted that teachers’ lack of current concept knowledge and confidence with this may inhibit their engagement with SSIs, so while it can be used as a rationale for SSI inclusion it can also work in the opposite direction. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ralph noted the need for concept knowledge to be recontextualised before it is useful in problem solving in the real world, as reported by Layton et al (1993), & Ryder (2001) reported that knowledge about science was more important than science concepts in adult SSI discussions/decisions. Lewis & Leach (2002) found targeted concept knowledge appropriate for SSI discussions, if taught first. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Larry mentioned studies re everyday maths, Ralph also Recife studies. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Larry said in Canada STSE tradition includes more than science concepts, other epistemological aspects, e.g., Aikenhead study of nurses, emotional knowledge important. Layton et al re need for recontextualising science concepts <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Deb talked of the //role of curriculum//, need to break discipline barriers. Ralph noted difficulty of interdisciplinary approaches, UK collapsed day experiment works in schools which already have a more integrated curriculum. Larry linked this to school reform. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Deb re Aust National Curriculum & criticism but also support from Deans of Ed re content specification. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Deb will do a focus question on SSI and the enacted curriculum. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mention of //argumentation and SSI// – need for focus question on this. Deb spoke of collective argumentation approach developed by Ray Brown (Aust) where students work in groups to develop a consensual argument. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Larry noted motives other than rational and argumentation as reductionist in approach. Deb & Larry & Deb referred to necessity of outcomes from SSI discussion. Larry using actor network theory, work of Michael van Eich and WM Roth. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ralph working on focus question starting from an issue or idea of What do we want to change? e.g., what is good for us to eat? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Larry suggested this negative, how about How can we make our lives better? And the role of school science in this. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Larry focus question 3 comes from need to honour and engage citizens, through doing primary research into issues of concern to them. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thanks everyone for a great discussion. Please feel free to add/amend these notes as necessary. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Next meeting February 7/8 and allow 1½ hours if possible. Will send reminder email on previous Friday. Clare MEETING 7/8 February 2011 <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Talk re ASERA program – need to mention group already established, welcoming new people <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Clare suggested adding focus questions to address critiques, i.e.,citizenship, humanizing sc ed. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Larry talked of the reification, commodification of SSIs, divorcing from action, idea of simulacrum by Baudrillard <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ralph suggested we need to make links between theoretical ideas and needs of teachers and practice, Deb proposed a paper addressing this, perhaps to present at ASERA meeting. Deb & Clare to work on this. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ralph referred to Simmoneaux’s work on socially acute questions, noting how the rhetoric of science influences popular discourse around issues as well as the school curriculum. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kathy suggested we could use podcasts at the ASERA meeting to include virtual participants, perhaps with them having conversations, as a stimulus for discussion <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Larry asked re feelings about ECommons, Deb suggested we could introduce this to participants at ASERA meeting. General agreement not to open focus questions for wider online discussion until after ASERA. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Clare will write ASERA website ad with draft focus questions and put on Wiki for comment. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Next meeting 7/8 March. Pedro we missed you, hope you will be able to join us then. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Clare (again these notes seem an inadequate reflection of our excellent discussion so please freely add/amend)