Texas Science Educators Meet at Texas Tech

On October 21-22 nearly 60 Texas science educators convened at the College of Education for the annual conference of the Southwest Region of the Association for Science Teacher Education (SW-ASTE).

Horn Professor Emeritus Gerald Skoog updated the group about the teaching of evolution, a subject of much discussion in the political arena in Texas.  He was followed by reaction comments from Bob Craig who represents District 15 on the Texas Board of Education, Kim Bilica, Associate Professor of Education at UT-San Antonio and an EdD in Curriculum and Instruction graduate of Texas Tech, and Deidre Parish, Frisco ISD Secondary Science Coordinator for High Schools and Director, District XIII, National Science Teachers Association.

Vice Dean Peggy Johnson and Associate Dean Hansel Burley spoke about changes in teacher education and the accreditation of teacher education programs.  Ross Ann Hill, who teaches in Idalou ISD and is president of the Science Teachers Association of Texas (STAT) responded with comments on science teacher preparation from a teacher-leader’s perspective. 

Other reactions were provided by Kim Livengood, Assistant Professor of Education, Angelo State University and Molly Weinburgh, William L. & Betty F. Adams Chair in Education, Texas Christian University, and President, of the Association for Science Teacher Education in 2001-02.

Helen DeVitt Jones Professor Walter Smith, Vice-President of SW-ASTE, and a planning committee of Texas Tech graduate students (Pablo Dominguez-Diaz, Mohja Jerbi, Melanie Smith, Yanlin Wang, and Ibrahim Yeter,) organized the conference to address the theme of “Science Teacher Education Under Attack.”