Iowa STEM Summit 2026: Full Schedule

TBA

Friday November 6, 2026 TBA

AI is rapidly changing education, but how can it actually be used effectively in a science classroom? This session will explore practical ways I have integrated AI into my chemistry and physics courses, both as a tool for students and as a resource for teachers. I will share approaches that have been successful, along with others that have not worked as well as I had hoped. Attendees will leave with practical ideas for incorporating AI into their own classrooms while considering how to keep student thinking, problem solving, and learning at the center of the experience.

Presenters

Marc Pedersen

HS Science Teacher, Des Moines Christian School

Marc Pedersen currently teaches the dual credit courses General Chemistry I & II and General Physics I at Des Moines Christian School. Now in his 29th year as an educator, Marc has spent his career helping students develop the problem-solving and critical-thinking skills necessary... Read More →

Friday November 6, 2026 TBA

20-Minute

Subject Science, Technology/Computer Science/AI
Audience Post Secondary Educators, Secondary Educators, Students, Administrators

TBA

Driving Question Board to Spark Thinking

Friday November 6, 2026 TBA

The Driving Question Board, an essential tool used throughout OpenSciEd units to generate, keep track of, and revisit student questions around the anchoring and related phenomenon. It’s a visual representation of the shared mission of learning in the unit. Come think like a student and gather resources like a teacher.

Presenters

Andrew Whittet

Regional Sales, Activate Learning

Andrew Whittet is a former classroom teacher and district specialist who served public school districts in Texas and Florida before joining Activate Learning. He now partners with science teams across multiple states to support the successful implementation of high-quality, inquiry-based... Read More →

Friday November 6, 2026 TBA

50-Minute

Subject Science
Audience Administrators, Secondary Educators

TBA

Engineering the Real World: Bringing Authentic Problem-Solving into K–12 Science Classrooms

Friday November 6, 2026 TBA

How can science classrooms move beyond learning about concepts to using them in meaningful, real-world ways? This session explores how to engage K–12 students in authentic engineering challenges that align with science standards while promoting deep sensemaking. Participants will examine how real-world problems—rooted in local, global, and student-relevant contexts—can drive instruction, integrate core disciplinary ideas, and support the development of scientific and engineering practices.

Through concrete examples and collaborative discussion, educators will explore strategies for designing and facilitating engineering tasks that are accessible to all learners, including English learners, while maintaining rigor and coherence. Attendees will leave with practical tools, design principles, and classroom-ready ideas to help students see science not just as something to learn, but as something they can use to solve the problems that matter most.

Presenters

Christopher Like

Science Program Consultant, Iowa Department of Education

With more than two decades in science education, Christopher Like has dedicated his career to expanding access to meaningful, high-quality science learning for all students. He began as a high school science teacher, continually refining his practice to center student thinking and... Read More →

Friday November 6, 2026 TBA

50-Minute

Subject Science
Audience Administrators, Elementary Educators, Secondary Educators, Post Secondary Educators, Business/Community

TBA

Making Energy Learning Matter

Friday November 6, 2026 TBA

Energy is one of the most important concepts in science and society. Yet, students commonly struggle to develop deep understanding of energy that is useful outside of school science. This session introduces a novel approach to energy instruction, called the Energy Transfer Approach, that has been developed and tested in projects funded by the National Science Foundation and the Institute for Education Sciences. Through a phenomenon-rich presentation, this session focuses on introducing the Energy Transfer Approach, illustrating its alignment with state and national standards, and sharing evidence of its potential benefit for student learning.

Presenters

Jeffrey Nordine

Professor of Science Education, University of Iowa

Jeffrey Nordine, Ph.D., is a Professor of Science Education at the University of Iowa and a Visiting International Professor at the Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education (IPN) in Kiel, Germany. A former physics teacher, school administrator, and Chief Scientist at... Read More →

Friday November 6, 2026 TBA

50-Minute