Misconceptions and Conceptual Change

"The best teachers can predict the common misconceptions that their students have." Philip Sadler, (Harvard) stated at the STEM Smart conference last year. Adults and students hold tightly to incorrect ideas that prevent deep understanding of key earth and space concepts, essential for understanding climate science. Knowledge of misconceptions is essential for science teachers in any topic and this presentation will explore the current research, useful resources and sites, and potential classroom strategies and assessments to increase your students' understanding of science concepts.

Peg Steffen

At the time she gave this presentation, Peg Steffen was the education coordinator for NOAA’s National Ocean Service. She started federal service as an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow in the Education Division of NASA in 2000. In 2006 she joined NOAA where she worked with a great team providing web-based products, professional development and educational games.

Peg has a BS degree in Zoology and an MS in Curriculum and Instruction. She has a certificate from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in Adolescent and Young Adult Science. Her classroom teaching experiences span 25 years in grades 8-12 in biology, physics, and astronomy/geology. Peg has provided teacher professional development workshops for over 30 years to teachers in the United States, Sweden, Mexico, and Scotland.