Vidalia City Schools Educators Present at Georgia Science Teachers Association Historic 50th Annual Conference
Courtesy of Vidalia City Schools
The Georgia Science Teachers Association (GSTA) recently hosted its 50th Annual Conference in Columbus, GA, marking a milestone event in its ongoing commitment to excellence in science education. The conference brought together educators, administrators, and science professionals from across Georgia to share expertise, innovative teaching strategies, and classroom successes.
The GSTA Conference fosters a community of learning and discovery, emphasizing GSTA’s mission to CONNECT, INFORM, SUPPORT, ADVOCATE, and PARTNER with like-minded science education organizations. The event featured dynamic presentations and workshops, showcasing strategies and research.
Among the esteemed presenters were Anna Blount, a J.D. Dickerson Primary School kindergarten teacher, and Elissa Blount, a science teacher at Vidalia High School and GSTA District 8 Representative. Both educators contributed valuable insights and research to the conference.
Anna Blount collaborated with colleagues from Georgia Southern University to present “Bridging Culture & Engineering: Designing Inclusive Learning Experiences in Science.” This session explored how to create culturally relevant science lessons, showcasing a fourth-grade project on water purification connected to the Gullah Geechee culture. Using the Culturally Relevant Engineering Design (CRED) framework, students engaged in science learning while deepening their understanding of history and culture.
Elissa Blount presented on “Integrating Science and Literacy in Biology” through the phenomenon of sickle cell anemia. This session provided educators with research-based strategies to incorporate writing into science instruction. The presentation highlighted how sickle cell anemia connects to key biological concepts, including macromolecules, cellular energy, genetics, protein synthesis, and evolution, equipping educators with actionable lesson ideas to enhance student engagement and comprehension.
Both Anna and Elissa are excited to collaborate with their colleagues on what they learned and incorporate instructional strategies into their classrooms, further enriching their students’ learning experiences.
The 50th Annual GSTA Conference was an inspiring and enriching experience, reaffirming the organization’s dedication to advancing science education in Georgia.
For more information about GSTA and upcoming events, please visit ttps:// www. georgiascienceteacher. org.
