Dr. Phil Bell is the Shauna C. Larson Chair in Learning Sciences at the University of Washington. He co-facilitated a 4-day Equity in Science Education UnConference with Dr. Cindy Kern for K-16 science educators. He is currently editing a series of research- and practice-based tools for science education called STEM Teaching Tools. The effort is providing resources for equity-focused improvements in science education.

Dr. Okhee Lee from NYU Steinhardt joined us to speak on the power of the classroom teacher, contemporary thinking on English Language Learners, and the national landscape associated with NGSS. Lee served on the NGSS writing team and as leader of the NGSS Diversity and Equity team. She also was a member of the steering committee for the Understanding Language Initiative at Stanford University.

Dr. Julie Brown from the University of Florida dove into culturally responsive pedagogy with our K-16 community. She took us through her work in advancing culturally responsive science education in secondary classrooms, expanding our understanding and meeting the needs of the students we teach.

Science communication and science education expert, Dr. Lisa Lundgren from Utah State University, helped educators use social media for professional development, to build community, and enhance students' learning. Participants learned to search for opportunities, connections, and education content; crafted effective and engaging posts through application of evidence-based strategies; and developed and maintained strong ties with other educators.

Dr. Rosemary Whelan, a biochemist from Albertus Magnus, facilitated a Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) workshop for 6-12 science educators. POGiL is an evidence-based pedagogy that encourages students to construct their own knowledge and develop lifelong learning skills. Students work in self-managed teams through a learning cycle of exploration, concept invention, and application. She explored the fundamentals of POGIL, discussed how the activities are structured, provided guidance on implementing activities, and included opportunities to practice classroom facilitation techniques.