IUPUC faculty member Kate Baird, Ph.D., will present at the 2010 Association for Science Teacher Education international conference in January.

Baird’s presentation is entitled “Using inflatable portable dome technology to provide pre-service K-6 teachers a chance to design, implement, and assess student learning.”

With a grant from the Reeves Foundation, the IU School of Education at IUPUC purchased an inflatable planetarium in 2009 to provide a tool for students to use with children to facilitate science learning. Education students take the dome on visits to elementary schools in the region. They use the dome to teach students about everything from astronomy to weather.

The Association for Science Teacher Education promotes leadership and support for professionals involved in the education and development of teachers of science at all levels.  ASTE advances practice and policy through scholarship, collaboration, and innovation in science teacher education across the world.

Baird is a clinical assistant professor of science education for the IU School of Education at IUPUC.