Call For Manuscripts

The Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities is a multi-disciplinary, peer-reviewed journal with an international focus on providing information on science education for students with varying types and levels of disabilities. We aspire to publish the best of theoretical research and practical application and we review articles by both special and general educators. Interesting topics have included innovative curricular ideas, instructional adaptations, research-based modifications, best practices, and management issues in science education

Ex Ovo Omnia

One of history’s most diverse thinkers metaphorically depicted humanity’s dangerous reliance on nonrenewable energy resources as an unborn chick in an egg. American philosopher, poet, scientist, and mathematician, Buckminster Fuller, described the nutrients in an egg as the temporary and extinguishable support required for the development of an unhatched chick. Once the nutrients are depleted, the chick must break from its shell and cultivate its own mechanism for survival. Symbolically, he explained that the human population must view the use of earth’s finite resources as the nutriment in an egg that can be provisionally relied upon in order to provide the necessary time and energy required for mankind to establish alternative energy sources for a sustainable future. I use Bucky’s metaphor to describe my own teaching philosophy; the role of the educator as that of a facilitator, or provider of the egg . Using this mindset and a variety of learning modalities in my classroom, I am hopeful that at the end of the educational process, my students emerge from their shells with the necessary skills to be renewable sources of learning unto themselves

From the Co-Editors

We continue to work diligently to improve JSESD. One of the largest challenges to the journal remains the solicitation of manuscript submissions. As such, we are asking the journal’s readership to assist us in advertising the journal. If you are familiar with individuals who might be interested in submitting a manuscript, please pass along the JSESD author link provided above. We are especially interested in articles on science education for students with varying types of disabilities and at a full range of grade levels (K-12 and postsecondary)

Providing the Fuel (And Passing The Flame)

At the risk of opening with a cliché statement- at the heart of the most effective mentor is a burning passion. The fuel for this passion is a desire to convince, not just try to, but actually convince your mentee that you care about their success (be it in the classroom, career, or personal life). I am guilty of believing in, and living by, this cliché. However, despite passion being my primary motivator, I am not unwilling to admit that rationale for mentoring can sometimes transcend this ethically normative line of thinking. I believe that there are also sometimes quantitative, even economic, reasons to validate good mentoring. It’s true- every child that I help to breakdown a sense of ‘science-phobia’ and encourage into the field represents another individual that may potentially bolster the future STEM workforce. Every deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH) student that I help to place into the science workforce represents another individual that will not be undervalued or overlooked by society, but rather will be praised as a valued contributor to society. And one never knows what portion of the mentoring relationship is going to be the ‘nugget’ that forever changes the mentee’s life (leading to obtaining a career, becoming a lifelong learner, finding self-confidence, etc.). If passion is the sign of a caring mentor, and life-quality indicators for the mentee are validation for an effective mentor, then the modi operandi are to open doors, provide opportunities, model appropriate behaviors, encourage/support, educate, and jointly share satisfaction in the successes of the mentee