Plenary Speakers, Exhibitors, Birds-of-a-Feather Session, “The Mole Storytelling Jam” and ACS Division of Chemical Education Committee Meetings

BCCE Plenary Speakers

Cheryl Strayed, author of the best-selling hiking memoir 'Wild,' gives a presentation to a packed house at The LaSells Stewart Center; Oregon State University in Corvallis. AP PHOTO.

The entire conference comes together for a Plenary Speaker session. During a plenary session there are no other scheduled conference events. A Plenary Speaker imparts some new information or makes new connections that will help educators do a better job teaching and learning. The information presented by the Plenary Speakers is high quality and often there is a degree of entertainment designed to motivate the audience to try something different in their classroom. The program committee selected the Plenary Speakers because they are experts in their field of scholarship, their presentations have value and should be of interest to all chemistry educators attending the conference. All of our Plenary Speakers have received high recognition for their contributions to science education and chemistry.

There will be time for questions and answers after each presentation and our speakers will be available after their presentation to meet you. The 60-minute presentations are geared toward addressing science educators, K-16, at all levels.  The themes for the 26th BCCE plenary speakers focus on how we can improve our approach to education through collaboration, communication and framing our instruction using global issues. All plenary sessions are held in Austin Auditorium, The LaSells Stewart Conference Center. The Sunday plenary session starts at 6pm. The other three plenary sessions are scheduled for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 11:15am.

BCCE Exhibitors

Example of a larger ACS Exhibition Hall at an ACS National Meeting.

Exhibitors are an important part of the Biennial Conference on Chemical Education. The exhibition area will provide BCCE participants the opportunity to view education products and services from a wide variety of companies. Proactive educators who have a say in purchasing products and services for their classrooms and laboratories say the BCCE exhibition is one of best because the exhibitors are right up-close and personal with the participants. Often participants can try out new products or they can attend focus groups or workshops provided by the companies. All of the vendors will have information, material and bling to giveaway. The 26th BCCE will have over 75 booths and tables in the Exhibit Areas located in the Alumni Center and in The LaSells Stewart Center. The Alumni Center Exhibit Hall is open 5pm to 8pm on Sunday, and 8am to 7pm Monday and Tuesday. Beverages and refreshments for exhibitors and conference participants will be available in the foyer of the Alumni Center during the morning and afternoon breaks, and during the Monday and Tuesday 5pm to 7pm poster sessions also located in the Alumni Center and in The LaSells Stewart Center.

BCCE Birds-of-a-Feather Session

Bird-of-a-Feather Session image from a previous conference.

Birds-of-a-Feather (BoaF) Sessions are designed for informal groups to meet and discuss issues common to the group. At the BCCEs, all Birds-of-a-Feather Sessions are open to any BCCE attendee having a 26th BCCE conference badge. Feel free to attend as many BoaF meetings which interest you and as time permits. BoaF sessions provide an opportunity to meet chemistry educators and become involved in various interest groups within the Chemical Education community. All BoaF sessions have an organizer and are scheduled prior to the start of the conference through the 26th BCCE Omsbud Person. BoaF Sessions are not used for formal individual presentations of research or scholarship. Most of our BoaF sessions will be held during the lunch sessions Sunday to Wednesday. Some BoaF sessions will be held 4:30pm to 5:30pm Sunday to Wednesday. Check the 26th BCCE website for a schedule of these meetings.

BCCE “The Mole Storytelling Jam” (A Social Event)

The cast of the 2018 Mole Storytelling Jam.

An open mic opportunity to share. Theme: Teaching Stories - “What I learned about teaching chemistry that I wish I’d known earlier”.

National programs like Story Collider, The Moth and Radio Lab feature scientists telling stories about what they do and why they do it. What about chemistry teachers? We invite you to tell your story in the second season of "The Mole," the story event for and by chemical educators. The topic for our 26th BCCE session is: "What I learned later that I wish I'd known earlier." Stories should be 5 to 8 minutes in duration. Comments from audience members who attended “The Mole” at the 25th BCCE: “It was awesome!” “It was magical!” “I had such a great time!” Several people expressed that listening to other chemistry instructors share their personal stories made the listener feel more connected to the wider chemical education community because the audience could relate and see themselves in every one of them. Sign-up to share your hard-won wisdom by e-mailing a title, outline and approximate length of your story to the BCCE story masters Holly Walter Kerby ([email protected]) or Maria Gallardo-Williams ([email protected]) by Friday, April 17, 2020. Spots are limited (so sign up NOW). Questions & comments welcomed. “The Mole Storytelling Jam” will be held Wednesday July 22, 5 to 6:30pm in the Construction and Engineering Hall in The LaSells Stewart Center.

BCCE ACS Division of Chemical Education Committee Meetings

Although this is not an ACS DivCHED committee meeting it sure looks like one.

The ACS Division of Chemical Education is a technical division of the American Chemical Society and as such has constituted various committees to perform the necessary functions of the Division of Chemical Education. The following URL lists all of the DivCHED committees: http://jce.divched.org/committees.

Several of the DivCHED committees meet at the BCCEs. Most committees meet in “open” sessions – anyone with a 26th BCCE badge can attend, while a few committees meet in “closed session” – only committee members attend the meeting. All DivCHED committees post an agenda, all committee meetings are formal affairs led by a DivCHED chair person of the committee, only committee members may vote on resolutions. All DivCHED committee meetings are scheduled prior to the start of the conference through the 26th BCCE Omsbud Person. Attending a DivCHED committee meeting is a good way to get to know what is going on in the Division. If you want to join a committee it is a good idea to let the chair of that committee and the DivCHED Committee know you are interested. Here are some of the committees that meet at the BCCE in an open format: New Members Lunch, Biennial Conference Committee, Younger Chemistry Education Scholars, International Activities Committee, Chemical Education Research Committee, Regional Meeting Committee and Pre-College Committee. Check the 26th BCCE website for a schedule of these meetings.