Science Modeling Talks

50 episodes listed below

Listen to the show on

Science teaching, modeled from the classroom out.

The gist

Science Modeling Talks centers science teaching as craft: modeling workshops, proportional reasoning, physics-first classrooms, and student reasoning. Mark Royce speaks with teachers and AMTA figures about how modeling works in real classrooms, from ninth-grade physics to teacher preparation.

PRESS PLAY

Find your next episode

All episodes

About Science Modeling Talks

Science Modeling Talks is an interview series for the science education world, focused on modeling instruction as both classroom method and professional community. Mark Royce speaks with educators whose work touches modeling from different angles: high school teaching, university teacher preparation, AMTA leadership, workshops, curriculum design, and research on student reasoning. The recent episodes give the show a clear center of gravity. Modeling is not presented as a slogan. It appears through proportional reasoning in chemistry, gas laws, physics-first classrooms, student fear around presenting ideas, workshop keys for teachers, and the slow work of helping students solve problems on their own. The conversations are practical. They stay close to what teachers actually manage: mixed math preparation, large science departments, being the only physics teacher, AP and regular sections, remote and in-person workshops, and the challenge of adapting advice from one school culture to another. There is also an organizational layer. Episodes with Ine Maysit-Williams and Caroline Savio-Ramos bring AMTA’s roles, membership work, district outreach, workshop logistics, and internal systems into view. That gives the show a wider frame than classroom tips alone. It follows how a teaching method becomes a shared infrastructure. The research side is present too, especially in the conversation with Cynthia Passmore, where modeling is tied to student learning, curriculum design, teacher professional development, and the NGSS practices of asking questions, analyzing data, planning investigations, and building explanations. The pacing is conversational and teacher-to-teacher. Guests are introduced through their background, then asked to connect that experience to modeling practice. A veteran teacher can talk about shifting away from lecture and labs. A university educator can explain what teacher candidates do and do not get time to practice. A physics teacher can describe gender equity and the changing education landscape from inside a school. The show’s appeal is not polish or provocation. It is accumulated specificity. Across the recent run, Science Modeling Talks shows modeling instruction as something educators keep refining in public, with enough classroom detail to make the philosophy feel testable.

Made for: Suits a listener who teaches science, prepares science teachers, leads professional development, or wants a grounded view of modeling instruction in practice.

What sets it apart: The show connects modeling instruction to both classroom choices and AMTA’s working infrastructure, so pedagogy, workshops, leadership, and teacher support appear in the same frame.

In their own words

Science Modeling Talks is a podcast series that introduces you to top science Modeling teachers and thought leaders in a relaxed and conversational interview format.In our episodes, you'll hear stories and ideas that help the science education community learn and grow as effective classroom teachers. Visit our website for show note, links and more info about our guests: sciencemodelingtalks.com

modeling instructionscience teaching methodsproportional reasoningphysics-first classroomsAMTA workshops and rolesteacher professional developmentstudent scientific reasoninggender equity in physics

Find your next episode

About Science Modeling Talks

In their own words

Talks about

Podcasts like Science Modeling Talks

Episodes

Episode 79 - Janelle Hollingshead - Proportional Reasoning, Modeling Tips and the AMTA "Coffee Hour"

Episode 78 - Ine Williams - "Meet the New AMTA Associate Executive Officer"

Episode 77 - Lee Trampleasure "30 Years Teaching High School Science"

Episode 76 – Caroline Savio-Ramos “AMTA’s New XO”

Episode 75 – Recast – Cynthia Passmore – “Models Are the Functional Unit of Scientific Thought”

Episode 74 - Tom Pfeiffer - 40 years veteran teacher and Modeling Workshop Leader

Episode 73 - Matt Oney - "Modeling in the University, The State of Modeling and Teacher P.D."

Episode 72 – Lynn Jorgensen – Teacher of the year, Gender Equity, Adapting to the changing education landscape

Episode 71 – Chance Hoellwarth – Hosting Modeling Workshops at Cal Poly

Episode 70 - Dr. Emma Mitchell - "How Modeling Works in My Classroom"

Episode 69 – ReCast – Ray Howanski – “AMTA Past, Present and Future”

Episode 68 – Beth Burns – “The Importance of Building Student Community”

Episode 67 - Ray Howanski - "AMTA Past, Present and Future"

Episode 66 – Geoff Nunes – “In learning, especially for physics, a key component is soak time”

Episode 65 - Cynthia Passmore - "Models Are the Functional Unit of Scientific Thought"

Episode 64 - Brooke Jenkins - "Developing Concurrent Enrollment for High Schools / Grants for Teacher P.D"

Episode 63 – ReCast – Kathy Harper – “Ohio State University, Modeling and Engineering”

Episode 62 - Phil Root - "Modeling at the College Level and Advanced Workshops"

Episode 61 - Ray Howanski - His Modeling Approach and Where He's Leading the AMTA

Episode 60 – F. Joseph Merlino – “The Case For Repurposing Education”

Episode 59 - Patrick Daisley - "Helping to Launch the AMTA"

Episode 58 – ReCast – Marta Stoeckle – Thoughts on Instructional Shifts and Educational Equity

Episode 57 – Mike Vargas – “STEM Acceleration”

Episode 56 - Amanda Whitehurst - "Training and Equiping Teachers for STEM"

Episode 55 – Paul Sasso – “Astronomy Modeling has so much to offer”

Episode 54 - Scott Milam - “The historical progression of chemistry and a book titled Teaching Introductory Chemistry”

Episode 53 – Mark Lattery – Modeling Method and Modeling Teachers International

Episode 52 - Karle Delo - Implementing A.I. In The Classroom

Episode 51 – REPOST – Larry Dukerich – “Change the trajectory of your career”

Episode 50 - Deanna Cullen - Editor for ChemEdX

Episode 49 - Kathy Malone - "FCI, the cognitive and metacognitive benefits of modeling and Kazakhstan"

Episode 48 - Mitchell Sweet - Proportional Reasoning

Episode 47 – Brant Hinrichs – “System Schema and Paying Attention to Social Positioning”

Episode 46 (repost) - David Hestenes - "The Modeling Theory of Cognition"

Episode 45 – Phil Culcasi – Give Kids a Reason To Learn

Episode 44 - Kelli Warble - "Strong Advocate for Science Education"

Episode 43 - Jon Andersoon - Teaching Physics from a Different Perspective

Episode 42 – Frank Novakowski – Helping Students Make Connections

Episode 41 - Karle Delo & Erica Posthuma - Connecting the AMTA Community

Episode 40 - Dwain Desbien - Rethinking What We Teach and Why

Episode 39 - George Nelson - Modeling in Middle Schools

Episode 38 - Dan Peluso - Astronomy, SETI, Music and Modeling

Episode 37 – Ariel Serkin & Brenda Royce – “Improving Student Mathematical Reasoning with Modeling Instruction”

Episode 36 - Jim Stankevitz - "25 years of Modeling Instruction in Physics"

Episode 35 - Bryan Battaglia - Leading Students to Deeper Understanding

Episode 34 – Gloria Kreischer Gajewicz – “Improving Student Outcomes Through Modeling Instruction”

Episode 33 - Earl Legleiter - "Modeling Workshop Leader for 25 years".mp3

Episode 32 - Jeff Steinert - "From Mechanical Engineer to Science Modeling Teacher"

Episode 31 - Dr. Anita Schuchardt - "Modeling Biology with Mathmatics"

Episode 30 – Melissa Girmscheid & Jess Dykes – “Computational Modeling in Physics First with Bootstrap”