Conferences and proceedings
Upcoming:
Science Education at the Crossroads 2008
Alta, Utah; October 2-4, 2008
Vexations and Venture proposals due May 30th, 2008
Previous:
Science Education at the Crossroads 2007
Amherst, Massachusetts; September 23-25, 2007
Science Education at the Crossroads 2006
Ogden, Utah; September 28-30, 2006
Science Education at the Crossroads 2005
Storrs, Connecticut; October 9-11, 2005
(See our Library for more conference archives.)
Crossroads Philosophy
A crossroads is the place where those on different paths can meet, not only accommodating travelers from many origins, but then redirecting them toward appropriate destinations. In terms of science education, the crossroads signifies the convergence of people moving along varied tracks: educational research, curriculum design, policymaking, classroom practices, teacher development, and so on. We believe it is unfortunate that dialogue among individuals is an incidental by-product of most professional conferences. The standard presentation format does little to encourage authentic and meaningful conversations. Rather than a crossroads where individuals gather and then move forward, the typical professional meeting is more of a parking lot. The irony of the term “conference” is not lost on us; the root “confer” is a verb defined as: to collect, compare, connect, consult, contribute, gather, or join together. Our ambition is to do nothing less than put the “confer” back into “conference” for those who might benefit from such an assembly.
The spirit of conferring necessitates that we build and maintain a community of participants who are both willing to engage in our experimental format and set aside egos in favor of supporting others. As a consequence, we only accept proposals from individuals formally invited by former Crossroads conferenciers. We deliberately target individuals representing a range of constituencies and backgrounds because that is in the best interest of creating an interactive crossroads.
Crossroads' Origins
John Settlage and Adam Johnston coordinate Crossroads. The two of us have long discussed our desire to attend an event where genuine and sustained exchanges of ideas could occur. However, over the years of not feeling this need being met, we came to realize we couldn’t expect others to create something to serve our selfish purposes. That has led us to the Crossroads Conference.
As the coordinators, our ambition has been to create an environment for generating the discussions we are longing for. Not only does this require bringing together individuals from a range of backgrounds and expertise, but it also necessitates establishing a climate that honors differing perspectives. The coordinators can establish the time and space for all of this to happen, but the two of us can only accomplish so much. We are dependent upon and grateful for your participation and patronage. Your aspirations, insights, creativity, and charity are essential. We welcome your involvement and invite you to help us give shape to this effort.
co-or-di-nate v. — to situate objects or events relative to each other and to the larger system of which they become essential components.