For Teachers
Teach With MySciLife - Let your students LIVE science

MySciLife welcomes inquiries from middle level (gr 6-9) science teachers who are passionate about both their subject and their students.  While we welcome inquiries at any time, we train and accept new teachers (and their classes) to the project once a year. All teachers participate in mandatory professional development and collaboration sessions (done online). MySciLife collaborative professional development provides crucial exposure to both the MySciLife tools and the teaching strategies that make safe, social learning in MySciLife effective and exciting. As MySciLife grows, we will open up to larger cohorts of new classes and teachers each year.

MySciLife is not a curriculum. It is a social learning environment that can be home for any science curriculum content. MySciLife includes resource libraries where you can choose from extensive, adaptable materials to support the most commonly taught middle school science topics and Next Gen Science Standards. Each teacher determines how to use MySciLife with his or her students to meet their local and state curriculum objectives. MySciLife also teaches good digital citizenship through prompts for students to cite their online sources, comment positively, etc.

Many schools worry about safety and restrict access to any web-based, social tools. We respect these concerns. MySciLife maintains complete student anonymity in a safe, teacher-moderated, password-protected environment. All students must have parent permission to participate in MySciLife.  A student’s work shows in the “public stream” (outside the password) only if that student’s parent gave explicit permission. Although your students interact with peers across the U.S., they are known only by their science “identity” names. No one other than you (the teacher) and the individual student can see their real name, school, or location.

We are now accepting applications for qualified, U.S. middle level science teachers for the 2015-16 school year. All teachers beginning in MySciLife must complete a total of 15 hours of online Boot Camp prior to starting with students. The Boot Camp is a combination of independent modules you complete on your own time and live, online meetings (offered at many times). MySciLife teachers receive Professional Development certificates and are eligible to become MySciLife Certified teachers, all for FREE.

If you or one of your friends is a creative middle level (gr 6-9) science teacher who enjoys student-centered learning, we encourage you to apply NOW via the link to “To apply online” at the bottom of this page. Spaces are limited.

For more information about joining MySciLife,
please email the MySciLife Project at myscilife@sflinc.org.
To apply online, click here.

What Educators Say:

"I have two good friends who work in the science fields - nanotechnology - and both will retire within 5 years. Who will take their place? We MUST get kids excited about science!!"

"What impresses me is the connection made between creativity and scientific discovery."

"....taking on the 'persona' of the subject matter requires the student to understand that person/principle well enough to provide a realistic response to a question or comment directed to the 'persona.' Students may consider this a form of social networking, but it is really intellectual interactivity and a very creative way to enhance learning."

"Parents love the idea that their kids like learning in this type of environment. It is interactive and at the same time elicits student interest to a very high degree. I received a few emails from parents thanking me for having their child participate in MySciLife."

"As we move toward Common Core and NextGen science standards, I can see MySciLife being a powerful tool.  In the Common Core ELA standards there are specific science standards relating to reading informational texts and displaying the information visually."