Talks on science literacy, teaching, and why both are harder than they used to be.
I’m Corey Christen, PhD. I teach biology, anatomy and physiology, and related sciences to college students across the United States, and I wrote The Price of Illiteracy: Why Science Ignorance Threatens Our Future. I speak to schools, districts, conferences, and university audiences about the material in both.
Topics
- The price of scientific illiteracy. What the decline in science literacy is costing our politics, our classrooms and our public conversation — and why the cure is curiosity rather than cynicism.
- Curiosity is a skill, not a personality trait. Why “be curious” is bad advice, and the specific instructional moves that build curiosity in students who appear not to have any.
- Science as a way of thinking. Moving past the scientific-method poster to teach evidence evaluation, model revision, and productive failure.
- Assessments that measure thinking. Scenario-based item design, the craft of a good distractor, and what most tests are actually measuring instead.
- Teacher burnout is structural. Why self-care advice fails, and what workload design can realistically change.
Formats
Keynotes, conference sessions, in-service professional development days, department workshops, and virtual sessions. Content is adapted to the audience — a high school science department and a university lecture hall need different versions of the same talk.
Fees
In service days are $500 per day plus travel expenses. Multi day engagements run between $500 and $1,500 depending on how many days you need. Virtual sessions are available and priced on request.
Schools and districts often pair a speaking date with group access to the courses. Pricing for schools and districts sets out both, and purchase orders are accepted.
Inquire
Tell me the audience, the date, and roughly how long you need, and I’ll come back with availability and a proposal. Send a message.
If you’d rather start with the material, the professional development courses cover the same ground in depth, and more about my background is here.