beaker, pint, microscope

Diana Arya of UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School will be the guest speaker for the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History’s (SBMNH) next Science Pub from Home event. The webinar, entitled “The Science of Reading and the Reading of Science: Supports, Critiques, and Questions,” will be held on Monday, October 12, 6:30-7:30 pm (Pacific Time). This free virtual event will take place on Zoom, and one can sign up for it on the SBMNH website.

Arya will share what we know and still are learning about how individuals develop reading skills and how this development adapts in response to new social media technologies like Twitter and TikTok. She will also share insights on forthcoming changes to school-based literacy assessments that, for the first time, explicitly feature science as a key literacy discipline for K-12 students.

Dr. Arya, Associate Professor in the Department of Education, is also faculty director of the McEnroe Reading and Language Arts Clinic. She leads a number of research programs linked to Community Based Literacies.

“Join our fun and friendly conversation, and quench your thirst for knowledge about science and nature. Like our real-life venue Dargan’s, this Zoom webinar is free, but has limited capacity,” says the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History website. “Register now to secure a spot in the live discussion, or catch the video later on the Museum’s social media.”

There is also a suggested pairing: Irish bangers n’ mash and an Irish whiskey from Dargan’s Irish Pub & Restaurant. Call 805-568-0702 to arrange for your order and pickup at 18 E. Ortega Street in Santa Barbara.