Helen Harden
helenharden.bsky.social
Helen Harden
@helenharden.bsky.social
Freelance science education curriculum and resource developer. Interested in connecting with teachers, technicians plus the science education and wider community. Favourite topics: curriculum and misconceptions
Today has been a fascinating experience.Sharing insights into science education and hearing back about the future challenges facing the chemical industries.
Our CEO Lynn Ladbrook and former ASE Chair Helen Harden are at CHEMUK today!

🎤 Helen is taking part in The Big Education Debate, tackling the big question: "Where is the UK now?" in science and education.

#CHEMUK2025 #ScienceEducation #ASEInAction #BigEducationDebate
May 22, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Reposted by Helen Harden
Calling all ECT ASE members! Want a free science education book? ow.ly/SrOq50VCm3U

We’re giving away Primary Science in a Nutshell & Grappling with Graphs to the first 3 ECTs who send a 1-min video sharing how ASE has helped you. Email your video to [email protected]
April 22, 2025 at 9:26 AM
Reposted by Helen Harden
We are entering the last week of this important survey.

Please do all you can to push the survey with your networks as well as answering yourself. We particularly need more responses from Wales, Scotland and NI to make by nation analysis possible. The deadline is 7th April! 🔗 ow.ly/chk550VpJF0
March 27, 2025 at 2:11 PM
New post from TheSciEd Distillery! Over 90% of students in one study thought that if you react a blue substance with a yellow substance, the resulting product would be green. Overcoming this requires a shift from additive to emergent thinking. thescieddistillery.blogspot.com/2025/03/comp...
Compounds: The importance of emergent thinking
Featured article T alanquer, V. (2008). Students’ predictions about the sensory properties of chemical compounds: Additive versus emerge...
thescieddistillery.blogspot.com
March 25, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Today I finally got out my microscope and went on a Moss Safari. My aunt (retired biology teacher) loved it and we were both jubilant to find a tardigrade (in fairness she found it!) Thank you for the info @mosssafari.bsky.social
March 14, 2025 at 5:37 PM
I am seeing lots of online sources categorise bending/cutting as physical changes. The curriculum focus here at age 9-11 is only on reversible changes of state/ mixing/dissolving but should bending/cutting be included as irreversible physical change? Where can I find a trustworthy definition?
February 19, 2025 at 12:43 PM
I am seeing lots of online sources categorise bending/cutting as physical changes. The curriculum focus here at age 9-11 is only on reversible changes of state/ mixing/dissolving but should bending/cutting be included as irreversible physical change? Where can I find a trustworthy definition?
February 19, 2025 at 12:34 PM
A new post from the SciEd Distillery. This one gives food for thought for anyone involved in chemistry curriculum development and anyone who uses the word "acid" in their teaching. #chatchemistry thescieddistillery.blogspot.com/2025/02/acid...
Acids and bases: A curriculum in layers
Featured article De Vos, W., & Pilot, A. (2001). Acids and bases in layers: The stratal structure of an ancient topic. Journal of Chemic...
thescieddistillery.blogspot.com
February 17, 2025 at 6:59 PM
I was really excited when @drgarethbates.bsky.social proposed this as an article for @associationscied.bsky.social 11-19 SciEd journal SSR. Well worth a read!
Check Out Our Open Access Article in SSR Depth!

In this insightful piece, Gareth Bates explores how retrieval practice can be an effective method for supporting learning.

Read the full article here 👉 ow.ly/hZJ750UTSlY
February 17, 2025 at 9:56 AM
@katesutton70.bsky.social So wonderful to be followed by someone I know and respect rather than the random accounts I have been getting recently! Have been feeling a bit discouraged on here but I think if I post more again I can get the positive interactions back! I have tightly curated feeds!
February 11, 2025 at 11:30 AM
@natcowley.bsky.social You may regret following me. I mainly post about niche chemistry education topics!!
January 28, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Reposted by Helen Harden
Hi BlueSky - I'm doing a mock interview for a student applying for biomedical engineering at Imperial. This is outside of my expertise so would appreciate ideas/inspiration/questions. Any idea what the interview would focus on?
January 21, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Latest post from the SciEd Distillery. Do all your students understand how far air pollutants can move? This understanding is critical to comprehending increases in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. thescieddistillery.blogspot.com/2025/01/move... #ChatChemistry
Movement of air pollution
Featured article Stavridou, H. and Marinopoulos, D. (2001) 'Water and air pollution: Primary students' conceptions about "itineraries" and i...
thescieddistillery.blogspot.com
January 20, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Reposted by Helen Harden
📢Nominations are open for the Teacher of Physics Awards -part of the #IOPAwards25
▶️ The Teacher of Physics Award honours secondary-level physics teachers who go above and beyond to inspire their students and raise the profile of physics in schools and colleges
🔗 Nominate now: iop.org/about/awards...
Teachers of Physics Awards
Make a nomination for the awards that celebrate the success of secondary-level physics teachers who have raised the profile of physics and science in schools and colleges.
iop.org
January 14, 2025 at 9:38 AM
Sometimes it is worth stepping outside and looking up.
January 3, 2025 at 8:56 PM
I am currently writing some resources linked to the mole and quantitative chemistry. It has got me thinking. Is there a hidden curriculum that should lie behind the assessed curriculum? A specification only details the latter.
December 16, 2024 at 11:08 AM
@amystrachan.bsky.social Hi Amy! Welcome.
December 14, 2024 at 8:24 AM
Reposted by Helen Harden
Looking forward to presenting with Natasha Serret at ASE 2025 in Nottingham next month on metacognition. 2025aseannualconf.sched.com/event/1gerd/...
ASE 2025 Annual Conference: Enabling learners to think about their t...
View more about this event at ASE 2025 Annual Conference
2025aseannualconf.sched.com
December 11, 2024 at 9:25 AM
Reposted by Helen Harden
I know that @associationscied.bsky.social is running a series of International Teachers and Trainee Network Sessions. www.ase.org.uk/events/revis...
Revision, assessment and evaluation techniques - International Teachers and Trainees in UK Network
We welcome teachers and trainees who are new to the UK Education system to this network to support you in your journey
www.ase.org.uk
December 10, 2024 at 9:56 AM
I have just posted my latest distillation called "The mole-unit and concept" based on a fascinating paper about a content analysis of the mole concept. If you have access I do recommend reading the original paper. If not, I hope my post is helpful. thescieddistillery.blogspot.com #chatchemistry
The SciEd Distillery
thescieddistillery.blogspot.com
December 10, 2024 at 6:52 PM
You hear about fiction authors being guided by their characters. Today I started writing a resource on relative atomic mass and it has become one on molar mass. Not sure you can be guided by chemistry as an author but it is feeling like it...
December 10, 2024 at 10:17 AM
Whilst I am trying to keep this channel exclusively for professional posts about science education I did want to share a little musical something at the start of the advent season and welcome my choir to BlueSky!
Hearing ourselves on #BBCradio3 this morning was a nice start to December!

Tomorrow Shall be my Dancing Day can be found around the 1hr 33min mark of the program.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

(Or you can listen it with other festive songs on our Nova Nova album lnk.to/NovaNova)
Carols Across the Country - a Seasonal Journey - with Tom McKinney from Martin Mere Wetland Centre, Lancashire - BBC Sounds
As Advent dawns, we begin our seasonal journey live from Martin Mere Wetland Centre.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 1, 2024 at 11:28 AM
Wonderful to hear a carol recording by my choir @hertfordshirechorus.org.uk on BBC Radio 3 this morning! 1hr 33 mins into the programme. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Carols Across the Country - a Seasonal Journey - with Tom McKinney from Martin Mere Wetland Centre, Lancashire - BBC Sounds
As Advent dawns, we begin our seasonal journey live from Martin Mere Wetland Centre.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 1, 2024 at 10:03 AM
Reposted by Helen Harden
Please help us spread the word 🙂 “SKPT accommodates the workload of teachers...content is delivered in a practical manner making it easy to pick concepts you can directly apply to teaching” @associationscied.bsky.social @chatbiology.bsky.social @chatchemistry.bsky.social @teachingofsci.bsky.social
Teaching KS3/4 physics out of specialism?
Book your FREE #SKPT CPD
Blended learning CPD delivered by expert practitioners
Build your classroom confidence and physics subject knowledge

🗓️Sessions on #Energy and #MatterAndSpace start in January at locations across England
loom.ly/MKcNfqo
November 29, 2024 at 9:19 AM
Reposted by Helen Harden
Just getting set up on here... Are you out there primary school science peeps?!
November 28, 2024 at 10:32 PM