One of the greatest challenges facing science educators is preparing present students for their futures. High school freshmen in 2007 will reach their fiftieth birthdays in 2043. Are we providing these students with a science education that will equip them to deal with the science that they will confront in mid-century? For those students who will be part of the future science workforce, what skills will be needed? What will it be like to be a scientist in 2043? What role will science play in that society? And what science will be important? Will current "cutting edge" sciences like biotechnology, nanotechnology, and stem cell research still be cutting edge when today's freshmen are fifty? What issues will be at the forefront of public interest and technical research by the middle of the century?

As rapidly as the science landscape is changing, there are also fundamental changes in schools, classrooms, and what we know about the learning process itself. School buildings and classrooms of the future will look very different than those we inhabit today. Will curricula and methods evolve to meet new demands? What impact will these new technologies have on student learning? Every day, science teachers face questions like these about content, pedagogy, assessment, technology, classroom facilities and infrastructure, diversity of learners, and the nature of the learning process itself.

Although it is not possible to predict how science and society will change for future generations, science educators must keep one eye on the changing landscape while keeping the other on the needs of their current students. LISE 7 will focus on the latest exciting developments in both science and education, including scientific developments, curriculum, research, the learning process, technology, school environment, classrooms of the future, and professional development.

Some of the issues LISE 7 will address include:

• What are the next big ideas and discoveries in science?
• What effect will new discoveries have on science curriculum and content?
• How can we prepare our students for future careers in science?
• What are recent advances in our knowledge of how the brain learns and how can we apply this new knowledge to our classrooms?
• Will the science classrooms of the future look different than they do today?
• How has science teaching changed over the centuries?
• What is the future of distance learning and virtual classrooms?
• How can libraries and museums of the future contribute to our teaching?
• Are there "green" schools and classrooms in our future?