Professional development tools for educators

Science is important for the education of all, however, it is not the only purpose of education. It is important connections between overall education and science education are strong, if we are to achieve the best outcomes for our learners. While there are many connections that can be made with the following tools, more general information is available on the pedagogy section of this site.

Science & science education

• Essay Thinking about Science Education - Clyde Freeman Herreid
• Science books & articles for professional development - annotated list
• Principled procedures to guide decision making
  • Science principled procedures
  • Sustainable principled procedures

Intended learnings

Nature of science

An overview of the nature of science is illustrated in the map, near by. The articles below explore it and its different dimensions in different ways. Enjoy!

• What is science, science literacy, nature of science (NOS) - what professional educators need to know about science. Definitioins of science, questions for NOS, discussion of NOS questions, anxiety survey with suggestions.
• When teachers talk about inquiry they are usually refering to one of three kinds of inquiry. Review the three kinds in the overview.
  • Overview of inquiry and its relationship to science
  • Inquiry - Scientific Inquiry, Investigation, or Experimenting: Misconceptions and Unpacked for Ethnographic and Experimental Concepts and suggestions
• Personal relationship to science - Personal science exploration story
• Personal relationship to science and technology - MacCready article
• See also unpacking science
• Process of profesional development for science educators
• Science for All Americans - Project 2061 at AAAS.
• Science for All Children - on line at the National Academies Press
• Visualization

Learners - development of scientific literacy as intended learning

• Learning theory
  • Learning procedure & cycle of learning
  • Variables for learning
  • Explanations for learner's thinking as naive understandings or misconceptions
  • Learning theory & human development
• Teaching for Conceptual Change - Kappan article
• Fish is Fish - picture book and how people learn
• Explore a The Secret Under my Skin and explore these questions to reflect on teaching and learning how to learn.
• Physical Skills Necessary for Exploration
• Words to describe observations through all senses
• Development & recognition of science talent
• Frequently asked science interview questions FAC's
• Private Universe - 4 video series on construction of science ideas, video access & study sheets

Planning

Unpacking intended learnings for science literacy

Tools to identify big ideas, generalizations, standards, benchmarks, concepts, facts ...

• Concept measurement unpacked - K-8
• Concept science inquiry unpacked - preschool to literate
• Properties of matter unpacked
• Mapping unified processes & cross cutting concepts into content areas examples include - electricity, seeds, matter and solutions blank,

Unpacking to combine contectual areas

• Health concepts

Planning that brings together intended learnings & educational strategies

• Research and applications for planning Environmental education ideas, lessons, units, & curriculum elements
• Planning framework - includes categories with explanations
  • Blank planning framework
  • Framework for Sound
  • Framework for Classification
  • Sample planning map for internal combustion four cycle engine
• Creation of concept map across grade levels (K-8) for magnetism, unpacking standards, connecting concepts to child's understanding and outcomes
• Inquiry - describes range of inquiry empowerment as combinations of teacher - student centered & relates them to different instructional methods. Also includes samples of instruction for the seven combinations.

Instructional methods & models, & strategies to faciliate science literacy

General teaching model ------- General Planning - pedagogy page.

Inductive teaching model -

• Learning procedure & cycle of learning
• Variables for learning
• Explanations for learner's thinking as naive understandings or misconceptions
• Video of traditonal electrical circuit Learning Cycle lesson
• Teaching Syntax, Models, Strategies, & Procedures
• Learning cycle - As an Instructional Theory
• Learning cycle - Relative to a constructivist learning theory
• Learning cycles - Five different with instructional and learning theory notes
• Learning cycle - who does what? students or teacher?
• Learning cycle lesson summaries to review and make suggestions to improve as hands on and constructivists
• Support for | facts concepts and generalizations || Disequlibration | standards concepts outcomes |
• Questioning srategies
• Direct instruction procedure
• Cooperative learning resources
• Article comparing direct instruction and the learning cycle

Plans & materials to guide teaching & learning

The Investigations page has lists of activities, lessons, unit, & packets for to facilitate science literacy. Resources below are provided for planning and professional development.

Sample plans

• Early childhood planning information .
• Plastic bag piercing
• Planning template

Assorted planning resources

• Challenges also includes Projects & Challenges for Project based learning (PBL) & Challenge based learning (CBL)
• Discrepant Events
• Learning about Acid Rain. A Teacher's Guide
• Teacher guide for evolution - Source - Project 2061 AAAS
  • A study finds exposure to more comprehensive evolution teaching improved the probability of accepting evolution in adulthood, but did not affect political beliefs or religiosity. It also increased the probability of working in the life sciences as an adult. Source
• Format for an evidence based argument
• Data analysis, variables, relationships, and graphing notes (line graphs)
• Groups and self evaluation sample .
• Rubrics and scoring guides.

• Science fairs - Judging suggestions, scoring guide construction suggestions, & sample investigation scoring guide / rubric.
• Science career related information - List of Science Careers
• Interview Questions for Scientists
• Scientists - List of Scientists - Scientist MacCready photos to go with his story
• Standards documents

Year curriculums

* Lola Way K-8 science curriculum 1947 historical document

• Parts and pieces for yearly curriculums
• Yearly curriculum framework for elementary grades - life, physical, earth dimensions with inquiry, process, and other dimensions integrated

Assessment

Assessment and evaluation tool

• General assesment tool box
• Inquiry & investigation scoring guides and rubrics
  • Scoring guide for an investigation or experiment
  • Inquiry check sheet 1
  • Inquiry check sheet 2
• Instructional Indicators Lesson Planning Check List
• Evaluation simulation - includes assessment scenario with assessment and simulated student assessments to evaluate
• Assorted scoring guides and rubrics

Instructional assessment to evaluate instruction or facilitation of student learning

• Teaching science assessment and reflection suggestions on instructional practices
• Inquiry student observation based
• Inquiry environmental observation based
• Inquiry teacher observation based

Other Instructional Information

• Professional Development: Technology - Using the computer for: photos, audio, and video --->>> directions and tutorials...

Advocacy for Freedom of Information

• The Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) is recognized as one of the leading consumer protection and privacy organizations in the United States.

Framework for elementary science curriculum