STEELS Special Topics, Session C

Instructor(s): Peney E. Wright 

Tier 3 Professional Learning. See prerequisites below.

Our goals are to shift our teaching to engage 21st Century students in rigorous science learning.  

Conceptual Shifts: 

•  K–12 Science Education Should Reflect the real-world interconnections in science
•  All practices and crosscutting concepts are used to teach all core ideas all year
•  Science concepts build coherently across K-12
•  The NGSS focus on deeper understanding and application of content
• Integration of science and engineering
•  Coordination with Common Core State and STEELS Standards

Description of Activity: 
Tier 3 Professional Learning. Please see prerequisites below. 

Must read: read the National Research Council: A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts and Core Ideas (2012), free download 

Session C includes participant choices of: 
Developing a cohesive unit Storyline

•  Transition your current science units or curriculum towards Phenomena-base, 3-Dimensional Teaching and Learning where students can clearly make connections between activities and lessons. See Next Generation Science Storylines for a preview. 
   

HQIM Reviews or Shifting Deep Dive and Working Session

• Explore recommended High-Quality Instruction Materials to assess their STEELS alignment and use in your district or classroom. Select and use HQIM to support aligning your current district curriculum and make recommendations to K-12 educators for the first year of STEELS implementation.
•  Resources include: OpenSciEd , Ambitious Science Teaching , Lessons and Units: Quality Examples of NGSS Design , American Museum of Natural History’s Five Tools and Processes for Translating )the NGSS) STEELS Into Instruction and Classroom Assessment 
   

Integrating T&E into Science Units with T& E / EL&S Bundling 

•  Technology and Engineering are advancing at exponential rates and permeate many aspects of our lives. All grade levels are expected to integrate the STEELS Technology and Engineering Standards. Use the technique of “bundling” the STEELS Standards to make your teaching more effective and time saving as well as planning for students to better understand the world around them.
•  Resources to support T&E integration: Engineering is Elementary (EiE)/ YES! (Youth Engineering Solutions)  and Engineering by Design (EbD)
•  Resources include: Science Assessment Task Screening Tools 
•  Page Keeley’s Uncovering Student Ideas in Science , Science Probe Formative Assessments 
   

Team Planning: Ongoing Professional Learning for teachers, STEELS Curriculum Mapping, etc. 

•  Develop or refine a STEELS district Mission Statement, plan for Act 80 and other professional learning days for teachers in your district, create a cohesive K-12 Curriculum Map for your district using A Framework for K- 12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts and Core Ideas, free download , to inform the grade 
  band progressions
•  Resources include: NGSS District Implementation Indicators , Guide to Implementing the Next Generation Science Standards, free download (and one copy per district) 
   

Supporting Leading Elementary Teacher Superstars “SLEETS” for STEELS: developing science and engineering content knowledge and pedagogy to apply to one lesson or unit 
 

Strongly recommended: read the National Research Council: A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts and Core Ideas (2012), free download 

Prerequisites: At least one of these: STEELS Experience for K-12 Educators, Implementing the STEELS Standards: Developing Science Leadership Teams, ENGINE 3-D STEELS Educator Virtual Community of Practice (CoP), either Ambitious Science Teaching Sessions 1-6 (three full days) or participate in the Ambitious Science Teaching Book Study Best to complete STEELS Special Topics A and B as they are foundations for the project work embedded in STEELS Special Topics C

Audience: 3-8 educators, library media specialists, special education educators