Tier #2 Ambitious Science Teaching (AST) Session #1 Introduction to Ambitious Science Teaching and Culturally Relevant Science Teaching [Half-day AM]

Instructor(s): Peney E. Wright and Eric Yoder

Description of Activity: What is Ambitious Science Teaching?

Great teaching can be learned. Our website provides a vision of ambitious science instruction for elementary, middle school and high school classrooms. Ambitious teaching deliberately aims to support students of all backgrounds to deeply understand science ideas, participate in the activities of the discipline, and solve authentic problems.

It features 4 core sets of teaching practices that support these goals. These core sets make up the Ambitious Science Teaching Framework. The framework has been based on classroom research from the past 30 years—research that has asked, “What kinds of talk, tasks, and tools do students need in order to fully engage in meaningful forms of science learning?”

During this introductory session we will focus on:

• Research-based science pedagogy from knowledge to practice.
• Shared experiences immersed in a brief demonstration science lesson
• Reflect on our current science teaching practices
• Explore AST’s seven foundations of the four main practices

Highly Recommended: Visit https://ambitiousscienceteaching.org/ to preview the website and watch the AST Overview video, 17:19. Also, read Ambitious Science Teaching: Preface - Chapter 1  (Softback book available from your STEELS Leadership Team, 1 copy, and from TIU 11’s Lending Library (4 copies available.) 

Prerequisites include one or more of the following Tier #1 STEELS PL:

• School Leaders Establishing Foundations for the STEELS Academic Standards: NGSX PLANS
• Implementing the STEELS Standards: Developing Science Leadership Teams
• STEELS Experience for K-12 Teachers
• SY ‘22-23 ENGINE of Central PA STEM Ecosystem: 3-Dimensional STEELS Educator Community of Practice (CoP)

Note: Selected sessions will be recorded and made available for an asynchronous option. Asynchronous work to include pre-reading of the website and/or AST paperback, viewing AST videos, posted reflections regarding the readings and videos, and applying what is learned to participants’ contexts. Participants may join in-person, work completely asynchronously or attend as a hybrid mix. Please contact Peney at pwright@tiu11.org for complete details.