MidtermCI563Boesdorfer

Improving our K-12 Science Instruction : 

Improving our K-12 Science Instruction A Professional Development Plan Sarah Boesdorfer Midterm Project C&I 563, Lind Fall 2009

Slide 2: 

Why we need this? Who will be involved? Science scores Students Futures Will help with other subjects (Ostlund, 1998) All K-12 teachers teaching science divided into K-3, 4-7, 8-12 groups. (Desimone, 2009; MSP, 2009, Grisham, 2008)

Slide 3: 

Source: Desimone, 2009, p.185

Good Professional Development programs… : 

Good Professional Development programs… Active Learning Content Focus Coherence Duration Collective Participation (Desimone, 2009; Grisham, 2008; Songer, Lee, & McDonald, 2003)

Goals for our Proposed Program : 

Goals for our Proposed Program Increased teacher content/pedagogical knowledge Increased teacher reading/use of educational research in their practice. Increased collaboration among teachers with in buildings/departments and across the district.

Overview of Our Proposed Program: : 

Overview of Our Proposed Program: 1 “program” per year for at least 3 years With local university some years Sustained, small goals each year Content specific for age-level taught and teacher needs Creation of professionally community- Time allotted to meet in person Listserv created Online website/discussion board with links to other resources Research Reading “Book Club”

Topics to Cover : 

Topics to Cover Science process skills/ Scientific Thinking (Kuhn, Iordanou, Pease, & Wirkala, 2008; Ostlund, 1998) Inquiry in the classroom (Norris & Phillips, 2008; Brickhouse, N. 2008). Science, Technology, and Society Assessing Student Understandings and Needs (Grisham, 2008; Brickhouse, 2003, Ozakaya , Uce, Saricayir, & Sahin2006)) Science Content Review (if requested or needed) specific to grade levels. (MSP, 2009)

Evaluation of Program : 

Evaluation of Program Surveys of teaching staff Useful Putting to practice Noticed improvement of students? Observations of teaching practice P.D. staff Colleagues Administration Student surveys Student test scores Picture from: http://meds.queensu.ca/assets/evaluation.jpg

Slide 9: 

Teachers matter Together We can improve Thank you

References : 

References Brickhouse, N. (2008). What is inquiry? To who should it be authentic? In R. A. Suschl and R.E. Grandy (Eds.), Teaching scientific inquiry: Recommenations for Reseach and Implemenation (284-303). The Netherlands: Sense Publishers. Desimone, L.M. (2009). Improving impact studies of teachers’ professional development: Toward better conceptualizations and measures. Educational Researcher, 38(3), 181-199. Grisham, D.L. (2008). Improving reading comprehension in K-12 education: Investigating the impat of the reading specialist credential on the instructional decisions of veteran teachers. Issues in Teacher Education, 17(1), 31- 46 Kuhn, D., Iordanou, K., Pease, M., & Wirkala, C. (2008). Beyond control of variables: What needs to develop to achieve skilled scientific thinking? Cognitive Development, 23, 435-451. Math and Science Partnerships [MSP]. (2009). Knowledge Management and dissemination. Accessed May 8, 2009 from http://www.mspkmd.net/index.php?page=11_2b . Norris, S.P., & Phillips, L. M. (2008). Reading as inquiry. In R. A. Suschl and R.E. Grandy (Eds.), Teaching scientific inquiry: Recommenations for Reseach and Implemenation (233-262). The Netherlands: Sense Publishers. Ozakaya, A.R., Uce, M., Saricayir, H., & Sahin, M. (2006). Effectiveness of a conceptual change-oriented teaching strategy to improve students’ understanding of galvanic cells.  Journal of Chemical Education, 83(11), p. 1719- 1723 Ostlund, K. (1998) What research says about science process skills. Electronic Journal of Science Education, 2(4), http://ejse.southwestern.edu/original%20site/manuscripts/v2n4/articles/guest%20editorial/ostlund.html. Songer, N.B., Lee, H., & McDonald, S. (2003). Research towards an expanded understanding of Inquiry Science beyond one idealized standard. Science Education, 87, 490-516.