Ready, Set, SCIENCE! Putting Research to Work in K-8 Science Classrooms (2008) / Chapter Skim
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8 A System That Supports Science Learning
8 A System That Supports Science Learning
Pages 149-166
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From page 149... ...
Good science teaching and learning must draw from all four of the strands of scientific proficiency. With carefully structured classroom experiences, instruc tional support from teachers, and opportunities to explore and connect important science concepts over extended periods of weeks, months, and years, elementary and middle school students can make valuable gains in science learning.
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From page 150... ...
The system includes standards, curricula, assessments, professional development, teacher preparation -- all of which should be reexamined in light of current thinking about teaching and learning science. Systemic goals are, of course, large scale, and it will take years, as well as political will and invest ment, to realize them.
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From page 151... ...
Although this new way of understanding science learning requires the involvement of many in the education system, it is the classroom science teacher who has the most frequent and direct impact on students' classroom experiences. In this chapter we focus on the particular knowledge and skill that teachers need in order to teach science well and the ways in which the system should shift to support teacher learning and development.
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From page 152... ...
Goldenada became principal at Rosa Parks, many of the teachers were wary of teaching science. The school was large (nearly 900 students in pre-K through grade 8)
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From page 153... ...
However it is organized, it is important to note that teacher learning is focused on important conceptual goals and that it encompasses features of productive teacher learning environments. To teach science well, teachers must draw on a body of knowledge that can be divided into three broad, partially overlapping categories: knowledge of sci ence, knowledge of how students learn science, and knowledge of how to teach science effectively.
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From page 154... ...
Without careful attention to what teachers need to know to teach science and how they can learn it, solutions are often limited to adding more courses to a given sequence, program, or credential requirement. The strands of science learning, presented in Chapter 2, provide a useful rubric for analyzing the kinds of science that teachers currently learn and identi fying the aspects of science proficiency that current professional development is unlikely to support.
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From page 155... ...
In order to work toward and achieve the new vision for K-8 science education described in this book, those involved in defining the content and practice of teacher education will have to wrestle with these questions. How Students Learn Science Effective teaching requires that teachers understand what students do when they learn and what cognitive, linguistic, and emotional resources they bring to the table.
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From page 156... ...
A science teacher also needs to know how to create science learning opportunities; how to select appropriate instructional mate rials and problems; the appropriate points in an investigation to teach a new skill; and how to help students understand the unique qualities of scientific language and reasoning and how they relate to everyday forms. We could create a long list of science-specific pedagogical considerations, but a concrete example may better illustrate the ways in which a teacher's knowledge of science intersects with a knowledge of pedagogy.
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From page 157... ...
Through a combina tion of peer and administrative support, teachers developed knowledge of science, knowledge of student learning as it relates to science, and how to teach science effectively. The majority of elementary and middle schools, however, do not pro vide teachers either the time for peer study groups or practice-embedded profes sional development or the resources, materials, or pedagogical/content knowledge needed to learn science themselves and teach it well.
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From page 158... ...
They have been focusing on the science that they teach at their grade level, on children's usual difficulties in understanding that science, on curriculum analysis and revisions of the inquiry-oriented, standards based units they have adopted, and on the knowledge for teaching -- including knowledge of representations, analogies, and models -- that help children construct big ideas. Experienced facilitators from the university and the district lead these professional learning communities, which meet after school every two weeks and during the summer for an intensive study of the scientific concepts in one focus unit.
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From page 159... ...
Teachers planned to use the videotape to help their students understand the various ways that trash can be handled, recycled, and composted. In both of these examples, teachers focused on understanding, representing, and teaching specific content to their students at specific grade levels.
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From page 160... ...
Another study provided professional development opportunities to elementary school teachers serving students from diverse backgrounds.5 Teachers' 160 Ready, Set, SCIENCE!
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From page 161... ...
The kinds of professional development opportunities described above are not the only option for school leaders. In conjunction with such programs, schools can invest in the resources of specialized science educators, such as science specialists, teacher leaders, coaches, mentors, demonstration teachers, and lead teachers.
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From page 162... ...
As research has made clear, teachers have not had access to the kinds of professional learning opportunities necessary for effective science teaching. Much remains to be learned about the connection between what teachers know and how their knowledge affects student learning.
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From page 163... ...
Professional Development Staff Professional development is needed to help teachers understand science, how children think about and learn science, and how to teach it. If teachers are to create rich and productive science learning experiences for students, they themselves must have experiences working with the four strands of proficiency over time and in ways that relate directly to their own classroom practice.
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From page 164... ...
In particular, educators will need access to instances of excellent science teaching that they can study in real time, in texts like this one, or through video and interactive technologies. Professional develop ment staff may need to scour local resources and consult professional networks to find materials that exemplify excellent practice in science teaching.
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From page 165... ...
Examining and listening closely to students' ideas are crucial components to science teaching. Even novice teachers can begin immediately to find ways to elicit student thinking and connect it with the science curriculum.
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From page 166... ...
Each of these groups can work individu ally and together to advance science education, and we urge them to think about their work in terms of the research basis for science learning. The science teaching and learning taking place in American classrooms today could and should do much more.
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