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3 Developing and Selecting Instructional Materials for the NGSS
Pages 21-38

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From page 21...
... Several panels addressed existing tools and approaches for meeting these challenges, important elements of materials to consider, and ways that lessons learned from mathematics education might be applied to science education. EXISTING TOOLS TO GUIDE SELECTION AND DESIGN OF NGSS INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS A number of tools exist to help teachers, districts, and developers examine to what degree instructional materials are consistent with the NGSS.
From page 22...
... The rubric guides reviewers to analyze the NGSS 3D design in a detailed way to determine whether the learning materials address key science and engineering practices, such as asking questions, as well as the elements of each of those practices. Reviewers also examine how the three dimensions of the NGSS (practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas)
From page 23...
... Krehbiel also indicated that districts or schools with fewer resources may be able to work together to make the most of limited resources; however, he said, overall more thought is needed about how to implement these tools and curricula in more classrooms. Using Next Generation AIM to Select Materials for the NGSS at the District Level In introducing Next Generation Analyzing Instructional Materials (Next Gen AIM)
From page 24...
... The five steps of Next Gen AIM are Prepare, Prescreen, Paper Screen, Pilot, and Plan, explained DiRanna. A tool at the Prepare stage will help districts assess their own current understanding of the NGSS and their readiness to engage in a more detailed analysis of instructional materials.
From page 25...
... align with expectations of English Language Arts and mathematics, and (5) be a focus of sustained and continuous professional learning.
From page 26...
... BEYOND CONTENT ALIGNMENT: OTHER CRITERIA TO CONSIDER Instructional materials that support implementation of the NGSS go beyond align ment of the science content, stated Daniel Edelson of BSCS and moderator of a panel discussion. Panelists considered critical features of instructional materials that are important for achieving the desired learning outcomes in science: (1)
From page 27...
... Considering his own science curriculum, Reiser explained that although students make decisions about how to investigate, he and others on the develop ment team organized the sequence of phenomena that would likely lead to key questions from students. In addition, the curriculum provides teachers with the milestones, rationale, and key moments that need to occur.
From page 28...
... Although EQuIP assesses coherence, Reiser and his colleagues are also developing tools, called the Next Gen Science Exemplar System, that examine student-teacher interactions more closely to help teachers know what to look for and how to help students assess their progress toward answering their questions. He added that images of practice can be especially helpful for teachers.
From page 29...
... This new way of thinking should be reflected in both materials and in instruction, stated Lee, and developers of instructional materials should make their principles regarding language explicit. Formative Assessments Formative assessment is a process that the teacher uses to elicit student thinking and provide feedback on the way to achieving learning goals in the classroom, explained Erin Furtak of the University of Colorado Boulder.
From page 30...
... Moreover, instructional materials may need to provide guidance for teachers about the best ways to structure and elicit student thinking and how to act on specific student responses. Online resources, such as STEM Teaching Tools,2 can also provide teachers with types of questions that could be included in their formative assessments, Furtak suggested.
From page 31...
... In addition, the educative materials could also explain the teacher's understanding of the NGSS and how they play out in the lesson. Rubrics, sample student models, and potential adaptations are other potential educative features that could be included with materials.
From page 32...
... Finally, Davis noted that in addition to using tools such as EQuIP and PEEC to identify whether educative features are present, developers should gather information about which educative features of a curriculum teachers are putting into practice and which are not being implemented. LEARNING FROM MATHEMATICS As early as the 1990s and 2000s, the mathematics community developed instruc tional materials to help enact the Common Core State Standards (CCSS)
From page 33...
... The content analysis tool was designed to help users determine the extent to which the mathematics standards are addressed in the materials, are sequenced Developing and Selecting Instructional Materials for the NGSS 33
From page 34...
... These challenges have meant that teachers need particular supports to make sense of the curriculum analysis rubrics. For example, they have added "look for" statements to help make more transparent what is meant by the word "gap." Mills and others have also worked to help teachers look beyond content and to closely examine the specific tasks and activities included.
From page 35...
... Helping teachers sustain these efforts takes supplies and time, even as accountability pressures and teacher knowledge pose challenges, she stated. With the changes in science instruction called for in the NGSS, instructional mate rials are more likely to be 80 percent teacher materials and 20 percent student materials, said Lee.
From page 36...
... Mills noted that curriculum analysis is challenging and centralized organizations could pro vide ­eachers and administrators with useful information. Despite this potential, t many people who conduct reviews in centralized organizations are not closely tied to practice or to mathematics education.
From page 37...
... Last, Briars stated that the developers could provide images and other implicit information in curriculum materials that support diverse students' identities as doers of mathematics and science. Developing and Selecting Instructional Materials for the NGSS 37


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