Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation Proceedings of a Virtual Summit (2022) / Chapter Skim
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6 Teacher Professional Learning
6 Teacher Professional Learning
Pages 37-54
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From page 37... ...
. Of the choices provided, 35 percent of participants selected "letting go of content coverage" was the most challenging instructional shift, followed by "supporting students' sensemaking" (23%)
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From page 38... ...
To set the stage for these discussions, Tricia Shelton (National Science Teaching Association) presented details about a recent educator survey on standards implementation.
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PRESERVICE PREPARATION Victor Sampson (University of Texas at Austin) moderated this session of the Summit by asking questions of the four panelists: • Melissa Braaten: assistant professor of STEM education and teacher education at University of Colorado, Boulder; former sci ence teacher; focuses on preparing justice-oriented teachers to work in diverse communities • Lizette Burks: assistant professor of education leadership at Uni versity of Houston-Downtown; served as state science supervisor in Kansas; focuses on improving educational opportunities for youth in historically disadvantaged communities • Todd Campbell: Department Head of Curriculum Construction and professor of science education at University of Connecti cut; focuses on cultivating equitable representations of STEM activity • Thomas Philip: professor and faculty director of teacher educa tion at University of California, Berkeley; focuses on how teachers make sense of power and hierarchy in the classroom, schools, and society Undergraduate and Graduate Programs What has your teacher education program done, or is currently in the process of doing, to help preservice science teachers learn to create and facilitate rigorous and equitable learning experiences for students in a way that is aligned with the recommendations found in the Framework?
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From page 40... ...
In this experience, said Braaten, students and teachers work to redesign materials to support bilingualism, to push back against de facto English-only policies, and to try to orient science toward equity and justice wherever possible. For example, a unit about butterfly life cycles is common in elementary settings.
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From page 41... ...
With limited time to prepare educators, Burks said it was useful to use 3-D science classroom assessments as a lever to create equitable learning experiences aligned to the Framework. University of California, Berkeley Philip presented from his perspective as the faculty director of the teacher education program at University of California, Berkeley; specifically, he explored the conditions and contexts within the program that allow for rigorous and equitable learning environments for students.
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From page 42... ...
By spending time conversing with teacher activists and organizations outside of class, these collaborators can "hit the ground running" to support the preservice teachers during class time. Burks added that she seeks to leverage high-quality, equity-focused resources, networks, and supports to maximize the short amount of time she has to support teachers.
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From page 43... ...
University of Connecticut has a mentor teacher collaborative made up of teachers who have hosted preservice teachers. The objective of the group is to engage in professional learning but at the same time to consider how professional learning can benefit preservice teachers.
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From page 44... ...
• Jody Bintz: associate director at BSCS Science Learning; focuses on strategic partnerships and professional learning • K Renae Pullen: elementary science specialist for Caddo Parish Public Schools; supports teachers and school leaders • Breigh Rhodes: director of math, science, and STEM at the Louisi ana Department of Education • Stacey van der Veen: Leadership in Science, LLC • Julie Yu: senior scientist at Exploratorium
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From page 45... ...
Curriculum-based professional learning is essential for preparing teachers to use these materials, she said, and strong leadership is critical for supporting teachers in their development. Caddo Parish Public Schools, said Pullen, has a vision of science learning in which students investigate, evaluate, and reason scientifically; apply their content knowledge to real-world phenomena; and think creatively and make connections.
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From page 46... ...
When implementation is fully realized, said van der Veen, teachers engage students in investigations of phenomena, these investigations are driven by 3-D tasks, and this work is done with the full support of administrators and school systems. van der Veen described the three areas of her work: conducting workshops for teachers and administrators that focus on the vision behind the Framework; observing the process of implementing this vision in the classroom; and working with leaders to support teachers in this work.
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From page 47... ...
van der Veen added that during the past year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic, she has observed that teachers who were already engaged in NGSS-aligned instruction found the transition to hybrid or remote learning much easier because students were already at the center of the investigations. These teachers and students were already applying scientific inquiries to realworld phenomena -- from students' backyards to kitchens -- and thus were more readily able to pivot out of the classroom.
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From page 48... ...
To do this, teachers need to be supported as they improve their practices, leaders need to be supported in order to support teachers, and funding and policies need to be aligned with these goals. Bintz agreed that zip code shouldn't limit the science learning opportunities for students and added that it also shouldn't impact the professional learning opportunities for teachers.
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From page 49... ...
A final obstacle at this moment, said van der Veen, is a critical lack of substitute teachers, at least within New Jersey; without substitutes, teachers cannot participate in many professional learning opportunities. The Role of Partnerships in Implementation What role have partnerships played in local and state implementa tion efforts?
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From page 50... ...
DISCUSSION What should the field be doing to better support new and expe rienced teachers in their implementation efforts in a way that is coherent, equitable, and inclusive? In this session, speakers from both the preservice preparation and the professional development panels answered the question posed by Sampson.
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From page 51... ...
The bottom line, she said, is that "the way you are working with teachers as learners needs to reflect how you want teachers to work with students as learners." Burks agreed with Yu's call for equitable science learning and teaching and said that it would be enormously valuable to have explicit standards for diversity, equity, and inclusion in science education. Pullen agreed with Yu that all science teachers deserve access to sustainable, ongoing, equitable professional learning opportunities; she added that these opportunities be part of an intentional professional learning development plan that progresses over time.
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From page 52... ...
Materials Many speakers, said Sampson, have noted that there is an increasing number of high-quality curricular materials available to support teachers with instructional approaches that are aligned with the Framework and the NGSS. Sampson asked speakers to comment on how teacher education programs are preparing teachers to use these materials.
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From page 53... ...
Role of Outside Champions Rhodes encouraged participants to engage with partners and leaders beyond the traditional science education community. For example, a principal without a science background could be a champion for implementation
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From page 54... ...
van der Veen agreed that collaboration among teachers and others is essential for implementation, and she said that teachers need to be taught the norms of collaboration; need time, space, and support to collaborate; and need "fading scaffolds of facilitation" so that collaborative conversations are rich and focused on practice. Most importantly, she said, we need to "recognize how hard this work is," and give teachers the time and space to learn and grow together.
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