Download or read book Assessing Science Understanding written by Joel J. Mintzes and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2005-08-22 with total page 411 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recent government publications like "Benchmarks for Scientific Literacy" and "Science for all Americans" have given teachers a mandate for improving science education in America. What we know about how learners construct meaning--particularly in the natural sciences--has undergone a virtual revolution in the past 25 years. Teachers, as well as researchers, are now grappling with how to better teach science, as well as how to assess whether students are learning. Assessing Science Understanding is a companion volume to Teaching Science for Understanding, and explores how to assess whether learning has taken place. The book discusses a range of promising new and practical tools for assessment including concept maps, vee diagrams, clinical interviews, problem sets, performance-based assessments, computer-based methods, visual and observational testing, portfolios, explanatory models, and national examinations.
Download or read book Seeing Students Learn Science written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2017-03-24 with total page 137 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Science educators in the United States are adapting to a new vision of how students learn science. Children are natural explorers and their observations and intuitions about the world around them are the foundation for science learning. Unfortunately, the way science has been taught in the United States has not always taken advantage of those attributes. Some students who successfully complete their Kâ€"12 science classes have not really had the chance to "do" science for themselves in ways that harness their natural curiosity and understanding of the world around them. The introduction of the Next Generation Science Standards led many states, schools, and districts to change curricula, instruction, and professional development to align with the standards. Therefore existing assessmentsâ€"whatever their purposeâ€"cannot be used to measure the full range of activities and interactions happening in science classrooms that have adapted to these ideas because they were not designed to do so. Seeing Students Learn Science is meant to help educators improve their understanding of how students learn science and guide the adaptation of their instruction and approach to assessment. It includes examples of innovative assessment formats, ways to embed assessments in engaging classroom activities, and ideas for interpreting and using novel kinds of assessment information. It provides ideas and questions educators can use to reflect on what they can adapt right away and what they can work toward more gradually.
Download or read book Learning and Assessing Science Process Skills written by Richard J. Rezba and published by Kendall Hunt. This book was released on 2003 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Teaching Learning and Assessing Science 5 12 written by Wynne Harlen and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2005-11-09 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: `Professor Harlen has, once again, provided the leading text on primary science. This eminently readable book sets out a clear account of our understanding of learning, teaching and assessment and, through the skilful use of examples, explores the implications of this for science teachers of pupils aged five to 12. By emphasizing the importance of research evidence and the way in which it should underpin practice, this new edition challenges everyone involved in science education to reflect again on whether we are providing the most appropriate learning opportunities for our pupils. It is certainly a book which will be highly recommended, referred to on many occasions and used extensively′ - Dr Derek Bell, Chief Executive, The Association for Science Education This thoroughly revised and completely up-to-date new edition provides an excellent theoretical framework for teaching science that is firmly grounded in classroom practice and covers all stages of education for students aged five to 12 years. The author details a constructivist view of learning, which recognizes that children already have ideas about the world in which they live, and gives advice on how teachers can help children to develop their understanding and change their perception to a more scientific view. A particular feature is the focus on formative assessment as a framework for discussion on how to help students develop their understanding, enquiry skills and positive attitudes to scientific investigation. The wide range of topics covered include: The nature of students′ learning in science The goals of science education Gathering and interpreting information about students′ ′s ideas Helping development of scientific ideas Gathering and interpreting evidence of students′ enquiry skills and attitudes Strategies for helping development of students′ qnquiry skills and attitudes The learner′s role in learning Summarising and reporting learning Motivating learning Teachers and children′s questions Resources for learning science Managing science in the school Each chapter features useful summaries, points for reflection and further reading, making this acclaimed book indispensable reading for all primary and practitioners and students who want a book that will authoritatively inform, inspire and instruct their science teaching.
Download or read book Guide to Implementing the Next Generation Science Standards written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2015-03-27 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Framework for K-12 Science Education and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) describe a new vision for science learning and teaching that is catalyzing improvements in science classrooms across the United States. Achieving this new vision will require time, resources, and ongoing commitment from state, district, and school leaders, as well as classroom teachers. Successful implementation of the NGSS will ensure that all K-12 students have high-quality opportunities to learn science. Guide to Implementing the Next Generation Science Standards provides guidance to district and school leaders and teachers charged with developing a plan and implementing the NGSS as they change their curriculum, instruction, professional learning, policies, and assessment to align with the new standards. For each of these elements, this report lays out recommendations for action around key issues and cautions about potential pitfalls. Coordinating changes in these aspects of the education system is challenging. As a foundation for that process, Guide to Implementing the Next Generation Science Standards identifies some overarching principles that should guide the planning and implementation process. The new standards present a vision of science and engineering learning designed to bring these subjects alive for all students, emphasizing the satisfaction of pursuing compelling questions and the joy of discovery and invention. Achieving this vision in all science classrooms will be a major undertaking and will require changes to many aspects of science education. Guide to Implementing the Next Generation Science Standards will be a valuable resource for states, districts, and schools charged with planning and implementing changes, to help them achieve the goal of teaching science for the 21st century.
Download or read book Knowing What Students Know written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2001-10-27 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Education is a hot topic. From the stage of presidential debates to tonight's dinner table, it is an issue that most Americans are deeply concerned about. While there are many strategies for improving the educational process, we need a way to find out what works and what doesn't work as well. Educational assessment seeks to determine just how well students are learning and is an integral part of our quest for improved education. The nation is pinning greater expectations on educational assessment than ever before. We look to these assessment tools when documenting whether students and institutions are truly meeting education goals. But we must stop and ask a crucial question: What kind of assessment is most effective? At a time when traditional testing is subject to increasing criticism, research suggests that new, exciting approaches to assessment may be on the horizon. Advances in the sciences of how people learn and how to measure such learning offer the hope of developing new kinds of assessments-assessments that help students succeed in school by making as clear as possible the nature of their accomplishments and the progress of their learning. Knowing What Students Know essentially explains how expanding knowledge in the scientific fields of human learning and educational measurement can form the foundations of an improved approach to assessment. These advances suggest ways that the targets of assessment-what students know and how well they know it-as well as the methods used to make inferences about student learning can be made more valid and instructionally useful. Principles for designing and using these new kinds of assessments are presented, and examples are used to illustrate the principles. Implications for policy, practice, and research are also explored. With the promise of a productive research-based approach to assessment of student learning, Knowing What Students Know will be important to education administrators, assessment designers, teachers and teacher educators, and education advocates.
Download or read book Science Formative Assessment Volume 2 written by Page Keeley and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2014-10-16 with total page 415 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Deepen scientific understanding with formative assessment! Only by knowing what your students are thinking can you design learning opportunities that deepen content mastery and meet their individual needs. In this highly engaging resource, internationally respected expert Page Keeley shares 50 new techniques to pinpoint student understanding before, during, and after instruction. In addition to promoting best practices in the classroom, the techniques shared here support learning and link instruction to the Next Generation Science Standards. These flexible assessments can be used with any science curriculum, along with Practical strategies for using the techniques throughout the instruction cycle Considerations for implementation and suggestions for modification An explanation of how each technique promotes learning Examples of how the techniques can be used in different content areas An expert in the field of K-12 science education, Page Keeley is the former president of the National Science Teachers Association, a current Board Member of the National Science Education Leadership Association, and has seventeen best-selling books. "Science Formative Assessment, Volume 2 contains a wealth of tools that encourage students to engage in practices such as scientific argumentation and discourse. By emphasizing the alignment of the FACT with Science and Engineering Practices, Keeley provides multiple ways for teachers to monitor more than the disciplinary core ideas being taught." — Susan German, Science Teacher Hallsville R-IV School District, MO "Teachers everywhere are spending a lot of time and energy looking for ways to increase student achievement. Well, the answer is not a big secret, nor is it expensive. Fortunately, Page Keeley has an answer. Improved performance lies in using formative assessments as an integral aspect of a lesson. In this book, Keeley shows how 50 formative assessments can lead to greater student success in science." —Douglas Llewellyn, Professor St. John Fisher College, Rochester, NY Other Books from Corwin and Page Keeley: Keeley, Science Formative Assessment ISBN: 9781412941808 Keeley, Math Formative Assessment ISBN: 9781412968126 Keeley, Science Curriculum Topic Study ISBN: 9781412908924
Download or read book Science Formative Assessment Volume 1 written by Page Keeley and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2015-09-09 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Formative assessment informs the design of learning opportunities that take students from their existing ideas of science to the scientific ideas and practices that support conceptual understanding. Science Formative Assessment shows K-12 educators how to weave formative assessment into daily instruction. Discover 75 assessment techniques linked to the Next Generation Science Standards and give classroom practices a boost with: Descriptions of how each technique promotes learning Charts linking core concepts at each grade level to scientific practices Implementation guidance, such as required materials and student grouping Modifications for different learning styles Ideas for adapting techniques to other content areas
Download or read book Systems for State Science Assessment written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2005-12-28 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In response to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), Systems for State Science Assessment explores the ideas and tools that are needed to assess science learning at the state level. This book provides a detailed examination of K-12 science assessment: looking specifically at what should be measured and how to measure it. Along with reading and mathematics, the testing of science is a key component of NCLBâ€"it is part of the national effort to establish challenging academic content standards and develop the tools to measure student progress toward higher achievement. The book will be a critical resource for states that are designing and implementing science assessments to meet the 2007-2008 requirements of NCLB. In addition to offering important information for states, Systems for State Science Assessment provides policy makers, local schools, teachers, scientists, and parents with a broad view of the role of testing and assessment in science education.
Download or read book Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2000-05-03 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Humans, especially children, are naturally curious. Yet, people often balk at the thought of learning scienceâ€"the "eyes glazed over" syndrome. Teachers may find teaching science a major challenge in an era when science ranges from the hardly imaginable quark to the distant, blazing quasar. Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards is the book that educators have been waiting forâ€"a practical guide to teaching inquiry and teaching through inquiry, as recommended by the National Science Education Standards. This will be an important resource for educators who must help school boards, parents, and teachers understand "why we can't teach the way we used to." "Inquiry" refers to the diverse ways in which scientists study the natural world and in which students grasp science knowledge and the methods by which that knowledge is produced. This book explains and illustrates how inquiry helps students learn science content, master how to do science, and understand the nature of science. This book explores the dimensions of teaching and learning science as inquiry for K-12 students across a range of science topics. Detailed examples help clarify when teachers should use the inquiry-based approach and how much structure, guidance, and coaching they should provide. The book dispels myths that may have discouraged educators from the inquiry-based approach and illuminates the subtle interplay between concepts, processes, and science as it is experienced in the classroom. Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards shows how to bring the standards to life, with features such as classroom vignettes exploring different kinds of inquiries for elementary, middle, and high school and Frequently Asked Questions for teachers, responding to common concerns such as obtaining teaching supplies. Turning to assessment, the committee discusses why assessment is important, looks at existing schemes and formats, and addresses how to involve students in assessing their own learning achievements. In addition, this book discusses administrative assistance, communication with parents, appropriate teacher evaluation, and other avenues to promoting and supporting this new teaching paradigm.
Download or read book Teaching Learning Assessing Science 5 12 written by Wynne Harlen and published by Paul Chapman Educational Publishing. This book was released on 2000 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: `The book is a practical work emphasizing the nuts and bolts of how to plan and deliver the curriculum in the classroom, as well as assessing the learning outcomes. It also looks at the pros and cons of the different types of teaching resources. The book is good for curriculum planning for NQT′s and experienced teachers alike′ - Environmental Education `Wynne Harlen is an acknowledged authority in the United Kingdom on science education for children from five-12 years (often referred to as the primary school phase). This book is the product of a lifetime of dedicated work in this area. Its success is indicated by the fact that it is a further edition of a book already accepted by the teaching community as one that addresses some of their immediate and most basic concerns. For those who are familiar with the previous edition it may be helpful for readers to know that this latest one provides an update on thinking about the practice of primary school science, particularly in the light of the considerable developments that have taken place in the last 4 years.... Science educators, in particular, will find this makes a valuable contribution to their professional development, and environmental concerns are not neglected in the process′ - Environmental Education Research Teaching, Learning & Assessing Science 5-12 is a new and totally revised edition of Teaching and Learning Primary Science. The author provides a theoretical rationale for why science should be taught in particular ways, and ideas and examples of how to do it. The opening chapters show how children learn, and discuss the nature of the goals of teaching science to children aged from five to 12 years. It is teachers′ understanding of these things that determines the kind of learning experiences they provide for children. Evidence is given to support a constructivist view: a view of learning which recognizes that children already have ideas about the world around them, formed from their everyday experiences and everyday ways of thinking. The teacher′s role is to help children to build their understanding and change their ideas towards the more scientific view. In science, this means through inquiry, which involves first-hand investigation of materials, the use of books and other resources and discussion. Several chapters describe and illustrate aspects of the teacher′s role in bringing about this learning, including planning and providing learning resources.
Download or read book Surrounded by Science written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2010-04-03 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Practitioners in informal science settings-museums, after-school programs, science and technology centers, media enterprises, libraries, aquariums, zoos, and botanical gardens-are interested in finding out what learning looks like, how to measure it, and what they can do to ensure that people of all ages, from different backgrounds and cultures, have a positive learning experience. Surrounded by Science: Learning Science in Informal Environments, is designed to make that task easier. Based on the National Research Council study, Learning Science in Informal Environments: People, Places, and Pursuits, this book is a tool that provides case studies, illustrative examples, and probing questions for practitioners. In short, this book makes valuable research accessible to those working in informal science: educators, museum professionals, university faculty, youth leaders, media specialists, publishers, broadcast journalists, and many others.
Download or read book Assessing Science Learning written by Janet Coffey and published by NSTA Press. This book was released on 2008 with total page 505 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Designing Everyday Assessment in the Science Classroom written by and published by Teachers College Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book describes how middle school science teachers, in collaboration with a team of researchers, tried to improve their everyday assessment practices to enhance student learning. It discusses the challenges they faced, the differences among the teachers, and the personal nature of deep educational change. A product of CAPITAL (Classroom Assessment Project to Improve Teaching and Learning), a research effort supported by the National Science Foundation, this book: Uses classroom stories to show how teachers can use a variety of formative assessment techniques to answer questions they have about their teaching.; Provides real-life examples of teachers grappling with new practices at a personal level, in their own settings and in light of their own values and beliefs; Offers suggestions for designing professional development efforts that recognize the significant variation among teachers in how they go about changing their assessment practices ; Outlines principles and practices that must accompany change in the classroom if it is to be more than superficial.
Download or read book What Are They Thinking written by Page Keeley and published by NSTA Press. This book was released on 2014-04-01 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Children are continually developing ideas and explanations about their natural world. … Some of these ideas are consistent with the science children are taught; others differ significantly from scientific explanations. Many of these ideas will follow students into adulthood if they remain hidden from the teacher and unresolved. The challenge for teachers is to find ways to elicit these ideas and then use appropriate strategies to move students’ learning forward.” —Page Keeley, author of the bestselling NSTA Press series Uncovering Student Ideas in Science You don’t have to become a mind reader to understand the ideas young students bring to science class. This collection will help you draw out and then recognize what students know—or think they know—about the natural world. What Are They Thinking? is a compendium of 30 “Formative Assessment Probes” columns from NSTA’s elementary journal Science and Children. Each chapter provides: • A sample formative assessment probe: a set of interesting questions that root out commonly held, often-mistaken ideas. Geared to elementary students, probe topics range from why you can see the Moon in the daytime to where water goes when it evaporates to what is or isn’t a rock. Your students’ answers to each probe will help you take a step back and figure out how to guide them from where they are conceptually to where they need to be. • Accompanying teacher notes: easy-to-grasp explanations and advice that tell you how to encourage evidence-based discussion and then monitor students’ understanding. • A bonus feature: a set of study group questions written especially for this compendium by award-winning author Page Keeley. So forget about acquiring psychic powers. Instead, turn to What Are They Thinking? to transform both your teaching and your students’ learning about science.
Download or read book Uncovering Student Ideas in Science 25 formative assessment probes written by Page Keeley and published by NSTA Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: V. 1. Physical science assessment probes -- Life, Earth, and space science assessment probes.
Download or read book Formative Assessment and Science Education written by Nigel Bell and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2005-12-21 with total page 153 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work documents the findings of a research project which investigated the ways in which teachers and students used formative assessment to improve the teaching and learning of science in some New Zealand classrooms. It will be of interest to graduate students and researchers, as well as teacher educators, curriculum developers, and assessment specialists.
