Download or read book Capturing Middle School Science Teachers Perceptions Learning and Instructional Enactments in a Professional Development Designed to Facilitate Students Collaborative Discourse written by Linda K. Peterson and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Middle School Educators Perceptions of Teacher Collaboration on Student and Teacher Learning written by Heidi Capetola and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 101 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this study was to examine middle school educators' perceptions of the impact of teacher collaboration on student and teacher learning. This qualitative research study investigated the perceptions of middle school educators serving as language arts, reading, science, social studies, or mathematics teachers and principals and assistant principals. The study was conducted in 3 middle schools with a grade structure of 6-8 in southeastern Pennsylvania. Seven administrators and 64 teachers participated in the questionnaire portion of the study. Individual interviews with 15 participants (12 teachers and 3 administrators) provided additional insights on their perceptions. Results of the study indicated that middle school educators perceived collaboration as a vehicle for positively impacting the professional development of teachers and for increasing student learning. The research findings also suggested that many educators perceived specific benefits of teacher collaboration to be improvement of individual teaching skills based upon knowledge gained from colleagues, clearer goals for student learning, and increased reflection on the teaching and learning process. The findings also identified challenges to collaboration which include establishing trust, possessing a willingness to change, and openness to new ideas. The data also revealed areas of needed growth in collaborative practices which include ensuring teachers share student work and analyze data during collaborative time. Results also indicated that teachers are appreciative of the time given for collaboration with their colleagues, but often there is little administrative involvement and direction for how to use collaborative time.
Download or read book Resources for Teaching Middle School Science written by Smithsonian Institution and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1998-03-30 with total page 496 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With age-appropriate, inquiry-centered curriculum materials and sound teaching practices, middle school science can capture the interest and energy of adolescent students and expand their understanding of the world around them. Resources for Teaching Middle School Science, developed by the National Science Resources Center (NSRC), is a valuable tool for identifying and selecting effective science curriculum materials that will engage students in grades 6 through 8. The volume describes more than 400 curriculum titles that are aligned with the National Science Education Standards. This completely new guide follows on the success of Resources for Teaching Elementary School Science, the first in the NSRC series of annotated guides to hands-on, inquiry-centered curriculum materials and other resources for science teachers. The curriculum materials in the new guide are grouped in five chapters by scientific areaâ€"Physical Science, Life Science, Environmental Science, Earth and Space Science, and Multidisciplinary and Applied Science. They are also grouped by typeâ€"core materials, supplementary units, and science activity books. Each annotation of curriculum material includes a recommended grade level, a description of the activities involved and of what students can be expected to learn, a list of accompanying materials, a reading level, and ordering information. The curriculum materials included in this book were selected by panels of teachers and scientists using evaluation criteria developed for the guide. The criteria reflect and incorporate goals and principles of the National Science Education Standards. The annotations designate the specific content standards on which these curriculum pieces focus. In addition to the curriculum chapters, the guide contains six chapters of diverse resources that are directly relevant to middle school science. Among these is a chapter on educational software and multimedia programs, chapters on books about science and teaching, directories and guides to science trade books, and periodicals for teachers and students. Another section features institutional resources. One chapter lists about 600 science centers, museums, and zoos where teachers can take middle school students for interactive science experiences. Another chapter describes nearly 140 professional associations and U.S. government agencies that offer resources and assistance. Authoritative, extensive, and thoroughly indexedâ€"and the only guide of its kindâ€"Resources for Teaching Middle School Science will be the most used book on the shelf for science teachers, school administrators, teacher trainers, science curriculum specialists, advocates of hands-on science teaching, and concerned parents.
Download or read book Doing Good Science in Middle School Expanded 2nd Edition written by Olaf Jorgenson and published by NSTA Press. This book was released on 2014-04-01 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “We are among those who have come to enjoy the blossoming intellects, often comical behaviors, and insatiable curiosity of middle schoolers—and choose to work with them! With more than 130 years of combined experience in the profession, we’ve gathered a lot of ideas to share. We know from our interactions with educators around the country that precious few quality resources exist to assist science teachers ‘in the middle,’ and this was a central impetus for updating Doing Good Science in Middle School.” —From the preface This lively book contains the kind of guidance that could only come from veterans of the middle school science trenches. The authors know you’re crazy-busy, so they made the book easy to use, whether you want to read it cover to cover or pick out sections to help you with lesson planning and classroom management. They also know you face new challenges, so they thoroughly revised this second edition to meet the needs of today’s students. The book contains: • big-picture concepts, such as how to understand middle school learners and explore the nature of science with them; • a comprehensive overview of science and engineering practices, STEM, and inquiry-based middle school science instruction, aligned with A Framework for K–12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards; • 10 new and updated teacher-tested activities that integrate STEM with literacy skill-building; • information on best instructional practices and professional-development resources; and • connections to the Common Core State Standards in English language arts and mathematics. If you’re a new teacher, you’ll gain a solid foundation in how to teach science and engineering practices while better understanding your often-enigmatic middle-grade students. If you’re a veteran teacher, you’ll benefit from a fresh view of what your colleagues are doing in new times. Either way, Doing Good Science in Middle School is a rich opportunity to reaffirm that what you do is “good science.”
Download or read book Help I m Teaching Middle School Science written by C. Jill Swango and published by NSTA Press. This book was released on 2003 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Like your own personal survival guide, Help IOCOm Teaching Middle School Science is a nontechnical how-to manualOCoespecially for first-year teachers. But even veteran teachers can benefit from the plentiful ideas, examples, and tips on teaching science the way middle-schoolers learn best. The book covers all the basics: .: .; what to do on the first day of school (including icebreaker activities), .; preparing safe and effective lab lessons, .; managing the classroom, .; working with in-school teams as well as parents. But its practicalOCoand encouragingOCoapproach doesnOCOt mean it shortchanges the basics of effective pedagogy. YouOCOll learn: how to handle cooperative learning and assessment; how to help students write effectively and; the importance of modeling for early adolescents."
Download or read book Arguing From Evidence in Middle School Science written by Jonathan Osborne and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2016-08-30 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Teaching your students to think like scientists starts here! If you’ve ever struggled to help students make scientific arguments from evidence, this practical, easy-to-use activity book is for you! Give your students the critical scientific practice today′s science standards require. You’ll discover strategies and activities to effectively engage students in arguments about competing data sets, opposing scientific ideas, applying evidence to support specific claims, and more. 24 ready-to-implement activities drawn from the physical sciences, life sciences, and earth and space sciences help teachers to: Align lessons to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Engage students in the 8 NGSS science and engineering practices Establish rich, productive classroom discourse Facilitate reading and writing strategies that align to the Common Core State Standards Extend and employ argumentation and modeling strategies Clarify the difference between argumentation and explanation Includes assessment guidance and extension activities. Learn to teach the rational side of science the fun way with this simple and straightforward guide!
Download or read book An Examination of how Middle School Science Teachers Conduct Collaborative Inquiry and Reflection about Students Conceptual Understanding written by Christine S. Todd-Gibson and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 124 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This qualitative case study examined how middle school science teachers conducted collaborative inquiry and reflection about students' conceptual understanding, and how individual teachers in the middle school science group acted and made reflections in response to their collaborative inquiry. It also examined external influences that affected the teachers' ability to engage in collaborative inquiry. Observational, written, and interview data were collected from observations of teachers' face-to-face meetings and reflections, individual interviews, a focus group interview, and online reflections. The results of this study revealed that collaborative inquiry is a form of professional development that includes answering curricular questions through observation, communication, action, and reflection. This approach was developed and implemented by middle school science teachers. The premise of an inquiry is based on a need with students. Middle school science teachers came to consensus about actions to affect students' conceptual understanding, took action as stated, and shared their reflections of the actions taken with consideration to current and upcoming school activities. Activities involved teachers brainstorming and sharing with one another, talking about how the variables were merged into their curriculum, and how they impacted students' conceptual understanding. Teachers valued talking with one another about science content and pedagogy, but did find the inquiry portion of the approach to require more development. The greatest challenge to conducting collaborative inquiry and reflection was embedding teacher inquiry within a prescribed inquiry that was already being conducted by the Sundown School District. Collaborative inquiry should be structured so that it meets the needs of teachers in order to attend to the needs of students. A conducive atmosphere for collaborative inquiry and reflection is one in which administrators make the process mandatory and facilitate the process by removing an existing inquiry.
Download or read book Inquiring Scientists Inquiring Readers in Middle School written by Terry Shiverdecker and published by NSTA Press. This book was released on 2016-11-30 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Great news for multitasking middle school teachers: Science educators Terry Shiverdecker and Jessica Fries-Gaither can help you blend inquiry-based science and literacy instruction to support student learning and maximize your time. Several unique features make Inquiring Scientists, Inquiring Readers in Middle School a valuable resource: • Lessons integrate all aspects of literacy—reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing. The texts are relevant nonfiction, including trade books, newspaper and magazine articles, online material, infographics, and even videos. • A learning-cycle framework helps students deepen their understanding with data collection and analysis before reading about a concept. • Ten investigations support current standards and encompass life, physical, and Earth and space sciences. Units range from “Chemistry, Toys, and Accidental Inventions” to “Thermal Energy: An Ice Cube’s Kryptonite!” • The authors have made sure the book is teacher-friendly. Each unit comes with scientific background, a list of common misconceptions, an annotated text list, safety considerations, differentiation strategies, reproducible student pages, and assessments. This middle school resource is a follow-up to the authors’ award-winning Inquiring Scientists, Inquiring Readers for grades 3–5, which one reviewer called “very thorough, and any science teacher’s dream to read.” The book will change the way you think about engaging your students in science and literacy.
Download or read book A Program Evaluation of Middle School Science Teachers Perceptions and Instructional Practices with the Next Generation Science Standards written by Antoinette Marie Glenn and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 107 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) is the most recent reform in science education across the United States. The NGSS demands a shift in both teaching and learning. Yet there is no direction on how teachers are to implement this shift in their classrooms. This mixed-methods study examined 12 middle school teachers’ perceptions and the instructional practices within the NGSS Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) by using interviews and classroom observations. Findings suggest that there was a shift in instructional practices and a varying degree of implementation of the eight SEPs. The data analysis identified ongoing needs related to specific professional development. The researcher concluded that district leaders and school principals need to provide tangible supports to teachers in order to successfully meet the demands of this new vision of science education.
Download or read book Discussions in Science written by Tim Sprod and published by ACER Press. This book was released on 2011-11-01 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Encourage your students to go beyond learning scientific facts and skills, to an in-depth collaborative inquiry into scientific concepts, the nature of science, the ethical implications of science, and the links between science and their everyday lives.
Download or read book The Contribution of Professional Development to a Middle school Team s Collaboration and Instructional Learning written by Albert Michael Riskus and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 119 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Teachers working in isolation to overcome instructional challenges are left to their own devices, but teachers working together can benefit from others' perspectives. Teacher collaboration can increase communication and open doors to increased collective knowledge and rapport. Collaborative knowledge sharing and decision-making that focus on student achievement can go far in improving instructional learning. This action research focused on increasing collaboration among members of a middle school team of teachers. Involving teachers in a collaboration development processes was intended to improve productive interactions and contribute to instructional learning as a professional learning team. Study participants were involved in an eight week professional development initiative that involved techniques to promote collaboration along with instructional learning tools to promote professional learning in regard to guiding students to high levels of cognition. A mixed methods set of data was generated including a research journal, artifacts, surveys, meeting transcriptions, and interviews. Findings concluded that focusing on collaboration contributed to positive changes in the middle school team's interactions. Setting and revisiting norms of collaboration were crucial steps in this focus, leading to increased buy-in and active participation during team meetings. Focusing on relevance contributed to multiple aspects of the team's instructional learning. Participants valued their collaborative efforts especially when they found direct links between their professional learning and their individual classroom situations. Focusing on an action plan also contributed to participants' instructional learning. Setting manageable short terms goals gave the team direction and fostered accountability. Finally, working as a professional learning team contributed to the team's instructional learning. Taking the time to meet frequently allowed teachers to share classroom experiences, assist one another, and develop professionally.
Download or read book Exploring the Middle School Science Achievement Gap Influences of Curriculum Instruction and Students Perceptions written by Rosalie Anne Winning and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: Students' science achievement has been subject to scrutiny and criticism in the United States. The decline in rankings on standardized international assessments has been the focus of concern for educators, policy makers, parents and society at large. This study, designed as an action research, explored the factors contributing to the decrease in the number of students attaining advanced proficiency in science learning as measured by state assessments in grades four and eight in a New Jersey school district. Specifically, this study addressed the degree to which the middle school curriculum reflected the national science framework standards for 21st century leaning and the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards; the pedagogical approaches regularly planned and implemented in the middle school science classrooms; and the students' perceptions of their science learning. Research data were collected by teacher and student surveys, focus group discussions, student interviews, document reviews of written curricula, and classroom observations. An important disparity emerged between the document analysis of the local curriculum and the teachers' views that 21st century learning skills are reflected in the written curriculum and classroom pedagogy. Further, classroom observations revealed the prevalence of a traditional pedagogy, focused on repetition of teacher-disseminated information and featuring limited differentiation, inquiry-based or constructivist learning strategies. The students expressed a value for discovery and collaboration with peers in order to develop, share and refine their understanding of science. The research concluded with recommendations for a revised curriculum process, sustained and collaborative professional development, on-going formative assessments of student learning and the formal integration of an online student science blog as a means of encouraging the co-construction of deep and enduring science knowledge.
Download or read book Four Science Teachers Perceptions and Reflections about Teaching Science to Middle School Students written by Brita A. Theadford and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book An Enactment of Science written by Robert W. Blake and published by Peter Lang Incorporated, International Academic Publishers. This book was released on 2002 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Annotation Black (elementary education, Towson U., Maryland) looks extensively at how one teacher, considered exemplary by her peers and students, utilizes innovative science curricula and teaching practices in an urban sixth grade classroom. He has not indexed his study. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Download or read book Teacher Learning That Matters written by Mary Kooy and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-02-27 with total page 295 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the continuing global call for educational reforms and change, the contributors in this edited collection address the critical issue of teacher learning from diverse national contexts and perspectives. They define "teacher learning that matters" as it shapes and directs pedagogical practices with the goal of improving student learning. This book weaves together major studies, research findings and theoretical orientations to represent a globalized network of inquiries into the what, how and why of teacher learning that shapes teacher skill and knowledge. Teacher learning matters on an international scale because teachers are the portals through which any initiative for change and reform is realized. Recognizing that a highly skilled teaching force is instrumental to improving student achievement adds import to generating interactive dialogue on teacher learning around the globe.
Download or read book Lesson Study written by Clea Fernandez and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-09-10 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lesson study is a popular professional development approach in Japan whereby teachers collaborate to study content, instruction, and how students solve problems and reach for understanding in order to improve elementary mathematics instruction and learning in the classroom. This book is the first comprehensive look at the system and process of lesson study in Japan. It describes in detail the process of how teachers conducted lesson study--how they collaborated in order to develop a lesson, what they talked about during the process, and what they looked at in order to understand deeply how students were learning. Readers see the planning of a mathematics lesson, as well as how much content knowledge the teachers have. They observe students' problem solving strategies and learn how Japanese teachers prepare themselves to identify those strategies and facilitate the students' discussion. Written for mathematics teachers, educational researchers, school administrators interested in teachers' professional development, and professional developers, this landmark volume provides an in-depth understanding of lesson study that can lead to positive changes in teachers' professional development and in teaching and learning in the United States.
Download or read book Supporting Grade 5 8 Students in Constructing Explanations in Science written by Katherine L. McNeill and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "I would encourage others to use [this book] as a resource for a professional learning community or department discussion group and the like... absolutely I would recommend it---why? It is simply good for our students' developing understanding of science..."---Pamela M. Pelletier, Senior Program Director, Science K-12, Boston Public Schools, Boston, Massachusetts --
