Download or read book Professional Learning in a School Based Community of Science Teachers written by Wayne Melville and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2010-01-01 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book conceptualises professional learning as the engagement of teachers in a virtues-based personal reflection and/or public discourse around the episteme, techne and phronesis in the spaces ‘in-between’ the metaphors of understanding community: meanings, practice, and identity.

Download or read book Professional Learning in a School based Community of Science Teachers written by Wayne Stuart Melville and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 594 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This thesis investigates professional learning in a school-based community of science teachers. Transcripts of science staff meetings were analysed using two frameworks. These frameworks relate to the notions of community and professional learning. The school-based community is interpreted in terms of three metaphors of understanding: meanings, practice and identity. Professional learning is interpreted in terms of how the teachers learn the episteme, techne and phronesis of their science teaching. I propose that professional learning occurs when teachers engage in virtues-based personal reflection and/or public discourse around episteme, techne and phronesis in the spaces 'in-between' the metaphors of community. This proposition raises implications for the accessibility of professional learning and the relationship between community and organisational boundaries.

Download or read book Leading Professional Learning Communities written by Shirley M. Hord and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2008-02-01 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Imagine all professionals in all schools engaged in continuous professional learning! Education experts Shirley M. Hord and William A. Sommers explore the school-based learning opportunities offered to school professionals and the principal's critical role in the creation, development, and support of an effective professional learning community (PLC). This book provides school leaders with readily accessible information to guide them in initiating and developing a PLC that supports teachers and students. Using field-tested examples, the text illustrates how this research-based school improvement model can help educators: Increase leadership capacity Embed professional development into daily work Create a positive school culture Develop accountability Boost student achievement

Download or read book Professional Learning Communities for Science Teaching written by Susan Mundry and published by NSTA Press. This book was released on 2009 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What would it take to move your school closer toward a culture that supports and sustains professional learning communities (PLCs)? This thought-provoking collection of stories will inspire you to find answers to this question and others. It begins with the argument that in a PLC environment, teachers receive continuous professional development. Later chapters recount the origins of schools as professional learning communities, define the characteristics of professional learning communities, and review research on the subject.

Download or read book Science Teachers Learning written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2016-01-15 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Currently, many states are adopting the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) or are revising their own state standards in ways that reflect the NGSS. For students and schools, the implementation of any science standards rests with teachers. For those teachers, an evolving understanding about how best to teach science represents a significant transition in the way science is currently taught in most classrooms and it will require most science teachers to change how they teach. That change will require learning opportunities for teachers that reinforce and expand their knowledge of the major ideas and concepts in science, their familiarity with a range of instructional strategies, and the skills to implement those strategies in the classroom. Providing these kinds of learning opportunities in turn will require profound changes to current approaches to supporting teachers' learning across their careers, from their initial training to continuing professional development. A teacher's capability to improve students' scientific understanding is heavily influenced by the school and district in which they work, the community in which the school is located, and the larger professional communities to which they belong. Science Teachers' Learning provides guidance for schools and districts on how best to support teachers' learning and how to implement successful programs for professional development. This report makes actionable recommendations for science teachers' learning that take a broad view of what is known about science education, how and when teachers learn, and education policies that directly and indirectly shape what teachers are able to learn and teach. The challenge of developing the expertise teachers need to implement the NGSS presents an opportunity to rethink professional learning for science teachers. Science Teachers' Learning will be a valuable resource for classrooms, departments, schools, districts, and professional organizations as they move to new ways to teach science.

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 Ambitious Science Teaching written by Mark Windschitl and published by Harvard Education Press. This book was released on 2020-08-05 with total page 455 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 2018 Outstanding Academic Title, Choice Ambitious Science Teaching outlines a powerful framework for science teaching to ensure that instruction is rigorous and equitable for students from all backgrounds. The practices presented in the book are being used in schools and districts that seek to improve science teaching at scale, and a wide range of science subjects and grade levels are represented. The book is organized around four sets of core teaching practices: planning for engagement with big ideas; eliciting student thinking; supporting changes in students’ thinking; and drawing together evidence-based explanations. Discussion of each practice includes tools and routines that teachers can use to support students’ participation, transcripts of actual student-teacher dialogue and descriptions of teachers’ thinking as it unfolds, and examples of student work. The book also provides explicit guidance for “opportunity to learn” strategies that can help scaffold the participation of diverse students. Since the success of these practices depends so heavily on discourse among students, Ambitious Science Teaching includes chapters on productive classroom talk. Science-specific skills such as modeling and scientific argument are also covered. Drawing on the emerging research on core teaching practices and their extensive work with preservice and in-service teachers, Ambitious Science Teaching presents a coherent and aligned set of resources for educators striving to meet the considerable challenges that have been set for them.

Download or read book Reach the Highest Standard in Professional Learning Learning Communities written by Shirley M. Hord and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2013-11-20 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When teachers learn from each other, students reap the benefits. The first in a series exploring each of Learning Forward’s seven Standards for Professional Learning, this book helps readers understand what it takes to establish and maintain professional learning communities (PLCs) so they increase educator effectiveness and provide the best outcomes for students. This definitive volume details how the Learning Forward standards for professional learning can be applied successfully in any school, and includes: An original essay designed to stretch readers’ thinking by introducing the underlying theory, research, and practice behind learning communities A guide to implementing the Learning Communities standard, with an overview of six critical attributes of PLCs and the seven-step cycle of continuous improvement A case study of the district-wide implementation of PLCs, containing detailed analysis of what worked.

Download or read book Professional Development for Inquiry Based Science Teaching and Learning written by Olia E. Tsivitanidou and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-09-03 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ​This book examines the implementation of inquiry-based approaches in science teaching and learning. It explores the ways that those approaches could be promoted across various contexts in Europe through initial teacher preparation, induction programmes and professional development activities. It illustrates connections between scientific knowledge deriving from the science education research community, teaching practices deriving from the science teachers’ community, and educational innovation. Inquiry-Based Science Teaching and Learning (IBST/L) has been promoted as a policy response to pressing educational challenges, including disengagement from science learning and the need for citizens to be in a position to evaluate evidence on pressing socio-scientific issues. Effective IBST/L requires well-prepared and skilful teachers, who can act as facilitators of student learning and who are able to adapt inquiry-based activity sequences to their everyday teaching practice. Teachers also need to engage creatively with the process of nurturing student abilities and to acquire new assessment competences. The task of preparing teachers for IBST/L is a challenging one. This book is a resource for the implementation of inquiry-oriented approaches in science education and illustrates ways of promoting IBST/L through initial teacher preparation, induction and professional development programmes.

Download or read book Guiding Professional Learning Communities written by Shirley M. Hord and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2010 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This research-based sequel to Leading Professional Learning Communities focuses on the practical process of implementing, improving, and sustaining PLCs. Appropriate for groups at all stages of PLC development, this field book helps educators improve PLC operations by facilitating individual and group development and growth. The authors provide learning opportunities that generate conversations about adult learning and contribute to supportive conditions that strengthen teacher quality and raise student outcomes.

Download or read book Leading Professional Learning Communities written by Shirley M. Hord and published by Corwin. This book was released on 2007-12-15 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Imagine all professionals in all schools engaged in continuous professional learning! Education experts Shirley M. Hord and William A. Sommers explore the school-based learning opportunities offered to school professionals and the principal's critical role in the creation, development, and support of an effective professional learning community (PLC). This book provides school leaders with readily accessible information to guide them in initiating and developing a PLC that supports teachers and students. Using field-tested examples, the text illustrates how this research-based school improvement model can help educators: Increase leadership capacity Embed professional development into daily work Create a positive school culture Develop accountability Boost student achievement

Download or read book Professional Learning Communities at Work written by Richard DuFour and published by Solution Tree. This book was released on 1998 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Provides specific information on how to transform schools into results-oriented professional learning communities, describing the best practices that have been used by schools nationwide.

Download or read book Professional Development in Science Teacher Education written by Pamela Fraser-Abder and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-01-21 with total page 227 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores global issues in the professional development of science teachers, and considers classroom applications of teacher training with a comparative lens. The twelve studies collected in this volume span five continents and vastly differing models of teacher education. Carefully detailing the social and cultural contexts for the teaching of science, this is a guidebook for anyone concerned with equity and reform in professional development.

Download or read book Professional Learning Communities PLCs as a Means for School Based Science Curriculum Change written by Christi Browne and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The challenge of school-based science curriculum change and educational reform is often presented to science teachers and departments who are not necessarily prepared for the complexity of considerations that change movements require. The development of a Professional Learning Community (PLC) focused on a science department's curriculum change efforts, may provide the necessary tools to foster sustainable school-based curriculum science changes. This research presents a case study of an evolving science department PLC consisting of 10 middle school science teachers from the same middle school and their efforts of school-based science curriculum change. A transformative mixed model case study with qualitative data and deepened by quantitative analysis, was chosen to guide the investigation. Collected data worked to document the essential developmental steps, the occurrence and frequency of the five essential dimensions of successful PLCs, and the influences the science department PLC had on the middle school science department's progression through school-based science curriculum change, and the barriers, struggles and inhibiting actions of the science department PLC.

Download or read book Reach the Highest Standard in Professional Learning written by Karen Seashore Louis and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2016-05-12 with total page 121 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Make your school a place where professional learning thrives This volume, part of Learning Forward’s series on its seven Standards for Professional Learning, shows school leaders how to orchestrate a learning environment that empowers teachers to take charge of their own development. Features include: An original essay by Karen Seashore Louis on creating a school culture where all adults are part of the enterprise of continuous learning Strategies, tools, and examples focused on the leader’s role in promoting professional learning A case study of one district’s success in improving outcomes for students by building trust, developing collaborative capacity, and fostering leadership at all levels

Download or read book Professional Learning Communities Impact on Science Teacher Classroom Practice in a Midwestern Urban School District written by Dan Carpenter and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this reputation-based, multiple-site case study was to explore professional learning communities' impact on teacher classroom practice. The goal of this research was to describe the administrator and teachers' perceptions with respect to professional learning communities as it related to teacher practice in their school. Educators and administrators were asked what types of practices teachers took from collaborative professional learning communities and tried in their classrooms. This reputation-based, multiple-site case study was important to Nebraska educators because many school districts had implemented professional learning communities in a variety of forms in the schools. There had been little, if any, investigation on what impact professional learning communities have had on teacher practice and the extent to which that had impacted students. This study focused on the teachers' perceptions of the impact professional learning communities had on their pedagogical practice as a result of collaboration and interactions in professional learning communities. ^ This study involved three schools in one Midwestern school district. The schools and district had operated professional learning communities for 6 years. The researcher found that professional learning communities had impacted teacher practice in that teachers had changed what they do from a pedagogical standpoint, as a result of interactions and collaboration in professional learning communities. The extent to which teacher pedagogical practice had been impacted is open to judgment. The fact that teachers had positively changed their pedagogy as a result of professional learning community function, including collaboration and interactions in professional learning community groups, is not open to judgment, as that is the primary finding of this study.

Download or read book Creating and Sustaining Online Professional Learning Communities written by Joni K. Falk and published by Teachers College Press. This book was released on 2015-04-25 with total page 451 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume presents the work of trailblazing researchers and developers of electronic communities for professional learning. It illuminates the essential work behind the scenes in building successful online communities and scaffolding site interactions, including content selection, creation and management, administrative structures, tools and interactive functionalities, the facilitation of discourse and emergent subcommunities, and the development of online leadership. While each of the authors is well versed in Web site design, new technologies, and collaborative Web tools, their work is deeply influenced and informed by scholarship which has unfolded over the last three decades about how professional learning takes place, particularly for math and science educators. The communities and authors featured provide different forms of online professional development for university professors, K–12 teachers, and administrators, among others. Their insights will be of interest to anyone designing, sustaining, or studying electronic learning environments, regardless of the specific subject matter. Contributors: Sasha A. Barab, Bertram (Chip) Bruce, Susan J. Doubler, Soo-Young Lee, Flora McMartin, Jon Obuchowski, Andee Rubin Rebecca K. Scheckler, and Wesley Shumar. “Creating and Sustaining Online Professional Learning Communities explores the varied, conflicting, productive, and unexpected ways that online communities can contribute to teacher professional development and offers concrete solutions.” —From the Foreword by Marcia C. Linn, University of California, Berkeley “There’s a lot to be learned from these insightful reflections from pioneers about designing and operating online learning communities for mathematics and science educators—as they look ‘behind the scenes’ at the human intuitions, decisions, social actions, and re-designs that have kept these communities in productive motion.” —Roy Pea, Stanford University