 Science education is my first love. After just 4 years on Earth, I decided to become a science teacher. Back then I wanted to be just like the naturalists at my local environmental education center. Nowadays, I’m still passionate about science education — and most of all about being able to support classrooms shifting toward a new approach to science teaching and learning. |  |
An approach that:
- Focuses on making sense of real-world phenomena and solving real-world problems;
- Dives into meaningful concepts and the practice of science, not just memorizing science facts humankind already discovered; and
- Engages all students equitably, providing room for all of their voices, ideas, and wonderings.
For some teachers, these shifts in science education are liberating. They finally get to do science the way they’d always imagined! For others, these shifts feel like being dropped off at the base of Mt. Everest and being expected to reach the summit.
Truth be told, reaching that summit is not a simple task, even for teachers who are excited about the prospect of it. Handing teachers the new standards and giving them a quick walk-through isn’t going to cut it. To teach science with a next generation approach, teachers need chances to learn science in a next generation way for themselves and be supported in transferring those experiences to their classrooms.
Over the past few years we've watched teachers begin their journey into NGSS-shifted instruction, and in response we've honed the supports we provide — from professional learning that gives teachers a chance to learn in the same way students are expected to learn, to new NGSS-shifted student units that offer engaging and thought-provoking activities, to the new choose-your-own-adventure Classroom Innovation PLC protocol that allows teachers to dive into the areas of NGSS together as they work to build stronger teaching skills over time. It's been a joy to watch teachers make progress and hear what contributes to their success.
The world of science education is moving away from the type of science classrooms that only expect students to memorize already-discovered science facts, and moving swiftly toward classrooms that engage students in science and set students off on the adventure of becoming scientists. And for me that means that after 40+ years on Earth, I am even more excited to be a science educator.
Truth be told, reaching that summit is not a simple task, even for teachers who are excited about the prospect of it. Handing teachers the new standards and giving them a quick walk-through isn’t going to cut it. To teach science with a next generation approach, teachers need chances to learn science in a next generation way for themselves and be supported in transferring those experiences to their classrooms.
Over the past few years we've watched teachers begin their journey into NGSS-shifted instruction, and in response we've honed the supports we provide — from professional learning that gives teachers a chance to learn in the same way students are expected to learn, to new NGSS-shifted student units that offer engaging and thought-provoking activities, to the new choose-your-own-adventure Classroom Innovation PLC protocol that allows teachers to dive into the areas of NGSS together as they work to build stronger teaching skills over time. It's been a joy to watch teachers make progress and hear what contributes to their success.
The world of science education is moving away from the type of science classrooms that only expect students to memorize already-discovered science facts, and moving swiftly toward classrooms that engage students in science and set students off on the adventure of becoming scientists. And for me that means that after 40+ years on Earth, I am even more excited to be a science educator.
This SCIENCE Corner was brought to you by Jen Folsom. Jen is the Lead Learning Architect for Making Sense of SCIENCE. Visit the Teacher Resources page to download our Next Generation Science Education and Phenomena-Based Instruction documents (PDF) to learn more about Making Sense of SCIENCE's take on these key components of NGSS-shifted instruction.
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