Transcript Document

Taking Science to
School: Learning and
Teaching Science in
Grades K-8
Heidi Schweingruber, NAS
Used with permission
See:http://www.national-academies.org
With Implications for Texas
Delivered at TSELA, April 24, 2007
Irene Pickhardt
Background on the Study
30-Month NRC Consensus Study -- five
meetings beginning in November, 2004
Related NRC Studies:
– How People Learn, Adding it Up, Starting Out
Right
Sponsors: NSF, NICHD, Merck Institute for
Science Education
Committee Charge
What do we know about how children
learn science?
What does this mean about how we
should teach science?
What further research is needed?
Key Findings
Students in grades K-8 can do more in
science than is currently asked of them
Science standards and curricula contain
too many topics given equal emphasis
Science classrooms typically provide few
opportunities for students to engage in
meaningful science
Good science teaching requires more than
expert knowledge of science content
What Is Science?
Science is built up of facts as a house is of stones, but a
collection of facts is not more a science than a pile of
stones.
Science involves:
– Building theories and models
– Constructing arguments
– Using specialized ways of talking, writing and
representing phenomena
Science is a social phenomena with unique norms for
participation in a community of peers
Scientific Proficiency:
The Four Strands
Students who understand science:
1. Know, use and interpret scientific
explanations of the natural world.
2. Generate and evaluate scientific
evidence and explanations.
3. Understand the nature and development
of scientific knowledge.
4. Participate productively in scientific
practices and discourse.
Important Ideas in the Strands
The four strands are interwoven in learning.
Advances in one strand support advances in the
others.
The strands emphasize the idea of “knowledge
in use” – that is students’ knowledge is not static
and proficiency involves deploying knowledge
and skills across all four strands.
Students are more likely to advance in their
understanding of science when classrooms
provide learning opportunities that attend to all
four strands.
How Children Learn Science
Conclusion: Children starting
school are surprisingly competent
Children entering school already have
substantial knowledge of the natural world
much of it implicit.
Young children are NOT concrete and
simplistic thinkers.
Children can use a wide range of
reasoning processes that form the
underpinnings of scientific thinking
Children’s Knowledge of the
Natural World
Some areas of knowledge may provide more robust
foundations to build on than others.
–
–
–
–
Physical mechanics
Biology
Matter and substance
Naïve psychology (theory of mind)
These appear very early and appear to have some
universal characteristics across cultures throughout the
world.
Earth science and cosmology – not early and universal
Physical Mechanics
Strong roots in infancy (e.g. Baillargeon)
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Conclusion: Prior knowledge and
experience are critical
Competence is NOT determined simply by
age or grade
What children can do is contingent on prior
opportunities to learn
Knowledge and experience influence all
four strands of proficiency
Prior knowledge can be both a resource
and a barrier to emerging understanding
Prior knowledge and
“misconceptions”
Children’s understandings of the world
sometimes contradict scientific explanations.
These often described as misconceptions to be
overcome.
Students’ prior knowledge also offers leverage
points that can be built on to advance students’
science learning.
Emphasis on eradicating misconceptions can
cause us to overlook the knowledge they bring
Conclusion: Proficiency in science
is more than knowing facts
Students need to know facts and
concepts, how these ideas and concepts
are related to each other, and their
implications and applications in the
discipline.
This is NOT a simple accumulation of
information
Often involves large-scale reorganization
of knowledge (major conceptual change)
Summary
Young children are more competent than we
think. They can think abstractly early on and do
NOT go through universal, well defined stages.
Focusing on misconceptions can cause us to
overlook leverage points for learning.
Developing rich, conceptual knowledge takes
time and requires instructional support.
Conceptual knowledge, scientific reasoning,
understanding how scientific knowledge is
produced, and participating in science are
intimately intertwined in the doing of science.
Supporting Science Learning
Conclusion: Sustained exploration
of core set of scientific ideas is
promising approach
Many existing curricula, standards and
assessments in the US contain too many
disconnected topics given equal priority.
Need more attention to how students’
understanding of core ideas can be supported
and enhanced from grade to grade.
Core ideas should be central to a discipline of
science, accessible to students in kindergarten,
and have potential for sustained exploration
across K-8.
Learning Progressions
Findings from research about children’s
learning and development can be used to
map learning progressions in science.
Steps in the progressions are constrained
by children’s knowledge and skill with
respect to the four strands.
Reaching the hypothetical steps in the
progressions is also dependent on
teachers’ knowledge and the effectiveness
of their instructional practice.
Growth: First Grade
Growth: Third Grade
Growth: Fifth Grade
Shifts in Distribution Signal Transitions in Growth Processes
Conclusion
Students learn science by actively
engaging in the practices of science. [This]
includes scientific tasks embedded in
social interaction using the discourse of
science and work with scientific
representations and tools.
Teaching Science as Practice
All major aspects of inquiry, including posing
scientifically fruitful questions, managing the
process, making sense of the data, and
discussing the results may require guidance.
To advance students’ conceptual understanding,
prior knowledge and questions should be
evoked and linked to experiences with
phenomena, investigations, and data.
Discourse and classroom discussions are key to
supporting learning in science.
Tensions with current practice
Science argument is rare in classrooms but central
to science; teaching focuses on recall rather than
model-based reasoning
Classroom norms (teacher, textbooks provide
answers) in tension with building scientific models
from evidence
Curricula and standards “mile wide, inch deep”
(TIMSS)
Variation in standards works against coherent
learning progression; marketplace realities lead to
modularity.
Conclusion: Many K-8 teachers
lack sufficient knowledge
To achieve effective instruction requires:
– knowledge of science,
– knowledge of how students learn science,
– knowledge of how to plan effective instruction.
Professional Development: Supporting
Effective Science Instruction
Develops teachers’ knowledge of science, of
students’ learning, and of pedagogy in science
Is on-going, rooted in the science that teachers
teach, and relevant to their classroom contexts
Provides opportunities to think and work
collectively on instructional problems
Sensitizes teachers to the capabilities of all
learners and provides them with strategies for
reaching a diverse student population
Report on-line
http://www.nap.edu
BOSE Website
http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bose/
What Does this Mean for Texas?
Potential Areas of impact
– #1 TEKS Revision
– #2 Professional Development
– #3 Classroom Practice
#1 TEKS Revision Implications
Opportunity for richer content at Primary
Grades
Systematic growth throughout grades
Differentiation of process skills
– Include expectation for robust exchange of
ideas
– Increasing sophistication in developing
models
How You Can Be Involved in
Science TEKS Review NOW!
Contact SBOE Members
They make
Recommendations for
Science
TEKS Review
Committee
http://www.tea.state.tx.u
s/sboe/board/index.html
Give input on
suggestions via e-mail
to science staff.
Suggestions will be
made available to TEKS
Review Committee
members.
[email protected]
[email protected]
TEKS Alignment and Refinement
Opportunities
Panel member—SBOE Appointee
Public input
Knowledge of changes
Provide input to members of TEKS
committee
Opportunities for Input
Example of Correspondence relating to English
Language Arts and Reading TEKS refinement and
alignment process
Dear Educators,
The refinement and alignment process of the Texas
Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for English
Language Arts and Reading is underway and we need
your assistance. As professionals you have worked with
the TEKS on a daily basis in your classrooms and may
have suggestions for improving the clarity and continuity
surrounding specific knowledge and skill statements
and/or student expectations. We solicit your input and ask
that you use the following template to aid us in capturing
all suggestions. Grade Level/Name of Course Knowledge and Skills
Number Student Expectation Letter
Suggestion for Refinement
and/or Alignment
# 2 Professional Development
Give every educator the experience of
building science knowledge
Increase content knowledge
Examine student work to develop
expectations on students’ capabilities
We used to say: “Science Benefits Oral Language
Development”
Now we say: “Oral Language
Benefits Science!”
Oral presentations
Academic Content
Language Development
Word walls
Posing questions
Association of
vocabulary to items in
real world
Vocabulary grows
most effectively when
experiencing concepts,
objects, etc.
G/T Credit
Professional Development (excerpted
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/gted/GifTal.html)
School districts shall ensure that:
(1) teachers who provide instruction and
services that are a part of the program for
gifted students have a minimum of 30 hours
of staff development that includes nature
and needs of gifted/talented students,
assessing student needs, and curriculum and
instruction for gifted students;
Gifted and Talented Credit
Did you know that your district may have
established its own criteria for determining
which workshops may count for G/T
credit?
Keep in Mind
(3) teachers who provide instruction and services
that are a part of the program for gifted students
receive a minimum of six hours annually of
professional development in gifted education
ARE WE OFFERING SCIENCE-BASED G/T
PD?
Workshops Offered for G/T
Workshop presenters offering G/T credit
should be
– Experienced in working with gifted and
talented students
– Knowledgeable about the education of gifted
and talented youth, or
– Expert in an academic field, e.g. a botanist
offering a botany workshop
– Most desirable, is a presenter who meets all
three of the above criteria
http://www.txgifted.org
The Texas
Association for Gifted
and Talented (TAGT)
has a process for
obtaining their
endorsement for a
workshop. Some
districts find this
useful.
TAGT can be reached
at http://www.txgifted.org.
# 3 What Should We Look For in
the Classroom?
Redefining our ideas about
‘misconceptions—teachers looking for
‘kernel of truth’ and building on it.
Increasing attention to students’ prior
knowledge, particularly in areas of
physical mechanics, biology, matter.
Discourse!
Specialized communication—evidencebased; specific; skeptical
Exemplary Science
Requires Well
Designed Space!
NEW DOCUMENT
Planning for Laboratory and Field Facilities
for the 4X4 Program
Planning for Laboratory and
Field Facilities for the 4X4 Program
* What are the Laboratory and Field Requirements for High School
Science Courses?
* What are the basic requirements for High School Science
Laboratory Facilities
* What facilities and/or sites does the state recommend for
laboratory and field investigations?
* Does TEA’s School Facilities Standards reference outdoor learning
areas?
* Safety and Health Considerations
* Can the Texas High School Allotment be used for the construction
of new laboratory space?
As schools consider laboratory facilities for 4
years of Science, TEEAC Recommendations
to Science Facilities Standards
Chap.# 5 OUTDOOR LEARNING AREAS
Creating an Outdoor Learning Area
An outdoor learning area is a natural
resource that is available to students for
conducting field investigations outside the
classroom setting. Although these sites are
used primarily for field investigations, they
provide learning opportunities all across the
curriculum.
§61.1036. School Facilities
Standards for Construction on
or after January 1, 2004.
(D) a list of any specialized classrooms or
major support areas, non instructional
support areas, outdoor learning areas,
outdoor science discovery centers, living
science centers, or external activity spaces;
(5) Instructional space--General classrooms,
specialized classrooms, outdoor learning
areas, and major support areas.
4X4 Issues
Issue: Additional requests are coming in on
Provisional Certificates, particularly in Physics
and Chemistry
Needed: a list of higher education science
courses which can count toward a provisional
certificate in Physics and/or Chemistry.
Requests are coming in from Textbook
Coordinators on additional Textbooks
Curriculum directors and Textbook coordinators
may need additional guidance from science
coordinator about the possible course
configurations in science.
Online Now!
http://www.te
a.state.tx.us/
curriculum/s
cience/Guide
linesColor.p
df
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to you when
you are busy
And something
Important comes
Up for science
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Contact Information
Chris Castillo-Comer
Director of Science
[email protected]
Irene Pickhardt
Asst. Dir. of Science
[email protected]
512-463-9581