March 2007

Science and Global Awareness

Members of EDC’s staff will participate in the 2nd Annual Celebration of Teaching and Learning, a professional development conference for K-12 educators held in New York City from March 23-24, 2007.

Dubbed the “World’s Fair for Educators,” the conference features presentations by Karen Worth, Jacqueline Miller, and Marian Pasquale from EDC’s Center for Science Education, as well as from Babette Moeller of EDC's Center for Children and Technology. Also participating in the conference are former Vice President Al Gore, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, and Meet the Press anchor Tim Russert.

The conference is sponsored by Thirteen/WNET and WLIW21, the public television stations of the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut tri-state area, and will focus on “Science and Global Awareness” to recognize the 50th anniversary of the historic launch of Sputnik as well as the present-day influence of globalization and its effect on families and communities.

Learn more about the conference:
http://www.thirteencelebration.org/

EDC Presentations

Karen Worth
Discussion and Writing in the Inquiry Based Elementary Science Classroom
Friday, March 23, 8:30-9:30

This presentation will focus on the inquiry based science classroom and the importance of discourse and writing in the development of scientific reasoning. Connections between literacy and science can be found across the stages of the inquiry process as students explore phenomena, plan their investigations, document their work, develop written reports, and discuss and debate in small and large groups. The presentation will provide a framework for thinking about these connections both from the perspective of science learning and the development of critical literacy skills.

Babette Moeller
Math for All: Planning Lessons that are Accessible to All Students
Friday, March 23, 8:30-9:30

Math for All is a professional development program for K-5 teachers developed by Bank Street College and EDC. The goal of the professional development is to help better prepare general and special education teachers to help all students, including students with disabilities, achieve standards-based learning outcomes in mathematics. In this session we will introduce ways of planning standards-based math lessons that are accessible for students with diverse learning needs. Participants will engage in multiple activities to collaboratively plan adaptations for a video case lesson.

Marion Pasquale
Education Development Center: Teaching Through Inquiry in the Elementary Science Classroom
Friday, March 23, 2:15-3:45

What does inquiry science learning look like in the elementary grades? While most elementary teachers engage students in hands-on, science activities, they rarely feel confident about their own abilities to help children inquire deeply into scientific phenomena. Through a brief investigation, participants will be introduced to the nature of science inquiry and some instructional strategies that support it. These strategies will be discussed within the context of a teaching framework that encourages children to extend their explorations and deepen their understanding. Participants will view classroom video vignettes and will reflect on these experiences, relating them to their own teaching practices.

Jacqueline Miller
Science and Media
Friday, March 23, 2:30-3:30

Where do people get most of their understanding of science once they have left school? How do they decide what is real and what is hype? Evaluating the credibility of stories about science requires knowledge and the ability to critically assess the news. This presentation will discuss the role of the media in informing the public about major scientific issues. Strategies for helping students develop skills for analyzing the credibility of these reports will be explored. Approaches to using the media as springboards or contexts for developing conceptual understandings in science will also be considered.

Marion Pasquale
Education Development Center: What does Meeting the Standards Look Like in a Middle Grades' Science Classroom
Saturday, March 24, 10:45-12:15

In this session participants will consider how the elements of inquiry-based, science teaching can meet the unique learning needs of the middle level student. They will conduct an investigation designed to model pedagogical practices recommended in the National Science Education Standards, grades 5-8. Participants will design an investigation, answer questions they have generated and then consider how the explorations and investigation can be used to understand basic science concepts. Participants will reflect on these experiences relating them to their own teaching practices. A video case study will be used to help the participants get a sense of how this type of investigation reflects criteria established in the National Science Education Standards (NSES) for grades 5-8.

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