Stacey Hankinson

Tue, Jul 21, 2020 9:16 PM
Growing a Science Community

This resource had a lot of information on how we can build a great science program at the school level. It had many ideas on how to utilize our community as partners in science education. I liked how this article highlighted the idea of collaboration amongst the school staff and outside support. We cannot go it alone, the more people we have invested, the smaller the mountain seems. When teachers come together for that greater good, share ideas and support each other, we are able to make a greater impact. The article also gave an example of how we can use what we are doing, like a field trip, to highlight the science within, to make it more meaningful for students and a greater impact of their learning. I would recommend this article to teachers and school leaders who want ideas and support on how to grow a community of scientists.

Tue, Jul 21, 2020 8:53 PM
Language for All

This resource is jam packed with NGSS! The article gave a lot of information around supporting our EL students with language and content knowledge. One area of the NGSS is students being able to support their claim using evidence. We know this will take time because students have to learn the language associated with those concepts, science is its own language. The ideas presented not only support EL students but all students. The ultimate goal is that students are able to use their language authentically and the support we put in place hopefully supports that. I would recommend this resource, regardless of the population we teach. All students can benefit from a teacher who takes time to think through the language needed for students to be successful scientists.

Tue, Jul 21, 2020 8:32 PM
Assessment Probes... does it matter?

This resource is a good starting point when deciding how to assess student understanding. The key idea is that teachers should use students’ experiences to learn and build upon. The resource states that we should be careful when assessing students to not correct their misconceptions but build in experiences that confront their conceptions, which lead to greater learning. This resource gives ideas on different ways to probe students to gain understanding. I would recommend this resource as a quick read and learning of one type of assessment to use in the classroom and specifically related to teaching and understanding matter.