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In an effort to reduce disparities in outcomes among diverse student groups, the NGSS draws their conjecture's from research on how students learn science. They are also informed by research... See More

In an effort to reduce disparities in outcomes among diverse student groups, the NGSS draws their conjecture's from research on how students learn science. They are also informed by research on the factors that lead to achievement in science and STEM in careers. The three dimensions of the Framework are disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts. The article had tables that showcased which exact concepts correlate with which section of the table. Every section in the table had a different dimension of the framework that was connected to it in different ways! I liked seeing the ways students could potentially engage with the three dimensions of NGSS. I liked that the list in Table 1 is not meant to be comprehensive; rather, it is for specific strategies that have been shown to positively affect diverse groups. One thing I did not like about this article was the lack of detail in the charts. I feel the different components of the charts needed to have explanations of how the concepts were to be implemented. An explanation of how they would actually work in the classroom would have been very informative and helpful in understanding all of the concepts mentioned in the article. 

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The NGSS are written as performance expectations that blend the three dimensions of the Framework: disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts. The ... See More

The NGSS are written as performance expectations that blend the three dimensions of the Framework: disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts. The three dimensions are written as learning progressions designed to build understanding at successively deeper levels, from K to 12, so teachers are supposed to guide students to learn core ideas through a process that mirrors what real scientists actually do. All students can meet the NGSS. Ensuring that NGSS are accessible to all students will require teaching science and engineering practices, core ideas, and crosscutting concepts, while using effective teaching strategies. The authors studied many different cases and each case study focuses on one of the special groups within the larger classroom setting, like economically disadvantaged students, students with disabilities, and English language learners. In the classroom experiences, the students engage with the three dimensions of NGSS and promote their confidence and self-efficacy as student scientists. In the future, in my class, I will take extra steps to make science relevant to my students by connecting science to the students' experiences, cultures, and interests. In other words, I will pay careful attention to the curriculum and instruction, school support system, home and community connections, and the methods of engagement. All of these decisions, when made strategically, provide access for diverse students. For example, in terms of ELLs, for their engagement, I will use some special discourses strategies and offer them language and literacy support, such as Wait Time (allow students time to think about scientific problems clearly before providing answers and after a response is given), Sentence Stems (not just oral but posted the related scientific terms for students to refer to and practice with), and Post Academic Vocabulary (post the scientific terms the students are expected to learn on the wall or board). And I will make communications with their families frequently to recognize the students' home culture background better and make the effective connections between science content in class and their home cultures.