I once had a student complain after I explained that they needed to cite their sources. “This is not English class!” he proclaimed. I politely requested that he refrained from speaking then, as he was using his vocabulary to construct sentences, which was clearly a skill he picked up in an English class. It seems ridiculous to think that we could teach science in the absence of English Language Arts (ELA) and math. Yet, the formal education system has constructed silos that we call subjects and licensed educators accordingly. In this fourth blog post in the series on the 5 innovation of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), we will explore how ELA and math are intentionally integrated into the standards, as well as how educators can take their instruction to a new level and tear down the silos!
Read MoreScience education of the past was a passing down of the discoveries made by the great minds of centuries gone by. A student of science was to learn the intricacies of theories and attribute them to the scientists that brought them to our understanding. Technical vocabulary, formulas, and minute details were to be memorized and regurgitated as the only path to success in the classroom. At the same time this ensured that science was out of reach for many learners. Thankfully our understanding of how students learn, tells us that this outdated mode of instruction fails to work with the curiosity of the students.
Read MoreNot all phenomena are so phenomenal. As a matter of fact very few are. The movement of the Earth, sun and moon are observed by all of us daily. These mundane experiences are often overlooked, but represent a path of discovery navigated by our ancestors. We come to understand the rules by which the universe operates by experiencing them, questioning them, and testing them. We call it science.
Read MoreThe Einstein Project has teamed up with administrators and educators from Green Bay Area Public Schools and the School District of South Milwaukee to tackle the issue of underrepresentation in STEM education. Our team was selected by the Smithsonian Science Education Center to attend a Teacher Leadership Summit at Howard University in Washington, DC on February 23-25, 2018.
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Across the country K-12 science education is getting a make-over. We have known for many years that students need hands-on experiences to pique their interest and re-enforce conceptual development. Yet, since the publication of the Framework for K-12 Science Education in 2012, and the subsequent release of the Next Generation Science Standards in 2013, teachers across the nation have begun a massive endeavor to transform science learning.
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In front of a room of 150 administrators, educators, and community STEM supporters, Kevin Anderson, Science Consultant for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction announced that Wisconsin is officially adopting new science standards based on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)...
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