2007-2008 Grant: Teacher Inquiry and Student Learning In Science

We invite you to participate in an exciting new collaborative for science teaching in southern New Hampshire. The collaborative is designed to support collaboration among teachers from five school districts: Nashua, Hudson, Milford, Hollis-Brookline and Bedford. The project is made possible by a Mathematics Science Partnership Initiative grant awarded by the New Hampshire Department of Education.

Project Goals:

To establish a supportive and collegial professional development culture focused on teaching and learning in science that includes a Summer Science Institute and development of a Science Teacher Collaborative.
To support teacher understanding of the role of children′s ideas in science, how children develop scientific understanding, and the critical role of ongoing assessment in learning and teaching in science.
To support teacher knowledge of the pedagogy needed to develop student understanding of the physical science concepts identified by the Grade Level Learning Expectations of the New Hampshire Science Frameworks.
To extend teacher knowledge and understanding of physical science concepts, especially those identified by the physical science strand of the revised NH Science Frameworks.

More details are given below! Contact Dr. Fiona McDonnell for more information.

Check out the pictures of the Summer Institute!

Teacher Inquiry Into Student Thinking • Teacher Inquiry Into How Students Learn • Teacher Inquiry Into The Physical World

Here is the group picture from the summer institute. It was great associating with all of you!

Phase I: Three-Day Summer Teacher Institute in Physical Science for Teachers Grades 3-6.

Dates: 7, 8, 9 August 2007
Time: 8:00am to 3pm. Light refreshments and lunch will be provided during the Institute.
Location: Nashua High School South
Limited enrollment: 30 participants: Nashua (8), Hudson (6), Milford (4) Bedford (6), Hollis-Brookline (6).

The Institute will be designed around physical science concepts and the grade span learning expectations for grades 3-6 identified in the New Hampshire science frameworks. The sessions engage participants in inquiry-based experiences to support understanding of physical science concepts as well as the ability to design experiences for students around those concepts. The sessions will emphasize the role of inquiry in student learning, the nature of student thinking in science, ways to uncover the ideas that students bring to their learning, and developing inquiry based lessons that address the Grade Level Learning Expectations.

Teachers who attend the Science Institute are required to attend at least five out of eight monthly meetings (described below) during the 2007-2008 academic year.

Institute participants are also responsible for posting a descriptive vignette that emerges from the lesson developed as a result of the Summer Institute. Vignettes should emphasize student thinking. Postings might describe an example of student learning, moments of uncertainty, moments in which the appropriate response was not clear, occasions when a student expressed an insight which was not anticipated, etc.

Phase II: The Science Teacher Collaborative Network Meetings

Dates: All monthly meetings are held on Thursday afternoons.
Scheduled dates: 9/27; 10/25; 11/29; 12/13; 1/24/08; 2/21/08; 3/20/08; 4/20/08.
Time: 3:30 to 5:30pm.
Enrollment: Open to all teachers in participating districts.

Monthly meetings provide a setting for sharing, discussing, and reflecting on the practice of teaching in which the participants are the experts. Each month participants consider a dilemma of practice or student learning presented by a colleague and engage in the collaborative assessment of student work. Other activities may also be scheduled as generated by the group.

Phase III: Online Physical Science Content Knowledge Development

Dates: August 2007 - April 2008
Time: Everything is online and available 24/7
Enrollment: This option is open to any teacher interested in Physical Science Professional Development. Participation in the Summer Institute or the Monthly Meetings is not required.

Three independent online content professional development opportunities are available: Basic Chemical Principles, Basic Mathematical Principles for Physical Science, and Physical Science Investigations. More Information

The New Hampshire Department of Education, through a project developed by Science and Education faculty of Rivier College and the Nashua School District, has awarded funds in the amount of $60,000 to support teaching and learning in science across school districts in southern New Hampshire. The project, Teacher Inquiry and Student Learning in Science, builds on previous collaborations between science and education faculty at Rivier College and Nashua School District.

The proposed professional development activities are designed to enhance teachers' understanding of the physical science concepts identified in the newly adopted New Hampshire Science Frameworks and the pedagogy needed to teach those concepts to students in the elementary and middle grades. Proposed activities include a summer science institute, on-line coursework in physical science, and the implementation of a Science Teacher network and collaborative. Activities emphasize the role of inquiry and student ideas when designing and implementing learning experiences for students.

Current participants include faculty from Rivier College and teachers from the Nashua, Hudson, Milford, Bedford, and Hollis-Brookline public school districts. For more information contact David Burgess Ph.D. (dburgess@rivier.edu) or Fiona McDonnell Ed.D. (fmcdonnell@rivier.edu) at Rivier College.

The funding source for this grant is the Federal Title II B - Mathematics and Science Partnerships Program. See http://www.ed.gov/programs/mathsci/index.html for more information.

The overarching goal and objective is to improve student understanding of physical science concepts and their ability to design and perform scientific inquiries by providing teachers with intensive and sustained professional development. The professional development will emphasize the role of inquiry and Student Thinking in science teaching and learning. The project can be broken down into discrete goals all of which contribute to improved student learning in science and which result from the Needs Assessments provided by the districts.

1. To improve teacher knowledge and understanding of physical science concepts, especially those identified by the physical science strand of the revised NH Science Frameworks.

2. To improve teacher knowledge of the pedagogy needed to develop student understanding of the physical science concepts identified by the Grade Level Learning Expectations of the New Hampshire Science Frameworks.

3. To promote teacher understanding of the role of Student Thinking in science, how children develop scientific understanding, and the critical role of ongoing assessment in learning and teaching in science.

4. To establish a supportive and collegial professional development culture focused on teaching and learning in science, which includes the implementation of a Science Teacher Network and collaborative.

5. To establish an effective partnership and collaboration around teaching and learning in Science between Rivier College, an institution involved in science teacher preparation, and local elementary and secondary schools.