Science and Mathematics Workshop
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Resources for DC ACTS Science Teachers

(updated September 18, 2002)
This site is maintained by Dr. Toby Horn, DC ACTS in DCPS
Please contact Dr. Toby w/ corrections, comments and suggestions!
The site is hosted by the Carnegie Academy for Science Education of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, a partner with AAAS and DCPS in DC ACTS

Teaching

This page contains links to articles about teaching and teachers (please send questions, suggestions and corrections to Toby Horn)

Effective science teaching needs good content understanding, comfort being a facilitator of hands-on activities, knowledge of and empathy for adolescents, and awareness of and creative approaches (in DC) to helping our students from resource-poor households to gain experiences.

Some say that content understanding is not so essential. However, to foster science learning, whether or not you have had the opportunity to gain or refresh your content understanding, you must help students to question and then facilitate ways to find out together.

Some award-winning science teachers started at the beginning, taking the risk to purchase an interesting kit and then learning, along with their students, how to read and implement the instructions.

Our experience (we ARE older than our HS students) helps us to teach students how to learn. Our own willingness to learn (and struggle) along with our students helps motivate students. Anyway, we actually model the best in being a scientist --- a willingness and drive to explore and persist in learning.

So as science teachers, we must

  1. teach the subject (with incorporation of mathematics and computer and instrumental technologies)
  2. with stuff
  3. to students.

Strategies for Professional Development in Science http://www.enc.org/professional/learn/ideas/science/

Strategies for Professional Development in Mathematics

20 Attitudes in Science

Scientific Methods (new!)

Standards-based Teacher Education Project

Praxis Information for new teachers

Survival Guide for new Teachers

Cognitives

Meir Ben-Hur

Virtual Learning Systems representing the Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment (FIE) program developed by Reuven Feuerstein

Ben-Hur's Profile of FIE

THE ROLE OF CENTRAL CONCEPTUAL STRUCTURES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN'S THOUGHT
Robbie Case, Yukari Okamoto. Serial 246, Volume 61, Number 1-2, 1996
IN COLLABORATION WITH
Sharon Griffin, Anne McKeough, Charles Bleiker, Barbara Henderson, Kimberly Marra Stephenson
WITH COMMENTARY BY
Robert S. Siegler, Daniel P. Keating
AND A REPLY BY THE AUTHORS

Articles on Cognitive Development (some by co-authored by Siegler) Siegler

Goals, Objectives and Syllabi: What are they, really?

Assessment

Return to DC ACTS

Support for chemistry teachers

Mathematics and science

Of General Interest