If you’re charged with helping educators achieve the vision of the new science standards, this is the professional development resource you need. This book is chock-full of activities and useful advice for guiding teachers and administrators as they put the standards into practice in the classroom.
Written by three experts in professional development for science teachers, Introducing Teachers and Administrators to the NGSS
Introduces the vocabulary, structure, and conceptual shifts of the NGSS
Explores the three dimensions of the Framework—science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas—and how they’re integrated in the NGSS
Provides classroom case studies of instructional approaches for students challenged by traditional science teaching
Covers curricular decisions involving course mapping, designing essential questions and performance assessments, and using the NGSS to plan units of instruction
Examines the connections between the NGSS and the Common Core State Standards
Offers advice for getting past common professional development sticking points and finding further resources
Given the widespread changes in today’s education landscape, teachers and administrators may feel overwhelmed by the prospect of putting the new standards into practice. If you’re a science specialist, curriculum coordinator, or instructional coach who provides professional development, you will find this collection immensely helpful for heading off “initiative fatigue,” whether in an individual school or throughout a district.