Tinkering in Makerspaces
Developing Skills for a Changing Technological Future Download PDF If one thing is certain about the job needs of the future workforce, it is that they are uncertain. Technology has been a source of global upheaval, requiring today’s students to be diversely skilled, adaptable, technologically savvy, and computational thinkers (ISTE, 2016). To prepare students for […]
Gender Equity in STEM Education
How Educators Can Help Girls Succeed in All STEM Subjects Download PDF “Boys are just better at science.” “Girls can’t do math!” “You don’t look like a scientist.” Common statements such as these are just one type of social cue that reflects deeply embedded ideas in society, reinforcing the underlying notion that girls and boys are inherently different […]
Building Thinkers through Science
Using Three-Dimensional Learning And Assessment In Your Classroom Download PDF Solving the problems of the future will require that students not only understand science concepts related to health care, the environment, energy, and new technologies but also that they use skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and self-management (National Research Council, 2012a). […]
White Paper: How Teachers Learn Through Lesson Study
Download PDF Learn why an increasing number of schools are exploring lesson study as an approach to their teacher professional development programs. The practice of lesson study as a teacher professional development tool is relatively new in the United States. It is sometimes referred to by other names, including collaborative lesson research; research study; learning study; and even […]
Focus On The Stuff
Download PDF When you combine digital tools with hands-on activities, learning sticks. A Smithsonian expert tells how.Advancements in technology have made digital science learning popular in many school districts. But, even as tech plays an important role in the science classroom, it’s important to approach learning from a multimodal perspective. “Digital learning tools are important, […]
Teacher Testimonials | Heather Toothaker
Teacher Testimonial: Heather Toothaker Name: Heather Toothaker Role: District Science Coach District: The New Haven Public Schools District in New Haven, Connecticut, has 31 K–8 schools with an enrollment of approximately 12,500 students. Twenty are Title I schools. Roughly 46% of students are eligible for free/reduced lunch programs. Challenge: Find new elementary and middle school […]
New Haven Public Schools | Case Study
Download PDF FAST FACTS New Haven Public Schools, New Haven, Connecticut Heather Toothaker, District Science Coach Alexander Kotkin, Science Teacher, Grades 5 and 6, Benjamin Jepson Multi-Age Interdistrict Magnet School Jessica Farrell, Science Teacher, Grades 7 and 8, Edgewood Creative Thinking Through STEAM Magnet School Holly Baldwin, Independent Instructional Support Specialist, Smithsonian Science Education Center, […]
Teacher Testimonials | Susan Collins
Teacher Testimonial: Susan Collins Name: Susan Collins Role: 4th Grade Teacher District: The Solvay Union Free School District in the Village of Solvay, New York, has one elementary school for grades K-4 with an enrollment of 446 students. It is a Title I district and 70% of the elementary students qualify for free/reduced lunch. Challenge: […]
The Engineering Design Cycle | Infographic
Through scientific engineering and design, students apply what they have learned to creatively solve real-world problems. This 21st-century skill encourages students to collaborate and exposes them to the idea that one problem can have multiple solutions.
Coherent Storylines: Build toward students answering a question or solving a problem
For students to truly grasp science concepts, learning must logically progress lesson by lesson and follow a coherent storyline. The Smithsonian’s STCMS™ from Carolina does just that. Here’s one example from the Physical Science strand: