Science Professional Development Best Practice Continuum

Middle Cities Education Association
Creating Opportunities for the Urban Learner

Science Professional Development Best Practice Continuum

CONTENT
Major goals of Science Education (as listed in MEGOSE)
I know the four major goals of science education in Michigan.	I can describe these goals to a colleague or parent.	I can match the state goals to our district goals and point out similarities and differences.	I can use these goals to plan my year’s units and lessons.
Using, Constructing and Reflecting Objectives
I am aware that the state core curricular framework is formatted in these areas.	I have successfully used materials that are correlated to these objectives.	I have written units and lessons that reference these objectives at my grade level	I consistently use these objectives in all unit and lesson planning.	I design units and lessons that integrate the using, constructing, and reflecting objectives.
Real World Contexts
I believe that science must be connected to real world contexts in order for students to see the relevance.	I have used units that include real world contexts for problem solving.	I have developed units that include real world contexts for problem solving.	I consistently include real world contexts in my units.	I enlist resource people from the real world to meet with students and review their work.
Prerequisite and Subsequent Grade Levels/Courses
I have a sense of what is taught in prerequisite and subsequent grade levels/courses.	I can explain the outcomes expected for mastery in prerequisite and subsequent grade levels/courses.	I use my knowledge of prerequisite and subsequent grade levels/courses in planning.	I regularly discuss student achievement with staff who teach prerequisite and subsequent grade levels/courses.	I plan with staff who teach prerequisite and subsequent grade levels/courses to assure student success.
Life Science
I am familiar with the Life Science Objectives	I can perform task inherent in the objectives at my grade level.	I use the MDE Life Science Standards and Benchmarks to check instruction throughout the year.	I can perform the tasks inherent in the constructing and reflecting objectives in the context of Life Science.	I use the important questions, the salient metaphors and analogies, and the most significant student tasks for the topics I teach.
Physical Science
I am familiar with the Physical Science Objectives.	I can perform task inherent in the objectives at my grade level.	I use the MDE Physical Science Standards and Benchmarks to check instruction throughout the year.	I can perform the tasks inherent in the constructing and reflecting objectives in the context of Physical Science.	I use the important questions, the salient metaphors and analogies, and the most significant student tasks for the topics I teach.
Earth/Space Science
I am familiar with the Earth/Space Science Objectives.	I can perform task inherent in the objectives at my grade level.	I use the MDE Earth/Space Science Standards and Benchmarks to check instruction throughout the year.	I can perform the tasks inherent in the constructing and reflecting objectives in the context of Earth/Space Science.	I use the important questions, the salient metaphors and analogies, and the most significant student tasks for the topics I teach.
INSTRUCTION
Inquiry Activities
I use students questions about nature to begin investigations.	I occasionally engage students actively in hands on activities.	I consistently engage students actively in hands on activities.	I allow students to design procedures, collect evidence, and draw conclusions.	I engage students in long term, real life research.
Questioning
I use questions from the textbook for classroom discussion.	I ask questions that challenge students to use evidence and draw conclusions.	I relate all classroom work to significant questions in science.	I design classroom work that balances teacher questions and student questions.	I encourage students to ask meaningful questions and articulate their thinking.
Interdisciplinary/Intradisciplinary
I know that science is connected to other disciplines in the real world.	I include at least one other discipline in planning units.	I plan for interdisciplinary and intradisciplinary connections in all units.	I plan units with staff from other disciplines.	I use standards from other disciplines in my expectations of student work.
Cooperative Learning
I use groups in labs and projects.	I make the task expectations very clear at the beginning of group work.	I teach students both the task skills and social skills of group work.	I have students self assess their task and social skills after the work has been done.	I have work groups from real world science teams discuss the need for teamwork and sometimes have them critique student work.
Diverse Learners
I believe that students come to science with a variety of developmental, environmental and success experiences.	I insure that a variety of ethnic, racial, gender, and other contributions to the field of science are reflected in lessons.	I use student prior knowledge activities to find out where to start to design instruction.	I use a variety of teaching techniques to respond to student learning styles and intelligences.	I allow students to use a variety of methods for solving problems and presenting solutions.
Integrate Technology
I know that technology is important in real life scientific work and convey that to students.	I use appropriate technologies to demonstrate scientific techniques.	I integrate all available technologies into classroom investigations.	I encourage students to determine appropriate technologies for the work to be done.	I use community-based resources to provide students with opportunities for investigating new technologies.
ASSESSMENT
Range of Assessments
I use assessment from the textbook to measure students’ achievement.	I have experimented with one or more methods of assessing student understanding.	I develop or use assessments that are in paper/pencil, performance, and personal communication formats for every major unit.	I allow students to create some assessments for their learning.	I have students create a portfolio of work for analyzing and communicating their work.
Appropriateness of Assessments
I use textbook-prepared assessments only.		I match the level of performance expected with the assessment I use.		I match assessments with challenges students must face, i.e. MEAP/HSPT.
Share in Real World Contexts
I rely on the textbook to make real world connections.	I ask students to find real world applications of the knowledge they are learning.	I plan my assessments to correspond to real world situations.	I ask outside resources to serve as a panel of evaluators for student work.	I provide opportunities for students to present their performances or other assessments to a real world audience.
Students as Partners in Assessment
I discuss success with each student related to their assessments.	I communicate to students the standards used to evaluate their work.	I have students join me in developing standards of quality for use on projects.		I have students discuss, summarize and communicate their evaluation of their work on selected projects.

Our building needs related to Science as determined by the summary of the Staff Science Configuration of Skills: