Partnership for 21st Century Learning
Physical Sciences Resource Center (PSRC)
Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL)
PSSC: Physical Science Study Committee
Partnership for 21st Century Learning
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has developed a unified, collective vision for 21st century learning that can be used to strengthen American education. The Partnership's mission is to serve as a catalyst to position 21st century skills at the center of US K-12 education by building collaborative partnerships among education, business, along with community and government leaders. Every child in America needs 21st century knowledge and skills to succeed as effective citizens, workers and leaders in the 21st century.
There is a profound gap between the knowledge and skills most students learn in school and the knowledge and skills they need in typical 21st century communities and workplaces.
To successfully face rigorous higher education coursework, career challenges and a globally competitive workforce, U.S. schools must align classroom environments with real world environments by infusing 21st century skills.
These skills set include:
Information and communication skills (information and media literacy skills; communication skills)
Thinking and problem-solving (critical thinking and systems thinking; problem identification, formulation and solution; creativity and intellectual curiosity)
Interpersonal and self-direction skills (interpersonal and collaborative skills; self-direction; accountability and adaptability; social responsibility)
Global awareness
Financial, economic and business literacy, and developing entrepreneurial skills to enhance workplace productivity and career options
Civic literacy
http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/
Physical Sciences Resource Center (PSRC)
The Physical Science Resource Center is a web-based databank that provides K-20 teachers links to a wide range of teaching and learning resources in the physical sciences. Educators can us the PSRC to 'find curriculum materials, classroom demonstrations, labs, online learning materials, evaluation instruments and articles on science education. This online forum is designed for active participation with suggestions for additions to the collection, discussion forums, comments, and a personal filing cabinet for favorite resources.
Student portfolios for instruction and assessment have become a familiar tool applied across all subject areas including science. This definition by Judith Arter in 1990 contains the most frequently cited components of portfolio use in classrooms:
"A portfolio is a purposeful collection of student work that tells a story of a student's efforts and achievements. It must include student participation in the selection of portfolio content, criteria for selection, criteria for judging merit, and evidence of student self-reflection."
Although portfolio use was first established in language arts and is now most widely applied to English and math assessments, the benefits do support changes taking place within science educational practices. Such benefits, as described by Gitomer and Duschl (1995) of Project SEPIA, (Science Education through Portfolio Instruction and Assessment) include:
The purpose and methods of assessment are broadened by the practice called the assessment conversation, explained as "assessment-based interactions teachers have with [individual] students to monitor meaningful learning and to guide instructional activities and teachers' decision making to help the development of students' depth of knowledge in principled ways" (Gitomer and Duschl, 1995).
There are now several large and small-scale science portfolio assessment projects specifically designed with restructured instructional values. Some examples are listed below.
Portfolio Assessment is fundamental to "authentic assessment" or "performance assessment". It is the principle that the student should demonstrate, rather than just talk about, what they know and can do. It provides a practical strategy for systematically collecting and organizing data in drawings, photos, video or audio tapes, writing or word samples, computer disks, and copies of standardized or program specific tests.
Problem-Based Learning (PBL), or Project-Based Learning, became an official instructional approach in1968 at the medical school at McMaster University in Canada because the medical students there could not apply their knowledge to clinical situations (Wang, 1998). PBL is an inquiry-based approach with the student acquiring experience as the investigator and the teacher acting as the thinking coach (Greenwald, 2000). This approach has three key features: learners meet their problem at the onset of a unit; the problem is ill-structured in that it "lacks needed information and contains unresolved issues, reveals its complexity through inquiry and investigation, requires reason to be resolved, and might be resolved in more than one way; and the learner is the problem-solver and the teacher is the coach" (DiBiasi and Stepien, 2001, p. 2). The problems come from current events articles and scenarios based on real-world environmental issues designed to engage the student to become a researcher of information related to the problem's solution. Based on analyses of research results, classroom teams make recommendations for the problem's solutions and conduct self-assessment. Multiple measures of assessment for the teacher include student journal writing, lab notebooks, self-rating scales, peer interviews and conferences with teachers. PBL's proponents claim that it creates a classroom environment with all students as stakeholders in finding solutions to the problem. PBL gives disengaged learners a purpose for learning and an application for the science concepts that they uncover. Some models recommend spending 8 class periods on PBL-processing before the teacher does any direct instruction. Examples of problem topics are: the advisability of exporting genetically engineered food to Canada and Europe, protecting the health and safety of townspeople during the black plague, genetic counseling a family with a history of cystic fibrosis, putting Galileo on trial, and allowing drilling of oil reserves in environmentally protected lands.
http://online.sfsu.edu/~rpurser/revised/pages/problem.htm
Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL)
The Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning program seeks to simultaneously teach content and key process skills. The premise of this program is based on the Learning Cycle developed by Karplus. Additionally, it is based on research that indicates: a) teaching by telling does not work for most students, b) students who are part of an interactive community are more likely to be successful, and c) knowledge is personal; students enjoy themselves more and develop greater ownership over the material when they are given an opportunity to construct their own understanding.
The POGIL classroom or lab consists of students working in small groups utilizing guided inquiry materials that supply students with data or information followed by leading questions designed to guide them toward formulation of their own valid conclusions. The instructor serves as facilitator, observing and periodically addressing individual and classroom needs.
The POGIL classroom environment is focused on interaction among student groups. It emphasizes that learning is not solitary and is an interactive process of refining one's understanding and developing one's skills. The team environment energizes students and provides a method of formative assessment for the instructor.
http://new.pogil.org/info/introduction.php
Project 2061 is a project developed by the American Association for the Advancement of Science ( AAAS) which has the goal of fundamentally reforming every aspect of pre-college science education (Massey, 1990). ). The group's goal of promoting and developing scientific literacy in the United States addresses not only science but also math, technology, and systemic change. Under the leadership of F. James Rutherford, the group has undertaken this endeavor by research and the collaboration of scientists, teachers, and administrators at different levels resulting in the publication of two important documents, Science for All Americans and Benchmarks for Science Literacy. These documents are blueprints designed to help districts, local schools, states, and the nation, reform their programs attain the goal of science literacy. Science for All Americans focuses on a blueprint for scientific and mathematical literacy. Benchmarks presents a blueprint of science curriculum and what concepts students "should" be able to demonstrate by grades 2, 5, 8, and 12. These documents are important to all science educators and have been influential in the creation of state frameworks, national standards, curriculum projects, staff development, etc. The project's future publication will be Blocks, Models, and Blueprints, which will be a computerized curriculum-design system (Ahlgren and Rutherford, 1993; AAAS, 1989; Massey, 1990).
Project Learning Tree (PLT) is an award-winning, interdisciplinary program for educators working with students in Pre-K through grade 12. Since its inception in 1973, PLT has been recognized as one of the premier environmental education programs in the world. Through hands-on activities, PLT provides students with opportunities to investigate environmental issues and encourages them to make informed, responsible decisions.
Each PLT activity is designed to uncover students' preconceptions, and guide them from awareness to conceptual understanding and responsible action. PLT focuses on developing critical thinking skills. It doesn't try to teach children what to think about the environment; instead, it gives teachers the tools needed to help children learn how to think about the environment.
PLT uses the forest as a "window on the world" to increase students' understanding of our complex environment; to stimulate critical and creative thinking; to develop the ability to make informed decisions on environmental issues; and to instill the confidence and commitment to take responsible action on behalf of the environment.
PLT is now used in all 50 of the United States, as well as U.S. Territories, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Sweden, Finland, and Brazil. It is an ever-growing network of 3,000 grassroots volunteers and over 100 state coordinators that work in conjunction with teachers, schools, state agencies, foresters, businesses and civic organizations, museums, nature centers, and youth groups to provide workshops and in-service programs. PLT is administered nationally by the American Forest Foundation with the Council for Environmental Education.
For more information about Project Learning Tree call 1-888-889-4466 or you can access them online at http://www.plt.org/.
William Heard Kilpatrick introduced the Project Method in 1918. This came at a time when science was moving towards making curriculum relevant to the real-life of students. The Project Method was designed to solve real-world problems by using a variety of instructional practices, including laboratory work. Rather then creating curriculum based upon the disciplines, the Project Method taught content through discovering solutions to real problems that occur in a humans' life. Educators felt that science class was the ideal place to practice this method because of the advantage of having a laboratory for genuine inquiry activities.
As time passed, however, John Dewey's idea that science instruction through problem-solving was the mastery of a body of organized principles introduced by scientists, began to take precedence and the flurry over the Project Method died out (DeBoer, 1991).
In 1976, at the lowest point in public and congressional support for science education, the National Science Foundation awarded contracts to assemble information that would provide a picture of K-12 science education. In 1978 Norris Harms of the University of Colorado synthesized and interpreted the National Science Foundation status studies and National Assessment of Education Progress reports using a discrepancy model. Desired states were followed by descriptions of the actual state of affairs of K-12 science education including biology, physical science, inquiry, elementary school science, and science/technology and society. Harms made recommendations in the areas of personal needs, societal issues, academic preparation, career education/awareness, and critical elements for teaching. The monograph, "Project Synthesis" was conceived as a means of transmitting the results to teachers (Yager, 1981).
Project W.E.T. (Water Education for Teachers) is an award-winning, nonprofit water education program and publisher. The program facilitates and promotes awareness, appreciation, knowledge, and stewardship of water resources through the dissemination of classroom-ready teaching aids and the establishment of internationally sponsored Project WET programs. The mission of Project WET is to reach children, parents, educators, and communities of the world with water education. The goal of Project WET is to facilitate and promote the awareness, appreciation, knowledge, and stewardship of water resources through the development and dissemination of classroom-ready teaching aids and through the establishment of state and internationally sponsored Project WET programs.
Project WET is a network of state coordinators who provide educators with the materials and skills they need to teach about water through professional development workshops. The mission of Project WET is to reach children, parents, educators, and communities of the world with water education.
The Project WET program consists of water educators in each state who administer and deliver Project WET. State Project WET coordinators deliver informative, interactive and fun Project WET professional development workshops to a variety of educators. The Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide can only be obtained by attending a Project WET educator workshop led by a trained facilitator. Project WET State Coordinators also offer advanced thematic and investigative workshops exploring wetlands, ground water, water conservation, watersheds, water monitoring, water history and other water resource topics.
Project Wild is an interdisciplinary, supplementary environmental and conservation education program emphasizing wildlife. For instructional purposes in Project WILD, wildlife is defined as any non-domesticated animal. Wildlife may be small organisms only visible to people if seen through a microscope, or as large as a great blue whale. Wildlife includes, but not limited to, insects, spiders, birds, reptiles, fish, amphibians, and mammals, if non-domesticated. Project WILD's primary audience is teachers of kindergarten through high school students. This does not limit the usefulness of the Project to formal educational settings, however. Volunteers working with young people in pre-school and after-school programs; representatives of private conservation, industry, and other community groups who are interested in providing instructional programs for young people or their teachers; and personnel involved in preparation of future teachers are all among those who effectively use the instructional resources of this program.
Project WILD is based on the premise that young people and their teachers have a vital interest in learning about the earth as home for people and wildlife. The program emphasizes wildlife-because of its intrinsic, ecological, and other values, as well as its importance as a basis for understanding the fragile grounds upon which all life rests. Project WILD is designed to prepare young people for decisions affecting people, wildlife, and their shared home, earth. Project WILD addresses the need for human beings to develop as responsible members of the ecosystem.
The goal of Project WILD is to assist learners of any age in developing awareness, knowledge, skills, and commitment to result in informed decisions, responsible behavior, and constructive actions concerning wildlife and the environment upon which all life depends.
Project WILD is a joint project of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) and the Western Regional Environmental Education Council (WREEC). These two organizations are the primary sponsoring agencies. The prime movers in Project WILD were resource management professionals and education administrators with state-level responsibilities from 13 western states working through WREEC and WAFWA. These people put together the basic concept and plan of action for the program and secured the necessary resources to get it underway. Organizationally, WREEC is responsible for the materials and program development, while the Western Association provides technical expertise and program resources. Other agencies and organizations have since joined as cosponsors, and have input into the direction of the program through the joint WREEC/Western Association Steering Committee for Project WILD.
It is defined as a body of knowledge, methodology, belief, or practice that is claimed to be scientific or made to appear scientific, but does not adhere to the scientific method. Popular examples include creation science and intelligent design.
PSSC: Physical Science Study Committee
In 1954, different science related organizations began investigating and discussing the problems of physics being taught at the secondary level. They concluded that the current courses in physics were out of date, and did not include new information. Therefore, the various groups agreed classroom teachers needed to work with professional physicists to develop new curriculum to be taught to secondary students.
In 1956, Gerald Zacharias, a physicist from MIT, gathered scientists, educators, and learning theorists to discuss the creation of new physics courses (Neumann, 1993). They applied for and received a grant from the National Science Foundation to fund the project which became known as the Physical Science Study Committee in November of 1956 (DeBoer, 1991). By December 1956, the committee met at MIT to talk about tentative proposals for the new physics course. Fifty high school teachers and university scientists were working together on the project by the summer of the following year, and eight teachers used the preliminary materials with over three hundred students. The number of teachers participating in the project increased to three hundred by the summer of 1958, and more than 12,500 students began using the new materials (DeBoer, 1991).
The physics course omitted many of the technological applications and subjects that had been normally taught in the old traditional classes. These topics were excluded to make room to teach new aspects of modern physics. The topics that were excluded were put together in an optional supplementary material guide. The primary objective of the new course was to "...present physics as a coherent set of related concepts as they had developed over the years" (DeBoer, 1991).
A physics laboratory book was created in conjunction with the concepts being taught from the book. The guide consisted of 51 experiments. Students were given directions, questions to answer, and hints. The students were expected to use their brain to make the connections between the book and the lab experiments. There were even films to be shown in lab that related to the topic being studied.