Next Generation Science

Next Generation Science http://scoe.org/pub/htdocs/blog-ngss.html Intro paragraph here The World Begins Again http://scoe.org/pub/htdocs/blog-ngss.html?id=293 <img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://www.scoe.org/blog_files/Wood%20Between%20the%20Worlds.png" alt="" width="448" height="336" /> And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been.  Rainer Maria Rilke   In The Magician’s Nephew, part of the Chronicles of Narnia series, C.S. Lewis describes “the Wood between the Worlds.” This wood is the juncture between all of the worlds that exist, and the children in the story soon find that when one is in it, identity and perceptions change. They can barely remember the world they came from, who they are, and what their purpose is. Nor do they have a clear sense of what world they might enter next and what actions they will take when they get there. While things can, and indeed do, happen in the wood, it feels to the children like time stands still.   For me, and I suspect many others in Sonoma County, this past year has felt like living in the Wood between the Worlds. A year ago, I went to sleep in one world and woke up to an entirely different reality. I was lucky that I was eventually able to return to my house after evacuating. But my parents had a different experience. They woke up because of the wind. After a series of warnings, they fled fifteen minutes after waking. Their home of 30 years which contained virtually all of our family memories burned five minutes later. Shortly after the fires and being evacuated from her group home, my grandma passed away.   These events moved my family very rapidly out of the world and identities we were used to. In many ways, we’ve been in limbo since then. This is not to say that nothing has happened in the past year. We’ve celebrated exciting things such as my mom’s retirement and my nephew’s first birthday. We’ve faced challenges too, including $25,000 dollars worth of damage done by a skunk (another story for another time). But it has all felt a bit surreal. It’s hard to relate to the world before the fires or fully imagine a new, post-fire world.   This sense of limbo is evident around Sonoma County. Sites have been cleared and construction has begun, but there are still a number of lots that sit empty. Blackened trees still line streets. There are reminders everywhere that the world we knew came to a halt in one night. And it remains to be seen what the new Sonoma County will actually look like and what place each of us will have within it.   It’s not just the people of Sonoma County that feel like they’re living between worlds. Across the country, the scientific community is in a state of uncertainty. On the one hand, scientific investigation and discovery is accelerating rapidly. According to a <a href="https://ssec.si.edu/stem-imperative">report by the Smithsonian</a>, 90% of the world’s data has been generated in the past two years. We are on the verge of new possibilities and exploration. And yet, in some organizations and locations scientific work is being ignored and the collective scientific voice is being discredited or silenced. The Environmental Protection Agency is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/27/climate/epa-science-adviser.html">dissolving its Office of the Science Advisor</a>. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has a new advisor after the position sat vacant for 19 months, but it has been <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/trump-taps-meteorologist-as-white-house-science-advisor/">radically restructured</a> with the staff reduced by 50% and moves being made to cut some science programs. And so, the scientific community waits. What funding is available, what breakthroughs might be made, and what attention might be paid if they do remains to be seen.   We are in a similar state of limbo in science education. NGSS has been adopted; these are the standards and we aren’t going back to the old way of doing things. In California, it’s expected that NGSS will be fully implemented this year, and the CAST test is operational beginning in January. And yet, on the ground level teachers feel like they are still in between two realities. Most have embraced the idea of NGSS and perhaps have even tried teaching three dimensionally, but they don’t yet have curriculum resources in place, and in many cases decisions such as high school course models and sequences are still being made. No one is quite sure what full NGSS implementation looks like and what new challenges and opportunities it will bring for our students.   In a summary of his <a href="https://stearns.wordpress.com/2011/11/11/we-are-in-between-stories/">2011 lecture series</a>, Josh Stearn points out that as an entire society, we are essentially living in between stories. He quotes historian Thomas Berry who argues “The old story, the account of how the world came to be and how we fit into it, is no longer effective. Yet we have not learned the new story.” However, Stearn reminds his audience that if we want to invoke change in the world, we can’t stay in limbo between stories.  Instead, “...real change demands that we begin telling a new story.”   The children in The Magician’s Nephew similarly can’t stay in the Wood between the Worlds forever. They can’t simply go back to their world and expect that it will be the same. But, however appealing and easy it might seem, they also decide they can’t live in limbo without memory, identity, or purpose. They have to make the choice to jump into a world and both take and shape the adventure that awaits them. And in the process, not only do they find a new, deeper sense of themselves, they also get to have a hand in creating a new world, Narnia.   No matter how jarring the transition from the old to the new, none of us can stay in limbo indefinitely. At some point, the world begins again. But we can help shape that world and our place within it. As we pass the year mark post-fire, my family and all of Sonoma County have the chance to begin telling a new story, letting the best of what we’ve experienced and done in the wake of the fires rather than the tragedy itself define who we are and what we do going forward. For some, a year has not been enough time to think about moving forward, but eventually we all have a choice about what our new story will be.   The scientific community can continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible and seek new ways of communicating findings and innovations. Stearn writes, “Part of telling a new story has to be telling it in new ways.” Scientists can explore how to reach and empower a broad audience, and especially young people, who might in turn change the field of science through their words and actions.   In science education, we can choose to do the very best by the students in the classroom right now, including seeking out new phenomena, questions, and challenges to engage them and help them build strong science identities. We can work to pinpoint our vision and priorities so that when we do make decisions about curriculum resources and course models, they are not made without thought or based on what’s easiest but instead represent our very best ideas for how to give all of our students access to high quality, inspiring science education. The world inevitably begins again. Time doesn’t stand still. But the world, like a new year, can be full of new things that have never been before. And we can have a hand in shaping those things. What is your dream for the world beyond the woods? Begin again and make it happen.     The Times Are a-Changin'... So What Will You Do? http://scoe.org/pub/htdocs/blog-ngss.html?id=286 <img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://www.scoe.org/blog_files/dylan%204.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="334" />   Recently, I had the privilege of attending a retirement party for my mother who’s finishing a twenty-five year teaching career. At the end of the evening, she gave a speech recounting what she’s seen and the lessons she’s learned. It comes as no surprise to any educator that lesson number one was to be flexible and open to change. During more than two decades of teaching second grade, my mom has seen shifts from Whole Language to No Child Left Behind to Common Core. She’s learned and implemented seven math programs (though interestingly only two science programs in the same time). She’s watched the demographics of her school shift and the needs of her students change. And in the course of twenty-five years, often to her dismay, my mom has watched technology in the classroom advance dramatically.   While my mom’s words about change and flexibility weren’t surprising, what blew me away was her proclamation that in retirement she wants to learn how to code, something she wishes she’d done with her students. That coding and computer science should be a priority in school isn’t a new idea. In December, I had the chance to speak with former students who are now pursuing banking, theoretical physics, and neuroscience (I know, such slackers), and they shared that they wish they’d had more computer science in school, because they all need it for their careers. Similarly, when I asked NASA scientists what was missing from their school experiences, they all agreed they would have benefited from learning to code, because they’ve had to teach themselves on the job.   The surprising thing about my mom’s proclamation was that these words were coming from a person who still calls for help while navigating the TV remote and asks second graders for assistance with classroom technology. But, on reflection, this new goal encapsulates part of why my mother has been such an amazing teacher: rather than be content with what has been and might be considered “good enough,” she consistently researches best practices and tries whatever’s next in education. As she’s transitioned between seven math programs, she’s always been game to try the next one while keeping the best parts of the old ones. In the past few years, she’s attended trainings on STEAM and maker education even though she knew she’d retire soon. Even this year, I’d get calls from her asking for clarification on new science topics she was introducing or ideas for maker projects she could do with students. In a world and educational system that’s always shifting, she’s embraced change while continuously keeping her eye on the students in front of her and how to serve them best. So it should have come as no surprise to me that even at the end of her career there’s more my mom wants to learn and more she wishes she could have done with students who are growing up in a world that’s rapidly changing.   The idea that “the times are a-changin’” is, of course, not a new one. There’s a reason why Bob Dylan’s lyrics ring true in so many decades and circumstances. They were felt deeply when he opened a concert with the song in 1963, the day after President Kennedy was assassinated. They were equally appropriate when Steve Jobs recited them in 1984 while unveiling the Macintosh computer. And they were just as poignant when Jennifer Hudson sang them on March 24, 2018 as part of the student-led March for Our Lives in Washington D.C. The times are always changing. There is always darkness and uncertainty, and there is always hope and possibility when people dare to thoughtfully embrace change and a different future. The question people face at whatever moment of change in which they find themselves is what action to take in that changing time.   We are in a particularly interesting moment of change in education. There are significant shifts in how we think about learning and student demonstration of understanding. We have the Common Core State Standards, the Next Generation Science Standards, a new California History Social Science Framework, and new approaches to supporting English Learners and special education students. All of these reflect an attempt to do what’s best by students in a rapidly changing world, but the sum of these changes for schools and classrooms can feel overwhelming. We also have new systems of accountability emerging, new ways of examining how students engage with their learning, and changing leadership and funding structures.   And all of this is just at the educational system level. There’s even more national and global change afoot that impacts students and classrooms. Technologically we’re advancing rapidly, and there are new possibilities every day. We now live in a world where Google can call a restaurant for you and make a reservation. Soon in the field of AI (artificial intelligence), it might even be possible to fuse neurons and circuits. Research shows that in real time the use of technology such as iPhones is rewiring our brains. We now remember where to get information instead of what the information is. On a social level, we live in a time where students don’t necessarily feel safe in school, but they are finding their collective voice to advocate for systemic change that might make schools safer. We also live in a time when industry is advancing so fast that we are preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist.   As in all moments of change, it’s difficult to see exactly where we’re headed. In Dylan’s words, “don’t speak to soon, for the wheel’s still in spin.” But as educators we do have to decide how to respond in this moment.   First, teachers need to determine what changes to make in the classroom to both address the immediate needs of students and prepare them for a shifting world. If we know that most majors and careers require integration of content areas, innovative thinking, collaboration, and, apparently, coding and computer science, how will we creatively infuse these into classes? At the same time, what can we learn and do in order to support vulnerable populations and address things like childhood trauma that are appearing right now in classrooms and can hinder individual students? We also need to consider new instructional strategies such as starting with inquiry rather than vocabulary to support language development, and we need to think about how to change the physical structure of classes to accommodate learning styles and provide choice.      As educators, we are also in a unique position to shape large-scale change. What we do now with students can literally direct where the world is headed. And so we also have to reflect on how we want the world to change and prioritize this in classrooms. You might decide that it’s important for all scientists and engineers to consider not only what they can do but whether certain things should be done and how their actions will impact individuals. In that case, including discussions on ethics and experience engaging in empathy interviews is needed. You might want to live in a world where people feel empowered to speak out for and protect those who can’t speak for themselves. Then students need the chance to speak out now in the classroom as well as consider the perspectives of people with different experiences than their own.   Changing practice and structure in education can feel overwhelming. In whatever position you’re in, you can’t change everything at once, and you don’t have control over all the changes that come your way. That’s why I love my mom’s example and find it so impressive. Accepting that change comes, she’s chosen to embrace and mold it, continually being a learner and working to do right by the students in front of her today who live in a world that’s different than the students who sat in those desks twenty-five years ago. The changes she’s made and the ones you’re able to make may feel small compared to all that’s happening in the educational system and the world. But, in the words of Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”   The times, as always, are a-changin’. The 1960s, when the song debuted, saw us reaching for equality and the moon. The 1980s, when Steve Jobs quoted the lyrics, launched a time of unprecedented technological growth that has shaped our lives today. The 2018 reprise in D.C. represents a line drawn in the sand by students who want the world to go in a different direction. Education and the world are both in flux. And you have a choice about how you will respond. One thing I appreciate about the school system is that there’s a distinct ending and beginning, and as we transition from one to another, change is invited. So, as we break for summer, I encourage you to reflect on how the times are changing and what role you want to play. My mother is finishing her career still trying new things and will learn to code. What will you do?   <img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://www.scoe.org/blog_files/Lesley%202.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="500" /> Looking Out, Looking In http://scoe.org/pub/htdocs/blog-ngss.html?id=285 <img src="https://www.scoe.org/blog_files/IMG_3687.JPG" alt="NASA Armstrong" width="436" height="327" />  In 1977, NASA launched Voyager 1. Its mission was to study the solar system and then space beyond. The mission was one of discovery, looking outward into the unknown. But in 1980, when the craft went past Saturn, renowned astronomer Carl Sagan had the idea to turn the probe around and take a picture of Earth. As it turns out, it’s hard to switch back and forth between looking outward and inward in space, and many opposed the idea and the potential problems it could cause for Voyager. However, a NASA administrator pushed the idea forward, and after working through logistics and concerns, on February 14th, 1990, Voyager took the photo now known as <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/voyager/multimedia/pia00452.html">Pale Blue Dot</a> in which Earth is shown from 6 billion kilometers away and appears as a speck less than a pixel in size.   Several years later, Sagan shared the photo during a lecture at Cornell University and gave a now famous <a href="http://www.astro.cornell.edu/academics/courses/a102/pbd.html">reflection</a> on what that picture reveals. According to Sagan, “The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena...our posturings, our imagined self-importance..are challenged by this point of pale light.” There is a vast (some argue infinite) universe beyond Earth to discover, and so humans, naturally curious, are driven to discover, to look out beyond our point of light. And yet, Sagan concludes his reflection on the picture by saying, “To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly and compassionately with one another and to preserve and cherish that pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.” As much as we need to look outward, we equally need to look inward and take care of this tiny point of light on which all known life exists.   NASA still balances this juxtaposition of looking out and looking in. Scientists and engineers from multiple facilities are actively working to <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/topics/journeytomars/index.html">send people to Mars</a>. At the same time, NASA is using innovative technology and the expertise of scientists nationally and globally to look inward and study what’s happening here on the pale blue dot.   I recently had the privilege of attending the Last Flight of NASA’s Worldwide Survey of the Atmosphere at the NASA Armstrong facility. Since 2016, NASA has been conducting its Atmospheric Tomography Mission (<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/content/earth-expeditions-atom">ATom</a>). A team of scientists are using NASA’s DC-8 aircraft- a flying lab- to sample the airborne particles and gases in the atmosphere <a href="https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12488">above the ocean worldwide</a> in every season. They are currently on their fourth and final expedition. According to Prof. Michael J. Prather, one of the scientists working on ATom, it is “a mission of understanding, not discovery.” ATom will give us a picture of what’s going on in the air and how we might respond to take care of earth.   While the mission isn’t complete, several key findings have so far come from looking inward. First, there are striking levels of pollutants over the middle of the oceans, far from land and pollution sources. Second, the production of new ozone over the ocean is far higher than models predicted. Scientists don’t yet know what causes this production. Finally, ATom has shown where atmospheric models based on traditional measurement tools such as satellites work well to explain and predict what’s happening and where they don’t fit or don’t capture detail. This will help NASA improve models in order to better explain human impact on the atmosphere, make predictions about the future, and be a source of information and ideas for those advocating for change.   NASA’s dual focus on discovery and understanding, on looking outward and inward, provides a great model for science educators. Teachers greatly benefit from opportunities to look both ways. I recently took a group of science teachers on local industry tours to witness firsthand what STEAM skills are needed in the workplace. During our tour of Medtronic, a biotechnology company, one of the teachers remarked, “You know, I’ve never been in a lab before.” While learning how various science skills and fields are integrated to run a winery, another remarked, “When I go back and students ask me when they’ll ever need to know what they’re learning in science, for the first time I feel like I’ll have a real answer for them.” These teachers’ comments underscore a great need for science educators to have opportunities to look out and learn what’s happening in scientific fields and industries. Many went right from their own educational experience to the classroom, and yet we expect them to provide students with an understanding of who scientists and engineers are and design lessons where they engage in the same practices as these professionals. Teachers must be given professional learning opportunities that provide an outward lens.   At the same time, teachers need support looking inward at their own classrooms and students. In order to successfully implement three dimensional lessons, teachers need time to plan with their students in mind and also to seek out resources and materials for their individual contexts. Teachers also need the space to plan for and voice to advocate for individual students. An elementary student I recently interviewed said she didn’t feel successful at science, because when she goes home she has to watch her sister’s baby until she goes to bed, so she can’t do her science homework. I wondered whether the teacher knew this girl’s story and if so whether she was given the tools and freedom to provide support that might change the student’s science identity.   This practice of looking outward and inward is something we need to provide for students as well. Recently, I’ve conducted a number of student interviews, and a common thread is that students all want to know how science in the classroom relates to the larger world and their lives. We need to be strategic about bringing in stories, phenomena, and activities that make these connections clear. We also need to give students a chance to interact with the people in the field right now. There are a number of programs that are making this easier such as <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.org/education/programs/explorer-classroom/">Explorer Classroom</a> by National Geographic which allows classes to learn about fieldwork as it’s happening. This type of experience sparks interest and curiosity and helps students imagine themselves as scientists and engineers, something that is critical if we want more of them to pursue STEM careers.   In order for students to imagine themselves in STEM careers, we also need to provide opportunities for them to look inward and figure out what makes them “tick”- what their strengths and interests are and how these relate to the world. Barry L. Lefer, another of the leaders for the ATom project, gave this advice to STEM students, “You don’t have to be a math expert. There’s lots of different types of science and different roles in science. What we need is for people to be curious.” Students need the chance to understand what makes them curious, what they are driven to discover and understand, and how this might fit into the world of science. They also need to have individual and group experiences in school that help them develop persistence when faced with tough problems and invite them to collaborate or seek out help when challenged.   Just as Sagan and the NASA scientists found in the 80s, it’s hard to go back and forth between looking outward and inward. When you try to move between the two, learn all you can, and respond accordingly, the balance can be precarious. But in this again, NASA provides us a model to build on. Its outward focus has allowed us to see and go farther than previous generations could have dreamed, and it has continued to spark our innate curiosity and inspire innovation. The inward focus has helped us to pinpoint what we’re responsible for and how we can work towards positive change. It also provides hope that change can actually happen. For example, when NASA compared <a href="https://airquality.gsfc.nasa.gov/">models of NO2 emissions</a> in industrial areas between 2005 and 2016, they showed a significant decrease due to new regulations put in place since pollution concerns were identified in earlier studies.   Looking out at what’s happening and what’s possible and looking in at how we can better support and care for our world, educators, and students isn’t going to change anything on its own. It’s what we do with these perspectives that will have an impact. But deciding to look both ways is a challenging and important step. Let us commit to keeping a dual focus and to responding with thoughtful, purposeful, and hopeful action. Then we can explore and discover what’s possible while caring for our personal pale blue dot.       Recognizing Unseen Possibilities: The Story of the STEAM Showcase http://scoe.org/pub/htdocs/blog-ngss.html?id=283 <img src="https://www.scoe.org/blog_files/2018Steam047.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="267" /> “(Leaders) inspire people by helping them recognize the previously unseen possibilities that lay embedded in their existing circumstances.” -Robert Hargrove   This quote by Hargrove embodies something I valued very much as a science teacher and now as a science education leader. That’s one of the reasons I’ve been so proud to help develop the Synopsys-Sonoma County STEAM Showcase which at its core has been about bringing to light previously unseen possibilities. And it’s why I’m excited to share the story of the Showcase and help other educators open up possibilities for students.   The STEAM Showcase journey started in 2016 as we wrapped up another county science fair. This was a long-standing event in Sonoma County and always well attended. But in 2016, we were starting to understand the radical shifts happening in both science as a profession and science education, and we were deeply engaged in work around equity and focused on possibilities for all students. We were also hearing consistently from students themselves that they wanted learning to be integrated and purposeful. And so, we started asking “what if…?”. Finally, armed with research, we met with the county superintendent, Dr. Steve Herrington, to reimagine the event. And out of this meeting came the concept and support for a countywide STEAM Showcase.   It’s one thing to dream up a possibility, but then you need to find a way to make it a reality. Luckily, that’s what the team tasked with running the event- the Coordinator for Science (me), the Director for Innovation and Partnerships, the Coordinator for Maker Education, and the Technology Innovation Specialist- does best. We were also extremely fortunate that the Synopsys Outreach Foundation who had previously sponsored the science fair agreed to take a chance and sponsor the new event. And so, after much dreaming and planning, we held the first Synopsys-Sonoma County STEAM Showcase on March 1, 2017.   For the STEAM Showcase, we tried to combine trends we saw in industry, the creative and innovative tools and strategies emerging for education, and the things students were seeking more of in school. We selected a theme- Cause and Effect- that related to the Next Generation Science Standards in hopes that projects would be embedded in classroom learning. We developed a <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YfhiDS2RsJfmmX8kk5fG6EQxP3MApZui6DGGBI3wegk/edit?usp=sharing">rubric</a> that highlighted integration and purpose for projects and encouraged digital documentation and multiple project iterations. We designed an event that wasn’t focused on competition but was rather a celebration of what had been done and an opportunity to engage in making and engineering activities. More event details and information can be found <a href="http://bit.ly/steamcisc18">here</a>.   The result of that first STEAM Showcase was beyond what I could have imagined. We had a broad range of students, some of whom had participated in the science fair and many of whom had never been part of a large science event. We had kindergarteners and 12th graders showing projects side by side. Two special education classes participated, and one of their teachers commented that if it weren’t for the showcase, they wouldn’t have been studying science at all, but now the students had completed two unique projects focused on ecology. Students proudly shared with the industry professionals serving as project evaluators about their work and the purposes and possibilities that lay behind what they were showing. When they weren’t interviewing, students made event t-shirts, engaged in engineering challenges around airplane flight, and built flashlights and microscopes.   There were a number of interesting projects. One student learned how to weld in order to make a sea turtle sculpture that could be sold to raise money for conservation...out of spare parts from a VW Bug. Another group of students performed a dance about water properties accompanied by a song that was written by one of the students and sung by the school’s choir. Still another group designed their own snow chains which at the time of the showcase they were seeking to patent. I left the day encouraged about what students could do and by the energy and enthusiasm with which they approached everything.   In the fall of 2017, we set out to try to design our second STEAM Showcase. Based on positive feedback from the first event, we selected another NGSS-related theme, “Systems and System Models.” We held an informational meeting, settled on an event location, and started to feel that everything was on track. And then, in early October, wildfires ripped through Sonoma County. In response to the fires we added a second theme for the event, “Creativity in Community.” The hope was that it would give students an outlet to respond to the fires if they wanted to do so. Having added the theme and extended deadlines after the chaos of October, we waited, unsure if people would still participate in the event after such a tragedy and the lost classroom time.   The second annual Synopsys-Sonoma County STEAM Showcase took place on March 2nd, 2018. Despite our uncertainty, the event actually grew by 25%, and some of the schools hardest hit by the wildfires participated. More than fifty community members volunteered their time, along with SCOE staff, to make the event come to life. Many of the elements from the first year, including making t-shirts, were repeated. New elements were also added, notably an engineering challenge completed by teams around constructing sound towers.   The 2018 event was an incredible display of diversity in unity. There were a number of schools that participated for a second time, and there were a large number of new participants who were highly invested and engaged. One new teacher was so committed to the event that she and her students came on the city bus since they couldn’t get a school bus. The students engaged in the same maker activities, but they all made them their own. They added personal touches to their t-shirts, decorated three dimensional puzzles to make them unique, and approached the engineering challenge differently. They all showed projects based on one of the two themes or a combination of both, and they were personal, purposeful, and inspiring.   The projects this year were a testament to what can happen when students are given the option of personalizing learning. Among the (many) projects that stood out was one by a special education class that modeled the solar system in three dimensions, complete with gears cut the right size to for accurate rotation speed and direction. A middle school student developed shoe inserts that can generate energy. A group of 6th grade students, including English learners, an RSP student, and an elective mute, stood on the stage together and showed and narrated films they’d created about plate tectonics and earthquake safety. A group of high school students designed a house to replace the one their teacher had lost in the fires. Another high school group developed a roof sprinkler system that could be used in future fires.   The STEAM Showcase highlights the incredible capacity, potential, and creativity of students. The adults who volunteered this year were blown away by what’s possible when students are given opportunities to learn and create with purpose. Many commented that after a difficult year (some of them were fire victims themselves), the event restored hope. I was left with a deep sense of how privileged I am to help lead an event that allows both adults and students to recognize previously unseen possibilities, especially when those possibilities are embedded in what have been inarguably difficult circumstances. As educators, we are all in leadership roles in which we can inspire students and help them to recognize previously unseen possibilities. I encourage you to create circumstances where these can come to life. You might develop projects and activities that involve subject integration or highlight purpose in learning and exploration. You might open up more opportunities for students to develop and share unique solutions to unsolved dilemmas in our world. You might simply include new ways for students to be courageous and take on challenges big and small such as sharing their ideas in front of a new audience. Whatever the specifics might be, live into the privilege of helping uncover possibilities in your context. And if you’re in Sonoma County, please consider joining us for the 2019 Synopsys-Sonoma County STEAM Showcase. We’d love to help you and your students explore unseen possibilities. Can you guess what one of our themes will be next year?   <img src="https://www.scoe.org/blog_files/2018Steam031.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="267" /> The Hope of Science Past, Present, and Future http://scoe.org/pub/htdocs/blog-ngss.html?id=278 <img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://www.scoe.org/blog_files/NASA%20Blog.jpg" alt="NASA Collage" width="667" height="220" /> In late October, I had the incredible privilege of traveling to NASA Langley in Hampton, Virginia for the second time in six months. This time, SCOE’s Maker Coordinator Casey Shea and I were invited to be part of Langley’s Centennial Open House, the culminating event in a series of celebrations for the center’s anniversary. The event marked one of the few times that the center is open to the public, and it drew a crowd of over 20,000 people.   The theme for Langley’s centennial was “A Storied Legacy, A Soaring Future,” and this was reflected in the open house offerings. There were many displays and tributes to the scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and astronauts who make up Langley’s past. Of note, people could visit the gantry where Neil Armstrong and others trained for the lunar landing, view the calculators used by Langley’s early computers alongside tributes to individual women, and visit the newly opened Katherine Johnson Computational Research Facility, dedicated to one of the black computers recently highlighted in the film “Hidden Figures.” NASA also opened up its various labs so that people could see what engineers and scientists are currently working on using state of the art digital manufacturing tools to make advances previously only dreamed about. And throughout the campus there were prototypes and descriptions of the future NASA is currently working towards: safe travel to and exploration of Mars.   While the event was nowhere near the holiday season (in my opinion that is- the commercial sector clearly disagrees!), I was struck by how NASA’s theme echos Charles Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol” in which Scrooge is visited by three ghosts (Past, Present, and Yet to Come) and is profoundly changed by what they show him. At Langley, the activities provided and the research and stories highlighted reminded attendees that there are lessons to be learned, advances to be made, and hope to be found when we reflect on the past, present, and future and use what we discover to guide our actions and practice.   Based on their reflections of the past, one lesson the leaders of NASA have learned is that meaningful exploration and discovery only comes about when you gather people who are innovative, creative, and curious. And so, they are keenly aware of the need to invest in the students of the present who will be the NASA innovators or the future.   This investment was clear at the open house- an entire section was dedicated to children. Students were invited to engage in engineering challenges, take pictures of themselves as astronauts, and, at our tables, try their hand at maker activities. Kids flocked to the area, eager to take on the creative challenges. In fact, we had one table full of random materials with a sign that simply asked participants, “What can you make?” The table was surrounded the entire day, and kids produced incredible designs.   I left inspired by the hopefulness of the experience developed by NASA and the enthusiasm demonstrated by the children at the event. I was also challenged to be more thoughtful about framing the larger science education experience around the past, present, and future in order to invite reflection and action.   We know from the past that great scientific advances have required bold moves, but always bold moves coupled with investigation, documentation, and evidence. Those who made advances weren’t always applauded or acknowledged in their own time. And yet, because of their work they dramatically impacted our present. Students need to learn these stories and understand the nature of science, the importance of investigation and evidence-based arguments, and the impact that scientific work has had on their lives.   In the present, the field of science is changing as we push the limits of discovery; there is greater integration and collaboration among varying fields, and technology and design processes are developing rapidly and opening new possibilities. Students need to hear from those currently in the field who are doing work they’re passionate about, understand that the scientific workforce is diversifying, and be able to imagine themselves as part of this workforce. They also need to experience what it’s like to investigate and collect evidence and also to design and create new things. According to students I’ve spoken with who are pursuing STEM careers, there is a great need in school to have more practice documenting work and learning to “go from nothing to something” instead of being given lock-step directions if they are to be prepared for their future jobs.   The future of science is unwritten, but it should be hopeful. Tony deRose, senior scientist for Pixar, pointed out in a recent talk that “the students starting middle school this year won’t retire until 2070, and they’ll be retiring from jobs we can’t yet imagine.” We certainly don’t know what the STEM fields will look like in 2070, nor can we predict what skills and expertise will be required. We do know that in 2017 alone there were a <a href="http://time.com/5023212/best-inventions-of-2017/">number of breakthroughs</a> made by people not that much older than these students that will improve life and advance discovery, from glasses that give sight to the blind to a Mars craft that can probe under the surface. To prepare students for the future, we can tell them about these cutting edge inventions. We can also provide them with experiences of their own in design and innovation with authentic, unanswered questions and dilemmas. Perhaps most importantly, we can encourage and empower them to imagine the future they hope for, to dream big for themselves and the world, and to use their skills and talents to make this dream a reality.   “A Christmas Carol” might have ended very differently if Scrooge didn’t take the lessons he learned from the past, present, and future and put them into action. So too, the story of NASA Langley told at the open house might not have been the same if its leaders didn’t continually learn from the past and invest in the future. This can be a lesson for us as as well. It may feel too early for 2018 resolutions, but if you’re starting to think about them, here’s a question to consider: What actions can we take as science educators that honor and promote a storied legacy, a soaring future, and all the innovation and creativity in between? May the new year bring you hope as we invest together in students and the future we dream is possible.   A list of educational resources from NASA that promote classroom experiences shaped around authentic phenomena and stories, past, present, and future can be found <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7o1Krik6Nx7X1pqcEtCSEhySVk/view?usp=sharing">here</a>.     <img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://www.scoe.org/blog_files/NASA%20Collage%202.jpg" alt="" width="656" height="328" /> Education in a World Turned Upside Down http://scoe.org/pub/htdocs/blog-ngss.html?id=273 <img src="https://www.scoe.org/blog_files/FullSizeRender%2041.jpg" alt="" width="432" height="324" /> “I have always believed, and I still believe, that whatever good or bad fortune may come our way we can always give it meaning and transform it into something of value.” Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha   Let me say first that this is not at all the blog I envisioned I’d be writing. I went to bed on Sunday, October 8th anticipating a busy week which involved traveling to a meeting for the California science education leads and both presenting and learning at the California Science Teachers Association’s annual conference. I eagerly anticipated gathering and sharing new information, resources, and strategies that would be helpful for local science educators. Then, early in the morning of October 9th, the world changed.   Like so many others, I was awakened by my incredible neighbors pounding on the door saying that there was a fire and we had to get out. The next minutes were chaos as we stumbled around in the dark (the power was out), packing valuable items, gathering pets, and trying to manually open the garage door.   Stuff. As the dust settles, we’re all grateful first for safety, and then our next thought is stuff. We are getting a new sense of which things are important to us. I am one of the very lucky ones who had a house to return to when all was said and done. As I begin to unpack, I’m taking stock of what I deemed valuable enough to grab. Among these items are a blue scarf with pigs on it and two books, The Martian and What Do You Do With An Idea?.   These might seem like odd choices, but all three items have great sentimental value as they were gifts from amazing students who have just been launched into the world. The scarf is from two students who knew that I love fashionable accessories and that the pig was our class mascot. This was their way of melding those together. The books both have notes from the students who gave them, sharing how they’re inspired that anything is possible and that with our ideas we can change the world.   These items are important to me not really as physical objects but because they remind me of the many reasons I’m proud of who these students have become and the hope they give me for our future. They are kind, generous, and compassionate. They are inspired to think outside the box and use what they learn creatively to change the world. They are ready to imagine new possibilities and make them a reality. The fact that I got to be a part of their journey in realizing this potential is infinitely more meaningful to me than any science lesson I ever created.   For all in Sonoma County, the world has been turned upside down. In the wake of these horrific fires, we are adjusting to a new reality and reexamining what’s important. Educators have an important role to play in defining what life looks like going forward. As students return to school, they are looking for structure, stability, and a safe place to process what’s happened. They’re also looking to teachers for how to respond in the face of such an overwhelming tragedy. And so every educator has a huge and important task ahead.   As I think about the enormity of this situation, I find myself returning to these student gifts and the people they represent. The fires have shown us the importance of kindness, generosity, and compassion and the great need to foster these tendencies in children. As we look ahead towards a long recovery with unprecedented challenges, we are most certainly in need of people who are creative and innovative and dare to dream of a reality we can’t yet see. Providing opportunities for students to do these things in school has become not just a nice suggestion but an imperative if we want the next generation to be able to address situations such as the one we face.   When we return to school, we have the chance to help students realize their own capacity and the great impact they can have on our community now and in the future. We are professionals, and yes, the content we teach matters. Among other things, in the coming months we will still need to look at how to implement NGSS and incorporate 21st Century learning. These are critical for our students’ future and that of our world. But we can’t simply go back to business as usual. In a world turned upside down, we have the chance as educators to create for our students a climate of support and possibility. We can give them creative ways to express what they’re feeling and empower them that they can be part of developing a new reality.   We are working hard at the county office to develop vehicles for doing this work so that we can support the efforts of teachers. We’re here to help teachers brainstorm and process and make possibilities a reality. Please look for updates in the coming days and weeks, and don’t hesitate to reach out with ideas big and small.   We are a community in crisis, but I have seen time and again in the last week that we are also a community with incredible capacity. Let us never forget that with our ideas we can change the world. We can’t will our county back to what it was before October 9th, but we can imagine a new community full of creativity and possibility. Let this, more than the horrors we've experienced, be our legacy.   No One is Alone http://scoe.org/pub/htdocs/blog-ngss.html?id=267 <img src="http://www.scoe.org/blog_files/Eclipse-Viewing.jpg" alt="People wearing solar sunglasses look up at the eclipse" width="500" height="360" /> Like many in STEM fields, I am very drawn to music and find songs helpful for processing what’s going on in the world. At this particular juncture, I’m especially finding musicals powerful, seeing in them both parallels and encouragement for the world I’m in and the work I’m doing. At the end of Stephen Sondheim’s hit musical, Into the Woods, the story shifts gears rather dramatically. What started as a witty, edgy satire based on fairytales has turned into a story of loss and courage. As they reel from tragedy and prepare for confrontation, the surviving main characters sing about isolation and unity. <blockquote> Mother cannot guide you. Now you're on your own. Only me beside you. Still, you're not alone. No one is alone. Truly. No one is alone. </blockquote> This theme of isolation and unity is prevalent today in science and science education. On August 21st, the United States was unified around science as people came together to watch the eclipse. In a recent <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/what-the-solar-eclipse-teaches-us-about-diversity-and_us_59994c4de4b033e0fbdec4fd">Huffington Post</a> article, Lili Gil Valletta states, “This great American eclipse reminds us that ultimately, we are members of one human race. We are equally amazed, excited and moved by the greatness of a cosmic moment available to all regardless of race, gender or creed.” At the same time, I hear from many that they feel alone. The science division of the White House is <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/science-division-of-white-house-office-now-empty-as-last-staffers-depart/">no longer staffed</a>, and prominent leaders are l<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2017/08/23/us/politics/23reuters-usa-trump-science.html">eaving science envoy positions</a>. I recently spoke to a woman who said her husband, a scientist, has felt isolated and rudderless in the last few months. Al Gore shares a similar sentiment in the new movie, An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power. He talks about often feeling as though it’s him against the world in the decades he’s tried to engage people to fight climate change. Many science educators share this sentiment. I was struck in a recent meeting by the prevalent feeling among science teachers that they stand alone in their schools and districts as they implement NGSS and seek to develop 21st century science lessons. And yet, this feeling of isolation is the antithesis of what should be happening in science as a whole and particularly science classrooms. More than ever, collaboration and integration are driving forces in STEM fields, leading to new, creative discoveries and inventions. Significant challenges such as environmental protection require that countries and communities band together and that individuals join in messaging and conservation efforts and invite others to do the same. Implementing NGSS and teaching 21st century science is no small feat and isn’t intended to be done alone. In fact, according to the national <a href="https://www.nextgenscience.org/">NGSS website</a>, “effective implementation demands a great deal of collaboration and patience among states, districts, schools, teachers, and students.”  Within the classroom, as students prepare to enter the 21st century world, they need they need experiences highlighting that they are individuals who can make choices that can greatly impact the world around them, and at the same time they are not alone and can achieve great things through collaboration with others. How do we strive for unity and collaboration at a time when so many in science feel as though the world has turned upside down and they stand alone? It is up to us to seek out connections, but the good news is that there are many options out there. There are more and more opportunities for scientists, teachers, and students to connect and learn from and support each other. One example is “<a href="https://ncse.com/scientistinclassroom">Scientist in the Classroom</a>,” an initiative through the National Center for Science Education that matches up educators and local scientists. For those seeking to contribute to conservation efforts, there are many organizations who provide information about tangible actions and connections with others who are learning and communicating about the environment. One of these is Al Gore’s <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/">Climate Reality Project</a> which highlights ways to further your own learning, teach others, and develop community and shared vision. For educators who want partners on the NGSS implementation journey, there are also many options locally and statewide. In Sonoma County, we just launched a 21st Century Science Teacher Leader Cadre with twelve K-12 teachers. It was amazing to watch their interactions at our first meeting. They are smart, passionate educators who were hungry to share ideas and learn from each other while they prepare to support teachers throughout the county. They no longer felt alone but united in designing high quality science experiences for students. Even if there are not cadres like this in your area, many online groups and forums exist to connect you with others who share your passion. For example, <a href="http://cascience.org/index.php/connect">CSTA</a> has Facebook groups for science teachers and coaches to ask questions, provide resources, and collaborate around implementation. No matter who you are or what your circumstances as a science educator, you are not truly alone. But with less and less central science leadership, it is up to you to break out of isolation and seek communities where you can collaborate and experience unity.  This is how we will invoke positive forward movement. Not only do you need to do this for yourself, but you must do this for the sake of your students. The more we are connected, the more they see the true potential in science and all STEM fields for integration, collaboration, and united action. If we move beyond one day of unity around a solar eclipse and provide more and more examples of how science-minded people work together, we can teach them to live into the final stanza of Sondheim’s song: <blockquote> Hard to see the light now. Just don't let it go. Things will come out right now. We can make it so. Someone is on your side. No one is alone. <img src="http://www.scoe.org/blog_files/IMG_2431%202.JPG" alt="SCOE's new 21st Century Science Teacher Leader Cadre poses for a picture in the redwoods." width="600" height="450" /> </blockquote> Cultivating Discovery, Creation, and Possibility http://scoe.org/pub/htdocs/blog-ngss.html?id=259 In his 2013 TED Talk, Sir Ken Robinson draws a parallel between a spring bloom in Death Valley and the potential in education: “Right beneath the surface are seeds of possibility waiting for the right conditions to come about in order to spring to life…(therefore) the real role of leadership is climate control- creating a climate of possibility.” <img src="/blog_files/photoforblog3.png" alt="" width="500" height="667" /> I recently saw the full power and scope of Ken Robinson’s words when I had the opportunity to visit the NASA Langley Research Center in Virginia with Casey Shea, SCOE’s maker coordinator. One of the trademarks of NASA is that it brings together science and engineering in order to, in Theodore Karmen’s words, “Discover the world that exists and create the world that never was,” and Langley has been at the center of this endeavor. The facility was founded as the  Langley Research Center, the first civilian aeronautical laboratory in the United States, in 1917. They are in the midst of centennial anniversary celebrations centered around the theme, “A Storied Legacy, A Soaring Future,” a theme very appropo to this amazing place of history and possibility. We had the chance to tour the center, and the evidence of NASA Langley’s extraordinary past was everywhere. Anyone who saw the movie “Hidden Figures” which highlights the contributions of the black female computers working Langley in the 50s and 60s, would recognize the brick buildings and be delighted to see the Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility that is now being completed. The building where the Mercury astronauts were introduced to the world is also at Langley. The wind tunnel used in early spacecraft tests is still there, and walking through the building that houses it feels like walking back in time. The gantry, a tall structure used to train Neil Armstrong to land the lunar module, sits on the side of the facility.   <img src="/blog_files/photoforblog4.png" alt="" width="500" height="503" /> The storied legacy of Langley is a testament to the power of creating a climate of possibility. Early aviation and the space race lead to a climate where people were motivated to push the limits and make possibilities previous generations could only dream of a reality. They were given a purpose, resources and training, and room to combine their talents, insights, and expertise. And the result was that they accomplished the unimaginable- they allowed humans to touch the stars. Despite its exciting history, the tour also revealed that NASA Langley certainly isn’t stuck in the past. Today the work done there is innovative and creative, pushing us forward in atmospheric investigation, spaceflight, and the goal of sending people to Mars. The wind tunnel is still in use, testing the ability of new crafts to withstand stress. The gantry is now used to test the landing capabilities of the Orion Capsule. 3D printers are commonly used to make prototypes. ISAAC, an impressive manufacturing robot, is hard at work building lightweight parts by laying down strips of epoxy coated tape. Just as in the past, the center is full of people who are creative and innovative and who work together in a climate of possibility to move us towards what we can only dream of now.   As the centennial celebration unfolds, the leaders at Langley are pondering where the next generation of NASA employees who can live at the confluence of discovery and creation might come from. Langley’s storied past has shown over and over again that we need contributions from all members of society. All studies suggest that inspiring more STEM involvement must begin early, and so they are seeking ways to promote opportunities for all students to experience the excitement and potential found at the intersection of science, engineering, and creativity. Indeed, the reason Casey and I were at Langley was because we were invited to speak at the National Institute of Aeronautics (NIA) and the Hampton Roads Mini Maker Faire hosted by NASA Langley about making and science in schools and the power of possibility this can elicit for students. <img src="/blog_files/photo-for-blog-1.png" alt="" width="500" height="667" /> While NASA, NIA, and other organizations can provide tools and resources that support learning and are actively working to develop these and make them available, these alone won’t be enough. The onus of creating a climate of possibility in schools and classrooms falls to educators in the trenches. We are being called to help students understand the world that exists, imagine a world that could be, and prepare for careers and circumstances we can’t yet imagine. This is a tall order, and any educator, especially an exhausted educator at the end of May, is justified in wondering how to create such a climate of possibility with opportunities for all. While there’s no one answer to this question, we can learn from the example of one of Langley’s “hidden figures,” Mary Jackson. Mary Jackson was a remarkable person. She accomplished everything shown in the movie; she worked as a computer and then for one of the engineers who suggested she take the training to become an engineer herself. Not one to shy away from a challenge, she petitioned the court to be allowed to take training courses at a segregated school, won, and became NASA’s first black, female engineer. What you don’t learn in the movie is how integrally intertwined a love of science and a desire to improve the lives of others were in Jackson’s life. She worked as a teacher before coming to NASA, and she tutored students throughout her career. In the 1970s, she helped students in a science club at the community center build their own wind tunnel and conduct investigations with it. When interviewed by a local paper about her involvement, she stated, “We have to do something like this to get them interested in science. Sometimes they are not aware of the number of black scientists, and don't even know of the career opportunities until it is too late.” In 1979, realizing that she couldn’t earn any more promotions as a woman, she took a demotion and became manager of Langley’s Federal Women’s Program where she worked to hire and promote the next generation of women at NASA. She and her husband had an open door policy for all new hires at NASA Langley, doing everything they could to support and encourage this next generation.  There was no one thing Mary Jackson did that changed the game for those who needed opportunity; instead her cumulative actions contributed towards creating a climate of possibility for all. And so this example is both a call to action and a message of hope: no matter what the circumstances, there are many things we as educators can do to create a climate of possibility. We can provide more opportunities for students to experience the power of combining science, engineering and creativity through thoughtful, purposeful making projects. We can give them experiences collaborating together to discover what’s possible when you bring multiple minds and perspectives to a problem. We can highlight the accomplishments of people from the past, particularly minorities and women, to remind students that we are where we are today because of contributions from all members of society. We can also tell the stories of what NASA terms “modern figures,” those who are currently working to open up new possibilities for our world. And finally, we can do everything in our power to remove common stumbling blocks and open doors for our students as they walk into the future, and we can provide encouragement as they start on their way. There is no one-size-fits-all answer for climate control. You know best your context and the needs of those around you. And so, as you head off to summer, rather than give a specific plan, I simply encourage you to think about possibility. What is possible today because the conditions were right in the past? What possibilities are opening up on the horizon because of the current climate? What can we do in our educational context to cultivate the seeds of possibility entrusted to us? What will you do in the coming year to create a climate in which students who live in a world where humans have touched the stars can ponder where we might go next? <img src="/blog_files/photoforblog2.png" alt="" width="500" height="667" /> The Power of Science Education: An Earth Day Reflection http://scoe.org/pub/htdocs/blog-ngss.html?id=255 <img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="http://www.scoe.org/blog_files/Earth%20Day.jpg" alt="" width="379" height="379" />   Saturday, April 22nd, is Earth Day and also the day chosen by many to take a stand for science and the important role it has in our world. It’s no surprise that this day, originally established to support environmental protection, was selected to demonstrate that science is vital and that scientific information should be shared widely. But what may be surprising to some is that in Washington D.C., this year’s Earth Day celebrations will include a teach-in on the National Mall. Scientists from a variety of fields will educate the public about their work and its importance. While there are many sessions offered on environmental issues, the teach-in also includes other scientific topics of interest including the physics of superheroes and even a session on the tough road to becoming a scientist. This choice by the organizers speaks volumes of the power and importance of science communication and education.   A teach-in isn’t a new addition to Earth Day but takes the event back to its 1970 roots. In the 1960s, environmental issues were gaining traction, and several different people suggested establishing a day to honor the Earth. Among them was Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. senator who was impacted by witnessing the aftermath of an oil spill in Santa Barbara in 1969. It was Nelson who founded Earth Day in 1970 as a national teach-in about the environment, emphasizing the importance of science education in enacting change. Indeed, he chose April 22nd because of the school calendar- it was after spring break and before final exams, so there was the highest chance that students would be in school.   That first Earth Day involved approximately 20 million people who learned about environmental issues and the role they could play in the solutions. One of the important outcomes of the day was the development of a broad-scale sense of community, responsibility, and empowerment around environmental protection. The event is credited with helping launch the mainstream environmental movement, and by the end of that year the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts were all passed. Two decades later, Earth Day became an international event and has continued to teach people about the environment and empower them towards action. More than one billion people each year take part in the celebrations now.  The ripple effect of Earth Day on science and the environment is enormous.   The impact of Earth Day is certainly a testament to how much one person can influence the world when they take a risk and start something new. It’s fitting that Nelson was later awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work. But more broadly, Earth Day is also a testament to the incredible potential of science education to empower people and inspire action.   In the classroom, we aren’t limited to a single day to communicate the importance of science and environmental protection. Science educators have a chance every day to uphold the original vision of Earth Day. Within NGSS, human impact on environment and the development of sustainable practices are emphasized across grade levels and content areas. Teachers can use their expertise and that of others to present these complex issues and concepts in a way that students can access. They can develop activities that allow students to examine arguments with the evidence available and form their own conclusions. Teachers can also empower students to use engineering skills to develop meaningful solutions to environmental problems.   Science educators also can go a step further as is being done at this year’s Earth Day teach-in. They can present science content in interesting, relevant ways to students, help them understand science as a human endeavour that is influenced by culture, technology, and the politics of the time, and provide opportunities for students to envision themselves as scientists and engineers. They can help students develop a solid foundation of science content and the associated vocabulary, a voice to share what they know and think, and the skills and courage to communicate their messages to a broader audience.   The prospect of teaching science in a way that encapsulates all of these things can feel overwhelming. But it’s critical that we try. Science is in the spotlight right now, and it’s more important than ever that students understand science content and process. No matter who they are and what they go on to do, our students live in a time when they will be influenced by and have a chance to influence science. As they go forward, they need to be able to appreciate the value of investigation, discovery, and innovation while still having the critical thinking skills to analyze and question the work and findings of individual scientists. They need to understand the potential of STEM advancements and careers while also considering the ethics involved in such advancements.   Jane Goodall, arguably one of the preeminent environmental scientists of our time, once said “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” This is the core message of Earth Day and is at the heart of what I hope students are taking away from their science education and school in general, along with the skill and wisdom to make such a decision. As we celebrate Earth Day this year, Goodall’s words are also a call to action for us as science educators.   We can be encouraged by the example of Gaylord Nelson that the vision of one person to educate people in science can have far-reaching implications. If so much change took place because one man took a risk for science, imagine what would be possible if all science educators implemented such a vision everyday. So let’s take this Earth Day to examine our individual and collective vision for science. Whether you’re in the classroom or in another role that supports science teaching, what you do can have a broad influence. How will you use your position as a science educator to impact, support, and challenge others? What kind of difference do you want to make?         Science-Minded Citizenship http://scoe.org/pub/htdocs/blog-ngss.html?id=249 <img style="float: left; padding: 5px 20px 0px 0px;" src="/blog_files/Galileo.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="202" />Science is controversial right now. In the midst of media coverage that is now consistently tumultuous, scientific topics feature prominently. While this can feel like a big shift, controversy surrounding science is nothing new. Galileo Galilei, today considered by many to be the father of observational astronomy and a key figure in physics, lived at a time where the conclusions he formed based on previous studies and the data he collected were controversial. His work in the early 1600s led him to staunchly defend the theory of heliocentrism, that the Earth and other planets revolve around the sun. This was a religiously and politically charged issue at the time, and by 1615 Galileo’s writings were submitted to the Roman Inquisition. After years of trying to keep quiet he was brought to trial and found guilty of heresy in 1633. What’s different about the controversy surrounding science now is the position of the average citizen. In the 1600s, the typical commoner didn’t receive extensive education, and a high percentage of the population was illiterate. This means that whatever they heard of Galileo’s work and trial would have come to them third or fourth hand. And honestly, it probably would have been far removed from their interest and concern as they focused on day to day survival. Flash forward to the United States, and despite the inequities that still persist, the average person typically has access to education and a chance to develop literacy skills, seek out information, and make their own decisions based on evidence. They have a chance to be informed, contributing citizens of a democracy where their voices matter. Citizenship seems to be a major theme in many circles right now. In his final speech, President Obama admonished the American people: “...for all our outward differences, we all share the same proud title: Citizen. Ultimately, that’s what our democracy demands. It needs you...over the full span or a lifetime.” In his book about educational systems, Coherence, Michael Fullan argues that citizenship is a key part of education. He goes on to define citizenship as: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;">A global perspective</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Understanding of diverse values and worldviews</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Genuine interest in human and environmental sustainability</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Solving ambiguous, complex, and authentic world problems</li> </ul> (Coherence, p. 85) This focus on citizenship in education is right in line with the intent of NGSS. In Appendix A, which describes the conceptual shifts associated with NGSS, it states: The NGSS are designed to prepare students for college, career, and citizenship. There is no doubt that science and science education are central to the lives of all Americans. Never before has our world been so complex and science knowledge so critical to making sense of it all...Science is also at the heart of the United States’ ability to continue to innovate, lead, and create the jobs of the future. So what does this mean for us as science educators? One of the powerful components of NGSS is that through three dimensional learning and an emphasis on the nature of science it is intended to help students build a big picture understanding of science. We need to do the same. Even as we’re wading into the weeds of what three dimensional lessons look like, how we’re going to incorporate engineering, and what the role of those crosscutting concepts really is, let’s take time to look at the big picture of who we want our science students to become. <img style="float: left; padding: 5px 20px 0px 0px;" src="/blog_files/global-citizenship.png" alt="" width="400" height="369" />While the average student theoretically has the chance to develop as an informed, contributing citizen, this growth doesn’t always happen in school, and science classrooms are no exception. If we feed students information, tell them what to expect, and assess them based on regurgitation, then I worry that even if they learn some facts they aren’t developing science literacy and citizenship skills, and we also haven’t made much progress from the 1600s. If we, however, teach them how to seek out credible sources and interpret scientific work, give them authentic problems to solve in collaboration, and ask them to develop opinions and action plans based on evidence, we’re doing more than just teaching them science. We’re teaching them to be science-minded citizens who can navigate our current world and change the future one. There is no doubt that teaching this way is difficult and takes more time and resources than our traditional approach to science education. There is also no question that time and resources are what’s lacking for teachers. But ultimately, these types of experiences are what serve students, our country, and our world best going forward. As the NGSS authors so aptly pointed out, science is both personal and global at this point in history, and being well informed about scientific process and the evidence it produces directly impacts an individual’s life and how he or she interacts with the world. We still have a window of time before full implementation is expected where we can ponder this idea of building science-minded citizens who critically review information and develop innovative approaches and solutions. So try it out! There is something you’re doing right now that could be changed or abandoned to make room. And when you do, share with others the resources you find or develop. If we all do this, little by little we’ll change science education. And we’ll help develop a generation of science-minded citizens who are a source of change and progress for our world. This, most certainly, is why I entered science education in the first place and why I’m excited about the potential of NGSS and the work of you, my colleagues. Being First http://scoe.org/pub/htdocs/blog-ngss.html?id=242 <img style="float: left;" src="/blog_files/Carver%20Quote.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="188" />In all of the excitement and upheaval of the last week, something extremely significant may have slipped under the radar of science education enthusiasts in California. On November 3rd, the State Board of Education voted to approve the <a href="http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/sc/cf/scifw2nd60daypubreview.asp">new science framework</a>, making California the first state to officially have a framework based on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).   Having a framework in place is a huge step for California in modernizing and overhauling science education. The framework complements the standards themselves providing guidance on the development of curriculum and examples of what NGSS implementation looks like in the classroom. It also addresses topics of major significance for implementation such as access and equity in science education, connections of NGSS to environmental literacy, and the role of computer sciences within the broader science context. In addition to giving information helpful to the individual classroom teacher or school site, the framework provides models of course sequences that can be used by districts. This is of particular importance for high schools who have been in limbo about what science courses to offer to ensure all standards are offered for all students.   California’s State Board of Education, the Department of Education, and all who had a hand in developing the framework should feel extremely proud at this historic juncture. The approval of the framework is an affirmation that our state values science education and giving all students access to it. It also signifies that the state recognizes the changing nature of science and views experience with science and engineering tasks, seeing the larger patterns within science, and understanding the nature of investigation as priorities in the classroom. This is a moment when we can all feel proud to work in education here.   It’s always exciting to be the first to do something momentous. But being first also brings with it great responsibility. Someone who set a great example for how to live into this was George Washington Carver, famous scientist and inventor. And so, as California embarks on something historic, we can do something that the framework calls for and learn from science history.   George Washington Carver was born a slave in 1864, and after the Civil War he became part of the first generation of black people to grow up in the South post-slavery. Since his mother had been kidnapped by Confederate night raiders, Moses and Susan Carver took George in and raised him as their son. He was a curious child with an aptitude for science and a drive to learn. Because black students were not accepted in most schools, he had to leave the Carver’s home at age 12 to live closer to a one room schoolhouse where he could receive an education.   When Carver finished school, he attempted to go to college but found that there were few places that would take a black student. Finally, in his late 20s he was accepted at Simpson College where he became the first black student. Simpson offered no science courses, so Carver studied piano and art until he was able to transfer to Iowa Agricultural College as the first black student. He studied at the the college to obtain his bachelor’s and master’s, and while getting his master’s he was on the faculty, becoming the first black faculty member.   When the Tuskegee Institute was founded, Booker T. Washington convinced Carver to come join the faculty. Tuskegee paved the way for other higher education institutes for blacks in former Confederate states, ushering in a new era. Carver was so committed to the Institute and what it stood for that he remained on the faculty the rest of his life, turning down job offers that would have made him significantly more money.   It was while he was at Tuskegee that Carver did the innovative work for which he is famous today. He developed the crop rotation method, planting nutrient rich crops such as peanuts every other year to replenish nutrients that tobacco and cotton strip from the soil. When there was an outcry from farmers that they lost income every other year, Carver developed hundreds of recipes for peanuts and the other crops- using them to make cosmetics, dyes, paints, plastics and a number of other items. Carver was also one of the first to focus on renewable energy, exploring the potential of biodiesel with Henry Ford.   <img style="float: left;" src="/blog_files/Carver%20Gravestone.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" />For all of his success, Carver was humble and generous. He only applied for two patents in his life, making all of his other inventions free for anyone to use. He spent his entire working life promoting agricultural research and racial equality. In his last years, he used his life’s savings to establish the Carver Research foundation to continue his work. On Carver’s grave is an epitaph that serves as a testament to how he lived: “He could have added fortune to fame, but caring for neither, he found happiness and honor in being helpful to the world.”   Through a combination of natural disposition, hard work, and the time in which he lived, Carver had a chance to be first in a lot of things. And he used those opportunities not for his own gain but to be helpful to the world around him. We now have the same opportunity. California is first in taking steps to fully implement NGSS and embrace a new type of science education. While this is an incredible achievement, the true testament of who we are as leaders in science will be what we do next.   I encourage all of you to spend time with the framework...at least the parts that apply to you (it’s a very long read in its entirety). Learn what you can for application in your context and then actually apply it. But don’t stop there. Share what you learn and the experience you have as you with NGSS and the framework. Dare to be an example for those in your community and also educators around the country. In the spirit of George Washington Carver, use the opportunity given to those of us here in California to be helpful to the world, and in that find happiness and honor.     The Next Day http://scoe.org/pub/htdocs/blog-ngss.html?id=240 Note: Views in this blog are personal and in no way reflect an endorsement of a particular candidate by the Sonoma County Office of Education. The intent is for readers to reflect on how we move forward as educators (with an open mind) in a tumultuous and divided country, regardless of which candidate we supported. <img src="/blog_files/iStock_85839523_LARGE.png" alt="" width="600" height="325" /> I, along with so many others, watched the election results last night...and was floored when the tide started to turn in a dramatically different direction than I expected. As a woman in a leadership position, an educator, and a huge proponent of science, I experienced many, many emotions as the night went on. Through conversations and social media, I was also keenly aware of the disorientation felt by others—chiefly teachers, science advocates, parents, and my former students who are just launching as adult participants in the American system. Regardless of who you supported, it became clear early on that we go forward with a country deeply divided and with strong feelings on every side. This is something we need to reflect on and address in education. While the night was long, as the president reminded us, the sun still came up the next day. And with the dawn of the next day comes choices about how to respond, particularly as educators. In processing this, I’m drawing wisdom from a myriad of sources...namely Lincoln, Tolkien, and Dr. Seuss. A former student shared that more than the election results, she feared the hate coming from staunch supporters of candidates. How does one respond when there are such deep divisions? No one faced deeper national divisions than Abraham Lincoln, and very few could have addressed such a situation with the same wisdom and grace that he showed. His words from the second inaugural address can serve as a guide to us now: “With malice toward none, with charity to all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds.” As educators, we have an enormous task ahead of us—to affirm to students that they matter and are important, to instill in them the idea that all lives are valuable and worth protecting, and to show them that it is possible to stand for what’s right and move ahead without furthering hatred. If we hold to these messages unswervingly, repeat them over and over, and set them as a standard in our classrooms, schools, districts, and counties, the divisions and hatred will start to have less power. And then students, who are our greatest hope, can act from a place of empowerment and justice rather than fear. It might seem unfair that it’s come to this, that we have to act in such a way in the face of uncertainty. Even setting the results of last night aside, we live in a tumultuous time where there are serious questions and concerns about racial and gender inequity, the environment and our impact on it, and many other issues. J.R.R. Tolkien, author of the “Lord of the Rings” series, was no stranger to tumultuous times. He lost many of his childhood friends during World War I and then wrote much of his beloved story in Europe during World War II. We see this reality reflected early on in the narrative:   “I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo. "So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” We can wish that we didn’t need to respond, that the troubles around us would just go away or be someone else’s burden. And that might work for awhile, but it certainly doesn’t invoke change or empower students that they can make a difference. We live right now, and we need to decide what to do with our position and circumstances and encourage students to do the same. In doing so we can take comfort from Tolkien’s resounding message and from what history has shown us over and over again- even the smallest person has the capacity to both be a change agent and do great good in the face of incredible odds.   In order to be a change agent, you first have to care and invest. And this is perhaps our most significant role right now in education. We need to provide students with information and opportunities to act with purpose so that they can choose which issues they care about and will invest in both now and in the future. More than any presidential election, this will have a profound impact on issues such as environmental impact and equity. To inspire this, we both need to examine and hone our pedagogy. We also must be explicit with students that we care about and will invest in them and also in the grand experiment of education for all. On both counts, the words of Dr. Seuss ring true: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”   The sun came up this morning. The next day has arrived. None of us can change and impact everything, but we can choose to change and impact something. While we aren’t sitting in the oval office, we are all in unique positions of power as educators. How will you use that power today and all the days that come afterwards?     What's Next? http://scoe.org/pub/htdocs/blog-ngss.html?id=234 <img style="float: left; padding: 5px 20px 0px 0px;" src="/images/IMG_0045-3.png" class="img-responsive" alt="Anna Van Dordrecht" width="250"/> One of my favorite television shows of all time was “The West Wing”. For those who aren’t familiar, it followed fictional President Josiah Bartlet and his senior staff as they navigated the ins and outs of politics in the White House. One of Bartlet’s famous lines was “What’s next?” As he bluntly explained to his staff at one point, it literally means, “I’m ready to move on to other things.” But as the show went on, this phrase came to stand for much more. It meant not resting on the laurels of what you’ve accomplished but always looking to the future and similarly not getting bogged down in the momentary troubles of one incident or piece of legislation but maintaining forward motion.   There are a lot of “what’s next?” ponderings around me right now. I recently talked to a new science teacher who, now that she’s survived her first year and can actually think more than a day ahead, wonders what she will invest in most deeply to become the teacher she wants to be. As my students who graduated in June head off to college, they’re living into this question daily. No matter who they were or what they’ve done, they have a chance to try something new and choose how they will live and act going forward. As I transition to my new, full-time job at the county office, I’m grappling with this question as well. It’s exciting to be able to figure out what you want to explore and invest in without some of the constraints that have previously been there. But it’s also disconcerting to be without the routine and certainty that have also been there.   Through communication with teachers and administrators, and particularly as I attended an NGSS training for the state rollout last week, I’ve been reminded that we’re all feeling a tug between what we’ve known and the possibilities ahead. The last couple of years have been significant as we’ve tried out NGSS-aligned strategies and lessons, made initial decisions about implementation and course models, and weighed in on a state science framework that is moving rapidly towards completion. The temptation is to think that what we’ve done so far is enough, that we can rest on our laurels and just maintain the status quo from here on out. Or even more tempting in some cases is to revert back to how we did things before, because the changes we made were uncomfortable or messy. But what’s becoming clear is that we’ve only just scratched the surface of what three dimensional lessons can look like and the potential this kind of learning holds for students. And so, as we move beyond dabbling towards full-blown implementation, the challenge is to keep considering and working towards whatever’s next. We live in a simultaneously exciting and tumultuous time, and we are preparing students for jobs and a world that we can’t quite imagine. They need us to be mindful of this and keep pressing onward.   What does it mean to look to the future and maintain forward motion in science education? That’s a hard question, because it’s different for every person and context. For me, it means continuing to explore how STEAM, Maker education, storytelling, and equity all relate to and enrich science learning. For someone else, it might mean trying a new lesson series or unit that incorporates all of the elements of NGSS. For another, it might entail spending time listening to students and teachers, figuring out what implementation decisions best support them, and advocating for these groups. Whatever it looks like in your context, I encourage you to spend some time thinking about what’s next for you and those you teach and work with.   The good news is that none of us have to take these next steps alone. Part of the power of “The West Wing” was that it routinely gave viewers a glimpse of what’s possible when a group of dedicated people consider “what’s next?” together and use their individual gifts to make a collective impact. We’re all on the same team, trying to figure out what’s best for students and to make it happen. So I also encourage you, no matter what your next steps might be, to find partners. These might be people in your immediate sphere: colleagues in your school, district, or county. Or they might be people farther away who share your interests and passions about science education but also bring a different perspective. You might collaborate in person, or you might share ideas via email, websites, or social media groups. Whatever partnerships suit you, seek them out, for we will all be better for students when we work collaboratively rather than in isolation. And we will be happier, more relaxed people knowing that we don’t have to shoulder the burden of NGSS implementation alone. What’s next? The start of the school year is an incredible time to ponder this question. The past year, with its triumphs, catastrophes, and everything in between is behind us, and we have some distance from it. We’re also not so far into this year that just making it through one week feels like a herculean effort (wait for mid-October!). And so, we have a window to consider what new things we want to embrace and try… to think about what’s next and then spend the year living into it. Let’s use the time well. Ten Years a Teacher: Pondering Purpose http://scoe.org/pub/htdocs/blog-ngss.html?id=226 <img class="responsive" style="float: left; padding: 5px 20px 0px 0px;" src="../../../blog_files/annablog.png" alt="annablog.png" width="350" height="200" />One of my favorite iPhone features is the “reminder” app. Especially in the busy 90 days of May, I rely heavily on setting up reminders with alarms to ensure that I remember all of life’s little details. Most are mundane, such as “buy tissues” (essential this year with many allergy-suffering students). But I also have a few that I schedule to pop up once a month to remind me of important life lessons. And they always seem to show up at the right moment.   Last Thursday I was feeling drained-—it had been a long day and week, I’d been in a series of lengthy meetings after my classes, and I was racing back to school to present four science awards at the senior awards ceremony. I was not in a celebratory mood but instead bone tired and incredulous that I had to keep going. When I arrived, I glanced down at my phone and saw my teaching reminder: “Mission: To help students live the dreams they dream. And to help them develop the knowledge, wisdom, discernment, and confidence to form those dreams.” And suddenly I found energy (at least a little) and purpose again.   This mission statement isn’t unique to me, and the first part of it isn’t even my original creation; it’s borrowed from Jones Elementary in Springdale, Arkansas. I also wouldn’t have been able to articulate it when I started teaching. It’s something I’ve grown into. But after ten years as a teacher, I can wholeheartedly say that this statement embodies the core of why I teach and what I think we need to be mindful of in the context of NGSS implementation and the current emphasis on STEM and STEAM education.   NGSS and the larger umbrella of STEAM both have incredible power to help students live the dreams they dream. NGSS has a focus not just on content knowledge but developing an understanding of the larger picture of science and the practical skills for thinking and acting as a scientist or engineer. All of these attributes make students more marketable in the 21st Century.   STEM, and now STEAM, education similarly represents a chance to acquire the job skills and integrated knowledge that are more and more often desired or required for careers.  John Maeda, president of the Rhode Island School of Design points out, “The White House reminds us that ‘a world-class STEM workforce is essential to virtually every goal we have as a nation -- whether it's broadly shared economic prosperity, international competitiveness, a strong national defense, a clean energy future, or longer, healthier lives for all Americans.’" Whether they pursue careers in STEM or simply benefit from the innovative work that others do in these fields, our emphasis on integration of subjects, hands-on science, and understanding the big picture will give all students a better chance to live the dreams they dream.   But as an educator, I want more for my students than simply having the ability to pursue any dream. I want them to have dreams with purpose, dreams that are thoughtfully developed and bring together their passions and interests with the needs of the world around them. That is, in fact, what I want for all students everywhere.   Just as with everything else in education, if we desire for students to develop dreams with purpose, we need to give them examples and practice. The way for this is paved in NGSS and STEAM education. We just have to put together the pieces. As we choose phenomena for NGSS lessons, we can select real world issues that students might care about and envision themselves addressing. Within STEM and STEAM, we can give students challenges that address current problems and possibilities and give them a chance to identify their own strengths, thus giving them practice connecting skill and purpose. And we can carefully choose stories and examples of people like our students who had purpose and implemented change to inspire them.     The good news is, infusing purpose can be done in small increments. It doesn’t mean you have to change the whole structure of your class right away. One of my most successful teaching “experiments” has been a series I developed called “People to Ponder.” Every week, I share with students the story of a person related to whatever science content we’re studying. It takes about five minutes. I started out thinking it would be a fun extra every so often, but based on student feedback it has become integral to all classes I teach.   People to Ponder is universally loved by students- freshmen, seniors, English learners, students with disabilities, and academic and AP students to name a few. Students who I have multiple times remember the stories from year to year and reference them in their work. One common denominator for this success is most certainly that people love stories. But another is that these stories make science real—actual people struggled with the technology, culture, and norms of their time and with physical, mental, and relational challenges while making discoveries that shape our world today. The stories aren’t always happy, nor do they always end well, but these are people who had knowledge and skill and often a sense of great purpose, and with these they changed the world. Students are inspired by this and from these examples see possibilities for themselves. Perhaps the greatest compliment of my teaching career came this year when a student raised his hand and proclaimed to the class, “When I grow up, I want to be a person to ponder.” All of the AP Biology students have now taken this on, referencing it often as a goal.   As we finish the 90 days of May and enter summer, my encouragement to you is to rest and rejuvenate and then spend time pondering purpose, both yours in education and the ways you can inspire and empower students to develop their own. The results can change us, our classrooms, and the world we live in.   This year marks the end, at least for awhile, of my time in the classroom. I will most certainly miss my daily interactions with students, but I’m excited about new possibilities as Curriculum Coordinator for Science. And while my context will be different, as I look ahead to this adventure I find that my ultimate purpose hasn’t changed. I still want to help students live the dreams they dream and choose those dreams well. I look forward to continuing to partner with you all to make this happen.   But for now, as this particular adventure winds down, a word to my students: You, for quite some time, have been my people to ponder. And you’re my favorite kind of people to ponder, because the story isn’t over and there’s so much that you can do in the next chapter. You have talent, creativity, and such great capacity for doing good. You are poised to change the world, and you have most certainly changed me. Keep building your dreams and walk into them confidently, because you have what it takes. In your words, “you got this.” So go out, pursue purpose, and don’t forget to enjoy the ride! I’m very proud of you all. The Case for Student Empowerment and Creativity in the NGSS Classroom http://scoe.org/pub/htdocs/blog-ngss.html?id=221 <img class="responsive" style="float: left;" src="../../../blog_files/IMG_3835.png" alt="IMG_3835.png" width="242" height="323" />Over spring break, I had the opportunity to travel to Washington DC. The trip included many opportunities to reflect on our national history: A visit to Ford’s Theater and the Lincoln Museum, touring the White House and the Capitol, viewing the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, and walking to almost all of the monuments. What struck me over and over again during these experiences was the high level of creativity, innovation, and audacious hope that have gone into shaping our country. What these leaders dared to think was possible led to the founding of a country, the formation of a cohesive nation, and the gradual establishment of liberty and civil rights for all.   Ever the educator, as I reflected on all I saw and learned, I pondered what experiences these people might have had that gave them the creative drive and sense of empowerment that allowed them to form and reshape a nation based on democracy. And I further wondered how we can infuse these same experiences into the classroom so that our students have the chance to develop into universal citizens and leaders who see a picture larger than their own experiences and can invoke change and enact creative solutions.   The 2012 Framework for Science Education calls for an emphasis on the nature of science. In many ways, its description of scientific process mirrors the process of shaping our country. “An education in science should show that new scientific ideas are acts of imagination, commonly created these days through collaborative efforts of groups of scientists whose critiques and arguments are fundamental to establishing which ideas are worthy of pursuing further” (NRC, 2012). Similarly, both the national NGSS and the draft CA Science Framework highlight the need for students to understand science as a human endeavor, for students to be given opportunities to engage in science that is relevant to them and the needs of the world around them, and for students to be empowered to work autonomously and collaboratively on science challenges.   As we move towards full-fledged NGSS implementation, how to empower students and inspire creativity is incredibly relevant. We are all focused on what it looks like to make lessons, units, and courses three dimensional. This requires significant shifts in curriculum, resources, and strategies. But herein lies the danger. If I develop lessons that are creative and hands-on but still rely on me to direct everything, students might learn to view science three dimensionally but not internalize science as a field that is relevant to their own lives, where they could do work that hasn’t been done and make connections that no one has seen before. If we set up science classrooms as places where teachers are doing most of the work, we could invest a significant amount of time and energy and develop amazing curriculum but still miss the opportunity offered in NGSS to empower students and inspire creativity.   Our challenge as we revise science education is not only to make classrooms truly student centered but also to provide these students with authentic experiences to tackle challenges and receive feedback. I was struck recently by the comments made by two very successful seniors in high school. These are students who have jumped through every hoop, have played the game and been accepted to excellent colleges, and who take advanced, challenging courses in science. Both of them, while appreciative of all the time and effort teachers have put into their education, said that they’re tired of investigating questions to which the answers are already known. They are quick and smart enough to know that the labs and challenges they’re given have a predictable, expected outcome. They want the chance to explore questions that haven’t been answered and come up with solutions to problems that haven’t been solved and also have relevance for their lives and the world around them. And they want the chance to communicate with others who are working on these same challenges, learn from them, and share ideas.   There are obviously roadblocks and challenges to these students’ requests and movement toward student centered classrooms. For one thing, part of science education is developing skills and understanding that will enable you to address complex challenges in science fields, and we can’t always bypass these preliminary steps. For another, setting up scenarios with this kind of student autonomy, collaboration, and creativity requires a high level of teacher content and process knowledge. As we implement NGSS, content knowledge is a challenge for many teachers, particularly those in lower grades where science has not been consistently taught over the past 15 years. Finally, particularly in upper level classes where students are most poised to explore and create independently, there is still a significant amount of content knowledge that needs to be developed in a finite amount of time, and open investigations and design challenges can be lengthy.   While these challenges are real, that doesn’t mean we can abandon the need for student empowerment and the development of creativity in the context of science. To do so would be a disadvantage for the students and our nation and world. We need more people like those who shaped our country, and as the world shrinks, environmental and health challenges become prominent, and the possibility of exploring worlds beyond our own gets nearer, we particularly need these people in STEM fields.   So what can we do? We can approach NGSS implementation and the development of particular lessons with an empowerment and creativity lens. We can also look for existing resources and supports that might help us shift science education to encourage independent thought and creative approaches to real challenges. We can try to provide opportunities for students’ voices to be heard and for them to receive feedback from and interaction with an authentic audience. These strategies might not be practical every day, but as students have more opportunities over the course of their science education they will begin to incorporate them into their own science story and picture of what science exploration can be.   <img style="float: left;" src="../../../blog_files/IMG_3603.png" alt="" width="265" height="199" />What might this look like on a practical level? While I certainly don’t have all the answers, there are several experiences my students have gotten to participate in recently that enrich their understanding of science process and content while also inspiring creativity and empowering them. One is Sonoma County’s Five Minute Film Festival. Last semester, my students worked in teams on films related to patterns in biology (the film festival theme was patterns) and submitted them as a semester project in my class. The creativity and variability of film topics and their relevance for the individual students was striking. What has been even more significant is the way students internalized the information from their films. As we tackle new topics, they refer to the material from their films and how it connects to or provides examples of the content in class. Three of the films were selected for viewing in the Film Festival showcase. Those students had the chance to dress up and walk the red carpet, see their films on the big screen at a local theater, and hear feedback from a team of celebrity judges. One of the films was about climate change, and a judge told the students that her film company is currently working on a documentary on the same topic and thanked them for sharing their information. I cannot emphasize enough the empowerment this provided for my students and the motivation it gave them to continue to use their interests and strengths creatively to support the field of science.   <img style="float: left;" src="../../../blog_files/IMG_3910.png" alt="" width="252" height="189" />Another stand-out experience for my students has been participating in video conferences with science experts. The world has gotten very small, and no longer do we have to rely on just the local people who happen to be available to come for a day and speak to students. Over the past two years, my classes have had the chance to speak to medical workers and experts on the Ebola virus, a cancer researcher, a conservationist focused on great cats, and marine scientists from Monterey Bay Aquarium with whom they also participated in a long distance lab. These experiences in and of themselves are significant. But what made them all the richer was the advice I received from a colleague. That advice was: prepare the class for the experience,  assign students to facilitate the conversation, then get out of the way so they can run the show. Using this model means that students not only learn about real-world, relevant scientific work and the ways people are creatively using science avenues to effect change in the world, but also that they are being empowered to direct their own learning and seek out more contact with the scientific community in the future. I know that students have followed up individually with some of the people we’ve spoken to and have even gone to visit them. I am encouraged to think how this might change my students’ trajectories in life and their interest in scientific work. There are without question a lot of moving parts in this transition to NGSS, but we need to actively look for and build in opportunities like these whenever possible. I encourage you to seek them out and brainstorm with others about what this might look like in your context. If my examples are helpful, I’m happy to give you more details and resources, but please don’t be limited to these. There are many different opportunities out there, and even more that haven’t yet been thought of or tried. The value of these is high, and the possibilities and the potential abound. We are quite literally living in the United States of America as it exists today because leaders were invested in and empowered. Their ability to collaborate and think creatively was fostered. How much potential might our future hold if we continue to seek out opportunities to do this in the NGSS classroom? The Possibilities and the Dilemma http://scoe.org/pub/htdocs/blog-ngss.html?id=217   <img style="float: left;" src="../../../../blog_files/Potato1.png" alt="" width="200" height="267" />On the first day of AP Biology, I stood in front of my students and told them solemnly about the “AP Biology Dilemma.” These are students from a variety of backgrounds with one thing in common: They’ve chosen to pursue an advanced science course. And while I have them in this class, I have big ambitions.   By the end of the course, I want them to love science and be exposed to and excited by all of the incredible new inventions and discoveries that are constantly coming out. I want them to have hands-on experience and develop inquiry skills, and I also want them to gain the scientific and technological literacy to seek out and evaluate information on their own. I want them to be aware of bioethics and have thought about and discussed both scientific advancements and the tough questions that come with them. I want them to be creative problem solvers who can see the big picture and are empowered to come up with solutions. I want them to be able to envision themselves in STEM professions so that whether they choose to pursue them or not their decision will be based on what they want, not what they perceive they can’t do.   But at the same time, there is a high-stakes test the students care very much about at 8am on May 9, 2016. And, these students have chosen to take an advanced placement class with the very fair expectation that it will prepare them for this test. The College Board, to their great credit, has revised the AP expectations and tests in science over the last few years, and there is much more focus on science process and less on straight memorization. But it is still a college level course, and there is a great deal of complex content that students must learn before the exam.   Hence, the dilemma. These are bright, motivated students, and there are endless possibilities for creative lessons, maker activities, in-depth labs, class discussions, speakers, projects and trips. All of these would undoubtedly benefit the students and contribute toward their future as scientists or global citizens, but they also take time. As the teacher, part of my job is to balance these opportunities with the time needed for the content and skills specifically required and to seek out creative ways to integrate the two whenever possible. Being in just my second year as an AP teacher, this can feel like a daunting task and certainly one I haven’t fully mastered.   So I’m honest with the students. I tell them about the AP Biology Dilemma on the first day and also remind them of it from time to time. And I let them know that while I always do my best to teach well within the dilemma, sometimes I won’t get it quite right. And yet, we will all learn through the process, and I’ll do everything I can to make it the best experience possible in the class they’ve opted to take.   The AP Biology Dilemma is most definitely not unique to AP Biology. It is the dilemma nearly every teacher faces. Nothing made it more apparent than the NCLB era where the amount of information, much of it memorization, required of students was vast and the test was high-stakes for the teacher, school, and district.     For many, the introduction of NGSS felt like a breath of fresh air and a release from the dilemma. With the focus on three-dimensional learning, teachers have had the freedom to reinfuse the big-picture thinking and hands-on experiences that were downplayed in past years. And throughout the standards, appendices, and both the national and California frameworks, the authors highlight the importance of things like scientific literacy, technology integration, storytelling, developing inquiry skills, and giving students opportunities to think and act like scientists and relate their knowledge and skills to real-world scenarios. These emphases open the door to almost infinite possibilities for student experiences.   At the same time, NGSS holds teachers and students to a high standard. The driving tenet of “all standards, all students” means that every student should expect to learn not only the main themes in science and develop science and engineering skills but also to develop a fairly complete understanding of content in physical science, life science, and earth and space science. With its focus on disciplinary core idea progressions across grade levels and application of content to real-world phenomena, in some ways NGSS highlights the dilemma in science education even more than before. Teachers need to find an instructional balance that provides space for student interest and passion to be sparked while building a solid foundation that sets them up for success in science not just in some distant future but in the very next class they take. This burden feels all the more real as California districts start to make course model decisions for middle and high school and move farther into implementation at all levels with the added detail of the CA Science Framework. There’s a lot to consider as we develop curriculum and environments that allow students to consider the possibilities in science.   So we are left with a new variation on the classic dilemma. Speaking from personal experience, I can’t say that navigating within it is easy or that I have it all worked out and can lead the charge. I can say three things:   First, we need to all give ourselves some grace as we figure out the balance. I wish I could go back in time to August 2014 and give myself this message. I spent a lot of time that first year of AP with my stomach in knots because I was so worried I was getting the balance wrong and letting the students down. It all felt overwhelming. Since the framework came out in November, I’ve had many conversations with teachers who feel similarly overwhelmed and discouraged now that there’s detail and the rubber is really hitting the road. Yes, there are a lot of things to figure out and a lot of decisions to make. But there is also an opportunity to try things out and figure out what works. If you are excited and passionate about what you’re teaching, it will be good for students. Some of the balancing act will work itself out, and some of it you’ll figure out over time.   Second, there’s a lot to be said for open, honest communication of the dilemma. You’re not alone in your balancing act. Last year, I often felt that way. This year, having been up front with the students from day one, I’ve felt a lot more freedom and confidence in my choices. And as an added bonus, students love being in the know. Teachers: Consider talking to your students about the change NGSS brings and the things you’re trying as a result. Administrators: Consider talking to staff, parents, and community members about the transition to NGSS and the decisions that have been or are being made as a result. At best, you’ll gain partners in your quest to master the balancing act. If nothing else, people will start to understand why certain shifts are taking place and they won’t seem so scary.   Third, have fun along the way! Yes, there is a lot to learn and do. But there are still so many possibilities, and we have this time to try new things out. While there’s not the same luxury of time for AP Biology, the students and I sure have had a lot of fun along the way. Recently, students designed potato head models best suited to various environments and made films of the potatoes describing their adaptations and why they had the highest fitness in their respective habitats. The smiles, laughter and conversation from all students, even the quietest and shyest, was priceless. Experiences like these remind me why I teach and spur me on to be a better teacher. Whether you teach AP Biology or kindergarten, the dilemma is there. But so are the possibilities. So my encouragement as we come to the tougher part of implementation and it gets real and messy is to not lose sight of those possibilities but to find them in the midst of the dilemma and embrace them as often as possible. In my experience, the willingness to do this, even when the result is not always perfect, can make all the difference. <img src="../../../blog_files/Potato%203.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="667" /> A Tale of Technology and Thanksgiving http://scoe.org/pub/htdocs/blog-ngss.html?id=212 <img style="float: left;" src="../../../../blog_files/Sciencethanksgiving.png" alt="" width="450" height="450" />I will be the first to admit that while I’m a huge advocate for its importance in education, I am not the most technologically savvy person. I want to be, but it doesn’t come naturally to me, and this along with structural challenges gives me angst when I bring technological opportunities into the classroom. However, this week as we all looked forward to (or in some cases desperately longed for and clawed our way towards) Thanksgiving break, I took the plunge and engaged my AP Biology students in two opportunities to learn and reflect on content while building technology skills.   The first activity was a modeling assignment based around the cell cycle. Students created clay models and then used Lego Movie Maker to make and narrate stop motion films addressing questions about cell cycles and genetic variation. The second project was developing “science thanksgivings”- a welcome activity in light of the upcoming holiday and the fact that students had just taken a test. Students took a few minutes to brainstorm things they’re particularly thankful for that relate to biology. They then wrote these on whiteboard puzzle pieces (courtesy of Casey Shea at SCOE) and practiced taking pictures in front of a green screen and superimposing backgrounds that related to their thanksgivings. We later put puzzle pieces together to create a larger visual of how much there is to be thankful for in science.   I created these activities to help students develop skills for an upcoming semester film project, but I was struck by how worthwhile they were even as stand-alone experiences. The activities were highly engaging for students and incredibly valuable for me as the teacher. As I worked with groups on their modeling activity and later viewed the videos, I could see immediately the collaboration and creativity required but also what concepts students understood and where they needed more support. Developing science thanksgivings gave students an opportunity to reflect on and discuss what they’d learned so far this year and how it relates to the world and their lives. The project was also inspirational for me and them on a human level. Both days students left with smiles, commenting on how much fun the work was and thanking me for the opportunities. And I left thankful for a great many things related to these experiences. <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s8h4WSL1fwI" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> I’m incredibly thankful for the technology resources available to me and students. In September I had the chance to take some students on a field trip to Medtronic where the staff did a great job of introducing students to opportunities in STEM careers through relatable speakers, hands-on activities, and tours of labs and workspaces. The students left excited about the possibilities out there and with a strong desire to ask for 3D printers for Christmas. I left strongly convicted that students need more exposure to and experience with technology and how to meaningfully incorporate it into tasks in order to make them competitive in the job market and world.   It’s only in the last month that we’ve gotten reliable wi-fi at my school and received laptops to replace the nine-year-old teacher desktops. We don’t have devices for every student, but there are options available such as checking out a Chromebook cart from the school or requesting to borrow iPads from SCOE. All of these resources mark the removal of a significant barrier to incorporating technology in the classroom, and I am grateful for the opportunities that are opening up as a result.   I’m also very thankful for innovative, dynamic colleagues who care deeply about students developing creative and critical thinking skills, perseverance, and digital literacy. Incorporating technology adds a layer of time and coordination both in and out of the classroom. I need to learn how to use and trouble-shoot the technology myself and craft lessons that include technology in a meaningful way. Introducing a technological component also requires a new level of risk and vulnerability on the part of the teacher and the students. It’s not business as usual, and there’s more chances for things to go wrong and for questions to arise that I don’t know the answer to. All of these factors can seem daunting, and I’m thankful that there are educators at SCOE such as Matt O’Donnell, 21st Century Technology Innovation Specialist, and Casey Shea, Teacher-on-Loan for Make, who can articulate why these tools and experiences are so valuable for students and support teachers in learning and taking risks. Working alongside them, learning from them, and seeing that pushing the envelope is worth it even when sometimes your efforts literally go up in flames makes me to be a better educator. I’m very grateful to know them and all my colleagues and witness the passion they bring to supporting and changing education.   Finally, I’m more thankful than words can express for students who are willing to be flexible and take a chance on new things. Their desire to learn, excitement at new discoveries, and ability to put themselves out there and take risks inspires me every day. I was reminded again as we engaged in the modeling and thanksgivings this week that I have many students who will jump in, fully embrace new experiences, and articulately describe what they got out of them. They are deep thinkers, a lot of fun, and have the ability to one day change the world. Spending time with them and being part of their learning and development is a great privilege that I don’t want to take for granted. <img style="float: left;" src="../../../blog_files/Lego-Movie-Modeling.png" alt="" width="300" height="224" /> I don’t make light of the challenges and barriers surrounding bringing technology into the classroom in a meaningful way. I know from observations in classrooms and conversations with teachers and administrators around the state that the challenges I’ve mentioned are not unique to me—they’re endemic in education right now. The easiest thing to do when faced with these challenges would be to ignore technology and continue with business as usual. But that is a disservice to students who desperately need experiences to prepare them for college and career. Some of them have a good deal of technology savvy from their lives outside of school. But others don’t have access to technology or ways to build their skill apart from classroom experiences. And none of them have enough practice integrating technology meaningfully into their learning and work. So, for better or worse, they are relying on us. As we live more and more in a world where STEM careers, industries, and topics intersect with students’ lives and our own, we need to look very carefully at our response and what it means for them and the world.   Thanksgiving may seem a strange time to think about technology in school. We’re all exhausted and in much need of a break after the long stretch from August to November. This doesn’t seem like the time to add another layer to the classroom or take on a new challenge. And yet, Thanksgiving offers a time to stop and be thankful for what is and what’s possible. So there is no better time to take stock of what opportunities we can embrace and look expectantly to see what change that might bring. As J. Robert Moskin so eloquently put it, “Thanksgiving comes to us out of the prehistoric dimness, universal to all ages. At whatever straws we must grasp, there is always a time for gratitude and new beginnings.” May this holiday provide you the break to reflect on what you’re thankful for and to prepare for new beginnings as the world changes and we seek to shape some of that change in science education.   What I Can Do http://scoe.org/pub/htdocs/blog-ngss.html?id=208 I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.  ~Edward Everett Hale <img src="../../../../blog_files/Grand-Canyon.png" alt="" width="150" height="115" /> While the wording varies slightly in different publications, the crux of the quote above is attributed to Edward Everett Hale, a minister and orator from the 1800s who used his skills in journalism to express his social conscience during the Civil War and beyond. I first came across the quote a few years ago while preparing for a unit in earth science about resources and conservation. Engaging in the material with students is challenging because I want them to understand the complexities of conservation and why there aren’t easy solutions. But at the same time, I want to inspire them to be proactive about conservation rather than discouraged that the issues surrounding it are too great for one teenager. And so, Hale’s quote perfectly captures the attitudes I hope students adopt and serves as a good conversation starter. Hale’s words, of course, have meaning far beyond conservation discussions. They are particularly poignant right now as it seems that everywhere I turn people are feeling stretched thin and facing seemingly impossible choices about what to change and invest in. My students are certainly overwhelmed as they apply to colleges and begin to make choices that will define their future. They have a myriad of talents, and while they will get to use a number of them throughout their lives and careers this is the first time that many of them have had to limit their options and close some doors in order to open others. The temptation they feel is to step away and not make any choices because it’s overwhelming. But that would be a loss for them and the world, because they have so much to offer. It’s certainly not just students that are in this position. Last week, I had the privilege of attending and presenting at the California STEM Symposium. The conference brought to light the many opportunities we have in science education to engage students in meaningful experiences and inspire them to explore further themselves. We can provide hands-on learning, guide authentic inquiry, incorporate art and storytelling, and teach students how to be scientifically literate citizens. We can tie Maker Education to content in meaningful ways, provide more practice with technology, and connect students with scientists who are in the field. The possibilities are seemingly endless. The STEM Symposium also gave a charge to educators to value the impact we can have on students simply by being part of their lives. One speaker, NASA astronaut Leland Melvin, encouraged educators, “You can give opportunities to your students when others- even their families- don’t believe in them.” Dr. Ainissa Ramirez, a former Yale professor and science advocate, similarly challenged, “You can inspire passion by showing students the passion you have and giving them permission to find that themselves.” Teachers at the conference were excited and energized by the possibilities for science education, but I know from listening to and engaging in conversations that they also felt overwhelmed. There are so many opportunities, all of them meaningful and important for students, and yet there are limitations on time, resources, and stamina for the individual educator. With such great potential and so many challenges and uncertainties out there, the temptation is similar to that of my students- to step away and not take any action because there’s simply too much. But that too would be a loss for students, education, and the world, because teachers have so much to offer.   Hale was absolutely correct that one individual can’t do everything. I am very driven and see incredible value in the work I do. So if there were a way to do it all, I most certainly would have found it! But the reality is that I can’t. I can’t meet the needs of every one of my students- I can’t give them all the attention and experiences I know would help them in the class and in life. Similarly, I can’t do everything I know would be beneficial for science education around Sonoma County—I can’t take every meeting, be part of every new, innovative idea, or check in with every incredible teacher I have the privilege of knowing. But I can do some of it. I can design some innovative lessons and experiences that I know will help my students understand the content better and develop as global citizens. I can meet with students I know need extra support around college and career decisions and help them navigate that process. I can share with them why I think science is fascinating and worth pursuing. And I can partner with the amazing educators around Sonoma County to dream about what science education might become and lay groundwork and provide tools to move this vision along. I can support those who are making NGSS, STEM, maker education and more come to life in their classrooms and schools. And I can engage administrators and teachers in conversations about the value of these educational approaches. While they are perhaps not as polished as Hale’s words, the lyrics to an Avett Brothers song inspire me: “Decide what to be and go be it.” This of course, means saying no to some things so that you can say yes to others—a very hard reality for me and many other educators. To do this, you have to really reflect on what you value and can invest in and influence. That takes time and mental space and can feel like the opposite of actually doing. But it’s so important to take that step in order to choose a direction, move forward, and have an impact. So that is what I’m trying to do in the current season of change and transition—figure out what I can do and go do it, even though I know there’s more out there. And that is my encouragement to each of you as we move forward on this amazing adventure with NGSS. It can feel overwhelming, too big when you are only one. But you ARE one, and an amazing one at that. And while you can’t do everything, what you choose to do can have a great impact on students and the world. So decide what you can do and go do it. And if we all do something, the possibilities become greater and what we can’t accomplish starts to pale. So...what can you do? Whatâ€™s Your Science Saga? http://scoe.org/pub/htdocs/blog-ngss.html?id=197 <img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="http://s13.postimg.org/s2g3wqkg7/Science_Saga_1.jpg" alt="" width="236" height="305" /> At the start of school, or as I refer to it “Teacher’s New Year,” I’m always feeling energetic and ready to try new things in the classroom. This year, inspired by the work of a colleague, I decided to have my students write a “six word science saga” on the first day of school. What, you may reasonably ask, does that even mean? The Power of Six Words According to legend, Ernest Hemingway was once challenged to write a six word short story. His response to the challenge was “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” Inspired by Hemingway, the online publication Smith Magazine personalized the task and called for people to submit six word memoirs. This led to the 2008 publication of a book of memoirs: Not Quite What I Was Planning. Six word memoirs continue to be popular and show up many places, including underneath the caps of some iced tea bottles. Six word memoirs are fun to read, and they are both powerful and challenging to write. You have to be very in touch with your own experiences to synthesize them into six words. This was my initial motivation for the science saga assignment. I charged students with summarizing their experience in science so far in six words and thought it would be a fun way for me to get to know my classes and for them to reflect on their own lives. But as the assignment evolved in my head, a deeper purpose and opportunity emerged. Science as a Human Endeavor One of the most important lessons in science is that it is never done in a vacuum. Science, despite it’s reputation of being hard-nosed, cold, and focused on the facts and nothing but the facts, is at the core a human endeavor. It is certainly grounded in observation and inference, but these are always influenced by the experience, knowledge, biases, and background of the person doing the science. And it is these same factors that drive science forward- because of their circumstances people ask about and investigate certain topics and problems. Awareness of the human nature of science is a critical piece of what we as science educators can impart to students. As they go into the world as scientists, lovers of science, and contributing citizens students need to understand key aspects of science content, human influence on the environment for instance, but they also need to know that their own scientific work and that of others never happens in a vacuum- there’s always a human story that needs to be understood and considered. A deep understanding of the nature of science, and particularly science as a human endeavor, is integral to the Next Generation Science Standards. While not a separate dimension, the authors are clear that opportunities to develop this understanding should be incorporated into all of the other dimensions of NGSS. There are many ways this can be accomplished, including the introduction of stories such as science history and case studies. Whatever the method, the goal is that ‘the nature of scientific explanations assumes a human face and is recognized as an ever-changing enterprise.” (NGSS Appendix H) With all of this in mind, I had the students write, share, and revise their science sagas. Then they wrote “final drafts” on origami paper, folded them, and put them in a beaker. I held up an empty beaker and told them that this is how we think science works- a scientist approaches and investigation with a blank slate and can make objective observations that lead to an unbiased conclusion. Then I held up the full beaker and pointed out that in reality we come with many experiences that influence how we approach and understand science. This beaker full of science sagas is now a visual in the classroom that we can go back to throughout the year. A Science Saga Twist In addition to creating a visual reminder of the nature of science, the science saga assignment had another unintended twist- it made me look at my own story and how it influences my work in science education. I wrote my memoir as an example: Changed directions. Still making a difference. This describes my somewhat dramatic change of career plans. I was a premed biology major in the spring of my senior year with all the requirements met to go to medical school and help people. Then, I started working as a teaching assistant for lower division biology classes and instantly fell in love with the work. And so I very uncharacteristically changed the plan, and over time I’ve come to see that by changing I still get to do what I imagined in the first place- impact and help people- but in a field that sparks my interest and passion more than I could have imagined. Just as our experiences influence how we approach and interpret science, our stories impact how we approach and interpret science education and the shift to NGSS. For me, ever the planner, changing to new curricular expectations and a dual role as both teacher and leader in science education is a big deal. But, I know from past experience that change can mean getting to invest in something I love and while making an impact for students. And so, my science saga makes me excited about the change we’re all in the midst of and optimistic about what might come of it. So...What’s Your Story? As the year begins, I invite you to do two things: First, ponder how to engage students in understanding the nature of science and thus develop insight about how to participate in and interpret scientific work. This could mean including stories from science, soliciting their own stories, or something entirely different. Whatever the strategy, this is an essential piece of our work as educators if we are seeking to help students become scientifically literate citizens. Second, take time to think about your own science saga and how it influences what you do and the way you approach the shift to NGSS. And if you feel like sharing, I’d love to hear what you come up with! I look forward to learning from the unique insights each of you bring because of your stories as we continue this adventure of exploring NGSS together. Happy New Year! My Fatherâ€™s Most Valuable Lesson: Teaching with Passion in the NGSS Era http://scoe.org/pub/htdocs/blog-ngss.html?id=184 <img class="img-responsive" style="float: left; padding: 5px 20px 0px 0px;" src="../../../../images/puma-family.jpg" alt="Anna Van and her Father" /> This picture is of my dad and me adopting pumas last summer—doing our duty for the “family business.” For my entire career, we have both taught at Maria Carrillo High School (home of the Pumas), albeit on opposite sides of the campus. He is in the math building and I am over in the science wing. However, this will change in June as he is retiring after 37 years of teaching. While working alongside your parents in other careers may be common place to many, my experience has been somewhat unique in the teaching world. My dad has actually been an integral part of all my high school experiences. I still remember going with him to school on “Take Your Daughter to Work Day” and thinking that sitting in a high school classroom was the height of coolness. Little did I know that this would foreshadow things to come! Later, my dad turned down the opportunity to become a founding member of the Maria Carrillo staff in order to stay at Santa Rosa High while I was in high school, so we shared my high school years in a unique way. My career as a high school teacher has also involved him. When I first started teaching, he was great at striking a balance between giving me the space to develop as an educator while also offering support and advice when I asked for it. In the past few years, particularly this year as we’ve both taught AP classes, we’ve shared a lot of students and have offered each other support and advice. Through all of these experiences, I’ve learned valuable lessons about how to be an engaged and invested teacher. What stands out to his students Because I wasn’t in any of his classes, one thing my father and I never shared was the teacher/student relationship. Recognizing this, I recently asked my students what stood out to them about Mr. Van and his teaching. Most of their responses fell into three categories. First, they said he shares profound thoughts such as, “You’re never actually walking through a door.” (This is some theoretical physics idea that they tried to explain to me, but I still don’t entirely understand it.) Of the quotes they offered, my personal favorite was, “Math isn’t hard. English is hard. That’s why you have trouble with word problems.” The second thing that stood out to them was his storytelling. They said he loves to tell stories about math history, particularly anything involving a slide rule. He also routinely shares stories about his personal life that gives students a broader perspective about who he is. One of them commented, “First we thought he was just a math guy, but he’s done SO many things!” The thing about Mr. Van’s class that stood out the most for students was music; he is always playing music and singing for them. Students said he taught them math songs that help them learn. One commented, “The highlight of trigonometry was him singing the Soh-Cah-Toa song while Mr. Fealey (another math teacher) harmonized. That always gets stuck in my head now!” As is so often the case for those of us in education who work in isolated classrooms, I didn’t know about many of the things the students shared. I kept saying, “Really? He does that?” until a student said, “Ms. Van, we might know Mr. Van better than you.” What actually struck me was that, while all of the students’ examples were unique to the math classroom, everything they shared perfectly described my dad. He’s delighted to have deep conversations and reflect on theoretical topics. He has always been a storyteller, lighting up as he shares. And my father is incredibly passionate about music—it’s at the core of who he is. So the students’ examples epitomized the most valuable of all the lessons I’ve learned from my dad about teaching: take your passions and incorporate them into your teaching, because that’s when you come alive and students are engaged. Teaching from a place of passion This lesson seems so intuitive. Of course, classes are more fun and engaging for you and your students when you teach from a place of passion, but for many people, this lesson wasn’t learned or got lost along the way in the NCLB era. As we now usher in CCSS and NGSS, things are poised to change. One of the exciting things about the current educational transition, particularly in science, is that it gives space for and encourages educators to teach using the things they’re passionate about. I attended a seminar given by one of the authors of NGSS and he said they designed the standards with flexibility for teacher passions. If you love volcanoes, you can teach a large amount of earth science using them as your focus. A model has come out for teaching an entire year of NGSS-aligned high school biology as a marine biology class. One of my colleagues adores the ocean and hearing this news made her entire face light up. Imagine how incredible teaching this way could be for her and her students. I am passionate about literacy and making connections between science content and fiction and nonfiction texts. I’m so excited that this is emphasized in both CCSS and NGSS. It was obvious when talking to my dad’s students that incorporating what you’re passionate about hugely impacts a student’s experience in the classroom. They are more engaged and remember more about the class. In true math teacher form, my dad has calculated that, at the end of this year, he’ll have taught approximately 8,500 people. That’s a lot of minds to influence! The added bonus of teaching this way is that it’s kept him enthusiastic and engaged. He’s excited about retirement (or as he calls it “changing vocations”) and the chance to pursue music, but he hasn’t drudged through these last years. Because teaching this way hasn’t been emphasized for so long, it’s possible many of us need to reexamine the areas of passion we’d like to bring into our teaching. As we finish the long 90 days of May (maybe even longer this year!), and enter a much-needed vacation, I invite you to spend some time thinking about what you’re passionate about and how it might be incorporated or further highlighted in your teaching. Taking this lesson to heart has made all the difference in my life as a teacher, and I hope in the lives of the students! I’m excited to see what happens as it becomes the norm in education! Happy retirement to all those who like my dad are set to start on a new adventure exploring or digging deeper into areas of passion. Thank you for investing in the lives of students! For the rest of us, have a wonderful summer vacation. May it be a time of rest and rejuvenation, so that we can continue this adventure in NGSS next year!   Weâ€™re in this Together: A Lesson for NGSS Transition http://scoe.org/pub/htdocs/blog-ngss.html?id=168 <img style="float: left; padding: 5px 20px 0px 0px;" src="/images/mexico-team-0515.jpg" class="img-responsive" alt="Student Team in Mexico" />Over spring break, I had the unique opportunity to join a group of students, including many of my own, on a trip to Mexico to build houses. The experience was incredible. The tripâ€™s motto expressed by youth leader Cory Myers was, â€œWeâ€™re all in this together!â€ and that was evident throughout the entire week. It was amazing to work alongside my students on something none of us were experts at and to accomplish what none of us could have on our own. We engaged in problem solving with real-world application and high stakesâ€”particularly when tackling electrical wiring! After hard-fought battles, things came together, the house was finished, and we celebrated as a team. When all was said and done, we had a shared experience and left with more understanding of and respect for each otherâ€™s capacities. It was an exhausting week, but one that I wouldnâ€™t trade for anything. <h2>AP Biology, Another Team Learning Experience</h2> The Mexico trip resonates with my teaching experience, particularly this year with the AP curriculum revised to focus on student-driven inquiry. Here, the teacher takes on the role of supporter and doesnâ€™t control the learning experiences in the same way as before. Because AP Biology was new to me and my students, we learned and experienced the course together. Iâ€™ve been in chargeâ€”Iâ€™ve kept the track of the big picture and navigated the class through the curriculumâ€”but there has been a lot of give and take. Weâ€™ve been â€œin it togetherâ€ much more than has traditionally been the case in education. And the result? Rich learning has happened on all sides. We developed a sense of camaraderie and a deep respect for each other as learners and thinkers. I just held my last class before the AP test. Giving my students a pep talk and sending them out with cheers on both sides felt strange. It was like sending players off to the big game without the person whoâ€™s been working with them along the way. It made me acutely aware of how much my role has been that of coach and how powerful this has been in the classroom. I acknowledge that being so close to the end may put me in danger of looking at the experience through rose-colored glasses. Has the year been easy? Most certainly not! Itâ€™s hard work to learn alongside the students. It adds an element of the unknown thatâ€™s difficult for a teacher who likes to be prepared and organized. Doing something completely new while simultaneously being in charge of others feels vulnerable and risky. And since itâ€™s an AP course, everyone is expecting a result. No, I canâ€™t say itâ€™s been a totally smooth year, but I can definitely say itâ€™s been significant for me and the students. It was worth the risk. <h2>Transition to NGSS: Worth the Risk</h2> My experience is one that is poised to become widespread as we transition to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). By nature of how theyâ€™re designed and because theyâ€™re so new, NGSS will encourage teachers and students to be â€œin this together.â€ The standards emphasize what students can do with information and encourage them to make connections between big ideas. This makes learning experiences much more student-driven and much less predictable. It also shifts the teacherâ€™s role toward one of coachingâ€”that is, guiding and encouraging students as they develop their own skills and learn to make their own connections. NGSS invites teachers to be learners as well, engaging with new content, connections, and student insights and investigations. Youâ€™d be hard-pressed to find someone who says the NGSS transition will be an easy one. NGSS requires teachers to learn new material and strategies, and to let go of things theyâ€™ve come to count on. The transition will mean hard work developing new lessons and helping students think and question in ways theyâ€™re not used to. Teachers and students alike will feel vulnerable as they try something new, while knowing that others are watching and expecting a result. After this year, no one is more empathetic than I am about how all of this feels: daunting, frightening, and overwhelming. But at the same time, this transition has the potential to be exciting, impactful, and fulfilling. And we can be encouraged that, at every level, weâ€™re in it together. No one knows exactly what the NGSS transition looks like, so weâ€™re all learning from each other. In the process, we have the chance to develop deeper respect and understanding for each other and for science. Regardless of your educational role, I invite you to take the risk and jump in to see what will happen as we engage in this transition together. When a few students and adults took the risk in Mexico, the result was houses for those who didnâ€™t have any. In my classroom, the result was a â€œteamâ€ that knows more about science, but also has a greater respect for each other and more understanding about how to ask questions and design solutions for our world. What might the result be if we all jump in? The possibilities are endless. NGSS: Replacing "Have To" with "Get To" http://scoe.org/pub/htdocs/blog-ngss.html?id=158 <img style="float: left; padding: 10px 20px 0px 0px;" src="/images/get-to.jpg" class="img-responsive" alt="I Get To!">Now that weâ€™re solidly into March, itâ€™s a good time to take stock of New Yearâ€™s resolutions. The hype of January has long since worn off, so any resolutions that are still being kept are clearly important and have a much higher chance of succeeding than they did on January 2. My resolution this year wasâ€”and still isâ€”to examine how often I say â€œI have toâ€ and, when possible, replace that statement with â€œI get to.â€ Although this may sound simple, I admit that Iâ€™ve failed on a number of occasions. Iâ€™ve been surprised at how hard itâ€™s been to remember and amazed at what a big difference it makes in my outlook when I do. <h2>It all begins with frozen yogurt</h2> The impetus for this resolution lies in an interaction with my students. It was a busy morning and I was very hungry, so at break I dashed to the refrigerator and grabbed a yogurt. I didnâ€™t have time to open it until class began and to my great dismay I saw that it had frozen. I complained loudly, â€œOh no! My yogurt froze. I hate when that happens.â€ One of the students helpfully piped in, â€œMs. Van, thatâ€™s a first-world problem.â€ Although not the comfort I was looking for in the moment, this was very true. For the most part, I am very privileged to have the option of yogurt or some other snack at any time Iâ€™d like it. After this encounter, I started thinking about other areas where I have a skewed perception of the demands and â€œtrialsâ€ placed on me. Thus was born my resolution. Since my resolution began in the classroom, much of what Iâ€™ve focused on has been work-related. As Iâ€™ve mentioned before, itâ€™s a year of new adventures for me: working at SCOE and also teaching an AP course for the first time. Itâ€™s sometimes tempting to complain that I have to rush between two new, demanding jobs. However, what is far more true is that I have the honor of working with two amazing sets of colleagues and the opportunity to develop a micro and macro view of the changes in science education and what they mean. When I end a week and donâ€™t have any lessons planned for the next one, my first impulse is to grumble that I have to spend weekend time learning AP content and planning learning experiences for the students. But I can equally say that I get to learn new things, then spend time with incredible students who find biology fascinating. <h2>What if we all tried it?</h2> I wonder what would happen if we all tried replacing just a fraction of our education-based â€œhave toâ€ statements with â€œget to.â€ With CCSS already in play and the Next Generation Science Standards poised for implementation, there are a lot of things that feel like â€œhave toâ€ in science education. We have to redesign lessons, units and, in some cases, entire curriculums. We have to make decisions about the sequence and structure of courses. We have to change some of our instruction and interactions with students. We have to break students in to new ways of learning science that they wonâ€™t all appreciate at first. There are certainly needs and questions that we canâ€™t wipe away with optimism and enthusiasm. Legitimately, there needs to be time structured into our day so that we can think about and make changes to curriculum and instruction. Tough decisions will need to be made. Students will struggle some with the transition, and weâ€™ll need to develop strategies to help them. We canâ€™t change these realities and they need to be discussed. But the lens through which we approach this change can be altered. As science educators at this particular junction, we actually get to do quite a bit. We get to be creative in planning and instructionâ€”and inspire the same creativity in students. We get the chance to engage in dialogue around decisions and truly consider whatâ€™s best for our students. We get to invite students to think in a different way, knowing that we are helping them develop skills they will take with them into the world. We get to inspire students about the STEM field at a time when itâ€™s growing and thereâ€™s a lot of promise for employment and advancement. Iâ€™ve already confessed that I donâ€™t always remember my resolution. When I do, sometimes I donâ€™t believe my own word choice. In addition, thereâ€™s no way around the fact that some things truly are a â€œhave toâ€ instead of a â€œget to.â€ At this time of year, when quarters and trimesters are ending and weâ€™re all staring report cards in the face, you probably have no trouble agreeing! But even with all of this, a simple word choice has still made a difference. I am reminded more often that Iâ€™m extraordinarily lucky in my career. A change of wording also gives me hope even when the road ahead seems hard. <h2>Itâ€™s contagious</h2> Perhaps the most compelling reason for me to continue pursuing my resolution is that it has the potential to impact others. â€œI get toâ€ is contagious. It has inspired me to be more creative and enthusiastic, which in turn inspires colleagues and students. I encourage you to try it for one weekâ€”find one aspect of your job as an educator and replace â€œhave toâ€ with â€œget to.â€ If nothing else, youâ€™ll try it, and then youâ€™ll get to move on. But the odds are good that it will impact you and others. My hope is that it might also make the shift to Next Generation Science Standards more of a â€œget toâ€ aspect of your work as a 21st century science educator. Reflections from the NSTA Conference: Making It Just a Little Easier http://scoe.org/pub/htdocs/blog-ngss.html?id=149 I recently attended the three-day joint National Science Teacherâ€™s Association (NSTA) and California Science Teacherâ€™s Association (CSTA) conference in Long Beach with two colleagues from Maria Carrillo High School. I was SO excited to attend and get ideas and inspiration, which did happen. But there were a few bumps along the way that also reminded me of an important lesson for teachers and leaders in education. <h2>A Rocky Start</h2> The trip got off to a rocky start for us. Rain shut down the freeway, our flight was delayed (for two hours, at 20 minute increments), and the crowds at the airport and our flight delays forced us to skip dinner. When we got to Long Beach, there was line after lineâ€”to get a taxi (in the rain), buy a cup of coffee, register for the conference, and get into every session. For the first 24 hours, these issues made it hard to mentally enter into the conference. I wanted to learn how to dig deeper and embrace the changes happening in science education, but circumstances kept getting in the way. <img style="float: left; padding: 0px 50px 10px 0px;" src="/images/science-teachers.jpg" alt="Traveling Companions" />This all changed in the evening of our first full day at the conference when we attended a CSTA-sponsored event at the aquarium. Everything was well organized. When we entered, we were quickly checked in and given all the information we needed for the evening. A lovely buffet dinner was set out and we were told that we could take our food anywhere in the aquarium, so I found myself eating among tanks of beautiful tropical fish. Everyone at the aquarium was gracious and keen to talk to us, answer questions, and make sure we experienced everything. Since we were all adults, you never had to worry about blocking a childâ€™s view or keeping the staff from engaging children in a teachable moment, which was a very unique experience for teachers! As we left, my colleagues and I talked about how wonderful the event had been and how honored we feltâ€”a stark contrast to many of the other experiences on the trip so far! The conference wasnâ€™t smooth sailing for the next two days. I still had to wait in long lines for coffee and stand at the back of sessions even when I arrived 25 minutes early. But my entire outlook had changed after the treat of the evening at the aquarium. I was ready to learn and engage in good, but tough, conversations about where weâ€™re headed with the Next Generation Science Standards as a school, district, county, state, and country. I returned from the conference tired, but refreshed and ready to go deeper and try new things. <h2>Making It Easier</h2> My varying experiences at NSTA reminded me of the importance of making things just a little easier and more accessible for students and educators alike as we seek to make changes in education. <ul> <li>Students, especially at the secondary level, are being thrown for a loop with Common Core and NGSS. They have come through school during the NCLB era of one right answer you can bubble in, and weâ€™re asking them to think and perform in a way theyâ€™re not used to. </li> <li>Teachers, especially teachers who were trained in the last 15 years, face a similar challenge. They have to reevaluate their pedagogy and reinvent many things they have come to depend on. In many cases, they donâ€™t have the materials they, because the resources havenâ€™t been developed or purchased yet. </li> <li>Administrators are also placed in a tough position. They are being called on to make decisions about an educational system that is very different from the one they experienced in the classroom. They may feel stuck between what teachers tell them is needed and what their superiors say is available. </li> </ul> All of these realities can feel as troubling and disorienting as being in a warm, predictable classroom, then finding yourself navigating a soggy Southern California with crowds and no food a few hours later. None of these challenges come with an easy fix. At every level there will be an adjustment period, rough patches that need to be navigated, and decisions that have to be made. But we donâ€™t have to solve everything at once to make educational change seem do-able. We just need to make it a little easier. What might it look like to make things a little easier? Thereâ€™s no one-size-fits-all answer, but here are a few thoughts. In the classroom, this might mean taking time to talk with students about the shift in education and the reasons for new expectations, then inviting them to discuss or reflect on this. Or it could include carefully scaffolding initial NGSS or CCSS lessons to make success more attainable. Or it might be as simple as intentionally calling out and celebrating student progress as it relates to the new standards. From personal experience, I can tell you that each of these makes a big difference in student outlook and what theyâ€™re willing to try. At site and district levels, making it easier might mean seeking tangible ways to support and meet the needs of teachers during the transition. Perhaps more copies and paper could be offered where limits are imposed so that teachers are freed up to change plans and experiment with lessons. While budgets are certainly limited, making it easier might also include quickly addressing needs that can be accommodated, such as fixing leaky roofs or dealing with ant infestations. Time is also limited, but it goes a long way when administrators make it a priority to visit classrooms where CCSS and NGSS are being implemented and provide encouragement and feedback. These actions all send the message that those being asked to take on the challenge of something new are noticed and valued. When even little needs are addressed and work and effort are acknowledged, all of us are in a better place to learn, tackle new challenges, and look ahead to ask, â€œWhatâ€™s next?â€ Whatever your position and situation, it is within your power to make it a little easier for someone as we approach educational change together. With the start of a new year, I challenge you to try this where you can. And please hold me to the same standard! If I can make your transition a little bit easier through information, training, or simply being a sounding board, Iâ€™m here. Please donâ€™t hesitate to contact me. May your New Year be full of adventures and new experiences, and may it be just a little easier than the last! Focus on the Next Step, not the Long Dark http://scoe.org/pub/htdocs/blog-ngss.html?id=142 <img src="/images/quote-1014blog.jpg" alt="Quote" /> October can be a daunting month in the school year. Iâ€™ve heard it called the â€œlong darkâ€ by teachers and students alike! Vacation is over, the excitement of the new year is gone, and itâ€™s time to get down to serious business. October is when it becomes obvious to all that thereâ€™s a lot of work to do before we â€œarriveâ€ at Veterans Day or, to the very forward-thinking, summer vacation. In fact, there is so much work that it seems overwhelming and, at times, impossible. As teachers, we assure our students that it will all happen and there will come a point when they have learned what they thought they couldnâ€™t and can take a deep breath. All they have to do is what they can do today, putting one foot in front of the other. But this sage advice is harder to apply to our own circumstances. New standards can feel like the â€œlong darkâ€ of October. There is an initial phase when you learn about the standards and the exciting possibilities they hold for education. Even if youâ€™re overwhelmed and intimidated, at least itâ€™s new and full of potential. But then the reality sets in. Thereâ€™s a lot to learn and much to be done in order to implement this new framework, and discouragement creeps up (or slams down like an iron curtain). NGSS is no exception to this pattern. We want students to engage in inquiry and become critical thinkers and communicators. It is encouraging to picture them well-versed in science practices and able to compete in STEM careers. But then we realize that this will involve new learning, changes in lesson plans and curriculum, and a myriad of other time-consuming shifts. We start to question, â€œWhat will I do about technology and the new demands for lab supplies and space?â€ We are faced with unsettling decisions about course and topic sequence. And as the â€œlong darkâ€ settles in around us, we forget our advice to studentsâ€”that it doesnâ€™t have to be learned all at once. Just take the next step. <h2>Start Now & Do What You Can</h2> I love Teddy Rooseveltâ€™s advice (see quote above), because itâ€™s a reminder that we donâ€™t have to have everything figured out to implement change. Yes, there are unanswered questions and needs that have yet to be met, but that doesnâ€™t mean we canâ€™t do SOMETHING. And what is that something? For NGSS, I think the most accessible entry point is the science and engineering practices that are outlined in this <a href="/files/ngss-overview.pdf" target="_blank">NGSS Overview (pdf)</a>. No matter what science content youâ€™re teaching, you can emphasize one or more of the practices in this short document. And as an added bonus, several of themâ€”especially â€œengaging in argument from evidenceâ€â€”also feature prominently in the Common Core Standards. If we focus on slowly adding in NGSS practices and move forward one step at a time, weâ€™ll make progress toward the end goal rather than getting paralyzed at the start by how big the task appears. <img style="float: left; padding: 8px 15px 0px 0px;" src="/images/science-anna.jpg" alt="Science Anna" />Will it all go smoothly? Of course not! Here is a picture that makes me look like an impressive scientist, but actually shows me making a misstep that keeps me humble. The honors biology classes at Maria Carrillo did an inquiry project around bacteria and it fell to me to sterilize the petri dishes at the end. Now as a science major I had lab courses, but they were all in field-based ecology and marine biology. I had never sterilized petri dishes. So I read how to do it online and decided that I needed to go the extra mile with protection since I was dealing with bacteria. Well, one of my coworkers found me in all my garb with the petri dishes in a bucket of pure bleach and she doubled over in laughter. This was my first inkling that I hadnâ€™t gotten it quite right. I later found out that a splash of bleach and some gloves would have done the trick. I learned for next time and got a good reminder of what itâ€™s like to be a novice at something. <h2>We Are All Novices</h2> As we try out NGSS, weâ€™re all novices. Thereâ€™s the possibility of failing and looking silly, but we learn from these experiences and get better. We take the next step, then the next, and before you know it weâ€™ve made it through the â€œlong darkâ€ with some good stories to tell about the journey. So, take the first step. Do what you can, with what you have and where you are, and see where it takes you. Happy end of October to you all! Introducing the BaySci Team! http://scoe.org/pub/htdocs/blog-ngss.html?id=137 Iâ€™d like to introduce you to an amazing team of educators who are working as NGSS pioneers for Sonoma County. This group of ten teachers, known as the BaySci Leadership Team, represents nine districts and a striking level of experience and expertise in K-8 science education. They are: <ul> <li>Laura Barnard | Monte Rio Union</li> <li>Carrie Barnes | Windsor Unified</li> <li>Tara Carter | Dunham </li> <li>Eric Brockway | Sonoma Valley Unified</li> <li>Mary Fitch | Twin Hills Union </li> <li>Carrie Forrest | Piner-Olivet Union</li> <li>Victoria Hill | Oak Grove Union</li> <li>Jody Venard | Rincon Valley Union </li> <li>Kimberly Walls | Santa Rosa City </li> <li>Steve Williams | Santa Rosa City </li> </ul> <img src="/images/baysci-team.jpg" alt="BaySci Leadership Team" /> Origins of the team Ironically, the teamâ€™s origins lies not in science, but in close readingâ€”a Common Core ELA strategy. Flashback to January 2013 when SCOE decided to take a leap of faith and ask for applications for a teacher-leader cadre focused on receiving and giving training in close reading. The result was a team of seven educators who worked together for two years, developing teacher-driven professional learning that was offered throughout the county. As a member of that cadre, I can tell you that it was a big commitment and represented a lot of extra hours and brainpower! The experience of collaborating with educators of such a high caliber was amazing and invigorating. It gave me a broader and deeper understanding of education. <hr /> Flash forward to Spring 2014. SCOE continues to value teacher leadership and teacher-driven professional learning and asked for applications from K-8 teachers interested in being part of a team focused on NGSS. The result is the BaySci team. This group attended a week of training at the Lawrence Hall of Science during the summer. As the only county group (all others were school and district based) and the only K-8 team (everyone else was K-6), our Sonoma County group was unique. The Lawrence Hall program is also called BaySci, which brings up an important distinction. While our team has taken the BaySci name, it doesnâ€™t represent Lawrence Hall; it represents Sonoma County education and leadership. So maybe we could call them SoCo BaySci. :-) The team completed the summer training with a deeper understanding of NGSS and a renewed zeal to focus on science, particularly inquiry, in the classroom during the 2014-15 school year. These leaders will continue to attend trainings this year as they try out aspects of NGSS in their own teaching practice. The team is also meeting periodically at SCOE. It has met twice so far and has established some exciting goals for the year. These include communicating with all stakeholders (parents, teachers, administrators, etc.) about NGSS and the changes we can expect, developing a collective blog to make resources available to other teachers, and building a collaboration model for science across grade levels. This might sound overwhelming, especially given that these are all full-time classroom teachers, but they bring so much creativity and positive energy to the room that we leave the meetings feeling excited, not worn out. Thatâ€™s one of the amazing things about this group.<hr /> So â€¦ why am I telling you all of this? First, I wanted to make it known that this group exists and that there are educators on the front lines of NGSS making its ideals become reality. If nothing else, that is an encouraging thought. Second, these are names and faces that you may be seeing in the future. 2014-15 is a year for them to learn and experiment, but next year theyâ€™ll be ready to come alongside you as you also plunge into the NGSS adventure. And the benefit of having pioneers not only blazing the trail, but also traveling with you, is true encouragement. So be on the lookout for the BaySci team! Theyâ€™re people you wonâ€™t want to miss. :-) Ready for the NGSS adventure? http://scoe.org/pub/htdocs/blog-ngss.html?id=130 <img style="float: left; padding: 3px 15px 5px 0px;" src="/images/anna-teaching.jpg" alt="Anna Van Dordrecht" />Welcome to my NGSS blog! My name is Anna Van Dordrecht and I am thrilled to be SCOEâ€™s new Teacher-on-Loan for science. In my â€œother lifeâ€â€”I wear two hats this yearâ€”I teach at Maria Carrillo High School, where Iâ€™m starting my ninth year. Iâ€™ve taught biology and earth science at every high school level and am constantly impressed with studentsâ€™ level of curiosity, the critical thinking theyâ€™re capable of engaging in, and the genuine concern they have for the science issues of today. As a teacher, the first day of schoolâ€”not January 1â€”is forever emblazoned on my mind as New Yearâ€™s Day. When the school year opens, itâ€™s the start of a new adventure into uncharted territory where anything is possible. This is particularly true in science, where I can tell students with certainty that something I plan to teach them during the year will change. New science discoveries are always being made, shifting what we know and how we think about the world. This year more than any other feels like the start of a new adventure as we begin to explore the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and what they will mean for science education. The thing about new adventures is that the story isnâ€™t written, and none of us know what the end result will be. This can feel unnerving, especially when the rest of education is also shifting with the introduction of Common Core and 21st Century Learning. But as we approach NGSS, we can take a cue from science history. Any number of famous discoveries and adventures came about only because scientists dove into something they felt was important and had potential, without knowing exactly where it would take them. NGSS has tremendous potential to enrich science education and equip and inspire students to pursue science. These students in turn have the potential to change the field of science and the world. But letâ€™s not get too far ahead of ourselves. For now, Iâ€™m excited to begin this adventure with you. Please check back for more information on NGSS and opportunities in science throughout the year.