Disciplinary Core Ideas


Book Description

Like all enthusiastic teachers, you want your students to see the connections between important science concepts so they can grasp how the world works now-- and maybe even make it work better in the future. But how exactly do you help them learn and apply these core ideas? Just as its subtitle says, this important book aims to reshape your approach to teaching and your students' way of learning. Building on the foundation provided by A Framework for K- 12 Science Education, which informed the development of the Next Generation Science Standards, the book' s four sections cover these broad areas: 1. Physical science core ideas explain phenomena as diverse as why water freezes and how information can be sent around the world wirelessly. 2. Life science core ideas explore phenomena such as why children look similar but not identical to their parents and how human behavior affects global ecosystems. 3. Earth and space sciences core ideas focus on complex interactions in the Earth system and examine phenomena as varied as the big bang and global climate change. 4. Engineering, technology, and applications of science core ideas highlight engineering design and how it can contribute innovative solutions to society' s problems. Disciplinary Core Ideas can make your science lessons more coherent and memorable, regardless of what subject matter you cover and what grade you teach. Think of it as a conceptual tool kit you can use to help your students learn important and useful science now-- and continue learning throughout their lives.




Teaching Concepts


Book Description




Teaching Concepts


Book Description

Abstract: Prescriptions for teaching concepts more adequately are provided for teachers, instructional developers, curriculum planners, textbooks authors, and others who are concerned with effective instructional strategies. The emphasis is on how to teach a concept or a set of coordinate concepts, and on directions for designing concept lessons. Relevant research studies on concept instruction are briefly summarized.




Tools for Teaching Conceptual Understanding, Secondary


Book Description

Students become experts and innovators through Concept-Based teaching Innovators don’t invent without a deep understanding of how the world works. With this foundation, they apply conceptual understanding to solve new problems. We want our students to not only retain ideas, but relate them to other things they encounter, using each new situation to add nuance and sophistication to their thinking. To do this, they need conceptual understanding. This book serves as a road map for Concept-Based teaching. Discover how to help students uncover conceptual relationships and transfer them to new situations. Specifically, teachers will learn: Strategies for introducing conceptual learning to students Four lesson frameworks to help students uncover conceptual relationships How to assess conceptual understanding, and How to differentiate concept-based instruction Look no further. For deep learning and innovative thinking, this book is the place to start. "The authors tear down the false dichotomies of traditional vs innovative education and provide a practical toolkit for developing creativity and applying knowledge through Concept-Based learning. Every practitioner needs this book to juxtapose what worked well in the 20th Century with what is essential in the 21st Century and beyond." Michael McDowell, Superintendent Ross School District, Ross, CA "While most good educators recognise the incredible value of teaching conceptually, it is challenging. The authors have created accessible, practical baby steps for every teacher to use." Dr. Vincent Chan, principal Fairview International School, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia




Crosscutting Concepts


Book Description

"If you've been trying to figure out how crosscutting concepts (CCCs) fit into three-dimensional learning, this in-depth resource will show you their usefulness across the sciences. Crosscutting Concepts: Strengthening Science and Engineering Learning is designed to help teachers at all grade levels (1) promote students' sensemaking and problem-solving abilities by integrating CCCs with science and engineering practices and disciplinary core ideas; (2) support connections across multiple disciplines and diverse contexts; and (3) use CCCs as a set of lenses through which students can learn about the world around them. The book is divided into the following four sections. Foundational issues that undergird crosscutting concepts. You'll see how CCCs can change your instruction, engage your students in science, and broaden access and inclusion for all students in the science classroom. An in-depth look at individual CCCs. You'll learn to use each CCC across disciplines, understand the challenges students face in learning CCCs, and adopt exemplary teaching strategies. Ways to use CCCs to strengthen how you teach key topics in science. These topics include the nature of matter, plant growth, and weather and climate, as well as engineering design. Ways that CCCs can enhance the work of science teaching. These topics include student assessment and teacher professional collaboration. Throughout the book, vignettes drawn from the authors' own classroom experiences will help you put theory into practice. Instructional Applications show how CCCs can strengthen your planning. Classroom Snapshots offer practical ways to use CCCs in discussions and lessons. No matter how you use this book to enrich your thinking, it will help you leverage the power of CCCs to strengthen students' science and engineering learning. As the book says, "CCCs can often provide deeper insight into phenomena and problems by providing complementary perspectives that both broaden and sharpen our view on the rapidly changing world that students will inherit.""--




Eyes on Math


Book Description

This new book is an exciting follow-up to the authors bestsellers on differentiated math instruction, Good Questions and More Good Questions. Eyes on Math is a unique teaching resource that provides engaging, full-color graphics and pictures with text showing teachers how to use each image to stimulate mathematical teaching conversations around key K–8 concepts. Teachers using the book can download the images for projection onto classroom white boards or screens. The questions and answers will help both students and teachers look more deeply and see the math behind the math!




Understanding by Design


Book Description

What is understanding and how does it differ from knowledge? How can we determine the big ideas worth understanding? Why is understanding an important teaching goal, and how do we know when students have attained it? How can we create a rigorous and engaging curriculum that focuses on understanding and leads to improved student performance in today's high-stakes, standards-based environment? Authors Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe answer these and many other questions in this second edition of Understanding by Design. Drawing on feedback from thousands of educators around the world who have used the UbD framework since its introduction in 1998, the authors have greatly revised and expanded their original work to guide educators across the K-16 spectrum in the design of curriculum, assessment, and instruction. With an improved UbD Template at its core, the book explains the rationale of backward design and explores in greater depth the meaning of such key ideas as essential questions and transfer tasks. Readers will learn why the familiar coverage- and activity-based approaches to curriculum design fall short, and how a focus on the six facets of understanding can enrich student learning. With an expanded array of practical strategies, tools, and examples from all subject areas, the book demonstrates how the research-based principles of Understanding by Design apply to district frameworks as well as to individual units of curriculum. Combining provocative ideas, thoughtful analysis, and tested approaches, this new edition of Understanding by Design offers teacher-designers a clear path to the creation of curriculum that ensures better learning and a more stimulating experience for students and teachers alike.




A Framework for K-12 Science Education


Book Description

Science, engineering, and technology permeate nearly every facet of modern life and hold the key to solving many of humanity's most pressing current and future challenges. The United States' position in the global economy is declining, in part because U.S. workers lack fundamental knowledge in these fields. To address the critical issues of U.S. competitiveness and to better prepare the workforce, A Framework for K-12 Science Education proposes a new approach to K-12 science education that will capture students' interest and provide them with the necessary foundational knowledge in the field. A Framework for K-12 Science Education outlines a broad set of expectations for students in science and engineering in grades K-12. These expectations will inform the development of new standards for K-12 science education and, subsequently, revisions to curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional development for educators. This book identifies three dimensions that convey the core ideas and practices around which science and engineering education in these grades should be built. These three dimensions are: crosscutting concepts that unify the study of science through their common application across science and engineering; scientific and engineering practices; and disciplinary core ideas in the physical sciences, life sciences, and earth and space sciences and for engineering, technology, and the applications of science. The overarching goal is for all high school graduates to have sufficient knowledge of science and engineering to engage in public discussions on science-related issues, be careful consumers of scientific and technical information, and enter the careers of their choice. A Framework for K-12 Science Education is the first step in a process that can inform state-level decisions and achieve a research-grounded basis for improving science instruction and learning across the country. The book will guide standards developers, teachers, curriculum designers, assessment developers, state and district science administrators, and educators who teach science in informal environments.




Agile and Lean Concepts for Teaching and Learning


Book Description

This book explores the application of agile and lean techniques, originally from the field of software development and manufacturing, to various aspects of education. It covers a broad range of topics, including applying agile teaching and learning techniques in the classroom, incorporating lean thinking in educational workflows, and using team-based approaches to student-centred activities based on agile principles and processes. Demonstrating how agile and lean ideas can concretely be applied to education, the book offers practical guidance on how to apply these ideas in the classroom or lecture hall, as well as new concepts that could spark further research and development.




Key Concepts in Educational Assessment


Book Description

Key Concepts in Educational Assessment provides expert definitions and interpretations of common terms within the policy and practice of educational assessment. Concepts such as validity, assessment for learning, measurement, comparability and differentiation are discussed, and there is broad coverage of UK and international terminology. Drawing on the considerable expertise of the authors, the entries provide: - clear definitions - accounts of the key issues - authoritative and reliable information - suggestions for further reading Created to support students of education on undergraduate and postgraduate courses, and established education professionals including those who are members of the Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors (CIEA), this book is an accessible guide for anyone engaged in educational assessment. Tina Isaacs is Director of the MA in Educational Assessment at the Institute of Education, London. Catherine Zara was most recently Director of the MA in Educational Assessment and Director of the BA (Hons) in Post Compulsory Education and Training at the University of Warwick. Graham Herbert was most recently Director of the CIEA. Steve J. Coombs is Head of Department for Continuing Professional Development at Bath Spa University, which offers an MA in Educational Assessment. Charles Smith is senior lecturer in economics and education at Swansea Metropolitan University of Wales Trinity Saint David.