Notes for PD Providers

Implementation workshop guidelines are provided to help you introduce the curriculum to teachers. These workshops are grade specific and can be presented in one 6-hour meeting, or in two 3-hour meetings. The workshop introduces teachers to the investigations within the curriculum and the rational behind the learning sequence. Please note that the curriculum is based on research about the foundational ideas students need to develop deeper understanding of complex science ideas throughout their K-12 schooling. Learning experiences are designed to scaffold deeper understanding of core science ideas, practices, and cross-cutting ideas across multiple grades. Teaching the curriculum with efficacy across Grades 3-5 will result in deeper science understanding.

If you are facilitating the Talk Science PD plan to begin the PD Pathway Program about six weeks prior to when teachers implement the curriculum. Steps 1-3 of the pathway should be completed prior to beginning the curriculum and Steps 4-8 of the pathway while teachers teach the curriculum. Teacher learning begins through web study and trying specific ideas from their web study in the classroom. Teachers then share their learning in study group meetings. As the facilitator, your role is to 1) establish a schedule of study, and 2) coordinate and facilitate the study group meetings. During study group meetings, encourage teachers to:

• a. Explicitly link their web studies to strategies they are trying in the classroom,
• b. Use the Checklist and Reflection Tool to describe the progress they are making in meeting the goals for productive discussion
• c. Use the Checklist and Reflection Tool to plan what they want to work on and the steps they’ll take
• d. Encourage teachers to provide evidence from the classroom of the strategies they are trying (e.g., video or audio clip or transcript.) Specific examples from the classroom will help teachers to problem solve together.

As you facilitate the implementation workshops or Talk Science PD, encourage teachers to deepen their science understanding and to become familiar with children’s ideas. The scientist cases, and Child and Scientist Essays are provided within the curriculum for this purpose.

If you have questions about your facilitation role, please contact inquiryproject@terc.edu