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Poster Presentation Full Text: Expository writing in science notebooks strengthen conceptual understanding, scientific processes and literacy skills Poster presentations are composed in four parts:
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Original goals for project sustainability under ideal conditions were to sustain the materials support, professional development with four to five Science Resource Teachers (SRTs) and a large cadre of Lead Teachers.
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Reflections on these goals from the end of the project funding cycle are the same. The materials support is possibly easier to sustain than intensive, on-going professional development. The LSC has been an incredible support for our teachers. The impact is quite enormous! Teachers and principals want this support to continue. Also, we have come to the conclusion that it will be a very long time before we reach a maintenance level, perhaps never. Teachers just simply need more support. An evaluator asked one teacher what her favorite subject was. The response was, "It used to be "X", but now it is science because I get the support I need." This kind of support should be the norm.
One solution is the Lesson Study type of professional development used in Japan. That seems to hold much promise. We have been shaping classes this year after this Japanese model. The teachers are very hungry for this way of working with a Science Resource Teacher and each other. We are making two professional made video tapes of these classes that we call "Observation Lessons". Just this spring, we included the piece where the teachers plan the lesson together as they do in Japan. We are hopeful that these tapes can be used in future professional development with our teachers.
Somehow, we have to find resource to provide this intensive sort of support for teachers. It is going to be quite a challenge.
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We suggest that projects recruit the best and brightest to fill the LSC staff positions and project leaders must network with evaluators, community partners and others in the LSC business. It is worth having fewer people on the staff and wait to "grow your own" or to find the right person. The wrong person in place slows the progress. These positions need to be filled by people who can learn the skills, but equally important is that these people taking the LSC program positions must have very, very strong people skills. They need to nurture, convince, and nudge the teachers along. They need to be charming, understanding, sensitive as well as having some good science education knowledge.
The networking, too, is key in learning how to move out on the edge or at least close to it. Networking within the culture and outside is so very important. Open communication and lots of it is key.
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What are good strategies for getting schools to recognize that science is as basic as reading and mathematics?
THIS POSTER WAS PREPARED BY:
Elaine Woo of the K-5 Inquiry-Based Science Program project, Seattle.
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