ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************
I agree with Beryl and Ellen. Teacher attitudes toward science (or any
subject, really) strongly influence student attitudes. I have also found
that there are many teachers who don't fear science per se, but nonetheless
are not sure they *can* fit science into their curriculum. I therefore try
to emphasize the practical -- there are many ways to teach science (the
scientific process, that is) that don't require a lot of special training
or expensive equipment. Much of what I do during a PD session is
demonstrate how to set up quick and easy labs that keep the prep time and
the clean-up to a minimum. And most importantly, I let them know where my
lesson plans came from -- high-quality sites like howtosmile.org -- so that
they can easily find similar plans on their own.
That said, I'd like to hear from the list not just on why, but how and when
you offer PD. Here in Oregon, we used to have a statewide teacher inservice
day, where all teachers were required to attend a PD session. In recent
years, many schools have dropped the requirement, and our workshop
attendance has suffered as a result. What schedules have worked best for
you -- weekends? evenings? over the summer? Do you offer open enrollment,
or do you work directly with particular districts or schools to tailor a
workshop to them? I look forward to your responses.
--
Nick Spicher, Education Director
Science Factory Children's Museum and Exploration Dome
541-682-7892 / [log in to unmask]
On Wed, Nov 13, 2013 at 6:59 AM, Ellen Giusti <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
> institutions.
>
> *****************************************************************************
>
> I agree with and would like to add to what others have already replied to
> Michelle: Classroom teachers in the elementary grades--pre-K-5 or
> 6--typically are not certified to teach science and often have no formal
> education background in science. As Beryl notes, they are intimidated by
> science and unavoidably pass that on to their students. Museums can inspire
> and arouse or revive teachers' innate interest in science--in a program I
> was involved in evaluating, a teacher commented, "[The PD program] reminded
> me how much I loved science." Inspiring curiosity and reaching students'
> affective realm is what museums are uniquely qualified to do.
>
> Ellen Giusti
> Exhibit and Program Evaluation
> 1125 Park Avenue
> New York NY 10128-1243
>
> T: 212 876-1425
> C: 917 885-2614
> F: 212 427-7142
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
> >
> > Date: Tue, 12 Nov 2013 15:09:27 -0600
> > From: Michelle Nichols <[log in to unmask]>
> > Subject: Why do museums do teacher PD?
> >
> > ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> > Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
> institutions.
> >
> *****************************************************************************
> >
> > So, a question was posed to me today that I thought would be interesting
> to pose to the list-serv because I would be fascinated to see your replies,
> even if it's just from a few folks or many of you: Why do museums do
> teacher professional development?
> > We can't reach every teacher everywhere, so why do we do it at all?
> >
> > I am not looking for a particular answer. I just want to experience the
> breadth of answers that I suspect would come out of posing such a question.
> Hope you enjoy noodling on that one for a bit. :>)
> >
> > Michelle
> >
> > Michelle Nichols, Master Educator - NASA Forum Programs
> > The Adler Planetarium
> > 1300 S. Lake Shore Dr.
> > Chicago, IL 60605
> > 312-322-0520
> > 312-322-2257 (fax)
> > [log in to unmask]
> > http://www.adlerplanetarium.org
> >
> >
> > Visit our website: http://www.adlerplanetarium.org
> >
>
>
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