1 Power of Learning Communities 48 Are Green Bags Worth the Green? The Most Effective Teaching Karyotype Activity 8 Technique for the Sciences 53 Teaching the Essence Using Virtual Graphic Organizers 56 of Science with a Game? 12 to Enhance Science Reading Comprehension Life Science Arcade Aligned 64 with 2009 Science GLCEs Technology in the Classroom - 23 Digital Microscopy: New Gateway Family Science Night: Connecting to the Microscopic World 65 Science to Parents, the School, and the Community Biocomplexity in the Water Here, Water There, 31 High School Classroom 72 Water Is Everywhere! 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Region 11 - Vacant Region 12 - Vacant The MSTA Journal is published two times per year and sent Region 13 - Carolyn Lowe to approximately 1600 MSTA members. Inquires should be Region 14 - Lynn Thomas sent to MSTA Office, 3300 Washtenaw Avenue, Suite 220, State Organization Representatives MABT - Cheryl Hach Ann Arbor, MI 48104-4294. Phone (734) 973-0433. Fax MAEOE - Maura Jung (734) 677-3287. Membership information is available on our MCCB - LuAnne Clark website: http://www.msta-mich.org MCTA - Jamie Benigna MDE - Kevin Richard MDSTA - Judy Morlan Experiments, laboratory activities, demonstrations, and MEA - Christel Marschall MESTA - Timothy Neason other descriptions of the use of chemicals, apparatus, and MIAAPT - Alex Azima instruments are illustrative and directed at qualified teachers. MSELA - Marlenn Maicki Teachers planning to use materials from MSTA Journal should MSO - Vacant consider procedures for laboratory and classroom safety to NSTA - LaMoine Motz and Dwight Sieggreen meet their local needs and situation. MSTA Journal cannot as- SCST - Vacant sume responsibility for uses made of its published material. OEAA - Rochelle Rubin MSTA Journal • Spring 2010 The Power of Learning Communities: Implementing Change in Science Teacher Professional Development Jann Joseph, PhD, Associate Professor of Biology and Integrated Sciences, Grand Valley State University - Ellen Schiller, PhD, Associate Professor of Education, College of Education, Grand Valley State University - Colleen Heyboer, BS, Teacher, Northview Public Schools, Crossroads Middle School It takes time to create networks that support professional development. The professional development experience as a one-time workshop event is still common, although it is widely acknowledged as ineffective. Time is an essential component of learning. It takes time to reflect upon student challenges and make informed decisions about curriculum, instruction, and assessment. It takes time to develop and practice new knowledge and skills and, ultimately, to change attitudes and perceptions. This paper describes an extended professional development collaboration that built a learning community of teachers, and its impact on the participants. The paper includes specific examples and strategies that teachers can use to develop a personal professional development plan or to establish similar collaborations with professional developers and/or their peers. Even teachers who graduate with a bach- six-year journey together we will inspire you elor’s degree in a science major and a to chart your own pathway to success. thorough understanding of the scientific method struggle with what a good inquiry- At the beginning of our teaching journeys based science teacher actually does in we all had a moment when we realized that the classroom. All teachers want to do the the reality of the classroom did not match best for their students but there are many our idealized expectations. As new teach- obstacles to overcome in elementary sci- ers we recognized that we needed to seek ence teaching. Most elementary teachers do out meaningful professional development not have a strong science background and opportunities—opportunities that would help there is usually a limited budget for science us bridge the gap between our idealistic supplies. The responsibility for teaching four visions and the reality of the classroom core content subjects does not leave much context. At a major regional university in the time for preparing and purchasing science Midwest, a series of science teacher devel- supplies and materials. No Child Left Behind opment programs were jointly developed legislation has placed emphasis on math by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and literacy leaving less time in the day for and the College of Education to address science. With all these obstacles how do this issue. The programs, which met the we as teachers plan for and deliver quality National Science Standards for professional science lessons? This is the story of a group development of teachers of science (NRC of teachers’ professional development jour- 1996 pg 55-77), were designed to support ney to overcome these challenges as told new and continuing elementary and middle through the voices of a teacher participant school science teachers and help them and two university faculty who were formerly become more effective in the classroom. u K-12 teachers. We hope that by sharing our Articles | www.msta-mich.org • 1 Program Overview The primary foci were negotiated through The overarching goal of our collaboration surveys and group conversations. The four was to create and implement change in main professional development targets (Fig- teachers’ content knowledge, pedagogi- ure 2) were--Teaching to individual needs cal skills, and attitudes toward teaching in within the classroom, using instructional urban schools with large numbers of at-risk strategies to support and encourage inquiry students. We did this by establishing a com- learning, aligning activities with the state cur- munity of learners that included teachers riculum standards, and building collegiality and university faculty. Twenty-two teachers and collaborative relationships with students, were regular participants and were sup- teaching peers, and university faculty. As a ported by their building administrators and classroom teacher you will want to start your district science supervisors from three local journey by identifying your goals, timeline, school districts. Together we planned and and peers who share your vision. implemented specific PD activities over six years through a seamless transition among Exploration Phase four phases: introduction, exploration, imple- Once you have established your broad mentation, and reflection. An overview of the goals, you need to determine how you will program that you can also implement in your reach them. In this case we obtained a se- building is presented in Figure 1. Throughout ries of grants from Department of Education our description we will emphasize the key Title II funds to the state to support these ef- components that contributed to the success forts. The university faculty took leadership of the program. to determine the best avenues and strate- gies to meet teachers’ needs. Workshops Introduction Phase were held at times convenient to teachers: To be successful, this science teacher after school with dinner provided, week-long PD program had to be developed and intensive summer institutes, and occasional implemented in close collaboration with the school days with substitutes provided. classroom teachers and school administra- Faculty and guest speakers led the inquiry- tors; it could not be “handed down from based workshops. Faculty mentors assisted