016_NGSS Resources and Strategies that Work with Wanda Faye Bryant
Summary:
Meet Wanda Faye Bryant, a 7th grade NGSS science teacher at Detroit Public Schools Community District. Wanda shares with us what resources and strategies she uses to successfully implement NGSS in her classroom. She describes the lessons she’s learned through four years of experience in implementing NGSS in her classroom and details various methods and exercises which have been useful in engaging students through NGSS.
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Show Notes:
In this episode we discuss...
- Introduction of Guest Wanda Bryant, science teacher and veteran of NGSS implementation
- Discussion of the various NGSS training programs Bryant has experienced
- How did Bryant approach beginning NGSS teaching?
- The driving question board within the 3D teaching approach.
- How to respond to student questions concerning different investigations
- Discussion of the positive feedback Bryant has seen after NGSS implementation
- The importance and value of emphasizing productive talk
- The ‘Discussion Diamond’ exercise and the‘Think-Write’ tool among other STEM teaching tools as strategies for productive talk
- Bryant’s approach to integrating new teaching techniques within the classroom
- Twitter as an aid to integrating NGSS techniques
- The successes and challenges of using NGSS
- The necessity of students focusing on their talk in order that it can be productive
- QFT: Question Formulation Technique
- The degree of implementation to lower grades of NGSS techniques in Bryant’s district
- NGSS implementation can require stepping out of your comfort zone and conscious attention to the methods being used
3 Key Points:
- NGSS techniques can encourage much deeper student participation in the classroom.
- Teaching productive talk can be key to helping a student learn well and efficiently.
- Various pieces of NGSS literature provide teaching tools which can make a big difference in the classroom upon implementation.
Quotes:
- ¨We understand that models have to change over time as new information comes through.” - Wanda Faye Bryant
- You’re going to have to be comfortable letting go of control and not knowing all the answers.” - Wanda Faye Bryant
- Always be a conscious practitioner which means you’re asking the question why are we doing this, and why are we doing it this way?” - Wanda Faye Bryant
Resources Mentioned:
- Sound unit (and other Achieve Design Badge units)
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How can I foster curiosity and learning in my classroom? Through talk! StemTeachingTools#35
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How can teachers guide classroom conversations to support students’ science learning? StemTeachingTools #48
- More student talks tools: http://stemteachingtools.org/assets/landscapes/FullSet_StudentTalkProtocolsandFlowchart1_c.pdf
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Visible Learning for Science, Grades K-12: What Works Best to Optimize Student Learning
- Question Formula Technique (QFT) http://www.ibmidatlantic.org/Experiencing-the-QFT.pdf Also check out #QFT on Twitter
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Make Just One Change book: Question Formula Technique (QFT) website
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TERC nine talk moves:
https://www.nsta.org/conferences/docs/2015SummerInstituteElementary/NineTalkMovesFromTERC.pdf
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Episode 009: Storylines and Driving Question Board with Holly Hereau
- Click on the picture and download an example of a storyline and driving question board
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