Posts Tagged ‘ science teacher ’

Boxed In: How the NGSS Impedes Science Teaching

March 12, 2013

The major journals of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) have published articles featuring and explaining to science teachers the nature of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The journals include The Science Teacher, Science Scope and Science and Children. For the past several issues, each journal has published articles that deal with different aspects of the NGSS, including what students should know about earth science, life science, and physical science, when they should know it, and why these standards will “help all learners in the nation develop the science and engineering understanding they need to live successful, informed, and productive lives, and that will help them create a sustainable planet for future generations.” (Krajcik 2013, p.… Read more

Practicing What They Preach: Science Teacher Educators Return to School

By Jack Hassard

November 12, 2012

In a forthcoming book, 25 science teacher educators describe their experiences after returning to teach students in K-12 public schools and informal settings. Science Teacher Educators as K-12 Teachers: Practicing What We Teach was edited by Michael Dias, professor of biology and science education, Kennesaw State University (Georgia), Charles J. Eich, professor of science education, Auburn University, and Laurie Brantley-Dias, professor of instructional technology, Georgia State University.… Read more

NSTA Has Serious & Extensive Concerns About Achieve’s Next Generation Science Standards

By Jack Hassard

June 25, 2012

Standards development, such as in science, is a big enterprise, and one that will result in huge profits for corporations, and will cost school districts billions to carry out over the next few years. For the past two years, Achieve and the Carnegie Corporation have teamed up to write a framework, and a set of science standards for K-12 schools.… Read more

Next Generation Science Standards: Old School?

By Jack Hassard

May 16, 2012

Sometime ago, we argued that there is little evidence that the National Science Education Standards published in 1996 and the Next Generation Science Standards released for public view by Achieve are any different than the content oriented projects of the 1960s. The disciplines and content areas of science were seen as fundamental in those earlier National Science Foundation funded projects such as PSSC Physics, CBA Chemistry, BSCS Biology, ESCP Earth Science, ISCS, IPS, and to the National Science Education Standards published in the 1996.… Read more

Next Generation Science Standards: What’s Really Been Achieved?

By Jack Hassard

May 15, 2012

Note: This is the second in a series of posts on the Next Generation Science Standards. You can read the first one here.

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are the latest iteration of writing science objectives for the eventual purpose of testing students’ knowledge of science. The objectives are developed by teams of experts, and rely on either their own domain analysis chart of science, or in this case the Framework for K-12 Science Education developed by another prestigious group of educators and scientists.… Read more

Guest Post by Ingvar Stål: Humanistic Science Inquiry-Oriented Teaching in Finland

By Jack Hassard

April 29, 2012

Note: This is the second post by Dr. Ingvar Stål, Senior lecturer in physics, chemistry, and science at the Botby Junior High School. In his first post, which you can read here, Dr. Stål gave us an overview of the Finnish educational system, which provides a basic education to all Finnish citizens ages 7 to 16, as well as a higher education.… Read more

Why a Single Set of Science Standards in a Democracy?

By Jack Hassard

April 6, 2012

Why are we supporting the notion of a single set of science standards which has been done in mathematics and language reading/language art? We live in a democracy. One the of founding principles of education is that elected school board members for the more than 15,000 school districts are charged with making decisions for each local school district. What are we thinking?… Read more