PDI-1: Inquiring Into Inquiry: Creating an Inquiry-based Classroom
Date: Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Location: Philadelphia Marriott Hotel, Room 414/415
Science Area: Integrated/General
Intended Audience: Elementary; Middle Level; High School
Recommended Pathway Sessions
Presented by:
BSCS Center for Professional Development, Colorado Springs, CO
Presenter:
Sam Spiegel, Science Educator, BSCS
Framing Questions:
- What is scientific inquiry and what does it look like in the classroom?
- Can students really learn essential science content through inquiry?
- How do I set up my classroom to be inquiry-based?
- What do I need to know to become an inquiry-based teacher?
- How do the learning experiences in the PDI mirror what happens in the classroom with students? How can we use the PDI to reflect on the teacher’s role and the student's role in an inquiry-based classroom?
Description:
Are you interested in developing an inquiry-based science classroom to advance student learning? Immerse yourself in a day of scientific inquiry! First, presenters will engage you in the question: What is scientific inquiry? Secondly, they will facilitate activities that allow you to explore inquiry as a learner. Next, they will help you elaborate ways in which inquiry can be used as a tool for teaching, considering how to set up and maintain an inquiry-based classroom. Finally, they will provide an opportunity for you to step back and reflect on how this professional development experience mirrors what you will do in your own classroom to engage students in learning important science concepts through inquiry. Through participation in the BSCS PDI strand, new teachers, established teachers, and other leaders will experience many facets of the role inquiry plays in student learning and teacher professional development.
The National Research Council (NRC) released the National Science Education Standards (NSES) in 1996. A prominent feature of the NSES is a focus on inquiry. In 2000, the NRC released Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards. This resource will serve as a guide to draw connections between learning science, learning to do science, and learning about science. This institute will model and provide an understanding of what inquiry means for teaching and learning.
Inquiring into Inquiry is intended for anyone interested in learning more about scientific inquiry and how to help students learn through inquiry. We will address the needs and concerns of new teachers as well as those of experienced teachers. Professional development that is a powerful learning experience for teachers should be designed so it incorporates the same elements that provide powerful learning for students. So, come prepared to actively engage in some powerful learning!
Register Now!