Understanding Science

Upcoming Facilitation Academies

Understanding Science’s six-day Leadership Academies prepare professional developers, teacher leaders, and teacher educators to effectively lead Understanding Science courses for elementary and middle school teachers at their site.

Participants choose one professional development module to study in depth and deepen their understanding of core science concepts addressed in that module, along with the ways in which children (and adults) commonly misunderstand them. Opportunities to observe model sessions, analyze video cases, and practice new facilitation techniques help participants strengthen their facilitation of teacher inquiry, discourse, and learning.

For example, a six-day leadership academy on force and motion includes:

Day 1 – Case-based discussion of core motion concepts: speed, velocity, and acceleration

Day 2 – Generating collaborating inquiry into science and teaching: fostering transparent talk and a variety of viewpoints

Day 3 – Case-based discussion of core force and motion concepts: balanced and unbalanced force; force diagrams and net force; force, mass, and acceleration

Day 4 – Generating collaborating inquiry into science and teaching: supporting evidence-based claims and reasoning

Day 5 – Facilitation practicum

Day 6 – Case-based discussion of further core force and motion concepts: force as an interaction, gravity

Upcoming Facilitation Academies

Registration for our 2010 Facilitation Academies has closed. If you would like to be notified about future offerings, please send the following information to mmatsud@wested.org.

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Please include “Facilitation Academy offerings” in the subject line.