We are happy to announce our Science and Math Workshops during the Winter and Spring 2023. These workshops will be hosted at PRISM located at 1515 Broad Street, Bloomfield, NJ. We also want you to know that PRISM is available to help with any resources, coaching or in-district planning you may need.
All workshops facilitated by Dr. Nicole Panorkou
Time: 9am – 3pm Cost $175
5.5 PD Hours upon completion
June 6, 2023
Improving learning through questioning: How can we ask questions that improve thinking and reasoning? – All Grades
Participants will engage in effective questioning techniques that can be used to elicit student thinking and engage students in productive and constructive math discussions. We will examine various types of questions for different purposes and the connections between the types of questioning and the practice standards.
June 7, 2023
Identifying and Implementing Rich Math Tasks for Conceptual Understanding – All Grades
Not all tasks are created equal! In this workshop, participants will solve and compare various types of tasks and focus on the characteristics of task design that supports students’ high cognitive demand and conceptual understanding. The focus will be on selecting rich tasks and modifying existing tasks.
5.5 PD hours upon completion
June 9, 2023
Explanatory Models for Teaching the Big Ideas of Climate Change in New Jersey
Time: 9am-3pm | Cost $225 – Light breakfast and lunch included
Bridge climate change education and research-based explanatory modeling practices in this new workshop.
Explanatory modeling is a practice central to Ambitious Science Teaching and OpenSciEd, approaches to teaching that are quickly being taken up by schools across New Jersey. Climate change education is a core component of state education priorities across disciplinary content areas, evident in the state’s recent release of Climate Awareness Education funding.
This workshop requires participant knowledge of the AST or Opensci approach. As a participant you will collaboratively develop explanatory models on climate change topics with the intention of implementing them in the classroom and reflecting on how the models support student learning.
You will benefit most from this workshop if you:
- have previous experience or training with OpenSci or Ambitious Science Teaching (required)
- are willing to collaborate and co-develop models with colleagues
- are willing to implement the tools with your students.
- are willing to reflect on the implementation with the workshop facilitator and other workshop participants after you implement the tools you develop.
Facilitator: Karen Woodruff
June 21, 2023
Intro to Ambitious Science Teacher – using Climate Change – All Grades
Time: 9am-3pm I Cost $225 – Light breakfast and lunch included
Ambitious Science Teaching (AST) aims to support students of all backgrounds to deeply understand science, engage with science practices and solve authentic problems, such as the ones that arise from our changing climate. In this experiential workshop, you will learn about and engage with the four core practices of Ambitious Science Teaching, University of Washington. The Ambitious Science Teaching framework is based on 30+ years of classroom research. The workshop will provide you with an opportunity to explore each of the 4 core practices of the framework:
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- Planning for engagement with important science ideas
- Eliciting students’ ideas
- Supporting ongoing changes in thinking
- Pressing for evidence-based explanations
Using climate change as our overarching phenomena, you will engage in sharing your ideas about cause and effect patterns in climate change, using talking as a tool for learning. Participants will engage in modeling activities to make their thinking about climate change visible. Models will also be used as tools for learning. In order for you and your students to collect evidence, databases and/or examples of experiments will be shared.
Ambitious Science Teaching can be done at all levels, therefore therefore this workshop is suitable for K-12 teachers. As much as possible, workshop participants will be divided into groups depending on the grade level they teach so that grade specific content can be used to implement newly learned strategies. Teachers are encouraged to sign up with 1 or more co-workers. Whilst not specifically developed for NGSS, the AST practices support 3D teaching and assessment in a meaningful way.
Facilitator: Petra van’t Slot
June 22, 2023
Developing and Using Models in the NGSS Classroom, Grades 5-8
Time: 8:30-2:30 (Bring your lunch) | Cost: $175 | PD HRs: 5.5
Did your students’ scores on the NJSLA-Science stun you? Feeling a little discouraged? Wish you had known the Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) were a major emphasis on the test? Then it’s time to attend “Developing and Using Models in the NGSS Classroom, Grades 5-8”. Find out more about NJSLA-Science and learn more about the modeling SEP.
There are 20 modeling SEPs embedded in the Performance Expectations (PEs) for grades 5 through 8. This interactive six-hour workshop contains three parts. Part 1 provides classroom-ready modeling activities and time for creating/revising your own modeling activities. Part 2 is an overview of the principles of NGSS, the three Dimensions, and the PEs. Part 3 includes background information about the NJSLA-Science, test construction, and scoring. Participants will receive resources in the form of handouts, activities, and websites. This workshop is for teachers.
July 18, 2023
Supervisors and Administrators: What Should I Observe in an NGSS Classroom?
Time: 8:30 – 12:30 l Cost: $150 l PD HRs: 4.0
Are you an administrator responsible for conducting classroom observations in a district without a science supervisor? Are you a math supervisor whose responsibilities were expanded to include your science department? If so, this four-hour workshop will begin preparing you to provide meaningful feedback and guidance to your teachers.
The NGSS classroom is different from when you were a student. This interactive workshop will explain the conceptual shifts in NGSS, the three Dimensions, and the Performance Expectations. Also, it will provide demonstrations for the use of scientific phenomena as a means for students to make claims, support claims with evidence, and construct scientific arguments. Administrators will receive ample resources required to identify “Look fors” regarding teacher instructional practices and student learning.
July 20, 2023
Breathing New Life Into Old Assessments for Grades 5-8
Time: 8:00 – 3:00 (Bring your lunch) l Cost: $250 l PD HRs: 6.5
Are you a teacher frustrated by the lack of available assessments and activities aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)? Then come to this seven-hour workshop for teachers and learn how to modify, adapt, and align your existing assessments and activities to the NGSS. Examples of assessments will be provided, however you must bring your own tests, quizzes, lab activities, etc. Enhance the outcomes of this workshop by bringing a subject-area colleague. Due to the close assistance provided by the facilitator, enrollment is limited to 12 teachers.
Facilitator: Christopher Hunninghake
Tuesday July 18-Wednesday July 19
Mathematical Modeling in Algebra, for teaching Algebra 1 & 2
Time: 8AM-12:30PM (Includes Lunch) | Cost: $30 ($150 stipend if attending both days) | PD Hrs: 9
Mathematical modeling is a vehicle for integrating both content standards and the eight mathematical practices through authentic, real-world applications of mathematics. In these sessions, participants will learn about the mathematical modeling cycle, engage in mathematical modeling tasks related to linear, quadratic, and exponential functions, and discuss classroom implementation of mathematical modeling tasks. Participants should bring their laptops to the workshop.
Facilitator: Geena Taite