NGSS: How Practices Change

Summary

The video script discusses the implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in classrooms, emphasizing the shift towards engaging students in eight scientific practices. It highlights the challenges and rewards of facilitating these practices, such as argumentation and modeling, which encourage students to think critically and collaboratively. Teachers like Melina support students in developing their own scientific ideas and explanations, fostering a sense of agency and excitement about science.

Takeaways

• 🌟 The NGSS emphasizes eight scientific practices, requiring students to engage with ideas in authentic ways, not just memorize them.
• 🔍 Students are encouraged to make claims and use evidence to support them, fostering critical thinking and scientific reasoning skills.
• 💧 A hands-on approach is used to explore phenomena such as the interaction of water with different surfaces, enhancing students' understanding of scientific concepts.
• 🤔 Teachers facilitate rather than dictate, allowing students to experience the process of scientific inquiry, including making predictions and observing outcomes.
• 📈 Students learn to develop and refine models to represent their understanding of phenomena, such as how rainwater interacts with the school yard's surfaces.
• 🗣️ Argumentation is a key practice, where students are encouraged to express their viewpoints and engage in respectful discussions with peers.
• 👂 Active listening is crucial, as students are taught to consider and respond to each other's claims and evidence, promoting collaborative learning.
• 🔑 The teacher's role shifts from providing direct answers to guiding students through the scientific process, fostering their independence and agency.
• 🌧️ Real-world examples, such as the effects of rain on the school yard, are used to make abstract scientific concepts more tangible and relatable.
• 🛠️ The use of models and symbols helps students visualize and communicate their scientific understanding, enhancing their communication skills.
• 📊 Productive uncertainty is embraced in the classroom, where teachers create a space for students to explore ideas without immediate judgment, promoting deeper learning.

Q & A

What is the main challenge for students and teachers in implementing the NGSS?

The main challenge is the shift in focus to the eight practices, which means students are not only responsible for knowing scientific ideas but also for engaging in practices that use these ideas in authentic ways.

How does the NGSS approach differ from traditional teaching methods?

The NGSS approach emphasizes scientific practices where students actively participate in scientific processes, such as making claims, gathering evidence, and arguing from evidence, rather than just memorizing facts.

What did the teacher observe about students' reactions to the new teaching method?

Some students were initially disappointed and struggled with the teacher not providing immediate affirmation or correction, but they eventually learned from the experience.

What was the unexpected outcome the teacher noticed in the classroom?

Unexpectedly, students who typically didn't talk much had valuable contributions to make, indicating that the new approach was engaging a wider range of students.

How does the teacher facilitate the development of students' scientific agency?

The teacher facilitates by creating an environment where students can generate their own scientific ideas and explanations, and by supporting their participation in scientific practices.

What was one of the specific practices students engaged in as part of their learning?

One specific practice was predicting phenomena, which involved planning and designing investigations, making predictions, and then explaining and comparing these predictions with actual observations.

How do the NGSS practices relate to each other and to real-world scientific work?

The NGSS practices are interconnected, and they cannot occur in isolation. They work together with disciplinary core ideas and cross-cutting concepts, mirroring how scientists in the real world engage in multiple practices.

What was the role of argumentation in the classroom as described in the script?

Argumentation played a significant role, as it allowed students to express and defend their ideas, with the teacher facilitating by encouraging peer responses rather than providing immediate judgments.

How did the teacher handle disagreements among students?

The teacher supported inclusive and respectful discussions by not immediately interjecting with a 'yes' or 'no' but by encouraging other students to respond and engage in a dialogue.

What was the final assessment task for the students in the script?

The final assessment involved creating a model that explained how rainwater interacts with different surfaces on the school yard, demonstrating an understanding of patterns in water flow and surface changes.

How did the teacher and students adapt to the concept of 'productive uncertainty'?

Initially uncomfortable, both the teacher and students adjusted to productive uncertainty by embracing the space for exploration and discussion, which led to deeper learning and understanding.