I had the pleasure of returning to Auburn City School District recently to conduct an introduction to inquiry-based teaching and learning professional staff development training for K-12 educators. When you think of inquiry what do you envision? The students are engaged, active learning, student-driven, and the teacher’s role is a facilitator versus the more traditional role of the teacher-driven classroom. So why teach via inquiry? There is a great deal of research that supports the benefits of inquiry-based teaching and learning here are a few of the benefits. Preps the brain for learning. Cultivates skills for all areas of learning. Promotes curiosity. Deepens understanding. Thinking critically and solving problems. Creates ownership/student-driven. Promotes engagement. Enhances learning. Works across all disciplines. Creates a lifelong love of learning. Questioning is the heart of inquiry. A teacher must strive to create a classroom culture where students are encouraged to ask questions and seek answers to their questions. As well as modeling higher-order questioning. During the introductory training, teachers were introduced to the 3 main kinds of inquiry including structured, guided, and open-ended. Teachers worked in small groups throughout the day conducting mini math and science inquiry-based investigations. Additionally, they were introduced to a multitude of mathematic and scientific tools to incorporate within their lessons. As well as journaling and establishing questions for the group to research. From exploring patterns and shapes in nature and in man-made designs to geometry, electric circuits, and more, it was an immersive day of inquiry. I truly enjoyed working with this cohort of educators who will spend the year further studying and exploring inquiry together, and incorporating inquiry-based teaching practices within their classrooms. Check out the following photos of inquiry in full action.
Tag: teachertraining
Project-Based Learning in the Early Years Virtual Training
I had the privilege of providing virtual professional staff development for the staff of Kids at Work Preschool in the Dominican Republic last week. I was scheduled to conduct the project-based learning training in-person. However, the training became a virtual experience due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. Last year I introduced the Kids at Work Preschool staff to foundational principles of project-based teaching and learning, as well as two PBL units that are ideal and meaningful to incorporate at the early childhood level. The training this past week was a follow-up to the 2019 introductory session. A major part of our training sessions was spent on revising classroom learning experiences into virtual, and those that can be undertaken within the home with support from the children’s parents/caregivers. We started off the training by revisiting teaching via inquiry-based practices, and strategies to truly engage and immerse the young child in the virtual learning experience. To promote inquiry practices, I had teachers use a soap solution and a straw to blow bubbles. They made predictions, asked questions, theorized, drew in their journals, etc. We also made observations of objects found in nature. I introduced teachers to two new project-based learning units to incorporate within their classrooms “Math Is All Around Us” and “Transportation: Things That Go“. Both of these units are ideal for incorporating meaningful and authentic PBL learning experiences within the early childhood + settings. There was plenty of time during each of the virtual training sessions to share questions, participant video of the mini inquiry investigations they were conducting, etc. Our closing session was spent discussing ideas for a PBL unit as a group to assure that all of the staff were confident in designing and teaching a project-based learning unit over an extended period of time. As always it was a great group of dedicated educators, who like so many educators worldwide have spent countless hours on their own tweaking their teaching skills and lessons for the virtual learning platform. The following photos were taken during the sessions, as you can see it is possible to make virtual teaching and learning engaging! For more information on virtual and in-person science and STEM-based professional staff development, Diana provides worldwide complete the contact form here.
Head Start Teachers Introduced to STEM Practices and Content
Over 60 Madera Head Start Teachers and administrators gathered for a day of STEM training. The room was filled with excitement, building blocks, a mountain of recycled materials to be used in engineering design challenges, low-cost technology and tools, STEM-based children’s literature, and more. Teachers were introduced to the foundational principles of STEM education including teaching via inquiry, designing lessons that engage and empower students, incorporating 21st-century skills within all STEM-based lessons, and incorporating real-world STEM challenges for young children. During the day-long training, teachers were introduced to using low-cost, meaningful technology mathematical and scientific tools, using the outdoors to teach STEM practices and content, building dimensional structures, patterns, shapes, ramp science, tinkering, block building, journaling, and incorporating STEM-based children’s literature within STEM explorations and centers. The teachers were engaged throughout the session, experiencing the beauty and power of STEM education like their young students. I am grateful to be providing ongoing STEM teacher training for Madera Head Start, it takes time and quality professional staff development experiences for educators to truly feel confident to implement STEM learning experiences within their own classrooms. I am excited to see what takes place during the 2019-2020 school year in Madera Head Start Classrooms, the teachers and administrators have truly embraced STEM education. Check out the following video below which gives you a birds-eye view of two different days of STEM training conducted for Madera Head Start Teachers. More ongoing training to take place in February of 2020.
Teachers Views on Professional Staff Development
Over 18 billion dollars in the United States alone is spent on professional staff development. Yet many teachers report that current professional staff development offerings are neither relevant nor effective. So, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation contracted with the Boston Consulting Group in 2014 to reach more than 1,300 teachers, professional development leaders, principals, professional development providers, and thought leaders through a series of surveys and interviews. Read the complete findings of the study here. Professional staff development that is designed and delivered to meet the needs of the specific target audience will have long lasting positive impacts on those teachers in attendance, and the students they reach. Check out the following video with snippets from professional staff development sessions that Education Consultant, Diana Wehrell-Grabowski, PhD has conducted. Teachers attending the professional staff development sessions are engaged, empowered and inspired. When these factors come together this leads to positive learning experiences and transformations. [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vAcLXmPRw0[/embedyt]
The State of STEM Report, May 2018
For the latest findings on STEM education and workforce in the United States check out The State of STEM Report: A Comprehensive View of the STEM Ecosystem, with Recommendations for Where Collaborations Should Focus Future Investments at STEM Connector.
Tennessee Teachers Attend Two-Day STEAM-Teacher Training Institute
I recently had the pleasure of conducting a two-day STEAM-based teacher training institute for Metro Nashville Public School System. Sixty K-8 educators were introduced to STEAM practices and content via conducting hands-on-minds-on, inquiry-based STEAM investigations. All investigations were directly aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) as well. The training started off with lively discussion to assure that all participants had a clear understanding of: What a student-driven classroom looks like; Teaching via inquiry-based practices; Incorporating 21st century learning skills and practices within all lessons; Incorporating the engineering design process within STEAM experiences, and Incorporating reflective journaling within the classroom. Throughout the two-day STEAM Institute teachers conducted investigations to explore: materials science principles, architecture and mathematics connections, aeronautics, force, solar energy, reverse engineering, motion and energy concepts. Additionally, teachers were introduced to incorporating meaningful technology including low-tech ed tools and kits, as well as incorporating STEM-related children’s literature. All experiences were inquiry-based, incorporated 21st century skills, and made connections to the related engineering careers such as Materials Science Engineer, Civil and Architectural Engineer, etc. For more information about the STEM and NGSS teacher training workshops Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski conducts world-wide contact her via the contact form on this website. The following photos were taken during the two-day STEAM Institute.