Considering the 21 st Century Learner Joe Ferrara Director of Science, FWISD

3 Legs to hold weight The Child The Standards The Practice Where does the activity fit in?

70% of our nation’s 4-6 year olds have used a computer Kaiser Family Foundation, 2003 Today’s children and teens spend 2.75 hours a week using home computers. Institute for Social Research, 2004

Education exists in the larger context of society.

When society changes – so too must education if it is to remain viable!

Academic Vocabulary

Will we ever get there?

“We have learned to ‘play school’. We study the right facts the night before the test so we achieve a passing grade and become a successful student.” High School Student

In most schools, the status quo persists.

Why do students gravitate to and navigate through the digital world so easily? Richness. Bill Gates calls it

Engage Them!! Student Engagement: The extent to which students are motivated and committed to learning; have a sense of belonging and accomplishment; and have relationships with adults, peers, and parents that support learning.

What does engaged learning look like? Responsible for their own learning Energized by learning Learning leads to life long passion for solving problems, understanding, and taking the next step in their thinking They are able to transfer knowledge to solve problems creatively

Tasks for Engaged Learning Aligned to standards Challenging Authentic/relevant Require integrated instruction that incorporates problem-based learning Multidisciplinary

Talking standards A district’s science curriculum should define the scope of content and the sequence of skills that are developed at every grade level. Most districts begin the development of their curriculum by looking at their state standards along side the National Science Standards.

Aligning Standards!

Standards Content Performance

Content Alignment Questions Does the activity address the key idea(s) of the learning goal addressed by the standard or is there only a topical match? Does the activity reflect the level of sophistication of the learning goal or does the activity target a learning goal at an earlier or later grade level? Does the activity address the entire learning goal or only part.

Science as Inquiry Standards A step beyond science as a process Require that students combine processes and scientific knowledge as they use scientific reasoning to develop understanding How we know what we know in science Understanding the nature of science Answers to Explanations

1.Awareness 2.Comprehension 3.Application 4.Analysis 5.Synthesis 6.Evaluation Knowledge Taxonomy Model Knowledge Taxonomy Model

Application Model 1. Knowledge in one discipline 2. Application within discipline 3. Application across disciplines 4. Application to real-world predictable situations 5. Application to real-world unpredictable situations

KNOWLEDGEKNOWLEDGE A P P L I C A T I O N A B D C Rigor/Relevance Framework Activities Projects Problems

RIGORRIGOR RELEVANCE A B D C Rigor/Relevance Framework Strategies High Low Compare and Contrast Summarizing Design a Real World Product Teach Others Make, Produce, Perform Role Play

The Curse of Knowledge YouTube - New Math

Even when you think you’re helping YouTube - Squeaky Cart?

Margaret Mead " Never doubt that a small group of citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.”