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Health & Fitness

BOCES Seminar Prepares Teachers for Next Generation Science

Science has to evolve to stay current. So does science teaching, which is why science teachers from Westchester and Putnam were intrigued by Preparing for the New Science Standards, a seminar held this week at Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES.

Scientist and educator Myrna Klotzkin, who facilitated the conference, described in detail the Next Generation Science Standards, developed by a consortium of 26 states including New York; the National Science Teachers Association; the American Association for the Advancement of Science; the National Research Council; and Achieve, a non-profit organization. Since national science standards for teaching haven’t been updated in more than 15 years, the Next Generation standards are gradually being adopted by many states.

The Next Generation Science Standards include eight scientific practices, Klotzkin told teachers, among them asking questions, modeling, planning and carrying out an investigation, analyzing data and mathematical thinking.

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Moving away from lecturing and “telling,” Klotzkin explained, the new standards emphasize student discovery and exploration. “Telling doesn’t work,” she said, but rather student experience is what aids scientific learning best.

 

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