Working with Adults
Malcolm Knowles' theory of andragogy guides my work as a science resource teacher and coach, and in other leadership positions. Adult learners are task oriented, very self directed, and have lots of life and work experience. As adults, we crave relevance in our learning, and need to understand why we are learning about a particular topic or skill. Please explore this section of my portfolio to learn more about how I use adult learning theory to shape my work with teachers.
Building Content Knowledge
One area where support teachers is by building content knowledge, so that they know what to teach, what pre-requisite knowledge students might have or need, and what students will be learning next. This is especially important when standards change, as they are currently in my state. In this artifact, I used the "Notice and Wonder" structure to help teachers compare the old and new standards, and consider how it might affect how they deliver instruction.
Notice and Wonder structure comparing 2010 and 2018 4th grade science standards.
Building Pedagogical Knowledge
Teachers need to know what to teach, but also how to teach it best. A large part of my work is supporting teachers in learning and using research-based practices in their classrooms through professional development and coaching. Some of these professional developments include a 6-part class on using the 5E Instructional model in science classrooms, and several presentations at the National Science Teaching Association conference. These artifacts are participant or supervisor feedback from these professional developments.
Supervisor Feedback - Teaching Science Through the 5E model class
Participant Evaluations - Teaching Science Through the 5E model class
Participant Evaluations - Bridging the Gap: Equity for Girls and Minorities in the Science Classroom (NSTA Conference)
Participant Evaluations - Vocabulary for English Language Learners: The What, the When, and the How (NSTA Conference)
Virtual Learning
The COVID-19 pandemic increased our use of virtual tools for instruction, and it is important that we use them according to best practices to maximize their impact. This artifact is a professional development I presented for a school that wanted to learn more about when and why simulations should be used.
This artifact is a professional development that I co-created and facilitated for many schools about using the 5E model to teach science virtually.
