This workshop explores issues in classroom change with the goal of helping teachers move toward more student-centered classrooms. The programs feature K-5 teachers at decision-making points in actual classroom situations, allowing viewers to discuss with colleagues how they might approach their "next moves" given similar circumstances.
Produced by:
Smithsonian Institution Astrophysical Observatory and
The Massachusetts Corporation for Educational Telecommunications (MCET)
in partnership with the Annenberg Foundation (1999)
Workshop 1 - Guiding Student Ideas
Eliciting student ideas often reveals a wide range of prior knowledge and experience. In Workshop 1, teachers will consider steps they can take to steer student thinking and questioning and to bring focus to student investigations.
Workshop 2 - Building Investigations From Questions
Once students are able to articulate their questions, they must then decide how to answer them. In Workshop 2, teachers will focus on steps they can take to help students design their own investigations.
Workshop 3 - Uncovering Critical-Thinking Skills
A minds-on component is integral to hands-on investigations. Young students need to think critically about hands-on experiences in order to discover answers to questions. In Workshop 3, teachers will examine steps they can take to develop critical-thinking skills in their students.
Workshop 4 - Creating Meaning From Dissonance
Investigations in science and math often lead to varied outcomes. In Workshop 4, teachers will explore steps they can take to help students learn from one another by communicating, negotiating, and building consensus around results.
Workshop 5 - Changing Course Due to Unexpected Conditions
Lessons do not always proceed as planned. Teachers often find that students are having difficulty with a particular concept, or an activity is just not sailing along smoothly. In Workshop 5, teachers will consider steps they can take to diagnose and address conditions mid-lesson.
Workshop 6 - Tallying the Final Score
Through the course of a unit, students have many experiences that may contribute to new and related understandings. In Workshop 6, teachers will examine steps they can take to assess "the bigger picture" and even help students learn by moving away from traditional tests and toward alternative forms of assessment.
Workshop 7 - Cultivating Connections Outside the Classroom
The world outside of the classroom is fertile ground for teaching math and science. In Workshop 7, teachers will focus on steps they can take to create meaningful connections when drawing on resources outside of the classroom.
Workshop 8 - Charting the Next Move
This complete workshop has focused on steps toward change in response to classroom situations. In Workshop 8, teachers will explore steps they can take to balance these classroom issues with local, state, and national requirements.