Lesson 1: What Stays? What Goes?
Objectives:[edit | edit source]
Learners will...
- Engage in reflective practices to evaluate their teaching methods and instructional decisions.
Purpose
Reviewing non-New York State Science Learning Standards (NYSSLS) aligned unit plans can serve several purposes for educators who are implementing NYSSLS in the near future. In this lesson, we will focus on identifying transferable practices. Even if the content of non-aligned unit plans differs from NYSSLS, educators can still identify transferable pedagogical practices and instructional strategies that can enhance student learning in a NYSSLS-aligned classroom. These practices may include inquiry-based learning, project-based learning, differentiation, and formative assessment strategies.
By doing this, we can answer try to answer the question What Stays, and what goes?
Assignment
Access an "old" unit plan from your toolbox...this should be the same unit you signed up for on this Google Doc
MAKE A COPY of the following document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XuuKqNa5-1i0_9nU4nftUen7565nWljlp1EvtyWoxsE/edit?usp=sharing title it "YOURLASTNAME_STAY&GO"
Complete the table on the document. You may put anything on this document from identifying performance expectations (HS-ESS#-#), old standards, example questions, pedagogical approaches, topics, lessons, etc.
When completed: place your document in this Google Folder
Lesson Summary
We can not confidently answer the question, What Stays, and what goes? But, overall we have a better idea of what will have to change as we begin to implement NYSSLS into our Earth Science units. We should continue to look back at our non NYSSLS aligned unit plans for the following benefits...
Source of Ideas and Inspiration: Non-aligned unit plans can provide educators with creative ideas and inspiration for designing their own NYSSLS-aligned units. While the content may not directly align with NYSSLS, the pedagogical approaches, instructional strategies, and assessment methods used in these unit plans can still be valuable resources for designing effective science instruction.
Adaptation and Modification: Educators can adapt and modify non-aligned unit plans to better align with NYSSLS or tailor them to the specific needs and interests of their students. This may involve revising activities, assessments, or learning objectives to better reflect the disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and science and engineering practices outlined in NYSSLS.
Cultivating a Reflective Practice: Engaging with a variety of unit plans, both aligned and non-aligned, encourages educators to reflect critically on their teaching practices and instructional decision-making. By examining different approaches to science instruction, educators can refine their own teaching philosophy, pedagogical approach, and curriculum design skills.
Looking through non-NYSSLS aligned unit plans can provide educators with valuable resources, ideas, and insights that can inform their teaching practice and support the implementation of NYSSLS or similar standards. Transition to the new standards is a big undertaking, therefore we should be using what is already in our toolbox to make this transition easier. It is important to be flexible, creative, and reflective in our approach to this transition and ultimately focus on benefiting student learning and engagement in science.
Reflection Question
Please add to your reflective journal.
Do you feel you could successfully rework your "old" unit plans to avoid reinventing the wheel? Explain.