Secondary Science Professional Development
For a large collection of secondary teaching resources from previous PD sessions, visit the OUSD Science Professional Learning Archive (use your OUSD login to access).
Improve Your School Site’s NGSS Literacy with PDGo!
Full implementation of NGSS is effective this year for the state of California! Increase your understanding of three dimensional learning via PDGo! With your fellow science teachers, develop your department's NGSS literacy using the OUSD Science Dept.’s first set of PDGo! modules:
Additionally, professional growth units are available upon the completion of each PDGo! module. Develop and refine your NGSS skills while earning units that move you up the pay scale AND improve your teaching practice!
Reoccurring Professional Development Opportunities
Below are teacher professional development opportunities from partner organizations in the region.
Aquatic WILD - provides curriculum focused on the world of water, the habitat and the wildlife it supports.
Bay Area Science Project (BASP) is a teacher leadership network committed to quality science education that is equitable and accessible for all students, and is based on research, sound teaching strategies, and teachers' experience of effective classroom practice.
Bay Area Wilderness Training (BAWT) provides Bay Area youth agency staff with wilderness leadership training and outdoor equipment so that they, along with the youth they serve, may explore the power and beauty of California's wilderness.
Center for Science & Engineering Education (LSTPD) focuses on teacher development at the Lawrence Berkeley Labs to enhance the way science, math and technology is related and taught in the classroom.
Center for Science Education provides professional development from the Space Science Center at UC Berkeley.
Community Resources for Science provides individualized science planning, enrichment, and professional development support for elementary teachers, including the popular Community in the Classroom volunteer science role model program.
EarthTeam - is an environmental network of school leaders working to set youth into action in their communities.
East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse - is focused on reusing waste materials and provide discounts, special projects and workshops for teachers.
Exploratorium Teacher Institute (TI) offers Summer Institutes with a rich mix of hands-on activities based on Exploratorium exhibits, content-based discussions, classroom materials, web-based teaching resources, and machine shop experiences. All program participants are provided with stipends for attending institutes and workshops.
Industry Initiatives for Science and Math Education (IISME) - provides teachers with paid summer fellowships through industry-education partnerships in Bay Area companies in partnership with the Lawrence Hall of Science.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory - the LLNL runs a series of symposiums and academy programs for teachers with topics ranging from biotechnology, fusion, and astrophysics.
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) is an independent, nonprofit organization for the advancement of quality of teaching and learning by developing professional standards for accomplished teaching, creating a voluntary system to certify teachers who meet those standards and integrating certified teachers into educational reform efforts.
PG&E Better Together STEM Workshops: These monthly webinars include energy expert guest speakers, curriculum tools, hands-on teaching kits and opportunities for paid student internships, scholarships and mentoring.
QUEST - KQED's educational outreach website.
Science Ambassador Program is a week-long program for science teachers to learn about current health issues and design lessons at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. Teachers explore well-documented scientific issues and learn about a variety of different topics, including epidemiology, surveillance, folic acid, genetics, fetal alcohol syndrome, public health technology, early hearing detection and intervention, hereditary blood disorders, muscular dystrophy, gastroschisis, and other birth defects.
Science Teacher Leader Meetings - occur every third Tuesday at the Oakland Zoo from 4-6pm. If you want to be a Science Teacher Leader for your site, please contact herberta.zulueta@ousd.org
StopWaste.Org - irecycle@school program provides free training and teaching resources to integrate the 4Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rot/Compost) into classroom curriculum including field trips to a the Davis Street Station, assemblies, workshops, and many other waste reduction resources.
UC Museum of Paleontology Short Courses - Learn about current research in evolutionary biology, including behavior and defense, primate evolution, and coevolution and its impact on biodiversity, as well as current antievolution strategies, the intelligent design movement, and recent legal decisions concerning the teaching of evolution.