Professional Development Opportunities
Are you interested in one of these for next year? 2024-2025?
Contact Virginia Fulton
virginia.fulton@pgcps.org
You can attend one or all of the sessions below! Each session focuses on one area of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
Courses will be available soon!
Each of the professional developments will be held virtually on a Saturday from 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM. Participants will be paid a half day for the synchronous session. An additional half day pay is avialable to participants that complete the independent asychroous work prior to the training day.
If you have any questions, contact the Virginia Fulton
Important Note!
If you have already attended one of these sessions, you may NOT attend again. You will be dropped from the course to provide a learning opportunity for another teacher!
Synchronous Session (mandatory)
This course will introduce Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Appendices F(Science And Engineering Practices), I (Engineering Design in the NGSS) and J (Science, Technology , Society , and the Environment) to K-5 elementary science teachers. Participants will build their capacity for NGSS best practices for incorporating scientific and engineering design within the classroom. To meet this outcome, participants will complete the following engaging activities in small groups and technology integration:
explore where the Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) fit within NGSS
compare how SEPs are used by scientists and engineers
identify engineering activities within the standards
All participants will be given a copy of the NSTA book Helping Students Make Sense of the World using Next Generation Science and Engineering Practices to use for the pre-work and during the course.
ETS and the Engineering Design Process
NOTE: This course is a half-day synchronous professional development. You will also be invited to complete a paid half-day asynchronous independent activity to prepare you for the synchronous session. Additional information will be emailed to you from the course facilitator.
Phenomena and Modeling
LIVE Synchronous Session (mandatory)
This course will introduce the use of phenomena and modeling to K-5 elementary science teachers. Participants will build their capacity for Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) best practices by using phenomenon-based instruction and modeling with their students. To meet this outcome, participants will complete the following engaging activities in small groups and technology integration:
immersed in a phenomenon and modeling learning activity
define phenomena and modeling within NGSS
use Ambitious Science Teaching to explore these concepts within the science classroom
All participants will be given a copy of the book Ambitious Science Teaching to use for the pre-work and during the course.
NOTE: This course is a half-day synchronous professional development. You will also be invited to complete a paid half-day asynchronous independent activity to prepare you for the synchronous session. Additional information will be emailed to you from the course facilitator.
Can You Argue With Evidence?
Grade 3-5 Teachers ONLY
LIVE Synchronous Session (mandatory)
This course will introduce Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Science and Engineering Practice (SEP) #7 which is Engaging in Argument with Evidence to K-5 elementary science teachers. Participants will build their capacity in this NGSS SEP to increase their argumentation or claim-evidence-reasoning (CER) use with students. To meet this outcome, participants will complete the following engaging activities in small groups and technology integration:
Use the NSTA books Argument-Driven Inquiry to explore classroom examples
Analyze sample evidence statements and matching claims for relevance
Strategies for creating a classroom culture that supports argumentation
All participants will be given a copy of the NSTA book Argument-Driven Inquiry for their grade level to use for the pre-work and during the course.
Can You Argue With Evidence?
Grade K-2 Teachers ONLY
Synchronous Session (mandatory)
This course will introduce Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Science and Engineering Practice (SEP) #7, Engaging in Argument with Evidence, specially designed for K-2 elementary science teachers. Participants will build their capacity in this NGSS SEP to increase their argumentation or claim-evidence-reasoning (CER) use with students. To meet this outcome, participants will complete the following engaging activities in small groups and technology integration:
Use various texts from “Picture Perfect STEM” to explore classroom examples
Analyze sample evidence statements and matching claims for relevance
Strategies for creating a classroom culture that supports argumentation
Note: This course will include optional paid asynchronous independent work to build your capacity before the course. This needs to be completed before the synchronous Zoom session. We highly suggest completing the asynchronous independent work to get paid for both!
All participants will be given a copy of the “Picture Perfect STEM” book designated for their grade level for the asynchronous independent work and during the synchronous Zoom course.
NOTE: This course is a half-day synchronous professional development. You will also be invited to complete a paid half-day asynchronous independent activity to prepare you for the synchronous session. Additional information will be emailed to you from the course facilitator.