On June 16th, Mary Apodaca wrote:
Here's letter from Susan Blunck. She reminds participants to bring
*state standards and/or curriculum frameworks in addition to your local
and classroom standards / text / frameworks, etc.*
Here's one message from Susan:
Mary,
Hello! Hope all is well on your end. Here is a message for you to filter
and post if appropriate. I apologize for being a listener on the
planning team but my father had a surgery, several members of our
department have had deaths in their family so there has been much to
keep going on this end, and I have been finishing the book - when it
rains it pours. It is exciting to think that soon we all all be
together. I have reviewed the schedule and feel that we need to
probably have two sessions on weaving standards - 1hour sessions - one
at the end of first week and one maybe Tuesday or Wednesday of next
week. I also want to provide individual guidance to teams as they work
on their projects.
I know we have asked the teams to bring their science curriculum. Let's
also alert them to bring any state outcomes goals that may related - for
example Maryland has the performance assesment outcomes and indicators.
I also am wondering if we discussed having the participants journal
while they are with us. I hope we can do this at least once if not
twice a week. I would suggest that we purchase some of the carbonless
paper or a lab notebook with carbonless feature works well too - this
way the teachers can keep a the original and we can have the copy.
I would also like to help the teachers develop concept/content webs for
their projects - I used these webs in the SS&C modules and they are
great for helping teachers move away from outline/linear connections to
a nonlinear perspective. In fact, you can also show standards here as
well. These webs also depict the interdisciplinary connections well and
serve as great maps at the beginning of each project. I think this
webbing is best handled by working with the teams on an individual
basis.
Here's another:
Hello to All,
Our start time is coming quickly! It is terrific that we are connected
and thinking together before we gather in Princeton. I am Susan Blunck
from University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). I have been
working on the WW Environmental design team from the beginning -
sharing my ideas/experiences related to teacher development and
pedagogy. I am excited to read the module ideas that the everyone has
been sharing. I have been monitoring the exchange carefully and will
continue to do so. I have to let the Iowa team know that before coming
to UMBC two years ago, I was at the University of Iowa Science
Education Center working as director of outreach and teacher
development - born and raised in Iowa - 12 years a classroom teacher
in Des Moines, IA! I am looking forward to being with all of you for
the first two weeks of our conference.
My role will be one of a pedagogical and curriculum engineering
coach. I am eager to get to know about you, your students, your
school, your curriculum, and the environmental issues that you
identify that could make your science teaching more personal, local,
and relevant. We will work together to design creative contexts for
exploring key environmental science concepts. One of the greatest
challenges we face in our work this summer is to rethink conventional
linear conceptual course outlines and try a design conceptual
frameworks for our modules that are dynamic and nonlinear. We also
need to be thinking how we can develop experiences for our students
where they are able to test their own questions, to gather evidence,
interpret data collected, and revise tests. We will also have the
opportunity to create meaningful assessments to measure the changes in
our students. From what I am reading, you are well aware of these
challenges and are up to meeting them this summer. I look forward to
getting to know you better during our workshop this summer. Welcome
to everyone - see you very soon!
Susan M. Blunck. Ph.D.
University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC)
Assistant Professor Science Education
410-455-2869
1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, MD 21250