Professional Development

SEPUP Product Training

Although SEPUP programs are written for "off the shelf" use, most teachers tell us that professional development from our certified SEPUP trainers has greatly enhanced their use of the materials. Training, which is conveniently available in half- and full-day increments, can be provided on all SEPUP products, courses, units and modules. All SEPUP certified trainers are skilled and experienced classroom teachers as well as very effective presenters. Training is available either on-site or on a regional basis, and can be scheduled during the academic year, or in the summer.

Inquiry Teaching and Learning

Over the years, robust research literature has developed supporting the use of inquiry-based approaches in the science classroom. This research has had important policy implications, underscored by the fact that support for inquiry can now be found in the language of most national and state science education standards. However, putting it into practice has proven elusive thus far. What should inquiry teaching and learning look like in the classroom? Ask a hundred teachers, and you may get a hundred different answers. Common agreement on what inquiry is or looks like in the classroom - an important first step in defining and improving teacher practices - is often hard to come by. The workshop will provide concrete strategies to support inquiry teaching and learning in the science classroom.

Supporting Literacy in the Science Classroom

Every science lesson is also a language lesson. Learning the specialized language of science is an important step in learning science. Strip away the specialized lexicon of biology, for example - osmosis, mitosis, ecosystem, virus - and what is left? Science uses words that we don't use in everyday life...such as mole, quark and epithelium. Science also has special meanings for words we do use everyday...such as power, wave and field. Furthermore, science uses special logical connectives, such as "essentially," "inversely" and "similarly" - words which describe relationships between concepts and pose a subtle, but special problem. If students do not correctly understand the connection, they may fail to properly perceive the relationship between the concepts. Language is a major barrier to learning science, whether students are native speakers or not. This workshop will provide many practical strategies for overcoming these barriers in the classroom.

Assessing Student Learning in the Science Classroom

Careful assessment of what students know and are able to do is increasingly important at the local, state and national levels. Information from "high stakes" tests are now used for a variety of purposes including student advancement, and teacher and program evaluation. In the classroom, most interactions between teacher and students provide an opportunity to examine student understanding or skills. Whether formal or informal, research shows that high quality assessment can have a positive impact on student achievement. But how can teachers develop and use assessment procedures that bridge the gap between theory and practice? What resources are available to help bridge this gap? And what does it look like in the classroom? The workshop will provide answers to these questions and more, and will feature a look at new tools for formative and summative assessment procedures.

Writing to Learn in Science

Science educators have historically tended to focus on teaching science knowledge and skills to their students, using a variety of methods: laboratory activities, lectures, demonstrations and more. Lately, emphasis has been placed on writing in the science classrooms. Whether taking notes or observations or writing a formal lab report, research and practical experience suggest that language is an essential part of science learning and that all learners can develop their language skills through authentic experiences (Bybee, 2002). LAB-AIDS' work in the area of "writing to learn in science" has focused on using journals in the science classroom. Science journals and notebooks can promote literacy in the classroom, both written and oral, as well as help promote reading and vocabulary development, and help identify misconceptions for more effective teaching and learning. The workshop will provide an overview of effective procedures for writing to learn in the science classroom, regardless of the specific curriculum in use.

Contact your Regional Manager for information about these and other workshops we can provide to your district.