Lab-Aids Institute: 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.

The following topics are covered in depth:

Course Design
The SEPUP program uses environmental and societal issues to provide a context for learning science in a way that connects science concepts to students’ everyday lives. Beginning with a basic challenge that motivates and engages students, activities are carefully sequenced to develop a foundation of basic skills and knowledge which in turn are utilized for further exploration and application.

The SEPUP approach is inquiry-driven and standards-based. Teachers will learn to use the four important elements of a SEPUP course: student book, teacher’s guide, materials kit, and website support.

Classroom Management
This phase of SEPUP training encompasses day-to-day topics such as Getting Started with SEPUP, Using the Equipment Kit, and Getting Students “Ready” for SEPUP. Also covered are:  Effective Management of Student Laboratory Activities, Using Science Notebooks, Lab Safety, Monitoring Student Group Work, Effective Use of Technology in SEPUP, and using post-activity discussions to further develop the students’ science learning.

Content, Literacy, Numeracy
In addition to pedagogy, SEPUP training includes sessions on how to present and develop student understanding of relevant science content. Complementing the student print materials is the teacher’s guide, a strong source of content. For new, lateral entry or crossover teachers, the content session is especially helpful. Furthermore, since SEPUP does not always present the science content in traditional ways, this information is also helpful for teachers. Many SEPUP activities develop strong mathematical skills and reasoning as well as access the NCTM standards, and these are explicitly addressed.

Assessment
The approach to assessment developed by the Science Education for Public Understanding Program (SEPUP) has gained national attention, receiving citations in Knowing What Students Know (National Academy Press, 2002) and Classroom Assessment and the National Science Education Standards (National Research Council, 2001), among others. It will be used as a representative exemplar program.

Teachers will be introduced to the main elements in the system, and how it works as a whole. Using the SEPUP system, students complete tasks, producing student work that can be scored using rubrics developed for six major areas: Content Understanding, Designing Investigations, Using Evidence, Analyzing Data, Communicating, Scientific Information, and Group Interaction.

The assessment opportunities are distributed over time, allowing teachers to monitor student progress, and, an item bank is used as a supplemental check for student understanding. SEPUP activities will be used to develop understanding of procedures, and teachers will discuss and moderate samples of actual student work. Finally, teachers will discuss the application of these techniques to their own work.

Developing Local Capacity for SEPUP Training
LAB-AIDS can work directly with Districts seeking to develop their local capacity for training and leadership, based on our approach and model developed with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS).  This model is based on ongoing mentoring and support from LAB-AIDS senior consultants, and a combination of internal and external support from the Chicago Math and Science Initiative (CMSI) of CPS and local university providers, including Loyola University of Chicago.

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.  The workshop is available in half-day and all-day formats, and is appropriate for middle and high school science teachers.  Participants will receive a copy of Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards, published by the National Academies Press.

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.
The workshop is available in half-day and all-day formats, and is appropriate for middle and high school science teachers.  Participants will receive a copy of The New Science Literacy, by Marlene Their, published by Heinemann Press.

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.

The workshop is available in half-day and all-day formats, and is appropriate for middle and high school science teachers.  Participants will receive a copy of Classroom Assessment and the National Science Education Standards, published by the National Academy Press, and Uncovering Student Ideas In Science:  25 Formative Assessment Probes, by Page Keeley, et. al., and published by NSTA Press.

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. It is available in half-day and all-day formats, and is appropriate for middle and high school science teachers.  Participants can choose from a selection of relevant trade books as part of the workshop cost.

KEY PRESENTERS

Dick Duquin, Williamsville, NY 
Dick is a experienced middle school science teacher who retired after teaching 7th, 8th and 9th  grades in a suburban school district in Buffalo, NY.  He currently is a parish manager in a Catholic church.  The parish has a school so he continues to teach SEPUP activities to students in the science classes.  Dick began with SEPUP in the early 1990’s.  He went to a workshop and received a free kit. He traveled to California and became a SEPUP fellow and got 3 more kits.  His love for the materials and SEPUP approach lead him to become a writer, developer and field test teacher for the full year courses and modules.  Now in semi-retirement he is available to work with teachers and school districts around the country that are implementing SEPUP materials and teaching strategies. “Helping teachers improve student learning through the use of SEPUP materials is always exciting.  I can not think of a better vocation than teaching science.”

Kathy Burke, Buffalo NY
Kathy Burke is a SEPUP staff member and certified Lab-aids national trainer.  Kathy has used SEPUP since 1989 when she was first asked to be a field test teacher.  As she puts it, “I never looked back.  It did so much for my students and my professional growth that I have used SEPUP, contributed to SEPUP and promoted use of SEPUP ever since.  It just gets better and better.”  Kathy brings 35 years of teaching experience and many years of mentoring to her workshops.  When she is not doing workshops she is mentoring Buffalo teachers as the District Coordinator of the Buffalo Science Teachers’ Network, going on vacation, or gardening.

Lisa Martin-Hansen
Lisa has a Ph D from the University of Iowa.  She has been a SEPUP teacher in Iowa City and currently is associate professor of science education at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia.  Lisa works and researches with inservice and preservice teachers in Georgia and across the nation specializing in inquiry instruction and curriculum leadership. 

Lisa Elam Kelp
Lisa has been a trainer for LAB-AIDS for eight years.  She has just moved from the Cincinnati area to Novi, MI.  She has experience teaching IAPS, IALS, and IAES as well as several modules.  Lisa has trained all over the Midwest, from Michigan to Florida to North Carolina.  In her spare time she enjoys coaching high school girls basketball.

Donna Markey
Donna has taught for 27 years in California and Michigan, primarily at the middle level. She has been using SEPUP since 1988 and has assisted with the development and field-testing of many of the SEPUP products. The grants and awards she has received include a Jordan Fundamentals Grant, 2004, Toyota Tapestry Grant 2002, National Middle School Association Team Teaching Award 1996, and SEPUP Teacher of the Year, 1995. She has presented SEPUP at workshops and conferences across the country.   Donna is currently National Affiliate Director for eMSS, an on-line mentoring program for science and math teachers and a member of the Middle Level Board of Directors for the National Science Teachers Association.

Donna Parker
Donna has been teaching science for seventeen years, teaching life science and biology, physical science, chemistry and AP Environmental Science. Presently she teaches at Dublin Coffman High School, which is located on the northwest corner of Columbus, Ohio.  During the 2007-2008 school year, Donna’s school served as a field test center for the Science and Global Issues course.  Donna is a National Board Certified Teacher in Adolescent/Young Adolescent Science.  She also is Pathwise mentor and trainer as well as a Praxis assessor for the state of Ohio. She has been using SEPUP materials in the classroom for eight years and has been a trainer for seven years.  For the past two years, she served as the facilitator for the Agricultural Science Ambassador’s Academy