Instructional Discourse for Science Leaders: Department Chairs

1. Instructional Discourse forScience Leaders:Department Chairs Sebastian Oddone District Supervisor Division of Math, Science, and Advanced Academic Programs

2. Goals for Department Chair Session • Explore the job description of the Science Department Chair • Review essential Internet resources • Discuss main objectives of teacher workshops • State News

3. Norms • We are all learners today • We are all working towards the same goal • We share discussion time • We are respectful of each other • We turn off all electronic devices • It’s all about us!

4. The Role of the Department Chair • Responsibilities Discuss what is the role of a Department Chair • Liaison • Communication Facilitator • Resource Provider • Miscellaneous functions

5. Essential Uniform Resource Locators • District Science Website Discuss and present content of a useful comprehensive science website • http://science.dadeschools.net

8. Professional Development • Make sure to check Weekly Briefings for specific information • Name of Session, Dates, Location • Name of Instructor/Facilitator • Find Sessions under Instructor (if applicable) • Check the status of your session and any related emails • Sessions with less than 5 participants will be cancelled by 4 PM two days prior to the session.

11. Essential Uniform Resource Locators • Florida State Websites • Florida Department of Education http://www.fldoe.org/educators • Assessment • FCAT • FCAT 2.0 • EOC • Test Design Summary 2011 • Senate Bill 4 • Florida Standards and Course Descriptions http://www.floridastandards.org/

12. Summer PD Sessions • Goals • Effective Implementation of the 2010 Pacing Guides with an emphasis in hands-on learning • Enhanced questioning strategy skills • Explore hands-on activities designed to promote understanding of specific science content and the nature of science using an “explicit-reflective” approach. • Unwrapping the Benchmarks

13. Unwrapping Benchmarks “Unwrapping” allows educators to: • Know and understand the critical attributes of each standard • Identify what prerequisite skills are needed to master the benchmark • Present learning in a variety of contexts while differentiating for learning needs • Implement the appropriate assessment to determine the level of achievement • Integrate the understanding of benchmarks into the continuous improvement model (PDCA)

14. Why “Unwrap” Benchmarks • To ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to learn • To prioritize and discern which benchmarks are most important for academic instructional priorities • To establish and drive instructional priorities • To determine the rigor and relevance of student work: classwork, homework, interventions, and assessment • To ensure clarity for instructional targets and what achievement looks like BEFORE instruction begins • To have regular opportunities (Collaborative Debriefing Time) to discuss benchmarks, learning, and instruction

15. Unwrapping Benchmarks No-No’s • A check-off list of benchmarks that you have “covered” • An isolated activity unrelated to instruction or assessment • A document for EVERY benchmark • A one-time event

16. How to Unwrap • Prerequisite Skills • What knowledge, understanding, or reasoning will you require to achieve this benchmark? • Vocabulary • What vocabulary needs to be understood to achieve this benchmark? • Achievement Criteria • What performance skills or products will you require to demonstrate achievement of this benchmark? • Extending Learning • How will you differentiate instruction to extend the learning of the standard? • How will you assess achievement? • What test or performance will give you data about student progress toward achievement of this benchmark?

18. Unwrap (Topic 6) • SC.B.1.4.1 The student understands how knowledge of energy is fundamental to all the scientific disciplines (e.g., the energy required for biological processes in living organisms and the energy required for the building, erosion, and rebuilding of the Earth). (Also assesses B.1.4.2) - AA

19. Explicit Scientific Inquiry • Complete the Unpacking Benchmarks Worksheet • Design lesson addressing Pacing Guide topic content and objectives. • Design questions that will address the objective of the lab and enhance the instruction of the topic content. • Discuss lab activity: • Questioning strategies before, during, and after activity. • Benefits, constraints, limitations, modifications. • Writing in Science. • Appropriate technologies to enhance instruction.

20. Continuous Improvement Model Plan - Data Disaggregation • Develop a school wide timeline that encompasses all tested benchmarks and that incorporates the M-DCPS Testing Calendar • Create an instructional focus calendar Do – Instructional Focus • Follow district pacing guides • Implement explicit science instruction (Essential Labs) Check – Assessment • Analyze assessment data to monitor trends in each core subject area • Identify strong and weak areas • Identify problems and/or errors and prioritize skills needing improvement • Identify and share strategies that are/are not working Act – Enrichment • Provide enrichment opportunities to address areas in need of improvement

21. Feedback • What items in the professional development session were useful to your instructional practice? • What information would you like to see in future professional development? • How could this professional development be modified to address your specific needs? • Additional question(s) or comment(s)