Oregon science teachers to gather at COCC
The Oregon Science Teachers Association will hold its 55th Annual Fall Conference on Science Education October 16 -18 at Central Oregon Community College in Bend.
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) writing team members Cary Sneider, Joe Krajcik and Emily Miller will offer workshops and sessions for Oregon teachers to learn ways to implement the 2014 Oregon Science Standards in their classrooms.
Jennifer Childress, Director of Instructional Support for Achieve, Inc., who led the development of the NGSS, will join the writing team members for a panel discussion at the general session at 8:30a.m. Saturday, October 17 in Willie Hall.
The Oregon State School Board adopted the NGSS in March 2014 . These standards are based on the most current scientific research on how students learn science, and will require some major shifts in teaching practice and classroom environments.
OSTA President, and 2013 Presidential Awardee for Excellence in Science Teaching, Bradford Hill said, “This kind of science learning empowers students as it shifts their sense of accomplishment from what they know to what they can do. That’s revolutionary.”
The standards were written for all students, preparing them to be scientifically literate in life beyond high school. The NGSS will prepare more students for advanced science studies while teaching all students to understand the world around them and be better critical thinkers and complex problem-solvers.
“Teachers are the key to inspire their students using these new standards. OSTA’s annual science education conferences provide teachers from across the state a place to learn and inspire each other. It’s about collaboration and professional growth,” said Hill.
