NGSS: How Practices Change

A big shift for students and teachers in implementing the NGSS is the focus on the eight science and engineering practices. Students are not only responsible for knowing ideas; they are also responsible for engaging in practices that use the ideas in authentic ways. How can a teacher enable students to use and show the scientific practices in more and more sophisticated ways?

This video is 3 of 4 that introduces elementary science educators to important strategies based on the Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The class featured in the videos is made up of second- and third-grade bilingual students. This collection of videos demonstrates new instructional strategies in the elementary school classroom. The project was led by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) with funding from Disney.

NSTA

[trcywhtfld]

I am a public school teacher and I would like to see more videos when there are 30 kids in a class rather than 10-15.

[ryanoverton]

Most of the videos I am seeing are focused on elementary NGSS from this channel. Are there good example videos of NGSS at the secondary level?

[NaliniLasiewicz]

Dumb? bs? Let's get a few facts out of the way. NGSS didn't come out of Sacramento. Also, teaching NGSS requires changes in the way you teach, changes that might be challenging, but it can be done. It's not really that hard to make sense of what is going on in this video. First of all, it's a creative and low cost unit lesson that utilizes measuring techniques, hands-on activities, observation practices, student-centered predictions, an understanding of their immediate environment (the school yard), an open and collaborate discussion between students who see things differently but are listening to others, they get practice in making diagrams and posing thoughtful questions that stimulate an engaged class. Teachers are not always trained in Socratic questioning techniques and perhaps many are uncomfortable in shifting gears from "I'm going to tell you what it is" to "what do you think the problem is, what is the observable or measurable factors, and how can we use science and engineering to solve problems?" NGSS is enabling future generations to solve the problems that previous generations have left for them. We know that elementary students are often coming into middle school completely unprepared for the most basic science curriculum. We also know that high school students are coming into community colleges with many obstacles and too many remedial needs. NGSS provides a national movement, a framework, professional development training and resources for those who are prepared to improve public education. California is one of the early adopters, but certainly not the only one.

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