澳门跑狗论坛

Standards & Accountability

Informal Science Sector Aims to Play Standards Role

May 14, 2013 3 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

When states were reviewing drafts of the , the teams they assembled didn鈥檛 include just state officials and K-12 educators. Others invited to the table came from higher education, the business community, and the informal science education sector.

States that adopt the standards may well find this last group a natural, but often underused, ally in helping teachers and students come to grips with the vision espoused for science education.

After all, the standards are focused not simply on mastering scientific facts, but also engaging in a set of practices to demonstrate student learning, such as planning and carrying out investigations, constructing explanations, and designing solutions.

鈥淚t really gives informal educators a strong footing to position themselves as a resource for formal educators,鈥 said Jared R. Bixby, the curator of education for the Sunset Zoo and the Flint Hills Discovery Center, in Manhattan, Kan.

鈥淲e provide that hands-on link for teachers,鈥 said Mr. Bixby, who served on the Kansas review team. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to make sure formal educators understand this, and not just use [these resources] as an end-of-year field trip to get the kids out of the classroom and let them run.鈥

Attention to the role the informal science education sector plays in boosting student interest in that subject and related fields, as well as in student learning, has increased. The sector includes science-rich cultural institutions such as zoos, aquariums, and natural-history museums. Other examples include after-school programs, science competitions, and radio and television programs, such as a program from PBS that targets girls ages 8-13.

Matt D. Krehbiel, a science education consultant for the education department in Kansas, a lead state in developing the standards, said he sees real potential for the informal sector in helping K-12 teachers. 鈥淭hey bring some of those real-life, relevant pieces to what鈥檚 going on,鈥 he said. 鈥淎 lot of other content areas don鈥檛 have that available resource, and we haven鈥檛 tapped into it the way we could.鈥

鈥楲earning Laboratory鈥

In Boston, the Museum of Science closely tracked the development of the standards, said Patti Curtis, a director with the museum, which, in addition to being a popular site for field trips, has devised curricula for schools.

The museum also operates after-school programs and provides teacher professional development. In fact, it鈥檚 offering a 鈥渂oot camp鈥 for teachers this summer that will 鈥済o deep鈥 into the new science standards, Ms. Curtis said.

鈥淥ur teams are aligning our formal curricula with the standards and also looking at our exhibits and other presentations,鈥 she said. 鈥淚f you want to attract teachers and schools to visit, you want to make yourselves relevant.鈥

The New York Hall of Science is paying close attention to the standards, too, said President and CEO Margaret Honey, who called them a 鈥渉uge step in the right direction.鈥 She said staff at the New York City museum are reviewing the standards now, and will be 鈥渁ligning and adapting鈥 some of its offerings, such as teacher training and the teacher guides it provides for those who bring school groups to the museum.

But she said the opportunities run deeper than that.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to think of our place as just a museum,鈥 Ms. Honey said. It serves, rather, as a 鈥渓earning laboratory鈥 to try out innovative ways of exposing students to the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

鈥淲e鈥檙e very logical and grounded allies in the process of helping districts deliver on the new standards,鈥 she said.

Related Tags:

Coverage of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education is supported by a grant from the Noyce Foundation, at . 澳门跑狗论坛 retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.
A version of this article appeared in the May 15, 2013 edition of 澳门跑狗论坛 as Informal Sector Seen as Ally in Science Inititiative

Events

Artificial Intelligence K-12 Essentials Forum Big AI Questions for Schools. How They Should Respond鈥
Join this free virtual event to unpack some of the big questions around the use of AI in K-12 education.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of 澳门跑狗论坛's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in Schools
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of 澳门跑狗论坛's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Science Webinar
Spark Minds, Reignite Students & Teachers: STEM鈥檚 Role in Supporting Presence and Engagement
Is your district struggling with chronic absenteeism? Discover how STEM can reignite students' and teachers' passion for learning.
Content provided by 

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide 鈥 elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Standards & Accountability What the Research Says More than 1 in 4 Schools Targeted for Improvement, Survey Finds
The new federal findings show schools also continue to struggle with absenteeism.
2 min read
Vector illustration of diverse children, students climbing up on a top of a stack of staggered books.
iStock/Getty
Standards & Accountability Opinion What鈥檚 Wrong With Online Credit Recovery? This Teacher Will Tell You
The 鈥渨hatever it takes鈥 approach to increasing graduation rates ends up deflating the value of a diploma.
5 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Standards & Accountability Why a Judge Stopped Texas from Issuing A-F School Ratings
Districts argued the new metric would make it appear as if schools have worsened鈥攅ven though outcomes have actually improved in many cases.
2 min read
Laura Baker澳门跑狗论坛 via Canva  (1)
Canva
Standards & Accountability Why These Districts Are Suing to Stop Release of A-F School Ratings
A change in how schools will be graded has prompted legal action from about a dozen school districts in Texas.
4 min read
Handwritten red letter grades cover a blue illustration of a classic brick school building.
Laura Baker, Canva