New Visions Science Core Curriculum
About the Project
The Science Core Curriculum project supports the adoption and implementation of the New Visions Biology and Earth and Space Science courses through curriculum-based professional learning experiences. Participants gain an understanding of how to use the instructional materials to support Multilingual Learners (MLLs), Students With Disabilities (SWDs), and to foster Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Education (CR-SE) as they transition to the New York State Science Learning Standards (NYSSLS).
Approach
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Culturally Responsive Pedagogy
One strand of the learning arc for the professional learning series is how to foster CR-SE using the curriculum materials through: using phenomena to connect to student ideas, lives, and communities, encouraging and validating diverse ways of science knowing and learning, using instructional routines to facilitate student agency, and incorporating justice-centered learning that focuses on developing a critical lens of science and society. One interesting area of learning will be how to incorporate these components not only into in-person learning but into virtual sessions.
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Literacy
One strand of the learning arc for the professional learning series is how to support Multilingual Learners (MLLs) in accessing the curriculum through: embedded scaffolds, making student prior knowledge and ideas visible, and the implementation of the transfer learning routine. Additionally, the on-site coaching support is based on the Science Coaching Tool, which can be used to structure coaching conversations on how teachers are using the curriculum materials and instructional routines to promote equitable access for all students including MLLs.
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Adult Learning
This project will incorporate the SIMPL model in all in-person and virtual professional learning.
PL Sessions
| Recruitment Sessions | Summer Professional Learning Institute (Core only)
Summer Professional Learning Institute (Affinity)
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| Professional Learning Workshops for Teachers | Unit-based, in-person workshops – 3 per unit in Biology and 2 per unit in ESS.
Unit-based, virtual workshops – 1 per unit in Biology and 1 per unit in ESS
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| Professional Learning Workshops for School Leaders | There is one half day, in-person PL session, and three half day, virtual sessions focusing on using the coaching tool.
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| In-School Professional Learning | 50 on-site coaching visits (25 for BIO and 25 for ESS) are planned. Visits will focus on collaborating with school leaders on using the Coaching Tool to support implementation of the curriculum and shifting teacher practice.
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Project Team
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- Elizabeth Chatham
- John Salazar
- Caroline Suh
- Andrea Velikov
- Dora Kastel
Contact
For questions about the project please email us at echatham@newvisions.org