The following books, articles, websites, resources, professional associations and conferences are recommended for teacher professional learning growth in a variety of areas. Some relate more to pedagogy and research on learning and effective teaching practices while others support increased science content knowledge directly. These resources are sorted by topic. If there is a great resource you know about and would like to suggest - please contact us!

Science Notebooks:

Science Notebooks: Writing About Inquiry
by Lori Fulton and Brian Campbell

Heinemann Published

This is a great first book for a teacher starting to use science notebooks or a spot for an experienced user to get some refreshing ideas. It serves as a ready resource of strategies and methods for teachers to incorporate science notebooks into their school day including classroom vignettes, student samples, and thinking points.

Using Science Notebooks in Elementary Classrooms
by Michael Klentschy

NSTA Press Published

"Classroom teachers who want to begin using or who are currently including science notebooks as part of their instruction will find that Using Science Notebooks in Elementary Classrooms is a “must-have” resource for the development of scientific inquiry, literacy, and reasoning skills. This book makes the case for using science notebooks strategically — promoting hands-on observing, recording, and reflecting—and demonstrates how best to do so."

Assessment:

Uncovering Student Ideas in Science Series: Vol 1, 2, 3, and 4
by Paige Keeley and Joyce Tugel

NSTA Press Published

Each volume contains 25 formative assessment probes to help reveal students' preconceptions of fundamental concepts in science. Teachers of grades K-12 will find short probes with grade-band specifics that provide easy-to-follow suggestions for addressing students' ideas by promoting learning through conceptual-change instruction.

"Working Inside the Black Box" by Paul Black, Christine Harrison, Clare Lee, Bethan Marshall and Dylan Wiliam
Phi Delta Kappan. Sept 2004, v86: i1, p8
Useful and informative report of a project that has helped teachers change practice and students change behavior so that everyone shares responsibility for the students’ learning and the critical role in this project played by assessment for learning.

Science Content Instruction:

http://www.curriculumtopicstudy.org/
Curriculum Topic Study in Mathematics and Science provides a way for classroom teachers to easily apply national standards and research to their own classroom instruction. The technique can be used in multiple ways, from individually while planning a lesson to a basis for a year-long professional learning community. While there are also CTS books, the online version is a great place to start.

Summer physics institutes for educators from the Physics Education Group - learn physics through inquiry. Great modeling for using inquiry in your classroom.

For teachers: everything that ever confused you about genetics and cells clarified visually at Learn.Genetics!

Inquiry Science:

Science Teaching:

The National Science Education Leadership Association (NSELA) hosts a professional development institute just prior to the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) National Conference and a week-long summer leadership institute that both provide excellent, in-depth professional learning with highly motivated colleagues.

Professional Organizations
Every educator has lots to offer these professional organizations - expertise, energy, and passion. The benefits to the educator of membership in professional organizations range from the immediately tangible products such as professional journals, organization of conferences and institutes, access to grants, and announcements of opportunities, to the more nebulous (but vital) network connections with other educators, swelling the ranks of a larger community that shares your interests, and lobbying for the importance of particular educational issues with policy makers. We encourage all educators to join both local and national organizations that represent their areas of interest in education. Some excellent ones are:

Alaska Science Teachers Association (biennial Alaska Math and Science Conference)

Alaska Society for Technology in Education

National Science Teachers Association (Science & Children journal, Learning Center, National Conference on Science Education)

National Science Education Leadership Association (see above)

Association of Science Materials Centers (biennial Next Steps Institute)

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (Educational Leadership journal)

Emerging STEM Education Leaders