Originally posted on Teachable Moments: In 2014-15, I created a series of FREE online professional development modules on the Next Generation Science Standards. There are 4 modules designed to take about 1 hour each to complete. As we work to increase our understanding of NGSS in the Puyallup Watershed region…

Originally posted on Teachable Moments: Pacific Education Institute (PEI) provides many FREE resources to support K-12 teachers in getting students learning outdoors. One of my favorite PEI resources is the Designing High Impact Field Experiences guide. This guide provides tools and resources to guarantee that a “field trip” can become…

Originally posted on Teachable Moments: If you have never read Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv, you should add it to your winter reading list now. This bestseller describes the unfortunate lack of nature-based experiences our current tech savvy youth experience. The book provides: 100 actions we can take to…

I know I’ve mentioned this excellent resource in the past, but the University of Washington’s Institute for Science and Math Education has an amazing website called STEM Teaching Tools. The Tools include an ever expanding set of Practice Briefs for assisting teachers, schools, administrators, and other entities in conquering issues that…

The NGSS Newsletter for November 2015 has some helpful information for those of us moving forward with implementing NGSS. The main article in the newsletter describes Accelerated Model Course Pathways in NGSS. If you would like to subscribe to the monthly NGSS Newsletter- click HERE  

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) site has released two key documents on the soon to be developed Next Generation Science Standards high-stakes assessments. The Science Assessment Item Collaborate has released the following: NGSS Assessment Framework document NGSS Item Specifications guidelines I haven’t had a chance to read these…

I have discovered that picture books are a great way to introduce students (and adults) to Engineering Design in the Next Generation Science Standards. I picked a few of my favorite picture books, assigned each a grade level and created a lesson guide for teachers. Each of the teacher guides…

The NGSS: Where are We Now and What Have We Learned? by Stephen Pruitt is a FREE online article published in all of the July 2015 issues of journals from the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). This article is a must read for anyone who is on the journey of learning…