Active Science Learning

Workshops for Front Line Staff: [3 hours]    

Active Science Learning science workshops for afterschool staff are interactive, engaging, informative and fun. Each workshop explores a single science or engineering topic in depth. Teachers participate in a series of challenges and explorations as learners before discussing practical implementation and assessment issues as teachers. ASL workshop facilitation is grounded is principles of youth development and best practices for leading science projects with children.

 

Science or engineering content is always chosen to engage students' interests and sense of fun, and may also dovetail with what they are studying in school. In either case a consistent thread is a focus on using the science practices described in the Next Generation Science Standards [NGSS] into all formal and informal project-based STEM learning.

 

We recommend a series of 4 - 6 workshops over the course of a school year -- each one introducing a new science or engineering projects. Your educators will become familiar with a wide range of project content. Research has shown that it takes multiple cycles of training and practice to really cements best practices for facilitating hands-on science. 

 

PD Institutes for Supervisors and Specialists: [6 - 8 hours]      

Active Science Learning PD institutes provide the opportunity for intensive study of best practices and logistics of leading active science programming at large and small afterschool agency. Over one or more full days, staff will learn how to lead several hands-on science projects with children or lead workshops for their own stall on the same topics. The focus is on building understanding and mastery of facilitation practices appropriate to project-based, practice-based science teaching and learning

 

Coaching and Consultation

During observation, planning and coaching sessions, ASL can help your staff build their understanding and use of best practices for leading and teaching project-based practice-based science. We can help your school, department or agency set program goals and use well tested assessment and evaluation tools to measure program rigor and assess progress towards your goals for both teachers and students.