This presentation will provide attendees with an overview and insight into the power of the Ambitious Science Teaching (AST) methodology to transform your school and district. This methodology is aligned to the NGSS three-dimensional approach and proven to be accessible and equitable for all students. This fresh approach to doing science uses research-based practices and has proven to increase engagement, interest in science, and depth of knowledge. Each AST unit is based on a real-world phenomenon, validates and leverages students’ lived experiences, embeds scientific talk and writing, and creates a positive and inclusive classroom culture. Learn the what, how, and why of the AST approach to teaching and learning.
Main outcomes:
- Introduction and practice with the Ambitious Science Teaching methodology
- Tips and tools on how to create rich scientific discourse and an inclusive classroom culture
- Insight on how to differentiate with ease on both ends of the learning spectrum and truly teach and assess each individual student
- Overview of the development of a 3-year AST High School science progression based on the NGSS Conceptual Course framework
Ambitious teaching is supported by four sets of core practices that work together throughout every unit of study. These practices start with designing units of instruction (Planning for engagement with important science ideas); they then focus on making visible what students currently know about the science being taught (Eliciting students’ ideas); they help the teacher guide sense-making talk around investigations and other kinds of lab activities or readings (Supporting on-going changes in thinking); and finally they help the teacher scaffold students’ efforts to put everything together near the end of a unit (Pressing for evidence-based explanations). In this overview of AST, participants will learn how to use these practices in their classrooms with secondary students.
