Good Morning

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• Good Morning!

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Welcome to the

• NSTA Regional Conference
• Portland, Oregon
• November 22, 2008

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Using Science Notebooks to Uncover Student
Understanding

• Mark Emmet
• NCOSP
• Western Washington University

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Contact Info

• Mark.Emmet_at_gmail.com
• 1-360-961-7726

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Overview

• What is NCOSP?
• Sciencenotebooks.org
• Intro to Science Notebooks
• Assessing Student Notebooks
• Standards-Based Resources
• Questions and Answers

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Question

• What do you hope your students will gain as a
  result of using science notebooks in your
  classroom?
• Discuss this question with a few of your
  neighbors.

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• How do you know when these gains have been
  realized?
• Discuss this question with a few of your
  neighbors.

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What is NCOSP?

• Answer
• The North Cascades and Olympic Science Partnership

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What is NCOSP?

• Five Year (2004-2008) National Science Foundation
  funded grant at Western Washington University in
  Bellingham, WA
• Five Institutes of Higher Education
• 28 School Districts
• 160 Public Schools

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NCOSP Goals

• All students succeed in challenging science
  curriculum aligned with standards.
• Administrators understand and support science
  education reform goals and programs.
• Knowledgeable and confident teachers use
  curriculum with integrity and fidelity.

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NCOSP Goals (Cont.)

• The quantity, quality and diversity of teachers
  entering the workforce increases through
  effective recruitment, preparation, and
  retention.
• Science education research provides
  evidence-based contributions to the learning and
  teaching knowledge base.

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NCOSP Leadership

• Pinky Nelson (Principal Investigator)
• George.Nelson_at_wwu.edu
• Carolyn Landel (Project Director)
• Carolyn.Landel_at_wwu.edu
• Shannon Warren (Professional Development
  Coordinator)
• Shannon.Warren_at_wwu.edu

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www.sciencenotebooks.org

• A Web-Based Resource designed to support
  teachers in their quest to effectively use
  science notebooks in their classrooms.

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www.sciencenotebooks.org
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Sciencenotebooks.org

• Search for samples of student work from science
  classroom notebooks by any of the following
  filters
• Grade Band
• Discipline
• Publisher (e.g. FOSS, STC, BSCS)
• Entry Type
• Student Context (e.g. advanced placement, special
  education, English language learners, etc.)

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Intro to Science Notebooks

• A PPt Presentation available on the NCOSP
  Website designed to help teachers get started
  using Science Notebooks in their own classrooms.

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Intro to Science Notebooks Key Aspects

• Understanding first hand experiences compared to
  2nd or 3rd hand experiences
• Common Attributes of Student Science Notebooks
• How scientists use notebooks in the real word
• Common Entry Types (Formats/Purpose)
• Student samples

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Common Entry Types Samples

• ENTRY TYPE Graphic Organizers

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THE BOX T-CHART
Similarities Differences
Pencil Marker
Betsy Rupp Fulwiler
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Box T-Chart
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ENTRY TYPE Writing Frames
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Rupp Fulwiler, Betsy. 2007. Writing in Science.
Portsmouth, NH Heinemann.
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ENTRY TYPE Investigation
Formats
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Intro to Science Notebooks

• An additional important aspect is to introduce
  participants to the key findings in How People
  Learn, and help them make connections between
  these findings and their students work.

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Intro to Science Notebooks

• The presentation concludes with a discussion of
  assessment (including self- assessment) and
  provides participants with a set of rubrics for
  use in the classroom.

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Using Science Notebooks to Examine Student
Thinking Mark EmmetPeggy Harris Willcuts
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Goals

• Deepen understanding of the nature and purpose of
  science notebook entry types.
• Examine entry types for their connection to
  research on How People Learn
• Evidence of prior knowledge
• Evidence of factual/conceptual knowledge
• Evidence of understanding their own learning
  process
• Begin to discuss instructional implications based
  on analysis of student work.
• Link to larger work of the science notebooks
  website.

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• Flow Chart

Characteristics of Entry Types
Student Proficiency with Entry Types
Student Conceptual Proficiency
Instructional Implications
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Who is Here?

• Teachers
• Primary
• Intermediate
• Middle School
• High School
• Others
• Administrators
• Higher Ed
• Informal Science
• Pre-Service
• Other

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Experience with Looking at Student Notebooks

• Who has
• tried a few entry types with students?
• been using science notebooks for months?
• examined student entries on your own?
• examined student notebooks with colleagues?

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Initial Ideas

• What might we learn by looking at student work
  in science notebooks?
• Stop and jot
• Turn and talk (table level)

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Responses from Others

• We might learn
• whether students are proficient in using a
  number of entry types
• how different entry types allow students to
  express their understanding
• whether students are expressing misconceptions
  or gaps in their understanding
• to consider what interventions may be necessary
  to address these issues.

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• Flow Chart

Characteristics of Entry Types
Student Proficiency with Entry Types
Student Conceptual Proficiency
Instructional Implications
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Science Notebook Entry Types and Their
Characteristics

• Grab a handout and a highlighter. Working with an
  elbow partner
• In the left column, highlight key characteristics
  of each Entry Type.
• In the right column, enter those key words in the
  blank spaces.
• Discuss any discrepancies you encountered

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Whole Group Share
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Reviewing Entry Types

• What characteristics help you to distinguish
  among these three entry types?
• Drawings
• Tables, Charts, and Graphs
• Graphic Organizers

Share
Group
Think
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Entry Type Sample

• Tables, Charts, and Graphs
• Definition Formats for recording and organizing
  data, results, and observations.
• Purpose Students use table and charts to
  organize information in a form that is easily
  read and understood. Recording data in these
  forms facilitates record keeping. Students use
  graphs to compare and analyze data, display
  patterns and trends, and synthesize information
  to communicate results.

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Reviewing Entry Types (cont).

• What characteristics help you to distinguish
  between these two entry types?
• Reflective and Analytical Entries
• Writing Frames

Share
Group
Think
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Reviewing the Mini Science Notebook

• Use post-it notes to identify the types of
  entries present in the Mini Science Notebook.
• Check with your table group to see if you agree
  on the
• Entry Types
• Key Characteristics present in each entry

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Key Points

• Helping students to use the SNB conventions
  allows them the opportunity to communicate their
  message and/or understanding
• The edges between the entry types can be fuzzy
  at times. Thats OK!

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• Flow Chart

Characteristics of Entry Types
Student Proficiency with Entry Types
Student Conceptual Proficiency
Instructional Implications
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Analyzing Student Samples - Part I

• Using the cover of the packet of student samples
• Record Entry Type on Data Sheet
• Mark Grade Level
• Discuss and list characteristics

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• Student Work Samples
• Packet A
• Scientific Illustrations
• Grade 8

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Assignment Specifications

• SCIENTIFIC ILLUSTRATION
• All parts of the investigation drawn in detail
• Show the entire system and all of its parts
• Parts labeled
• Label all parts used and call them by their
  scientific name
• Accurate indication of the complete circuit
• Bulb, wires, electrodes, electrolyte
• REFLECTIONS
• Energy flow (transfer/transformation)
• Types of energy found in the system
• Indicators of a chemical reaction

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Analyzing Student Samples - Part II

• Examine the packet of student samples.
• Which characteristics of the entry type does each
  student sample demonstrate?
• Which characteristics of the entry type are
  missing from each student sample?
• Record your findings using the Analyzing Student
  Entries Students Use of Science Notebooks
  Conventions data sheet.

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Analyzing Your Student Samples

• Select about six random student notebooks.
• Choose one common entry.
• Which characteristics of the entry type does each
  student sample demonstrate?
• Which characteristics of the entry type are
  missing from each student sample?
• Record your findings using the Analyzing Student
  Entries Students Use of Science Notebooks
  Conventions data sheet.

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What patterns are evident to you?
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Examining the Range of Entry Types

• Choose one student notebook randomly.
• Use post-it notes to create an inventory of the
  number and frequency of all entry types
  represented in a single month
• Tally your findings on the Entry Type Document

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Examining the Range of Entry Types

• What does your inventory reveal or suggest to
  you? Why?
• Are you seeing a wide variety of entry types
  represented in your tally?
• If not, what instructional implications might
  this have for your practice?

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• Flow Chart

Characteristics of Entry Types
Student Proficiency with Entry Types
Student Conceptual Proficiency
? yes
? no
Instructions for Conventions
Instructional Implications
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• Flow Chart

Characteristics of Entry Types
Student Proficiency with Entry Types
Student Conceptual Proficiency
Instructional Implications
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How People Learn, 1999
If education is to help students make sense of
their surroundings and ready them for the
challenges of the technology-driven,
internationally competitive world, then it must
be based on what we know about learning from
science.
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How People Learn - Key Finding I Students come
to classrooms with preconceptions about how the
world works. If their initial understanding is
not engaged, they may fail to grasp the new
concepts and information that are taught, or they
may learn them for purposes of a test but revert
to their preconceptions outside the classroom.
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• How People Learn Key Finding II
• To develop competence in an area of inquiry,
  students must
• have a deep foundation of factual knowledge
• understand facts and ideas in the context of a
  conceptual framework
• organize knowledge in ways that facilitate
  retrieval and application.

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How People Learn - Key Finding III A
metacognitive approach to instruction can help
students learn to take control of their own
learning goals and monitor their progress in
achieving them.
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A Question to Chew On

• Are all entry types equally effective in
  supporting all three principles of How People
  Learn?

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How People Learn Analysis

• Select 3 different Entry Types from 3 different
  notebooks where all (or nearly all) the
  characteristics of those entry types are
  demonstrated
• Using Analyzing Entry Types vis-à-vis HPL PHASE
  II Science Notebooks, complete pp. 1 and 2.

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How People Learn Analysis

• As you work through the Analyzing Entry Types
  document, discuss with your elbow partner what
  you are seeing and recording.

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How People Learn Analysis

• When youve completed recording your findings,
  discuss with your elbow partner what you gained
  from looking at the three entries in terms of
• Questions/concerns
• Surprises
• Insights

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• Flow Chart

Characteristics of Entry Types
Student Proficiency with Entry Types
Student Conceptual Proficiency
Instructional Implications
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Considering Instructional Implications

• Lets consider the implications the following
  scenarios may have for your instruction

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Instructional Implications Scenarios

• What would the instructional implications be if
  you found
• that a few individual students did not have an
  accepted scientific understanding of the concept
  you were targeting?
• that a large number of students show particular
  misconceptions of a gate keeper lesson?
• Medium to high frequency of student responses
  without fully developed conceptual understanding,
  but you knew that several subsequent lessons in
  your unit addressed these issues?

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From Novice to Expert
Expert Novice
C o m p e t e n c y
Designing Professional Development for Teachers
of Science and Mathematics, Susan Loucks-Horsley,
et.al., Corwin Press, Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA
1998, 0-8039-6661-X (cloth), 0-8039-6662-8 (paper)
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Reflection

• What did we learn by looking at student work
  from science notebooks today?
• How might you consider involving your colleagues
  in this science notebook analysis?

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Responses to Reflection

• Usefulness of common student work
• OK to look at different entries, too
• Patterns (frequencies) in student understanding
• Variety of entries was surprising (cool!)
• Criteria (conventions) for each entryuseful

• Looking back helps us to look forward (planning
  for effective use of SNB)
• Intention!
• Need for conventions vs. conceptual
  understanding
• Use of conventions leads to communication
• Tools for helping students develop communication
  abilities

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Team Time SNB Level II

• Consider your local context
• What specific issues or obstacles will you want
  to address?
• What aspects of the presentation do you want to
  make sure you highlight?
• What modifications to the presentation might be
  appropriate in your locale?
• How will you include the science notebooks
  website in your presentation?

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Team Time SNB Level II

• The SNB Level II presentation has a high
  cognitive load for participants.
• What indicators would you look for in your region
  which would let you know your potential audience
  is ready for this work?
• What support might you lend classroom teachers
  after SNB Level I to prepare them for SNB Level
  II?

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Consider Your Context

• Mechanical Conceptual
• How will you be explicit in helping participants
  move toward a more conceptual use of science
  notebooks in their classrooms?

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Reflect

• Are there any specific additions, deletions, or
  modifications youve made to the Science Notebook
  Level II presentation that you think might be
  useful for others in the room to hear about?

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Next Steps

• The next step could be to examine your
  curriculum through the lens of the National
  Science Standards. Using the following resources
  may help you
• Identify specific learning targets
• Consider commonly held misconceptions
• Decide on evidence of understanding

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M
M
Available Online
Pertinent to Mathematics
M
M
M
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Collaboration

• How might your assessment of student work in
  science notebooks be enhanced by working
  collaboratively with your colleagues?

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Questions?
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• Thank you!