Take 10: Growth Mindset

Welcome to Take 10 – a launch for powerful professional learning in just ten minutes designed to meet the needs of professional learning communities remotely. Our purpose is to provide you with some ideas that you can explore further on your own or in a professional learning community. In this Take 10, we explore our …

The School/Workforce Connection: How are industries changing?

It’s no secret that the workforce is changing. It seems like every week or so you hear about a new way to automate a process or you might experience a new technology to quicken your trip at the grocery store, and to some, this can be very stressful.  We hear that machines are taking over …

The Importance of Science in Out of School Time

Kids are in school for only a quarter of their day, and only a small portion of that time is devoted to Science and STEM related learning, particularly in the early grades. But it is clear that the skills needed for our evolving workforce are increasingly STEM related. Out of school time learning is crucial …

How to Take Science Notebooking to the Next Level

We introduced the concept of a Science Notebook in a previous blog. Now, we will outline how teachers might use notebooks for formative or summative assessment.   Either way you decide to use your students’ notebooks — to drive further instruction or as a way to gauge student learning — it is key that you provide …

Who is the Mandell Academy?

Whether you are an educator, parent, or member of the community, most people know that the Connecticut Science Center is a premier destination for student field trips (in 2018 we served more than 30,000 K-12 students on field trips!). Educators bring their students here to support classroom learning and create rewarding experiences with tools that …

This is Just a Test

Talk to any educator, administrator, or support staff member and you’ll hear concern about our new next generation assessments. With the slow roll out of the Next Generation Science Standards, a lot of districts focused on curriculum. Specifically, preparing ourselves to incorporate the disciplinary core ideas, the science and engineering practices, as well as the …

Modeling a Growth Mindset During the Pandemic

As educators, we believe in the kids in our classrooms. We push them. We cheer them on. We know they can do it and we do our best to convince them to share that belief. We may even talk to them about the importance of a growth mindset – the idea that intelligence is malleable, …

Using Summary Tables to Create Cohesion

As a former high school science teacher, I can attest to the fact that it is difficult to remember the specific lessons I taught, the order I taught them, and the key takeaways from each. My plan book was my best friend. A student was absent? Check the plan book. Support staff wants to know …