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Professional Learning Services
Workshop Design
Our workshops expose educators and district stakeholders to three dimensional teaching and learning through informational and experiential standpoints. Our immersive programming gives participants tools and skills as well as the know-how to tailor their learning for their classrooms and schools. We offer a full range of options:
- Course Level: Our workshops range from introductory to advanced levels, aimed at helping participants gain foundational knowledge and skills, incorporate best practices into their teaching and learning, and extend their learning over time.
- Length: Spend as little as an hour with us or commit to a multi-day, deep learning experience.
- Location: Multi-district sessions at the Connecticut Science Center, partner locations around the state, or in your district for a group size of 12 or more.
Browse our offerings below and click each title for more information. After completing one or more workshops, consider reinforcing and extending learning with Coaching and Consultation.
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS
Making Thinking Visible Through Talk
November 5
8:30am - 11:30am
$175/person
Register now for one of our newer and most popular workshops, designed to engage teachers in a set of immersive learning experiences to provide targeted skills and support for best implementation of instructional strategies in alignment with the Next Generation Science Framework. We will share, discuss, and practice multiple instructional strategies. Together, we will explore & practice various scenarios to learn how to make these instructional shifts to transform lessons and gain concrete scientific strategies to better support student learning and deepen understandings of the shifts towards student-center, three-dimensional learning in the Next Generation Science Standards.
Discounts available for sending multiple teachers.
STEM & Play: Hands-On Learning to Nurture Young Thinkers
November 5
12:30pm - 3:30pm
$175/person
Come play and learn with us! In this workshop we will explore research-based practices to integrate play-based learning into your existing curriculum. Together we will engage in various hands-on STEM experiences that provide play-based learning opportunities for students aimed at increasing student engagement, building critical STEM skills, and increasing interest in STEM and excitement for learning. You will leave with resources, materials, and activities to bring more STEM and play into your classroom.
Discounts available for sending multiple teachers.
Practices of NGSS
November 13, January 8, and February 12
8:30am - 3:00pm
$900/person
Register now for our most popular workshop, aimed at improving teachers’ instructional practice in alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for both K-5 and 6-12 educators. Throughout this 3-day immersive workshop we will explore the key aspects of three-dimensional teaching—Disciplinary Core Ideas, Crosscutting Concepts, and the Science and Engineering Practices as adult learners. All participants will engage with multiple immersive classroom scenarios to learn how to make these instructional shifts to transform their classroom lessons and gain concrete strategies to better support student learning.
Discounts available for sending multiple teachers.
NGSS 3D Assessment
November 20
1pm - 4pm
$175/person
Take your assessments to the next level in our half-day NGSS 3D Workshop! Work with our STEM Learning Specialists to explore shifts in summative three-dimensional, NGSS assessments and learn how to create them through a research-based process. Educators will explore attitudes around assessment, key features of NGSS assessments, analyze sample questions, and explore what is different about assessing students for NGSS. Tools and resources for assessment development will be provided.
Discounts available for sending multiple teachers.
ADDITIONAL WORKSHOPS
ELEMENTS OF NGSS
An introductory workshop to help new teachers explore the 3 dimensions of the NGSS and discover what each dimension looks like in the classroom.
MAKING SENSE OF NGSS
An immersive introduction to the NGSS that explores what the standards looks like in action, builds understanding of how the standards support student learning, investigates ways to integrate NGSS into your teaching practice.
MAKING SENSE OF NGSS
An immersive introduction to the NGSS that explores what the standards looks like in action, builds understanding of how the standards support student learning, investigates ways to integrate NGSS into your teaching practice.
ENGINEERING IS ELEMENTARY
The Connecticut Science Center is the state’s official professional development provider for EiE®, a nationally renowned education project developed by the National Center for Technological Literacy® (NCTL®) at the Museum of Science, Boston. Get curriculum and training to integrate engineering and technology with science, language arts, social studies, and math via storybooks and hands-on design activities.
SUPPORTING STUDENT SENSE-MAKING
Reviews tips, tricks, and techniques for bringing three-dimensional learning to a virtual and blended classroom. Through this offering we will focus not only on the technology available, but also fostering a supportive classroom culture in a digital world. Educators will leave with actionable ideas for how to engage students three-dimensionally
SAFETY
Learn about laboratory
chemical safety.
As part of the Connecticut Science Safety Network, we are proud to host a series of workshops for Educatorsand administrators. Workshops sponsored by CSSN in association with the Connecticut Science Center:
- Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Agency (CIRMA)
- Connecticut Science EducatorsAssociation
- Connecticut Science Supervisors Association
- Connecticut State Department of Education
- Connecticut Valley Section of the American Chemical Society
NGSS 3-DIMENSIONAL ASSESSMENTS
Explore NGSS assessment and learn the process to create three-dimensional assessments. Educators explore attitudes around assessment, key features of NGSS assessments, analyze sample questions, and explore what is different about assessing students for NGSS.
NGSS 3-DIMENSIONAL ASSESSMENTS
Explore NGSS assessment and learn the process to create three-dimensional assessments. Educators explore attitudes around assessment, key features of NGSS assessments, analyze sample questions, and explore what is different about assessing students for NGSS.
FIVE ROUTINES TO GUIDE SCIENCE LEARNING
Work together to uncover the structure of an NGSS-aligned unit, connect the Framework vision to the structure, and determine next steps for writing or exploring an NGSS-aligned curriculum. This workshop can be include supported planning time.
ENGINEERING EQUITY
Explore what engineering can look like in a classroom while considering how the NGSS establish engineering as a core component of science learning and explore using engineering projects as an equity-building practice in science education.
STEM DEFINED: BUILDING STEM UNDERSTANDING
Engage deeply in inquiry-based pedagogy through a series of multi-day immersion workshops and followup support. This series is fully compatible with the latest standards and provides a common pedagogical framework that can be applied to the design of lessons in all subject areas.
DIGGING DEEPER: A DCI UNPACKING PROCESS
Understand what students really need to know by unpacking the standards. Learn a guided process to better define needed learning and guide lesson planning. Video follow up tutorials are provided to workshop participants.
THE POWER OF WONDER: LEVERAGING STUDENT QUESTIONING
Learn how to launch phenomena effectively and use student questioning to drive learning authentically and increase student engagement. Engage in a common experience and analyze the importance of the gradual release of control from teacher to student.
THINKING LIKE A SCIENTIST
During this workshop, we will experience and begin to understand that Science is an approach to understanding the world and explore how to support the ability to engage with peers in figuring out the world around us.
COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE (VARIOUS TOPICS)
Take a quick break from daily pressures to participate in a live, expertly facilitated conversation about
NGSS and related topics.
Our past topics include: Exploring the Science and Engineering Practices,
Considering the Crosscutting Concepts, Confronting Misconceptions, and the Power of Questioning.
Custom topics available on request.
PROVIDING EVIDENCE BASED FEEDBACK
Take time to think about NGSS and three-dimensional learning and apply these ideas to supporting science teaching and learning. Through collaborative experiences and opportunities to apply your understanding of 3-dimensional teaching and learning, this offering addresses the following questions:
- Overall, what is “NGSS” about? What can it look like?
- What does NGSS look like in the classroom?
- What feedback can I provide the educators with whom I work to support their ability to shift their instruction?
- Where can I find resources to support my teachers?
INTRODUCTION TO INQUIRY
The Introduction to Inquiry professional development workshop is the first of three workshops in the Inquiry Teaching and Learning series. This workshop will create and support an environment in which participants immerse themselves in activities as learners. Using these common experiences, participants make meaning of the modeled attitudes and strategies to deepen their own understanding of inquiry.
OVERVIEW OF INTRODUCTION TO INQUIRY
An abridged version of our 5-day immersive series, this overview focuses in on inquiry-based pedagogy to develop a common framework to support the integration of inquiry experiences into your classroom. Follow up coaching support is provided to support implementation of inquiry in the classroom.
CLASSROOM APPLICATIONS
In this next installment of the series, participants focus on additional classroom strategies for implementing inquiry-based lessons, experience more examples of inquiry, and explore classroom culture.
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT WORKSHOP
This workshop focuses on the roles of formative assessment in supporting inquiry learning. Participants create formative assessments to use with their inquiry-based units with the support of colleagues and Connecticut Science Center Professional Learning Specialists
MANDELL ACADEMY
For questions about Professional Learning
MandellAcademy@CTScienceCenter.org(860) 520-2193
Monday-Friday 9AM - 4PM