Teacher Training By Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski » Diana Wehrell-Grabowski

How Good Is One Teacher Compared With Another?

Diana Wehrell-Grabowski — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 23:04:17 +0000

How Good Is One Teacher Compared With Another? New York Times reporter Sam Dillon asks this question in his September 1st, 2010 article about the use of value-added modeling. Value-added modeling is being adopted by a number of school districts nationwide. The system calculates the value teachers add to their students’ achievement, based on changes in test scores from year to year and how the students perform compared with others in their grade. There are many individuals who are proponents of value-added modeling, while many are critical of the use of the value-added modeling system as a tool for rating how effective an individual teacher is. The use of value-added modeling system is expected to increase with the Obama administration encouraging states and districts to develop more effective teacher-evaluation systems than traditional classroom observation by administrators. Read the complete New York Times article.

House Passes America COMPETES Legislation

Diana Wehrell-Grabowski — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 17:47:39 +0000

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (HR 5116) in May. This act bolsters America’s competitiveness by strengthening science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields at all levels. The bill includes several key STEM education initiatives. A key component of the bill is to address challenges in research and development on STEM teaching and learning at the preK-12 level, in formal and informal settings. For more detailed information about the components of America COMPETES (HR 5116) see the following article. Check out the science, technology, engineering, and math teacher training workshops Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski conducts nationwide for teachers here.

Using Interactive Student Notebooks In K-12 Science Classrooms

Diana Wehrell-Grabowski — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 01:17:32 +0000

The movement to teach science in the K-12 classroom via an inquiry-based approach of science concepts is evident. If you were to visit a number of K-12 classrooms throughout the nation you would observe students actively engaged in the learning process. Teaching science via an inquiry-based approach has gained support through extenive research that has shown that students being taught in effective inquiry-based learning environments improve skills and exhibit more positive attitudes toward science. With teachers growing more confident in teaching science via an inquiry-based approach, students are taking a more active role in the learning process. In inquiry-based instruction students are encouraged to communicate their understanding of science concepts via oral discussions and writing experiences thus, many teachers that teach science via an inquiry-based approach incorporate the use of interactive student notebooks in their classrooms. So how is an interactive student notebook different from the science notebooks of the past? An interactive student notebook as it name implies allows the student to take a more active role in what is recorded and placed in their science notebook. There is a great deal more of student creativity and flexibility in interactive student notebooks. The design and format of the interactive student notebook varies with teacher, grade level, and science discipline. However, the basic format of the “traditional” interactive student notebook sets aside the right page for teacher directions and input, and the left page for student input. The right side (teacher) page of the notebook may contain teacher lecture notes, lab directions, teacher prepared handouts, etc.. The left side (student) page is where the student may write down their reflections of lectures, homework, student designed Venn diagrams and concepts maps, draws pictures of what they observed during a laboratory experience whether it be during a nature hike around the school yard, or a specimen they observed under a microscope. Additionally, students are encouraged to attach three-dimensional objects on the left side as well. There are many variations of interactive student notebooks and it’s up to the individual teacher as to what format they choose to incorporate within their own classroom. During all of Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski’s teacher training and professional staff development workshops she encourages teachers to practice using interactive student notebooks during the teacher training session. Teachers are either given a notebook to use or bring their own during the teacher training session. Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski has observed that if teachers are given the opportunity to use an interactive student notebook during the teacher training experience that they are more likely to implement interactive student notebooks within their own classrooms. As the teachers construct their own interactive student notebooks during the teacher training sessions they realize the positive impacts that interactive student notebooks can have in the K-12 science classroom. By the end of the teacher training sessions teachers are truly excited about implementing the use interactive student notebooks in their classrooms. The following photos represent a sampling of notebooks from teachers who have attended Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski’s teacher training workshops.

For teacher references on using science notebooks in the K-12 classroom, Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski recommends the following books. All books listed below can be purchased from Amazon via this website at no extra charge.

Cherokee Nation Early Childhood Teachers Explore The Natural World Via Hands-On Teacher Training Workshop

Diana Wehrell-Grabowski — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 03:37:46 +0000

Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski had the wonderful pleasure of sharing her expertise and enthusiasm for sharing nature with children during the Cherokee Nation Annual Conference held in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Over one hundred Cherokee Nation early childhood teachers were introduced to numerous hands-on-minds-on environmental and life science explorations to implement within their early childhood classrooms. Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski placed emphasis on connecting simplistic methods of connecting the young child with nature on a daily basis. Teachers were actively engaged throughout the teacher training sessions:

Using eye-loupes to observe specimens from nature;
Using simple microscopes to observe leaves;
Making leaf, tree bark and tree ring rubbings;
Observing and touching live pill bugs, earthworms, and garden snails;
Observing rocks, pebbles, and sand;
Observing how rocks break down via mechanical weathering- teachers placed sedimentary rocks inside of containers and shook the containers back and forth. This resulted in the rocks breaking down;
Observing, comparing, and sorting seeds;
Making paper helicopter models that depict how certain seeds travel; and
Observing and comparing animal coverings (fish scale, bird feathers, synthetic animal fur and more.

In addition, to exploring life and environmental science concepts Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski introduced early childhood teachers to over 70 children’s literature that can be used in the classroom and at home to reinforce life and environmental science concepts. The list of books used during the workshop can be seen on the book page, as well as ordered from Amazon via the book page on this site, at no extra charge. This was a timely teacher training professional staff development experience for the Cherokee Nation early childhood teachers since outdoor education/ exploring the natural world has been designated as a major focus of their early childhood science curriculum for 2010-2011. On the national level “The No Child Left Inside Act” is now listed as one of four key pieces of legislation in the reauthorization of ESEA on the Ed & Labor Committee. For a good read Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski recommends the book “Last Child In The Woods” by Richard Louv. Last Child In The Woods is the first book to bring together a new and growing body of research indicating that direct exposure to nature is essential for healthy childhood development and for the physical and emotional health of children and adults (from official website of Richard Louv).

All of the teachers enjoyed the training session, many were heard discussing how they were going to implement what they had been introduced to immediately within their own classrooms. Many of the teachers overcame their pre-existing fears of touching common school yard invertebrates (pill bugs, earthworms, and snails). There is nothing that makes a teacher training facilitator smile more than seeing that they have had an immediate and positive impact on their audience, and more importantly the students of the teachers will benefit immensely from their teachers willingness to spend a Saturday exploring and learning about the natural world.

Nine States and the District of Columbia Win Second Round Race to the Top Grants

Diana Wehrell-Grabowski — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 22:43:29 +0000

August 24th, 2010 Nine states and the District of Columbia were awarded Race to the Top Grants during the second round.The winning phase 2 applications are: District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, and Rhode Island. The Race to the Top state competition is designed to reward states that are leading the way in comprehensive, coherent, statewide education reform across four key areas:

Adopting standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace;
Building data systems that measure student growth and success, and inform teachers and principals how to improve instruction;
Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most; and
Turning around their lowest performing schools.

Providing effective professional staff development teacher training opportunities is a major component of how Race to the Top Grant funds are to be spent. Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski has provided over 650 professional staff development/teacher training workshops nationwide. All of Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski’s professional staff development/teacher training workshops are hands-on-minds-on, inquiry-based, view Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski’s professional staff development teacher training workshops here.

Read more details about the winners of the second run of The Race to the Top Grants from EdGov here.

Early Childhood Teachers Learn How To Connect Science And Children’s Literature

Diana Wehrell-Grabowski — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 13:59:52 +0000

Seventy Seminole Tribe of Florida early childhood teachers attended a full-day hands-on science inquiry-based teacher training professional staff development workshop to learn how to teach science through children’s literature conducted by Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski. Teachers were actively engaged in exploring early childhood science concepts through hands-on explorations. Additionally, teachers were introduced to early childhood children’s literature that can be used to teach early childhood science concepts in the classroom and at home. Teachers conducted hands-on explorations to investigate: the nature of matter, floating and sinking, plant and animal kingdom concepts, how rocks break down into smaller pieces, mathematical concepts including patterns, shapes, and sorting. The teacher training workshop was a great success. Participants left the workshop with increased content knowledge, motivated, confident, and ready to implement what they had learned in the teacher training workshop within their own classrooms. All of the children’s literature used during the teacher training workshop can be viewed and ordered from Amazon via this site at no extra charge (see book page).

Connecting Science Across The Curriculum Teacher Training Workshop

Diana Wehrell-Grabowski — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:25:20 +0000

I had the pleasure of sharing my enthusiasm and knowledge of science with another great group of teachers yesterday. The director of a local VPK school arranged for me to come and present a three hour hands-on-minds-on teacher training workshop entitled “Connecting Science Across The Curriculum.” It’s beneficial when administration arranges for teacher training/ professional staff development during teacher pre-planning week. The teachers are refreshed after a long summer break, motivated, and looking for new ideas to implement within their classroom. As always my teacher training workshops are conducted in a format that blends science content with the “how to” implement within the classroom. Thus, teachers are expanding upon their existing science content knowledge as well as gaining new hands-on-minds-on explorations to implement within their classrooms. During the three hour workshop teachers were actively engaged in exploring science, mathematics, language arts, literacy, social studies, health, and the arts via an inquiry-based format. We started the morning off with a nature walk around the school campus. The emphasis was placed on nurturing the young child’s natural curiosity as well as developing observational skills in their students. It’s all about making observations and asking questions! Teachers explored life and environmental science concepts, physical and earth science concepts while being introduced to affective methods of connecting science across the curriculum. What a great workshop, and wonderful group of teachers.

Input Requested From the Scientific and Science Education Communities on A Framework for Science Education Preliminary Public Draft

Diana Wehrell-Grabowski — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 02:46:54 +0000

Helen Quinn, Chair of the committee of 18 experts convened by the National Research Council (NRC) to develop a framework to guide the development of next generation standards for science education is requesting input from the scientific and science education communities on A Framework for Science Education Preliminary Public Draft. The impetus for this project grew from the recognition that although the existing standards and benchmarks (developed in the early to mid 1990s) were an important first step in strengthening science education, there is much room for improvement. The community has learned some important lessons from 10 years of implementation, and there is a new and growing body of research on learning and teaching in science that can now inform a revision of the standards (The National Academies, July 16, 2010). View the Conceptual Framework Draft for Public Input.

Effective and Meaningful Professional Development (PD) For All

Diana Wehrell-Grabowski — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 03:11:26 +0000

Many teachers do not look forward to attending professional development (PD) sessions, I can’t say that I blame them. After you have attended one too many irrelevant PD sessions where the basis of the PD had little relevance to your needs or your students needs, it becomes rather difficult to become engaged in the learning experience. The very essence of teaching requires teachers to continually expand upon their own existing content knowledge. As well as become immersed in learning how to present science concepts in an effective and meaningful manner in order to improve student performance and learning in the classroom. I encourage school administrators and individual teachers to take a look at the many excellent articles in Science & Children Summer 2010 Volume 47 Number 9. This particular issue examines how to find the right professional development for your teachers, or yourself, and make the most of it. From creating professional learning communities to mentors, distance learning, and more. Editor, of Science & Children, Linda Froschauer hit the nail on the head ” if teachers don’t see the value of the PD in which they are involved, they will not be engaged.” The NSTA position statement on Professional Development in Science Education can be seen at the following NSTA Internet resource.

Slideshare Presentation Early Childhood Science and Literature Parenting Workshop Conducted by Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski

Diana Wehrell-Grabowski — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 22:51:58 +0000

A Slideshare presentation of a recent early childhood science and literature parenting workshop conducted by Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski.