Teacher Training By Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski

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.

Early Childhood Teachers Attend Hands-On-Minds-On Teacher Training Workshop: Teaching Science Through Pre-Primary Children’s Literature

Diana Wehrell-Grabowski — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 20:16:45 +0000

Thirty-five early childhood teachers were actively engaged in exploring early childhood science concepts through pre-primary children’s literature during a early childhood teacher training workshop on a recent Saturday in June. The teachers attended a full-day hands-on-minds-on standards-based early childhood teacher training workshop conducted by Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski. The goal of this particular workshop Teaching Science Through Pre-Primary Children’s Literatureis to introduce teachers to how to incorporate children’s literature in the classroom to teach science concepts. Teachers conducted many hands-on explorations to investigate early child science concepts through pre-primary children’s literature. Additionally, teachers used a variety of scientific and mathematical tools in their explorations of a wide-array of science and mathematical concepts. Throughout the day teachers were introduced to approximately 100 children’s books written by popular children’s authors that can be used in the classroom to reinforce science concepts. Teachers explored the behavior of soap bubbles by making numerous bubble blowing contraptions. Teachers observed and touched live pill bugs, earthworms, and garden snails, and then read children’s literature that have science themes connected to exploring common invertebrates found in gardens, backyards, and school yards. Beach and sand toys were used to explore the concepts of erosion, weathering, and the rock cycle. Several children’s books that cover beach geology, erosion, weathering, and the rock cycle include:
Sand by Ellen Prager and Beach Day by Karen Roosa. Teachers also dissected a dried whelk egg case to observe how offspring resemble their parents as well as observing that all animals that are born with shells make their own shell, aside from the Hermit Crab. Teachers were introduced to numerous children’s literature books that cover animal coverings, sea shells, and marine life including: What Lives in a Shell by Weidner Zoehfeld, A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle, Seashells by The Seashore by Marianne Berkes, Is This a House for Hermit Crab? by Megan McDonald, Clam I Am by Tish Rabe, and several other children’s books. Teachers explored botanical concepts including seed and leaf types, and seed dispersal. There are many wonderful children’s books that cover botanical concepts including: Oh Say Can You Seed? by Bonnie Worth, The Tiny Seed by Eric Carole, From Seed to Pumpkin by Wendy Pfeffer, Apples by Gail Gibbons, A Dandelion’s Life by John Himmelman, The Reason For A Flower by Ruth Heller, How A Seed Grows by Helene Jordan, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, I Can Name 50 Trees by Bonnie Worth, and many others. Teachers also explored force, motion, and energy concepts by using toy cars, trucks, and ramps, related children’s literature books were also introduced. The workshop was a great success, the participants were actively engaged in the learning process throughout the entire session. At the end of the full-day session participants left the workshop with numerous models they had constructed to reinforce specific science concepts and principles, art work from their observations, a manual, and prizes won from raffles that took place throughout the session, and we all know that teachers love to “win cool stuff” to bring back to share with their students. Once again, I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to have met such a great group of dedicated and professional early childhood teachers as well as the very dedicated administrative support of the Early Childhood Coalition.

Families Explore Science Concepts Through Children’s Literature During Family Science Workshop

Diana Wehrell-Grabowski — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 21:50:07 +0000

On June 25th, 2010 parents and children had the opportunity to explore science concepts through popular children’s literature. Parents of early childhood-age children and their children eagerly took part in hands-on explorations to investigate nature of science, earth, physical and life science concepts. Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski a nationally recognized science education consultant conducted the family science parenting workshop. Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski introduced parents and children to popular children’s literature books that have science content directly related to regional and national science, math, literacy, history, and art standards. Parents and children conducted hands-on science explorations to investigate the behavior of soap bubbles, observing the behavior of a unique substance called Oobleckwhich behaves like a combination of a solid and a liquid, what objects sink or float, observing how rocks can be broken down into beach sand, observing and touching live garden snails, pill bugs, and earthworms, observing and sorting leaves and seeds. At the end of the two hour session families left with numerous models they had made throughout the session, and art work depicting their observations of the live creatures they observed as well as leaf rubbings they had made. Most important, parents left the session with many new explorations to undertake at home with their children to investigate science and mathematic concepts. Approximately 40+ popular children’s authors were introduced during the family science workshop teaching science concepts through early childhood literature some of the most recognizable children’s authors included: Eric Carle, Gail Gibbons, John Himmelman, Leo Lionni, Dr. Seuss, Eve Bunting, Ellen Prager, Steve Jenkins and Robin Page, Wendy Pfeffer, Tish Rabe, Bonnie Worth, Bill Martin, Franklyn Branley, Anthony Fredericks, Ruth Heller, and many more. For a detailed view of most of the children’s literature used during the family science workshop please visit this page, all the children’s literature used during the family science workshop can be ordered from Amazon.com via this site. For additional reading on the positive impacts of parental involvement in science education please view the National Science Education Teacher’s Association position statement on parent involvement in science education see this page.

Sorting Shells during the family science workshop.

Families used sand and water wheels during the family science workshop. Families used sand and water wheels during the family science workshop.

Families sorted seeds during the family science workshop.Families connected science concepts and children's literature together.

Child observes and sorts leaves during the family science workshop.

Families observed and sorted shells during the family science workshop.

Child shows drawing completed during family science workshop.

Families made leaf rubbings.

Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski demonstrates how to make a leaf rubbing during the Family Science Workshop.

Families used microscopes to observe leaves and bird feathers.

Families used microscopes during family science workshop.

Families explored what objects sink or float during the family science workshop.

Families explored floating and sinking.

Families explore states of matter with Oobleck.

Family science participants blows bubble during family science workshop.

Families explored the states of matter during the family science workshop.

Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski demonstrates how to use the bubble window during the family science workshop.

Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski helps family science participants mix the Oobleck.

Teaching Science Through Children’s Literature

Diana Wehrell-Grabowski — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:25:30 +0000

On a balmy Friday in June on the Gulf Coast of Florida thirty elementary teachers took part in a six-hour hands-on-minds-on inquiry-based teacher training workshop. Teachers were immersed in exploring intermediate level (grades 3-5) science concepts through popular children’s literature. Children’s authors included Dr. Seuss, John Himmelman, Anthony Fredericks, Jean Craighead George, Carol Hiaasen, Roberta Edwards, Robert Byrd, Janis Herbert, Laura Driscoll, Jennifer Dussling, Lynne Cherry, Kevin Kurtz, and many more authors. Teachers explored Big Ideas within the four of the new world-class Sunshine State Standards (Nature of Science, Earth and Space Science, Physical Science, and Life Science) through hands-on-minds-on- inquiry-based investigations. Teachers explored the states of matter by making Oobleck, a unique Non-Newtonian substance that takes on the characteristics of both a solid and a liquid. Teachers also used Oobleck to teach earth and space science concepts including: mudslides, landslides, and volcanic eruptions. Dr. Seuss’s book Bartholomew and the Oobleck was the literary connection in this investigation. Teachers designed and constructed terrestrial or aquatic bottle biology ecosystems to explore a wide-range of life science concepts including: ecosystems, food chains, food webs, consumers, decomposers, consumers, limiting factors, oxygen cycle, water cycle, nitrogen cycle, photosynthesis, and the animal kingdom. The following children’s literature were reviewed during the designing and construction of the bottle biology ecosystems:Everybody’s Somebody’s Lunch by Cherie Mason, A Pill Bug’s Life and An Earthworm’s Life both by John Himmelman, Under One Rock by Anthony Fredericks, and others. Teachers observed and studied mangrove seedlings and learned all about mangrove ecology. Lynne Cherry’s children’s literature book The Sea, The Storm, and the Mangrove Tangle was used in this investigation to reinforce mangrove ecology concepts. Teachers were introduced to the vast array of ideas and inventions of Leonardo daVinci by exploring simple machines, airplanes, helicopters, and parachutes. Who Was Leonardo da Vinci by Roberta Edwards was the primary children’s literature book used during the investigations. However, teachers were also introduced to many other children’s literature books that cover Leonardo daVinci’s life, innovations, and inventions. Teachers studied bird feathers to make connections to bird anatomy, aerodynamic concepts, and gravity. There’s an Owl in My Shower by Jean Craighead George as well as books about Leonardo daVinci were used during this investigation. Teachers explored the concepts of erosion and weathering, and the rock cycle through the Ellen Prager’s book Sandand Kristine and Robert Thorson’s book Stone Wall Secrets. Teachers explored the concepts of erosion and weathering through hands-on investigations using Coquina Rock. The culminating investigation involved the teachers exploring the behavior of light waves with emphasis on reflection, refraction, visible spectrum, electromagnetic spectrum, the use of spectroscopes by astronomers to analyze stars. Teachers constructed a simple spectroscope out of a mailer tube and diffraction grating material. The children’s literature used during this investigation was The Rainbow Mysteryby Jennifer Dussling part of the Science Solves It! Series. The teachers left the workshop with children’s literature books listed in this article, science references, Teaching Science Through Children’s Literature manual by Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski, models made during the workshop, and a wealth of additional knowledge. Once again, I was elated to have had the opportunity to meet a wonderful group of teachers willing to expand their own scientific knowledge during their summer vacation. All of the books used during Teaching Science Through Children’s Literature can be found and ordered from this site on the books page.