Teacher Training By Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski » Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski science education consultant

STEM Teacher Training with 21st Century Community Learning Center Staff

Diana Wehrell-Grabowski — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:21:56 +0000

Check out 21st Century Community Learning Center Staff conducting hands-on-minds-on inquiry-based STEM investigations during a recent two-day STEM teacher training workshop I conducted in Washington State. The teachers were actively engaged in exploring a wide-array of STEM concepts via hands-on-minds-on investigations. From exploring structures and function in nature and in man-made objects to exploring engineering concepts. It was a great group of teachers. As always very willing to expand upon their own content knowledge as well as being introduced to many new STEM investigations to bring back to their after-school work sites. Transforming K-12 math and science education via STEM education is definitely where it’s at.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz1sNHqR65M

What Happens After The Teacher Training Experience?

Diana Wehrell-Grabowski — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:08:40 +0000

I’ve been conducting hands-on-minds-on teacher training workshops since 1987 throughout the nation and lately conducting teacher training abroad as well. With over 650 teacher training workshops under my belt from 3 hour sessions to 10-day institutes one constant remains the same, “Change comes from within.” For the most part teachers are willing to try new teaching methods within their classroom. However, there are always the few teachers that are resistant to change their ways. Attending a teacher training workshop is only the first step to making real change within the classroom, what teachers choose to do with what they learned is the determining factor as to whether the training experience was valuable. The point is, “change comes from within.” The movement to implement inquiry-based science practices and learning within all K-12 science classrooms has been on the forefront of education reform for close to twenty-years. Yet there are still so many teachers who are unaware of what an inquiry-based science classroom really looks like. What is the role of the teacher and the student in an inquiry-based science classroom? Essentially, it’s up to the individual teacher to decide what form of inquiry-science best fits their teaching style as well as the group of students to whom they are teaching. One teacher may choose to use a structured inquiry format, while another chooses a guided approach, and yet another implements an open-ended inquiry approach. It’s difficult enough to be an excellent science teacher, let alone master effective inquiry-based practices on a daily-basis. I found a great article by Carl J. Wenning, Department of Physics, Illinois State University Implementing inquiry-based instruction in the science classroom: A new model for solving the improvement-of-practice problem. Wenning’s article brings to light the difficulty of actually implementing inquiry-oriented pedagogical practices within the classroom. Just because a teacher has attended inquiry-based professional staff development, and has learned how to conduct scientific inquiry does not automatically translate to implementation of inquiry-based instruction. In the end, I do believe change must come from within. A teacher who is not comfortable with inquiry-oriented pedagogical practices is not going to change their existing practices, it’s just that simple. To read Wenning’s article in detail see the following link in the Journal of Physics Teacher Education.

Video Footage Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Workshop For Early Childhood Teachers

Diana Wehrell-Grabowski — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 23:40:16 +0000

These days we hear quite a bit about incorporating STEM education in K-12 classrooms. STEM explorations can and should be incorporated into the early childhood classroom. Early childhood classrooms already incorporate science, math, and simple engineering explorations. Along with the K-12 STEM teacher training workshops I conduct nation and worldwide, I’ve developed STEM teacher training workshops for early childhood teachers. The early childhood teachers have been very receptive to incorporating STEM explorations within their early childhood classrooms. Below is select video footage from a recent early childhood teacher training workshop I conducted. 75 early childhood teachers were actively engaged in conducting hands-on-minds-on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) explorations. Additionally, teachers were introduced to children’s literature that had STEM-related themes. Once again, a great group of teachers.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-B3GjmAbyY

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.

Early Childhood Educators Explore Science Concepts via Hands-On-Minds-On Explorations

Diana Wehrell-Grabowski — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 05:02:51 +0000

I wonder how many educators can say they have attended a teacher training workshop on a Friday evening? Well on Friday, January 22nd forty early childhood educators and after-care teachers from Marion County, Florida participated in a two hour hands-on-minds-on science teacher training workshop. Participants made ramps out of race car tracks and blocks to study force, motion, and energy concepts. Then it was onto exploring the natural world by observing and analyzing a wide-assortment of objects from nature. Participants were given plenty of opportunities to explore and discover on their own and in small groups, much like what should take place within all classrooms. The workshop came to a close, and as I looked around the room I knew that these teachers would go back to their classrooms eager to explore science with their students.