Adopting a new instructional program requires more than an introductory workshop. Although an initial training can generate enthusiasm and provide an overview of the curriculum, teachers often discover that their most important questions emerge only after they begin teaching. The Teacher Academy: Launching Your OpenSciEd Journey is designed to bridge that gap by pairing a strong initial learning experience with sustained professional learning that supports teachers throughout the implementation process.
The journey begins with a multi-day professional development workshop that immerses teachers in the instructional approach of OpenSciEd. Participants first experience the curriculum from the perspective of their students, engaging in the same phenomenon-based investigations and sensemaking routines they will later facilitate in their own classrooms. This experience helps teachers better understand how students develop scientific ideas over time and why learning is strengthened when students actively construct explanations rather than simply receive information.
Throughout the session, teachers will:
Engage in OpenSciEd lessons from a student perspective to better anticipate student questions, reasoning, and approaches to problem solving.
Explore how storylines, instructional routines, and lesson sequences work together to intentionally build student understanding across a unit.
Develop a stronger understanding of how to use the curriculum as a resource for making instructional decisions that are responsive to student thinking.
Examine authentic examples of classroom instruction to identify the teacher moves and classroom interactions that support productive scientific discourse.
Build familiarity with curriculum resources while collaborating with colleagues to reflect on instructional practice and plan for successful implementation.
Professional learning does not end with this initial launch. Throughout the school year, teachers may continue their learning through ongoing sessions that provide structured opportunities to reflect on classroom experiences, exchange ideas with colleagues, address implementation challenges, and strengthen instructional practice. These regular touchpoints allow professional learning to evolve alongside teachers' classroom experiences, making the support timely, practical, and immediately applicable.
Join us for the Teacher Academy: Launching Your OpenSciEd Journey because it’s not just about learning a curriculum, it’s about supporting teachers over time to make lasting shifts in practice that lead to deeper student learning.
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