Ready, Set, GO!

Greetings!

It's that time of the year again!

It has been one long, hot summer and teachers and students are preparing for the new school year. Happily, based on what we've been seeing in our OpenSciEd Professional Learning workshops, science teachers have been doing more than relaxing at the beach all summer (though we do hope everyone got plenty of sun and fun during the break!). 

We're seeing teachers who have been preparing for the new year and upping their teaching game at workshops all summer long. They are pumped and gearing up to give students exceptional learning experiences with OpenSciEd that will inspire them and open them up to a whole new world of possibilities!

In this second installment of Activate OpenSciEd, we share a few key resources that will help you on your OpenSciEd journey (not to mention our new blog post exploring the Open Source movement -- the foundation of OpenSciEd).

Did you take any OpenSciEd workshops over the summer that have changed how you plan to teach and engage with students? If so, let us know -- we'd love to hear how it's helping you. In the meantime, the countdown to the 2022/2023 school year has officially begun. 

Ready, Set, GO! 🚀

The Activate Learning Team

How the Open Source Movement is Changing the Game for Science Teachers

We’ve written before about how STEM students need a deeper level of engagement and that a one-size-fits-all approach simply doesn’t stack up in today’s education landscape. Teachers also require the freedom and flexibility to adapt their curriculum and personal teaching styles to the unique circumstances in their classrooms. This is just one of the many reasons the Open Source movement (and OpenSciEd, which is Open Source) is so powerful, profound, and disruptive.

In our latest blog post, we explore the pillars underlying this movement and explain the differences between Open Source Software, Open Source Education Resources (OSER), and Open Science. How can science teachers embrace Open Source? Learn how in this post.

READ MORE

Continuous Learning: OpenSciEd's Back to School Webinar Series

If you missed opportunities to take OpenSciEd Professional Learning workshops over the summer, you'll want to add this free Back to School Webinar Series, hosted by OpenSciEd, to your calendar to help you get recharged and ready for the new school year.

Get actionable insights, strategies and tips on how to maximize student engagement and improve learning outcomes in five webinars, including:  

• Navigating the OpenSciEd Website and Materials (August 17) [details]
• Establishing Norms and Classroom Culture (August 23)  [details]
• Using Science Notebooks (August 30)  [details]  
• Grading for Sensemaking (September 7)  [details]
• Parent and Home Communication (September 13)  [details]

Learn more about this special workshop series HERE.

Recent OpenSciEd News

OpenSciEd Research Agenda Seed Funding Recipients

Digital Promise and the Carnegie Corporation of New York announced the winners of the OpenSciEd Research Agenda Seed Funding Opportunity. According to the announcement: "Winners are using the seed funds to advance their OpenSciEd-enabled research concepts toward the submission of larger research and development proposals that center educational equity, leverage OpenSciEd distinctiveness, and address urgent gaps and needs in the field."

[Read More]

Vernier Software & Technology Launches Free E-Book to Support Hands-On Science Learning for Middle School Students

The Light & Matter: Vernier Supplement to OpenSciEd Unit 6.1 helps teachers incorporate data-collection technology into the first lesson in OpenSciEd Unit 6.1 to help students gain a deeper understanding of the initial scientific concepts being taught and to motivate their learning throughout the remainder of the unit

[Read More]

OpenSciEd teacher training at Evergreen Public Schools’ headquarters promotes new perspectives

A student-led, project-based approach is expanding throughout Washington. Dozens of teachers from across the state did just that Tuesday to learn about a new science curriculum that focuses on high-engagement, exploratory learning. 

[Read More]

Developing Student-Centered Learning

The following question is one many teachers have when starting out with OpenSciEd. Our Professional Learning Team at Activate Learning, answers this month's question.

QUESTION:  How can teachers prepare students for the OSE experience where the students will become the center of the learning experience (as opposed to the teacher – which is the case with other non-NGSS curriculum)?

ANSWER: Once the teacher sets up the classroom culture, students shouldn’t have a problem shifting to becoming the driver of their learning. It is about the teacher having trust in the process that is developed by OSE. To learn more about how to develop student-centered classroom culture, read Features of Classroom Culture That Support Equitable Sensemaking by OpenSciEd.

Our OpenSciEd Professional Learning in Delaware Was Phenomenal!

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the photos in this tweet are worth a million! This tweet by science teacher, Mrs. Eller (@teacher_city), highlights the success of our 3-day session with Delaware teachers and OpenSciEd. 

This was a very unique, special session. We agree with Mrs. Eller -- it was phenomenal! We're sending out a huge thank you to everyone who participated.

To learn more about how we did it and how we can offer your school or district the same, reach out to us below and we'd be happy to share the awesomeness with you.

Here's to an amazing 2022/2023 school year. You've got this!

Ready, Set, GO! 🚀 🚀 🚀

The Activate Learning Team

At Activate Learning, we believe there is a better way to engage students in STEM. Our K-12, interactive curriculum engages students with authentic learning and phenomena that are relevant and meaningful. We inspire teachers with research-based curricula that support three-dimensional learning and prepare students for the careers of tomorrow.

To learn more about how we can help bring transformational learning to your classroom, submit your info below and one of our curriculum specialists will contact you.