Here you may review selected testimonials from state and district administrators, university professors, and teachers who utilize the NSTA Learning Center tools and resources. Select which type of quotes you would like to review:
What Administrators Say:
Susan M. Blunck, Ph.D.
Associate Clinical Professor Science Education
Director UMBC Center for Excellence in STEM Education
Dear Mr. Byers and Mr. Mendez,
I am writing to praise all of you at NSTA for your creative efforts in providing online professional development resources for teachers and to let you know that at The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) we are using the resources with our pre-service elementary science teachers to boost their content understandings and help them gain insights into high quality professional development. As the professor of the UMBC elementary science methods course and as a professional development researcher, my belief is that the day you decide to become a science teacher you start on your professional development journey. So, one of the main goals in my course is to help my pre-service teachers become aware of the resources that will serve them across their careers as life-long learners. The online professional development resources on the NSTA website are a perfect fit for helping us reach this goal.
The vision for electronic professional development communities is vividly appearing on the horizon thanks to NSTA and the creation of the NSTA Learning Center. The Learning Center provides developmentally appropriate, web-based, instantly accessible, do it yourself (DIY) experiences that are helping our UMBC students become more knowledgeable, confident, and caring elementary science teachers.
Across the past three years, UMBC elementary science pre-service teachers, in my graduate and undergraduate elementary science methods courses, have been taking advantage of the learning opportunities provided in the Learning Center. Research shows us that elementary pre-service teachers are often weak in terms of their science content background so providing quality information on key science concepts is a key goal of this course. For many years, the students in my class have had assignments that required them to visit the NSTA website but now that the Learning Center has become more fully developed the students are focused on the use of content-rich tools and resources in the Center.
Once students register for a free Learning Center account, they are able to have experiences with Science Objects, SciPacks, web seminars, books and journal articles, as well as, the professional development tools, such as the PD Indexer and PD Plan and Portfolio, all designed to help them develop the habits of a true professional. To this point in time, the pre-service teachers in my course are required to visit the Learning Center where they work primarily with the Science Objects in order to gain stronger content understandings to effectively design a two-week, inquiry-based, teaching module required for my course. The Science Objects serve as the main tool students use to gain deeper understanding of essential science concepts. The knowledge gained by the students is substantial. As a science teacher educator, I have benefited greatly from using the Learning Center in my classes and look forward to extending the experiences this year by having my students set professional development learning goals and provide evidences and reflections to include in their PD Plan and Portfolio. I encourage other university science educators to get their students involved in Learning Center activities. Our pre-service teachers deserve the opportunity to experience NSTA’s innovative, high quality, online professional development learning experiences as these are the types of activities they will be doing as practicing science teachers.
Sincerely,
Susan M. Blunck, Ph.D.
Jim Woodland
Nebraska Science Director and Technical Advisor for KICKS
Sheree Person-Pandil
Project Director KICKS Science, and Nebraska State Coordinator for Building A Presence for Science (BaP)
Dear Mr. Byers:
As you know, our Nebraska "Keep Improving Content Knowledge and Skills" (KICKS) Institutes are designed to increase teachers’ mastery of science concepts and skills. We have found that Science Objects and SciPacks are the best-received on-line resource to accomplish that goal. Teachers like the accessibility, format, visuals, interactive simulations, and knowledge checks. We like the ability to provide a resource to our teachers to provide opportunities to increase their content knowledge throughout the school year.
Teachers are trained on the NSTA website Professional Learning Center during our summer KICKS Institutes. Each teacher builds his/her library of Science Objects/SciPacks based on the individual teachers’ content goals. Besides adding to their own content knowledge, teachers have found this resource especially helpful for giving them ideas on how to present the content to their students.
Melissa, one of our participants in the KICKS Project, had this to say about her experience with Science Objects.
"I have found the Science Objects to be really helpful in teaching about forces and motion because I have NEVER really learned about these concepts and had a few misconceptions of my own to work through. This is also my first time teaching about these concepts, so I found the Science Object on Force and Motion to be extremely helpful."
KICKS will continue to use Science Objects/SciPacks in our KICKS Institutes as well as feature this resource in professional development workshops conducted across our state.
Thanks so much for making this wonderful professional development resource available to our teachers.
Jim Woodland and Sheree Person-Pandil
Jan McLaughlin
Current President of the Council of State Science Supervisors
New Hampshire State Department of Education Science Supervisor
Dear Mr. Byers:
Research indicates that student achievement is directly tied to the content knowledge
of the teacher in the classroom. The NSTA Learning Center provides solid science
content for teachers of all levels and includes access to quality resources from
professional articles from current and past NSTA journals to new and exciting computer
simulations with rich feedback via SciPacks and SciGuides. This is not a one-size-fits-all
solution but one that can deliver what the individual teacher needs directly. The
NSTA Learning Center takes teacher professional development to a new level. Science
content learning is delivered through a web-based solution which focuses on what
teachers need and delivers it to them when they need it.
[The NSTA PD Plan and Professional Development tool] … provides our leadership teams
and participating districts a source of qualitative information about the growth
and reflections of teachers who participate in the various programs that focus on
building content knowledge. Our partnership with NSTA has provided a NH Interface
through which all our NH teachers travel to get to their personal E– Portfolio.
What we have noticed is that each project uses the portfolio in different ways.
Some projects have begun to venture into and incorporate all of the other features
of the Learning Center (SciPacks, articles, e-chapters of books, web seminars, and
more). This fall, we will launch a pilot with science teachers who have been hired
under critical shortage conditions and are seeking certification in science. Often
districts have difficulty in providing a plan and monitoring to help teacher grow
to meet the state requirements. We think that this use of the e-Portfolio and the
other NSTA learning Center resources, such as SciPacks will make this transition
easier for both the teachers and the administrators.
Regards,
Jan McLaughlin
Jeffrey Piontek
Science Educational Specialist
Instructional Services Branch
Office of Curriculum, Instruction & Student Support
Hawaii Department of Education
Mr. Byers,
The Hawaii Department of Education is fortunate to have formed a partnership with
NSTA to provide an affordable solution to on-site and virtual (to enable teachers
to achieve Highly Qualified certification) professional development. The NSTA Learning
Center provides a complete and targeted professional development solution that begins
by diagnosing areas of improvement for individual teacher needs, meets the demands
of NCLB, state and district requirements for licensure and allows teachers to gain
HOUSSE credit under NCLB.
The NSTA Learning Center effectively supports our teachers in personalizing their
professional development. Their highly competent staff of experts recommend a suite
of high quality offerings that allows teachers to have input into their own learning
as well as control their pace, place, time and type of learning preference they
prefer.
The Learning Center's suite of tools, such as the electronic Professional Development
Plan and Portfolio tool, also assists educators to create a long-term comprehensive
plan over 1-3 years where they can efficiently electronically manage, track, and
document growth over time, in addition to the final assessment opportunity certifying
a teachers gains in knowledge. The PD Plan and Portfolio tool teachers to write
reflections, submit evidences for their growth and document that growth with samples
of student work, images. Technology trough the learning center is evidence that
Professional Development will no longer be measured by just seat time, but evidence
will be provided as to its worth
The learning center also provides program, district, and school-based administrators
a level of accountability for the administrator’s investment in the PD they make.by
providing post and final assessments that track measurable/observable gains in content
knowledge and provides.
As a state level administrator I was equipped with robust reporting tools regarding
gains in teacher knowledge, understanding, including data regarding usage, course
completion, percentage gain scores, and teacher feedback and the NSTA staff can
assist in providing a comprehensive solution to assist teachers in meeting the requirements
for NCLB and the data collection that is necessary for compliance with Title IIA
funding.
The Hawaii department of education values the relationship and the support that
NSTA has given us to make this a one-stop solution for high quality professional
development.
- “The NSTA Learning Center is a dynamic and flexible professional learning platform
which can be used by an individual teacher or with groups of teachers in district-wide
or state-wide initiatives. By using this web-based delivery model, NSTA encourages
all teachers to broaden the use of 21st Century Skills as they increase their science
content knowledge.”
- “Research indicates that student achievement is directly tied to the content knowledge
of the teacher in the classroom. The NSTA Learning Center provides solid science
content for teachers of all levels. This is not a one-size-fits-all solution but
one that can deliver what the individual teacher needs directly.”
- “The NSTA Learning Center includes access to quality resources from professional
articles from current and past NSTA journals to new and exciting computer simulations.
This is not a one-size-fits-all solution to professional development!”
- “The NSTA Learning Center takes teacher professional development to a new level.
Science content learning is delivered through a web-based solution which focuses
on what teachers need and delivers it to them when they need it.”
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Piontek
Robin Anglin, Science Coordinator
Office of Instruction
West Virginia Department of Education
Charleston, WV
“A strong need exists for West Virginia middle school teachers and special educators to acquire quality, interactive, professional development in specific content areas of science. In many cases, especially in grades 5 and 6, teachers are not certified specifically in science, they are teaching science with only a multi-subjects certification. Some teachers are special education certified teachers who team collaboratively with the general science classroom teacher. Receiving focused content training in specific topics of science helps to meet the SEA’s annual measurable objective for increasing the percentage of teachers receiving high-quality professional development.
During the summers of 2006, 2007, and 2008, middle school science teachers, special education teachers, and other teachers have had the opportunity to increase their science content knowledge by attending one of four regional SciPack trainings. The trainings focuses upon utilizing the SciPack software, structuring formative assessments, and 21st Century technology skills. Teachers who attend the sessions are eligible for a stipend, WVDE payment of tuition for the SciPack, and college credit.”
Robin Anglin
John Putnam
Previous State Science Specialist
West Virginia Department of Education
Office of Curriculum and Instruction
Dear Mr. Byers:
While working at the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) as a state science
coordinator, I was part of an effort by the department to increase teacher content
knowledge in science for middle school teachers. WVDE had found few professional
development options that provided affordable, high-quality professional development
opportunities specific to the delivery of science content. It was through a presentation
of NSTA’s Learning Center that we became acquainted with SciPacks.
There were many aspects of SciPacks that met West Virginia needs. For starters,
SciPacks are similar to short mini-courses, tailored to specific pieces of science
content. Teachers can acquire 10 hours of intensely focused science content based
on their individual needs. The courses are online and provide embedded assessments
and a final assessment that indicate to participants, and to WVDE, teacher competence
and success in mastering the science content.
WVDE conducted a pilot study that informed WVDE’s decision to develop a state initiative
based on NSTA’s SciPacks. WVDE collected data using a pre/post assessment created
by NSTA, a survey of participants, and an open forum to collect verbal accounts.
For those teachers who completed entire SciPacks, WVDE found that teacher mastery
of rigorous science content increased with every participant according to pre and
post tests given to teachers. Common testimonies from teachers successfully completing
SciPacks indicated that they felt “empowered” and “confident” in the respective
content they learned and for which they received a NSTA certificate of proficiency.
As a state science coordinator, I was inspired by the testimonies of special educators
who teach in co-teaching science classrooms, who reported that SciPacks increased
their likelihood of leading rather than observing science lessons. Some teachers
claimed the self-paced, learning-on-demand style of SciPacks to be the best professional
opportunity yet afforded during their careers as teachers.
Throughout the pilot and initiative, NSTA offered support to WVDE through weekly
updates of participating teachers’ progress; a content discussion forum; an “ask
a wizard” content resource; and quick, responsive technical assistance. Compared
to traditional face-to-face trainings, WVDE found NSTA’s SciPacks to be a cost-efficient
and effective method for delivering high-quality science content to teachers.
Regards,
John Putnam
Bob Sotak, Ed.D.
K-12 Science Curriculum Specialist
Everett Public Schools
Mr. Byers,
In Everett, we are in the fourth year of a K-12 inquiry-based science implementation.
Each year we rolled out new portions of the new curricular materials. Our primary
professional development focus has been on initial use. It is a simple matter of
time and treasure?only so many hours in the day, and only so many dollars to spend
on professional development providers, teacher pay, and release time. The challenge
for us has been getting a critical mass of teachers to attend content courses, let
alone identifying courses that match our staff needs. Teachers want the help, but
do not have time to take a general course in a content area. They want help with
the specific content they have to teach.
Physical science was one of the areas we have had the most requests from our intermediate
level teachers for content training. We decided to try SciPaks as an option and
offered a course to staff teaching particular science modules in grades 5-9. In
a sense, we were able to customize the training to what particular content a teacher
would need for that unit.
Our experience with the force and motion module was valuable, and impact high. Comments
from teachers indicated how much they enjoyed and learned. They wanted to know when
they might be able to do the next one. I was very impressed because the content
depth was more than I expected and in how it was presented, it was accessible to
all the grade 5-9 teachers in the class. None felt overwhelmed.
We plan to include this type of training two ways: First, as a stand alone option
on a menu of science professional development offerings. Second, as a component
in a content professional development course that includes face to face sessions
as well as on-line portions.
This is a powerful tool to help teachers grow in their understanding of the content
and pedagogy we expect them to be teaching.
Regards,
Bob Sotak
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Lee Ann Nickerson
K-12 Science Specialist
Jefferson County Public Schools
Louisville, Kentucky
Dear NSTA
“Thank you for this wonderful opportunity.” “I am so proud of myself for completing
and passing this!” “Now that I understand more, I will be able to better help my
students with their own learning.” These are representative teacher comments I have
received about their NSTA SciPack professional development experience. Just the
kind of feedback I want to hear!
Jefferson County Public Schools has partnered with NSTA this year to offer on-line
SciPack content professional development for elementary and middle school teachers.
This opportunity was made available to JCPS as a component of our GE Foundation
Developing Futures in Education grant. Our teachers are appreciating and enjoying
the ability to have flexible access to these engaging and challenging learning tools.
As our district has moved to a rigorous inquiry-centered K-8 curriculum, our teachers
have expressed the need for deepening their own content knowledge. NSTA SciPacks
have given them a timely, targeted and convenient solution to this problem. The
enthusiastic and positive feedback we are receiving is indicative of the high-quality
and efficacy of these professional development products. The embedded and pre /post
assessments allow our teachers to monitor their own learning.
As our district’s Science Specialist, I appreciate the support that NSTA staff has
offered to develop our plan, provide teacher face-to-face training, and offer prompt
technical assistance. Teacher log-in, completion and success data is readily available
and easy to use. Access to this data makes our district record keeping for professional
development so easy.
We look forward to continued partnership with NSTA to expand the SciPack opportunity
to more of our teachers.
Regards,
Lee Ann Nickerson
Dr. Michael Odell
Roosth Endowed Chair in Education
Professor, STEM Education
University of Texas at Tyler
East Texas STEM Center: “The East Texas STEM Center (ETXSC) housed at the University of Texas at Tyler will be using the NSTA Learning Center to support science teacher professional development in rural schools throughout the state of Texas. Teachers in rural schools typically teach multiple preparations of science and in some cases may be the only science teacher in the school. Science teachers in these isolated settings need timely access to professional development and the NSTA Learning Center provides access to high quality professional development. Rural science teachers often have minimal preparation in some science disciplines and SciPacks allow these teachers to self-assess their professional development needs and select the content that will be most useful. The accountability tools allow ETXSC staff the ability to monitor teacher progress and provide targeted assistance to teachers. The ETXSC will also be utilizing the NSTA LC as the centerpiece to support professional learning communities in rural schools. The online webinars, SciPacks, and access to NSTA Journals provides quality materials and programming for teachers to participate in online professional learning communities.”
Dr. Michael Odell
What Teachers Say:
What Teachers Say about Learning Center e-PD resources and opportunities
Scipacks and Science Objects
"This was a great use of my time. I would recommend SciPacks for use durning district
training days."
"I had taught the unit before, but now I have ideas I never thought of before, and
have additional demonstrations ideas on how to present the topic to facilitate learning."
"It is now starting "to click" and I finally understand it; There were many "aha"
moments"
"Going through this experience helped me to emphasize these concepts with my students."
"As I personally experienced the simulations [in the SciPacks], I was then able
to develop better classroom activities. I feel this was directly responsible for
my students improved test scores. As a teacher that does not have a specialization
in science, I found the Force and Motion SciPack very helpful in developing more
effective classroom experiences for my students."
"I found the SciPack Module, Gravity and Orbits, to be helpful in filling in the
gaps of my education. After completing the SciPack, I felt more confident in presenting
the material to my students as well as better informed in trying to address their
questions. The gravity and orbits SciPack was a good review of content for me. I
found myself using a lot of the examples represented in the tutorial with my students."
"I have completed the SciPack on plate tectonics and found it extremely helpful
to me in my teaching. The students seemed to understand the concepts much better
than last year's class. I believe this SciPack helped me to develop a deeper understanding
of this topic and in turn I prepared better lessons for my classes. I feel that
my students really understood plate tectonics because finally their teacher understood
plate tectonics. Each class showed a significant increase in the class average after
the lessons were taught."
Online Short Course
“Although I have taken several physics courses, I find physics a very difficult
area of science. The [NSTA Short Course in Force and Motion] was very beneficial
in reviewing key concepts and forcing me to examine my own understanding. I was
so impressed with the software used I'm still talking about it with my colleagues.”
“I have already visited some of the links provided in the SciGuides to use in my
classroom next year. I think the simulations are invaluable and I definitely plan
to incorporate them in my lessons next year.”
“The technology was a definite plus. I have taken several on-line courses and even
with my dial up connection, this [NSTA Online Short Course] was by far the best
I have ever participated in! The interactive nature of the Elluminate software was
incredible! I love the voting/polling and instant feedback was great! The program
was designed to target all different learning styles.”
Web Seminars
“[The Web Seminar is] really thought-provoking and cutting edge--lots of ideas
for further learning or discussion.”
"I was super-impressed with the software. I enjoyed the seminar it was interesting
and being able to interact was fun. Very cool!"
“This was an incredible team of experts who talked to all levels of educators- from
preschool to high school. Excellent topic, presentation and resources.”
"This was my first web seminar, and I loved the experience. The live interaction
was wonderful, and the presenters, were so much fun. It is so nice to be able to
participate from the comfort of my own home!"
Symposia
"I enjoyed having different lecturers and the hands-on activities/lab."
"This is one of the very best professional development institutes I've attended.
Wow!"
"Fantastic experience. Great activities. Can not wait to use the lessons in my class and share them with other teachers in my school."
"Wow! As a former reading teacher who just switched over to K-5 science, you have just made me a better science teacher. Thanks!