STEM Professional Development

Teacher
Professional
Development

 

Real Strategies for Connecting
Science Learning to Life

 

Want to stay in the know about upcoming teacher professional development opportunities? Sign up for our mailing list here!

Free Upcoming Courses and Workshops

Introduction to Localizing National Science Units

Workshop for K-8 Grade Teachers  |  March 6

Introduction to Localizing OpenSciEd for Secondary Teachers

Workshop for 6-12 Grade Teachers  |  March 18

Localizing Your OpenSciEd Secondary Science Unit

Workshop for 6–12 Grade Teachers | April 27

Supporting Equitable and Engaging Science Learning

IslandWood’s free professional development courses provide science teaching strategies to increase equity, student engagement, and student understanding needed to address climate change.

 

Courses are eligible for STEM clock hours and are free thanks to funding through the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction’s (OSPI) ClimeTime initiative.

Environmental Education Professional Development for teachers outside with IslandWood

“This course has made me realize, first and foremost, about the inequities and injustices in science education. I now realize I must be much more intentional in providing instruction that is accessible to all students and to be sure their voices, stories, perspectives and background knowledge are heard, considered in the planning of my curriculum and instruction and that they have equitable access to all curriculum.”

– Professional Development Course Participant

Localizing Science Units

IslandWood has been working with the developers of Amplify Science, OpenSciEd, Educational Service Districts, teachers, and Seattle Public School’s science department to localize science units. The courses are designed to help your students make meaningful and authentic connections between the science they are doing in the classroom to their region and community.

 

If you are teaching a national science unit in your classroom, we have professional development designed to help you localize it.

 

Learn more about Localizing Science Units →

Teacher Working Group

Localizing Amplify Science 

 

IslandWood, Puget Sound ESD, and Olympic ESD have put together experienced K-8 teachers, TOSAs and District Science Leads to be a part of a year-long working group that will develop materials to support local connections in national Amplify Science Units.

 

On August 7th, 2023 we began the second year of our working group to plan to build on the appendices that were created and piloted in 2022 and create a few new ones. 

 

Learn more about the Working Group here. 

Save the date July 15-19!

We’re leading a cohort for the Summer Institute for Climate Change Education! Join us, and educators from across North America, for an impactful 3-day online training July 15th – 16th with one regional cohort day on July 18th at IslandWood.

 

Learn more

“I would recommend Islandwood as partners in developing science units because of their focus and expertise in bringing in local phenomena, connecting with science standards, and the wealth of resources they provide.

Their emphasis on hands-on, outdoor learning experiences engage all students and help them see themselves as scientists who can make their own claims using evidence in their environment to support their ideas. Students are not just engaged during the lesson or unit, but develop a curiosity about the world around them and the changes they observe to become lifelong learners who see the world through the lens of a scientist .

This is not a one and done experience, but carries the learning throughout the year. It got me thinking about how I can use students’ home environments to help them discover natural phenomena and develop their own scientific questions to explore and research based on what they are curious about.”

– Chantal F., Teacher, Emerald Heights Elementary School

Multiplying Our Impact Through Teacher Professional Development

Our work with teachers is critical in broadening our reach in the region. Teachers share how IslandWood teacher professional development courses are impacting their teaching, and their students!

OUR IMPACT

INCREASING CLIMATE LITERACY.

 

91% of teachers reported feeling more prepared to incorporate climate science into their teaching after participating in our professional development, up from just 41% prior to participation.

SUPPORTING JUST AND EQUITABLE EDUCATION FOR ALL STUDENTS.

 

96% of teachers reported increased confidence in their ability to support equitable and just science education, up from 46%.

WHEN STUDENTS SEE THEMSELVES REFLECTED IN THEIR EDUCATION, THEY THRIVE.

 

After participating in our professional development workshops, 96% percent of teachers reported an increased ability to connect to their students’ interests and identities, up from just 56% before. Learning that connects to students’ lives fosters deeper engagement, honors multiple ways of knowing, and helps students synthesize information better.

30+ SCHOOL DISTRICTS. 100+ SCHOOLS. 300+ TEACHERS. 8,000+ STUDENTS.

 

Each year, our teacher professional development courses create an exponential ripple of positive change and care for the environment.

Our teacher professional development opportunities are made possible thanks to generous support from King County and a grant from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

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