Quick Study

Discover the "why" that drives Pennsylvania's new Science Content Advisor at PDE. In this episode we sit down with Jason Zimmerman and discuss how we continue to navigate the pivotal transition to the new STEELS standards. We dive into the advisor's journey from the classroom to the Department of Education, revealing a bold vision for the future of science education that bridges the gap between Ha...

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Diane McCallum (Assistant Superintendent) and Dr. Allison Kopco (High School Principal) to discuss how their district is moving beyond traditional "policy and consequence" models to tackle chronic absenteeism. By prioritizing student-centered practices, they’ve turned the daily grind into an engaging, community-driven experience. Guest Info: Diane McCallum is...

In this episode, we explore the "Portrait of a GA Teacher" a collective identity at the Greencastle-Antrim School District that transcends mere rules to focus on a shared "collective essence." We dive into the district's foundational filter— Commitment to Children First —and discuss how this guiding principle transforms everything from daily classroom interactions to high-level budgeting decisions...

The adoption of an instructional material, especially on that is high quality according to Ed Reports and NextGen Science is no small task! In this episode we’ll hear from a classroom teacher, a building administrator, and a district office curriculum director about what guided them through the process of adopting a High Quality Instructional Materials and their advice for others who may be going...

Join us as a high school Principal and Central Office Leader from West York Area School District detail their journey toward student-centered learning. They share how they built a foundation of trust, used backward design (UbD) to refine assessments, and established bi-weekly Data Teams to focus intensely on instructional change. Discover the actionable strategies they deployed to empower students...

The three dimenions of the NGSS and STEELS standards are not only helpful guides to breaking down and understanding the standards. They are tools for building rigorous and meaningful learning experiences that help students not only know science, but think and act like a scientist too. In this episode, our guest expains how to achieve balance between the three dimensions and help students not only...

Concepts like student-centered learning, personalized learning, and self-paced learning can be nebulous, hard to define, and encapsulate a variety of subtopics and concepts. In this episode we’ll hear how Eastern York School District made their vision of “modern” teaching and learning a reality through the use of clear, undersatndable progressions. Doug Enders is the Assistant Superintendent of th...

Discourse is not just a fundamental skill for science, it’s a fundamental skill for learning in any subject area. Discourse in science, though, has some special considerations and caveats. Tune in for a conversation about why discourse is so critical in the science classroom and the big and small things teachers can do to support student discourse. Kara Olewiler is a secondary science educator wit...

Questioning is a great way to probe student thinking and drive students toward a more accurate and complete explanation of science concepts. Listen in for a conversation on how to build the culture and climate needed for questioning by the teacher to lead to thinking by the students. Carrie Lankford currently serves as her district's K-12 STEELS Implementation Coach at Red LionArea SD. Over 18 yea...

Science notebooks are an important tool for learning in the science classroom. In this episode we discuss how science notebooks can be used to support student thinking and discourse in a storylined unit of instruction as well as help students adopt a practice from the world of professional science. Val Stone is the Assistant Director of Advancing Science, Gettysburg College’s K-12 science outreach...