Science Education-The Times They Are A-Changin'

This year, the concept of seems to be everywhere, including my NSTA presidential theme From Transition to Transformation--Striving for a Science-Literate Nation. My favorite Bob Dylan song of 1964, The Times They Are A-Changin', is a timeless classic that has found life beyond the social and political upheaval from which it was born. When I listen to this song today, I hear the urgent call for change in science education--deep, transformative changes in teaching and and the public perception of science. It is time for us to move beyond mere reform and think transform. One area in need of transformation is classroom assessment--in particular, formative assessment. As you look ahead to this school year, what kinds of transformative changes can you make to improve science education? How can NSTA help you make these transformative changes? As you begin this year of teaching, think and act transformatively! Throughout my presidency, I will address several of the transformative changes I believe are important to science education. Let's begin with assessment. Classroom assessment can fundamentally transform the way a teacher teaches (Popham 2008). In the past decade, due in large part to the work of British researchers Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam, combined with findings from the National Research Council's report How People Learn (Bransford, Brown, and Cocking 1999), there has been nationwide interest in formative assessment. Assessment priorities are shifting from an overemphasis on testing to a balance between formative and summative assessment. Empirical studies have shown that when formative assessment is properly implemented, student learning, particularly for low-achieving students, can significantly increase. These student-learning gains are amongst the largest ever reported for educational interventions (Black and Wiliam 1998, p. 61). However, to make these gains, it is critical for teachers to experience substantive professional development that changes the way they think about their teaching and transforms their beliefs about the role of a teacher (Black et al. 2003). Professional development is the key to transforming classroom assessment practices. Some professional development approaches end up being one-shot deals that do not go beyond awareness, while others focus on disconnected opportunities for enhancing teachers' knowledge base and instructional techniques. While these types of additive learning are important in some contexts, they often do not include the critical reflection and transformative that give science teachers deeper insights into teaching and learning. To transform your professional in formative assessment, collectively consider these five ways NSTA can help you: 1. Know the science content you teach and assess. Being an effective formative assessor requires that you have both deep and broad knowledge of the science you teach as well as how to make that content accessible to students at appropriate levels. Whether you are a teacher or an educator who works with teachers, you must know where learners are when they explain their thinking, and where you want learners to be in relation to a content-learning goal. Being able to use assessment information to build this bridge requires knowledge of subject matter and pedagogical content knowledge. Science Objects, SciGuides, SciPacks, and Web Seminars are available through the NSTA Learning Center to support your content and pedagogical knowledge. 2. Access high-quality formative assessment resources and information. NSTA Press has a variety of outstanding publications on formative assessment that include practical suggestions, tools for assessment, and connections to research on learning. Additionally, NSTA journals feature teacher-friendly articles on formative assessment. Read all you can on the subject to update and expand your knowledge base. …