Meeting+26+-+Sept+'14

** Thursday, September 25, 2014 (7:15am – 8:00am) ** ** H103 – BioHazard Meeting Room **
 * Science Department Meeting **


 * 1) Looking Ahead – Important Dates to Note
 * 2) Father Greg Learning Walk – Thur, Sept 25 - Period 1, second hour
 * 3) Happy Birthday Mike (Kimberly Hosts in BioHaz) – Mon, Sept 29
 * 4) Biohaz Collaboration (Kimberly Hosts) – Thur, Oct 9
 * 5) Happy Birthday Gerry (Paul Hosts BioHaz) – Tue, Oct 14
 * 6) School Testing Day – Wed, Oct 15
 * 7) Professional Development Plans Due to Robb – Fri, Oct 17
 * 8) Faculty In-Service – Mon, Oct 20
 * 9) Science Department Meeting (Paul Hosts) – Fri, Oct 24


 * 1) NSTA Long Beach
 * 2) December 4 – 6, 2014 (Registration is Open) - Register - NSTA/CSTA joint - regional NSTA Long Beach. Everyone planning on attending the NSTA. Heads up to Rick - entire department there on Friday, Robb will give Rick the head's up. Van option if necessary to take faculty down. Thursday (Dec 3) night CSTA $10 invite for night at the aquarium - meeting/networking event.
 * 3) SDMs Planning to Attend


 * 1) Professional Development Plans (Due Friday, October 17, 2014)
 * 2) PD Template - Oct 17th - due to Robb. He has a template and PD plan that he can send if necessary - 3 objectives, and criteria to meet those objectives. New activities, Capstone, NSTA, etc.
 * 3) NSTA Long Beach
 * 4) Modeling Tutorial
 * 5) Articles on the Importance of Student Reflection
 * 6) Learning Capstone


 * 1) SAT Data
 * 2) Distribute Handout - Math scores have continued to go up - taken physics as a freshman, possible correlation. SAT subject test areas (Bio, Chem, Physics) scores. 2016 new SAT, changing to be more like the ACT. Juniors performing better than the Seniors on the SAT - Juniors who choose to take the SAT, are the self selected better portion of our students.

>> - Parents do not want a study hall >> - Junior/Senior PE option >> - Craig - WCEA - School did not realize how much study hall was hurting students - ratio of academic/non-academic courses. Made the applications more robust. Study hall, unless it can be explained in the context of the application due to scheduling conflicts, but if it is just "study hall" looks terrible on applications. Andrey - UC and many other universities do not look at theology - so courses at our school is 5 - average number at other schools is 7-8. >> - Special application for 4-5th AP, or cap the number of AP students >> - Mike - directed study - pick an area of science/art - self motivated research and projects - produce a product that can be produced on a transcript. There would have to be a faculty member to take that on. Letting the students choose - student with research experience, presentation experience. One science teacher dedicated to research and getting the kids involved in independent research presentations. >>
 * 1) 7-Period Discussion
 * 2) Junior & Senior “Extra Period” - 7-period discussion - Oct 20th inservice to break down the 7 period schedule - teaching assignments, spreadsheets, etc. Junior/Senior extra period - still up in the air, study hall, etc. Still looking for ideas - study hall, population of students who are desperate for 7 period course, Frank wants to make this a "non-course" study hall. Gina - reduce the interruption of class time, and increase efficiency and productivity to get stuff done. Spend time in small groups with applications, personal statements, literature review for 1st generation students, dedicating time first semester for extra little bit of application time and preparing for college/applications. Moving some summer essay workshops into the school year. Targeted for 1st semester Seniors/2nd semester Juniors.
 * 1) Professional Learning Communities

>> - Modeling Approach: piloted by ASU - 3 week workshop - certification process, PD development. Teaching activities are not new - it just defines a sequence and emphasis on science practices. Using modeling for AP Physics 1 - Circle Lab example: modeling - illicit relationships, guide into more detail, construct experiment, purpose statement, variables and experiment design. Setting the stage - design an experiment, will do the experiment that can be done in the 55 minute period. Does not follow a lecture approach - design the labs whether or not they can carry them out. Great opportunities for a teacher to come in and guide the development. Create an environment where labs are done in a "whiteboard/modeling" approach. Whiteboard meeting - to present results, data tables and graphs. After group presents, students question other groups, comments, etc. Each lab: purpose, discussion of variables, rough procedure (if I read it, I need to be able to re do the lab), analysis - emphasis on graphical relationships and equations that match the graphs. Come up with multiple representations of the particular relationship. 1 session (1-3 days) for the lab and whiteboard meeting, 2 sessions on applying and extending. Created curricular materials on the relationships, but they work in groups - see immediate feedback, work in groups - let them do with their own concepts. Then at the end - "Board Meeting" - students present their group results. >> - Multi-model approach - with presentations, and language, students are critiquing each other. Literacy across the curriculum and using language to explain science - in class, catch it at the phrase level.- Agree on purpose statement - then groups determine their experiments and variables that they want to study.
 * 1) Modeling Approach
 * 2) Gerry Cacnio