Event: Developing Science Lessons for Adult Learners

Tomorrow we will be joined by Heidi Schuler-Jones, our guest expert and presenter, to discuss how adult education instructors can increase the ability to present and design science instruction for adult learners. 

The discussion over the next two-days will explore high-levered teaching practices and strategies that can be used during a science lesson.

To get the most out of our upcoming discussion, “Developing Science Instruction for Adult Learners,” you are invited to and encouraged to explore the following resources:

  1.  National Institutes of Health (NIH) Curriculum Supplements (https://science.education.nih.gov/index)
  2. Supplement Title: Rare Diseases and Scientific Inquiry (https://science.education.nih.gov/MiddleSchool/RareDiseasesAndScientificInquiry)
  3. COABE 2019 Science website (resource for additional science workshop material): https://coabescience.weebly.com/
  4.  LINCS Science Courses https://courses.lincs.ed.gov/static/about.html#science

At the end of this special discussion, CoP Science Members will be tasked with using the strategies from the discussion, share resources and ideas on how to implement in your classrooms, and report back your experiences.

I cordially invite you to begin exploring the resources and invite you to join in our discussion with Heidi, a long-time teacher, and trainer, for an engaging and informational discussion.

 

Brooke Istas
Science Moderator

Comments

Before we begin this activity, here are a few things to keep in mind:

  1. Be the student first. Explore this activity just as your students would with a deep curiosity to examine, try out ideas, make mistakes, and try a different approach.
  2. We’ll be using a resource that promotes active, collaborative, inquiry-based learning. The discussions and data review are made stronger by your input and questions, so please be sure to bring these to our online forum. You also may wish to work alongside a colleague online or in your local program.
  3. Use this LINCS Science Community to collaborate and help one another. We encourage our students to work together with peers in their exploration of new ideas, so why shouldn’t we do the same?

Organizing our conversations

Over the next two days, we’ll be exploring Inquiry-Based Science and Rare Diseases. I’ve separated the presentation material into 3 parts to make it more manageable with your time and to help us organize our online conversations in the LINCS Science Community.

Throughout Part 2 of the presentation, you’ll be asked to consider key questions related to data examined online or with a printable PDF. You’ll be provided in the PowerPoint the appropriate links to use; however, you may want to go ahead and have open all the materials now.

Be sure to return to the LINCS Science Community as noted in the Part 2 presentation. This is where we’ll share our ideas, conjectures, and decisions about how to proceed with our analysis of the data.

Let’s get started with this short video for Part 1.

Once you have completed Part 1 and received some background knowledge on rare diseases and the NIH Curriculum Supplement series, you’re ready to start your investigation with Part 2.

Note that all links referenced in the slides are shared in the About information below the YouTube presentation.

Finally, once you’ve explored, investigated, and analyzed the activities in Part 2 and shared your responses with this Science Community, I invite you to review some additional materials in Part 3.

Did you know a young girl in Florida contracted a flesh eating bacteria? What I find so fascinating about this even is how you blended technology with scientific inquiry and can connect all of this to active discussions on social media! 

I am so very impressed with this - and the model of how it can be done in either a classroom or at a distance. 

Sincerely, 

Kathy Tracey

Your first responsibility as a medical officer was to review the reasons that each soldier went to the infirmary and to think about the nature of the causes of the soldiers’ complaints.

What would you say are two general reasons why soldiers reported to the infirmary?

Oh my goodness, this is GREAT. I started to watch the videos and am excited about how I can implement this in the classroom. it can even be done as a distance learning activity, as you are modeling here. I am making notes and digging in tonight! You will have my questions or even solutions tomorrow, but I can't tell you how perfect this activity is. 

Just as an FYI, this fits with the current trends on Netflix with the series Diagnosis

I can't wait to discover why the soldiers are going to the infirmary. 

Kathy 

I'm so glad you brought up the Netflix series Diagnosis, Kathy!

I actually almost added it into the resources in Part 3 but decided I'd hold off and see if anyone else was into the show enough to bring it up. My favorite part of the series is sorting through the crowdsourcing responses. I love how she uses social media to bring in a multitude of voices and possible theories on the cause of all those rare conditions and diseases, especially when the countless doctor visits and medical tests prove inconclusive and ineffective.

Looking forward to your questions and discoveries about the soldiers coming to the infirmary!

Heidi

As we close this activity, but not the discussion, I want to thank Heidi for leading this fun activity that you can take into your classroom and use.  Thank you to everyone who participated so far in this first-ever special discussion in the Science CoP.  Please continue to share your thoughts and ideas with us.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  If you would like to lead a special discussion in this group please reach out to me, at brooke.istas@cowley.edu.  I would love to see more participants share their techniques and have fun in our group!

Keep thinking like scientist! 

Brooke Istas