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Teachers' Domain Professional Development courses are developed with
the assumption that adults, like children, acquire knowledge by
building upon what they already know. Each course guides participants
toward a deeper understanding of science which can then be applied
to new situations. Modeling the constructivist inquiry-based model,
each session is divided into the following five sections:
Invitation:
Participants assess the depth of their own understanding
and begin to exchange feedback through discussions with other
participants and a facilitator.
- Participants gain a clear view of the session's
purpose and become engaged in a particular topic
- Participants uncover their own prior knowledge
so that they are aware of existing understanding
Exploration:
Participants get directly involved with content and
are exposed to metacognitive strategies to enhance
their learning and teaching.
- Participants develop a common base of information
about the topic through hands-on activities
- Metacognitive strategies for learning and
understanding are presented throughout the session
Explanation:
Reflecting on their newly acquired knowledge,
participants reach their own conclusions and make the
abstract concrete.
- Participants give feedback to each other
and discuss what they explored
- Participants enhance scientific vocabulary for
effective communication
Application:
Participants expand on the skills they've acquired and
observe phenomena with fresh senses, leading to further
inquiry and new understandings.
- Participants apply what they've learned earlier
in the session to a new instance and their
own experiences
- Participants consider and discuss how they might
apply new insights to their own classrooms
Putting It into Practice:
Metacognitive strategies and concepts from previous
sections are reviewed as participants watch skilled
teachers in action.
- Participants integrate content and strategies
learned throughout the session
- Examples of teachers using inquiry in the classroom
in innovative ways and sharing best practices are
presented
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