Oysterponds Union Free School District Superintendent Richard Malone announced Tuesday that the school will be hosting a first-ever symposium on the Next Generation of Science Standards, or NGSS, and inquiry learning.
The seminar is slated to be held on Wednesday, October 10, from 1 to 2:45 p.m. at the Oysterponds elementary school and will be conducted by Dr. Barry Kluger- Bell, an independent science consultant and member of the national advisory committee that developed the NGSS.
““This is a perfect opportunity to host a regional professional development session,” Malone said. “With Dr. Kluger-Bell as our mentor during the past few years, Oysterponds has seen measureable success in our school utilizing the NGSS model. Teachers and students are excited and engaged and we look forward to sharing our ideas and expanding upon them with teaching professionals in our area.”
The Next Generation of Science Standards, which has been developed for the past 15 years, was designed by a consortium of groups including the National Research Council, The National Science Teachers Association and The American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Oysterponds District said.
“In light of the national concern that schools may not be preparing students well enough for an increasingly complex world, the standards emphasize hands-on learning as well as developing the student’s critical examination of scientific data,” a release sent out by the district Tuesday said.
Those who attend the symposium can “take a closer look at NGSS, translate broad ideas into instruction, share valuable information and foster a collaborative atmosphere among science teachers and school districts on the North Fork of Long Island,” the release stated.
