ABSTRACT

Reflecting on Practice for STEM Educators is a guidebook to lead a professional learning program for educators working in STEM learning environments.

Making research on the science of human learning accessible to educational professionals around the world, this book shows educators how to relate this research to their own practice. Educators’ collective work broadens the scope of an organization’s reach, and through this effort, the organization grows its social capital in its local community and beyond. This book offers opportunities to engage in processes that lead toward organizational learning by attending to the professional growth of the educators. Tran and Halversen show how learning together can shape the language and meanings by which educators do and talk about their work to support visitors’ experiences. The book provides guidance on how teams of educators can build community as they engage in reflective practice.

Reflecting on Practice for STEM Educators will be essential reading for leaders of any organization that aims to educate and engage the public in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It will be particularly useful to educators who work in museums, zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, youth organizations, after-school programs, and nature, science, and conservation centres.

chapter |8 pages

Introduction

part Module 1|79 pages

Learning, Reflections, and Science

chapter Session 1|25 pages

Learning Beliefs, Behaviors, and Goals

chapter Session 2|32 pages

Effective Reflective Practice

chapter Session 3|20 pages

Nature and Practices of Science

part Module 2|81 pages

How People Learn

chapter Session 1|32 pages

How People Learn

chapter Session 2|33 pages

Learners’ Prior Knowledge

chapter Session 3|14 pages

Whole-Community Video Reflection on Prior Knowledge

part Module 3|81 pages

Learning Conversations

chapter Session 1|36 pages

Talking to Learn

chapter Session 2|32 pages

Facilitating Conversations

part Module 4|58 pages

Objects and Design

chapter Session 1|29 pages

Teaching with Objects

chapter Session 2|16 pages

Designing Experiences for Learning