ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book describes as “consensus models” for elementary teacher education and professional development is critical to translating these and similar broad assumptions into realized and observable impact. It provides a detailed account of how a highly experienced first-grade teacher used talk to engage students in various components of sensemaking, including articulating their ideas, describing patterns in data, and proposing explanations for magnetism, changes of state, and life cycles. The book draws from expertise and cutting-edge work spanning the fields of science education and teacher education to collectively articulate a vision for elementary science teacher education and professional development that supports contemporary science education reform efforts. Localized phenomena contribute to the cultivation of equitable elementary science learning environments by helping students see science not only as part of the world, but, most importantly, their world.
