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Teacher Self-Assessment Tools

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National Science Education Standards
Americans agree that our students urgently need better science education. But what should they be expected to know and be able to do? Can the same expectations be applied across our diverse society? These and other fundamental issues are addressed in National Science Education Standards--a landmark development effort that reflects the contributions of thousands of teachers, scientists, science educators, and other experts across the country.
The National Science Education Standards offer a coherent vision of what it means to be scientifically literate, describing what all students regardless of background or circumstance should understand and be able to do at different grade levels in various science categories. The standards address:

	The exemplary practice of science teaching that provides students with experiences that enable them to achieve scientific literacy.
	Criteria for assessing and analyzing students' attainments in science and the learning opportunities that school science programs afford.
	The nature and design of the school and district science program.
	The support and resources needed for students to learn science.

These standards reflect the principles that learning science is an inquiry-based process, that science in schools should reflect the intellectual traditions of contemporary science, and that all Americans have a role in improving science education."*

*Quote from from: http://books.nap.edu/catalog/4962.html

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Reflecting on Effective
Teaching Practices
This video is designed to stimulate teacher's reflection on their own teaching, either individually or in small groups. It is an excellent tool for inservice workshops and professional development programs. The video includes four 15-minute segments. Each segment first shows a middle/high school teacher engaging her students in an  inquiry-based lesson. Effective teaching strategies are highlighted by the narrator. Then a panel of teachers and other science education experts discuss the teaching methods modeled in the segment. Discussion questions are provided for each segment to stimulate discussion and/or reflection by the viewers.

Reflecting on Your Teaching

These brief exercises are designed to help the middle/high school teacher reflect on ways to incorporate inquiry-based learning in his/her classroom. To download the reflection exercises as a .pdf file, click here. For more ideas on teacher reflection - see the Reflections on Effective Teaching VIDEO