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Designing Effective Science Lessons (DESL)
 

 
Goals/Objectives  

In response to a nation-wide need to increase the quality of current K-12 science education, McREL has developed and field-tested Designing Effective Science Lessons (DESL), a four-part professional development program aimed at increasing the quality of science lessons with strategies that teachers can use immediately and on their own.

As a result of this four-part professional development program, participants will:

  • Learn a framework for improving the quality of science lessons that addresses content and developing student understanding.
  • Learn research-based strategies linked to increased student achievement.
  • Begin development of a personal professional development plan to sustain and continue improvements.
  • Network with other participants to exchange strategies for teaching diverse student populations.
Description  Are your students learning as well as you would like?  A 2003 report from Horizon Research reported that only 15% of science lessons observed were rated as high quality, while 59% were rated as low quality. Learn how to recognize and implement high quality science instruction right away — make good lessons better!

Developing high-quality science instruction is both an art and science. Based on the best available research on effective science lessons, DESL begins with an introduction, followed by sessions covering the three essential components of lesson planning:

  1. Identifying Important
    Content

  2. Developing Student
    Understanding, and

  3. Creating a Learning
    Environment.

Each component includes six specific strategies for improvement, which are modeled, practiced, and applied to the participants' own lessons in the four, two-day DESL sessions.

McREL is prepared to bring the complete DESL program to school districts and help teachers put these components to work in their classrooms so that they can deliver lessons of exceptional quality and, ultimately, improve outcomes for their own diverse learners.

Download the DESL trifold brochure.

Upcoming DESL workshops at McREL
Target Audience  K-12 teachers of science. Providers of professional development may also enroll, although this academy is not designed to specifically train trainers.
Contact  Mary Cullen

303-632-5547
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