Science professional development re-imagined
for the next generation of science educators.

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NGSX is designed as a professional learning system with the vision and capacity to support the multiple roles involved in changing science education– teachers, principals, curriculum supervisors, instructional coaches, EL specialists who support science learning, preservice faculty and state science supervisors. Each role is critical to supporting teachers and students to make the shifts in teaching and learning advanced in NGSS and the Framework for K-12 Science Education.

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In 2013 we, Sarah Michaels (Clark University), Jean Moon (Tidemark Institute) and our then partner Brian J. Reiser (Northwestern University), along with talented help from many others, responded to the challenges these documents introduced to science education. With funding from the National Science Foundation, Michaels, Moon and Reiser and the NGSX team designed and developed the initial pilot NGSX learning pathway. 
 

NGSX is a blended model of professional learning, combining face-to-face work in a study group and a high functioning web platform that supports the NGSX pathways website.  Generally a study group is between 20 and 25 participants, who with the help of a skilled facilitator engage as a learning community. Study groups participate in and analyze three-dimensional (3D) science learning – learning that draws on NGSS and the National Academies Framework for K-12 Science Education. Participants, as adult learners, work with diverse phenomena as students will do in their classrooms.  Moreover, NGSX provides participants with guided practices on given learning pathways in adapting instructional materials to align with NGSS as well as trying out new NGSS supported curriculum units.

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Now, as co-principals, Michaels and Moon are continuing to expand and enrich NGSX as an innovative professional learning model.  Importantly, we continue to think through the questions and comments coming from teachers, administrators, science teacher leaders, teacher educators, and state science supervisors as we develop more learning pathways. Our goal is to build out NGSX as a model of professional learning composed of multiple pathways that make available knowledge-building tools, science activities, classroom-based video cases and proven learning resources along with unique study group formats - all part of our robust NGSX web platform.