Next Generation Science Exemplar System (NGSX) Science Professional Learning Opportunities for MA Educators via MA DESE's OAPL
(Winter - Spring 2024)
​​Stipends and PDPs are available for all courses for eligible MA educators. See course-specific information for details.
Virtual Becoming a Next-Gen Science Teacher (V-BNGST)
Virtual Becoming a Next Gen Science Teacher (V-BNGST) is a collaborative, interactive course. Teachers are immersed in doing science as adult learners for portions of the session. Science materials are sent directly to participants. Teachers learn how to apply the tools and principles they engaged with during the science portion to their own classroom, to engage all learners.
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Course goals:
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Develop teachers’ capacity to apply the shifts in instruction called for by NGSS to their own practice.
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Support teachers to create an equitable classroom culture where all students are supported to go public with their reasoning and build on their classmates’ ideas.
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Learn how to use a variety of tools to implement productive talk and small and whole group sensemaking discussions.
How we do this:
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Engage as learners in hands-on science investigations, as well as modeling, argumentation, and explanation of complex phenomena in the virtual context.
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Creatively and strategically use interactive web-based tools such as Google Jamboard, Driving Question Board, Summary Table, and Productive Talk with Waterfall Chats.
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Target audience: PreK-12 teachers, coaches, district science leaders, informal educators
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Dates: ​​
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Please register for only ONE of the sessions below
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Session 1: Feb 20-22, plus June 26-28, 2024 (45 PDPs).
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Session 2: April 16-18, plus June 26-28, 2024 (45 PDPs)​
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Times for both sessions: 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM Eastern, each day.
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Format: Virtual, synchronous facilitated study groups.
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Stipend: $450 upon completion
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To see a video of what V-BNGST looks like, go to ngsx.org and click on the link to Virtual PD on the landing page.
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Eligibility
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Eligible Massachusetts educators may take these courses at no cost. Specifically, these courses are open to any currently-employed Massachusetts public and charter school educator whose work relates to science in grades PK-12. This includes general education teachers, special education teachers, ESL or language support teachers, principals, coaches, and other school or district administrators whose work relates to science.
Stipends and PDPs
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Stipends and PDPs will be awarded upon course completion*.
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Amount of stipends and number of PDPs varies by course. Please see course-specific information above.
*Course Completion Requirements:
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Per DESE guidance, course completion requires that participants:
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Attend and participate in course sessions
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Complete brief pre & post assessments
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Complete brief DESE-created end of course survey
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Note: Only participants who meet these requirements will be eligible for PDP certificates and stipends.
Graduate credit:
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These courses are not offered for graduate credit.
For more information about these courses, please email nextgenexemplar@gmail.com

