PLI #3

About the Session

At OpenSciEd, our teams of experts work tirelessly to design materials for the latest research and we know YOU can make them even better. Our materials are released in editable formats because we value teacher experience and expertise. In this session, you will work with some of our experts to “get under the hood” of OpenSciEd middle school units so you are better prepared to customize these materials for your classroom, building, or district.

We will map your customization “why” to a customization “what” and “how.” Reasons for customizations may include better-supporting relevance, engagement, equity, pacing, or standards alignment--and sometimes it's just about making it fit for you as an educator. Customizing lessons and units while keeping your eye on the learning goals, keeping student sensemaking at the center, and adjusting for how that change impacts other lessons and units; however, can get overwhelming. And sometimes the right changes to make aren't readily apparent.

We’ll share tools for helping you to clarify for yourself the reason a lesson or a unit needs customization, work through strategies for figuring out what the right customizations are to make to address this reason, and then dive into making these customizations together with a community of like-minded collaborators. There will be additional support sessions throughout the conference to continue to work on the customizations that we start together during the Professional Learning Institute.

We've got the materials, you bring your brilliance, and we'll make magic!

This session is designed for teachers and leaders who have already had some experience either teaching OpenSciEd or supporting teachers to implement OpenSciEd. All are welcome, but if you’re brand new to OpenSciEd, this session may move too fast.

Renee Affolter

Renee Affolter has been supporting K-12 teachers in science education for over 20 years through the design, research, and delivery of professional learning for teachers and leaders.  She is currently a researcher and the Co-Director of the OpenSciEd Equitable (OEI) Initiative at Boston College where she is supporting schools across MA as they adopt OpenSciEd.  Renee helped with the design of the OpenSciEd middle school science curriculum and professional learning materials. Prior to this Renee taught middle and high school science and co-developed and implemented several MSP funded programs to support K-12 teachers.  Renee’s background is in biology and she holds a M.Ed. from the University of California Berkeley, and a Ph.D. in Science Education from UMass Amherst.

Erika Palys

Erika Palys is passionate about making quality science education accessible and attainable for all teachers and students. As Project Manager at OpenSciEd, Erika maintains the success of OpenSciEd Professional Learning events and the Facilitator Team and organizes the execution of various special initiatives. Previously, Erika worked with OpenSciEd as a member of the Professional Learning Facilitator team and as a Quality Review Consultant. Erika started her education career as a middle school science teacher in Evanston, IL where she taught NextGen Science Storylines and OpenSciEd in her 6th grade classroom.

Austin Moore

Passionate about education and innovation, Austin is dedicated to empowering teachers and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. With a rich background in urban science education, Austin taught high school chemistry for eight years, creating engaging learning environments and integrating technology to enhance student understanding and interaction. Beyond the classroom, he facilitated and designed professional development for educators, combining his teaching experience with his academic pursuits. Now a graduate student at Boston College, Austin's research focuses on teacher learning and leveraging technology to support teacher professional development.