SCIENCE EDUCATORS SESSION 3: How Do I Get There-From-Here? - Participant Guidelines & Productive Talk

Oct 10, 2026

Uploaded by Grenda

SCIENCE EDUCATORS SESSION 3 focuses on strengthening science instruction through productive classroom talk and inquiry. The session outlines synchronous, asynchronous, and face-to-face professional learning for October to June 2026, supported by Illinois State Board of Education funds. It sets outcomes including reflecting on current instruction, engaging students in sensemaking through phenomena, scaffolding for rigor and curiosity, and using data to guide next steps. Participants explore talk moves, sentence stems, and discussion planning tools, with guidelines for participation and breakout engagement.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages37

Reading Time1 h 33 min

AccessFree to download

Context, Introductions, and Roles

Purpose & Desired Outcome

Participant Guidelines

Why Discourse and Sensemaking Matter

Goals for Productive Talk

Productive Talk Moves

SCIENCE EDUCATORS SESSION 3: How Do I Get Therefrom Here? Illinois Science Capacity Builders Series CONTEXT , INTRODUCTIONS, and ROLES: October-June 2026 Professional Learning Synchronous virtual sessions, Asynchronous virtual sessions (spring 2026), Face to Face Session (June 2026). All professional learning supported by funds through the Illinois State Board of Education. IL SCIENCE STEERING COMMITTEE Meagan Budke, ISBE Anji Garza, PD & Ed Service Director, ROE 47 (Tech, Chat) Heather Galbreath, 6th Grade Science Teacher Galesburg, IL Brian Gibbs, Educator, Bradley School District 61 Sarah Meador, Director of ROE Services, ROE 8 Dawn Novak, Professional Learning Designer, Northwestern University Nate Nugent, High School Science Teacher, Streator, IL Kristin Rademaker, Professional Learning Specialist, NSTA Misty Richmond, Middle School Science Teacher, CPS Richard Stokes, University of Illinois-Springfield Nicole Vick, Curriculum Developer, Northwestern University You! Breakout Participant, Speaker Purpose & Desired Outcome Purpose Desired Outcome By the end of this meeting we will have: ● Reflected on our current science instruction and identified specific growth areas aligned with the vision from Session 2. ● Explored strategies to engage students in meaningful sensemaking through phenomena and inquiry. ● Discussed ways to scaffold learning that maintain both rigor and curiosity. ● Examined how to use data and standards knowledge to guide next steps and measure progress. ● Developed an actionable plan to implement one or two key shifts toward more authentic, three-dimensional learning. To deepen your understanding of the Illinois Science Standards, build your capacity to teach science, and support greater student success. Cameras on if possible Participate though chat, hands up feature, and breakout sessions Resist the temptation ● Take care of your own to multitask needs Participant Guidelines Please rename yourself and include your grade level. e.g. 2nd Grade, Anji Garza . We heard you…. “Those doing the talking are doing the learning” So how do we support discourse in the classroom that is accessible for all? We have three tools/strategies we want to share with you today: ● Using Talk Moves ● Using sentence stems ● Using a discussion planning tool So why might students not want to engage in productive talk? In the chat, or unmute: ● What are some reasons why some of your students might not talk in class? Why is discourse so central to student sensemaking? Rich student sensemaking requires a classroom culture of public reasoning to build students’science ideas across a unit. Being able to identify and support productive talk is an important part of building this culture . Productive talk allows students to: ● make their thinking public in an equitable way. ● reason about complex ideas. ● develop arguments and evidence-based explanations. Goals for Productive Talk To support productive talk, there are four conditions that need to be in place . These can be expressed as goals or challenges. ● Goal 1 : Help individual students share, expand, and clarify their own thinking. ● Goal 2 : Help students listen carefully to one another. ● Goal 3 : Help students deepen their reasoning. ● Goal 4 : Help students think with others. Productive Talk Moves Individually: Read through the Goals and Talk Moves Handout. Be ready to share: ● Which Goal is most in place in your own classroom? ● Which Goal is least in place in your own classroom?

FAQs

What outcomes are expected by the end of Session 3?

Participants will reflect on current science instruction and identify growth areas, explore strategies for meaningful sensemaking through phenomena and inquiry, and plan one or two key shifts toward authentic three-dimensional learning. The session also emphasizes using data and standards knowledge to guide next steps and measure progress.

How can participants engage during the session?

Participants are asked to keep cameras on if possible and to participate through chat, the hands up feature, and breakout sessions. They should also rename themselves to include their grade level.

What are the four conditions or goals for productive talk?

The goals are: help individual students share, expand, and clarify thinking; help students listen carefully to one another; help students deepen their reasoning; and help students think with others.

Oct 10, 2026

Uploaded by Grenda