Corwin Becoming a Better Science Teacher: 8 Steps to High Quality Instruction and Student Achievement

In this invaluable text for science teachers, Elizabeth Hammerman focuses on helping teachers to expand their understanding of the interconnected elements of high quality curriculum and instruction, and to build those qualities into their own teaching. Readers will be able to analyze their existing curriculum and instruction against indicators related to standards, concept development, materials, strategies, teaching models, all of the necessary elements to bring about in success on standardized measures. The author identifies ten indicators of high quality science teaching, providing how-to′s for applying each in your own classroom and a completed sample unit illustrating the incorporation of all ten essentials. Modelling the inquiry process, each chapter begins with an essential question, provides learning experiences, incorporates pauses in the text for thought and discussion, and closes with a return to the initial question. Throughout the process, the reader gains experience with all the needed components for delivering high quality instruction. Review "The major strengths of this book are dealing with standards and making practical connections to assessment and teaching, and the excellent examples throughout and their practicality. A very exciting and user-friendly text." -- Gary Willhite, Teacher Educator Published On: 2006-02-27 "What a treasure! The contents will change the way teachers teach and students learn. This book is a tour de force, a must-read for every educator!" -- Marian White-Hood, Principal Published On: 2006-02-27 "This text is especially strong in the clear, solid approach toward developing high-quality science instruction. It does an exceptional job of relating this step-by-step approach to educational research on science pedagogy." -- Diann Musial, Distinguished Teaching Professor Published On: 2006-03-09 "Gives teachers everything they need to deliver meaningful science instruction and ensure student success and achievement." -- SirReadaLot.org, August 2006 Published On: 2006-07-03 "Hammerman′s recommendations and instructional supports complement current teaching practices across disciplines and grade levels." -- Curriculum Connections, Spring 2007 Published On: 2007-07-02 About the Author Elizabeth Hammerman is a dedicated science educator and consultant. Her professional background includes teaching science at the middle school and high school levels and over 20 years of experience teaching university science education courses and co-directing funded grant projects. She has done extensive professional development with teachers in the field, specializing in curriculum development and implementation, performance assessment, and effective teaching and learning. The need for high-quality professional development programs and materials in science education became apparent throughout the many projects and professional relationships with teachers who were eager to increase their knowledge base, skills, and confidence for teaching science more effectively. Hammerman has co-authored a book on performance assessment in science and authored a database of science assessment tasks. She has published articles, presented programs at national conferences, consulted nationally, and developed curriculum and assessments for cutting-edge school districts and commercial products. Since relocating to North Carolina in 1999, Hammerman has been a math/science consultant for a consortium of seven county school systems, has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in teacher education and science education, served as director of education and professional development for Virtual Learning Systems, and worked as a consultant for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. She is actively involved in professional development and continues to work on a series of professional development books for science education for Corwin Press.