New Jersey
Center for Teaching and Learning
Empowering Teachers …Leading Change
www.njctl.org
bob@njctl.org
Science and Mathematics
Science and mathematics are becoming priorities
to states and countries for reasons of
Social Justice
AND
International Competitiveness
Science and Mathematics
Social Justice requires that we provide fair
access for all students to math and science
Global competitiveness requires the same;
societies prosper by realizing the capacity of all
their people
The Current System has Failed
In most countries, too small a percentage of
students are successful in math and science
Students have been screened out of science and
mathematics, not welcomed them in
This is no longer acceptable
The Current System has Failed
The traditional system of education is inefficient
Pushing on it harder stresses students and
teachers, but doesn’t improve student learning or
test results
Like forcing a key in the wrong lock; turning it
harder breaks the key, but doesn’t open the lock
Progressive Science Initiative (PSI) &
Progressive Mathematics Initiative (PMI)
A new technology-enabled efficient system
Student learning and enjoyment rise
Teacher satisfaction and effectiveness improve
Rigor and stress are decoupled
A New System of Education
New technology pushes complexity to the system,
and away from the user
The total complexity of using a computer to do a
calculation is higher than using paper and pencil
But the stress and complexity is taken on by the
hardware and software creators
The user’s work is easier AND better
A New System of Education
The burden shifts to teams of teachers who create
courses that are shared, used and improved by all
The cost (more than $1,000,000 per year) is borne
by sponsors who believe in this mission
Then shared with students and teachers for free at
www.njctl.org
Free and Open-Source
Bipartisan Support
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Democrats and Republicans
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Business and unions
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Teachers and Administrators
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Students and Parents
Major Sponsors
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New Jersey Education Association
National Education Association
Bayer Healthcare
Verizon
Xcel Energy
SMART
eInstruction
Morgridge Family Foundation
Overdeck Family Foundation
National Education Association Foundation
Rapid Expansion
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Developed in 1 NJ school, starting in 1999
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Extended to 100 NJ schools, starting in 2007
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Extended to Argentina in 2010
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Extended to Rhode Island and Colorado in 2011
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Extended to The Gambia, West Africa (World
Bank and Peace Corps) in 2012
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NEA funding entry to more states in 2013 (VT)
Web Site Use – Last 12 Months
2.9 Million Pageviews from 154 countries
160,000 Unique Visitors
Web Site Pageviews
June 2009 – November 2013
Monthly
Pageviews
Annual
Pace
6,000,000
4,800,000
3,600,000
2,400,000
1,200,000
0
Web Site Teacher Registrations
Three Threads of PSI-PMI
1. Demystifying math and science to make them
accessible to all
2. Correcting the high school science sequence
3. Filling the shortage of physics and chemistry
teachers
The PSI-PMI System of Education
Integrates:
Pedagogy
Curriculum
Assessment
Professional Development
Converges:
The Written Curriculum
The Taught Curriculum
The Assessed curriculum
Pedagogy
Social Constructivism
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Round Tables
Group Problem Solving
Heterogeneous setting
Pedagogy
Direct Instruction
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Interactive White Board (IWB) Notebook presentation
Student Response Formative Assessment
Teacher as part of social group
Formative Assessment
Interactive White Board files
connect direct instruction and
social constructivism through
real-time student polling
Direct Instruction
Example: Direct Instruction - Adding Decimals
Direct Instruction
Example: Direct Instruction - Adding Decimals
Formative Assessment
Formative Assessment
The Key: The correct answer isn’t revealed
All students must defend their answers
Students like talking and debating
Students focus on short direct instruction and
the arguments at their table so they can get the
next questions right.
Demonstrations and labs become extensions of
this model, with open-ended labs driving inquiry
Structure of Classroom Learning
Each topic has direct instruction and about 6
formative assessment questions
Topics (with demonstrations) comprise units
Units (with labs) comprise courses
The sequence of courses comprise education
Neuroscience, Vygotsky and Video Games
People like to struggle, and then win
If there’s no struggle, it’s boring
If there’s no win, it’s frustrating
Releases endorphins, resulting in pleasure and
memory retention
Neuroscience, Vygotsky and Video Games
People are social
Work done in a group is more fun
The group moves all individuals forward
faster than they would move alone
Vygotsky’s Social Constructivism – Keeping
students in their Zone of Proximal Development
Teacher Created Digital Courses
Creating these courses is complex and time
consuming - beyond the capacity of a single
teacher
Teams of teachers create digital courses
The artisan model of lone teachers handcrafting
lessons and assessments is obsolete
Free Open-Source Digital Courses
These courses are posted for the free use of
all at www.njctl.org
They are free AND open-source: they can be
used, and edited, by anyone
Users drive continuous improvement – creating
a global professional learning community
Teachers register to see assessments
Free Open-Source Digital Courses
English language materials
 60,000+ slides
 2500+ Word Documents
It would take about 21 days, at 30 seconds a
slide, just to see all the slides
Spanish language versions being completed
www.njctl.org
High School Science Courses
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Algebra-Based Physics
AP Physics B (trigonometry based)
AP Physics C: Mechanics (calculus based)
AP Physics C: E&M (calculus based)
Chemistry
AP Chemistry
Biology
AP Biology
Grade Level Math Courses (CCSS)
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Pre-K (being developed)
Kindergarten
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 6
Grade 7
Grade 7 accelerated
Grade 8
Grade 8 / Algebra I
Algebra I
Geometry
Algebra II / Trig
Pre-Calculus
AP Calculus A/B
AP Calculus B/C
Domain Level Math Courses
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Expressions & Equations
Measurement and Data
Fractions
Functions
Geometry
Operations and Algebraic Thinking
Numbers in Base Ten
The Number System
Ratios and Proportions
Statistics and Probability
K-8 Science
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18 teacher-writers
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The first units have been posted and will
continue to be updated throughout the year
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Irvington has adopted the 6-8th grade curriculum
and is informally rolling it out to their K-5
teachers
Correcting the HS Science Sequence
9th Grade
10th Grade
11th Grade
Biology
Chem
Physics
Algebra
Geom.
Algebra.
II & Trig
12th Grade
Precalc
PSI Sequence: Required Courses
9th Grade
10th Grade
11th Grade
Physics
Chem
Biology
Algebra
Geom.
Algebra
II & Trig
12th Grade
PSI Sequence: Required & APs
9th Grade
10th Grade
11th Grade
12th Grade
Physics
Chem
Biology
Algebra
AP
Physics
AP
Chem
AP Bio
Geom.
Algebra
MA I II
PreMA
Calculus
II
AP Calc
Social Justice: Equity and Access
Equity requires that all high school students:
Study one year of mathematically rigorous physics
Have the option of taking Advanced Placement (AP)
Physics
Social Justice: Equity and Access
Many U.S. schools don’t offer physics at all and,
if they do, not to all their students
Less then 35% of U.S. students study physics,
and it’s often not mathematically rigorous
Less than 3% of U.S. students study AP Physics
Social Justice: Equity and Access
Schools with high poverty and underrepresented
minorities are least likely to offer physics
Less than half of New York City high schools
offer physics
Fewer than 20% of New York City students study
physics or chemistry in high school
A classic “bootstrap” problem
There are not enough physics teachers to teach
all students physics, so courses aren’t offered
Until there are physics courses, there are no
jobs for physics teachers
New physics courses must be started, and the
teachers of them created, at the same time
Creating Physics & Chemistry Teachers
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PSI has shown that all students can learn physics
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PSI has shown that all teachers can learn physics
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PSI teaches physics to skilled teachers
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And provides teachers the tools to teach physics
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To get the best teachers to become the best
physics teachers:
“Teaching is hard; science is easy”
PSI Creates Physics Teachers
Increasing AP Physics B Participation
New Jersey 2011-2012
Data Source: 2012 NJ School Performance Report (http://education.state.nj.us/pr) AP Participation Rates calculated by dividing the number of
exams taken for AP Physics B by the average number of students per grade
Learning Forward – National Report
Learning Forward – National Report
“The New Jersey Center for Teaching and Learning
(NJCTL) has been doing groundbreaking
professional development work in math and science
instruction as well…using the innovative curriculum
of 2006 New Jersey Teacher of the Year Robert
Goodman…to create the Progressive Science
Initiative….”
2011 IMS
Learning Impact Award
The Progressive Science Initiative and the
Progressive Mathematics Initiative: an
effective new approach to student learning
and teacher training – SMART Technologies
and New Jersey Center for Teaching and
Learning
2011 IMS Learning Impact Award
New Jersey
Center for Teaching and Learning
Empowering Teachers …Leading Change
www.njctl.org
bob@njctl.org