Baldwin Physics students now track a classmate moving toward or away from a Chromebook to learn about concepts like acceleration and velocity.
They are learning through data they collect themselves, rather than being provided data by a teacher. This lesson, which also uses The Physics Classroom website, provides an interactive way of learning science concepts.
“I enjoy using resources like The Physics Classroom because it allows me to get a better sense of how the basics of physics work,” junior Alex Myers said.
This type of curricular change is happening in all Baldwin science classes this year. The idea is that science lessons will have a more hands-on approach so students develop a deeper understanding of the material.
“Students are really thinking like a scientist and researching like a scientist would,” district Director of Instruction and Learning Jill Fleming-Salopek said.
It might take more than a single class period to complete the full lesson now, but the goal is for students to gain a better grasp of the concept.
“I enjoy the new way of teaching due to the fact that it’s more hands-on, and it keeps me and my classmates engaged in class,” Myers said.
These changes throughout Baldwin science courses are happening because the district has adopted science standards called PA STEELS, or Science, Technology & Engineering, Environmental Literacy & Sustainability. PA STEELS is modeled after a national framework called Next Generation Science Standards
Tina Gaser is the instructional coach for implementing the STEELS standards in grades K-12 in the district. Gaser works with teachers as they redesign their lessons to incorporate this new way of teaching. Half of Gaser’s day is devoted to coaching, while she teaches her own courses for the other half the day.
She was selected for the coaching position due to her prior experience.
“I did a lot of work with (the Next Gen standards) back in 2013 and ’14,” Gaser said.
Physics teacher Rachel Neil worked with Tina Gaser over the summer on the curriculum changes. Neil, Gaser, Wells, McNally and Donoghue and Fleming-Salopek are a part of the secondary science leadership team.
Principal Shaun Tomaszewski is a part of a group called the Pennsylvania Science Education Leadership Network. His role in this group is to help roll out the implementation of STEELS.
Tomaszewski said that even though this is the first year that STEELS has been in the curriculum, Baldwin Biology teachers have been teaching classes using aspects of Next Gen standards in their classes for several years.
“They’ve been incorporating (these types of) lessons and labs ever since I got here,” Tomaszweski said.