Mission & Philosophy

The primary goals of all professional development programs at the Science Museum of Minnesota are to:

• develop teachers' understanding of science as a dynamic practice involving a conceptual knowledge base and inquiry;
• increase teachers' ability to make instructional decisions based on the needs of diverse learners; and
• increase the effectiveness of science-specific pedagogy and methods essential for science learning and general academic achievement.

A further goal is to support teachers in promoting their students' academic achievement and scientific literacy by engaging students in rigorous experiences for learning science that accurately reflect the nature of scientific inquiry and to do so in such a manner that personal attributes, including race, class, culture, language, gender, sexual orientation, and religion, are not predictors of success.

Student achievement can be raised by providing a coherent, well-taught, standards-based education for all students. To provide this education, science educators must translate standards and content into meaningful classroom experiences. These experiences must be delivered in a manner that incorporates an understanding of students' conceptual development across grade levels. Professional development for science educators must deepen teachers' understanding of science content, investigation skills, standards, and pedagogy; support them in translating these deepened understandings and skills into their own classroom practice; and foster critical reflection around their own teaching practice within a community of science education colleagues.

Teacher Expertise: Implementing high quality science education demands five attributes from educators:

• effective execution of science-specific pedagogy;
• skilled implementation of exemplary curricular materials;
• fundamental understanding of scientific concepts and processes as they relate to standards;
• nuanced strategies to assess student learning; and
• solid familiarity of the needs of diverse learners.

This is referred to collectively as Pedagogical Content Knowledge.

Leadership: Our theory of action is that leadership is a reciprocal learning process in which a community shares a common vision and purpose. Individuals within the community then become authentic leaders by transforming their belief in the vision and sense of purpose into action within the context of their positional leadership. Rather than isolating leaders and expecting them to take back knowledge and strategies to their colleagues, effectively advancing leadership involves a team-based approach in which cohorts of educators participate in common experiences that develop shared knowledge, skills and strategies with the understanding that they will return to their own environment with differentiated roles and responsibilities.

In addition to the above areas, we are especially interested in further developing programs that:

• improve access and equity issues within science;
• provide exemplary instructional materials to teachers for classroom use;
• develop and support professional learning communities; and
• support inquiry across disciplines in efforts such as the International Baccalaureate Programme.

Our programs are offered in partnership with universities, museums, professional societies, and corporations from around the country and are funded by major awards from federal, state, and private foundations. We actively incorporate National Science Education Standards, Benchmarks for Science Literacy, and the Minnesota Academic Standards in Science in our efforts.