Enhancing Literacy Strategies for STEM Teachers: Improving Students’ Reading Comprehension and Informational Writing in the Science Classroom
Monday, Oct 23, 2023
Enhancing Literacy Strategies for STEM Teachers: Improving Students’ Reading Comprehension and Informational Writing in the Science Classroom, is a transformative professional development workshop designed to equip STEM educators with innovative literacy strategies to boost their students' reading comprehension and informational writing skills. The workshop draws on evidence-based techniques rooted in cognitive science to foster critical thinking, creativity, problem solving, and inquiry-based learning, all pivotal to academic achievement in the STEM fields. The workshop will guide educators through a range of successful reading and writing strategies using grade-level science textbooks and supplemental informational articles. Participants will explore activities that stimulate brain function and promote deeper understanding, including making connections, recognizing patterns, and organizing and categorizing information. The strategies presented will not only enhance students' understanding and retention of science content but also contribute to the development of their critical thinking skills. Through hands-on collaborative exercises, teachers will experience how collaboration fosters engagement and enhances learning outcomes, including making judgements, drawing conclusions, and transferring learning to other subjects, settings, and standardized tests. Participants will also engage in personal narrative writing exercises, providing a practical demonstration of strategies that can be used to promote successful writing. These narratives will serve as tangible examples that teachers can bring back to their classrooms, furthering their students' understanding of how these strategies can be employed.
The workshop concludes with an opportunity for teachers to identify which reading and writing strategies they plan to implement first, and a review of brain-stimulating practices to reinforce the workshop's key takeaways. This engaging workshop provides a unique blend of literacy and STEM, enhancing teachers' abilities to foster student literacy in the science classroom.