Need for Change, Option F:
Participants List Needed Changes

Estimated Time: 20 minutes

Example of Use: Sample 2.5-Day Workshop Agenda.

List of Materials

Sample Presentation
Presenter: The purpose of this activity is to identify changes in science education that are important to you. Most educators would probably agree with the statement ‘Change is needed.’ They would agree that all is not well in many aspects of the education system. But educators probably have quite different things in mind about what needs to change. It is unlikely that all of us have identical ideas about what particular changes must occur if we are to get educational reform underway and have it endure. Knowing what each of us would include on our list could be quite enlightening because it would give us a glimpse into this group’s priorities for change. Many of you may already be working to effect change in your school district or state. Knowing what your co-workers want to change is important.

I would like each of you to think for a few minutes about what needs to change and the evidence that convinces you of the need for that change, for example: instructional strategies may need to be changed; there might be too much reliance on textbooks. Jot down some of your ideas so that you can share them with your group.   (Allow 5 minutes for this activity.)

Presenter: Now share your ideas within the small group [at your table] and prepare a report to the total group of one to three change ideas, citing evidence for each.  

As groups report, record their change ideas on chart paper or a blank transparency. Allow time for the group to respond to a few of the ideas listed.

Presenter: Let’s classify these change ideas into two categories: One, those that are within your power to begin to change effectively, and two, those that must be addressed primarily by other persons or groups within your districts.  

Collect responses quickly by checking ideas that participants cannot, by themselves, change, such as class size, funding, school schedule.

Presenter: Project 2061 is preparing tools to assist school-districts and states in addressing many aspects of reforming the education system. This workshop is designed to explore with you the ways that two of the Project’s curriculum design tools—Science for All Americans and Benchmarks for Science Literacy—can assist you in your work. The Project is developing more tools to assist school districts in changing other areas of the education system.

Project 2061 believes that change is needed and believes just as firmly that change is possible.  

TRANSPARENCY: Characteristics of Project 2061 (2 pages, 1 as overlay).

The following points should be made as the participants view the transparency.

Presenter: However, the Project recognizes that the possibility for change depends upon the willingness of educators

• to study science literacy goals (Science for All Americans and Benchmarks for Science Literacy) to understand what is expected of ALL students.

• to use this understanding to help ALL students progress toward literacy goals—this means moving ideas beyond these two books [point to SFAA and Benchmarks] and into classrooms.

• to initiate and maintain dialogue among K-12 teams of educators in our schools and districts and at state and national meetings.

• to eliminate from the curriculum what doesn’t serve science literacy goals to make room for what does.

• to be patient and know that while some changes can begin now, the dramatic changes we want to occur will require years, even decades.