Approved Course for Accelerating Science: Open Access Professional Learning (OAPL). Eligible Massachusetts educators may take this course at no cost. Visit OAPL website to learn more.
OAPL Eligibility
Eligible Massachusetts educators may take this course at no cost. Specifically, this course is open to any currently-employed Massachusetts public and charter school educator whose work relates to science in grades 6-12. This includes general education teachers, special education teachers, ESL or language support teachers, principals, coaches, and other school or district administrators whose work relates to science. (Massachusetts Education Personnel ID (MEPID) is required for free OAPL registration.)
Stipends and PDPs
Non-School Day Stipend: Eligible participants completing the PD will receive a stipend of $150 upon course completion*.
*Course Completion Requirements: Per DESE guidance, course completion requires that participants:
- Complete 80% of online hours and attend Zoom course sessions
- Complete pre & post knowledge assessment
- Complete a DESE-created end of course survey
Note: Only participants who meet these requirements will be eligible for stipends.
PDPs: Participants earn a certificate of completion for 12 hours of professional development.
Early Access Eligibility
- Registration priority is given to educators who hold an emergency license and are currently employed in an eligible role in one or more of the following fields: Early Childhood, Elementary, Moderate Disabilities, Biology, Chemistry, Earth & Space Science, General Science, MS Math/Science, Physics, and Technology/Engineering.
- Registration priority is given to educators from the following school districts:
Use this link to verify eligibility and get your enrollment code.
Course Description
This course will introduce the key concepts of phenomena-driven instruction and give participants the knowledge they need to select effective phenomena for classroom use and design lessons and units driven by these phenomena. A variety of materials that increase participants’ knowledge of the theory and practice of using high-quality phenomena to drive instruction will be provided. We will dig into the why, what, and how of phenomena-driven instruction and learn how it creates a more equitable and accessible learning environment for all students. Throughout the course, there will be multiple opportunities for all teachers from K-12 to explore and experience phenomena-driven instruction and collaborate with colleagues to identify high-quality phenomena and problems, redesign a current lesson, and develop a new phenomena-driven unit.
This hybrid course is designed to be completed in 3 weeks with rolling enrollment.
Time Commitment:
- 3 hours/week asynchronous work
- Attend two 1-hour Zoom community of practice meetings
Go at your own pace.
Attend weekly meetings for collaboration and feedback.
email [email protected] for more information
