“I was a participant in the Introduction to Phenomena session that Josh Smith presented on January 16th, 2020. The workshop was a valuable learning experience. It helped me gain a clearer understanding of the characteristics of good phenomena. In addition, I gained a better understanding of how to read and analyze the performance expectations, recognizing how the SEPs, DCIs, and CCCs are embedded within the performance expectation statements. I highly recommend this workshop to science teachers who are new to implementing NGSS or other three-dimensional science standards.”

“I attended the Introduction to Phenomena session that Dr. Joshua Smith presented on January 16th, 2020. As a curriculum coordinator, I was amazed at how much the science standards have developed. I gained a much better understanding of the challenges our teachers face in implementing NGSS or other three-dimensional standards in their classrooms.”

“I sat in and observed the Introduction to Phenomena sessions that Josh Smith presented in Arlington and Barre, Vermont in December 2018. The course which Josh provided to the Vermont educators was incredibly valuable. Participants learned about the 3 dimensionality of discrete phenomena- specifically around the aspects of crosscutting concepts and disciplinary core ideas. Josh modeled how to evaluate selected phenomena and then moved on to having participants evaluate their own phenomena. This I-We-You work-model worked to set the stage for the next sequence of the course - drafting phenomena to specific performance expectations of the educators’ own choosing. Participant feedback indicated that they would welcome more opportunities to dive deeply into the content that Josh offered and learn how to explicitly embed their drafted phenomena into performance assessments. This was a great springboard for Vermont educators to not only intentionally bring 3-dimensional science into their classrooms, but also to embed their lessons with authentic and engaging phenomena to further student growth.”