Olympic ESD 114
The Olympic ESD 114 ClimeTime work is focused on increasing understanding of the Next Generation Science Standards while building a vision of science instruction consistent with the Framework for K-12 Science Education. Olympic ESD serves teachers in rural and remote areas on the Olympic Peninsula working to ensure equity and access to high quality professional learning opportunities in typically underserved communities. A focus of this project is on building relationships with teachers, assess needs, and connect services in a directed way to meet identified professional learning needs.
Teacher Professional Development
Growing Elementary Science
Olympic ESD will convene a cohort of 35 elementary teachers in the Growing Elementary Science Project. The Growing Elementary Science project is comprised of 35 K-5 teachers from school districts throughout the Olympic ESD Region. Teachers work in collaborative teams to modify an existing science unit to create a cohesive storyline with a compelling and puzzling phenomenon anchored to a schoolyard garden context. Project activities include face to face professional learning sessions beginning in October and wrapping up in April. Teachers will be provided with ongoing support to plan and implement a science unit, learning sessions at an established schoolyard garden and the Bainbridge Island Islandwood Camps.
A central focus of the project will be to increase student and teacher interest and engagement in science teaching and learning.
Middle School Science Collaboratory
Collaborate-Implement-Reflect
The Middle School Collaboratory project will bring together middle school teachers from around the region working on implementing newly adopted or piloted instructional materials. Teachers will work in teams to plan and reflect on the implementation of recent lessons, consider classroom instructional routines to increase student engagement, and strengthen collegial relationships through a learning network. An inter-district cohort of 20 middle school teachers will convene three times during the year to learn, reflect, and grow.
Instructional Materials
OpenSciEd Project
OpenSciEd project for middle school science teachers where they have increased their pedagogical understanding of science teaching through engagement in the Science Storylines instructional approach. Teachers learn instructional routines to support better access and engagement to rigorous science content for their students. The focus on the professional learning will be on teachers using student ideas to drive instruction through classrooms that support academically productive talk. Teachers will begin the second year of the pilot project learning about and implementing two new units.
Growing Elementary Science
Teacher professional learning through modification of existing units to better align with the Washington Science Learning Standards and vision in the Framework for K-12 Science Education. Teachers working to identify locally relevant and engaging phenomena connected to the schoolyard garden context to provide greater cohesion among unit lessons.
Partners & Collaborators
Washington Green Schools
Islandwood
Pacific Education Institute
Northwest ESD 189
Puget Sound ESD
Success Stories from ESD 114
ClimeTime cited in leading science journal
The Washington state program ClimeTime, which is facilitated by the state’s nine Education Service Districts (ESDs) and community partners, was recently cited as a popular and effective model for educator education in climate science. The Journal of Science Policy and...
New Tools Engage Students in Virtual Climate Science Learning
Adults usually try to reduce kids’ screen time, but when COVID-19 closed schools to in-person learning last spring, schools had no choice but to move classes online. With little experience in remote instruction, teachers have been challenged to get kids actively...
Growing Interest in Elementary Science- A Schoolyard Garden Initiative
Olympic Educational Service District 114 has recently launched the Growing Elementary Science schoolyard garden initiative. This year long project began with thirty-five elementary teachers learning the science behind plant growth and how to anchor science learning...