BSCS Storylines Writing Institute
The BSCS Storylines Writing Institute is a four-day virtual professional learning experience designed to help participants build the understanding and skills needed to design units and lessons using the Storylines approach, which centers coherence from the student perspective. BSCS is a leader in curriculum design and development, and the Institute offers participants the opportunity to learn from and with our expert developers.
Institute participants engage in BSCS’s collaborative Storylines design process, using proven tools and methods to develop units and lessons. They work through a lesson from a writers’ storyline, then step into the student role to test the experience for coherence across the unit. Along the way, they examine how student understanding is represented through models that build over time, create an educative teacher guide to support the Storyline approach, and address practical curriculum development topics such as media use, copyright, and timelines. Those who fully participate in the institute will receive a certificate of completion.
Who should participate
The Writing Institute is designed for:
- Current or former classroom teachers with Storylines or Anchored Inquiry Learning experience who are interested in part- or full-time writing.
- Science and/or education graduate students or researchers interested in curriculum writing.
- Experienced curriculum writers who are new to the Storylines or Anchored Inquiry Learning model and want to learn about BSCS’s approaches to development.
- Individuals from groups currently or historically underrepresented in science, science education, and curriculum development, who are especially encouraged to participate.
What participants gain
After participating in the institute, participants will be better prepared to:
- Apply for roles on writing teams using the Storylines or similar model at BSCS or elsewhere.
- Develop or adapt high-quality instructional materials for schools and districts.
- Support implementation of high-quality instructional materials through a deep understanding of design principles and processes.
Important details:
- The institute includes intensive small group work (you will leave with a sample lesson you co-design with a partner or small group!)
- You will need to clear your whole day during regular 8-5 business hours for each of the 4 days of the Institute to fully immerse; your small group will depend on your full participation.
- You will need a strong Internet connection and a quiet place to work so you can fully participate in the group conversations via Zoom, and ideally a large screen as we will be working across multiple tabs in a browser using Google Drive.
Interested?
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What participants love about the Storylines Writing Institute
“…there was something wonderfully fulfilling to see our work in the slide decks and the templates – it seems silly, but there was an extra level of pride in what we had accomplished as it looked so much like the published materials we’ve had the chance to work with.”
“The perspectives activity and discussion was an absolute highlight!”
“The combination of whole group sessions where we were presented with information about developing storylines followed by small group time to implement what we learned was so effective!”
“Different backgrounds & strengths shined through in the work & ideas shared this week. I felt honored to be a part of this highly skilled group.”
“I’ve really appreciated the behind the scenes look at the materials and process. I’ve also really appreciated the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues who I have never worked with before!”