ADI's Make a Change Grant: Transforming Education with ADI Instructional Materials

Overview: The Make a Change Grant is designed to support the adoption and sustained use of ADI instructional materials in schools and districts. The initiative aims to foster major changes in teaching and learning in science, mathematics, or engineering while establishing a lasting infrastructure for continued...

Creating a Vibrant Science Classroom with Argument-Driven Inquiry

In the quest to provide quality science education for students in grades K-5, educators rely on instructional materials as their guiding compass. These materials should not only capture the imagination of young minds but also foster a deep understanding of science and engineering concepts. In this blog post, we'll delve into the Science Instructional...

Quality instructional materials are the cornerstone of effective science education. They have the power to inspire curiosity, engage students, and foster a deep understanding of scientific concepts. To ensure that science instructional materials for grades 6-12 meet the highest standards, educators can turn to a comprehensive rubric based on recommendations from "...

When it comes to science education, instructional materials play a pivotal role in shaping students' learning experiences. The right materials can make science come alive, engaging students in meaningful and rigorous ways that foster a deep understanding of the subject matter. To help educators evaluate and choose the best instructional materials for their classrooms, a comprehensive rubric has been developed for grades K-12. This rubric...

We’ve all sat around a table with someone explaining the latest initiative in education. The slide deck scrolls, the presenter reads from the screen, and teachers are tasked with figuring out implementation.

Accommodating the needs of every learner is a common challenge for teachers, especially with growing class sizes. We developed the Learning Hub’s Immersive Reader to offer personalized reading support for all students.

Some built-in features include:

• Translation for English Language Learners
• Text and contrast options for visual...

The Argument-Driven Inquiry team develops equitable STEM education opportunities from a teacher-first mindset. Experienced classroom teachers are in all departments of the ADI team. Additionally, team members taught at the elementary and secondary levels during the pandemic.

Like you, the ADI team experienced the pandemic from a teacher’s point of view. We merged our collective experiences with the needs of our students to build a...

Stephanie Basile

Which grade level(s) do you teach?

At the time of the President’s Award [Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 2020], I was teaching 4th grade. The last two years, I have been teaching K-6 computer science and...

The pandemic has been exceptionally hard for teachers and students because many districts did not have access to the resources they needed to provide rigorous and equitable learning experiences for all students in response to this crisis. Luckily, the second round of the Cares Act is providing additional funding to school districts. The goal of this program is to give students an opportunity to learn more during this coming summer and into...

• Name: Wendy Howe
• District: Grapevine-Colleyville ISD
• Grade/Subject: Instructional Coach- Science 6-12
• Twitter Handle: @whowe67

Q: How and when did you first learn about ADI?

A: I attended an ADI session at the Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching several years ago.

Q: What do you like most about ADI (face to face or at a distance)?

A: Stages 3 and 4...

• Name: Shannon Wilson
• District: Magnolia ISD (Magnolia, TX)
• Grade/Subject: 6th Science
• Twitter Handle: @WilsonScience

Q: What kinds of scaffolds/support did you give the students as they were creating their argument?

A: Students used their lab handouts and I projected the image from ADI of the components of a whiteboard. I moved around and asked questions as they were...

• Name: Michelle Marinangel
• District: Grapevine-Colleyville ISD
• Grade/Subject: 8th/ ASPIRE Pre-AP Biology
• Twitter Handle: @MsMarinangel (My account is currently locked with no tweets – it is on my list to contact twitter to get this issue resolved)

Q: How and when did you first learn about ADI?

A: I am a first year teacher. I learned about the ADI process and format from Wendy...

• Name: Emily Kwon
• District: Independent
• School: Emerson School
• Grade/Subject: 8th Grade Physical Science

Q: How did you hear about ADI Online?

A: Over the summer of 2020 when many schools were preparing to go remote due to the pandemic, I was made aware of ADI Online through communications that I receive via email, as well as on the ADI website.

Q: What made you (or your...

• We took a group of students through the High School Biology "Predator-Prey Relationships" Investigation in our new ADI Online Platform (powered by Eduflow) and were so impressed with their work that we wanted to show it off! The guiding question for this investigation was "How many wolves ...

• Name: Juliet Walls
• District: Clayton County
• Grade/Subject: 5th Grade Science and Social Studies
• Twitter Handle: @juliet_walls

Q: How and when did you learn about ADI?

Summer of 2018 district provided summer conference training. I was looking for a workshop that was interactive and that I could bring back to my classroom. I attended that week-long Introduction...

Q: How did ADI first come to the attention of RRISD?

Our district science specialist attended a Texas Science Education Leadership Association meeting at ESC Region 13 in Austin, TX where Vic Sampson facilitated a session on ADI. The eight stages gave our team a vision for what inquiry-based instruction could look like in the science classroom in a step-by-step framework for doing science.

A clear understanding of...

• Name: Angel Buchanan
• District: Lake Dallas ISD
• Role: Campus Instructional Coach and Testing Coordinator, Lake Dallas Elementary
• Twitter Handle: @angel3may

Q: How and when did you learn about ADI?

One of our 8th-grade teachers was using Argument-Driven Inquiry and loved the model so our...

Our featured teacher for January 2020 is Andrea Harrison. Andrea is a 7th-grade teacher in Frisco ISD, and you can find lots of great pictures of her students doing ADI on Twitter at @mommaloveslanda!

Q: How and when did you learn about ADI?

I first started with ADI in 2014 in a chemistry class when it was being rolled out with my district in McKinney, Texas....

Our featured teacher for December 2019 is Cassie Weilmuenster. Cassie is a 4th-grade teacher in Magnolia ISD, and you can find lots of great pictures of her students doing ADI on Twitter at @teachscrabble!

Q: How and when did you learn about ADI?

I learned about ADI last year before school began. This is a district decision to have 3-6th grade implement...

• Name: D’Anna Muhammad
• District: Clayton Public Schools
• Role: K-12 Science Instructional Lead

How did you become interested in ADI?

I was first introduced to ADI as it was being introduced to Clayton County science teachers. I was a classroom teacher at the time, so I was part of the first cohort of teachers using ADI here in the district.

...

Paul McEwan, high school science teacher in Hoover, AL and Alabama Teacher of the Year (2017-2018), talks about using ADI in his own classroom and the change he had to make as a teacher using ADI. Paul states that, "It was really philosophical change that happened for me at the end of the second ADI"....

Our #ADISlowChat was a great success. Thanks to everyone who participated. Most responses agreed that making mistakes is a huge part of the process and where the learning happens. We couldn't agree with you more! To see ADI happening in classrooms all over the country, follow @ArgumentDriven on Twitter.