Context Considerations
Before you begin planning your program, it makes sense to find out about key contextual factors that may influence the content and format of the professional development design. There are three main areas worth examining at the outset:
1.
Goals and expectations for the science program
2.
History with science programming
3.
Challenges to presenting hands-on science activities
What follows are some guidelines for conducting a needs assessment that can help inform the design of your professional development program.
Determine Goals and Expectations
Early in your planning stages, ask managers or administrators of the community-based organization (CBO) targeted for professional development some of the following questions:
- How do you view science in terms of the overall programming for children? What do/will science activities add to your existing program?
- Will science activities be offered as a core part of your program for all children, or will they serve as an elective activity for some?
- Will all or some activity leaders at your organization be expected to lead science activities?
- Exactly how will you be incorporating science and engineering activities into their existing program?
The answers to these questions can give you a sense of the level of priority the organization has placed on conducting science activities, and whether or not it has made a commitment to including science as an integral part of its programming. Whatever the case, it will be important to build an awareness of the benefits and value of doing science with children in order to encourage CBOs to make it part of their regular offerings. In the current climate of rising academic expectations, out-of-school programming administrators are facing increasing pressure to offer activities that will help to make out-of-school time more explicitly educational. Often, priorities for particular types of activities can shift due to funding or to the interests of parents and youth. Knowing the CBO’s particular goals and expectations for science professional development can help determine the scope and content of what will need to be covered in workshops and institutes.
Consider History with Science Programming
It can also be helpful to know about past experiences with science programming.
Ask the following questions:
- Have you previously included science activities in your regular programming?
- What kind of science and/or engineering activities or curricula have you used before?
- How much program time do you expect will be available for science activities per session? per week?
- Have parents and/or children involved with your CBO expressed an interest in doing science?
Some agencies may be in the early phases of bringing science and engineering activities to the out-of-school setting, and may have only offered these types of activities on an occasional basis, depending on staff interest and abilities. Other agencies and programs may have already made a strong commitment to offering science and engineering activities and may be engaging children in science and engineering activities as often as twice a week or even daily. The professional development activities and curricula highlighted in this Web guide are fairly comprehensive and were primarily designed to address the needs of those agencies that have decided to offer science and engineering activities as a core part of their program. However, many of the same presentations can also be used effectively to work with programs and staff who are relatively new to science and engineering programming.
Identify Potential Challenges
It is also useful to get a sense of the challenges activity leaders may encounter when leading science activities at their agency.
Ask the following questions:
- How many children do you expect will be participating in your science program?
- What is the physical setting for doing science activities with children?
- Will there be a dedicated space for science activities?
- Are teaching materials and supplies available for science?
In many out-of-school programs, the environment for doing science and engineering programming may involve sharing space with other ongoing activities or presenting activities in an open room full of distractions. Numbers of out-of-school participants and space constraints should also be kept in mind when considering what types of activities can be accomplished in a particular setting. Time should be allotted during professional development for discussing these types of issues and generating possible solutions. Anticipating the conditions and resources available for science activities can help to ensure their successful implementation.
