🌟 Member Spotlight: GEMS-NET 🌟
This month, RIEEA is spotlighting member organization, GEMS-Net.
Within the Feinstein College of Education at the University of Rhode Island, the GEMS-Net Program supports the implementation of high-quality science programming for grades K-8 within 15 partnering school districts across the state.
Since 1995, GEMS-Net has provided ongoing curriculum-based professional learning for science educators through workshops, coaching, and mentoring, as well as district-wide administrator support and strategic planning.
In accordance with state legislation, Rhode Island schools are transitioning to high-quality curriculum materials for science and GEMS-Net districts have selected OpenSciEd as their K-8 science curriculum. As a certified OpenSciEd Professional Learning Provider, GEMS-Net is supporting partner school districts with the adoption and implementation of the OpenSciEd curriculum. In April, the GEMS-Net team presented multiple sessions at the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) Conference in Anaheim, CA to share our OpenSciEd experience with a national audience.
GEMS-Net Director, Dr. Caroline Stabile and Education Specialist, Zack Orefice will be our guests at our June Virtual Lunch & Learn to talk about the adoption of OpenSciEd. Caroline and Zack will introduce the OpenSciEd curriculum and storyline instructional model which aim to engage students in figuring out meaningful and puzzling phenomena. They will highlight the role RIEEA organizations can play in localizing course phenomena and supporting community connections to the science curriculum. Identifying related and local phenomena are an explicit and integral part of OpenSciEd. The expertise and experience of RIEAA organizations will be an invaluable resource to help teachers enact the curriculum.
Want to find out more? Check out GEMS-Net’s website or follow them on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn.
Image credits: GEMS-Net