San Antonio Elementary Science Teachers Academy

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• San Antonio Elementary Science Teachers Academy
• 2004-2005
• Amanda Turner Hammes
• Program Director for Science
• San Antonio Urban Systemic Program

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San Antonio Elementary Science Teachers
Academywith Amanda Hammes, San Antonio Urban
Systemic Program

• Developer and Coordinator Amanda Turner
  Hammes
• Program Director for Science
• Organization San Antonio Urban Systemic Program
  (SAUSP)
• Project Title San Antonio Elementary Science
  Teacher Academy

• Mission
• The mission of the San Antonio Elementary Science
  Teacher Academy (SAESTA) is to prepare elementary
  teacher as leaders in the mastery of the science
  Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) in
  order to promote advanced science achievement for
  all students. These teacher leaders, by serving
  as resources for their campuses and school
  districts, will exemplify high quality
  instructional strategies designed to make science
  more accessible to students and to narrow the gap
  between elementary and secondary instructional
  programs.

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San Antonio Elementary Science Teachers
Academywith Amanda Hammes, San Antonio Urban
Systemic Program

• Goals Five critical goals of SAESTA are to
• Provide a broad variety of ongoing, sustained,
  work-related and interconnected professional
  development opportunities that will greatly
  increase teacher proficiency in the
  implementation of the science Texas Essential
  Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).
• Increase student achievement on the Fifth Grade
  Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS)
  by enhancing teacher mastery of the TEKS.
• Help teachers develop as leaders and resources
  for their campuses and school districts.
• Promote curricular strategies that will increase
  student enrollment in advanced science courses at
  the secondary level.
• Minimize the gap between elementary and secondary
  science instructional programs through powerful
  professional development opportunities.

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San Antonio Elementary Science Teachers
Academywith Amanda Hammes, San Antonio Urban
Systemic Program

• Structure and Activities
• The SAESTA established a professional development
  program for standards-based science instruction.
  Elementary school teachers from the nine SAUSP
  school districts were invited to engage in
  monthly collaborative sessions designed to
  clarify the science TEKS through challenging
  standards-based activities, science content
  enrichment, safety instruction, TEKS analysis,
  lesson development, and content integration
  strategies.

Note SAUSP continually emphasizes the
sustainability of high quality science
instruction. During the 2005 Summer Institutes,
SAESTA held a three day workshop titled, SAESTA
Teacher Leadership Institute. The teachers were
provided professional development in leadership
and workshop presentation skills. This will be
followed up with a series of mini-sessions to
increase the skills addressed in the workshop.
These sessions will begin September, 2005, and
will culminate with a conference where the SAESTA
teachers will provide professional development
for their peers to deepen their science content
knowledge.
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San Antonio Elementary Science Teachers
Academywith Amanda Hammes, San Antonio Urban
Systemic Program
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San Antonio Elementary Science Teachers
Academywith Amanda Hammes, San Antonio Urban
Systemic Program
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San Antonio Elementary Science Teachers
Academywith Amanda Hammes, San Antonio Urban
Systemic Program

• San Antonio Elementary Science Teacher Academy
• December 11, 2004 Workshop

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San Antonio Elementary Science Teachers
Academywith Amanda Hammes, San Antonio Urban
Systemic Program

• Teachers engaged in using manipulatives for
  problem solving.

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San Antonio Elementary Science Teachers
Academywith Amanda Hammes, San Antonio Urban
Systemic Program

• Charting their work to share in the large group
  setting.

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San Antonio Elementary Science Teachers
Academywith Amanda Hammes, San Antonio Urban
Systemic Program

• Many, many high quality classroom resources are
  provided.

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San Antonio Elementary Science Teachers
Academywith Amanda Hammes, San Antonio Urban
Systemic Program

• Standards-based instruction is modeled small
  group discussion about thinking patterns and
  diverse ways to find results.

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San Antonio Elementary Science Teachers
Academywith Amanda Hammes, San Antonio Urban
Systemic Program

• The SAESTA experience includes technology as an
  integral part of standards-based instruction.

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San Antonio Elementary Science Teachers
Academywith Amanda Hammes, San Antonio Urban
Systemic Program

• Teachers dont have to have fancy kits for
  classroom activities for science.

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San Antonio Elementary Science Teachers
Academywith Amanda Hammes, San Antonio Urban
Systemic Program
Hands-on activities clearly demonstrate physical
properties of energy.
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San Antonio Elementary Science Teachers
Academywith Amanda Hammes, San Antonio Urban
Systemic Program

• Saturday, June 11, 2005 Final SAESTA meeting
  for the 2004-2005 school year at the Advanced
  Technology Center, ACCD

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San Antonio Elementary Science Teachers
Academywith Amanda Hammes, San Antonio Urban
Systemic Program

• Teachers express their appreciation to Amanda.

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San Antonio Elementary Science Teachers
Academywith Amanda Hammes, San Antonio Urban
Systemic Program

• Linda Chavez from City Public Service brought a
  cake to celebrate. City Public Service is a
  strong community partner for SAUSP.

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San Antonio Elementary Science Teachers
Academywith Amanda Hammes, San Antonio Urban
Systemic Program

• Juan Saucedo, Coordinator of Professional
  Development and Alternative Teacher Certification
  Programs, Alamo Community College District, is a
  solid supporter of the SAUSP activities.

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San Antonio Elementary Science Teachers
Academywith Amanda Hammes, San Antonio Urban
Systemic Program

• A successful conclusion for SAESTA Year One, and
  teachers with new confidence and skills in
  science.

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San Antonio Elementary Science Teachers
AcademySan Antonio Urban Systemic
ProgramSupported by the National Science
FoundationESR0114794

• Prepared by Sandra Bloom, Ph.D.
• August 2005