Corwin Visible Learning for Science, Grades K-12: What Works Best to Optimize Student Learning

The Visible Learning series is hands down some of the best professional development. Visible Learning for Science is no exception. I recommend for all science teachers, elementary teachers, or school leaders. Great read!

Bought as a gift for a teacher. It was just what they wanted!

Easy and great read with practical ideas I will try!

If you're new to Hattie's work, Chapter 1 is a good introduction as applied to science. If you've done any NGSS training, then you likely won't find much new in Ch. 2-3. Yes, we know from Hattie's work that both surface learning and deep learning are important. When applied to science, you're looking at topics like activating background knowledge and vocabulary acquisition for surface learning and concept maps, argumentation/accountable talk, reciprocal teaching, and inquiry for deep learning. Again, if you've taught for any length of time, you've probably already been exposed to much of the content in Ch. 2-3. Where the book gets really useful for experienced teachers is in Chapters 4-5. Chapter 4 talks about transfering learning. This is something we teachers often assume our students will be able to do automatically when, in fact, they don't. Hattie's research shows this, and if we stop to think about our own learning in life, it's easy to see that transfer doesn't happen readily without support. I love the introduction to this concept and the issues raised in this book that are specific to science. Chapter 5 is about evaluation, something you would think tons of science teachers know all about since they've been giving tests and projects since the beginning of time. But when you bring in Hattie's research, it throws our textbook-generated tests into a whole new light. Maybe the goal is NOT to test prep so kids understand how to answer the new application science questions found in all of our new NGSS-based textbooks. Maybe the goal is to step outside those tests and use authentic performance tasks. This book does provide some practical ways to begin that work. The other thing that we don't do well in science is differentiate beyond when we do labs and the students force us to differentiate on the fly. Chapter 5 talks about small group instruction and what that looks like in science (hint: it's not the same as cooperative learning/group work). Here's how I would recommend reading this book to really take advantage of the ideas and thinking in it. Do a book study with your science colleagues in your school, but do it as a JIGSAW. Everybody read Chapter 1 and use that to kick off the book study. Then have your novice or least experienced teachers read Chapters 2-3. Most experienced teachers take Ch. 4-5. Then meet up to have each teacher present the best ideas and thinking in each chapter. Between book study meetings, try out a strategy from the book study discussion and bring that back to the next meeting. This format will help drive change where reading the book alone will not. Great vehicle for making some changes happen in your building if you approach it that way.

As the Academic Coach in a Title I school who is in year 1 of being AdvancEd STEM Certified this books is the perfect companion to increasing the effective teaching that is happening in my building. I have long been a fan of John Hattie and the research he has done on Visible Learning, so finding a book that has that bent through a Science lens is perfect. This book is separated into surface learning, deep learning, transfer of knowledge and assessment and gives great insight into how we as educators can facilitate our lessons in ways the will optimize student learning. It's a must have for Science teachers or building leaders who want to focus on positively impacting Science learning.