The Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) is a partner of the Reflecting on Practice (RoP) program. It will offer learning opportunities through ASTC’s professional development group and at the ASTC Annual Conference (see the upcoming conference schedule for more details when available). The program is also affiliated with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the National Association for Interpretation.
Reflecting on Practice (RoP) is a professional learning program for informal science educators—including educators who work at science centers and museums—developed at the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley, California. The program immerses educators in discussions about, reflections on, and applications of research and theory on learning and teaching science. Experiences within the program create and strengthen a shared knowledge base and professional language among educators within an institution. It makes public the practices of all educators through greater understanding of, and reflections on, their beliefs, goals, and actions.
What happens in RoP?
Mid-career educators participate in a Reflecting on Practice Coaching Workshop to learn the program. These educators, in turn, take the Reflecting on Practice curriculum materials and implement the program with colleagues at their institutions over a period of six to 12 months. The workshops take place over two to three days. During the workshop, participants are offered numerous opportunities to review and reflect on their practice with other peer participants, and learn how to implement this reflective practice at their own institutions.
How to Participate
Six regional leaders around the United States offer Reflecting on Practice Coaching Workshops at their locations or at a host institution in the region upon request. The regional leaders are:
- American Museum of Natural History (Northeast region)
- Aquarium of the Pacific (Southwest region)
- California Academy of Sciences (Northwest region)
- Chicago Zoological Society/Brookfield Zoo (Midwest region)
- University of Texas Marine Science Institute (Texas and Gulf Coast region)
- Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center (Mid-Atlantic region)
You can also connect with Reflecting on Practice at upcoming ASTC Annual Conferences. For more information (including workshop dates) visit reflectingonpractice.org or email Reflecting on Practice Principal Investigator Lynn Tran (lynn.tran@berkeley.edu).
Broad implementation of Reflecting on Practice is supported by funding from the National Science Foundation (DRL #1612515).
