4/26/12 Print How Using The Physics Front Digital Library Can Support Best Practices in Science 1/15 www.ncsu.edu/meridian/sum2008/ezrailson/print.html Meridian Middle School Computer Technologies Journal Print this Meridian Article How Using The Physics Front Digital Library Can Support Best Practices in Science Cathy Mariotti Ezrailson Issue II, Volume 11, 2008 View Online http://www.ncsu.edu/meridian/win2008/ezrailson/index.htm Introduction What is a Digital Library? A digital library is a series of activities, collections, services, tools, and people in support of the creation, dissemination, use, and preservation of information, data, and knowledge (Griffin, 1998). The Physics Front (http://thephysicsfront.org ) is one such digital library collection for K12 physics and physical science teachers developed under the larger umbrella of the ComPADRE Digital Library Collection. ComPADRE is sponsored jointly by the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), the American Astronomical Society, the American Institute of Physics, the Society of Physics Students, and the American Physical Society. It is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) within the larger National Science Digital Library (NSDL) Pathways Project. Eight Pathway projects exist in the NSDL, each of which is charged with making connections to and providing services for specific audiences, and engages existing community efforts in the selection, promotion, and recognition of quality resources (Mason, 2007). What Do the Strands of Science Proficiency Look Like? According to the report of the Committee on Science Learning, Taking Science to School (Duschl, Schweingruber, & Shouse, 2007), students should be able to know, use, and interpret scientific explanations of the natural world; generate and evaluate scientific evidence and explanations; understand the nature and development of scientific knowledge; and, participate productively in scientific practices and discourse. These strands are the touchstone of science literacy, pointing K8 teachers towards concrete applications of science concepts for the classroom (Duschl et al., 2007). The teacher’s companion guide to the report, Ready, Set, Science! (Michaels, Shouse & Schweingruber, 2007), contains concrete examples with classroom vignettes applying these four strands to learning and teaching science in the K8 classroom. Digital resources, such as The Physics Front (http://thephysicsfront.org ), can support and augment these best practices to inform science curriculum at all instructional levels.