After having my children, I began to think more deeply about education and what I wanted to know about how to be effective in science teaching and learning. I realized that I was missing a lot of context in the US due to my lack of understanding about American history. I began to read a great deal about the complex institution that is US education. This new knowledge raised many other questions so I decided to apply to grad school and pursue a doctoral degree in science education.
After returning to Colorado as green card holders, I was able to work part time as a science teacher for the Colorado Options program through Aurora Public Schools. I worked with home schooled students in Boulder, Longmont and Broomfield during this time and was able to think a lot about the wide varieties of beliefs that students bring into educational spaces.
In 2008 I began my doctoral work at the University of Colorado at Boulder in science education, instruction and curriculum. I came to understand why students, like those I had worked with, who represented some of the most marginalized students across the nation, were getting so short changed by the educational system. Wow, was social science graduate work different from scientific graduate work. Apparently there was a whole other language and set of skills I had to learn before I could even understand or begin to work on the things that most concerned me.
My dissertation research, conducted under Dr. Erin Furtak, explored the formative assessment practices of high school biology teachers and the potential of these practices to improve equity in their classrooms. My other research interests included work on critical science pedagogy, teacher learning communities as foci of classroom change, and understanding the intersectionality of race and gender disproportionality in school experiences and outcomes. I was able to pursue these other research interests through collaborations with peers and project work with other faculty.
2015 Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum and Instruction, Science Education, School of Education, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA. Committee: Dr. Erin Furtak (A), Dr. Margaret Eisenhart, Dr. Victoria Hand, Dr. Christina Sue, Dr. Jennifer Whitcomb. Dissertation: Formative assessment and equity: An exploration of opportunities for eliciting, recognizing and responding within science classroom conversations.
2008-2015, Educational Researcher, Science Education, Department of Instruction and Curriculum, School of Education, University of Colorado at Boulder, School of Education, Boulder, CO, USA.
2010, Professional Learning as Leadership: Building Capacity in High School Biology Teaching, Outreach Award, Division of Continuing Education and Professional Studies, University of Colorado at Boulder, $5,000 Co-Applicant with Dr. Erin Furtak.
Elementary Science Education (EDUC5215), College of Education, University of Colorado – Boulder. Held at Boulder, CO, USA. Taught one session: Fall 2012. https://sites.google.com/site/elementarysciencefall2012/
Step 1 - Inquiry Approaches to Teaching EDUC2020), CUTeach, College of Education, University of Colorado – Boulder. Held at Boulder, CO, USA. Taught two sessions: 2010, 2011.
Step 2 - Science Inquiry-Based Lesson Design (EDUC2030), CUTeach, College of Education, University of Colorado – Boulder. Held at Boulder, CO, USA. Taught two sessions: 2010, 2011.
Teaching Your First Course as Instructor of Record, Fall Workshop, August 18-20, 2010 & Spring Conference (Context & Engagement in the College Classroom), School of Education & Graduate Teacher Program, University of Colorado at Boulder. Held at Boulder, CO, USA, January 6-7, 2011.
Communicating Ideas Effectively: Balancing Concepts & Facts versus Experiences & Practice, Monday Workshop Series, School of Education & Graduate Teacher Program, University of Colorado at Boulder. Held at Boulder, CO, USA, October 18, 2010.
2013-2014, Jhumki Basu Scholar, Equity and Ethics, NARST, $700 value plus mentoring and professional opportunities.
2012-2013, Elizabeth A. Wilson Scholarship (Elementary Education Instruction), University of Colorado at Boulder, $1,000 plus research stipend for the year for a total value ~$10,000.
2009-2012, Institutional Tuition Merit Scholarship, University of Colorado at Boulder, $1,000/semester
2009 , Doctoral Student Institution Attendance Scholarship, NARST, Summer School Research Institute (now Sandra K. Abell Institute for Graduate Students), participation and lodging expenses
2008, Doctoral Fellowship, School of Education, University of Colorado at Boulder, $14,000
Furtak, E. M., Kang, H., Pellegrino, J., Harris, C., Krajcik, J., Morrison, D., Bell, P., Lakhani, H., Suárez, E., Buell, J., Nation, J., Henson, K., Fine, C., Tschida, P., Fay, L., Biddy, Q., Penuel, W., & Wingert, K. (2020). Emergent Design Heuristics for Three-Dimensional Classroom Assessments that Promote Equity. In Gresalfi, M. and Horn, I. S. (Eds.), The Interdisciplinarity of the Learning Sciences, 14th International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS) 2020, Volume 3 (p.1487-1494). Nashville, Tennessee: International Society of the Learning Sciences.
Furtak, E. M., Heredia, S. C., & Morrison, D. (2019). Formative assessment in science education: Mapping a shifting terrain. In H. Andrade, R. E. Bennett, & G. J. Cizek, Handbook of Formative Assessment, Volume Two (pp. 97-125). New York, NY: Routledge.
Furtak, E. M. & Morrison, D. (2018). “The Elevate Learning Progression”. E. M. Furtak (Ed), Teacher Participation in Formative Assessment Practice With Learning Progressions (Chapter 2). NY, New York: Routledge. See https://www.routledge.com/Supporting-Teachers-Formative-Assessment-Practice-with-Learning-Progressions/Furtak/p/book/9781138672291
Furtak, E. M., Morrison, D., & Scheuermann, H. (2018). “Quality Formative Assessment Tasks”. E. M. Furtak (Ed), Teacher Participation in Formative Assessment Practice With Learning Progressions (Chapter 5). NY, New York: Routledge. See https://www.routledge.com/Supporting-Teachers-Formative-Assessment-Practice-with-Learning-Progressions/Furtak/p/book/9781138672291
Furtak, E. M., Morrison, D., & Circi, R. (2018). “Student Learning”. E. M. Furtak (Ed), Teacher Participation in Formative Assessment Practice With Learning Progressions (Chapter 7). NY, New York: Routledge. See https://www.routledge.com/Supporting-Teachers-Formative-Assessment-Practice-with-Learning-Progressions/Furtak/p/book/9781138672291
Furtak, E. M., Kiemer, K., Heredia, S. C., & Morrison, D. (2018). “Cross-Case Analyses”. E. M. Furtak (Ed), Teacher Participation in Formative Assessment Practice With Learning Progressions (Chapter 8). NY, New York: Routledge. See https://www.routledge.com/Supporting-Teachers-Formative-Assessment-Practice-with-Learning-Progressions/Furtak/p/book/9781138672291
Heredia, S. C., Furtak, E. M., & Morrison, D. (2016). Exploring the influence of plant and animal item contexts on student response patterns to natural selection multiple choice items. Evolution: Education and Outreach, 9(1), 10.
Furtak, E.M., Kiemer, K., Circi, R., Swanson, R., de Leon, V.A., Morrison, D., & Heredia, S. (2016). Teachers' Formative Assessment Abilities and Their Relationship to Student Learning: Findings from a Four-Year Intervention Study. Instructional Science, 44, 267-291.
de León, V., Furtak, E. M., Morrison, D., & Swanson, R. (2016). Learning Progressions as Tools for Classroom Practice. Proceedings of the 12th International Conference of the Learning Sciences, 2 – Transforming Learning, Empowering Learners (pp.1247–1248). International Society of the Learning Sciences.
Morrison, D. (2016). One Day, Multiple Feedback Loops. In Furtak, E.M., Glasser, H.M., & Wolfe, Z.M. The Feedback Loop: Using Formative Assessment Data for Science Teaching and Learning (pp. 95-100). NSTA Press. See https://www.nsta.org/store/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9781941316146
Heredia, S.C., Furtak, E.M., Morrison, D., & Renga, I. (2016). Science Teachers' Representations of Classroom Practice in the Process of Formative Assessment Design. Journal of Science Teacher Education.
Morrison, D. (2015). Formative assessment and equity: An exploration of opportunities for eliciting, recognizing, and responding within science classroom conversations. Doctoral Dissertation.
Furtak, E. M., Morrison, D., & Kroog, H. (2014). Investigating the Link Between Learning Progressions and Classroom Assessment. Science Education, 98(4), 640-673.
Furtak, E. M., Morrison, D., & Henson, K. (2010). Centering a Professional Learning Community on a Learning Progression for Natural Selection: Transforming Community, Language, and Instructional Practice. Proceedings of the 9th International Conference of the Learning Sciences, 1, 129–136). International Society of the Learning Sciences.
Heredia, S., Furtak, E., Morrison, D., & Gröschner, A. (2021). The disciplinary nature of science teachers’ talk in the process of formative assessment design. International Society of Learning Sciences, June 7-11, 2021, Bochum, Germany.
Morrison, D. (2018). Promoting Equity Science Learning Participation: Strategies for Formative Assessment and Science Classroom Talk. National Science Teachers Association Regional Meeting, Nov. 14-17, National Harbor, VI, USA.
Heredia, S. C., Furtak, E. M., Morrison, D., & Renga, I. (2015). Science teachers’ representations of practice as a resource in the development of formative assessment tools. National Association for Research on Science Teaching, April 11-14, Chicago, IL, USA.
Morrison, D. (2015). The Role of Formative Assessment within Critical Science Pedagogy. Multicultural/Equity in Science Education Share-a-Thon, National Science Teachers Association, March 12-15, Chicago, IL, USA.
Morrison, D. & Heredia, S. (2015). Writing to Learn Together: Formative Assessment as a Process of Scientific Writing and Peer Review. National Science Teachers Association, March 12-15, Chicago, IL, USA.
Morrison, D., Heredia, S., & Furtak, E.M. (2014). What’s in a word?: Formative assessment of students’ everyday understandings of “adapt”. Accepted but not presented at the Culturally Relevant Evaluation and Assessment, , September 18-20, Oak Brooks, IL, USA.
Morrison, D., & Furtak, E.M. (2014). Promoting Formative Assessment Practices and Tools that Support Equitable Science Classrooms. National Association for Research on Science Teaching, March 30 - April 2, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Morrison, D. (2014). Shifting Teachers’ Discourse of Students: The Role of Formative Assessment within Critical Science Pedagogy. Jhumki Basu and Hedy Moscovici Scholars Symposium, National Association for Research on Science Teaching, March 30 - April 2, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Morrison, D. (2013). Towards equitable science classrooms: Formative assessment as a tool for shifting teachers’ discourses on students. Culturally Relevant Evaluation and Assessment, April 22, Chicago, IL, USA.
Furtak, E. M., Morrison, D., & Heredia, S. (2013). Challenges in developing classroom assessments linked to multidimensional learning progressions. National Association for Research on Science Teaching, April 6, Puerto Rico.
Furtak, E. M., Heredia, S., & Morrison, D. (2012). Conversations About Common Formative Assessment: An Analysis of a Teacher Learning Community. American Educational Research Association, April 13-17, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Heredia, S., Furtak, E. M., & Morrison, D. (2012). Item Context: How Organisms Used to Frame Natural Selection Items Influence Student Response Choices. National Association of Research on Science Teaching, March 25-28, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
Furtak, E.M., Morrison, D., Iverson, H., Ross, M., & Heredia, S. (2011). A Conceptual Analysis of the Conceptual Inventory of Natural Selection: Improving Diagnostic Utility Through Within Item Analysis? National Association of Research on Science Teacher Education, April 3-6, Orlando, FL, USA.
Furtak, E. M., Morrison, D., & Henson, K. (2010). Centering a Professional Learning Community on a Learning Progression for Natural Selection: Transforming Community, Language, and Instructional Practice. International Conference of the Learning Sciences. June 29-July 2, Chicago, IL, USA.
Furtak, E. M., Roberts, S. A., Morrison, D., Henson, K., & Malone, S. (2010). Linking an Educative Learning Progression for Natural Selection to Teacher Practice: Results of an Exploratory Study. American Educational Research Association, April 30-May 4, Denver, CO, USA.