One of the advantages to teaching in the 21st century is the vast amount of online resources available for use in the classroom. Here are just two examples of sites that I may use in my classroom:
PBWorks (formerly PBwiki)
My classroom will be student-centered, and this collaborative editing website would be a great way for me to engage the students in their learning. I can use the site to create a central area (called a workspace) for students to access information, videos, lesson plans, reading materials, homework assignments, etc. Workspaces have main pages that are basically Wikis, but one of the more useful features is a page that allows you to access material straight from a list of files that have been uploaded. Although a lot of the workspaces I've looked at from other teachers seem to involve mainly teacher-posting and student-viewing, my goal would be to have the students create their own artifacts. I'll have a Wiki for students to access important information, but I would want our PBWorks space to be mainly for the students to use. They could post videos, hold discussions, or even submit assigned projects. I think that having a space that is somewhat "teacher-free" will be very empowering for my students.
The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives (NLVM)
NLVM is a great site that gets students engaged in solving math problems by using interactive Java applets. I'm sure this would be a great resource for math teachers, but as a biology teacher, this type of tool may prove invaluable. I don't want math to be a barrier to learning the science content that we'll be covering, and I could use this site in class or to assign homework. Students in my class will need to understand measurements, graphs, charts, histograms, and data analysis -- all available as fun and interesting activities at NLVM.
The study of learning theories have been immensely useful in helping me to frame a philosophy of education as I develop tools that will help me more deeply understand how students learn. Today's instruction added an extra layer of complexity, as we explored some physiological foundations for how adolescent brains make sense of the world.
The brain essentially functions as a network of neurons, the connections of which manifest in our particular emotions, ideas, and dispositions -- in short, our identity. We can say that as adolescents develop, they progress through a process whereby neural networks are pruned of connections that are no longer used frequently, while other connections become more robust. While we, as teachers, may not be able to take action to change or create connections (at least, not in the short term), it is nevertheless useful to be aware of this physiological process.
So how can I make this relevant to the classroom? Perhaps the best approach would be to connect this physiological underpinning to learning theory. If teenage students are encouraged to explore the various options (academic, social, artistic, etc.) available to them, then they will develop the problem-solving skills necessary to progress through their lifetime of learning. These skills will create a sense of intrinsic motivation if tied to positive emotional responses, creating a positive feedback loop. This will be carried with them through life, allowing for the critical thinking necessary to face future challenges. Erik Erikson would argue for a rich and complex learning environment that fosters exploration. If I can create such an atmosphere, and be aware of the decision-making choices available to my students, then I will be confident in my students' abilities to develop positive connections to learning for learning's sake.
A Good Teacher A good teacher is one who values learning for the sake of learning, because it is through fostering intrinsic motivation that students are best prepared for a lifetime of achievements and challenges. I may never know down what future paths my students travel, but by instilling a sense of self determination within them, I can be confident that my students will be able to face challenges with a critical eye, and contribute to society in meaningful ways. If I am to affect positive change in our culture, I must do so by liberating the moral citizen and critical thinker within each and every student.
Original T2P Week 4 If a student is to be prepared to affect change in their life and in their community, then a teacher must cultivate an atmosphere of mutual respect in which the student’s voice is heard, because it is within this framework that a student is empowered. Further, such a learning environment will be advantageous to both student and teacher, as an open exploration of the student's past experiences will allow for each to act as both learner and teacher. Paulo Freire suggests that students will learn values that they can utilize outside the classroom when the teacher is a transformative intellectual, one who applies a pedagogy in which students are treated as critical agents. In this way, a teacher can help a student gain the confidence, esteem, and disposition to critically assess their world and work for change in the face of convention or injustice.
Update to T2P Week 4 If I am to have a lifelong impact on my students' abilities to navigate their world as ethically- minded citizens, then I have an obligation to develop their sense of empowerment. As Paulo Freire suggests, I must pass on to my students values of confidence and self-esteem so that they may critically assess their world and work for change in the face of convention or injustice. Without these tools, my students will be prepared only to settle for decisions that are made for them. In teaching my students to learn for themselves, they will think for themselves and will develop their own critically conscious voice. To be most effective, I must also be aware that I act as an ethical agent and role model to my students at all times.
If teachers are to truly assess student learning and deep understanding, then they must be prepared to consider how these are affected by past experiences, developmental stages, social settings, and the environment, because no one theory on learning is applicable to all.
Note that in the first 2 T2P’s below, components of reflective pedagogical thinking are found in brackets after the component.
Revised T2P Statement
If teachers [IF] are to effectively assess student learning [EVENT], then they must be prepared to consider how understanding is affected by various factors [THEN], such as prior experiences, developmental stages, social settings, and the environment. Students will all come to an understanding of content in different ways [BECAUSE], and by developing a synthesis among the prevailing theories on learning, a teacher will be best prepared to help all students develop that understanding [AND]. Jerrid Kruse notes that a student's mental activities will often reflect a synthesis of several different learning theories [EVIDENCE]. For example, if a student exhibits misunderstanding of an abstract idea, social and developmental learning theories may both explain why -- the student and teacher may have different understandings of the concept based on their particular social interactions, but the student may also be at a developmental stage that initially puts the concept beyond their grasp. It is the responsibility [MORAL/ETHICAL] of a teacher to account for these varied aspects in order to assess not just the student's understanding, but to assess why misunderstanding occurs.
SDT Case Study
If students [IF] are to develop their own sense self determination [EVENT], they must be supported by a social environment in which every student is encouraged to explore concepts on their own and share ideas [THEN]. Students will then be able to construct meaning and achieve understanding if they can make personal connections to the content [BECAUSE], and if they have access to the thought processes of peers and of more knowledgeable people [AND]. Vicki Davis' classroom is a center for collaborative learning in which students work in teams within the classroom, and connect to other students from around the world. The result is that her students are able to construct their own meaning of new ideas [AND], while gaining the benefit of social learning in a way reminiscent of Vygotsky's theory (learning is social and interactive) [EVIDENCE]. One way in which Ms. Davis's pedagogy reflects this is by having students independently look up the definitions of unfamiliar words. She also fosters autonomy, competency, and relatedness by having her students take turns at teaching a new idea to the class. The students are teaching to others, on their own, some concept that they have come to understand. And by doing so, teacher and student develop a sense of mutual respect [MORAL/ETHICAL]. It is important to cultivate the aspects of Self Determination Theory within students, as this will set them up to confidently face any learning obstacles they may encounter throughout life [MORAL/ETHICAL].
T2P Week 4
If a student is to be prepared to affect change in their life and in their community, then a teacher must cultivate an atmosphere of mutual respect in which the student’s voice is heard, because it is within this framework that a student is empowered. Further, such a learning environment will be advantageous to both student and teacher, as an open exploration of the student's past experiences will allow for each to act as both learner and teacher. Paulo Freire suggests that students will learn values that they can utilize outside the classroom when the teacher is a transformative intellectual, one who applies a pedagogy in which students are treated as critical agents. In this way, a teacher can help a student gain the confidence, esteem, and disposition to critically assess their world and work for change in the face of convention or injustice.
In the 21st century, it is imperative that all students have access to technology, and schools are not unaware of the importance of integrating technology in the classroom. The U.S. Department of Education reports that in 2005, nearly 100 percent of public schools in the U.S. had Internet access (Wells & Lewis, 2006). This is good news, indeed, but it does not tell us how or to what extent the Internet or other technological tools are being used. One area of concern should be how students with special needs are able to access and utilize these technologies in order to develop as deep an understanding of the technology itself, as well as the content knowledge being bolstered by it, as do all other students. Below, I list some examples of technological tools that teachers might use under different circumstances.
Students with a hearing impairment Students that are hearing impaired will be able to access Internet activities that include reading or exploring photos. In these cases, I would be sure to assign activities that do not rely on the need for auditory cues or listening to videos. For even more control over content, I could also use a Wiki for my class for assigning homework or projects, or simply providing content-based information. In this way, hearing impaired students would not feel any different from their peers, as they would all be using the same resource. Whenever using the Wiki, the students would have full access to questions, discussions, instructions, or interactions. SMART board presentations that emphasize the use of visuals over sound would be useful, and I could even employ a visual symbol that denoted when a student has finished speaking during an open discussion so the hearing impaired student knows when he or she may join in. Another tool I might use would be to provide closed-caption video demonstrations for my biology labs. And in the district in which I'll be student teaching, some of the schools have access to a Soundfield system, essentially a wireless microphone that amplifies the teacher's voice, which is used in classrooms with hearing impaired students.
Students with impaired vision
Students with low vision have historically had to rely on large print texts. While this can still be used (in fact, it is probably more prevalent now in the form of online text or e-readers), in the 21st century we have more options from which to choose. One of the more useful technologies I might employ for students with impaired vision is speech recognition or speech-to-text software for putting their thoughts down on paper or composing essays without having to write. Talking books, like those promoted by the Digital Accessible Information System (DAISY) Consortium, provide a great tool for the visually impaired student. And recently, Microsoft has developed technology in cooperation with the Daisy Consortium to allow for numerous types of digital artifacts to be accessible to users that are hearing impaired (Microsoft, 2008). This would allow me to save many types of documents for students as DAISY documents. Here’s a video explaining how the technology is affecting the lives of people with impaired vision.
Students with autism
The impairment of social communication and interaction in many students with autism will result in difficulties in the classroom. As a teacher, I will need to offer any alternative that may aid these students in their learning. Speech recognition software that allows the student to control computer commands via their voice can be used for autistic students. This would allow them to write without being frustrated by spelling, or even by having to use a computer keypad (Wikibooks, 2011b). Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) approaches, such as building vocabulary, may be useful for those students who are not communicative. The vocabulary might be within the realm of the content being covered, but it must be on par with the regular vocabulary the student would use with his or her peers (rather than with an adult), as the priority with non-communicative students is teach them to start conversations or to properly voice frustrations (Wikibooks, 2011a). It will also be important for me to employ the use of symbols, which I could use with a SMART board to provide visual cues to denote any shift in activity. For example, I may have different symbols that flash on the screen when we are starting a discussion, opening our books, or taking out a piece of paper.
Students with a broken arm
Students can also be hampered by temporary ailments that might cause a student to "fall behind" if he or she is hindered in the use of technology. What is a student to do if we are working independently on an Internet project, but he or she has a broken arm? This might be another instance where speech recognition software could be employed. The caveat, though, is that I would want the technology to allow the student to continue his or her learning unimpeded, and giving a student the task of learning to use a totally unfamiliar technology might have the opposite effect. It would be advantageous, then, if all students were exposed to the technology. As a regular integration into the classroom, we could use speech recognition software for discussions on a Wiki, students could be asked periodically to provide me with reflections using the software, or I could use oral assessments of student learning by having them verbally answering essay questions.
In the 21st century, there will continue to be an increase in the number of technological tools available for students with disabilities. However, we still have a great deal of progress ahead of us. The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) has stated, as one of its standards for teachers, that we “communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats” (ISTE, 2008). Yet they do not have standards relating to students with disabilities. It is currently up to teachers, schools, and superintendents to bridge that gap in technology use, so as not to widen a gap in student learning.
Wells, J., & Lewis, L. (2006). Internet access in U.S. public schools and classrooms: 1994–2005 (NCES 2007-020). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics.
The science classroom is a natural environment in which to promote collaboration. Student learning can often be enhanced when information or activities are made more relevant, and showing students how scientists collaborate when doing science may provide just that sort of connection. Collaboration may be among classmates, between classes in the same school, or even with classes or scientists from around the world. So how can a teacher go about doing this? In the school in which I'll be student teaching, the science department already as a Wiki for teachers and students to use as an information center and a place for online interaction. So they are at least one step toward the goal of collaborative Internet use. Here I list just a few additional examples of collaborative projects that I hope to use in my future classroom:
Take Action!
In the 21st century, we are faced with many scientific issues that affect the public. In many cases, governments are making decisions that will have ramifications for future generations as well. A potential project for my class might involve identifying one such issue (e.g. greenhouse gas emissions, wetlands protection, urban sprawl), and debating the merits on either side. The class would come to a consensus (another vital component of doing collaborative science), and then write a letter to their representative in congress or another official with a voice in the decision-making. We could even involve other classes within the school or district, promoting a sense of democratic activism. This type of project results in a synthesis among scientific collaboration, the fostering of good writing skills, and promotion of community involvement and citizen action.
What’s Your Carbon Footprint?
Increasing levels of carbon emissions has been a growing concern for decades, yet we have been far too slow to act. Why is this? Who benefits from resistance to regulations? Who stands to lose the most if nothing is done? What can one individual do about it? These are the types of questions my class could debate when studying climate change and its potential affects on our environment. I want my students to think critically about how they can be part of the solution. At The Nature Conservancy website, students can calculate their family’s impact on the environment, and, more importantly, they can explore ways to reduce their carbon footprint. The project would then progress to assessing the carbon footprint of the school. Students could collaborate among their classmates and with the other students and faculty to propose ways of reducing the school’s impact on the environment. This is the type of project outlined as an action research project at the Wikiversity website, one “involving input from people who are likely to be affected by the research” (Wikiversity, 2011).
Science Fair 2.0
Science fairs are fun. And a good science fair will give students the freedom to generate their own ideas (vital, if we are to foster meaning-making in the process of learning). I would like to a have a science fair in which students from my class will collaborate on the same project with other students from around the world. Let’s say I divide my class up into a few groups, each of which will enter a project for the fair. Let’s further say that we coordinate with a class from Japan who works on the same projects. Each group from my class would collaborate with the group from the Japanese class that is working on the same project. The students could communicate via a Wiki or by sharing videos of themselves in order to discuss how to proceed with the project, what challenges they are having, or any ideas at all. Besides working together to do science, this type of collaboration would promote cultural awareness and expose my students to a classroom setting that they may otherwise never see.
All of these projects help teachers to meet ISTE standards by fostering “collaborative knowledge construction” and engaging “students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources” (ISTE, 2011). In addition, we must be cognizant of the fact that not all students have the same access to technology at home. Therefore, if we provide technology knowledge in the classroom, we can help to avoid any digital divide that may cause our students to lag behind others in our society (Wikibooks, 2011). We must also keep in mind that for students to fully develop their Internet skills, the technology should not be introduced as an "add-on" or in pieces that are disconnected to lesson plans, but should be integrated as a regular part of learning. In this way, students will acquire the capacity to critically asses the these tools in order to seamlessly integrate them into their daily lives (Schrum & Levin, 2009).
This is an addendum to my T2P Week 2 post. Having discussed a couple of different ways in which teachers view learning, and how this might affect their stance on teaching, let me first offer a couple of examples from class that are helping me to frame my stance on teaching.
In week two’s class, we discussed several different teaching styles that got me to think about how I’d like to teach. I was immediately turned off by the “whole brain teaching” video. I sympathize with those who make the point that there are some things we teach that simply need to be memorized. However, even though there may be basic knowledge that students must attain in order to understand material that will be subsequently presented, scaffolding can still be done in ways in which the teacher can assess whether understanding has occurred. If information is memorized, but not understood, then we do a disservice to students who will be incapable of applying the information to a different context.
The Dead Poet’s Society clip, on the other hand, really spoke to me. Of course, on its face, it’s a lesson in challenging authority and bucking convention. But the true story, to me, is of a teacher who respects his students too much to feed them dry, pre-packaged information. Here is a teacher who inspires action. Here is a teacher whose passion guides students to intrinsic motivation. Here is a teacher who fosters critical thinking.
I believe that we should possess these qualities if we are to be great teachers. We must keep in mind that we are charged with numerous and important responsibilities. We are the decision makers in the class, and we are the ones who assess student work and understanding of material. We are also, at all times, moral figures. I think Hansen put it best when he said, “morals are caught, not taught” (Hansen, 1995). With all of this in mind, I’d like to offer what I’ve developed as my stance on teaching:
My first responsibility to my students is to facilitate learning. I will be attentive to the fact that students learn in different ways, and will do my best to offer variable means of instruction. It is also important that I provide an environment that is conducive to learning. And because the goal of public schools is to turn out well-educated students and conscientious citizens who will be prepared for a lifetime of learning and participation in our democratic society, I will be an ethical role model. My classroom will be student-centered, a place where student and teacher alike can expect a sense of fairness, respect, high expectations, and mutual enhancement.
Hansen, D.T. (1995). Teaching and the moral life of classrooms. Journal for a Just and Caring Education. 2, 59-74.
“He who loves practice without theory is like the sailor who boards ship without a rudder and compass, and never knows where he may cast.”
~ Leonardo da Vinci
Ow, I've hurt my brain
“In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is.”
~ Yogi Berra
It can be quite a challenge to apply theory to practice in the classroom, to view reality through the lens of abstraction. There seems to be no end to the number of learning theories out there, and as much as I want to keep reminding myself of da Vinci’s words, Yogi too often exemplifies my confusion. Perhaps I’m too much the scientist, craving facts and data while dispensing with vagaries. But no, science can indeed be creative, and teaching is an art. I can do this. So let’s rip it apart and build it back up!
Some observations
In parsing the various theories on learning to which I’ve been exposed thus far, they all seem fundamentally different. How can this be? If there are two seemingly valid, competing theories, then OK. I can review the data on each and see if the conclusions hold up to reality. But what if there are five, or six, or ten theories? My first inclination is to say that either most of the theories are invalid or all the theories need to be unified. After all, if we’re going to eventually come up with a different theory for each individual learner, then we end up with a theory of nothing. Fortunately, a little more analysis is getting me to a better place. Not all theories of learning are mutually exclusive. In Learning Theories: Pillars of Teacher Decision-Making, Jerrid Kruse provides a great example of how three different learning theories are brought to bear on one example of a student misunderstanding (Kruse, 2009). To me, this hits the spot. Finding synthesis is an important step in understanding phenomena that are ostensibly unconnected.
Application
How can I bring theory to practice in the classroom? Am I a Piagetian? Sorry, but I take umbrage with his methodologies (his sample set was his own kids). Maslowian? Honestly, his ideas seem not to be suited much for learning theory. So what is my own take? Let's start with the concept that a student’s conceptual framework gives them a basis for taking in and assigning meaning to new information, sort of a map that gives coherence to ideas. Since this framework is unique to each individual, learning is achieved in different ways for different students. But rather than fret over which learning theory fits which student, perhaps it is more appropriate to view both learning and learning theory in totality as having various facets as well. Personally, this will compel me to “multi-think” when assessing understanding or misunderstanding. I may have to cycle through a few different thoughts to get to the root of the matter, but in the end (and with lots of practice) I’ll be in a much better position to recognize learning in my students. If I want to get the best out of all my students, I need to be cognizant not only of their different learning styles, but also of their different developmental stages, social settings, and experiences. And let’s face it. If you want to improve your classroom management skills, you could do worse than Skinner and his good ol’ operant conditioning!
In Summary
To sum up, if teachers are to truly assess student learning and deep understanding, then they must be prepared to consider how these are affected by past experiences, developmental stages, social settings, and the environment, because no one theory on learning is applicable to all. And don’t forget that teachers are learners too!
Q1: Explain how past experience is important to a learner in both constructivist and behavioral learning theories?
a) In Bloom’s taxonomy, this question falls within comprehension. It is not a simple restating of fact (it asks for importance, which can be nuanced), but does not involve application to analysis.
b) In constructivist theory, the learner’s conceptual framework is central to the process of learning. It is this framework that people use to make sense of past experience (thus, the framework is built by past experience). New ideas are either understood within the learners’ current conceptual framework, or their framework is modified to accommodate the new ideas. In behavioral learning theory, past experience may simply refer to responses to stimuli received on prior occasions. Beyond the stimulus-response paradigm, past experience is not central to the theory.
Q2: Why did Vygotsky believe that play time is so important to the development of young children?
a) In Bloom’s taxonomy, this question falls within comprehension. Again, it is not a simple restating of fact (as it would be if the question were “which researcher believes that play…), but does not involve application to analysis.
b) Vygotsky believed that play develops learning by introducing abstract thought to something real. For instance, a child could take a stick and pretend that it’s a horse he could ride. The stick is real, but the idea that it’s a horse is abstract.
Q3: Sally is 8 years old and is already speculating on why acid rain is such a problem in her small coastal town. She begins to list off data that you as a science teacher know is outdated and inaccurate. What technique do you use to correct her without discouraging her interest in this subject?
a) In Bloom’s taxonomy, this question falls within application, as it asks the answerer to solve a real world problem using knowledge already learned.
b) I would use the opportunity to teach the class about how people do science, and that often times research or experiments are built upon the work of past scientists. Sally has done a great job of giving us some research that relates to the town’s past problems with acid rain. Now let’s collaborate as a class to further that research by looking up the latest data. We may even find that new ideas have come about since Sally’s research was conducted (thereby addressing any inaccuracies she presented).
Former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens once famously referred to the Internet as "a series of tubes" (Series of tubes, 2011). The Senator was trying to use an analogy to make a point, but came off, to many, sounding out of touch with modern technology. Whether the depiction is fair, an octogenarian can surely be given some leeway if not fully up to date with 21st century technology. But we'd best be preparing our students for the technological literacy they'll be depending on. Fortunately, they are already one step ahead of the game. Whether it be Facebook, Twitter, or smart phones, students today are proficient in a wide range of technological areas. Therefore, it is not only vitally important to teach students how to skillfully navigate the Internet for reliable information, but by utilizing a medium that is ubiquitous in the lives of these kids, content knowledge can be explored more fruitfully.
Donald Leu, who directs the New Literacies Research Lab in the Neag School of Education at UCONN, talks to educators about incorporating these new literacies into the classroom. Four of these models are the Internet Workshop, the Internet Project, Internet Inquiry, and WebQuests. All are meant to fit Internet literacy into the existing curriculum and units teachers are already using, but each is different in its approach and function. Some involve a great deal of latitude in terms of where or for what the student will search (like Internet Inquiry and, to some extent, Internet Workshop), while others are more teacher-directed (like Internet Project). Some involve extensive searching that furthers technological proficiency (like Internet Inquiry), while in other models, web content is organized and focused for the students (like WebQuests). Some involve simple tasks, while others are as complex as a teacher would like it to be. But all these models are similar in some very important ways. They all promote critical thinking, work to enhance content knowledge, and develop technological competency. Most of all, they all cultivate collaboration, either among students within the class, or with classes from other towns, states, or countries. This is one of the most important aspects of these models, promoting digital citizenship, one of the key standards set by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE, 2007). They are intended to to provide students with the opportunity to learn from each other, not only in content knowledge, but in new Internet literacies (Leu, 2002). Teachers should not fear the intrusion of technology into the classroom. In fact, as stated by Dr. Leu in one of his educational videos, these models are meant to be integrated in ways that allow the teacher to make it part of their lesson plans (Leu, 2002 1a).
In the Fall, I'll be doing my student teaching in Colchester, CT. The science department utilizes a Wiki, and I am fairly certain that classrooms are equipped with SMART Boards. This Friday I meet with my coordinating teacher to discuss what other technology is in use, and perhaps I'll be able to bring some new ideas as well. For instance, my class could work on an Internet Project through a website called ScienceForCitizens. This would be a great way for students to get connected with other classes while working on research that will be used by actual scientists. Or we could do an Internet Workshop where students are asked to research any living organism that interests them with the goal of gathering information about its morphology and evolutionary history. During the workshop, students would discuss their particular research, and as a group we could construct a phylogenetic tree.
How do people learn? Different theories on this question have led to different methodologies, so where is one to begin when constructing your own stance on teaching?
A first step might be to explore how different educators view learning. Some may believe in a student-centric approach, whereby teachers foster a sense of mutual respect, encourage students to reflect on their thoughts, and engage in a sort of reciprocity that results in deeper understandings for both student and teacher. Others may be more teacher-centric; the student is a vessel into which a teacher pours information. This type of teaching may involve less discussion and more structure, lecture, and discipline. In reality, there are no boxes into which you can place different beliefs in learning processes or teaching methodologies. So let me take a first stab at my personal stance on teaching and learning.
Learning is subjective. When presented with a new idea, each student will construct their own meaning based on past experiences, cognitive abilities, and individual differences in perception. And let's not forget that teachers are people too! Any great teacher will see their classroom as a place for them to learn as well. So, with 20, or 30, or 40 (yikes!) different brains in the room all trying to learn the same concept, how does a teacher keep track of it all? I think that if learning is indeed subjective, then teachers need to draw out from students the ideas that are particular to them. Teachers should be inquisitive and flexible if they are to parse through all these ideas. By facing head-on the challenge of getting to each student's constructed meaning, teachers can assess understanding (or misunderstanding) and reach their overall goals.
If a teacher employs a wide variety of learning activities throughout the daily lesson, then successful learning is more likely to occur, and assessment of student understanding is more clear, because students have been given the chance to do what is natural (meaning-making) and teachers can see if they are really "getting it".
I did not know what to expect from a class that was to last six hours. Fortunately, the somewhat informal atmosphere coupled with a definite underlying structure made the day a great first experience with the TCPCG program.
I was pleased with the way the small groups functioned. Collaboration often yields an end product that is impossible to achieve or predict from working alone. We all had enough variation in our backgrounds and learning experiences to allow us to contribute insight and flesh out big ideas, while also sharing the common goal of becoming great teachers.
In science, it is held that systems are complex, and to get to deeper understandings, one must break the system down into its constituent parts, study and understand the parts individually, then build the system back up as you explore the interconnectedness of the various parts. We began our graduate studies by doing just that, with a first step toward understanding what learning is. I'm hungry for more!
Learning is a social process, and students must be able to construct and assign meaning to ideas that are new to them. One way to encourage this is to utilize tools that emphasize different elements -- visual, auditory, interactive, etc. Below are three websites that may be valuable in teaching a science class. From simply encouraging discussion, to having students actively contribute to scientific research, these tools afford the teacher with countless options to enhance learning.
This is from a fantastic website called The Story of Stuff, featuring videos pertaining to environmental, social, and economic issues. This particular video covers a topic that that should have relevance to students’ everyday experiences (assuming that they have, at one time or another, consumed a bottle of water). It will allow them to construct meaning and think critically about why we consume bottled water and the consequences of doing so, and can spark a discussion on why these consequences are not widely known (cui bono?). By leading students to challenge the dominant discourse (bottled water is way better than tap water!) and exposing them to contradictions, we as teachers can engage them in a discussion on how to mitigate the problems that arise from our increasing use of this ubiquitous product.
One of the key aspects of doing science (and learning in general) is collaboration. There are countless ways in which teachers can foster collaboration among students, but what about connecting with an actual, practicing scientist? This site allows students to enhance the social process of learning by communicating with someone who works in the field of study that the class is covering. Teachers could have students simply post a question, but they would better serve their students by guiding them to deeper understandings. For instance, if learning about the use of the scientific method, students could post a question such as “Our class has been working on an experiment. We hypothesized “A” and tested this by doing “B”. Our conclusion was “C”. Is our methodology sound? How would you conduct such an experiment?” By including a scientist with more practical training than the teacher may have, a further layer of scaffolded interaction can be introduced into a unit that may enhance their ability to give meaning to the given content.
Students learn by actively constructing and assigning meaning to new ideas. An important part of this process must be interactivity, and Science for Citizens is a great tool to use. This site is a place for students to actively contribute to already constructed scientific activities and research. Teachers can choose from a variety of different in-class activities, or may even have students take part in hands-on research. For example, one activity involves tracking American robins. Students record the date and location of any robin that they see over some time period, make note of their activity, and add to a database that researchers will use in their study of bird behavior – a great way for students to explore how living organisms interact with the environment, and how scientists study such phenomena.
