Vocabulary Instruction in Science

I observed a high school Biology classroom last semester and I was intrigued to know that they all kept vocabulary books. This was a place that students wrote down definitions and were able to utilize their “dictionary” as much as they needed…even during tests. This instructor knew the importance of teaching the basic vocabulary of each scientific concept before engaging in the lesson. This eased frustrations and allowed for better comprehension of the subject by the students. I absolutely plan on using something like this in my future classroom. As a student and now as a professional, I rely on vocabulary words to comprehend any topic I run into. I realize the importance of words and I feel my students should as well.

--Stacy Mosier, 2010, Saint Joseph's University

When I mentioned to the teacher how they make the memorization of vocabulary a little more interesting, he mentioned a game he calls Biominoes. They are small blocks, the shape and size of Dominoes. One end of the paper has a vocab word that the students are learning, and the other end has a definition of a word. The students are then required to match up the word end to the corresponding definition on another piece. This makes the learning a little more interactive and fun for the students, but still ensures that they are learning the required information.

--Melissa Blotter, SJU

I agree that it's important to implement a range of strategies to support vocabulary learning, some fun and creative and others more traditional, such as vocabulary quizzes. You also mention the importance of defining vocabulary as a pre-reading strategy. The science teacher at my school does a fun project with students where they have to find vocabulary terms in magazines and newspapers and then cut them out. They also find images associated with the word. They create collages on poster board, and these are hung around the room for the trimester. I have walked into the room when students are working on this project, and they are all engrossed in what they are doing.

--Dr. Eileen Erwin, SJU

the five E's of teaching

There is a five step process for teaching in this week's science module that may be of interest to those in other content areas. I will try to present it in a manner that suggests its applicability across the curriculum. It's best summarized as "the five E's."

1. Engage. An activity that creates interest, raises questions, accesses prior knowledge, generates perdictions about what might happen or be true.

2. Explore. An activity that has students working together without direct instruction in order to pursue questions and predictions raised during the Engagement phase. Students puzzle through a problem while the teacher limits herself to asking probing questions as appropriate.

3. Explain. Teacher provides formal explanations and definitions, using students' previous experiences when possible. Students explain concepts in their own words with accuracy the goal.

4. Elaborate. Students apply new knowledge in new situations, asking questions and checking with one another for clarity and understanding. Teacher observes and coaches as necessary.

5. Evaluate. Teacher assesses students' knowledge and use of new concepts and skills. Students assess their own learning and group processing skills.

Note that direct instruction comes at the third stage, not the first. Consider the value of this, with engagement and exploration activities preceding the teacher's formal presentation or modeling of necessary explanations and definitions.

--Dr. James Lee, Saint Joseph's University

Best Final Exam

If I've already told you this, I apologize, but here is one of the best final exams I know of. I have seen a video of it, including the student presentations.

Students in an 8th grade science class have been working as partners in the lab all year. At the end of the year, as a final exam, the teacher gives each pair a "mystery substance" to analyze. Students are to hypothesize what it might contain and then do the work necessary to determine what the substance is. They create a data chart and draw conclusions. Each pair then makes a presentation to the rest of the class on the process they used to determine what their mystery substance was. Both must speak, and there must be at least one visual, perhaps a data chart reproduced on the overhead or Smartboard. There is a rubric for A, B, C, and failure. The items in the rubric are the components of the scientific process that students have been learning about and practicing all year. This is a test of the progress they have made in applying that process to solving a scientific "problem".

--Dr. James Lee, Saint Joseph's University

Using Journals in Science

One of the best uses of journals is to have students think about their thinking. That is, it is a metacognitive exercise in which students look at their learning process and write about how they are learning, what is giving them problems, and what they can do to do better. Also, using journals to explain a process or a concept is a good test of how well students know something, and when it is done as part of a journal exercise it is relatively non-threatening to find that they have trouble being clear because they haven't learned the material well enough. This, too, becomes then a metacognitive exercise in which they learn about the extent of their own learning and how well established it is.

"Class, I want you to write in your journals today a one paragraph description of how photosynthesis works. Be as clear as you can be. When you are finished, I will ask you to read your description to a partner, who will tell you just how clear your explanation was to him or her."

--Dr. James Lee, Saint Joseph's University

Creative Assessments

My thoughts:

I think students could find creative assessments frustrating if they're not given appropriate scaffolding or direction. I think if we make sure that students know what is expected of them and provide appropriate scaffolding to help them, then they will not find it frustrating, but very enjoyable.

Response from Dr. James Lee:

I agree. Sometimes teachers use the concept of a "creative assignment" to provide little or no direction, seemingly assuming that the creative impulses of students will take over and work wonders. Ah, but we know how disastrous an approach that can be! The other problem that I see is when teachers accept almost anything under the umbrella of "oh, that's really creative!" when in fact the product may demonstrate very little thoughtfulness or quality.

We make a mistake if we allow "creativity" to be some kind of amorphous "thing" that no one can really account for and that therefore cannot really be taught or judged. This is not to say, however, that we can predict what it will be or that we can or should provide a recipe for it. It is to say that we need to teach students how to go about exploring and shaping creative possibilities and then, after careful consideration, move forward. After all, the Muse will usually not come and sit on their shoulder.

Affective objectives and their importance in all content areas

Affective objectives are designed to engage the feelings and attitudes of students. They are present in such behaviors as choosing to listen rather than sleep; volunteering to research a question or to give an answer; explaining one's feelings about a reading passage, video, or piece of music; demonstrating determination in solving a problem; speaking with conviction; describing one's changing feelings while reading a novel; selecting a book to read that seems interesting; choosing to be unbiased in judging an argument (ironically, to suspend feelings as much as possible, but by choosing this, opting for a particular attitude towards learning), etc. These are all behaviors and attitudes we seek because we know they enhance learning. Learning is always greater when feelings as well as thoughts are involved.

Affective objectives include arguing a position; explaining why one feels more "comfortable" approaching the solving of a math problem one way rather than in other ways; describing one's feelings about a character in a novel; expressing feeling or emotion in a foreign language dialogue; and even comparing one's "gut" feeling about how to proceed with a science experiment with what turns out to be a workable approach.

We can also consider as affective objectives the study of values and feelings as presented in the content to be learned. I can ask students to compare the values of two political regimes or to explain what values most environmentalists have in common. If I then ask students how they feel about these values, whether they endorse them or reject them, whether they have sympathy or dislike, I am asking them to connecting the study of values with the students' own beliefs.

We ignore the affective "domain", which Bloom has made so famous, at our peril!

--Dr. James Lee, Saint Joseph's University

goals, objectives, and assessment

Thoughts from Emily Wachsman on goals, objectives, and assessment in teaching science:

Physical Science

• Enduring Understanding: Chemical formulas are simplified & standardized descriptions of chemical reactions.
• Enduring Question: What are the basic components of a chemical formula? What do chemical formulas tell you about the chemical reaction?
• Cognitive learning objective: Students should be able to identify reaction types and predict the outcomes of the reaction (synthesis, decomposition, etc).

• Enduring Understanding: Solutions are formed by specific solute-solvent interactions, and depend on energy and other physical conditions.
• Enduring Question: What factors influence the formation of a solution when the solvent and solute are mixed?
• Psychomotor Learning Objective: Students should be able to demonstrate methods of preparing different types of solutions under different situations (concentration, temperature, etc).

Life Science

• Enduring Understanding: Ecosystems are a complex and diverse habitat for a variety of organisms.
• Enduring Question: What relationships exist between living organisms within a given ecosystem? How do organisms interact with their ecosystem?

o Cognitive Learning Objective: Students should be able to analyze the dynamic ways in which organisms in any given ecosystem interact.

• Enduring Understanding: Understand the dynamic nature of ecosystems, and how one small change can have drastic consequences for the entire system.
• Enduring Question: How do ecosystems change over time? What impact can humans have on ecosystems? How can we conserve and protect the environment?

o Affective Learning Objective: Students should analyze the impact humans can have on diverse ecosystems. Students should develop an interest in sustainable/eco-friendly practices, and take an interest in incorporating some of these ideas into their daily lives.

Earth & Space Science

• Enduring Understanding: The environment, and subsequently weather, is influenced by a complex set of physical and chemical processes.
• Enduring Question: What causes the weather? How can we predict the weather?
• Psychomotor Learning Objective: Students should be able to use various instruments to gather data regarding weather (barometric pressure, temperature, etc).

• Enduring Understanding: Oceans are an essential aspect to Earth’s ecology, and provide humans with vital resources for food, fuel, and water.
• Enduring Question: What resources do we get from the ocean? Why is the ocean considered an important part of scientific research?
• Cognitive/affective Learning Objective: Students should be able to describe the effect of Oceans on Earth, and illustrate the variety of ways oceanic resources are utilized. Students should become interested in the importance of Oceans, and take it upon themselves to investigate current research on deep sea vents or other popular oceanic topics.

Assessments

The assessment possibilities for sciences are seemingly endless. I have struggled somewhat with trying to think up ways to assess my students without traditional paper and pencil tests, which I a not a huge fan of. However, as I was reading this chapter and designing my EU’s, EQ’s, and objectives, I found myself with hundreds of possible assessments ideas! That is exciting to me, because it makes me feel more confident in my abilities to truly bring constructivism to my class. One of my favorite assessment types described by Bybee, Powell, & Trowbridge (2008) are creative assessments. The students I observed my first semester of the OATCERT program were required to develop a trail guide about local plant species as part of their botany unit. I thought the idea was great, and the students seemed very engaged and excited about learning botany classifications and identification techniques so they could apply it to their trail walks. I thought, given how boring that topic generally is for most students, that the trail guide assessment was a brilliant idea to get the students engaged. A similar type of creative assessment could be used in the ecology unit described above. For example, I could have the students develop a creative assessment in which they develop a new idea for green/sustainable energy or a new way to manage an ecosystem considered at risk. In this assignment, they will look at the ecosystems around them, try to find creative solutions, and even analyze how they can use more green energy or eco-friendly practices in their daily lives. Both learning objectives from the life sciences section above could be met through this assignment: students will not only have to understand diversity of ecosystems and the dynamic interactions found within them, but they will also have to think about how humans effect their environment. Hopefully this will also help them to generate interest, and apply what they have learned to their own lives. I think an important aspect of this assignment, as Bybee et al. (2008) point out, is to show students previous examples of this type of assignment if available, or give them some ideas to start with ((p. 136).

Another type of assessment that will be frequently used throughout any science class is the practical assessment. According to Bybee et al. (2008), a practical assessment is one that “provides information on students’ skill and problem-solving abilities through the use of apparatus setups, experiments, and open-ended situations that can reveal certain thinking processes” (p. 136). For example, under the physical science section, one of my learning objectives is for students to demonstrate the laboratory skills required to make solutions. Here, I can provide the students with the objective of making different solutions under different conditions. As they progress, I can even add an oral interview into the assessment, and ask them to explain the underlying scientific processes occurring. By having the students explain these processes to me, I will be able to ascertain their true understanding of the subject matter, rather than simply their ability to repeat and set of directions. So often, at least in my experience, lab practicals become more about going through the motions, rather than really learning why something is occurring. I think it would interesting to have the students attempt to create a solution that won’t actually work because the conditions are wrong, and then ask them to explain why. Regardless of how it is done, I think it is much easier than I thought previously to include constructive assessments into my lessons.

Trade Books for the Science Classroom

Genome by Matt Ridley

His inviting prose proposes "to tell the story of the human genome... chromosome by chromosome, by picking a gene from each."

http://www.amazon.com/Genome-Matt-Ridley/dp/0060932902

The Third Chimpanzee by Jared Diamond

Jared Diamond states the theme of his book up-front: "How the human species changed, within a short time, from just another species of big mammal to a world conqueror; and how we acquired the capacity to reverse all that progress overnight."

http://www.amazon.com/Third-Chimpanzee-Evolution-Future-Animal/dp/0060845503/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276275391&sr=1-1

The Secret Life of Lobsters by Trevor Corson

Corson brings together the often conflicting worlds of commercial lobstermen and marine scientists, showing how the two sides joined forces and tried for 15 years to solve the mystery of why the lobsters were disappearing. He brings the story to life by concentrating on the lobstermen and their families who live in one Maine fishing community, Little Cranberry Island, and alternating narratives of their lives with accounts of the research of scientists who, obsessed with the curious life of lobsters, conduct experiments that are often as strange and complex as the lobsters themselves. Corson provides more information about the lobster's unusual anatomy, eating habits and sex life than most readers will probably want to know, but he makes it all fascinating, especially when he juxtaposes observations of human behavior and descriptions of the social life of lobsters.

http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Life-Lobsters-Scientists-Unraveling/dp/B002ECEEIQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276275633&sr=1-1

The Double Helix by James Watson

"Science seldom proceeds in the straightforward logical manner imagined by outsiders," writes James Watson in The Double Helix, his account of his codiscovery (along with Francis Crick) of the structure of DNA.

http://www.amazon.com/Double-Helix-Personal-Discovery-Structure/dp/074321630X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276275805&sr=1-1

The Beak of the Finch: A Story of Evolution in Our Time by Jonathan Weiner

Rosemary and Peter Grant and those assisting them have spend twenty years on Daphne Major, an island in the Galapagos studying natural selection. They recognize each individual bird on the island, when there are four hundred at the time of the author's visit, or when there are over a thousand. They have observed about twenty generations of finches -- continuously.
Jonathan Weiner follows these scientists as they watch Darwin's finches and come up with a new understanding of life itself.

http://www.amazon.com/Beak-Finch-Story-Evolution-Time/dp/067973337X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276275920&sr=1-1

An Imagined World: A Story of Scientific Discovery by June Goodfield

An Imagined World follows the scientific research of Anna Britt as she explores the connections between cancer and iron (among many other things). June Goodfield, a philosopher of science, weaves together all the bits and pieces of science - the euphoria of insight, the dynamics of an international laboratory, the problem of obtaining funding, the need for exact experiments and an open mind - and creates a mystery that is both suspenseful and comprehensible.

http://www.amazon.com/Imagined-World-Scientific-Discovery-Paperbacks/dp/0472064622/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276276137&sr=1-1

A Feeling for the Organism: The Life and Work of Barbara McClintock by Evelyn Fox Keller

Barbara McClintock was one of the premier investigators in cytology and classical genetics, but her work was pushed out of the mainstream by the revolution in molecular biology in the middle of this century. Thirty years later, the simple truths sought by research scientists whose training was closer to physics than biology continued to prove elusive, and the discovery of transposons in bacteria marked the beginning of a revival of interest in her work. Keller's analysis of McClintock's difficulty in finding a place to work and her relations with other investigators is insightful and thought-provoking, not only about women in science, but about the role of dissent in the scientific community.

http://www.amazon.com/Feeling-Organism-10th-Aniversary-Edittion/dp/0805074589/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276276288&sr=1-1

Using Backward Design

Originally posted by Dr. James Lee in Theory and Practice in Secondary Teaching:

Here's a testimonial for Backward Design from a student not in this class. The essay question she refers to could be considered an EQ (essential question) for the entire unit. Consider the value of students being given that question at the beginning of the unit!

"I've discovered that giving the final objective and backward engineering the knowledge has been very successful for my students.

It's amazing how this works across all subjects. When I was observing fall semester, I observed an 11th grade English class. The teacher actually gave them the essay question they would have to answer at the end of the unit on the "American Dream" first along with a rubric and the course objectives. He continually revisited the essay question at different times in the course. Most students' views changed by the end of the unit or, at the very least, they were much more in-depth. At the end of this unit, I had the opportunity to read some of their papers. I was very impressed with the quality of their answers. However, if the teacher had just given them this essay question at the end of the unit, I do not believe I would have seen the same caliber of essays. The students were continually thinking about the end question throughout the unit and they had time to develop their ideas."

A wonderful way to teach for depth of thinking and the development of ideas over time!

Note also that the revisiting of the question during the unit is, in fact, formative assessment, which provided students with a greater chance to develop more complex schema (!) about the question prior to the summative assessment at the end of the unit.

Hiam Ginott Quote

I’ve come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive

element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that

creates the climate.

It is my mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess

a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous.

I can be a tool of torture, or an instrument of inspiration. I

can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal in all situations, it is

my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or

deescalated and a child humanized or dehumanized.

Hiam Ginott

Levine- Accommodations and Teacher Policy

Taken from Levine, M. (2002). A Mind at a Time.

I often think it's a good idea to ask a child for a payback

for accommodation, in which case the student may take on some

form of additional work to compensate for a reduction of

demands in an area of difficulty. The payback system helps

students sustain their pride, and is fair to the other for

whom no accommodation was made. Ex: fewer problems on math

test but has two more for homework. Ex: shorter report but has

to draw a poster for it (because they are good at art).

Levine quoted a teacher saying: "Each year during the first

week of school I tell all the kids in my science classes, 'I'm

not going to treat any two of you the same way. And I don't

want to hear anything about it. Some of you might have to

write long reports and some of you are allowed to do shorter

ones. Some of you may have to read long articles and some of

you shorter ones. And that's just the way it is. Everyone

learns different. If there's any special thing any of you need

you can let me know, and I'll think about doing it for you.

But I don't want to catch you complaining about what I'm doing

for anyone else.'"

Levine text: I wholeheartedly agree with that teacher's policy

and philosophy and with the need to declare it openly to the

students.

Purpose of Education

Opinion of Farrah Thompson, French teacher:

I agree with you that a lot of the values set forth by the

founding fathers for a common school are still evident in

today's public schools. However, as our society changes and

schools continue to be called upon to resolve our social and

economic woes, I believe we are moving futher and futher

away from the intentions that our founding fathers started

out with. First of all, I don't believe our founding

fathers ever intended the common schools to be used for a

vehicle to affect social change. The ideals of literacy and

political freedom were inextricalby intertwined in the minds

of those colonial leaders (Tozer, 2006, p. 438). Therefore,

the purpose of education to them was to produce literate and

functioning citizens of the new democracy. Since then the

public schools have been called on to "fix" a number of

social woes including immigration, industry, and economic

problems. Today, more than ever, public schools are being

asked to work miracles in our society. I recently read an

article in the PSEA magazine, Voice, that was addressed to

President Obama and asked him to stop saying that schools

"fail." While the article did not remove all responsiblity

from educators, it highlighted that there are many other

factors in a child's life that may "fail'' him. It mentions

the entertainment industry, businesses, law enforcement,

social agencies, legislators state education departments,

and the media, among other factors. The final line of the

article says, "I do not know, Mr. President, if it takes a

village to raise a child. I do know that it takes more than

a school." (PSEA Voice, April 2010, p. 9). I love this line

because, although I think schools should be held accountable

for their students' learning, I don't think they should be

the only institutions that are held accountable for the

success of our students and our society. Citizens of the

United States, perhaps more than any other people, seem to

have a deep-seated, even exaggerated faith in the ability of

their schools to solve major social problems (Tozer, 2006,

p. 460). I think America needs to stop and re-evaluate what

the purpose of education and its public schools are.

Teaching Learning Disabled Students

Thoughts of classmate Emily Wachsman (2010)

The focus on prevention seems to be a common thread with

many of the disorders we have talked about. The focus on

prevention, at least on paper, seems to make our jobs a heck

of a lot more difficult. There are a lot of disorders out

there that we will encounter. That is a lot of information to

keep track of and stay on top of; it’s no wonder teachers

feel so inadequately prepared to deal with learning disabled

students. It’s overwhelming! However, as I read more about

different aspects of learning disabilities, I am becoming

convinced that we don’t know how to effectively treat and

teach to each individual disorder. The common element seems

to call for teacher understanding and acceptance that each

student is going to have their own unique hurdles to

overcome. Being accepting and finding ways to work with kids

on an individual basis will work regardless of their

exceptionalities; it is at least a positive and nurturing

place to start when working with kids. As time goes on,

certainly we can find things that work specifically for kids

that may need some more specialized help. When I think about

it this way, I don’t worry as much about how I will ever be

able to manage teaching students successfully.

Science and Education Quotes

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has

its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe

when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of

the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries

merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day.

Never lose a holy curiosity.

-Albert Einstein

Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths

theater.

- Gail Godwin

The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that

heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' (I found it!) but

'That's funny ...'

- Isaac Asimov

In essence, science is a perpetual search for an intelligent

and integrated comprehension of the world we live in.

Cornelius Bernardus Van Neil (1897- ) U. S. microbiologist.

Science can only ascertain what is, but not what should be,

and outside of its domain value judgments of all kinds remain

necessary.

Albert Einstein (1879-1955) U. S. physicist, born in Germany.

Preconceived notions & Self-efficacy

Driscoll summarizes Bandura’s self-efficacy this way,“people

make judgements about their ability to perform certain

actions required to achieve a desirable outcome. Then, based

on their judgments, they proceed or not to engage in those

actions.” (Driscoll, p. 316) Bandura’s self-efficacy

describes very well what kids bring with them. I’ve noticed

those issues in my own learning. I hope we all remember and

your post reminds me of this, that all preconceived notions

can be altered. The function of the brain can be improved and

through the positives you discuss we can make a difference.

-David Fiscus

Reflecting on your teaching using a journal

One approach to tracking your learning (and coming up with

answers to problems) is to engage in journaling.

The Reflective Journal as a Learning and Professional

Development Tool for Teachers and Administrators.

“This paper briefly reviews the evidence on the use of the

reflective journal as a learning and professional development

tool for teachers and school administrators. It argues that a

new trend tends to permeate the teaching profession:

reflecting on what teaching really means. It also contends

that a reflective educator is aware that taking time and

energy to reflect on and improve ones work is absolutely

essential to the comprehension of the process of teaching

itself. Subjects of this study were 35 graduate students in

clinical internship courses.”

http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetail

s/detailmini.jsp?

_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED480130&ERICExtSear

ch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED480130

Tailor teaching to your students

Professor Christine Schwarz:

When you know what you want to achieve in the long-term, you

then break down those goals for short-term goals. So the

purpose of your assignments and pedagogy must fit what you

want your students to know, think and be able to do.

A new book (2009), Constructivist instruction: Success or

failure? Tobias, Sigmund (Ed.) and Duffy, Thomas M. (Ed.)

explores the ideas we’re discussing this week. In the

chapter by Richard Mayer, constructivism as a theory of

learning versus constructivism as a prescription for

instruction is examined. Mayer argues that “it is

inappropriate to assume that active cognitive learning

requires teaching methods that promote hands-on behavioral

activity during learning—such as discovery methods.

Similarly, it is inappropriate to assume that passive

instructional methods— such as multimedia presentations—

cannot promote active cognitive learning.” So the moral of

the story is to tailor your pedagogy to the needs of your

students relative to the learning objectives that you have

for them.

Constructivism produces uneven results because it doesn't

always suit the problems you're trying to address. For

example, you might like a particular screw driver an awful

lot, but it will not cut wood as well as a saw. There are

certain kinds of problems that are better suited to

constructivism than others. According to Spiro et. al.,

teachers "need to treat complex, ill-structured knowledge

domains differently from simple, well-structured domains.

Examples of ill-structured domains such as history,

medicine, law, literary interpretation, and teacher

education are prime targets for flexible instruction, in

part because learners must apply what they have learned to

novel and unique situations.”

Thoughts on Constructivism by David Fiscus

I believe it is possible to assess kids on an individual

basis through a classroom environment. I like the

constructivist conditions for learning that Driscoll

describes on pages 393 and 394 to create an environment that

would help most students achieve what the 8th grader did in

the resource room.

1. Embed learning in complex, realistic and relevant

environments. Never assume anything with the kids. Prepare,

prepare and prepare and be willing to learn from the kids in

developing the learning environment.

2. Provide for social negotiation as an integral part of

learning. Allow the kids to discuss and learn from their

peers through purposeful and guided interaction.

3. Support multiple perspectives and the use of multiple

modes of representation. Teach in an active, participatory

way that creates an environment allowing for discussion and

multiple perspectives to be heard and taught.

4. Encourage ownership in learning. Probably the greatest

challenge because some kids will refuse to take ownership

because of past difficulties in learning. I would like to

provide as positive of an environment for individual

students to increase confidence and participation. This

means tagging some of the better more conscientious students

to be partners in helping the learning environment.

5. Nurture self-awareness of the knowledge construction

process. Get to know the students. It can't happen all at

once but (and maybe I'm too much of an optimist) every

student has learned something in their life. Finding out

how they became good at something even like doing skateboard

tricks or bike tricks or drawing can help map out the most

effective way to how a student learns.

If we follow the conditions of 1 - 3, I think conditions 4

and 5 could be met in the classroom. As a teacher if we

have more concern for the kids than just being authoratative

dispensers of knowledge the classroom can be set using the 5

conditions. I guess it means a little humility for me.

Ownership of Learning

Thoughts from Chris Utrata:

I know that personally I cared a heck of a lot less if I had

no input in the path of my learning. This is not to say that

the student should ever, in “a million years,” have the

final say in his or her learning, but rather, the student,

coupled with a majority input of the instructor should be

permitted to have input on how he or she will actually

arrive at the same ends as the rest of his or her peers. The

particular school where I am observing at this moment

actually has a class which is particularly challenged. This

is specifically his 6th period Spanish class. This is

largely due to behavioral problems, as opposed to mentally

developmental challenges. While Mr. Moreno seems to use the

concept of constructivism as it is related to ownership in

learning with all of his classes, he seems to especially use

it with this particular class. He is constantly asking them,

both as a group and as individuals, where do you want to be

by the end of November? Where do you want to be by second

semester? Where do you want to be by the end of the year?

Etc. He is establishing goals with them and he is even using

a reward system to motivate them to learn. Currently, he is

offering each one of the students who achieve an 85% or

better by the end of the school year a Chivas Mexico soccer

jersey. He has told me they are actually responding to it

quite well. I actually have requested that this be the class

I present my mini lesson to, as I like the idea of the

challenge it will present for me. Mr. Moreno has similar

goal oriented ownership in learning activities going on in

every one of his classes but this, by far, is the one which

has had the biggest impression on me personally, “Students

are not likely to become autonomous thinkers and learners if

they lack and opportunity to manage their own learning.”

Thus, it is important to facilitate student ownership in

learning” (Driscoll pg. 399 via Duffy and Cunningham, 1996;

Honbein, 1996; Hannafin, Land and Oliver, 1999). In short,

the “adult world” is based on ownership of work and a

rewards system. If we are not challenged and we are not

rewarded based on hard work in an academic setting, we will

never be able to transfer our academic skills into the real

world.

-I like the idea of goal oriented ownership in learning

activities and I want to incorporate this into my teaching.

Pre-reading Activities/Schema Theory

Comments from Dr.Schwarz about pre-reading activities:

One way in which I can determine what knowledge my students

do have about this is to initiate a class brainstorming or

discussion session at the start of the lesson. I can ask

direct questions about the process. This will allow me to

ascertain what the students do or do not know.

This would be the time to provide imagery in advance of the

video. Think: KWL chart.

http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/learning/lr2k

wl.htm

Once we have started a discussion, I can then show the class

a video of the cell division process, and point out the

various important aspects of the process as it occurs.

Great, now spiral back and combine this with some of the

strategies that we looked at last week. Which ones do you

think would work best for you in your biology classes?

You identified "words"ESL students bring with them valuable

ways of knowing and examples from their education abroad that

can enrich your classroom. Here is an example

(http://faculty.rcoe.appstate.edu/koppenhaverd/s07/3030/notes

/beth.pdf) of how one teacher builds schema for ESL students.

Observations of a teacher w. 30+ yrs exp by Dori Blake

-"never turn my back on a class, especially if it is 30 or

more students"

-Every Friday, Mr. S puts on the projector 'real life'

problems. He then allows the students time, while he takes

roll and checks if homework has been done, to work

independently and quietly amongst each other to solve the

problem. Once they have completed the problems to the best

of their ability, he goes over them in class - as a group.

He constantly challenges them with questions like "where did

you get that", "what concept is that", "how do you come to

this", etc.

-Another way I think he illustrates his push for students to

take ownership is how he grades.....classwork and homework

count for 80% of the grade in his class. He constantly tells

the class that testing alone does not "get it done", that the

understanding and ability to transfer their knowledge is the

ultimate goal.

Wikis and other accommodations

-Wikis are a good tool for collaboration for experiments.

-Record lecture for students who need to hear it again.

Science Fair- Accommodations for ESL students

Science Fair projects or projects of any kind:

** Must make accommodations for ESL students **

-Introduce visually dynamic literature before you start a new

unit.

-Find simple tactile projects that build a framework before

the start of a unit.

-Set the student up with pre-selected internet sites that

bring the concept alive and offer reference points.

-Need to be a range of possible projects that do not involve

extensive/costly materials.

-Have students work in groups if parents can't be involved.

** Also need to engage the parents of ESL students **

-Send home letter in the "home language" explaining the

project, what they're expected to do, and invite them to the

science fair.

Simulation software before lab

Brenna Pancza's thoughts on using simulation software in

science:

I was a poor science student, and on the rare occasion when

the teacher would assign an in-class experiment, I was

usually so focused on not making a mistake or mess that I

really did not gain much knowledge from these experiments.

Had I been exposed to simulation software as an introduction

or practice to some of these types of experiments. I can only

presume that my experience would have been enhance because I

would have already had a basic understanding of what was

going to happen.

My thoughts:

Provide simulation before lab. Learning environment- it's ok

to make mistakes or be messy as long as you're learning,

participating, making an effort.

Four components of effective teaching, no matter what the content area

1. Construction. Students "construct" meaning idiocyncratically by connecting new learning to current mental schema to create new understandings. For this reason, students need to be active learners rather than passive receivers of what the teacher has already "constructed" through his or her own idiocyncratic learning process. The old transmission model of learning has been discredited by what we now know about the psychology of learning. Although telling students about new learning is important, what students learn from telling is never exactly what the teacher believes she has taught, and sometimes it is very different, indeed. That's the reason why students have to be given learning opportunities in which they develop their own understanding through practice and application and then test it against that of others and the real world.

2. Occupation. To truly understand new learning, students need to "occupy" the discipline. For example, in English students can learn what it's like to "walk in someone else's shoes" when they read literature; in social studies they can project themselves imaginatively into the events and lives of the people of the past; in mathematics, they can choose methods for applying concepts and skills to solving real world problems; in science they can read about scientists and "do science" themselves in a lab or classroom; in foreign language they can play out real world scenarios in the classroom, or, better yet, in conversations with native speakers through Skype, emails, or in person.

3. Negotiation. In order to take charge of their own learning, students need to have some control over its content and the direction it takes. They need to exercise judgment, make decisions, and come to understand their strengths and weaknesses as learners. This requires that they make some choices, to at times be in an executive position. These opportunities can be provided within a framework designed by the teacher. It is not the same as a union negotiating a contract with management. When we "construct" meaning, we "negotiate" it within different social contexts in which we are active participants.

4. Conversation. Conversation among students and the teacher builds understanding as different perspectives are considered and in the process students shape and refine their mental constructs. Q&A is useful, but it is not conversation, nor is it "discussion." Authentic conversation involves students listening to each other and responding in light of what has already been said; it is not a two-channel, teacher-student dialogue in which the student tries to read the teacher's mind. There are some good conversations taking place in the current module. Consider how this can be the norm in your own classroom, even with young people who are not initially very skilled at the give-and-take of sharing ideas.

in addition to textbooks

Thoughts from Dr. Eileen Erwin:

I think textbooks should always be supplemented with outside sources, especially in History class. Students should examine original documents, read newspaper accounts, view footage from discovery streaming, read ficition and non-fiction...there are so many rich resources that would make learning far more interesting than reading a textbook account of an event. Your discussion response also points to how well we can "trust" information...we need to always ask, "what is left out?" and "whose perspective is this?"