TEA Science Workshop #7 October 25, 2012 Kim Lott Utah State University

Recent Teaching Innovations Understanding by Design (Backwards Design) Stage 1. Identify Desired Results Stage 2. Determine Acceptable Evidence Stage 3. Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction Flipped Classroom Lectures are watched at home and class time is used for activities or problem sessions.

How do students learn? Learning occurs as we interact with our environment We collect information through our senses and then make meaning from it We try to connect new information with existing understanding When new information does not fit, we must assimilate or create new frameworks of understanding Accommodation disequilibrium assimilation equilibrium From How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School.

Constructivist Theory of Learning Learning is an active process Students need time to: Experiences exploring a phenomena (hands- on explorations/ manipulatives) discuss their ideas with their peers referred to as interpretive discussion or sense- making discussions Teacher guidance in developing scientifically acceptable explanations (teacher-led interpretive discussions)

Student Prior Knowledge If I had to reduce all of educational psychology to just one principle, I would say this: The most important single factor influencing learning is what the learner already knows. Ascertain this and teach him accordingly (Ausubel, 1968, p18).

Student Misconceptions Biology Physics Chemistry Geology Astronomy

Assessing Student Misconceptions Force Choice Instruments Example: After cooking some eggs in the boiling water, Mel cools the eggs by putting them into a bowl of cold water. Which of the following explains the cooling process? A. Temperature is transferred from the eggs to the water. B. Cold moves from the water into the eggs. C. Hot objects naturally cool down. D. Temperature is transferred from the water to the eggs. E. Energy is transferred from the eggs to the water.

Assessing Student Misconceptions Drawings Examples: Draw from memory Draw a prediction Concept Maps Example: Using the following terms, create a concept map: Kingdom, Protozoa, Monera, Euglena, Paramecium, Bacteria

Assessing Student Misconceptions Card Sorts: Example: Sort the following terms into 3 Headings Matter Not Matter and I Dont Know

How do we address student misconceptions? Discrepant activities-Helps students see that they have a misconception. Guide students through activities in a step-wise fashion to assist them in creating new conceptual frameworks.

Seven Principles of Good Teaching Encourages student-faculty contact Encourages cooperation among students Encourages active learning Gives prompt feedback Emphasizes time on task Communicates high expectations Respects diverse talents and ways of learning

5 E Learning Cycle Engage Explore Explain Elaborate Evaluate

Engage Engage students in the lesson May include: question, discrepant event, short demonstration or activity Students are asked to think about their current understandings Teacher assesses student understanding No vocabulary is presented

Explore Activity-oriented Students are immersed in exploration of the topic or concept Students develop ideas through hands- on activities Teacher asks probing questions and redirects investigations Critical to allow sufficient time for this stage

Explain Outgrowths of Explore phase Teacher develops a questioning sequence that relates to the new knowledge moving from observation to inference from concrete to abstract from the known to the new Concepts are named and discussed Vocabulary introduced & developed

Elaborate Activity oriented Students APPLY concepts in new situation Provides re-enforcement for the concept Closure includes a teacher-led discussion of the activity and how the activity applied to concept

Evaluate Integrated throughout learning cycle Guides instruction Check for understanding Match purpose to activities Matches lesson objectives Measurable: What did children learn about objective How did they demonstrate that learning?

Evaluation Techniques Performance assessment Written responses Traditional paper/pencil test Project Science notebooks Discussion responses

Engage Explore Explain Elaborate Evaluate 5 Model Summary