1. Strategies to Bridge the Hands-on Minds-on Gap Feb 21, 2008 Inquiry Series Michelle Shafer Assistant Director,COSMOS, Bowling Green State University Northwest Ohio Center of Excellence in Science and Mathematics

2. Building a Bridge

3. How do you know when there is a gap between Hands-on and Minds-on? 1.Students are not engaged mentally in a hands-on task 2.Students are not gaining new conceptual knowledge through a hands-on experience 3.Students are not able to apply a hands-on experience to new situations and/or contexts Motivation Thinking

5. Effective learners can: link new information with prior knowledge engage in process and content simultaneously employ cognitive and metacognitive strategies resolve disequilibrium through inquiry and experimentation Most learners need help with these processes Research Says… Getting the Minds Focused and Reflective!!

6. Cyclic, flexible, scientific and mathematical thinking is the goal! Strategies should be ongoing, dynamic, and adaptive, and ultimately focused on fading support and transfer of responsibility so that students take responsibility and control of their personal learning Begin with the END in mind

7. Scaffolding Ongoing diagnosis of student levels of understanding coupled with dynamic and adaptive forms of support. Getting the Minds Turned On and Tuned In!!

9. Minds-On Targets Building a Bridge Getting the Minds Turned On and Tuned In!! Before Hands-On Pre-assess Students Motivate Students Use High Quality Curricular Materials During Hands-on Reflection IN Action Meaningful Learning Time for Trying After Hands-On Reflection OF Action Time for Sense-making Time for Closure

10. Pre-assess Students Many ways to pre-assess Preassess student content knowledge, basing assessment on misconception research (Uncovering Student Thinking in Science) Preassess student learning modality Preassess student process skills necessary for experiment/lab/experience Once you have the information, use it to guide your practice and to scaffold future instruction

11. Minds-On Tools Before Hands-On Pre-assess Students Motivate Students Use High Quality Curricular Materials

12. Minds-On Tools Minds-on Tools  Leveled Inquiry Organizers  Leveled Problem Solving Organizers  Inquiry Wheel  10 and 2, Stop and Share  Data Dashboard During Hands-on Reflection IN Action Meaningful Learning Time for Trying

13. Minds-On Tools After Hands-On Reflection OF Action Time for Sense-making Time for Closure